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Wednesday, June 21, 2000
One year ago: U-District
Two years ago: Get a Grip
Three years ago: Shake, Rattle and Roll
A year ago, Jack was off to Denver where his older daughter had been picked up by the police. What a tough year it's been for him since then!
Tonight was the first in the series of parties that Clarion West supporters throw, so that the students at this SF-writing bootcamp (excuse me, I mean "intensive workshop") get to blow off some steam and socialize with members of the local fannish community. Jack and his friend Jim Kling picked me up at my place. Jack had been to the surgeon for a follow-up appointment today, after his gall bladder surgery. The doctor can't seem to get over how bad Jack's gall bladder looked! It must have really surpassed his expectations. Jack's incisions are healing fine.
Jack wanted to eat dinner at his favorite Indian (Pakistani, really) restaurant in the U-District, The Shalimar. Beef vindaloo was on special, which pleased him because that's what he wanted anyway. I had lamb in a spicy tomato-cream sauce.
After a stop at the grocery store, we drove up to the North End. Jack was convinced that I'd been to the house before (John Hedtke was hosting), but I knew I hadn't. Finally he realized that he'd been there on New Years Eve of 1998, when I'd been at Swing Out Northwest.
John's house is at the end of a cul-de-sac, with a large deck. I liked the array of windchimes, from high to low in tone. It was a mild evening, not too hot. I enjoyed talking to Randy Byers, A.P. McQuiddy and Ron Drummond. Kate Schaefer and Glenn Hackney made a brief appearance -- I was shocked to learn that Kate had undergone a procdure with the ominous name of "gum graft" that very day, so it was very brave of her to show up at all.
The Clarion West students all clumped together, of course. They are very bonded right now, after this first week. David Levine has a good description of the party -- he seemed to be maintaining when I spoke to him. I did manage to talk to a few of the students, despite being so shy and all. Several people (besides me) thought that the two with accents were a couple! But one was from New Zealand and one from South Africa, and they'd never met before coming to Clarion.
Jack managed to get instructor John Crowley to sign his books (including a rare edition, published by Ron Drummond's Incunabula Press, that was a gift from me). Crowley is one of Jack's favorite authors, so he'd been very excited to hear that Crowley was going to be teaching at Clarion West this year. Jack and John jammed together a bit, also, with John on banjo. John sang a funny song -- that one about the sixty-five dollar Corvette.
* * * * * * *
We successfully got Jim steered back north on his way to Bellingham, and Jack and I went back to my place. The trouble was: Jack couldn't get comfortable in my bed! He's been sleeping in his recliner still, back at his own place. So he didn't realize that lying down on his side, either side, would pull his incisions uncomfortably. Lying on his back made his back hurt! "That recliner has spoiled you!" I exclaimed. He ended up trying to sleep in a chair in my living room, which was no fun for him, and didn't suit me either. Phooey!
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"I shall tell you what I see at the end of all your wishings," said the angel softly.
-- John Crowley, Great Work of Time
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