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Road to RadCon
Being on tour sends me crazy, I drink too much and out comes the John McEnroe in me.
-- Chrissie Hynde
Friday, February 16, 2001
Two years ago: Cinnabon(s)
Three years ago: Restless
We woke up to snow! There were several inches on the ground. Would this interfere with our drive to the science fiction convention? We watched the Seattle morning TV coverage of "snowblast 2001" and monitored the road conditions.
Jack decided to delay our leaving time, from the previously planned noon to two o'clock or so. That would probably be better for road conditions, but I was eager to get going. The longer we waited, the more time for Jack and his daughter to get on each other's nerves. Jessica arrived -- she's a college student, a member of the science fiction club, who would be riding with us. We carried my monitor and TV out of my car (my parting gifts from my former job) and brought them inside, since Jack didn't feel comfortable with leaving my car parked with them inside. I'll admit, I didn't help much with the lifting, but I did get the door. We carried many boxes up the icy steps from the garage, and loaded some in Jack's car, some in Jon's car. This was stuff needed for the party we'll be giving at Radcon, to promote Vikingcon.
Finally we left; there was mostly slush on the road. Jessica and A---- were in the back. We'll have a long drive!
* * * * * * * *
Because of the long distance, Jack drove even faster than normal. I found it easiest to take if I closed my eyes -- better than putting my foot through the floor in a vain attempt to brake on the passenger side!
After a break, we switched places and I let A---- sit up front. Jessica had no wish to sit up there, since she's a tour bus operator in the summer in Alaska, and has a hard time being driven now.
A---- is off school next week, so Jack had arranged for her to go visit his folks. We would be driving near there on our way to the Tri-cities. This was all settled, but A---- decided to rev herself up into a full-scale tantrum as we drove up the Columbia gorge. Obviously it was too late to change the plans! But Jack did agree to buy her some cigarettes for the week, which I know isn't something he feels good about.
We met up with Jack's sister in the Dalles, and A---- left with her and a cousin. The young male cousin was sitting in the fast food restaurant, so I walked up and handed him some of those orange dreamsicle lifesaver candies, joking about taking candy from strangers. (We've met several times before, really.)
We were really out in the high desert now -- there'd be cactus growing, except that it's too cold! I've never been this far into eastern Washington. We'd been driving for six hours or so. Finally we crossed back over the Columbia and arrived at the Tri-cities: Pasco, Richland, and Kennewick. Jack knew where to go, since he's attended this convention before.
The hotel is a Doubletree Inn, but unlike the Portland hotels which are crablike (wings like crablegs, curving away on both sides of a main section), it was shaped more like a squid! There were wings curling around each other, but only on one side of the main lobby.
We checked in and found our rooms. One was shaped like a piece of pie, in the quiet section, and one was normal and large, on the third floor of a party section. Jessica, Jack, and I would take the pie-shaped room. We dropped our stuff and went out to find the con!
* * * * * * * *
We followed signs to hospitality and found the late-night registration. This was necessary because some con parties might be sticklers for only letting badge-wearing folks in. The most notable feature of the hospitality refreshments: "death dogs," hot dogs with a really strong odor of dog. I did not partake.
We wandered around and sampled a few parties. Jack and I spent significant time at the Camel Mania party -- a nice lady with a fondness for camels put it on. I never did get the story behind it!
I collapsed before Jack or Jessica. Jessica chose to sleep on her hiking mattress pad on the other side of the room, and Jack slept in his folding "reclining" chair from Costco. That felt better to him than the bed!
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