Bubonicon update: system crash

Not the con, thank goodness. Bubonicon has successfully begun.

Bubonicon 42, 1st Panel. L to R: Steve Gould, some pensive guy, Walter Jon Williams, Ben Bova, John Maddox Roberts. Photo credit: ajhansen33

Everything seems to be going well.

The Fear the Future or whatever the hell it was panel (that’s me on it up above, right next to Steve Gould, who’s doubtless thrilled he appears to have been snapped while pulling his nose) went off fairly well and was well received. Opening Ceremonies was uneventful except that it seemed most of the listed attendees were “in the bar” (the traditional con euphemism for “missing”) – and there’s not even a bar this tear, thanks to the hotel renovation. Toastmaster Mario Acevedo made the best of it.

Haven’t got a chance to meet/talk to Author GoH Peter David yet. Artist GoH Sarah Clemens came up to me after OCs to mention we’d met years ago, and sung songs with the author formerly known as Nick Yermakov, who now seems to be known as Simon Hawke.

Since Sarah is very nice it’d be rude to point out how old that makes us both. Probably, she was like, three. I knew she was responsible for the famed St. Labia; I forgot she also did the madly popular Magnus and Loki paintings. So between excessively cute animals and hoohahs, she’s got two of my very favorite things covered.

I’ve seen way more friends, fans, artists, and pros than I can list. One AJ Hansen has been Tweeting the con, so for a running progress report, click the name. He Tweeted, “Cant wait to see Peter David. Also, looking forward to seeing Victor Milan.” For which thanks. Plus I reckon he did, since I cribbed the photo from him.

All this is Good News, and the con bids fair to be great this year. The not-so-good news: I was home by 9:20. And done.

The last several days I’ve been hit kinda hard by chest pains. Don’t panic, as the con’s subtitle has it. It’s a post-surgery thing, or more correctly, I suspect, post chest-drain thing (don’t ask.) My friend Jim Moore, who’s married to Jane Lindskold, suggested allergies. Which wasn’t as far-fetched as it initially sounded to me, since I have had a little nasal congestion the last day or two – and mainly, because it struck me allergens could cause inflammation and gripe the scar tissue. Sounds plausible, anyway.

So along with chest aches and pains, I also found myself weak and wiped. My stamina’s been a bit tricky; while I’m still not up to walking two miles daily, I do get it in (with Emma Dog, natch) most days. But sometimes it fades on me.

Today turned out to be one of those days. I couldn’t even stand for long periods without getting tired and needing to sit.

Again, this is nothing serious, far less life-threatening. It’s just something I have to deal with – and be grateful I’ve recovered so far that feeling like this is a rarity. Sadly, it is fun-threatening.

So I had to bail early, although admittedly the aforementioned Emma was happy to get her dinner earlier than she otherwise might’ve. Apologies to everybody. Especially my esteemed friends Melinda Snodgrass and Ian Tregillis (as well as Craig A. Butler and Peter David, whom I don’t yet know), who did a 9:30 PM panel on screenwriting I really wanted to catch. But mostly to my pal  Scott Phillips, to whom I wanted to show moral support. And also hoot if he lived up to his threat to pass out.

Tomorrow, I’m told, is another day. Even though when I’m there it always feels like today.

I hope this tomorrow doesn’t feel like today. Or that Tomorrow Me doesn’t feel like Today Me. Whatever.

I and everybody else do the Herd Mass Autographing Session tomorrow at 3 PM. After that, of course, comes the Costume Contest at 7:30 PM. If I were you, and you’re no doubt glad I’m not, I wouldn’t count on seeing me before the autograph deal.

Hope I feel better. Or at least more bloody energetic.

Thanks to everybody who turned out, and especially those who said hi. And Party On!

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