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Toad Hall and What Happened There
Apr. 21st, 2003 07:45 pmDevil's Dream – Traditional (Mark O'Connor, arr.)
Monday
I awoke at 11am, not bad... And very little in the way of a hangover. Faint headache, but nothing serious or head splitting. Of course I panicked because I thought we had to be out of the room by noon. So I positively rushed through cleaning, dressing, and packing my bag. To my pleasure and amazement I was able to get everything into my bag despite coming home with four more hardbacks than I set out with, and pretty easily too.[1] I dashed out of the room at noon and headed upstairs. Much of the packing was already done, but I helped with putting away a few more things. Mostly I stood around and looked useless because I didn't know what stuff should go in which boxes, though I helped as much as I could. I might have tried to catch the party going out for sushi instead of doing this, but I didn't want to miss my ride or spend much more money.
Looking at all the milk and stuff we had left Geri had a crazy idea. "Milk and cookie party at Toad Hall, someone talk me out of this." I think we were all too tired to talk her out of it. So the plan was on for everyone to go over to Toad Hall, Geri's graceful abode, for an after convention party.
Larry arrived with more of those wonderful sandwiches. We moved stuff down to the truck and then we drove over to Larry's house. Being a wonderful person he was putting up both Sue Mason and myself for a couple days after the convention. (Thank-you Larry!)
After dropping off my bags we went over to the Minicon storage unit to see if they needed any help unloading the truck. We arrived about five minutes after they finished the job. Larry's comment upon this was, "All the work is done? Oh Darn." Back past Uncle Hugo's Bookstore to check on an author signing that I decided not to do. I'm a fan of Laurel K. Hamilton, but mostly I like to get books signed when I know the author and it is like getting a yearbook signed. We then we back to the hotel to pick up Sue. She had gone on the St. Paul sushi expedition.
Larry's car has two seats, so a person might wonder how we all got back to his house. The feat was accomplished by me being skinny enough to take a place behind the seats that only a small child or an elf-boy like myself could possibly fit into. I think this amused Sue.
Back at the house[2] we sat around and talked and I tried some of the French beer that Sue brought. I normally don't like beer, but this was quite all right. I also pestered her about the way British conventions work differently than American ones. For example she had mentioned that she bought the beer because at many of their cons everyone is expected to bring something of this sort. (Note to self: Bring Colorado wine along when I head to a UK con.)
When she went to read email and Larry went to get food I spent my time messing about with my camera. I discovered three more functions, including a setting for color light amplification. When Larry got back he found me setting up my camera to take pictures of myself using the timer. Being vain I had great fun doing that over and over. After some writing and dinner we embarked for Toad Hall. By the way riding stuffed in a sports car behind the seats is not comfortable, not matter how graceful I make it look. Mind you it was my choice to do this because I didn't want Larry to have to make two trips or something.
Geri also has a great house, just the sort of place I would love to own. Two levels with an attic room above. It has plenty of space for entertaining and lots of knick-knacks. She has the most impressive collection of Pez candy dispensers I have yet seen and also some great and weird items like a stuffed unicorn head. Unfortunately only about half my pictures came out as I was testing the light amplification setting and it requires both a more steady hand than any human can provide and the subject to stay still. I should have just used the nightvision setting like I did at the convention.[3]
Lots of cookies and things to eat, but not much milk. Most of it went off to a charity apparently. But we got on just fine with other things. The dead-dog drinking bout was a topic of interest to those who were not there. I learned that Sue heard Alison and Lydia when she was getting up at about 9am and thought they were just getting up as well. Alison said she regretted the sushi she had for lunch, though both she and Lydia thanked me for pushing water on them. All in all it was a v. fine and quiet after dead-dog party. We headed back for the Sanderson Residence around midnight.
[1]I arrived with one copy of From the End of the Twentieth Century by John M. Ford I brought to get signed. I was to shy to ask when dinning with him at Milehicon, but I managed to get it signed Sunday night this time around.
[2] Larry's House
[3] Toad Hall, exterior
Monday
I awoke at 11am, not bad... And very little in the way of a hangover. Faint headache, but nothing serious or head splitting. Of course I panicked because I thought we had to be out of the room by noon. So I positively rushed through cleaning, dressing, and packing my bag. To my pleasure and amazement I was able to get everything into my bag despite coming home with four more hardbacks than I set out with, and pretty easily too.[1] I dashed out of the room at noon and headed upstairs. Much of the packing was already done, but I helped with putting away a few more things. Mostly I stood around and looked useless because I didn't know what stuff should go in which boxes, though I helped as much as I could. I might have tried to catch the party going out for sushi instead of doing this, but I didn't want to miss my ride or spend much more money.
Looking at all the milk and stuff we had left Geri had a crazy idea. "Milk and cookie party at Toad Hall, someone talk me out of this." I think we were all too tired to talk her out of it. So the plan was on for everyone to go over to Toad Hall, Geri's graceful abode, for an after convention party.
Larry arrived with more of those wonderful sandwiches. We moved stuff down to the truck and then we drove over to Larry's house. Being a wonderful person he was putting up both Sue Mason and myself for a couple days after the convention. (Thank-you Larry!)
After dropping off my bags we went over to the Minicon storage unit to see if they needed any help unloading the truck. We arrived about five minutes after they finished the job. Larry's comment upon this was, "All the work is done? Oh Darn." Back past Uncle Hugo's Bookstore to check on an author signing that I decided not to do. I'm a fan of Laurel K. Hamilton, but mostly I like to get books signed when I know the author and it is like getting a yearbook signed. We then we back to the hotel to pick up Sue. She had gone on the St. Paul sushi expedition.
Larry's car has two seats, so a person might wonder how we all got back to his house. The feat was accomplished by me being skinny enough to take a place behind the seats that only a small child or an elf-boy like myself could possibly fit into. I think this amused Sue.
Back at the house[2] we sat around and talked and I tried some of the French beer that Sue brought. I normally don't like beer, but this was quite all right. I also pestered her about the way British conventions work differently than American ones. For example she had mentioned that she bought the beer because at many of their cons everyone is expected to bring something of this sort. (Note to self: Bring Colorado wine along when I head to a UK con.)
When she went to read email and Larry went to get food I spent my time messing about with my camera. I discovered three more functions, including a setting for color light amplification. When Larry got back he found me setting up my camera to take pictures of myself using the timer. Being vain I had great fun doing that over and over. After some writing and dinner we embarked for Toad Hall. By the way riding stuffed in a sports car behind the seats is not comfortable, not matter how graceful I make it look. Mind you it was my choice to do this because I didn't want Larry to have to make two trips or something.
Geri also has a great house, just the sort of place I would love to own. Two levels with an attic room above. It has plenty of space for entertaining and lots of knick-knacks. She has the most impressive collection of Pez candy dispensers I have yet seen and also some great and weird items like a stuffed unicorn head. Unfortunately only about half my pictures came out as I was testing the light amplification setting and it requires both a more steady hand than any human can provide and the subject to stay still. I should have just used the nightvision setting like I did at the convention.[3]
Lots of cookies and things to eat, but not much milk. Most of it went off to a charity apparently. But we got on just fine with other things. The dead-dog drinking bout was a topic of interest to those who were not there. I learned that Sue heard Alison and Lydia when she was getting up at about 9am and thought they were just getting up as well. Alison said she regretted the sushi she had for lunch, though both she and Lydia thanked me for pushing water on them. All in all it was a v. fine and quiet after dead-dog party. We headed back for the Sanderson Residence around midnight.
[1]I arrived with one copy of From the End of the Twentieth Century by John M. Ford I brought to get signed. I was to shy to ask when dinning with him at Milehicon, but I managed to get it signed Sunday night this time around.
[2] Larry's House
[3] Toad Hall, exterior