Con-Volution 2016

What a weekend.

Things started early Thursday morning when my mother was showing signs of  what could have been either kidney failure or heart failure.  I got her into the doctor and have never been so relieved to hear the words “I think it’s pneumonia.”  Her tests came back clean and she is responding to the medications for the symptoms, but we’re still not sure what exactly is going on.

That and a grocery store run ate up most of the day, so Thursday night I threw stuff into my suitcase for Con-Volution, which Mom insisted I still go to. Friday morning, I surrounded her with food and drinks and all my emergency contact methods, left her in the care of my sister, and headed up to Burlingame.

Con-Volution was a blast.  For the first time, I was attending a con as a guest costumer and a guest writer.  To my shock, the first panel on Friday, “When Does Fanfic Become Profic” had almost a dozen people in it.  I’m used to there being two or three since people are still arriving and registering at that point.  The “Our Favorite Fangs” panel later in the evening was less well attended, but since we were up against several panels that I had wanted to attend as well as room parties, I’m not surprised.  Both were filled with lively discussions and deep thoughts from both my fellow panelists and the audience. I freely admit a few times I felt out of my depth.

At the same time, my short story “The Twisted Princess” went live on Ligature Works.  I spent the weekend mentioning it when it fit into conversations or when we were given time to shill what projects we were working on.

Saturday I was on the “Cosplay At Any Price” panel.  Unfortunately I had to leave early to attend the Masquerade Tech Meeting, which is required to participate in the Masquerade.   I had the good fortune to be the first act up, so I was able to grab a seat in the back of the room and watch the rest of the show.  There were many creative and talented entrants this year, and my congratulations to all of them. My Cruella De Vil did not win anything, but given the caliber of the competition, I did not expect to.  Or as the wise man once said, “you can’t win ‘em all.”

After the Masquerade, I spent time hanging out with good friends, and getting to know other people better.  This year I was shocked at how many people metaphorically grabbed me in the hallway for a quick chat or I ended up having longer talks with people I have a passing acquaintanceship with. When I was in high school, I never was the “popular girl” so this was a new experience. The only downside was that I never made it to the party floor.

Sunday I spent time hanging out with friends and attending closing ceremonies.  I have purchased a membership for next year, when the con moves to San Ramon. I already miss my con-family and look forward to seeing them next year.Preferably without a repeat of the hospital visit the day before.