Steven Brust's LJ (RSS Feed)
03-17-2008, 07:06 AM
They started out by leaving me standing in the airport for an hour and a half.** Eventually, I gave up on them and took a shuttle (after calling Reesa to find out what hotel I was supposed to be at).* Then they didn’t have a room ready.* Then they did have a room, but it was at another hotel.* I was warned that the walk between the main hotel and the one I was staying at–two and a half blocks–was through a rather bad part of Birmingham and I should be careful after dark, but that’s okay, because they had no arrangements for transportation.* I could eat if I could make it back to my hotel and charge a meal to my room, other than that, well, see above about lack of transportation.* My experience was, let us say, not unique.
That’s one side of the story.* On the other side, there was Nathan, and Paige, and Chris, and Josh, and Adam, all of whom worked their asses off to make up for the* various screw-ups.* There was a seemingly endless supply of friendly, intelligent people to talk to (Ben and Reeny (sp?) especially stand out).* The panels were, for the most part, lively and engagingly.* And I was taken out for some of the best barbecue I’ve ever had by the Ladies of Tor–perhaps the high point of the weekend.* And there was jamming with Steve Hickman–a blast.
In the airport on the way home I was sitting in a back corner of the bar (a smoking permitted bar!* Civilization is not dead!) and met a couple of musicians.* Is that a drum?* Yes.* African?* North African.* Can it be tuned?* Yes–see these lugs?* Do you play it with your fingers?* Yes, sometimes–here, like this, see?* And like this?* And then you can do this….and I stopped and got a round of applause from everyone in the bar.* Hee hee.* That was nifty.
I’d hate to guarantee it, but I have the feeling that, by next year, Omegacon will have ironed out most of the bugs and be ready to put on a good convention.* As for this year, well, there was some fun, and I’m very glad to be home.
(Originally posted at Words Words Words (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/16/omegacon-poor-organization-and-good-hearts/) by skzb. Please leave any comments (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/16/omegacon-poor-organization-and-good-hearts/#comments) there.)
(Original Post) (http://skzbrust.livejournal.com/79181.html)
That’s one side of the story.* On the other side, there was Nathan, and Paige, and Chris, and Josh, and Adam, all of whom worked their asses off to make up for the* various screw-ups.* There was a seemingly endless supply of friendly, intelligent people to talk to (Ben and Reeny (sp?) especially stand out).* The panels were, for the most part, lively and engagingly.* And I was taken out for some of the best barbecue I’ve ever had by the Ladies of Tor–perhaps the high point of the weekend.* And there was jamming with Steve Hickman–a blast.
In the airport on the way home I was sitting in a back corner of the bar (a smoking permitted bar!* Civilization is not dead!) and met a couple of musicians.* Is that a drum?* Yes.* African?* North African.* Can it be tuned?* Yes–see these lugs?* Do you play it with your fingers?* Yes, sometimes–here, like this, see?* And like this?* And then you can do this….and I stopped and got a round of applause from everyone in the bar.* Hee hee.* That was nifty.
I’d hate to guarantee it, but I have the feeling that, by next year, Omegacon will have ironed out most of the bugs and be ready to put on a good convention.* As for this year, well, there was some fun, and I’m very glad to be home.
(Originally posted at Words Words Words (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/16/omegacon-poor-organization-and-good-hearts/) by skzb. Please leave any comments (http://dreamcafe.com/words/2008/03/16/omegacon-poor-organization-and-good-hearts/#comments) there.)
(Original Post) (http://skzbrust.livejournal.com/79181.html)