CONduit: Just when you thought it was safe
Tuesday, June 8th, 2004 05:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rolanniAs it happens, we never did get that nap. Instead, we walked out, picked up a loaf of so-called whole wheat bread and a jar of mayo at the Maverick Mart, checked out Dee's Diner, returned to the (still not made-up) room to divest ourselves of the bread and the mayo and so I could change into a long-sleeved shirt. The sun was hot-bright, but the air was cool (not a complaint!).
After that, we walked out again, up the hill this time. We passed a bus stop – or maybe it was a Trax stop – its roof fetchingly decorated in bronze seagulls. This is an excellent use for seagulls, though I imagine holding them by the feet in order to dip them is rather difficult.
We also passed an art museum with a pretty fountain in the front court. A shock to see water being treated quite so ... off-handedly, bearing in mind that Salt Lake City is surrounded by desert.
Eventually, we saw a sign directing us to Crossroads Mall, and decided to check it out. What can I say? We're mall-deprived.
To get to the mall, we had to cross the street, and found a bucket of orange flags at the crosswalk. Apparently, one is to take a flag out of the bucket and wave it as one crosses the street. Weird. We decided to live dangerously and forgo the flag. Adrenal rush!
Inside the mall, Steve purchased a glove for his cellphone – handy things, these mall cell accessory kiosks – and then we moved on, window-shopping the Goth clothing stores, and sowing consternation.
Things we learned at Crossroads Mall:
1. The manager of the camp card shop not only knows where Maine is, but where Skowhegan is, by reason of having attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in his youth.
2. The Belfast Bearfest is the model for a Seagull Fest being put on by the Salt Lake City arts community.
3. A "shake" from Icebergs is not a "milkshake." It is soft ice cream that has been stirred slightly in a milkshake machine. You cannot drink this confection; you eat it with a spoon.
4. That some kids spend more time perfecting their Dance Revolution moves than is probably strictly healthy.
We finally shook the dust of the mall from our sneakers, walked back down to the Prime, ate a quick cheese sandwich and headed for the lobby, the plan being to have the bell captain summon a cab which would sweep us off to the Salt Lake City Public Library and our speaking gig.
Timing is everything. We hit the lobby from the tenth floor just as Julie, CONduit guest liaison *and* SLC Public Librarian, hit it from the parking lot. We helped her schlep goodie baskets and flowers for the rest of the con's guests to the desk and she gave us a ride to the library, and then The Tour.
The main branch of the SLC library is awesome. Think museum of modern art: lots and lots of architectural glass and Interesting Spaces, gift shops, cafe; a roof garden, an astronomers observation deck – even a Librarians Leap! The whole thing surrounded by your choice of toothy snow-topped mountains or dry brown-and-gray hills.
Our talk was gratifyingly well-attended. Our topic was "Escape Velocity," making a case for keeping the escapism in science fiction. The audience was attentive, and after we'd talked for about an hour, asked some interesting and on-point questions.
After, we were driven back to the Prime by the amazing Kammi Davis, went up to the room to dump the props and headed back down with a Dee's Diner dinner with Elaine and Thuy on the schedule.
On our way past the desk, we met L.E. Modesitt, who had just gotten in, and stopped a couple minutes to chat. This proved fortunate – not only because it's always a pleasure to talk with Lee, but because we'd miscommunicated with our dinner dates regarding the rendezvous point. Taking our leave of Lee, we met Elaine and Thuy on their way in, and the four of us set out for Dee's – a real Bawlmur diner in the heart of Salt Lake City -- dinner and talk.
After that, we walked out again, up the hill this time. We passed a bus stop – or maybe it was a Trax stop – its roof fetchingly decorated in bronze seagulls. This is an excellent use for seagulls, though I imagine holding them by the feet in order to dip them is rather difficult.
We also passed an art museum with a pretty fountain in the front court. A shock to see water being treated quite so ... off-handedly, bearing in mind that Salt Lake City is surrounded by desert.
Eventually, we saw a sign directing us to Crossroads Mall, and decided to check it out. What can I say? We're mall-deprived.
To get to the mall, we had to cross the street, and found a bucket of orange flags at the crosswalk. Apparently, one is to take a flag out of the bucket and wave it as one crosses the street. Weird. We decided to live dangerously and forgo the flag. Adrenal rush!
Inside the mall, Steve purchased a glove for his cellphone – handy things, these mall cell accessory kiosks – and then we moved on, window-shopping the Goth clothing stores, and sowing consternation.
Things we learned at Crossroads Mall:
1. The manager of the camp card shop not only knows where Maine is, but where Skowhegan is, by reason of having attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in his youth.
2. The Belfast Bearfest is the model for a Seagull Fest being put on by the Salt Lake City arts community.
3. A "shake" from Icebergs is not a "milkshake." It is soft ice cream that has been stirred slightly in a milkshake machine. You cannot drink this confection; you eat it with a spoon.
4. That some kids spend more time perfecting their Dance Revolution moves than is probably strictly healthy.
We finally shook the dust of the mall from our sneakers, walked back down to the Prime, ate a quick cheese sandwich and headed for the lobby, the plan being to have the bell captain summon a cab which would sweep us off to the Salt Lake City Public Library and our speaking gig.
Timing is everything. We hit the lobby from the tenth floor just as Julie, CONduit guest liaison *and* SLC Public Librarian, hit it from the parking lot. We helped her schlep goodie baskets and flowers for the rest of the con's guests to the desk and she gave us a ride to the library, and then The Tour.
The main branch of the SLC library is awesome. Think museum of modern art: lots and lots of architectural glass and Interesting Spaces, gift shops, cafe; a roof garden, an astronomers observation deck – even a Librarians Leap! The whole thing surrounded by your choice of toothy snow-topped mountains or dry brown-and-gray hills.
Our talk was gratifyingly well-attended. Our topic was "Escape Velocity," making a case for keeping the escapism in science fiction. The audience was attentive, and after we'd talked for about an hour, asked some interesting and on-point questions.
After, we were driven back to the Prime by the amazing Kammi Davis, went up to the room to dump the props and headed back down with a Dee's Diner dinner with Elaine and Thuy on the schedule.
On our way past the desk, we met L.E. Modesitt, who had just gotten in, and stopped a couple minutes to chat. This proved fortunate – not only because it's always a pleasure to talk with Lee, but because we'd miscommunicated with our dinner dates regarding the rendezvous point. Taking our leave of Lee, we met Elaine and Thuy on their way in, and the four of us set out for Dee's – a real Bawlmur diner in the heart of Salt Lake City -- dinner and talk.
