. . .and the hunter, from the hill

Steve and I are returned from The Great New England Steampunk Exhibition. The cats are glad to see us, for values of glad that include Scrabble sitting in the co-pilot’s chair in my office…with her back to me.

Ah, well.

We had fun at the con; met some interesting people; got to catch up a little with Kaja and Phil Foglio; saw lots of very, very well-conceived and well-done costumes, and a sword dancer. The Abney Park concert was super. I did get to shake hands with the band members and thank them for the pleasure their work has given me.

..which is always an odd thing, no matter which side of the transaction you’re on. I think it’s important to thank people — and especially artists — for a job well done. Yet, when people thank me for the pleasure our work has given them, I often find myself with nothing more intelligent to say than, “No, thank you.” And so it was with Abney Park; the band members were puzzled, but kind, and shook hands and the transaction was complete. And as I say, the concert was super, so — well done, all around.

The con. . . suffered from some organizational snafus, as well as some truly horrendous problems with hotel management. There was the all-too-common lack of hotel imagination when it came to the reality of hundreds of people needing to eat NOW and THERE, which put an unreasonable strain on the hotel staff, who nonetheless did their damnedest to provide good service.

In the end, it all got survived, and the majority of con-goers remained cheerful and pleased with the event. I hope that the concom will learn from its errors, and that they will find another venue for the event next year.

Personally, I discover that I need to be more mindful of my own scheduling and eating. Twice now in two cons I’ve managed to bork my blood sugar big-time by deciding that the show must go on, even if that meant lunch was half of a chocolate chip cookie and a glass of water. This apparently will no longer do — or it will, if I don’t mind the consequences, which it happens that I do.

Today’s tasks include finishing the bookkeeping, catching up the email, eating a good lunch and dinner (ahem) and probably taking a nap, so that I’m up and open for bidness tomorrow, which is, just by the way, Scrabble’s Appointed Birth Day, 2011. She will be, so we believe, nine years old.

So!  How was your weekend?

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.

Input! Yours. Requested.

All righty, then.

Steve and I will be doing, sometime this fall, even sometime this October, an audio pronunciation guide to the Liaden Universe®. Yes! You will be able to hear us speak those words that you have only seen in writing and always wanted to know how to say.

But you have to help us.

Liaden is our second language. We have no idea which words are head-scratchers. Which is why we need your help.

Tell us what words you would like us to include in this new! audio! guide.

Lists appended to this entry only, please (on Facebook, LJ, or here at sharonleewriter.com). Lists appended to other blog-or-facebook entries, or lists sent to me, or to Steve, by email will be ignored.

Thank you.

. . .let the games begin.

Edited to add: Requests for “all of them” will be treated as so much wind in the trees.  We are looking for a list from you of the words you wish to hear pronounced.  This is no time for laziness, ladies and gentlemen.  The authors are lazier than all of you put together.

This policy brought to you in part by the gentlemen reader who wished to insist that the word “adumbration” was Liaden.

Thank you for your understanding, The Management.

Originally published at Sharon Lee, Writer. You can comment here or there.