All Through Minicon...

[gerisullivan]

…I didn't know if I had a house or not. I was waiting for the sellers' reply to my post-inspection contract addendum. Waiting...and waiting some more.

Fortunately, Minicon provided a lovely distraction, albeit one that passed by Much Too Quickly. Deb Geisler was a fab FanGoH, cracking people up with her quick humor, deeply appreciative of (and appreciated by) Minicon and its members, and, of course, baking up a storm of sweet rolls. I think there were ten or more sweet rolls by the time she finished Saturday afternoon. Cherry filled, and apricot, my personal fave. Almond, poppyseed, and plum. Cinnamon pullaparts, each segment drenched in melted butter before being rolled in cinnamon sugar. There were sweet rolls for breakfast, and at the late night Food Geek panel featuring all of the Guests of Honor.

Deb made it utterly easy to be her liaison, not sweating even a bit when I was so late with the layout of her chapbook -- "Recipes for Disaster" -- that she ended up reviewing it over a late dinner the night she arrived. A dinner she treated me to...hmmm. That's not how *I* remember this GoH stuff working....

Even later that night, I added a few more pages of material and fixed a few oversights thanks her comments. A day and a half later, I was utterly relieved to deliver the finished chapbook to the Minicon Bridge a mere few hours before Opening Ceremonies. Karen Johnson and Susan B. Levy Haskell both pitched in with proofreading support at the last minute, which was a Fine Thing indeed, given that my eyes were too glazed over and sleep-deprived to see much in the way of layout mistakes. Kids, don't try this at home. It's *not* the way to design greatness, much though I was satisfied to have come up with something credible at the last minute.

Both laurafish and lsanderson had set deadlines of last fall for chapbook production, which left me extra appreciative of their support when I ended up doing Deb's at the very last minute, rather than back in January and February, as I'd planned.

My lateness with the chapbook, and the resulting exhaustion and minimal amount of pre-con and at-con work I was able to do for the consuite, was a real life reminder that I've been trying to do too much for too many months now. I'm hoping to adjust things as needed, and to lighten the commitment load, as I at last finish the rest of my move. That's not easy, as I was recently reminded when I had to back away from doing wedding invitations as a gift for a friend. People have been doing so much for me of late, I want to pay it forward even more than I usually do. But the whole idea of paying it forward is to do so within one's capacities and capabilities. A lesson I seem fated to continually be reminded of....

The waiting on the house continued through the week after Minicon, my return to Fanhihall in Yorktown Heights, NY, and several days of sleep and taxes. The good news came Sunday morning, in the form of a call from my Realtor. The last of the inspection items is being resolved -- huzzah, huzzah, calloo, callay! We're delaying the closing for a month while the major items are dealt with, but then all looks to be on track for the closing and my move to Wales, Massachusetts. Fingers crossed, knocking wood, and All That Jazz.

More memories of Minicon to follow, I hope. I've certainly enjoyed reading everyone else's reports!

Comments

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Excellent news; belated congratulations! Randy Byers is looking for your temporary and permanent mailing addresses -- e-mail them to me, would ya? uaobrien at eartlink dot net and all that. Many hugs, U.