"As God is my witness..."

Most of us know how that subject line ends: "...I thought turkeys could fly."

That was of course my first thought upon seeing this headline: Turkey demolition goes wrong. But it wasn't the WKRP or Middleton turkeys this time around, but rather an idle flour factory in Turkey.

Gymnastic buildings. Who knew?

Thanks and a tip o'the link hat to erikvolson

I wrote this note hours and hours ago...but somehow didn't post it. Ah, yup. I'm in convention mode, all right.

Utterly Predictable

So, here it is, mere hours until I hope to be on the road...and a mere two days after I'd first hoped to set out for Montreal.

There was this magazine that needed laying out, you see, and these four newsletters that were just approved to go to print.....

Yes, life as usual and then some. Laundry is done, the stuff to go in the car is mostly assembled or piled high in visual proximity of the door. Sleep is next, well, after those newsletters go to print. Unless I run into a problem that requires thinking. If so, I'll sleep first, then finish up the files and upload them to the printer in Minnesota.

So what did I do? I read a piece of email, learning an interesting fact about a person I'll meet this weekend, and...

Yup. I had an idea. In the course of putting that idea together, I ran across a tiny, little prezzie I picked up years ago for a friend I'll see Thursday, so wrapped that up.

In short, I did what I've done in the hours before going to a convention for, oh, decades now. I had fun, putting together something totally unplanned, unexpected. A little bit of Geri magic, or Geri weirdness, or thoughtfulness, or something like that. It's that thing I do that I then forget and somebody writes years later about receiving a little ribbon flower when I was a GoH at their first convention, and how welcome it made them feel...it's like all those lovely prezzies large and small that I've been on the receiving end of at convention after convention. It's small. Very small. If I've read it right, it will a lovely, unexpected point of fannish connection. If not, well, it was this weird, thoughtful thing I had the joy of doing.

The real win -- in terms of my own realities and needs du jour -- is that it took 20 minutes instead of 3-4 hours like these impulse ideas usually do.

I could still put another week or so to good use. But I've slept 8-9 hours for most of the nights this past week even if I have now been up since Sunday afternoon. I will sleep before driving, and I'll send those newsletters to print, too.

It's Worldcon. I can tell. The real joy of it, personally, is that I am happy. Happy, and ever so grateful for the many kindnesses -- the ever-so-generous fannish gift economy -- that is making the trip possible in the first place.

See you on the Funway....

Hints you've packed too much

If you swap out a normal-sized box of tissues for one of those little cube things because it takes up less room in the car, you may be trying to bring too much.

Yeah, I told myself that...as I was swapping the Puffs boxes.

Reno committee member Rick Lindsey sent me the following helpful hints after seeing email I sent last night saying the car was 90% packed. All that was left was finding room for the other 90%. That latter bit includes all my personal luggage and computer, so you can say I'm motivated.

Rick wrote:

Place all excess baggage on top of the car. This is your overhead
baggage area. It is possible these items may shift during the trip and
be completely missing upon arrival, especially if they are not secured.
A neighbor can assist you in seeming to secure these if you wish. You
may instead trunk-check these items by placing them near the rear of the
vehicle, and they will unintentionally be left behind upon your departure.

Since this is an international trip, we ask that you label every one of
your belongings with your credit card number. This will insure that the
proper tariffs can be collected if your belongings arrive with you, or
proper delivery can be expedited if they do not. Please remember to
include the little 3-digit number on the back of the card.

We know you have a choice of carriers, and we are pleased you've chosen
Toad Hall Transportation. "Leaping into the next decade by hard work
and luck!"

I'll be out the door and on the road just as soon as I finish following Rick's advice. I'm a tad worried about the coffee mugs, and even more about the drivers who risk seeing stfnal coffee mugs flying toward their windshields. At least they'll be behind me. And the chocolates are in a styrofoam cooler. That should protect them from the sun beating directly down on the top of the roof.

Why, yes, I am going to the Worldcon. Whee!

I love my car

The other 90% is packed, plus there are five (count 'em, 5) things I was sure weren't going to fit and so wasn't going to take them. One of those things is a wooden, saddle seat bar stool.

Really. I love my car.*

I even remembered to pull the travel directions out of the glove box since the presence of the stool blocks access to it.

fringefaan, it's a good thing you're already there.

I'm down to the computer, purse, box with styrofoam cooler and 15# of chocolate, and cold Diet Coke for the road. I even know where most of those things are going.

Anticipation, I'm heading your way!

*2003 Toyota Matrix. Holds more than any small car I've even been in or packed.