Back to the real convention report. Such as it is. True highlights were being on a wonderful panel. To be a panelist rather than moderator is somewhat rare for me. I have served as a program participant on "Convention 101" but again, that's not really real program style program where you talk about the genre and books and characters. Ali Karim moderated a panel of four reviewers and it was sheer joy start to finish. Even before we started, as his questions were terrific jumping off points to get me to think about book I would recommend and why books grab me. Old questions, asked a new way. Exactly how convention program should be.

The worst part of this convention? Heh. i'd have to nominate the floor at the Embarcadero Center/Hyatt. From causing dizziness and causing folks to trip, to the horrible bumpiness and terrible noise caused by walking, riding or pulling your suitcase over a conentric circle patter using black grout and gray tile. I dn't remember this from years ago, when I worked at 2 Embarcadero Center but what kind of hotel lobby doesn't carpet? What kind of open atrium woo woo "Things to Come" echoey space with low lighting uses a flooring that guarantees a racket for every person hauling a suitcase, every bellhop pushing a bell cart. And yes, it was nasty to ride on. Can I have a "What WERE they thinking?"
Thank you.

Talking books, writing, characters, series, the stuff of genre conventions with the likes of friends, readers and writers both. Getting to know folks like Jean van Hertbruggen, Maddy's husband, and catching up wiht folks like Kate Derie (it's official. It does not feel like a convention if Kate's not there.) Finding amazing food everyplace we went, from the street near our hotel (the Omni) where we had some Cuban food, to One Market and i don't even remember what I ate, but yum. To the serendipity of meeting an old Seattle friend, Sandy, who now lives in Berkeley and catching up with here at the Ferry Building where we'd gone for lunch. Spending about three hours at the (oh-gods-that-s-hideous new deYoung Museum (I'm such a troll about new architecture) seeing Seurat, and Cezanne, Manet and van Gogh, and all those other guys! in a remarkable exhibit of post-Impressionist art (it's there through the end of the year. Go!)

Not seeing people is a huge frustration at Bouchercon as it is at, say Worldcon. You'd think you'd run into everyone but as always, I saw some people 15 times and others, i never caught up with. And don't know if they were even there. Being disappointed that a couple friends who i didn't expect to see didn't have time to hang out. Gratified that others, only there for a little while, did find hte time.

More to come.