Personal; Icons of the Future!; Weekend Antics

Happy Friday morning.

It's been a wild ride here at the college this week, constant student need married with faculty tension. Wednesday was a low point. On Wednesday my boss was having a hard day and she yelled at me as I was on my way to the doctor's. So, that happened, but I sent her some flowers because she needed something in that day to brighten her up. I received a very gracious written apology and a tearful oral one the next day. It's been a hard few weeks on everyone for a variety of reasons, but I still believe that Allison is a class act, and you know, I wouldn't want her job, and I admire her for doing it.

The doc gave me all sorts of useful thyroid information, which I've already posted about. And I also checked about another difficulty I've been having since my return from jungle climes. We won't talk about it, except to say that samples have been gathered for The Test That Must Not Be Named for The Condition We Won't Discuss. That really made my Wednesday awesome too.

Two more blows came early in the week. One of the fulls I had out was a no. That seems to be about the highest I can climb at the moment, and my store of inherent optimism was used up dealing with work. Financially, we'll be fine, but we paid for some tree work, and have yet to pay for new tires and some serious roof repair. My glamorous diamond buying lifestyle is done for a bit. You can see why I want to sell a book!

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But yesterday was awesome. I felt so good about turning the work situation positive. I turned in all my lab stuff. I have a wonderful husband with a sympathetic ear who took good care of me Wednesday. I chatted with writer friends last night. I realize that regardless of the outcome, I am again writing a story I enjoy.

And then there's next year's Icon. I should tell you about that.

Mind, this year's Icon is pretty cool. All this action will be mid-November. We have Greg Frost, Nancy Kress, Jack Skillingstead, Jim Hines, Joe Haldeman, and Ellen Datlow. It's like a serious quorum of SF/F from the past, present and future, right here in Iowa!

Besides our guests, we have some awesome YA and local writers coming for a big signing Thursday at Barnes and Noble (including yours truly. I'll have some Hulk Hercules and Cucurbital 3 with me). On Friday, before the con gets rolling, we have an author event for high school kids. We Paradise Icon people will use Friday for workshopping (we are five strong, and hoping for more of you to join us!). And then all sorts of awesome con stuff and panels on the next days.

All I can say about next year at this point is that we have confirmed Jim Hines again as our toastmaster. Jim, I can't say enough how much you bring to our con, and as Mindbridge President I am grateful we've been able to get you back for three years running! I have a feeling this gig is yours for as long as you want it.

I'm also very excited to say that we have writing super couple Elizabeth Bear and Scott Lynch confirmed as our Writing Guests of Honor. Wow. That excites me very much. I mean, two of the hottest SF/F writers in the US right now. Not too shabby, little Iowa con. Adding Jim in, three of the hottest SF/F writers in the US right now. Not too shabby indeed. And...we're still working on our artist guest. The name that's being tossed around right now is a great one, also very hot, and one of my faves, so we'll see how that works out.

No, it is NOT my fault that the guests seem to be writers I am friendly with. I don't lean on the con comm as MB pres. I just have a giant list of suggestions, and things seemed to go my way. I have been very lucky.

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This weekend, Bryon and I are taking some large boxes of collectibles up to the Minneapolis Geek Society in preparation for their Geek garage sale. Yes, we are old enough that some of the geeky things we once thought were cool we now think someone else might enjoy better. That'll be seven boxes of stuff we won't have to move later. I am hoping we can winnow more, and not necessarily the geeky stuff.

It doesn't help, however that I too have sunk into toy collecting, and that my Monster High students commandeer almost a whole room of their own. Curse you, plastic mongers!

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I intend to have a fun afternoon writing. I hope you have a great weekend. Tell your friends about both Icons. Better yet, come. What else were you going to do with your November anyway?

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.