Run! It's a moose!

 I did hear from the oncologist last Friday, as I was frantically trying to get one of my "Project Goals" done at work--i.e., Projects You Take On To Look Good When They Decide Raises.

He says he's extremely sure I don't have a tumor--the T-cells were reacting as if they were fighting a local infection/inflammation. He was hoping to hear from the pathologist this week; but I have an appointment with him the week after next and he'll give me the details.

I'm...relieved? No longer anxious? The most noticeable effect is on my creativity--January was a black hole of suck but I'm back in the workshop again. I actually cooked for the first time in weeks (as opposed to heating up frozen things). I borrowed a ladder to finally get up in the attic and poke around.

Though my brain continues to be weird. I JUST NOW NOTICED that my first show of the year is on this Sunday, not Saturday. Which is good! I can get some more earrings made with my new blanks and maybe make a quick run to the farmer's market.

I'm heading to Denver over the weekend of the 13th for Genghis Con, flogging shirts for Mr. Pegasus. I'm supposed to hear from a couple of conventions this weekend--WhoFest says I'm in (but I have yet to see an invoice), and Soonercon. I hope I do get into Soonercon--I'm told it's a nice large fan convention and I tend to do well at those. Plus I have friends to stay with. ArmadilloCon still doesn't have a Guest of Honor, and they aren't getting my money for a table until they do.

That's all for now. :-)

I Have Seen the Future, and the Future is My Little Pony Fandom.

Oh. My. God.

They capped the pre-registration at 340. They were expecting a couple of hundred at the door, mostly one-day passes. The final door was over 900 attendees. From all over the country, not just locals!

All of this for a first-year My Little Pony convention.  :-)

(For the record, I am extremely jealous. I helped put on a shirt-lived mystery lovers convention and we would have killed for those numbers.)

Lots of young'uns, but a nice smattering of adults-that-weren't-parental-units too. And even though 2 other dealers in the small vendor's area had shirts, I had the most variety in styles, not to mention sizes. The young man next to me who was selling his handmade MLP plushes sold out by midday on Saturday. (I, and everyone else, told him to raise his prices. If you'll pay $120 you'll pay $150.) One very new vendor "sold out" and left on Saturday; they will not be asked back.The Asshole Weapons Dealer won't be asked back either, thank goodness.

My teeny borrowed notebook worked just fine. And while the wireless was great and my credit card machine got a signal, I could not get a phone call to save my life. Weird. Plus, it was freeeeeezing in there. The Evil Knee did Not Approve.

But the volunteers were lovely and helped me pack and get the boxes to be shipped up to the front desk, and everything is back in the storage locker, I have fed myself, money has been counted, and laundry is running.

All in all, a decent diversion from the upcoming surgery.

Wow, sorry I haven't been posting for a while. Things have been busy and a little weird and, you know, stuff.

Went to Genghis Con in Denver last weekend to sell shirts. God, I hate airports with my knee. Too many long distances, having to carry my laptop and my CPAP machine. Logan Airport, at least, doesn't even have those little electric carts running around. Just for the record? Those moving sidewalks are not an adequate substitute.

Anyway, the show itself was, as usual, fun. The Dealer's Room coordinator is a really nice guy who for some weird reason likes having me there. Sales were quite good, and Needleforge was there, so I bought an owlbear and a goblin, as well as a couple of battle hamsters from someone sharing her table, and a crocheted squid and a jellyfish from another vendor. Nothing else, just fuzzy goodness.

I have a show this weekend--the inaugural Round Rock Market Days. The Nephew will thankfully help me set up and my always-amazing sister-in-law will help me tear down. I have a show the first Saturday in April (inside, easy setup) and the first Saturday in May (Brentwood), and the Gem & Mineral Society Swap Meet in mid-April. Plus, I now have the commission for the Hugo Loser's Pins for WorldCon. Which is around 100 pieces. By Labor Day. And I'll have to move my workshop by the end of March. Busy? Me?

I did finally go see another surgeon about getting my knee replaced. This one took x-rays and told me "I could do you tomorrow if you wanted". We talked about injections, and cortisone, but I really want to get this damn thing fixed. I've asked around, and he has a great reputation. He does a lot of heavier people, and since he would prefer that I lose some weight and get in better shape, I'm joining the Y on Monday. I have another appointment with him in 6 weeks, where I'll talk to him more about when we want to do this. I also need to talk to my team lead about the best time for me to be out of the office for 2-3 weeks.

I know a few of you have had this operation or are related to someone who has. Is going back to a desk job 2-3 weeks after the operation unrealistic?

Got home about noon today.

Saturday: Not as busy as it should have been. I got the distinct impression that there weren't as many feet on the floor as usual, for whatever reasons. Sales were solid but not spectacular. Still had problems with the credit card machine.  We went to the Vortex for dinner because they had some low-carb options for the 2 people in our party who are seriously on that bandwagon. We had a bit of a wait and it was smokier than Friday night, but the burgers were just as good (and we had the same waiter that wolfshark  and her husband and I had on Friday night--he remembered me!).

Sunday: Another solid day, much busier than Saturday. Which is weird. I saw the cutest baby, only 8 days old, wearing a Jayne hat. It was adorable. Did a little bit of wandering but nothing really caught my eye except for the $225 Ralph Bakshi book, complete with doodles. I put some books on hold at my book dealer and did some gossiping with my dealer friends. When we discovered that the Brazilian steak house we wanted to eat at had closed we ate at Genghis Grill. Mmmm, stir-fried veggies.

Monday: Another solid day. We were busy right up until closing. We got out about 8:30--we have a good crew and the new guys worked really hard.

alycorn and I shared a hotel room and went to the airport together this morning. My amazing sister-in-law picked me up and we had lunch at my favorite Szechuan place. Then she showed me how she had put Spencer the Goober Cat on a leash to take him outside. I almost died laughing. (But I may get him a bigger harness since he tolerates it really well.)

Am now caught up on Dr Who and Project Runway. Trying not to be completely freaked out about all the fires. This morning, our pilot had to divert around the Bastrop fire and the smoke is everywhere. I sound froggy from the smoke and dust in the air. However, it's blessedly cool (comparatively speaking), the winds have died down, and some of the fires are getting more contained. Others are not. At least one was deliberately set; one was set by some idiot who was grilling in 40 mph winds and managed to set his back fence, and then his whole neighborhood ablaze. The damn things are visible from space.

Seriously, all we need is some freaking rain. Just some. Please?

It was a very small show this year. Most everyone involved had just returned from WorldCon in Reno and a lot of them were just realizing that, Holy crap, they were now responsible for a WorldCon in 2 years.

Sales were minimal but I did make money. I also hauled in a couple of crates of my old cross stitch patterns and kits, and got rid of a handful of those. I also noticed that one of my neighbors was making cute things using neat printed fabrics, so I asked them if they would be interested in checking out a bin of fabric I had in my closet. Wound up selling it to them and getting it out of my closet, which was a win!

It looks like I'll have at least 2 commissions from the show--a custom enameled pin and a set of buttons. But I won't worry about those until after Dragon*Con. Which is when I have to start getting ready for the Sherwood Forest Faire Celtic Festival. (And I'm really hoping we get a break in the weather before then.)

Tomorrow I'll get back into cleaning the apartment, which I have woefully neglected over the last 3 weeks. Tonight I finally unloaded the car and am doing laundry, and I'm printing out my contracts for 2 shows to mail out. And I got my hair cut, which I really needed to do.

Writing this from the San Jose International Airport on their free wi-fi/Phoenix airport free wi-fi.

The show went quite well, if you don't count the fact that I managed to delete 2 days worth of charges from the credit card machine while I was trying to fix the cell connection.*facepalm* I spent most of Sunday morning calling people between customers, and by yesterday all but 10 of the 45 charges were taken care of. Luckily, I give good phone. :-)

My friends H & J whisked me away Saturday and Sunday evenings. Saturday we went into Little Italy (full of good food) and to City Lights bookstore (full of pretentious hipsters). Ate at Mona Lisa's, where they make their own pasta and the portions are just right. mmmmmmm.  We parked in a city parking garage that had little fortune cookie-type sayings painted on every parking space. Sunday we grilled with some of their friends and watched Game of Thrones and tried to explain what was going on to someone who had never read the books.

Monday we had a short day in the dealer's room. I bought dice (of course), some figures for my D&D game, and an adventure book to go with the Laundry RPG (based on the Charles Stross books, which I highly recommend). And a cool breast cancer support t-shirt with samurai on it.

Got over to San Jose about 4 (J drove me, yay for friends!) and  I helped Scott finish packing up from Fanime. Got a quick massage from Ray Greer. (sigh)  Up early this morning and made my 9am flight with plenty of time.

I love the San Jose airport. Free wi-fi and the bathroom stalls are great--big enough for luggage and the doors open outward. I also love all their crazy art installations, from the giant robot installation as you go to security to the piezoelectric light sculpture in my departure hall. I found a little store that sold cherry products and I went a little crazy, but I was able to eat a bunch of fresh cherries for Second Breakfast.
 
Then temptation arose: should I take their offer of $300 flight credit plus a credit for the missed leg of my flight and arrive at home 4 hours later (6 instead of 2)? Damn skippy I did. So instead of a direct flight on the Nerd Bird between San Jose and Austin I've hopped to Phoenix and then soon to Austin. And I have $445 credit for flights on Southwest. I'll call it a win!

When I get home I have to do laundry and do some grocery shopping and pay my bills and buy stuff for my slightly delayed anniversary tomorrow. (Our tradition is if its your anniversary and you feel like marking the occasion, you bring the food.)  I'll have been at my job ELEVEN YEARS, which seems impossible.

Subject the first: World Horror Convention

I was between a sweet older book dealer/collector who had been an Episcopalian priest for 20 years and a very talented, tattooed and mohawked tattoo artist/painter. It was very profitable for me, and I met a lot of nice folks. One customer was getting married in a science museum and she bought all of her bridesmaids presents from me! \o/  Several people asked me if I would be at the next one in Salt Lake City. I'll have to think about that.

I used my Square attachment and app on my iPhone and it worked like a charm--after I took my protective cover off the phone. Everyone loved it, especially since I could email the receipts.

I have left all my bins in the car since I'll just have to put them back in on Friday for the Violet Crown Festival. Tomorrow is a day off, and I plan on running a lot of errands and going to see a movie. And doing laundry.

Subject the second: My Weird Dream

I almost never remember my dreams. They are usually just amalgams of events and people that I've dealt with over the last day, and they fade within minutes of my waking up. Not today.

Last night I dreamed I had gone crazy.

First it was a horrible black depression that weighed on my whole...self. Imagine your worst depression and double that.

Then wasps started talking to me. And then I started...not being sane. I knew I wasn't sane, that my reactions were not those of a sane person, but I had no control over what I was doing or what came out of my mouth. I was driving everyone away and then I was in a hospital.

I have never been happier to wake up.

The details are finally starting to fade, eleven hours after I woke up.
 

I will go to a list so as not to rant too much:

In the craziness of trying to pack up and leave and get everything ready to leave OMG I have to make it to the shuttle in 10 minutes on Sunday, I forgot to call FedEx and tell them there was a large pickup at the hotel. Then I forgot to tell the boss. Now he has to wait until Monday to figure out what the problem is with the credit card machine and get his monies.

As an addendum to the above: I accidentally shorted him $100 when I was getting the check made out for the cash.

As another addendum: I forgot to send him the sales reports last night.

I have not been logging my food for HEED.

I have not done any of my exercises since last week.

I ate like crap while I was in Denver (OMG, the Girl Scouts were there), except for one night when I had pho.

I am extraordinarily exhausted, since I slept like crap in Denver (I hate Sleep Number beds) and I'm right back into my staying-up-too-late-on-a-work-night routine.

Even though I don't have to wear my brace any more, my knee hurts. Again.

I want to buy an iPhone and my brother, holder of the accounts, keeps fending me off. I have no idea why.

A friend's husband almost certainly has Parkinson's. They're going to Minneapolis (Mayo) to get a definitive answer this week.


A few bright notes, for all of you who have made it this far:

I now have my plane tickets and a cheap place to stay in San Diego for Comic Con.

No more leg brace!

Tax refund came so I can get the cats their shots and have the car looked at.

Still having a blast in my coppersmithing class.

We may be moving the Lab/workshop soon to a place much closer with a REAL BATHROOM.

Awakened at 3:30 am in order to make a 6:15 flight. Did so without incident. I upgraded to a seat with more legroom to accommodate the brace, and boy was I glad to have it!m

Out cabin steward was a hoot and a half. He put on this enormous sponge clown nose during the pre-flight lecture and made these hilarious sweeping arm movements to show exit doors, etc. Then when we landed, over the intercom we hear, "Waaaait for it, waaait for it", when the seatbelt sign went off he added, "...and release!" which made everyone crack up. I told him I was stealing him to take back to Texas, but he said his wife wouldn't go for it.

Logan airport is very large and confusing. That is all.

Got to the hotel to find a veritable mountain of boxes waiting for me, a large portion of which contained unfolded shirts. *sigh* I spent the next 4 hours opening boxes, folding shirts, and trying to fit everything on the tables. While wearing my &^%* brace.

Went to set up the cash register and such. No power cord for the credit card machine was to be found. Searched all of the empty boxes, then went through every pile of shirts. Mr Pegasus swears up and down he packed one. Show security volunteer sees me panicking, asks if he can do anything, then he volunteers to go try and find a 9V adapter for the machine. I vow eternal gratitude, but when he comes back a while later, he has had no luck.

In the meantime, I called R, another person who sells for Scott. He told me to send the guy to Radio Shack and told me exactly what he needed to ask for. Another person (actually the dealer's room coordinator), went out for me (after we called to make sure the damn thing was at the store). Came back later with an adapter that works! Then I discovered that the credit card machine is stuck in store-and-forward mode, and it won't settle the sales. I'll fix it tomorrow.

And FOUR MORE FREAKING BOXES OF SHIRTS showed up this evening. FML.

Going to bed now. Very very long day today.

I'll post a roundup later, but if any of my peeps are coming/here, I'm in the large exhibit hall upstairs (the Marquis, I believe), and I'm at the Pegasus Publishing booth in the back left corner on the back wall. Come by and say hi (and buy a shirt!).