somniloquence

I guess I neglected to tell a lot of people I was going to Escapade this year, because quite a few people seemed very surprised to see me. Oops. It was kind of a last-minute decision; I'd been waffling about it because I haven't traveled in five years and of course the cancer, but I really wanted to see people, only a lot of folks wouldn't be able to go due to the really early date they'd set (just...January 31, not a great time). But when they mentioned they were having trouble meeting the financial obligations such as room blocks, I decided just before Christmas I'd go. At least I would see my darling killabeez, which is enough reason! And kerithwyn and hafital were there, and from my Seattle crowd, wickedwords, so I was really happy to just lounge around and yak. Seeing people's actual faces in person is just...there's nothing like it, especially when it's folks like cesperanza and cathexys, who I haven't seen in yonks.

It was...very hard to get in the travel groove again. I've never traveled with a cane, of course, and that took some getting used to, but only a few people were dickish to me for being slow, and a lot of people were helpful. I went down on Friday so I missed a hefty portion of the con, and left on Sunday afternoon, so if I go again I think I will definitely not do that. It's just so...expensive. Everything is so much more expensive for less return now, hotel rooms being the best example of that. But I did get to see a lot of people I like and this year some extra special guests came, and that was wonderful spending time with folks I haven't seen in absolute ages, and hanging out in people's rooms or going to Starbucks or whatever. And of course, talking about fic and vids, or fandoms (I only went to a couple fandom panels, since I arrived too late for Star Trek, but it was fun to listen to people talk about Deadpool and Wolverine).

I got weirdly busy with work right beforehand, too, which maybe was good in the sense that it kept my mind on something else besides traveling and also the state of the world. I have been so anxious since the election that my oncologist is concerned, because my blood pressure is sky high when I go in and that's not a good thing with the main drug that's keeping my cancer at bay. While it was nice to have something else to keep my focus on at the con, as well, it was hard to avoid, especially when everywhere you go someplace has multiple TVs blaring news and you cannot escape it. I tried to avoid political conversations, but inevitably when you're in a population that is so hugely affected by hate, it takes over the spaces.

Something fannish that was fun was that I got a related work notification while I was in LA--someone had done a podfic of one of my Sunshine stories. I don't have a lot of podfics so it's always such a thrill when someone does that, especially because I love the way fans continue each other's fannish creations and make new things. And it's a lovely podfic too, I love the reader's accent and the way she handled so many things in it. If you enjoyed the movie Sunshine (where science ice prince Cillian Murphy and military hothead Chris Evans [to steal from bond_girl] play enemies to friends to lovers across the stars--okay, WE think they do, they think they just hate each other) and you like podfics, it's really good. Dipping Toward the Light [podfic] is here.

And last but not least, I read another book! I know, I know, it's ridiculous, but it's just been so long since I've been able to read! This time it was a graphic novel and it was really fascinating. It's about an AU version of our world, where wishes are a thing that can be mined and bought and sold, and they don't always have the obvious effects the person making the wish expects, especially if they buy third-tier wishes. It takes place in Cairo, and there's a glimpse into a world that most of us don't know much about, and it's insanely creative. The writer did so much research and created such a dense, layered world, it's kind of astonishing. It's called Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohammed and the title basically means "your wish is my command."