DragonCon 2009

Well I had not planned on going to DC this year but Zach surprised me with a one-day pass for Sunday. I did not get to any panels (tried the SteamPunk Costume panel at 7pm but again they put the track in TOO SMALL A ROOM!!!!). Registration seemed fine in the Sheraton but I was disoriented as they moved the comic artist alley. Thanks to my friend Gail though I was able to find things. I ran into her as I was leaving the art show and she helped me find Sanford (coolest comic artist ever!!) and everything else. BTW, Gail had an AWESOME Deputy Jo Lupo costume!!!! She graciously allowed me to watch the masquerade in her room at the Hyatt but I do not know why I still torture myself with doing so other than tradition (Duck Dogers and the 24 1/2 Century!!!!). DC really needs to revamp the Masquerade. We stayed Sunday night to see costumes and while the pickings were again slim (has been for several years) there were some really good ones especially the 9 costume, the SteamPunk Star Wars and the Willie from Indiana Jones. Actually there were a lot of SteamPunk and all of it seemed good to me so I am glad to see that there is still good costuming going on at DC. While my favorite fungus artist was not in attendance at the art show, I did come across a surprising new artist with a print that I bought for my office. The drawing accurately depicted several species of mushroom in a slightly fantastical setting (yes there was a fairy, no she was not naked) done in colored pencil but done very nicely. I even scored some nice swag (pen and cup!) from the Firefly costuming group and I hope to maybe join! Very nice people and I learned a few things about Stargate that I did not know! Thanks guys! Before DC though, Zach and I were visiting my grandmother and we took her to eat at Rusan's again but this time she actually had some real raw fish (Tuna) and she liked it! She also managed to eat some of her dinner with chopsticks. Every time we visit, she surprises me. I also managed to finish the Mary Poppins scarf that I started over a year ago and even though I still have to block it, the hard part is done! Now I need to see if I can knit Zach a scarf with the pattern he wants. I will prevail! Lastly, I have started reading for fun again (grad school, postdoc and the ensuing early years of teaching prevented me from really picking anything up) and I've been racking up the fiction and non-fiction. Books I've read lately include Magical Mushrooms, Mischevious Mold by George Hudler (actually this was for school as I am going to use it as a text for my fungus course but still fun to read), The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson on the London Cholera epidemic of 1854, Fool Moon, Turn Coat and Summer Knight of the Harry Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (hat to the Swensons). Zach also turned me onto a book that I have just requested from the PINES library system here in Georgia called Pump Six by Paolo Bacigalupi and I plan to see if I can get his new book called The Windup Girl (read the review on io9.com). I also plan to read "The Red Hourglass: Lives of the Predators" by Gordon Gice which is a non-fiction essay collection on natural predators and how they compare to human society (Thanks Daxton!).
Sharon

P.S. I am also trying to finish that miserable alien shirt from way too long ago. All I have to do is the buttons but I am dragging my feet. I hate buttons! At least on my current machine. Then I can get to my witch costume that I started last year in October. Here's hoping I'll have it ready for Halloween this year. :D