Support Your Local Bookstore

Cheryl reports that Borderlands Books is attempting to open a cafe next door, and is petitioning the City of San Francisco for planning permission. You can help by signing the petition.

Mimeo Experts Wanted

And while I'm plugging material over on Cheryl's blog, she has put out a call for mimeo experts for a panel about fanzine publication in the "good old days" at Worldcon this year. They're looking for the necessary equipment to pull it off.

Stuck

After working fairly late tonight, I went out to my van, started it up, and tried to put it in gear. I say "try" because the van refused to shift out of Park. After trying various things, I gave up and called AAA. After a mercifully short wait, the driver arrived and he tried some tricks as well. We though it possible that maybe moving the vehicle a little might free it -- no luck. So there was nothing for it but to tow me back to Fremont, where he deposited the van in the parking lot next door to Aamco, the Aamco lot proper being fenced off. I hope that will work and that (a) the neighbors won't get grumpy and try to tow my van before I can get over there tomorrow (before they open) and (b) Aamco can do something without us having to call for a second tow to move it 100 feet from the lot to their shop. I especially hope that (c) this will be covered by warranty on the rebuilt transmission they installed in this van exactly eight months and one day ago.

On the brighter side, the driver turned out to be a fellow Chico State alumni (he was coming in as I was leaving), and a bit of an SF fan -- he was reading a Heinlein novel today, and he's heard of the Hugo Awards. At his request, I gave him my card, and he says he thinks he'd be interested in things like BayCon, SiliCon, Westercon, Worldcon, etc. So the drive back over the San Mateo bridge was cheerful enough. I only hope I'm not on the hook for yet more expensive repairs.