Captain On Deck

Today I have a (relatively) light schedule, aside from logistical things like getting posters and packages to the correct fan tables. Opening Ceremonies are at 3 PM, and we're considering wearing our WSFS uniforms there. We also need to get travelswithkuma his membership badge.

When we went down to Lisa's van to get the shoes for her uniform, we found that the parking space next to her van had opened up, so I quickly moved my minivan over there and we are once again three cars in a row.

A piece of WSFS Business: The Mark Protection Committee Meeting at 7 PM. This is open to the membership, but very few non-MPC members tend to turn up for it.

Oops

I went to get my camera out of my bag when Lisa and I were in the Exhibit hall, and discovered that the trigger was missing. "I guess that's what must have been that little metal button I found in the bottom of the tote bag," I said.

"You didn't throw it away, did you?" said Lisa, horrified.

"No, its right here in the side pocket," I replied, and digging around in the bag I also found the spring that sits under the trigger. Unfortunately, there's no way to get the button to stay in place without taping it. Lisa taped it back in, and it works after a fashion, but it's never going to be the same again.

What a maroon I am: I $300 camera and I've broken a five-cent part that makes it work and probably can't be fixed. Groan. We'll limp along with what does work.

Opening Ceremonies

I was a few minutes late arriving at the Opening Ceremonies, which must have started on time (hooray for them, and my fault for losing track of time and when the OC was happening). The large room was completely packed with no seats: standing-room only along the back and side walls. Lisa lasted for a few minutes and then retreated to go sit at the Luna Society table. My feet were hurting badly by the end, and the bruise on my right foot reminded me that it's not gone yet.

It was a very popular OC with Patty Wells, ably assisted by Dr. Demento, introduced all of Renovation's Guests of Honor and Special Guests and did a mini interview with them all — including the late Charles N. Brown, whose answers were displayed on the Big Screen from an interview he did some years ago. I'm pleased that Renovation was able to honor all of their guests, including their late departed one.

The OC finished with a performance from Special Music Guests Tricky Pixie as a preview of their concert later. Dr. Demento will also be doing a show later this afternoon.

After the OC, I met up with Linda Deneroff and after checking my bags with Lisa, Linda and I went off to discuss some WSFS/Mark Protection Committee business for a little while. In the snack bar area I briefly thanked George R.R. Martin, who was having a bite to eat, for his kind words about Worldcon and how he calls it his favorite convention.

After dealing with WSFS matters, Lisa and I headed back to the hotel, pausing briefly as James Daugherty snapped some photos of Lisa and me with my wounded camera. Through no fault of his, some of them are out of focus. I hope I get the good photos uploaded later.

Lisa needs to get some rest, but I'm still restless, so I'm going to go back over to the convention center for an hour or so before changing out of WSFS kit for the Mark Protection Committee meeting at 7 PM tonight.

Mark Protection Committee Report

The WSFS Mark Protection Committee (MPC) meetings at the start of a Worldcon these days are mostly pro forma as it's the last chance to correct anything in the report that we generally have finalized before the convention. This year was about the same. We did get one surprise, however, as MPC member Ruth Sachter said that because she hasn't had the time to participate in the MPC's tasks the way she'd like, she is resigning immediately rather than letting her term (which runs through next year) run out.

Because of Ruth's departure, there are now four vacant slots on the MPC. At Thursday's meeting, we will nominate people for the MPC. At Friday's meeting, we will elect four people using an instant-runoff preferential (Hugo-style) ballot. The first three people elected will fill the three-year slots running through 2014. The fourth place finisher will fill the one-year slot running through 2012; that seat will be up for election at next year's WSFS Business Meeting.

The MPC deferred most other action until the post-election meeting. As usual, that meeting will happen either about 20 minutes or so after the last WSFS Business Meeting (probably on Saturday, and thus probably no earlier than about 11:20 AM that morning) or, if there isn't enough time left in the 10 AM - 1 PM WSFS slot on Saturday, on Sunday at 11 AM.

Instant Party

Lisa was sufficiently zonked out that she went to bed around 5:30 or so and is trying to get extra sleep, which she desperately needs. I, however, am about to head out to help run a party.

This afternoon, Warren Buff, chairman of ReConstruction, last year's NASFiC, flagged me down and announced that for complex reasons he had been informed that, whether he really wanted to or not, he's hosting ReConstruction Thank You party tonight, and would I please come help? I said I'd come when I could but that I had the MPC meeting and then I would have to eat dinner lest I fall over. (I've learned some lessons about this.) I did, however, offer to immediately donate the case of assorted sodas that my mother gave me. Originally they were bound for the Combined Westercons Party, but that party seems well under control, while Warren has had a huge job dropped on him with no notice.

He gave me a key to the party suite and I dropped off the sodas, then went and dealt with WSFS business and had dinner. As soon as I finish composing this message, I'm heading down to the ReConstruction party to do what I can to help for a while. I can't stay out too late, however, for I have to be up early for a CanSMOF Board of Directors meeting over breakfast tomorrow, then I have to be over at RSCC A2 early with Lisa to set up the cameras for the Business Meeting shoot.

Early Night

My main contribution to the Raleigh NASFiC party was to help carry bags of soda from the FoodSource grocery store diagonally across the street from the Atlantis, but I'm told that this was indeed helpful and so I reckon I did my part. While I would have loved to have stayed out later and talked and SMOFed, I have to be up early for meetings and therefore am going to try to get to bed before midnight so I might get as much as six hours sleep.

There was an active party scene tonight, full of crowded parties, but none intolerably so that I noticed. It was, however, pretty warm, as the hotel's air conditioning isn't really up to coping with so many people in this area. People seemed to be enjoying themselves. I was really pleased to run into several more first-time-convention (not just first Worldcon) attendees, although none of them found us by way of TheHugoAwards.org this time.

( One exception to the good cheer )