Home From Windycon

I went out for dinner after we loaded out of the dealers' room with Dave, David, and John. It was a lovely dinner, but by the time we finished, it was awesomely close to the time when I needed to be heading home, so I did that instead of going to the Dead Dog filk. I apologize to anyone who had expected to see me there, but getting home to Gretchen and the girls had moved up to a priority by that time.

I had a good time at the con. The SpaceTime Theater show went well, I had fun at the Saturday night filk, and it was great having a chance to talk to so many people.

But I have to say that the single most fun moment I had at the convention was at the beginning of Opening Ceremonies when -- as the head of Special Events -- I got to deliver the script that I had written for the introduction of our Chair.

I owe Dave Ifversen big time for making sure that all of the tech elements worked. So imagine now that the lights in the main hall have been dropped down, the follow spot is describing a figure eight back and forth across the stage, the music that the Bulls use for player intros is playing, and I step up to the podium and deliver the following introduction, doing my best impersonation of a professional announcer at the United Center:

"Ladies and gentlemen -- no, let me say, members, members of this great convention, as the longest-serving member of the Board, I am happy to welcome you to Windycon 44.

This is a very special Windycon, as the Board has determined that we have arrived at the pinnacle of perfection for the convention, that we have, in fact, achieved a state of Utopia. All of you are very fortunate to be here on this momentous occasion.

It is only through the far-sighted wisdom and leadership of a single individual that Windycon 44 has arrived in this utopian state. I am privileged beyond words to have the honor to introduce him to you now -- the man, the legend: First Member!"

And then Gundo came up to the stage in his First Member costume -- a nice business suit -- accompanied by his phalanx of security guards as the slide projector cut over to the graphic that Deb had prepared for me, one that looked much like the British "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters, except that this had a fuzzy-haired outline and said "The First Member Loves You".

Yeah. Because some days, the only thing you can do is to go straight over the top. :)

Things stayed over the top with the able assistance of Adam English, our emergency substitute Toastmaster, who had been recruited on Wednesday when Alex Bledsoe had to bow out with a nasty case of bronchitis. Because, really, who is a better Toastmaster when dystopia is the theme than Dr. Doom?

Some things do work out...

Now what are we going to do next year?