maevele | con pre-report

I already posted this to the con list, then realized not all my flist is con people. just most of it.

Someday I will post the evening gown pic from sunday. not today, though.

So, I figured out how to sprain my cerebellum. Drink one of everything on the 6th floor, and then try to talk to really smert people. I was gregarious, at least, if not coherent.

I really want to do a proper con report, but the Moji is sleeping on one arm, and my brain is still squirming.

So this will be the highlight report

1) Imogene tried really hard to hijack the RHPS panel. No one seemed to mind, but they probably wouldn't have said anything if they had. I assume at least one person was quietly steaming over the fact that the baby was upstaging the conversation, and if so I'd love to know that.
1a) She also spent the whole weekend charming and flirting with everyone. She made some friends.

2) The Heathen made friends also. He and several adorable children were making monsters of themselves all weekend.

3) Working the clohing swap was a great opportunity to talk to people I am intellectually intimidated by, without feeling that intimidation. Because shit, we're just talking about clothes. The baby helped at least one major author pick out sparkly shoes.

4) my one complaint For all the sweet talk in the newsletters and such about disability awareness and requests to make room for wheelchairs by not standing around blocking the hallways in conversation, there were still solid walls of people clustering in the halls. I saw more than one person having to yell up from their chair to request that the able bodied get the fuck out of their way, which I would imagine is not exactly an empowering experience, and seems like it would make them feel even more othered than was already happening at the con. I had a few other observations about basic manners and disability, but most of those relate to individual rudeness rather than big group rudeness. If someone starts sounding irritated when you begin asking them why they are in a wheelchair, just stop. Don't finish the question. Don't explain why you are being nosy. Just stop. If they want to explain why they are in a chair to everyone at the con, they'll get on the PA. Otherwise it is no more your business than why someone is anything else they are, get me?

More later. Imogene is awake.