World Fantasy was great. I drove down on Thursday after teaching my afternoon class, and got lost. Not too badly though. I just had to drive around the city once, until I found my way back in.

I saw three of my beloved Ratbastard compatriots, Alan Deniro and Kristin Livdahl, and also my wonderful godesses and drag queens from Blue Heaven, Cathy Morrison, Karin Lowachee, Nancy Proctor, and Ben Rosenbaum. They all kick ass and you should read anything they write or else tread the path of ignorance. I also got to spend time with the lovely Justine Larbestier and Scott Westerfeld, both of who are going to be YA book king and queen one day, but I didn't get to see enough of them. Same with the rest of the crew: Christopher and Gwenda, Kelly and Gavin, Ted. I did, however, spend a wonderful afternoon with Susan Groppi, at the Museum of Natural History, where I bought a great Balinese mask for Jackie the Mask Collector. Also, the good times just keep on keeping whenever Mr. Rick Bowes is in the house. That guy should have his own sitcom.

I missed Richard Butner and Barb Gilly, as usual. They weren't there, but I missed them anyway).

Parties were the usual parties, although this time there was a round of who would you sleep with in the scifi community. Hmm...several of us are would-be sluts, but I'm not telling.

Didn't get to talk to Mike Jasper like I wanted to. Am glad I got to meet him at least, though.

Got to pick up Tim Pratt's collection, which looks lovely. As well as the new zine he and Heather have made.

Most wonderful thing: seeing Theodora Goss postively glowing with happiness and perhaps a bit of exhaustion. The happiness part of the glow was brighter.

Finally saw Jay Lake's Greek Chorus. I was hot and sweaty from the too-small crowded, room, though, and the chanting on top of the exhaustion and heat made me want to pass out a little.

Funniest moment is when Christopher Rowe tried to convince Kelly Link that his bourbon was made from loss.

I also got to meet a really cool guy named David Schwartz, who has a story in the new LCRW. I haven't read it yet, but I can't wait to. He was really nice and came up to tell me how much he likes my writing, and that really made me feel good.

Did a reading from the novel I'm writing, and I think it went good. Lots of laughter in all the right places. Lots of grim silence in all the dark places.

Had a kick-ass afternoon rendevous with hilarious Rick Bowes and Jeff Ford. Those two guys should have a talk show together.

Drank a lot on Thursday night, not much at all on Friday, a sipped on the loss bourbon on Saturday, and then drove home on Sunday after the reading. On my way home, I got lost again, and ended up in rural Maryland, in hills and valleys and fields and dairy farms. Somehow this was really soothing and I just kept on driving, up a mountain eventually, and down the other side, and stopped for directions when I came back to civilization. I don't know why I wasn't worried about driving up a mountain with half a tank of gas, but I did. It was wonderful.

And now I'm home again, and back to school and dirty work of applying to Ph.D programs, and finishing the novel, which is good clean work, and missing everyone who was there and those who weren't.