Today, 25 February 2005, I went to Corflu Titanium. On the way I listened to an entertaining CD by
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings called "Naturally". Seems strange since the inside cover
says it is Soul and you know what, it sure sounds that way. What's this kind of music doing in
2005? Odd but sounds good nevertheless, a little Motown, a little Phil Spectre (says Patty as we
drive along).
Hm, oh yeah, the convention, gee, I know a lot of these people. I've come to a conclusion that
I know a lot of people but I really don't know that many people well. That is, I may have known
people by sight or by name for 10 or 20 years but I really don't talk to people that much. Oh,
there are a few. I talked to Wm Breiding, Rich Coad, Jay Kinney and John Bartelt for an extended
period of time but, for the most part I just don't advance on people and start talking. I talked to
a few other people too but not for more than five or ten minutes. My conversational abilities have
just never been that great. I can't say that I feel greatly deprived. It's just the way it is. And
if you're reading this and say, gee, I feel this urge to rectify this situation, uh, don't worry
about. I'll just feel ill at ease. Although I must admit that I doubt that anyone will feel that
urge. The energy for me to do that just isn't there.
Anyway, I enjoyed the Native panel and the opening ceremonies. I know it is a lot of work to
set up and everyone has their own way of doing things.
Enjoyed a good meal with Wm Breiding, Jay Kinney and Patty. There's an Indian restaurant
called Kaleva at 35 6th St. It is vegetarian. I'd never been there before but the review at
San Francisco, CA Vegetarian Restaurants
sounded very promising. It was very good and not expensive. They did say they preferred cash when
we finally paid. I failed to ask whether that meant they definitely didn't take credit cards or
not. Nevertheless, I highly recommend it! They've been open since October of last year and still
need to develop a big clientele.
We left the convention after the opening ceremonies. It was probably the longest we've left
Buku, the younger of our two current dogs, outside. He's about 11 months old. Sure, he was with
Kelly, our other dog who is about 6, but . . . Now tomorrow I have to see what holes he may have
dug or whatever else may have satisfied his boredom.
On the way home listened to "Wicked Twisted Road" by Reckless Kelly. I think I
enjoyed it but need to listen to it again to really be sure. However I do really like the little
die that is in the CD case.
Got home in time to watch Numbers. Hopefully have on tape, Stargate, Stargate Atlantis,
Andromeda, Battlestar Galactica and Joan of Arcadia. Will hopefully also catch the Monk episode
later in the week.
Too much fun.
Another day for Corflu. I didn't head over until the afternoon, about 2:30 PM or so. Patty had left
earlier via BART. I was getting over there via automobile. It was an easy drive. Listened to
Thievery Corporation's "The Cosmic Game". Enjoyable, maybe a 3.5 out of 5. Some dub, some
dance, limited vocals, pleasant driving music.
Stopped at Calumet to get a new flash for my camera and a pack for the camera body and various
lenses that I have. Then on to Cafe Gratitude, a raw veg restaurant. I had an appetizer, "I am
Kind", "a rich sunflower seed and sundried tomato pate with a touch of chipotle chili on
a bed of mixed greens accompanied by flax chips" and "I Am Charmed", "Organic
Maghreb Mint green tea blend with spicy notes of ginger, cardamom and other rare spices".
Excellent food and drink, interesting customers and the place was full at 3 PM. Finished there,
quickly found a six-pack of diet coke at a nearby store and on to the convention. Patty, via phone,
pointed out that there was a free parking space directly across from the hotel. Good parking space
thanks to Patty!
Finally at the hotel I quickly went up to the room to attach the flash to the camera. I had
missed the morning and early afternoon programming. I got there in time for the auction and took a
number of pictures, doing battle with cameras with Wm B. It was interesting to see Allyn Cadogan
and Karl. One hopes someone will provide actual information about the earlier panels and auction. I
wasn't really paying much attention to the auction itself.
After the auction, we went to dinner, first thought Indian but then it changed to the hotel
restaurant. Their vegetarian lasagna was okay but not great. We had quite a large group, about 10
or so. Bill Kostura decided he should leave early due to the laryngitis which he has had for a
month. Too bad Rich Coad, Stacy Scott, Lynn Kuehl and Cheryl Cline couldn't have been at our table
too. Entertaining stories from Pat Virzi about her interesting relatives living in a plastics
factory and much more. Bob Webber added bits and pieces. Conversations continued on one side with
Allyn, Karl & Patty. From the other side came conversations with Freddie Baer, Jeanne Bowman
(something about her children still living at home), Colin Hinz, Janice Morningstar, Wm B and DS Black.
Finally we got to deal with the hotel's strange way of handling the 20% off the entrees, which
was just a bit confusing.
At that point I decided I had better go to the room, get my camera and head home to let in the
dogs. The drive home was pleasant with a lovely white and yellow waning moon low on the eastern
horizon. It had only turned full on Wednesday. It sprinkled a bit on the way through Oakland, while
listening to Paul Motian, Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano on "I Have The Room Above Her". It
was enjoyable but relatively quiet. At 9:30 PM or so I was back at home with the dogs rushing in as
if they have been left for an eternity instead of only about 7 hours.
I also returned to the bizarre headgear of DeMarcus Corley (and the HBO announcer says maybe
he is a fan of science fiction) as he prepares to fight Miguel Cotto in Puerto Rico and hey, what
about that ring announcer, Michael Buffer? I've seen him innumerable times. "Let's get ready
to rumble!!!!" And yes, I did think it was a premature stoppage.
Okay. We get up, dressed and out of the house earlier than almost any other Sunday in the year. The
dogs are not particularly pleased. We won't be that long, really. At least traffic into the city
was light. We even get a parking space directly in front of the hotel. We check our rented room.
Patty heads downstairs. I put the new flash back onto the camera and I head down also.
Talking (well, okay, really just mainly listening) and visiting with people at the banquet was
enjoyable. The speeches were enjoyable, including Murray Moore's 13 minute speech (Let's see, is
that 10 minutes US, 13 minutes Canadian or do I have that backwards?). They also gave out the faan
awards Info can be found someplace on
Trufen.net
. I took some pictures. We shall see a) how badly they're framed b) how fuzzy they are. Included in
that is the fact that my batteries were low so I had to stop taking pictures earlier than I might
have desired but surely to the pleasure of some people there. I have known people who become most
perturbed whenever a camera was even pointed in their direction. My goodness. I must admit to not
being overly fond of having my picture taken for I am, at this juncture in my life (and possibly at
earlier junctures also) neither up to the handsomeness nor the quirkiness required in movies and I
am a bit shy (Oh Charlotte please) and embarrassed about having my picture taken. I do believe this
is a trait learned from my father (may he rest comfortably wherever he may be now but I am quite
certain he would not do well in a quiet, peaceful, fluffy place ). However I believe I have finally
decided that people enjoy taking pictures, people like keeping memories, people like seeing faces
of people they know and possibly even like, another my goodness please. And if they desire to take
my picture then they must either not be so revolted by my physical appearance that they will lose
said buffet brunch or they enjoy seeing an occasional odd picture now and then. So, in the long
run, acting badly about the whole thing wins no points for anyone. Sure, taking too many pictures
and being too in people's face can be a real jerky thing to do but hey, in 100 years (assuming
people are still around) someone is going to find some entertainment or interest in looking at us
just one more time. And a fatal breach in the fabric of the universe will not have been caused by
simply taking life in stride and being friendly about the whole thing. And maybe some friends will
feel good looking back at this thing and remembering this person or that person and what a nice day
it was.
Okay, after that sickeningly sweet monologue in which I decry other people's issues and
totally ignore my own, let us proceed. And no, I'm not in a bad mood.
We left shortly after the banquet and returned to let our dogs into the house, run madly to
and fro in an excited greeting frenzy (the dogs, not us, and though that does conjure up an
interesting picture) and then, shortly afterwards, go to sleep. Of course, they could have slept
equally well outside but for reasons I don't totally fathom they sleep better inside and with us
around.
I also very briefly talked to someone new at the convention, suggesting a couple of vegetarian
restaurants I thought were good and even got a new fanzine out of this conversation. Why, this type
of intermittent reinforcement might force me to talk to another new person sometime in the next year.