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hazelchazDemicon report, last installment. Demicon was on the weekend of May 1. I didn't see a Maypole, though, or any May Day-related celebrations. Did I just miss them?
I mentioned that Rusty Hevelin had been Demicon's Toastmaster every year through last year. This year they decided to make him Fan Guest of Honor. Tadao had been FGoH at Demicon before, and they asked him to step in as TM. Apparently on Friday night this year (Opening Ceremonies, I think) the concom announced the formation of the Demicon Hall of Fame, with Rusty as the first inductee. Also they were naming him Toastmaster Emeritus and Guest of Honor for Life. [I may have the details wrong -- anyone know for sure?]
Friday was also the main party night. At this small a convention (about 500 people), with a really strong Saturday evening program and with most of the members on-site Friday, it makes sense that the major party action is on Friday. Cf. Boskone, which is much larger, draws from a larger radius, and doesn't have an overpowering Saturday night events running until 2am, where Friday night people are still arriving (or they show up Saturday).
Parties on Friday: The L.A.con IV party came together, there was a Chicago in 2008 bid party, the Dee Memorial event, and the Karaoke party. The Karaoke party room was also open on Saturday afternoon for a tea party, which handed out little whirligigs on wooden spikes. There was some conversation in that room about hot sauces and chili peppers, which foreshadowed the party they held Saturday night.
In my previous installment I told you about Saturday and the show. One of the bits they did was a spoof on Tadao's "Mr. Shake Hands Man" - they had "Grabs Crotch Man." This had Tadao in stitches, rolling in the aisles and almost getting his new tartan kimono dirty. We learned that early on, he had suggested to the TICC folks that they might do a spoof of Banzai TV. They were way ahead of him -- this was the second bit they wrote in the whole show.
The show let out about 2 am, and TMI & I went up to the room and talked for about an hour. Then we went party-hopping, or tried to anyway.
The Karaoake room (aka the Hot Party) was still going. I had seen Gillian Sanderson earlier, she had some elaborate body paint themed for the "hot party" (hot sauce); she had flames, and chili peppers, and so forth. Very nicely done. (Pictures will be up Real Soon Now.) There was also a room showing B-movies, such as "Krull." It was still puttering along.
Eventually we turned in, and got up early -- well, before noon anyway, because we had to check out of the room. I missed Tadao's "anime today" panel. Whoops! Wish I'd been there, but we were busy moving everything out of the suite.
I think I mentioned providing TMI and Tadao with "Shake Hands Fan" ribbons. On Sunday afternoon, "Grabs Crotch Fan" ribbons (actually carefully cut pieces of paper) started appearing, originating with someone in the Art Show. They said that had they known we were bringing the S.H.F. ribbons, they would have tacked G.C.F. ribbons onto their ribbon order. Oh well, better luck next time...
On Sunday afternoon I found an open table in the main foyer area to set up my computer, to run a slide show of the 200 or so photos I'd collected during the convention. As usual, it was well received, with a crowd gathering around (including many I'd recognized from shooting their pictures) to watch the loop.
I went to Rusty's "Rusty Tells All" panel, there were maybe a dozen or twenty people in the audience. (At least two concom people asked me later how many had attended, and were pleased that it was more than a handful.) I asked him what was his favorite convention memory. He allowed as he'd been going to cons for decades - his first was Denvention (the 1941 Worldcon), and he was FGoH at Denvention 2, but his favorite would have to be Friday night (here at Demicon).
At closing ceremonies they sang some of the winning verses from their lyric contest, and announced next year's slate. Tadao will be TM again. (And if TMI finds gainful employment soon, he might join Tadao again.)
There were (at least) three organized dead-dog group dinners. One was the "official" one, with signups at Registration, for a fixed-price dinner at Centro (pronounced Chentro), an Italian restaurant a block away. Included salad, choice of entree, a cookie for dessert, tax, and tip for $16, drinks extra. The restaurant ordinarily opens at 6pm for dinner; on Sunday, they just had their workers show up an hour early and opened at 5pm just for us. So we didn't have quite the massive-party-overwhelms-the-staff problem that we've encountered before. Worked out pretty well, in my estimation, althouh TMI thinks the restaurant expected more of us and the workers may have been disappointed at being called out early (when they could have used fewer people to wait the tables). TMI and I finished dinner in time for me to drive him to the airport, with Ann navigating.
That was straightforward enough - it's not a large town, or a large airport. On the way back I saw a giant trowel, stuck into the lawn outside a building with a giant little girl on the side. That was probably the oddest thing I'd seen in my very short time outdoors in Des Moines.
When I got back to the Con Suite, I discovered that there had been an organized Chinese takeout run -- that's what Megan had for dinner, while her parents were with us at Centro -- and also an American food expedition later, with burgers and such. There was a crowd of people in the Con Suite watching the TICC videos from Friday and Saturday night; the American dinner run brought dinner in about the same time they switched tapes between one show and the next.
Interestingly enough, although the live TICC After Dark show had been off-limits to minors, any young folk who stayed in the Con Suite long enough on Sunday eventually got to see the video tape... so Megan, who had seen them rehearse (including full dress rehearsals) countless times but had been locked out of the live show, was able to see the taped show after all.
There was a family of three (parents and daughter) who showed me the Group W Bench. You remember Arlo Guthrie's song Alice's Restaurant, where Arlo is sent to sit at the "Group W bench" at the draft board because he was a convicted litterbug? Well, apparently a few years back Des Moines had a civic improvement program where they set up benches throughout the city, and individuals and organizations could sponsor them and have a little sign permanently installed on the bench. One bright group of folk pooled their funds together, identified themselves with a straight face as "Group W" and sponsored one. By a remarkable coincidence, it's in a building attached to the Fort Des Moines Hotel, where Demicon is held. Mother and daughter were kind enough to pose for a photo, sitting at opposite ends of the bench, giving each other the hairy eyeball.
And then I went upstairs to say my goodbyes to the people soaking in the jacuzzi. (Charles Piehle paid me a compliment - he said I was "a photographer he could trust.") I headed off into the sunset.... I hate driving westbound in late afternoon! So I pulled over to the side of the road, dozed until dark, and continued on.
Postscript: Didn't see any more Amish, but I saw some interesting town names. I stopped for gas in New Virginia IA and Peculiar MO, and got a speeding ticket near Nevada MO. Apparently doing 83 in a 70 zone is frowned upon in Missouri, or they need the money or something. (Cf. trying to go up I-5 through California, where if you're not doing at least 10 mph over the limit you'll practically get run off the side of the road.) I took the big package of snausages (okay, they were little beef sticks, not actually dog treats, but...) that TMI had leftover from his party with me, and I had a bowl of them as a snack the next day. That was plenty.
On my last day in Tulsa for that trip, I stopped off at Elspeth's house to pick up the music I'd loaned the girls, and told her I'd give her a box of caramel chocolates if she'd take the snausages off my hands too. She was busy working on a direct mailing for her firm, which involved folding together little cardboard boxes and stuffing them with a rubber ball, a note, and sealing them closed with a mailing label. I helped her with that, went back to my hotel, and flew home in the morning.
On the 18th, I fly back to Tulsa for another trip.
I mentioned that Rusty Hevelin had been Demicon's Toastmaster every year through last year. This year they decided to make him Fan Guest of Honor. Tadao had been FGoH at Demicon before, and they asked him to step in as TM. Apparently on Friday night this year (Opening Ceremonies, I think) the concom announced the formation of the Demicon Hall of Fame, with Rusty as the first inductee. Also they were naming him Toastmaster Emeritus and Guest of Honor for Life. [I may have the details wrong -- anyone know for sure?]
Friday was also the main party night. At this small a convention (about 500 people), with a really strong Saturday evening program and with most of the members on-site Friday, it makes sense that the major party action is on Friday. Cf. Boskone, which is much larger, draws from a larger radius, and doesn't have an overpowering Saturday night events running until 2am, where Friday night people are still arriving (or they show up Saturday).
Parties on Friday: The L.A.con IV party came together, there was a Chicago in 2008 bid party, the Dee Memorial event, and the Karaoke party. The Karaoke party room was also open on Saturday afternoon for a tea party, which handed out little whirligigs on wooden spikes. There was some conversation in that room about hot sauces and chili peppers, which foreshadowed the party they held Saturday night.
In my previous installment I told you about Saturday and the show. One of the bits they did was a spoof on Tadao's "Mr. Shake Hands Man" - they had "Grabs Crotch Man." This had Tadao in stitches, rolling in the aisles and almost getting his new tartan kimono dirty. We learned that early on, he had suggested to the TICC folks that they might do a spoof of Banzai TV. They were way ahead of him -- this was the second bit they wrote in the whole show.
The show let out about 2 am, and TMI & I went up to the room and talked for about an hour. Then we went party-hopping, or tried to anyway.
The Karaoake room (aka the Hot Party) was still going. I had seen Gillian Sanderson earlier, she had some elaborate body paint themed for the "hot party" (hot sauce); she had flames, and chili peppers, and so forth. Very nicely done. (Pictures will be up Real Soon Now.) There was also a room showing B-movies, such as "Krull." It was still puttering along.
Eventually we turned in, and got up early -- well, before noon anyway, because we had to check out of the room. I missed Tadao's "anime today" panel. Whoops! Wish I'd been there, but we were busy moving everything out of the suite.
I think I mentioned providing TMI and Tadao with "Shake Hands Fan" ribbons. On Sunday afternoon, "Grabs Crotch Fan" ribbons (actually carefully cut pieces of paper) started appearing, originating with someone in the Art Show. They said that had they known we were bringing the S.H.F. ribbons, they would have tacked G.C.F. ribbons onto their ribbon order. Oh well, better luck next time...
On Sunday afternoon I found an open table in the main foyer area to set up my computer, to run a slide show of the 200 or so photos I'd collected during the convention. As usual, it was well received, with a crowd gathering around (including many I'd recognized from shooting their pictures) to watch the loop.
I went to Rusty's "Rusty Tells All" panel, there were maybe a dozen or twenty people in the audience. (At least two concom people asked me later how many had attended, and were pleased that it was more than a handful.) I asked him what was his favorite convention memory. He allowed as he'd been going to cons for decades - his first was Denvention (the 1941 Worldcon), and he was FGoH at Denvention 2, but his favorite would have to be Friday night (here at Demicon).
At closing ceremonies they sang some of the winning verses from their lyric contest, and announced next year's slate. Tadao will be TM again. (And if TMI finds gainful employment soon, he might join Tadao again.)
There were (at least) three organized dead-dog group dinners. One was the "official" one, with signups at Registration, for a fixed-price dinner at Centro (pronounced Chentro), an Italian restaurant a block away. Included salad, choice of entree, a cookie for dessert, tax, and tip for $16, drinks extra. The restaurant ordinarily opens at 6pm for dinner; on Sunday, they just had their workers show up an hour early and opened at 5pm just for us. So we didn't have quite the massive-party-overwhelms-the-staff problem that we've encountered before. Worked out pretty well, in my estimation, althouh TMI thinks the restaurant expected more of us and the workers may have been disappointed at being called out early (when they could have used fewer people to wait the tables). TMI and I finished dinner in time for me to drive him to the airport, with Ann navigating.
That was straightforward enough - it's not a large town, or a large airport. On the way back I saw a giant trowel, stuck into the lawn outside a building with a giant little girl on the side. That was probably the oddest thing I'd seen in my very short time outdoors in Des Moines.
When I got back to the Con Suite, I discovered that there had been an organized Chinese takeout run -- that's what Megan had for dinner, while her parents were with us at Centro -- and also an American food expedition later, with burgers and such. There was a crowd of people in the Con Suite watching the TICC videos from Friday and Saturday night; the American dinner run brought dinner in about the same time they switched tapes between one show and the next.
Interestingly enough, although the live TICC After Dark show had been off-limits to minors, any young folk who stayed in the Con Suite long enough on Sunday eventually got to see the video tape... so Megan, who had seen them rehearse (including full dress rehearsals) countless times but had been locked out of the live show, was able to see the taped show after all.
There was a family of three (parents and daughter) who showed me the Group W Bench. You remember Arlo Guthrie's song Alice's Restaurant, where Arlo is sent to sit at the "Group W bench" at the draft board because he was a convicted litterbug? Well, apparently a few years back Des Moines had a civic improvement program where they set up benches throughout the city, and individuals and organizations could sponsor them and have a little sign permanently installed on the bench. One bright group of folk pooled their funds together, identified themselves with a straight face as "Group W" and sponsored one. By a remarkable coincidence, it's in a building attached to the Fort Des Moines Hotel, where Demicon is held. Mother and daughter were kind enough to pose for a photo, sitting at opposite ends of the bench, giving each other the hairy eyeball.
And then I went upstairs to say my goodbyes to the people soaking in the jacuzzi. (Charles Piehle paid me a compliment - he said I was "a photographer he could trust.") I headed off into the sunset.... I hate driving westbound in late afternoon! So I pulled over to the side of the road, dozed until dark, and continued on.
Postscript: Didn't see any more Amish, but I saw some interesting town names. I stopped for gas in New Virginia IA and Peculiar MO, and got a speeding ticket near Nevada MO. Apparently doing 83 in a 70 zone is frowned upon in Missouri, or they need the money or something. (Cf. trying to go up I-5 through California, where if you're not doing at least 10 mph over the limit you'll practically get run off the side of the road.) I took the big package of snausages (okay, they were little beef sticks, not actually dog treats, but...) that TMI had leftover from his party with me, and I had a bowl of them as a snack the next day. That was plenty.
On my last day in Tulsa for that trip, I stopped off at Elspeth's house to pick up the music I'd loaned the girls, and told her I'd give her a box of caramel chocolates if she'd take the snausages off my hands too. She was busy working on a direct mailing for her firm, which involved folding together little cardboard boxes and stuffing them with a rubber ball, a note, and sealing them closed with a mailing label. I helped her with that, went back to my hotel, and flew home in the morning.
On the 18th, I fly back to Tulsa for another trip.
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The giant trowel
Date: 2004-05-17 04:42 pm (UTC)Just added you to my friends list!
Date: 2004-06-02 11:36 am (UTC)Re: Just added you to my friends list!
Date: 2004-06-02 12:40 pm (UTC)Glad you like the photos! Did you come here because of the business card I gave you, or did you find me through some other means?
Still have the card!
Date: 2004-06-02 02:45 pm (UTC)Actually, I have hours upon hours of web surfing time at work. I was doing random Google searches for pictures of the con and came up with your Live Journal! I'm glad I found you! I'm going to go look at all those other pictures you linked to...