Illogicon 2013
This past weekend, I went down to Raleigh for the 2nd annual Illogicon - a small regional science-fiction convention. I figured it might be a good idea to know some people outside work when I move down there, and this was an excellent excuse.
The con had around 350 attendees. They controlled what they were trying to do - 2 tracks of panels and stuff, a ;retty good dealer's room, fan tables, and a very active hall costume community. That meant that the con always had a pretty good energy level, and it helped to keep the costs down. The hotel (Embassy Suites) is pretty nice too.
I flew down Thursday and took Friday off of work, so that I had a chance to poke around some more before the con started. The weather started out raining, a foggy, and a bit on the chilly side, so I got a bit of a slow start. I poked around Wake Forest area, finding a nice used bookstore and some good Mexican food. (as I was poring through the collection of birding books, I found A Birdwatching Guide to Georgia. I should have realized from the pic on the cover that this wasn't really meant to cover the Atlanta area, and the detail that the authors' names all ended in
"vili" really should have been a clue). I bought the book, of course)
I did do some birding Friday, and again Saturday and Sunday mornings. I added 17 birds to my young NC State list, and 21 to my year list. I'm really not used to seeing Meadowlarks (summer birds up here) in January.
Thanks to Gary, who kept me company, shared room costs, and made sure that there was someone there I actually knew, and to Warren, who ran the con, and who Gary had introduced me to at Chicon this summer.
The con had around 350 attendees. They controlled what they were trying to do - 2 tracks of panels and stuff, a ;retty good dealer's room, fan tables, and a very active hall costume community. That meant that the con always had a pretty good energy level, and it helped to keep the costs down. The hotel (Embassy Suites) is pretty nice too.
I flew down Thursday and took Friday off of work, so that I had a chance to poke around some more before the con started. The weather started out raining, a foggy, and a bit on the chilly side, so I got a bit of a slow start. I poked around Wake Forest area, finding a nice used bookstore and some good Mexican food. (as I was poring through the collection of birding books, I found A Birdwatching Guide to Georgia. I should have realized from the pic on the cover that this wasn't really meant to cover the Atlanta area, and the detail that the authors' names all ended in
"vili" really should have been a clue). I bought the book, of course)
I did do some birding Friday, and again Saturday and Sunday mornings. I added 17 birds to my young NC State list, and 21 to my year list. I'm really not used to seeing Meadowlarks (summer birds up here) in January.
Thanks to Gary, who kept me company, shared room costs, and made sure that there was someone there I actually knew, and to Warren, who ran the con, and who Gary had introduced me to at Chicon this summer.