Kansas City
Oct. 26th, 2009 06:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skyringI've got a little while yet, but before I leave on the grand roadtrip with crrcookie, her mother, lilgrovers and Discoverylover, let me bring things quickly up to date.
Arriving in Kansas City, coming along the highway, I saw the hotel. Big place, about twenty floors. Got a great room. Hooked up with DL, crrcookie etc, who were sharing a room, and we went down for dinner, with a few other attendees.
Then there was the meet and greet, along with a magnificent feast of books, which grew every time we looked at it. I was good. To start with.
So many BookCrossers. Cookie and her utterly charming son. We've had a road trip together - last year in October to the Charleston unconvention. Discoverylover, who spent the weekend trying (and usually succeeding) in making me say outragoeous things, at which she would steal my hat or swat me with a book, bless her fun-loving heart. DL and I just click somewhere on sense of humour and sense of wonder levels, and whether it's New Zealand or Kansas, time sparkles with her as it happily whizzes by.
Solittletime, who has attended more North American conventions than I have. She accuses me of being a shameless flirt, full of blarney, but the truth is that I love her beyond all reason, and finding ways to make her smile, including flying around the world to give her a hug, is what I live for.
BountifulPots, likewise. She made the Charleston convention in 2007 a really special occasion, just to see her sweet smile. I couldn't stop hugging her. She's taken a bit of a bath on this event, financially, with the attendance not being quite what it could have been. She'll be running an auction or two to raise funds, and if I could get my readers to make a small bid or two, or just send her all your savings on PayPal, that will help with what is going to be a huge bill.
PJLareau, the world's most incredible BookCrosser. Along with Solittletime, he's made all the NA conventions, and making him smile is a delight. Just listening to his amazing feats - and this is a man who will release a hundred books before breakfast without blinking - is to experience the very spirit of BookCrossing.
The Slumps, who made it to London last year. They know EVERYTHING. If you get a chance, just a chance, to be on the same trivia team with them, you should consider bribery, deception, yes, even murder to sit at the same table. It was worth it. (I considered murdering DL, but she was in disguise and I couldn't find her - besides she got assigned to another table in the nick of time.)
Thegoaliegirl - she came a long way and it was so good to see her again. I've been reading some of her books, but nowhere near fast enough. I think I've got a few left on Mt TBR.
Apocalypticbob. Such a fun person. There wasn't enough space on my face for my smile at some of the things she said. And did.
Alrescate. Don't tell my wife, but I'm in love far too many times, and my heart has been stolen shamelessly by this lovely lady one time too many. I just want to roam America, releasing books with Alrescate for the rest of my life. Simple as that.
Dragongoddess. Fun sized doesn't cut it in describing her. She's beautiful, she's full of laughter, she's a delight to be with.
So many others. I released a book at the convention called "In the Company of Cheerful Ladies", and that sums up the convention attendees so aptly. If I don't mention a name and a string of adventures, it's not that I don't love them, it's that i just don't have time.
The author talks. OMG, but you want to be inspired, listen to these people. One of whom was Bounty's father, a sit-down comedian, serail novelist, quiz-master of the finest kind.
And Bruce, BookCrossing's CEO. A surprise package. So good to see him again. Mind you, he finally got wise, realising that it was his wife I really wanted to see, and he kept Heather at home.
The raffle - a neat twist in that you could allocate your tickets to the prizes you wanted. I dipt out badly on this. Humph.
The book swap. SO MUCH FUN!!!! I got some excellent books, mostly remaining unstolen.
Dinner and a release walk on Saturday night at the Legends mall. Dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise. so hokey. So delicious. So much fun. DL managed to help me release a book into a fountain - and needed help herself.
Sunday's release walk in what may have been central Kansas City. Parks and fountains and fun. And about a bazillion books. People were stopping us on the street and demanding books. It was insane.
And then, it was over. I released a book into another fountain called "Endgame", and then I was driving a lovely young lady to the airport, returning the mud-caked rental, and sitting on a shutlle watching America go by and wishing that I could have bottled it all up to take another draught.
My memories of a wonderful weekend in a place where magic really does happen will have to do. Thank you to Kansas City, thank you to BookCrossing.com, and most of all thank you to the cheerful ladies - and blokes - who filled my heart with happiness.
Arriving in Kansas City, coming along the highway, I saw the hotel. Big place, about twenty floors. Got a great room. Hooked up with DL, crrcookie etc, who were sharing a room, and we went down for dinner, with a few other attendees.
Then there was the meet and greet, along with a magnificent feast of books, which grew every time we looked at it. I was good. To start with.
So many BookCrossers. Cookie and her utterly charming son. We've had a road trip together - last year in October to the Charleston unconvention. Discoverylover, who spent the weekend trying (and usually succeeding) in making me say outragoeous things, at which she would steal my hat or swat me with a book, bless her fun-loving heart. DL and I just click somewhere on sense of humour and sense of wonder levels, and whether it's New Zealand or Kansas, time sparkles with her as it happily whizzes by.
Solittletime, who has attended more North American conventions than I have. She accuses me of being a shameless flirt, full of blarney, but the truth is that I love her beyond all reason, and finding ways to make her smile, including flying around the world to give her a hug, is what I live for.
BountifulPots, likewise. She made the Charleston convention in 2007 a really special occasion, just to see her sweet smile. I couldn't stop hugging her. She's taken a bit of a bath on this event, financially, with the attendance not being quite what it could have been. She'll be running an auction or two to raise funds, and if I could get my readers to make a small bid or two, or just send her all your savings on PayPal, that will help with what is going to be a huge bill.
PJLareau, the world's most incredible BookCrosser. Along with Solittletime, he's made all the NA conventions, and making him smile is a delight. Just listening to his amazing feats - and this is a man who will release a hundred books before breakfast without blinking - is to experience the very spirit of BookCrossing.
The Slumps, who made it to London last year. They know EVERYTHING. If you get a chance, just a chance, to be on the same trivia team with them, you should consider bribery, deception, yes, even murder to sit at the same table. It was worth it. (I considered murdering DL, but she was in disguise and I couldn't find her - besides she got assigned to another table in the nick of time.)
Thegoaliegirl - she came a long way and it was so good to see her again. I've been reading some of her books, but nowhere near fast enough. I think I've got a few left on Mt TBR.
Apocalypticbob. Such a fun person. There wasn't enough space on my face for my smile at some of the things she said. And did.
Alrescate. Don't tell my wife, but I'm in love far too many times, and my heart has been stolen shamelessly by this lovely lady one time too many. I just want to roam America, releasing books with Alrescate for the rest of my life. Simple as that.
Dragongoddess. Fun sized doesn't cut it in describing her. She's beautiful, she's full of laughter, she's a delight to be with.
So many others. I released a book at the convention called "In the Company of Cheerful Ladies", and that sums up the convention attendees so aptly. If I don't mention a name and a string of adventures, it's not that I don't love them, it's that i just don't have time.
The author talks. OMG, but you want to be inspired, listen to these people. One of whom was Bounty's father, a sit-down comedian, serail novelist, quiz-master of the finest kind.
And Bruce, BookCrossing's CEO. A surprise package. So good to see him again. Mind you, he finally got wise, realising that it was his wife I really wanted to see, and he kept Heather at home.
The raffle - a neat twist in that you could allocate your tickets to the prizes you wanted. I dipt out badly on this. Humph.
The book swap. SO MUCH FUN!!!! I got some excellent books, mostly remaining unstolen.
Dinner and a release walk on Saturday night at the Legends mall. Dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise. so hokey. So delicious. So much fun. DL managed to help me release a book into a fountain - and needed help herself.
Sunday's release walk in what may have been central Kansas City. Parks and fountains and fun. And about a bazillion books. People were stopping us on the street and demanding books. It was insane.
And then, it was over. I released a book into another fountain called "Endgame", and then I was driving a lovely young lady to the airport, returning the mud-caked rental, and sitting on a shutlle watching America go by and wishing that I could have bottled it all up to take another draught.
My memories of a wonderful weekend in a place where magic really does happen will have to do. Thank you to Kansas City, thank you to BookCrossing.com, and most of all thank you to the cheerful ladies - and blokes - who filled my heart with happiness.
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-26 12:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-26 08:18 pm (UTC)Hope your mention of DL needing help at the fountain didn't mean that she fell in and needed to be helped out.
Did Bruce have a programme slot to give any BC updates?
Hope you had time to take some photos although I suppose if your arms were fully occupied in hugs you didn't have hands free to click shutters!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-26 09:34 pm (UTC)Don't forget to buy a ticket for the 2010 convention, they're going fast and we do want to see you there!
no subject
Date: 2009-10-26 10:06 pm (UTC)It was lovely to finally be able to meet you in person. I certainly hope we are able to see one another again.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-26 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-27 05:54 am (UTC)Bruce gave an update - sadly not filmed.
I'll upload some photos when I have a moment...
no subject
Date: 2009-11-08 10:04 am (UTC)