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So, where were we…? Oh yeah, we’d covered everything but Sunday… Sunday was a fairly light day: a panel at 3:00 and the Hugo ceremonies at 8:00, though we’d been given an invitation for a surprise appreciation party for George in the Brothers’ suite at 11:30 after the Hugos.
We didn’t exactly get an early start on the day. Around noon, Denise and I finally left the hotel and walked down Michigan to find something to eat. We went to a noodle shop, then walked back to Millenium Park to see the Bean again and look around. We got back to the hotel; Denise went off on her own and I hit my panel -- well-enough attended, but really not the best panel I’d ever been on. Not the fault of the panel idea, though, which was potentially interesting… I’ll just leave it at that.
In the meantime, Denise had run across the Perry’s, and had made dinner plans with them. So that evening, we walked over the river to “Dragon Ranch Moonshine & BBQ,” where we had a ltasty dinner. David and I had moonshine on the rocks; Shannon and Denise had moonshine cocktails. We ordered a few appetizers to share, and three different entrees: roast chicken, brisket, and ribs. Delicious. One of the appetizers was strips of pig’s ear, which neither Denise nor I had ever had, and it was surprisingly delicious. Yum. I’d definitely order it again. We had an excellent dinner and excellent conversation; all in all, a great time.
We walked back just in time for the Hugos (and actually got better seats by being on of the last people in -- we took the wall near the front of the hall just behind the nominees. We snuck forward just before the ceremony started to give encouragement to Betsy, Sheila, and Jim Hines -- Betsy was up for Best Editor, the first time either of the two DAW editors had ever been nominated, and Jim was up not for his fiction, but for Best Fan Writer due to his blogging.
John Scalzi did a fine job as Toastmaster and emcee of the Hugos. The ceremony went smoothly (and fairly quickly, which is sometimes not a Hugo ceremony quality.) BETSY AND JIM WON, which were the most fabulous moments of all! Betsy gave a lovely acceptance speech, with a heartfelt final line. For Betsy especially, this was a long-neglected Hugo, and I’m stoked that the community finally gave her some of the recognition she deserves. Now we have to get Sheila Gilbert on the same ballot for the same reason.
After the Hugos, we said goodbye to the Perrys and, after a brief respite in our room, headed up to the party for George, which was already packed and well-attended. Talked to Gardner Dozois and Susan Casper, Janis Ian and Pat, Phyllis Eisenstein, Werner Fuchs (a German agent who has recently sold the Wild Cards series there, and who has in the past sold a few of my novels to Germany as well). George, however, was not there yet for his surprise party, and some people were starting to trickle out. There were rumors that he was at the Hugo Loser party, so Laura Resnick and I went up there to check. Yep, there was George, sitting next to Betsy Wolheim. We talked with him for a bit, then I went and chatted with Sheila and her sister Marsha for a bit. I saw Parris come in the room and pointed her toward George, figuring she was there to drag him down to his party. I headed back to the Brothers’ suite, and a about fifteen minutes later, George finally arrived, with Neil Gaiman and his Hugo (for a Doctor Who script) in tow. We spent the rest of the night there, chatting with lots of people, and finally toddled off to bed.
And on Monday, we headed off for home -- though we had to wait a bit while the hotel parking staff finally located our car in their garage, which seemed to have vanished somehow…
Overall, Chicon was an excellent convention for us. Thanks to the Chicon staff for all their hard work! It was a great weekend.
We didn’t exactly get an early start on the day. Around noon, Denise and I finally left the hotel and walked down Michigan to find something to eat. We went to a noodle shop, then walked back to Millenium Park to see the Bean again and look around. We got back to the hotel; Denise went off on her own and I hit my panel -- well-enough attended, but really not the best panel I’d ever been on. Not the fault of the panel idea, though, which was potentially interesting… I’ll just leave it at that.
In the meantime, Denise had run across the Perry’s, and had made dinner plans with them. So that evening, we walked over the river to “Dragon Ranch Moonshine & BBQ,” where we had a ltasty dinner. David and I had moonshine on the rocks; Shannon and Denise had moonshine cocktails. We ordered a few appetizers to share, and three different entrees: roast chicken, brisket, and ribs. Delicious. One of the appetizers was strips of pig’s ear, which neither Denise nor I had ever had, and it was surprisingly delicious. Yum. I’d definitely order it again. We had an excellent dinner and excellent conversation; all in all, a great time.
We walked back just in time for the Hugos (and actually got better seats by being on of the last people in -- we took the wall near the front of the hall just behind the nominees. We snuck forward just before the ceremony started to give encouragement to Betsy, Sheila, and Jim Hines -- Betsy was up for Best Editor, the first time either of the two DAW editors had ever been nominated, and Jim was up not for his fiction, but for Best Fan Writer due to his blogging.
John Scalzi did a fine job as Toastmaster and emcee of the Hugos. The ceremony went smoothly (and fairly quickly, which is sometimes not a Hugo ceremony quality.) BETSY AND JIM WON, which were the most fabulous moments of all! Betsy gave a lovely acceptance speech, with a heartfelt final line. For Betsy especially, this was a long-neglected Hugo, and I’m stoked that the community finally gave her some of the recognition she deserves. Now we have to get Sheila Gilbert on the same ballot for the same reason.
After the Hugos, we said goodbye to the Perrys and, after a brief respite in our room, headed up to the party for George, which was already packed and well-attended. Talked to Gardner Dozois and Susan Casper, Janis Ian and Pat, Phyllis Eisenstein, Werner Fuchs (a German agent who has recently sold the Wild Cards series there, and who has in the past sold a few of my novels to Germany as well). George, however, was not there yet for his surprise party, and some people were starting to trickle out. There were rumors that he was at the Hugo Loser party, so Laura Resnick and I went up there to check. Yep, there was George, sitting next to Betsy Wolheim. We talked with him for a bit, then I went and chatted with Sheila and her sister Marsha for a bit. I saw Parris come in the room and pointed her toward George, figuring she was there to drag him down to his party. I headed back to the Brothers’ suite, and a about fifteen minutes later, George finally arrived, with Neil Gaiman and his Hugo (for a Doctor Who script) in tow. We spent the rest of the night there, chatting with lots of people, and finally toddled off to bed.
And on Monday, we headed off for home -- though we had to wait a bit while the hotel parking staff finally located our car in their garage, which seemed to have vanished somehow…
Overall, Chicon was an excellent convention for us. Thanks to the Chicon staff for all their hard work! It was a great weekend.