FKO report

I occurs to me as I am frantically getting ready for Norwescon, that if I'm going to do an FKO report I'd best do it now! So here goes...

I was looking forward more to this FKO than last years, as I was A) going sans children and B) there was no sadness cast over the weekend as there was personally in 2010 for me. Friday afternoon saw my chauffeur arrive at around 2ish. I drove to FKO myself (with kids) last year and that was enough for me. Toronto makes me tense. Tanya has no problem having me tag along since she literally has to drive right past my road to go there anyway. We loaded my bin and suitcase and bag and cheesecake into her TARDIS, I mean Yaris and off we went.

This year there was no near death experience getting there we're happy to report.

We checked into the hotel and went to our rooms and then ran into each other again on our way to registration. While Jane looked for our badges Jan came up and stood behind/between us. I assumed she was wanting to talk to Tanya. She put a newspaper clipping in between us and I sort of half looked at it, wondering what the deal was. I didn't read any of the words, but then kinda looked at the picture. It was Nathan Fillion. the whole article was and interview with him. Jan didn't come over to specifically talk to Tanya- she had seen this article in her paper and cut it out and saved it *for me*. Awwww! Warm fuzzies! I kept the article very safe and uncrumpled (it's a very nice photo after all!)

Got my badge and then headed to pester Peggi in the dealers' room. Tanya was just going to give me her car keys to get the stuff out as she was going to dinner with friends. Turns out Peggi was ready for my stuff, so Tanya enlisted Phil to help us bring the stuff in there and then (I'm so high maintenance!) I set up and tried to keep it to a quarter of a table but *may* have gone over a bit and had stuff on the floor next to the table.

Next it was up to the room to grab my coat and purse and get a quick dinner at Subways. I walked out of the elevator on the ground floor and as I passed the stairwell doors, they opened. Out stepped Peter! Yea! Peter hugs! He said he actually was looking for me, and then handed me a bag WITH TWO PACKAGES OF MILKY WAYS BARS inside! He'd remembered that I mentioned "swiping" a lot of the free milky ways at Capricon because they are my favorite and i can't get them in Canada. So he bought me some! Extreme warm fuzzies! (Chocolate tastes better when it's smuggled across the border too!)

I continued on to get some food, and then returned and dropped everything off in the room. I was on the 9th floor and decided to take the stairs any time I could throughout the weekend. It was about as fast as waiting for the elevators anyway and I can use the movement after the dormant winter I've had. I attended the reception the hotel threw for FKO being with them for 10 years (and 3 more to come we found out later). I was nice and I even managed a pieces of the yummy cake. I arrived to late for the slab-o-choclate i heard about only later though.

After that I made my way up to the con suite to check in with Sherryl. This was going to be her "prison" for the next 3 days, so I thought I'd pop in and help out when I could. I wasn't much help though. I did manage to keep her container of jelly beans from overflowing al the time, though.

I went *back* down around opening ceremonies time and stayed for Howard's concert (loved the Canadian Content Choir) and (Decant) Stone Dragons *AND* Mary Crowell's concert as well. By this time my extremities needed moving so I wandered a bit. I honestly can't remember what I did from that point until the Mockumentary release party.... The mind is the first thing to go, 'eh?

I was up in the con suite for the duel release party (UT's dvd and DucKon's cds) and so were lots of others. I bought my dvd as I had planned, and even got it signed by the ladies (squirrels are evil!) After that it was open filking time. I stayed listening until about 2:30 or so.

Saturday saw me up early because I had a room to myself on the 9th floor- I din't close the curtains. The room faced east! No worries. I didn't know how early it was though because the room was so bright I couldn't read the digital clock. (This actuallyw as a problem all day long. Made note to self to leave watch on bedside table). I *needed* to know what time it is (as I am mildly- HA!- OCD). So I had to get out of bed anyway.

As I was up, I decided to get into my sweats and tennis shoes and put on the ipod. Instead of heading to the hotel fitness center, I went to the far stairwell. Iwent down and up from ground level to top floor (10) 3 times. It only took about a half hour! I went back to the room and showered and then called home. My family was out.

By this time the con suite was open, so I went and had a bowl of Apple Jax cereal (another thing I can rarely get here) and visited for a while. Then I returned to the room and did some work on the laptop. Yeah, real work. Imagine that! As I am not a performer, none of the workshops were of interest so I kept working. In the noon hour I returned to the con suit to grab a little food. I was going to settle into the concert hall for the rest of the day.

Karen Linsey put on another great show (I saw her at SFContario last fall) and the one shots were good. I was looking forward to the Tallis Kimberly concert, as I have been hearing so much about her. No one was wrong in the praise they gave her! Great show full of energy. I thoroughly enjoyed it and decided to buy one of her cds before weekend was out (I limit myself to 3 purchases per con). More fun one shots and the Ghost of Rose concert. I had heard Sundara and Dene in the circle the previous night as was looking forward to the show. The addition of William on cello was amazing to the sound as well.

After a leg stretch it was the GoHs Wild Mercy's turn on stage. It was quite the production for the sound guys and was interesting to watch set up. I had been seeing/hearing bits of Wild Mercy for the past 2 years at different cons. Either Jen wasn't there, or Sally and Barry were missing, or it was just a few members playing in circle. This time it was all 4 members PLUS Amy which kind of made the band Wild McMercy. Whatever you want to call it- it was awesome! Loved every minute of it. Purchse #3 would be a Wild Mercy cd for sure.

Then it was the mad dash after the concert to get ready for the banquet. I had never been to the Hall of Fame banquet even though this was my 4th FKO. I took my time and got down there a little late because I had no plans to sit with anyone in particular. But I have come to know enough people in the filk community (especially in the Toronto area) that if I just looked around the room I was sure to see an open seat at some table with someone I knew. That was my thinking anyway. I didn't get to try put this hypothesis for as I came down the stairs into the banquet room, Judith approached and said, "Would you like to sit with us?" I said I would love to join them. At which table were you sitting? She answered "Table number 1". Oh. Right. OF COURSE the Hayman's would be at table number 1!! D'oh!

Tanya was at the table as was Kathleen. I never get enough time to talk to Kathleen. And several other people who I did not know, or -as it turns out- shared a banquet table with at the last OVFF but I had forgotten! (the mind 'eh?) It was a good meal and an emotional ceremony. Very worth going to, I think. Afterwards it was back up to the con suite for the dessert buffet. Because the banquet ran long, everything was pushed back. Therefore I got to hear all the contest entrants. Elliot had a wonderful filk to Queen about parenting that really hit home. So funny. There were more entries than I expected and judging was difficult. I heard the same from several other audience members. That's a good problem to have though don't you think?

I stayed for the auction as I always do although I don't bid. The entertainment value is worth the stay! I was happy to see the item donated by the Bedlam Bards brought in a nice sum for interfilk and went to a good home (Display it well, Gary!) Then the room closed and open filking began. I started in the smaller room, but couldn't get comfortable. It came to a point that I couldn't even keep my eyes open! I moved to the more full room and was able to find a chair. Although the energy was high and the music was great, I still couldn't keep from closing my eyes. I finally gave up and went to bed. It was only 1:30!!! I have ben hearing I missed a lot of good stuff that night, but I probably would have missed it even if I stayed in the room.

Sunday saw me getting up a little later, but hitting the 30 flights of stairs again. Then a shower and a call home. The family was not home again. I was beginning to wonder if they moved. Again nothing started that I was interested in until 1pm so I thought I'd walk somewhere different for breakfast. It was so nice outside after all (remember this comment). I wandered a little bit, but didn't see anything nearby and I am directionally challenged, so I wasn't going to explore. I just did breakfast at A&W. Returning to the room afterwards, I worked on the laptop again (it was a very productive weekend.)

I wandered around the dealers' room and got my cds of choice and then picked up the 2 items I won in the silent auction. I packed up everything that I was no longer going to use so I wouldn't have to do it in the morning.

At one I listened to the song writing contest. A dozen really good entries. The Hall of Fame concert was lots of fun and extremely varied in style. I enjoyed the updated schtick to UT's Neurotic Love Song and almost fell out of my chair laughing to the "if I had a pony on a boat on the sea" song. We were all very proper with "Never Set the Cat on Fire" and enjoyed all the songs chosen by the inductees.

After this, Barry led the Penguin Preserve. I had gone up to the con suite to retrieve my cheese cake container and drop other stuff off in the room and it was already underway when I returned. I've seen Barry lead the jam at OVFF and I laugh at the difference it was here. At OVFF he starts the lead and after a song or two other people come up and take it in another direction. Here, he kept asking if others wanted to play something and everyone was happy letting him start the next song. Canadian Chaos Circle-- "no you go. no please you go first. no that's alright, you go. No, no, go ahead." ANd you Canadians wonder why we stereotype you as so polite!! :)

Immediately after the jam- I mean preserve- I headed to the dealers' room to pack up. Tanya was flitting about and I snagged her for her car keys. The bin went into the car and Tanya dashed off again (she's good at that!) I settled up with Peggi and then discovered I wanted food RIGHT THEN. Oh, I guess I didn't eat lunch. I trotted over to Subways again and ordered a chicken breast sub- with just the bread and meat, as I do. The girl at the register asked, "Is this for you or your dog?" Um...what? I am sure I have been asked stranger questions in my life, but right now I can't think of any.

I took the sandwich back to the room and worked on the laptop...okay, no, at this point I did facebook. I packed everything up around 7ish so I could get a good spot at the dead penguin. I was too early because the room was still locked. I wasn't the first one waiting though!

When the doors were opened I snagged a table near an outlet and set up the laptop. I was determined to A) get this project done this weekend and B) stay awake longer than the night before. I was working away and people were filtering in and music started. The it was occurring to people that the outlets weren't working. But I was getting power, wasn't I? Turns out-- no. After about 1/2 hour my screen went blank. Crap. I was fairly close to finishing!

But I packed it all away and continued to listen to the music. Word had come down that it was now snowing outside. What? Seriously? I went out without a coat earlier that day! *sigh* I went up to take pictures of the snow outside and discovered there was a smaller filk room going. And they had power! I returned to the big room and grabbed my stuff. I set up on the floor of the small room plugged in behind Tallis Kimberly and Dave Clement. I love my business trips! I';m just sorry I had missed the snowball fight that had gone on in this room prior. Evidence of it was still on the floor!

I kept working and those in the room kept playing. After about an hour I could not take sitting on the floor any more. A chair had opened up at this point over by another outlet and I moved over there. Much better. After one more hour my project was done and the computer was too hot to have on my lap anyway.

At midnight we had to clear out, so those of us who didn't want to hit the beds returned to the big room. It had cleared out a lot but there was still music going. I couldn't get warm in this room and the ventilation system made it hard to hear. We moved the circle in closer and that helped the sound. I still couldn't get warm though and about 1:30 (again) I called it quits.

Sunday morning I slept in (relative to the 2 previous mornings) and then checked out. Tanya came down and we loaded the car. Then we had the hotel's breakfast buffet. At our table was 4 people- an American, Canadian, German and Brit! We had a nice talk and got to say goodbye to several people. The it was on the road and back home.

And thus endith another FKO.

And this was all typed with two injured fingers on the right hand, so deal with any typos as I ain't fixin' 'em!