Wacky Weekend

This is going to be a busy weekend for me, and I'm already whimpering and planning to withdraw from the world starting Sunday evening. It's a convention weekend, and it's difficult for me to go into convention mode when I'm also in winter hibernation mode. It is possible that I'll perk up once I get there, though.

So, I'll be at ConDFW this weekend, and if you're going you'll get a schedule, and if you're not, you don't care, so I won't worry about posting a stalker's guide other than to say that in my Saturday evening reading I'll be doing another scene from the book I read from last year. It won't resolve that scene's cliffhanger (other than since it involves most of the same characters, you'll know they came out okay) and it contains its own cliffhanger. This is a yet-to-be-sold book that will be going out on submission in the coming months, so I guess if you like it and want the chance to read the whole thing, it wouldn't hurt to melt the Internet with buzz about this awesome book so that editors might be primed for it. I know I hear from a lot of people who've heard me read the opening that they want to read the book, but telling me doesn't accomplish much.

I don't have any programming today, so I'm just heading over in the evening to help with the FenCon room party. Saturday is my busy day, with two panels and my reading, plus a con suite happy hour. I'll probably make an appearance at some of the room parties, but will be bailing early because I have to be at the 8:30 service at church on Sunday morning, since the preschool choir is singing, and that means arriving at 8. Plus, I'm on stand-by as a substitute for the soprano part in a quintet singing at that service. A friend of mine is supposed to sing it, but she had laryngitis on Wednesday. Since I was going to be there anyway with the preschoolers, I said I'd be stand-by in case she wasn't better. And then I got a look at the music. It's a capella, and it starts with a soprano solo line. It goes as high as an A above the staff and ends with an F at the top of the staff held for something like 12 counts with a fermata and a huge crescendo. This was written as a choir piece, not a small ensemble piece, and in the choir you can stagger breathing. With one person singing the part, and with the part being that high and loud, it means all in one breath. And if I do it, I may get one run-through to rehearse it. So, please direct healing prayers and thoughts to my friend so she can sing on Sunday. I wouldn't want her to miss this blessing.

Since I don't have a panel until 1 on Sunday I may stay for the late service just long enough to sing with the choir because we're doing a totally awesome old-timey spiritual piece with our jazz pianist. I can't miss that. And then I'll have to rush back to the convention to do a panel. And then I will likely crawl deep into a cave for a while.