Crazy Con Week

It's FenCon week, so it will be rather busy, as I not only have to get ready for my author guest role, but I'm also doing PR and helping with setup as an auxiliary member of the tech crew. Then there's my usual weekly stuff, including ballet on Tuesday and children's choir and a choir rehearsal on Wednesday.

For the author stuff, I only have a couple of programming items a day -- two panels on Friday, a panel and an autograph session on Saturday and a reading and a panel on Sunday. I think I'm going to read a prologue to the book that's about to launch. This is something like a DVD extra because it never made it into the finished book. It was something I wrote because the incident is referred to, and I wanted to have something concrete for the characters to think about. It may have made it into the book for one draft but was almost immediately cut out because I wanted to start with the present.

The weekend was busy, but nice. I find visiting nursing homes to be a rather daunting experience, probably because it's a big reminder of mortality. The first place we visited was a facility for more severe cases. Most of the people were in wheelchairs, and some of them didn't seem to be entirely aware of their surroundings. But then they perked up when we started singing, and some that hadn't seemed verbal started singing along. Music really does have a lot of power. The second place was more of an independent living facility that's right around the corner from my house (I walked there). They have a swimming pool, putting green, and a lot of activities. I keep seeing their van when I'm out and about. I've joked that I need to learn their moviegoing schedule because I've had a blast when I've ended up at the same matinee with their group. Maybe I should adopt some grandparents since I no longer have any.

Sunday we had a cookout after church, and that meant the big church lady competition of whose desserts would be most popular. As our new choir director said, it would be a shame to hurt anyone's feelings, so it was probably best to try one of each. I brought my usual world's best chocolate chip cookies.

I may do some research and brainstorming in any moments of spare time this week, but I'm giving myself permission not to be too productive in that area since there's so much else going on. Productivity will happen after jury duty next week.