At Fencon

Posted on by accordingtohoyt

I’m at Fencon and I really intended to do a post….

We stayed at a hotel before the hotel half the con got moved to, because that other hotel (Let’s do the hotel dance) didn’t have Thursday night…

It was, except for once years ago where the hotel at the Springs con put us in a room without heat, knowingly, the worst night I’ve ever had.

For one, the toilet didn’t work, and they said they’d fix it in the morning. This was minor believe it or not. The major thing was that I woke up at 4 in the morning scratching my arms and bleeding all over the sheets… You see, if inflamed (and it was, because introvert and con) my eczema reacts badly to sweat. And the room was 80 degrees. And the thermostat was locked so we couldn’t change it. And the front desk was helpless and clueless.

At nine in the morning Dan figured out how to hack the thermostat (good husband) and we “napped” till about half an hour ago. If you see me at the con and I appear a bit lost, it’s the not sleeping plus my arms being raw flesh.

Anyway, we’re now situated and about to hit the con.

On rewards for the fundraiser. I’ve given up on the shoutout because I’ll inevitably out someone who shouldn’t be outed. (the notes are on 4 different emails, and some of you used two different names, and– Herding cats.)

We’re trying to figure out how to email things without getting my email bricked as a spammer. I think I know how to, but it might involve starting a “secret” substack newsletter, so be patient another couple of days, please. (Another reason for the eczema outbreak.)

Anyway, if you’re here for the con, I’ll see you soon. If you’re not I’ll try to have a saner post tomorrow.

59 thoughts on “At Fencon”

  2. Take Care Sarah and don’t worry about having a “saner post”.

    After all, this world is crazy! [Very Very Big Crazy Grin]

  4. Reading the note at the bottom of the Fencon website…
    Oops; (jumping to conclusions) logic errors are so very difficult to spot ahead of time. (Well, nothing went in the ocean, I assume.)

  5. A saner post?

    Is that a thing that can happen?

    Will we be able to tell by reading it or will it marked in some way?

      2. Sanity is like most things — best practiced in moderation. 😀
        ———————————
        “Oh, no. You can’t-a fool me. There ain’t-a no Sanity Clause!”

    1. Well, there’s “How to Make War,” by Jim Dunnigan, but the panel is on how to write war and that’s a horse of a different color, I have to imagine. The book is from the ‘80s so the particulars are dated, but I imagine the principles hold up.

  7. Are you willing to publicly disclose the name of the hotel that mistreated you so badly? Was it part of a chain?

    The hotel deserves scorn, boycotting and perhaps a good lawsuit.

    1. The statement from the hotel is here. Some kind of computer glitch (probably helped along by the accelerated rise of dumbth) resulted in oversold rooms.
      http://fencon.org/Home.aspx
      ‘We appreciate your understanding about the issue, and ask that you respect the staff at the various hotels – it isn’t their fault, and they are working hard to accommodate our needs.”

      2. The con hotel is fine, it seems (or hasn;’t been an issue yet?) but the stay-at BEFORE the con hotel was… an Irritant.

        At least that’s how I understand it. I could, of course, be Quite Wrong.

        1. My statement was directed at the first hotel, not the main con hotel. I was referring to the non-working toilet and the thermostat that was frozen at 80 degrees. Absolutely unconscionable that they had guests put into a room subject to those issues.

      3. It wasn’t either of those hotels. We stayed at another one for ONE night. They comped the night and were terribly apologetic. THe night manager didnt’ seem…. all there.

  8. May you find your way to health and some peace, along with the camaraderie that comes with meeting friends once again. May your sleep be sweet, your mornings a joy, and the day bring happiness.

  12. Go – do the con and don’t worry (too much) about us back here… a “sane” post would likely cause concern! Please stay crazy and we will all get drinks to celebrate!

    Side note: Just toss up a couple of ‘placeholder’ type posts and get home… then you can do a “real” post and not have to have it cause anxiety.

    1. Hmmm, I might could up with a picture of a post oak (Quercus stellata). I think I found one up in the front of the yard for my leaf collection, but that was before the side ditch was dug.

    1. Did anybody check the fire extinguisher shipment? It’s in Fluffy’s supply room, next to the BBQ.

  14. Yuck yuck ugh yuck.

    On the bright side, if gremlins are attacking you, maybe you’re doing something good.

    The UK is still putting out a lot of live coverage of the funeral laying in state. Westminster Hall is so beautiful by itself, its medieval self, that it works better as a funeral hall than you’d think. I’m pretty sure that’s where they kept Charles I captive or something, though, right before he got executed, which is the disadvantage of layers of history.

    Some guy from Sri Lanka got interviewed by Sky News. He was paying respects for the sake of his dead parents, who had lived under Elizabeth when the country was Ceylon. And apparently the whole thing hit him like a sandbag, poor guy (especially with how crappily things have been going in Sri Lanka, not that the interviewer or the guy said that).

    I was impressed by how many UK folks suddenly drew on the dignity of their feudal relationship with their liege. It’s not my political system, but there’s a lot in it.

    The little Girl Guide who suddenly put up her fingers like saying the promise…. oh, man.

  15. Sarah post = authentic post.
    That’s all I need, Sarah, many rich blessings for the weekend, and the recovery period.

  16. It’s unlikely that any hotel launders their linens like you do at home – combine whatever is left in them with sweat, and… I know that my psoriasis always flared up during a trip out of town, no matter how good the hotel was.

    I’m not a con vet, only a couple of them, but all too many professional conferences. I’ve noted that it’s the ones that don’t look lost that stand out.

    Anyway, take care. A post, whether sane (?) or not, will happen when it happens. Oh, and I had forgotten about the fundraiser, too – that, also, will happen when it happens. Don’t stress out over it.

    1. Most smaller facilities use a service to get their linens cleaned it’s not worth trying to have all the things needed to do it and use the proper treatments to make it safe. Larger Hotels (like 5 story + ) may have their own facilities.

      We understand the issues. My wife is VERY sensitive to most scents and can get quite itchy. Hotels are usually no problem, but AirBNB and Bread and breakfasts where the cleaning is done by the owner can present an issue. Everybody tends to use scented soaps and dryer sheets and that can mean an itchy night for my wife 😦 .

      1. When preparing to visit Ireland, we made reservations ahead, and discovered we had picked the wrong dates for one. Plenty of time to drop that one and re-book. Except, on re-locating the B&B on-line, it now said it did not provide linens or towels … Booked the Granville Hotel in downtown Waterford instead.

  18. Seriously, if that ever happens again, beat up the hotel until they get you an acceptable room. We have always booked ours with a big-time hotel-branded credit card (Marriot Bonvoy for Marriot hotels, Hilton American Express for the others). If the front desk ignores you, call the credit card company. They seriously don’t want to get on the bad side of those big credit card companies. DO NOT ACCEPT THE UNACCEPTABLE! I’ve had some seriously bad hotel experiences, but they got better once we beat them up over it. Once we ended up in some kind of presidential suite because they had no other openings. Once we made them move us twice. Sometimes you have to do it. Also, check out everything you need (thermostat, TV, bathroom) before you unpack.

    1. Good advice! Especially about the credit card.

      We don’t unpack the suitcases, just what we need in the bathroom. We have an additional complication. We travel with my service dog (medical alert). They are NOT allowed to foist us off in a pet friendly room. Not that I care. Rules are: Clean – that means no smell from prior visitors OR from the (usually) nearby smoking area, the smell triggers migraines. Plus, everything must work.

    2. Thermostats seem to be a weak point for hotels, at least by my anecdata. Both the Hilton and their Homewood Suites hotel in Medford, OR have had minor problems with the ‘stats in the many times I’ve stayed there. (Retina and minor cornea procedures in both eyes, with the former needing pre and multiple post-op visits. Cornea followups were done by another doc in Flyover Falls.)

      The Hilton thermostat turned out to be a dead AA battery, and the staff changed it right away. That one had no backup. The Suites have a couple of remote thermostats that wouldn’t talk to the wall AC/heater, but I could control it on the unit itself.

      In general, I’ve been pretty happy with those places. OTOH, at the suites, I learned it’s a good idea to pack some tools and general kitchen supplies; a sharp(!) knife instead of the dull thing they pawn off as a chef’s knife, a tiny cutting board and spatula in case the ones supposed to be there went walkabout, and some spices & oil.

  19. Please dear Hostess take care of yourself first. As you are away from home the cats cant chastise you into it, but perhaps Dan can 🙂 .

  20. On rewards for the fundraiser. I’ve given up on the shoutout because I’ll inevitably out someone who shouldn’t be outed. (the notes are on 4 different emails, and some of you used two different names, and– Herding cats.)

    Can we do a Villainous Reveal post?

    “MUWAHAHHA! I, I donated money to The Sarah! Ahahahah!”

    1. I’m neither afraid nor ashamed to say that I donated to Sarah. 😉

      On the other hand, some people may have reasons to not make it public that they did. 😀

    2. I like this idea! “You poor b*stard, don’t you realize I donated to the Sarah? Now you’re really in for it!”

      1. Oooh, you could make that an equivalent of open post day – SElf-powered Villanous Reveal. In which anyone who wants to can claim they did!

        Or declaim they did!

        Or reclaim they did!

        Or…. tangent!

  24. I have to side with Frank. The hotel shouldn’t be renting rooms that advertise utilities they aren’t providing, like AC and flush toilets. And having had eczema caused by chronic contact dermatitis, (genius sailor with an allergy to synthetic oils who works on an oil tanker) I know that what happened will be a plague for a lot longer than the duration of the con.

    1. Yeah, sometimes a person needs more of an inner Karen. The front desk could and should have done more for you, even if it was difficult in the middle of the night. Keys for another room, whatever.

      But it is water under the bridge now. Just bear it in mind for next time.

    2. I hate when the body rebels.
      The medics put me on prednisone when I pulled my back. After a week, I broke out with the worst case of acne I’ve ever had. Back was better in two weeks, but took several more weeks of twice a day alcohol swabbing to dry up the damn acne.

      1. Oh. I feel the pain. Finally old enough that any minor acne now completely gone. Only to get (barely controllable) bouts of Rosia … Hereditary. I never ever have drank enough, for it to be alcohol abuse caused. I never developed the tolerance.

  26. We’re happy you’re still upright and ambulatory, so no worries about the small stuff.

    Hotels haven’t recovered from the covidiots yet, so some trauma is expected. We have you and yours in our prayers.

  27. Also, we were planning to attend this year; but both managed to catch a cold or maybe it’s just the ragweed. No going to conventions when sneezing or coughing, so maybe next time.

  29. I had really hoped to make it to Fencon this year. I have only been once or twice since I moved to the Llano Flato 13 years ago. . Job and family obligations kept me from it, but from what little I have heard, that might be a blessing in disguise.

  30. Granite State Comicon is this weekend, so I’ll probably be wandering around there for several hours. My oldest son is one of the organizers and I doubt he’s got much sleep for the past 2 weeks. Of course, come Monday, I expect he’s going to crash for 48 hours straight. /laugh

    I remember being that young.

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