Conterpoint 2001

This was TravelInsanityCon, version 1. (Version 2 came in August...) Let me explain.

When I made the flight arrangements for this convention, I had every intention on successfully completing a jobsearch in Chicago; quitting my job, and relocating.

That hasn't happened yet.

But the plane for Maryland left from Chicago. I live in Ann Arbor- near Detroit. Oh- yes, the flight had a connector... in Detroit.(bounce, bounce) So- I took a train from Ann Arbor to Chicago to catch my flight to Maryland. I figured that I'd just get off the plane in Detroit on the way back, thereby saving another train ticket to get me back from Chicago.

Right. *sigh* Was not to be.

Because I got transferred to a new department at work the week before the convention; so I stayed over on Monday to travel the 30 minutes to the home office to meet the new boss.

Which changed my flight arrangements; so I flew *back* to Chicago, and took a train home that same night.

In other words, I left the hotel at 8am, and got home at midnight. *glub*

But you're not here to talk about my travel arrangements. You're here to read about the convention. And I'm just sitting here wasting time, cuz I didn't take any notes; and I'm finally trying to put up a conreport.

Right.

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I arrived at the airport Friday afternoon, and was picked up by Gary Ehrlich. We also picked up the InterFilk Guest, 'Downtown' Freddy Brown and his partner; and drove to the con.

Check in was uneventful. It must have been. I know I checked in. I had a room. But I don't remember checking in. Therefore, it was uneventful. This is a Good Thing(tm) in a hotel.

Alyse came to this con with me; it was nice to be able to give people a face to go with the name of the woman who has made me so happy over the last couple years.

The FilkHaven Concert Series was on Friday night. Frank Parker and his partner Larissa, Daniel and Melissa Glasser, and Gwen Knighton each had a half hour concert.

Dave Weingart also had a concert set, accompanied at various times by Merav Hoffman and Erica Neely.

The Toastmaster was H. Paul Schuch, otherwise known as Dr. Seti. He did a set of space awareness songs.

Freddy did his usual excellent job. This was his first trip out of Canada; I hope it won't be his last. He knows how to entertain an audience!

Pete and Jill Grubbs and their son Cecil were also in attendance. Jill, Cecil, Alyse and I hung out at the pool together on Sunday afternoon.

The Saturday night filk was extremely crowded. So crowded, in fact, that Gwen Knighton, Frank Parker, Daniel and Melissa Glasser, Merav Hoffman, Alyse, and I all trooped off to the dealer's room to have our own FilkHaven filk. We kept it up until the VERY wee hours of the morning.

If you think that this reads like a stream-of-consciousness post, well; you're right.

Erica Neely and I also had concerts- Erica did her usual *great* job. And I was a good boy and didn't do the Murder Hand Jive.

It was a fun InterFilk auction- I auctioned myself... well; a half hour private concert. :) Things were going altogether too peacefully; so Erica and I zipped the auction up a bit for it.

The songwriting contest was "The Future Ain't What It Used To Be". I wrote a song that day for the contest- 'Smithsonian Tech'. Dave Weingart and Darren Zieger then played. And that was how the contest went- 3-2-1. Darren's song (First place) was BRILLIANT!! Dave's song (Second place) was GREAT! Mine will only merely be on my next album...

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WorlDream memories

We had our first (to my knowledge) blind participants. One of them put the song into braille so that she could follow along and sing.

We turned the room 90 degrees- so the chorus was wide rather than deep. I think that this helped the recording.

It just keeps getting better and better! I'm boggled by the fact that we have nearly 300 people on this project now! And all, all are connected around the world.

You are welcome here.

Con photos

Chorus photo