Star Thru Silicon Galaxy

Convention opens Friday. excessor and I spent Tuesday evening stuffing registration packets with about 20 other volunteers -- slightly over three hours to stuff 1,000 envelopes with programs, schedules, ads, and buttons. We used a conference room at the hotel and established a system: 6-8 people sat at a U-shaped table putting together 3-4 items and the rest of us paraded around clockwise picking them up and depositing the created packets in a box. It may not have been the most efficient process possible, but it was certainly dizzying, and I got two days of aerobic work in just by walking 'round over a hundred times. I'm tired out already!

The hotel is nice if a bit generic stucco-Spanish-California. [It would be hard to come up to the standard of last year's stay at the Biltmore in Phoenix, with its Frank Lloyd Wright design and water features.] Caller school attendees were already infiltrating the suit-clad business minions usually resident at the hotel, and our various prop constructions are underway. It's not too late to come if you haven't already signed up -- we expect a few walkins.

Tonight is the open mike dance at ECR.