Lorem Ipsum

Got next to no sleep Wednesday night--I was up late packing, blogging, and rejecting stories (rejected over 70 stories Wednesday evening and night), and then couldn't sleep. Dozed intermittently for a couple hours, then got up and finished packing and Kam took me to the airport. (Thanks again, Kam!)

I had called ahead, so I knew the flight was on time. I was a little frantic about this, because I was running a little late, and there was heavy traffic, and I wasn't sure I was going to get my bag checked before United's 45-minutes-before-flight deadline. But I did a curbside checkin with minutes to spare (actually, I had "checked in" online the night before, but I checked my bags at the curb), and then I went through security, and I looked at the departure time and the flight was still on time, and I went out to the gate and discovered it had been delayed half an hour.

So I found an electrical outlet and sat down to do computer stuff. And Cheryl M., who was on the same flight, found me, and we chatted for a while. And the flight continued to be delayed further. I think in the end it was two hours late, though I may be misremembering--all a little hazy by now.

On the flight, the guy sitting next to me was reading Scalzi's new book, The Ghost Brigades. (Speaking of Scalzi, he posted a photo taken by Justine L. that's now my favorite photo of him.) But I wasn't up for socializing, so instead of chatting with him, I spent the flight alternately dozing and attempting to use the computer without being able to move my arms (I was in a middle seat).

When we arrived in Chicago, Cheryl told me that both of our (separate) connecting flights to Madison had been cancelled. She and I went and stood in the very long customer-service line, and then someone came and stood in the line behind us and it was the guy who'd been next to me on the plane, who turned out to know Cheryl and to be on his way to WisCon and to be named Lenny. (He's one of the Potlatch organizers, among other things.)

We called United to see if we could get info without having to get through the whole line. Eventually, after several phone calls and with the able and timely telephonic aid of Kevin S., we decided to rent a car and drive to Madison. Sadly, there were no one-way rentals available, so I'm going to have to drive back to Chicago on Monday, too.

Things were further complicated by the fact that Cheryl has only a European driver's license and Lenny doesn't have a license at all. But I was feeling awake and alert, so we went ahead with it.

The drive went smoothly; pleasant company, no problems, not much traffic, not many spots of inclement weather.

Arrived Madison, checked into Concourse. We determined that our bags would be arriving on Friday, and that United would bring them to the hotel. I eventually wandered over to see various folks; I was very pleased to be greeted with hugs, enthusiasm, food, and entertaining conversation. I probably should've immediately gone back to my room and crashed, but ended up staying for a couple hours chatting, and then ended up staying up late once again, and waking up too early. Sigh. I think I've had a total of about 15-20 hours of sleep since Monday, and maybe 8 hours of dozing. Not a good state in which to start a con.

Anyway, after two 15-minute hold times on the phone just now (during which time I wrote most of this entry), I've determined that (a) our bags are at the Madison airport (mine have been there since last night), and (b) they won't be delivered for "at least four hours." So I'm gonna drive out and get them.

Cell phone and Internet update: I have fairly good cell-phone signal from my room (though almost none at all from the hotel lobby), and reasonably good wireless Internet access from my room on the "madcitybroadband" free wireless network. I'll have to be careful not to let this result in my staying in my room all weekend.

I would tag this with a WisCon tag, but I don't remember how, and I'd better get moving. More later in the weekend, no doubt.

Added later: Technorati tag: wiscon.