Worldcon 76
After years of prep, and some very frantic work through July and early August, we finally got to the day: August 16th, Worldcon 76 in San Jose. We left home to travel 3 miles to the Fairmont hotel,… Read More
Whirlpool Gladiator “Freezerator”
We got a Whirlpool Gladiator series garage fridge/freezer, the “Freezerator,” after the remodel. It looks like a typical fridge/freezer with a smaller top section than bottom — except that the bottom is the freezer, and the top is… Read More
Stockholm and the ABBA Museum
Stockholm is a city made up of many small islands with bridges and inlets and ferries. We had two things we absolutely wanted to do in Stockholm — see the Vasa, and go to the ABBA museum. To… Read More
Remember the Vasa!
One of the highlights of our trip to Stockholm was going to the Vasa Museum to see the wreck of King Carl Gustav’s warship. The ship sank on her maiden voyage — hadn’t even gotten out of the… Read More
Worldcon 75 – a trip to Helsinki, part 5
After the Masquerade, I was ready to sleep in! But we weren’t quite done yet. We had a Masquerade Show & Tell scheduled for 2pm. The contestants all came and wore or brought their costumes from the night… Read More
Worldcon 75 – a trip to Helsinki, part 4 – The Masquerade
Here we are, the big event for me, the Worldcon Masquerade. I’ve been working towards this since before we got into town. A Worldcon Masquerade is a major stage event, just like a play or musical. Except that… Read More
Worldcon 75 – a trip to Helsinki, part 3 — The Hugos
The Hugo Awards are one of the main events at a Worldcon. They have been given out annually since 1955, and are one of the primary purposes of the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS). Retro-Hugos may be awarded… Read More
Worldcon 75 – a trip to Helsinki, part 2
Remember that advertisement about Worldcon? Our expectations had been for a convention of 3500-4000. In the last week, though, memberships surged. The crowds on Wednesday were so bad that many members couldn’t get in to see the panels… Read More
Worldcon 75 — a trip to Helsinki, part 1
While we were in Kansas City last year, for MidAmeriCon II (Worldcon 74), I was asked if I could help run the Masquerade. I said sure, and figured it would be a good opportunity to visit Scandinavia. Stephen… Read More
Mounting grab bars
Mom decided that she wanted a grab bar on the two-step transition from the front hall to the back hall/laundry room, and another one at the bottom of the main staircase. (Wow! she’s letting me change her house!)… Read More