![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Chicago, Z-Con, Autumn,etc.
Oct. 24th, 2005 02:28 pmHoorah for Chicago in October. The natives may scoff, but I was so happy to see autumn leaves on the maple trees and feel the nippy breeze blowing through my hair. I always love going to Z-con; I don't think I've missed one since 1985 and it is going to seem so surreal next time when it will be the very last one. This year though, even with a few of my favorite folks missing, I still had a great time. It helps that my longtime favorite fandom, Pro's, is still happily toddling along after all these many years. Older fans, younger fans, everyone seems to mesh so nicely in Pro's. Of course, having those wonderful little bottles of 'Cowley's Malt Liquor' at the Pro's party was the perfect crowning touch.
I didn't run across a lot of Smallville fans, but I probably just didn't know where to look. Songvids were my favorite thing as usual. Again not much Smallville (some hilarious MR though), but a goodly bit of Pro's. There was even one 'Firefly' vid that I liked a lot even though I'm not a fan of the show. Can't remember for sure who did it though I'm thinking maybe it was Lithium Doll. Waldo ran a really organized vid show and I don't think she can be praised enough. The art auction was much shorter than in previous years. Doesn't seem to be as much available money floating around in people's wallets these days. Best in Show was a gorgeous 'House' piece by Suzi Lovett that compared House (and co-star, sorry don't know his name) with Holmes and Watson. Some other nice pieces by Kate Nuernberg; some of her portraits are just stunning.
Found myself feeling very sentimental near the end of the closing night party. Looking around the crowded ballroom and realizing 'only one more time' made me decidedly mushy.
I know there will always be cons, and I will probably keep going to them until time to dodder off into the sunset, but somehow Z-con is special. Maybe because it still has such a Pro's presence, and that means a lot to me having come to Pros back in the early 80's.
Maybe because there are some people that I only ever see at Z-con. Maybe because in the early days you felt like you had joined a wonderful, yet secret community. Like you had stepped into a magic circle and the mundanes couldn't even see you. Maybe just because I know the end is near and I can already see the ghosts hovering around the edges. When that ballroom empties for the final time two years from now and Z-con becomes only a memory, the ghosts will reign. I know everything has to have a beginning and an end. Doesn't mean I'll miss it any less though. Those autumn leaves that I love so well are going to seem very bittersweet.
I didn't run across a lot of Smallville fans, but I probably just didn't know where to look. Songvids were my favorite thing as usual. Again not much Smallville (some hilarious MR though), but a goodly bit of Pro's. There was even one 'Firefly' vid that I liked a lot even though I'm not a fan of the show. Can't remember for sure who did it though I'm thinking maybe it was Lithium Doll. Waldo ran a really organized vid show and I don't think she can be praised enough. The art auction was much shorter than in previous years. Doesn't seem to be as much available money floating around in people's wallets these days. Best in Show was a gorgeous 'House' piece by Suzi Lovett that compared House (and co-star, sorry don't know his name) with Holmes and Watson. Some other nice pieces by Kate Nuernberg; some of her portraits are just stunning.
Found myself feeling very sentimental near the end of the closing night party. Looking around the crowded ballroom and realizing 'only one more time' made me decidedly mushy.
I know there will always be cons, and I will probably keep going to them until time to dodder off into the sunset, but somehow Z-con is special. Maybe because it still has such a Pro's presence, and that means a lot to me having come to Pros back in the early 80's.
Maybe because there are some people that I only ever see at Z-con. Maybe because in the early days you felt like you had joined a wonderful, yet secret community. Like you had stepped into a magic circle and the mundanes couldn't even see you. Maybe just because I know the end is near and I can already see the ghosts hovering around the edges. When that ballroom empties for the final time two years from now and Z-con becomes only a memory, the ghosts will reign. I know everything has to have a beginning and an end. Doesn't mean I'll miss it any less though. Those autumn leaves that I love so well are going to seem very bittersweet.