Wiscon planning

I didn't answer when oursin asked who wanted to pre-arrange meals, because at the time all pre-planning seemed too much like work. Are you still interested/available? It's likely, though not certain, that I'll be traveling with cattitude, adrian_turtle, or both. So I may be looking for meal companions for just myself, or for a group of two or three. (I don't know if the people I usually have dinner with Sunday will be attending, since they have a very young daughter.)

I've sent in my program participant form on time (though it has lots of maybe's, which I hope kalmn can do something with).

The room is reserved, and I can extend it to Thursday or Monday night if I (we?) want. The details of getting to/from Madison can wait a bit; this is still February, and the con is at the end of May. (I get the feeling that, if neither Cattitude nor Adrian is joining me at the con, there won't be any trouble finding a compatible person to share with instead--but I'm not looking for a roommate right now.)

Wiscon planning

I didn't answer when oursin asked who wanted to pre-arrange meals, because at the time all pre-planning seemed too much like work. Are you still interested/available? It's likely, though not certain, that I'll be traveling with cattitude, adrian_turtle, or both. So I may be looking for meal companions for just myself, or for a group of two or three. (I don't know if the people I usually have dinner with Sunday will be attending, since they have a very young daughter.)

I've sent in my program participant form on time (though it has lots of maybe's, which I hope kalmn can do something with).

The room is reserved, and I can extend it to Thursday or Monday night if I (we?) want. The details of getting to/from Madison can wait a bit; this is still February, and the con is at the end of May. (I get the feeling that, if neither Cattitude nor Adrian is joining me at the con, there won't be any trouble finding a compatible person to share with instead--but I'm not looking for a roommate right now.)

Flowers and the library

In the course of looking up stuff about the research libraries, I saw that the branch libraries--that is, the parts of New York Public Library that you can actually borrow books from--are having an amnesty on late fees, for anything returned by March 4.

I had let some books get very badly overdue, years ago, and was deterred from returning them by a combination of embarrassment and not having the money for the late fees. So, we bundled up said books and went down to the Inwood branch of the library.

We explained we had books to return, and put them on the counter. The staff didn't know what to do: our books had been out long enough that they have no bar codes. The next step was to see if they could find me or cattitude in their system. (I'd also misplaced my library card, but we have relatively uncommon names.)

There was no record in their computers of us or the books. The library manager said that she didn't know if they would even want to return the books to the collection (storage space being finite and these books being old), and that if we got any overdue notices, talk to her, she'd remember us. I asked her name, just in case--Rodriguez, nice and easy, and she's the branch manager, so should be around almost any time they're open.

We also got new library cards. They now give you two equivalent cards, a regular-sized one and a little tiny one, with just room for the bar code and signature, that goes on my keychain. I feel much more like a proper adult now.

On the way to the library, we stopped at the bit of park around the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum (or Farm Houfe, if you look at the old keystone in the wall--I can tell an f from a long s). There was one periwinkle open and another close to, the first flowers of Spring. When I said that, Cattitude said it wasn't Spring yet, since he defines things differently than I.

On the way back, after stopping at various stores, we looked at the crocus patch near the flagpole, the one that had two buds a few days ago. As of this afternoon, two tiny crocuses were open, sufficiently that I could see the orange stamens. I do believe that groundhog was mistaken. (They're not as wide open as the flower at the top of this userpic.)

Flowers and the library

In the course of looking up stuff about the research libraries, I saw that the branch libraries--that is, the parts of New York Public Library that you can actually borrow books from--are having an amnesty on late fees, for anything returned by March 4.

I had let some books get very badly overdue, years ago, and was deterred from returning them by a combination of embarrassment and not having the money for the late fees. So, we bundled up said books and went down to the Inwood branch of the library.

We explained we had books to return, and put them on the counter. The staff didn't know what to do: our books had been out long enough that they have no bar codes. The next step was to see if they could find me or cattitude in their system. (I'd also misplaced my library card, but we have relatively uncommon names.)

There was no record in their computers of us or the books. The library manager said that she didn't know if they would even want to return the books to the collection (storage space being finite and these books being old), and that if we got any overdue notices, talk to her, she'd remember us. I asked her name, just in case--Rodriguez, nice and easy, and she's the branch manager, so should be around almost any time they're open.

We also got new library cards. They now give you two equivalent cards, a regular-sized one and a little tiny one, with just room for the bar code and signature, that goes on my keychain. I feel much more like a proper adult now.

On the way to the library, we stopped at the bit of park around the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum (or Farm Houfe, if you look at the old keystone in the wall--I can tell an f from a long s). There was one periwinkle open and another close to, the first flowers of Spring. When I said that, Cattitude said it wasn't Spring yet, since he defines things differently than I.

On the way back, after stopping at various stores, we looked at the crocus patch near the flagpole, the one that had two buds a few days ago. As of this afternoon, two tiny crocuses were open, sufficiently that I could see the orange stamens. I do believe that groundhog was mistaken. (They're not as wide open as the flower at the top of this userpic.)

Adrian *smile*

I just had a nice chat with adrian_turtle, in part about her work, and also bus schedules--she wanted me to look one up for her online--and such. I suggested that while she was waiting for the bus in the mall, she get something to eat, rather than wait till she got home, and we ended the call when she got to the food court. I am feeling very warm and cheerful as a result of talking to her, and she sounded happy as well.

Adrian *smile*

I just had a nice chat with adrian_turtle, in part about her work, and also bus schedules--she wanted me to look one up for her online--and such. I suggested that while she was waiting for the bus in the mall, she get something to eat, rather than wait till she got home, and we ended the call when she got to the food court. I am feeling very warm and cheerful as a result of talking to her, and she sounded happy as well.