The Conestoga Science Fiction Convention was held in Tulsa, OK, this past weekend (July 16-18). The Very Rt Rev. Dr. Omed invited all interested pilgrims to visit him in his element, and kiss his papal ring. Also, believing himself to be the moderator of a panel on blogging, he invited near-by bloggers to sit in on the panel. The latter held little interest (not much for kissing rings, personally), but I jumped at the chance to display my ego to a larger (and, presumably, captive) audience.
As it turned out, one of the good doctor's former girlfriends, Mary Kay Kare, was the moderator of the panel. She was part of the gang during the good ol' bad ol' days, when I was attending college & majoring in substance abuse. She remembered me, apparantly with some fondness. She was willing to let me sit in on the panel.
One other person accepted the doctor's invitation - Paulapalooza. She recently moved to Arkansas City, KS, which is about 2 1/2 hours from Tulsa. That's a lllloooonnnnnggggg way to drive to spend a couple of hours with fellow bloggers. I believe she came primarily to meet Dr. Omed, but she seemed genuinely pleased to meet me as well. She had nice things to say about my recent entry on my experience in a sweat lodge.
Paula came with her entourage: husband James, and her children, thing 1 and thing 2. She's been part of the Salon community for three years, and began her blog as a way talk about books and music. Lately, however, she has been detailing her family adventures, in particular the shenanigans of things 1 and 2. Incidentally, fans of Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat should recognize those names — and I'm sure she was thinking of the book rather than the movie.
Pictures were taken, and you're likely to see a rare unaltered photo of your correspondent if you check into Dr. Omed or Paulapalooza's blogs in the next few days.
I had no idea what Ms. P looked like - neither did Dr Omed. She has not posted a picture on her blog. She says she lacks the knowledge. Well, that Salon community is famous for advising each other on such things, my dear lady - write the good doctor and he will instruct you. If you were working in html, I'd also be pleased to help. Anyway, she is a very attactive young woman with shortish dark hair (for which I am a sucker).
As predicted, the panelists outnumbered the audience, but I think we were an audience for each other. Which pretty much reflects the reality of this blogging exercise, as well. Naturally, I issued a "raging ego alert" (which tickled Paula), but we bloggers were respectful of each other and hardly ever spoke while another blogger was speaking.
Dr. Omed and I have known each other since high school (I was at least a year ahead), and we get along famously. Paula fit in immediately. Of course she had a sense of us, and we of her, from the blogs; but there's an additional element added by physical presence (and vocal quality, and so on).
Incidentally, she thinks Dr. Omed resembles his blog. I was a bit more of a surprise. Of course, I'm sparing with the self-portraits.
The three of us do plan to reconnect in the near future. The next summit will center around an exhibit of Etruscan jewlery at the Mabee Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee, Oklahoma. That will be a little further for Ms. P and her entourage to travel (about 3 1/2 hrs, I suspect), but this will be the only showing in the United States. I'd say that would be worth the trip, even if Dr. Omed & I were a complete wash-out.
The next blogger I'd like to meet? Real Live Preacher, off course. I can just picture him drinking a beer while I genteely sip an O'Dooles, and talking about - well, you know, stuff. I wouldn't mind visiting Madame Fi in Colorado, nor Sam in the wilds of Montana. If I ever went to England, I'd like to meet Dick Jones.
If you pilgrims and poetry lovers ever happen to be in Oklahoma, let me know. A summit could possibly be arranged.
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