Recovering from Vancouver

I’m back from V-Con. It was a lot of fun….

I have a few stories to tell about the convention…. but I’ll do it later.

While I was up in Canada, I must have somehow offended one of their primitive gods. I know this because I was smote down with a terrible illness.

My illness must have come from some sort of angry god, because within the space of twenty-four hours I went from being a gregarious, energetic scamp, chatting with new friends and mugging for the camera….

(By the way, isn’t this my best hair ever?)

…to a shivering, wretched mass who could do nothing but huddle in a nest of blankets, moaning in pain…

Though honestly, the timeline was even tighter than that.

7:00 – I give the keynote speech at V-Con’s closing ceremonies. I feel fine, though slightly nervous. I get a few laughs, and nobody throws a brick at me, so I count it as a success.

7:30 – Ceremony ends, and I spend a lovely hour or so chatting with V-Con’s lovely Toastmaster and one of the other Guests of Honor: Jaymie Matthews.

8:30 – I go to the dead dog party to mingle, but my heart’s not really in it. I’m oddly tired, and Sarah and I leave after about 30 minutes.

9:00 – Sarah and I go to dinner at a nearby pub.

9:15 – Sarah says, “Are you alright? You’ve got dark circles under your eyes….”

“Were they there when I was giving my Keynote?” I ask.

“No,” she says. “They just showed up.”

9:30 – I feel really cold, and really tired.

9:45 – We go back to our hotel room, where Sarah tucks me into the aforementioned nest of blankets. I commence being wretched and pitiful.

The fever went away, but since then it feels like my head has been packed with hot cotton and broken glass. It’s only through a ridiculous application of painkiller that I functioned well enough to get home to the states.

I’m partially recovered now. But not nearly enough to do any sort of worthwhile post about the con, or to continue my discussion of fanmail. Those will be forthcoming.

Instead, here’s a picture of Sarah doing a handstand in the Vancouver airport.

Why is she doing a handstand? Shit. I have no idea. After all these years, I’ve discovered that it’s better not to ask.

pat

This entry was posted in conventions, SarahBy Pat30 Responses

30 Comments

  1. Kim
    Posted October 10, 2008 at 11:16 PM | Permalink

    Sarah’s totally cheating. No using the wall for support allowed!Perhaps you should make an offering to your gods Pat. I think with all the neat stuff your minions offer, perhaps you have something they would like too!

  2. Chee
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 12:07 AM | Permalink

    good poisoning… possibly. get well! drink water. eat yogurt :)

  3. fae
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 12:16 AM | Permalink

    Terry Pratchett would probably tell you to do exactly what you are doing. The best cure for the plague of a wrathy God is to acknowledge the wrath, thank him for it, and move on if you’re allowed to live. Sorry about your nasty bout of ick. Try positive thinking maybe? “I will get better, I will get better…” Or watch “What the Bleep: Down the Rabbit Hole.” Seriously everyone, worth a peek. Best wishes

  4. marky
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 1:45 AM | Permalink

    It is always a good thing to have a bendy girlfriend. One who can comfort her male through the curse of man flu, is worth her weight in gold. Man flu was a biological weapon released on blokekind in the mid 60’s to make them look pitiful in eyes of there spouse.The WMD (wimpifying mans dignity) bug deteriorates when passed on to the female of the species, but regains its potency as soon as it finds another male. This bug has also been noticed in other forms of illnesses. From the “I have a sore back and can’t take the trash out” pain, to the “my God, I think it’s a tumour” headache. WMD’s will continue to plague blokekind unless a cure can be found. Both the UK and the USA are presently in talks with top man flu specialist Dr Jimmy ‘five blankets’ Nowell. He is expected to start working on a cure as soon as he has a wee cup of tea, and a lay down.

  5. Dave
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 2:30 AM | Permalink

    Oh no, a case of MontyHall’s revenge. Just like Montezuma’s, but more northerly.

  6. Chee
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 2:58 AM | Permalink

    good as in *food

  7. Incubus Jax
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 4:31 AM | Permalink

    Dude, you got the Canada bug. The first time you go to Canada they give you a cold without you knowing it. This is why they all say “eh”. It makes them immune. As an American, you were susceptible to the bug thus the sickness. Not to fret, now that you’ve had it once, your body will be able to fight off future infections.Anyway, you could have killed it with 3 onces of castor oil and a shot of Jack – everyone in Canada knows that. I think they were messing with you.

  8. Jaimo
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 2:20 PM | Permalink

    It was Jaymie Matthews got you sick!

  9. Anonymous
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 2:22 PM | Permalink

    Call me a word snob, but when I read posts from people, and they use their/there/they’re improperly, I stop reading their post.

  10. marky
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 2:50 PM | Permalink

    Sorry. I did mean their. I noticed it this morning. It was late and I was half canned. Do you want my address so you can come and split me open like the pig I am?

  11. Sailor Matt
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 3:19 PM | Permalink

    You ain’t gettin’ gutted, Marky. Yer gettin’ keelhauled. Them Dutch knew how to deal out the punishment.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KeelhaulingOn a side note, Sarah’s not cheating. She’s clearly holding the wall up with her leg.

  12. Captain Joe
    Posted October 11, 2008 at 3:22 PM | Permalink

    I, too, hope one day to accomplish a handstand. Can’t quite figure out the dynamics. I got a big head, and surprisingly being top-heavy does not work to my advantage here. Ah, perchance to dream.Heh. Laugh out loud @ Marky. Dude, one more mistake like that and < HREF="http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a326/Fanra/grammar-nazi.jpg" REL="nofollow">their’ll<> be no cake for you.

  13. Pamala Knight
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 12:46 AM | Permalink

    Cake? Someone mentioned cake?Right. I think Pat is being punished by wrathful gods who want him to stay home, locked in his office/study/cubby/dungeon writing instead of traipsing off and having fun with Sarah in the great frozen north. I’m willing to lay out a cake offering to the aforementioned gods, if only we can move that release date for book two UP to say February 2009.That’s fair right? Your health and well-being in exchange for our reading pleasure?

  14. Laura
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 1:24 AM | Permalink

    Grammar Nazi is practically my online handle! And I’m Dutch, too. Do the math.Captain Joe, if you figure out the secret, let me know!

  15. Captain Joe
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 6:09 AM | Permalink

    Oh, Pamala, the cake is always and forever a lie.Heh – will do, Laura.

  16. Anonymous
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 6:28 AM | Permalink

    …when your head is filled with glass and your pain ceases to pass.Chandrian. Chandrian.

  17. Michael H. Tritter
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 9:30 AM | Permalink

    This is my first post, and since I’m about to bust on the best author of this decade, let me start with the obligitory, “Pat is THE most talented writer, who’s writing awesomeness is only exceeding by his blog righteousness.”And, in my opinion, yes, that is the best hair thus far.Whew. Hopefully that comes close to acceptably supplicating.Now, how many of these, “Joss Whedon Is My Master Now” t-shirts does Pat have? If it is a lot, well, that’s kinda scary. But if it is only one, well…that might be even more scary.

  18. marky
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 12:18 PM | Permalink

    @Matt. Keelhauled it is. It looks sore. Nevertheless, I suppose it’s a fitting punishment for such a hideous crime. Glad to have you back on dry land dude.@Joe. Yup. The grammar Nazi goose-stepped all over my linguistically challenged ass. I feel like a dyslexic version of Poland.@Grammar Nazi. Please try and get laid.

  19. Harold
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 4:37 PM | Permalink

    Hi PatCan you confirm that Wise Man’s Fear will finally be coming out in April next year?Cheers,Harold

  20. Kalligenia
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 8:09 PM | Permalink

    The cure for anything in Canada is to eat some Timbits from Tim Horton’s. They are orbs of love from the gods.

  21. Sedulo
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 9:48 PM | Permalink

    Blame Canada!

  22. Grammar Nazi
    Posted October 12, 2008 at 9:54 PM | Permalink

    I am totally a grammar nazi! I make no apologies. (I DO need to get laid too, but that’s beside the point.)In this world of text messaging and ebonics, our language is going to go to shite if we let it.@ MARKY: I still read your entire post.

  23. rebeccafrog
    Posted October 13, 2008 at 3:33 AM | Permalink

    Laura and Kelly also came down with “con crud,” though I think a slightly different strain than yours. Thus far, I seem to have been spared…

  24. Whitney
    Posted October 13, 2008 at 6:53 AM | Permalink

    Your hair pretty much is absolutely amazing in that picture, not gonna lie to you…

  25. marky
    Posted October 13, 2008 at 9:13 AM | Permalink

    @grammar Nazi. I don’t know why, but I like ya! I understand your anger at the way the English language is being brutalised nowadays. Although, venting your anger at someone who misspelled one word whilst high on Absinth (don’t ask), is kind of anal. I’m on the BBC website every day, and almost every day there’s a misspelled word. I just put it down to bad proof reading, rather than the brutalisation of our language. If some journalists from the BBC can get it wrong, then I feel I’m in good company. I’m in the construction Business. A profession that doesn’t need a fantastic grasp of the English language. A few well chosen grunts and some scratching at private parts constitute a civilised conversation.Also remember, that some people who might have problems with their reading/writing, will read your comment and be afraid to post.If I’ve misspelled anything again, feel free to post a comment on my blog to berate me. After all, it would be short sighted of me not to take on board any criticism and learn from it. Even if it is done in such a snooty manner.Your pal, who will check all his spelling from now on. Marky

  26. Pat
    Posted October 13, 2008 at 9:46 AM | Permalink

    Yeah. We should all play nice here. There’s a big difference between making a typo (which we all do on occation) and willful brutality to the language. Let’s not get too obsessive on here. Partly because…. well… it’s my house and I get to have a certain amount of say so. And partly because I’d prefer people to feel comfortable posting without fear of ridicule. And partly because, personally, I don’t have time to proof every blog five times and get somone to edit it for me. That means I will make mistakes, and I don’t want to feel twitchy about posting on my own blog. I do my best, but if I occationally type “it’s” where I meant “its” well, it’s not the end of the world. Shit happens. If it totally ruins someone’s day, well… then tomorrow they’ll have a whole new day to start over with….

  27. Grammar Nazi
    Posted October 13, 2008 at 3:27 PM | Permalink

    MARKY: Point taken, and I will make an apology to you. I read many news articles, and I too find misspelled (and misused) words every day. I am guessing my true anger should be directed at the writers and editors of these articles, not the Great Pat Rothfuss Fanbase. It is not my intention to instill fear into the would-be-posters, or to ridicule the ones who do post. I will redirect my efforts into getting laid.

  28. Pat
    Posted October 13, 2008 at 7:45 PM | Permalink

    Huzzah for getting laid. That’s a productive application of energy….

  29. Bo
    Posted October 17, 2008 at 4:37 AM | Permalink

    Are Gods arnt THAT primitive. Seriously…

  30. Grammar Nazi
    Posted October 17, 2008 at 10:54 AM | Permalink

    biting my tongue.

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