Long day siteseeing + shopping + 16 yr old Lagavulin + bangers & mash = sleeeeepy Chickwriter.

/drive by post

…after an OMFG moment this a.m. (woke up at 2:00; then lay back down to await the alarm. After a while, realized it seemed much longer than an hour and 15 minutes. Checked clock – OMFG, it was 4:00 – a full 45 minutes later than I’d planned to sleep. Threw on clothes, grabbed backpack and suitcase and called for my cab. Thank goodness they hang out near my apartment (thanks to the hotels around there). Made it to airport in plenty of time. WHEW).

Flight to Toronto was great. Very nice aircraft and no one beside me. Customs, easy peasy. Flight to Vancouver, nice, but very long. Weirdness of seating, but eventually, I ended up with no one next to me in the 2-seater portion of the 767.

Read a while. Re-watched the first 2 episodes of The Middleman on my iPod. Listened to raitala’s recording of Let’s Pretend the War is Over (Brilliant!).

Taxi driver eventually got me to my hotel, after asking where on Pender the Ramada was. Uhm, dude–I’m a tourist. After driving a ways down Pender, he pulled into an alley, called the office and asked for the address. you’d'a thunk he’d do that in the first place. ::facepalm:

In any case, I’m here in my room, relaxing and waiting for the rest of the clan to arrive. They were due to touch down about 10 minutes ago, but then they have to go through customs and get to the hotel. I’m tired and starving. Wish this hotel had room service. Oh well, it’s nice enough and yay, free wifi!

Hope everyone’s having a great Labor/Labour Day weekend!

(one amusing thing–on the way to the Ramada, we passed the Fraser Arms hotel, a manky dive near the airport. We were going too fast for me to take a picture).

Bouchercon has published the panel schedule. All the panels are titled after songs.

I’ll be on a great panel on Thursday, October 9, 2008 (as moderator):

WEASELS RIPPED MY FLESH (Frank Zappa) Mixing mystery and horror.
Maria Lima(M),
Mario Acevedo
Heather Graham
Kat Richardson
F. Paul Wilson

Pretty darned good line up!

On a side note, my wonderful team at work gave me a pirate birthday card today and there was pie.

Okay, that’s it, I’m off home, then finish the last wee bit of packing, then to bed early so I can get up at 3:15 a.m. (YIKES!)

Wednesday: work

Thursday: work

Friday: work

Saturday:
– get up before the crack o’dawn and hie self off to National Airport. Board Air Canada flight to Toronto. Takeoff: 6:00 a.m.
– arrive Toronto 7:30 a.m. Go through customs, hopefully have time to get Canadian cash from ATM, buy brekkie (or at least a coffee). Board 2nd Air Canada flight, this time to Vancouver. Take off: 9:30ish a.m.
– arrive Vancouver, BC 11:39 a.m.; get bags, cab to The Historic Ramada on Pender. Collapse for 2 hours. ~ 1:30 family lands @ Vancouver airport. Late lunch? Early dinner? something or another. Embark on birki_lib‘s extensive 5 day itinerary of doing, seeing, eating in Vancouver.

Mon-Weds: more fun in Vancouver & Victoria

Thursday: MY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Turning 50 in Vancouver. Fun during the day; then a special dinner out to celebrate. (I want birthday wishes on LJ, people! One only reaches the half-century mark once!) ::g::

Friday: Vacation ends too soon. Up way early to catch 10:00 Air Canada flight back to D.C. (via Toronto again). Arrive home: past 10:00 p.m. Grab bags, get cab, collapse.
Saturday/Sunday: sleep

OMFG. I can’t believe it’s almost here! All of a sudden, it’s vacation/birthday time. How’d that happen?

On a side note, SGA episode The Shrine – best episode ever. Brilliant performances by the Hewlett sibs, Joe F, the gang. Loved the storyline.

::loads to iPod to rewatch on the plane::

Side note 2: I absolutely, positively do *not* feel my age…whatever that is supposed to feel like.

There is no joy in Limaville today. Although I have fantastic seats for the Great Big Sea concert and 5 great friends to share the seats, I also have a not-so-fantastic migraine. You know, the kind that make you feel vaguely nauseated all day and light makes you cringe?

Yeah, that.

Had it since I got up. Took meds and am at the office doing an all day call instead of all day in-person meeting.

Am very sad about missing the concert.

That is all.

::sighs::

SHOW!! I just finished watching this week’s episode: the vampiric puppet lamentation – WHAT a hoot!! I definitely need a Vlad puppet to go along with my Angel puppet.

It’s been so long since I have gone head over heels for any TV show. The Middleman is definitely there. I can’t wait to buy the DVD set at the end of the season.

Fans – if you haven’t yet, make sure to read

themiddleblog

, Javier Grillo-Marxuach’s own blog.

I want to skive off any other work and just sit and watch these episodes 3x each…just to laugh and bask in the brilliantly fun writing. And, OMG, the pop culture references!!

Made. Of. WIN!

Just read that Half-Blood Prince (the movie) has been delayed to July 2009.

DAMN. That is not amusing.

In other news – work is eating my brain and the Summer Cold From Hell ™ is now mostly gone (thank goodness!)

The sister (birki_lib) has put together a great itinerary for my birthday trip: (all dates in Canadian) ::g::

Saturday (30 Aug) – arrive, check in. Go to Tourist Info Centre and Lookout Tower, possibly Police Museum. Dinner in Gastown at Irish Heather.

Sunday (31 Aug) – Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden, library, night tour of Chinatown (7-8:30), Chinatown night market. Dim Sum for lunch?

Monday (1 Sep) – get rental car, drive to Cypress Mountain to look at the view. Museum of Anthropology, possibly Nitobe Memorial Garden. Shopping in southern part of city (while we have the car).

Tuesday (2 Sep) – drive to Horseshoe Bay, take ferry to Nanaimo. Drive down to Victoria, walk around inner harbour. Tea at the White Heather. Drive to Swartz Bay and take ferry back to Tsawassen.

Wednesday (3 Sep) – return rental car. Stanley Park and the Aquarium.

Thursday (4 Sep MAH BIRTHDAY!!!) – Shopping, etc. Police Museum if we haven’t gotten to it yet. Dinner at Blue Water Cafe.

Friday (5 Sep) Fly home.

Currently watching: Eureka Episode 2 Season 3
Currently reading: Ink & Steel by Elizabeth Bear (matociquala) (Bloody brilliant!)

WHEW!

Not only did I get the revisions/copy edits for Blood Bargain (yes, late) on Thursday, on Friday, I got the copy edits for my essay on the Trickster for Supernatural anthology.

I was determined to get them both done this weekend and still allow myself some time to relax.

After a long slog last night and a 12 hour slog today, I can finally put the cap on the metaphorical pen. Both are done. Both have been emailed to the respective editors.

I repeat: WHEW!

I think I shall go read for a bit and then sleep the sleep of the accomplished.

How’s everyone else’s weekend?

Due to circumstances that Mme. Fate seemed to push in my way (i.e., She obviously did not want me to go), I have a brand new World Fantasy 2008 registration/buffet registration available for transfer.

If any of you lovely folks are going and have not yet registered, please e-me and I am happy to transfer the registration to you for the low low price of, well, registration. ::g::

mylima AT gmail.com

I’m posting to various places, so please contact me ASAP if you want it.

THANKS!

xposted to fangs_fur_fey

The happiest of birthday wishes to one of the most wonderful and coolest people I know.

Bethbethbeth – hope your day is fantastic and fabulous.