mrissa | Beforehand

I'm leaving for WorldCon in six days (and to see some of Boston, too, so I'm not just going to sit in the hotel and accost passersby: "Hey, are you somebody cool?"). We have conveniently scheduled a visit (thankfully not overnight) from

timprov's aunt Rita Friday, so I have something else to fuss about: getting the house reasonably clean. And then there will be

porphyrin boards and birthday and Mike's birthday and anything else we feel like celebrating with chocolate cake and rhubarb custard and one metric ton of food.

(Quick survey: if you had a recipe for a custard crust that could either feature sesame seeds or almonds, towards which would you lean? Special weight to those of you who may be here to eat same.)

And amidst all that, how could one fuss about WorldCon? And the answer is: very easily. Watch: ...oh. Well, if you could see me, I'd be making a very fussy face, I promise. It looks just like my Gran's fussy face used to, only 70 years younger and with entirely different features. Other than that, exactly the same.

After telling

porphyrin just to wear what's comfortable, I have realized that I can stress at least as much about what will be comfortable as I can about what will be stylish. Joy, oh joy.

I need to look at the schedule and see what there is that absolutely must be done and what might be done if nothing better is going on and what time will be spent with my feet curled under me and a book on my knees in case an interesting conversation happens by. (You will swap howdies with me, right? Those of you who will be there. You needn't actually say howdy. You especially needn't actually pronounce it either "haddy" or "howDEEEE!") I am trying not to fidget about scheduling with people who will be in town but not at the con. Soon all will be clear, she said oracularly. Because the present is like that. Sort of. Mostly.

What I need is a list. Yes. Lists make it all better.

What I need is to get a glass of water and drink it quietly and go back to working on Sampo.

Maybe that plus a list.