Another beautiful day in Madison.

Yesterday, Saturday, we slept in rather decadently, then strolled out and joined up with Jenn, Sarah, Janet, Jason, Steph, and Patrick for lunch at the noodle joint. Good times. Afterward, Heather and I strolled through the farmer's market (she bought lilacs, as she does every year; they don't bloom where we live in California). Then back to the room for a long afternoon of antisocial napping. We went out for dinner at the Nepalese restaurant, just the two of us, then went back to the room for, ah, some private amusements. We emerged around 9, just in time to go see Sarah, Steph, Patrick, and Jenn read (they all did a fine job, and we sold a few of Jenn's Zodiac chapbooks to the appreciative crowd).

Then it was on to the parties. The main one I attended was Barth Anderson's book launch for The Patron St. of Plagues -- there was much in the way of homebrewed beer and conversation. I finally met Al Duncan, and had a nice chat about hangover cures (he's distrustful of the herbal shit I favor, preferring a more chemical approach; I can respect that). I also hung out a bit at the Firebird party, talking to Midori Snyder and Terri Windling and Barzak and Elad Haber and others, and did some general meandering up and down the halls, drinking and talking. Always the nicest bits of any Wiscon experience, really.

This morning we rose early and went over to Michelangelo's to see Meghan McCarron, David Schwartz, Alice Kim, Jason Erik Lundberg, and Haddayr Coply-Woods read -- all very cool stories by very cool people, and the reading was absolutely packed. It's nice to see such audiences show up for litrachoor.

Heather, Jenn and I hit the Sunday brunch buffet (oh, artery-clogging glory!) and talked about chapbooks and publishing and stories and readings and assorted other things. Then Heather and I wandered in the dealer's room, and bought our yearly complement of Many Many Books (Alan de Niro's new collection, the new Electric Velocpiede, Theodora Goss's collection, various other titles). We started yawning and came upstairs. She's napping now. Later we'll go to the Strange Horizons tea party, and to see another reading -- Dora, Alan, M. Rickert, and Chris Barzak. So many good readings! It's almost making me wish I'd done a reading this year, but really, it was nice to have no responsibilities, and I've done enough readings lately. Next year.

Might be time for me to nap myself. Or at least read a bit...