View From a Hotel Window, 1/18/19: Detroit
Posted on January 18, 2019 Posted by John Scalzi 10 Comments
Actually the picture is from yesterday, but since the view is essentially unchanged (including the sky), I figure it’s probably fine to post. We’re in Detroit for the annual ConFusion convention, which I have been attending since 2005 and which I consider my “home” convention. It’s a lot of fun and I wouldn’t miss it for much. I’ll be hosting a dance tonight, even, which should be fun. Don’t expect to see me here much this weekend. But I hope your weekend will be a fabulous one. If you like, you can share your plans in the comments.
I’ll be taking part in the local edition of this year’s Women’s March. Later, my movie night will be dedicated to “Adult Life Skills.” It’s a quirky British comedy about slackerdom and dealing with grief. The film stars the current Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker. You can tell it was made before she became the new Doctor as she’s still a brunette here.
I’ll be heading for the Grand Canyon Saturday morning, and a friend and I will hike down to the Colorado River on Monday, spend the next two nights at Phantom Ranch, and then back up again Wednesday. January is a GREAT time to do this — no crowds! Dicey weather, of course, but at least it’s not going to be hot. And we have to bring our own toilet paper because, you know, SHUTDOWN. Arizona is funding the National Park to some degree, but that doesn’t include toilet paper in the (uncleaned) restrooms.
looking forward to snow… lots of it.
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same . . .
For the dance party, of course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUoXtddNPAM
Besides other things, I’ll be tramping about downtown, where we will have a woman’s march at noon, and have snow, and have sticky tacky houses lining the transit to downtown route, wearing my usual nerd back pack complete with Scalzi’s latest book tucked inside so I can pop in somewhere and read a bit.
Goodness, I hope the parking lot is busier today with convention guests.
I’ll be driving to a cousin’s place for the weekly Doctor Who marathon. It’s supposed to snow a foot or more starting about the time I should drive back home. A sensible person would at least leave early, but there’s no conceivable way to predict whether leaving early will happen!
Well, given this weekend in Perth is forecast to be our first really stinking hot weekend of summer (39C forecast for Saturday, 40C for Sunday) my plans basically involve sitting very still and doing very little, with a large tub of ice and cold drinks within easy reach. Also wearing the bare minimum of clothing possible, in order to be able to cool every surface most efficiently.
Have a wonderful time at the convention!
My weekend started with shoveling and snow-blowing the drifts off the driveway, and will include laundry, chores and cat-herding, with a nice break for a symphony concert tomorrow afternoon. If you got snow there, please be safe en route home.
The family was going to get together for a birthday dinner, but sub-zero wind chills (and the actual temperatures aren’t much above 0) means we’ll reschedule that for a later time.
I would have preferred the 3-5 inches of snow in yesterday’s forecast to the freezing drizzle we actually got. At least the roads are mostly clear — heavily encrusted with road salt, but clear. Hope everyone else in the path of this storm stays safe!