We’re back from the Life, the Universe, and Everything symposium (for brevity’s sake:  LTUE), and I’ve had a bit of time to digest the experience.

In one word:  wow.

My only previous writing convention has been LibertyCon — twice — so my actual con experience is rather limited; together with my screaming introversion had me fairly twitchy about attending.

I needn’t have worried.  LTUE is a bigger version of LibertyCon, differing only in that LTUE tends to focus a little more on the nuts-and-bolts of writing, but with the same laid-back, small approach to the thing.

And a group of LibertyCon regulars who saw us come in, and waved us over. That sort of thing will give you the warm fuzzies.

Most of the time there were two — or more — panels that I really wanted to attend, but they were being presented in the same time period.  And in the few times that there was a period in which there was only one panel I wanted to see … it was either standing room only, or the room was too full, and they’d shut the doors.

All-in-all, a good problem to have for a literary convention.

Speaking of panels, one that I particularly wanted to see had Larry Correia and several other authors on it.  As the doors shut, it was rather noticeable that Larry was the only speaker up there.  The others never showed.

So, there’s my buddy up there, talking about how there’s another author in the room, an author who could help him out … and I realize he’s looking right at me.

Now, for someone with a full Murderhobo Beard™, the International Lord of Hate has some really big puppy-dog eyes.  Almost pitiful, really.

And then I noticed that I was moving up the the table and sitting down.

Fortunately, I hadn’t wrapped my tongue too far around my eyeteeth when J.L. Curtis and Peter Grant showed up, and were immediately drafted.

I’m not sure that the panel we produced was what the con had intended, but we did our best — and I found myself actually having fun.

Herself  and I have been hugged (Sarah Hoyt and the Lovely Mrs Correia™ give the best hugs), and fed, and hugged, and chided, and hugged.

I finally managed to give Brad Torgersen one of my books. I shook hands with L. E. Modesitt — with-out looking like too much of an idiot (I hope). I had breakfast with the Hoyts. I watched a intense children’s doctor go through costume changes as he gave a first-class presentation on abuse. I drank really good whisky and swapped stories. I ate world-class BBQ.  I met more really good people than I can count.

I relaxed.

It was a good weekend.  Herself and I will definitely be back.

Now, I’m going to hide in my dark house and sleep for a week.

LawDog