Thanks Debbie, for finally taking a decent photo of us.

(I’m still not entirely happy with how I look, but it’s an improvement! 🙂

More photos can be seen at Debbie and Allison’s pages. (Notice that I was able to give both of them the little asterisk on my blogroll, indicating that they are people I KNOW in real life. Yay!)

Just a few more highlights…

I got to spend a good deal of time with the very sweet and very funny Carla Ulbrich. Her music is hilarious, and she’s even funnier in person!

Here’s just one example…from If I Had the Copyright (The F-word Song)

If I Had the Copyright on the word ^%$%!
I’d say —- this job and yourself you dumb ~~~~
No need for hard work and no need for luck
If I Had the Copyright on the word ^%$%!

Now, this doesn’t quite translate without the visual…

When performing this live, Carla makes a big production of strapping on one of those Bob Dylan/Piano Man harmonica holders. But then, instead of a harmonica, she pulls out a plastic/cardboard noisemaker (such as one would use for New Year’s Eve) and inserts that into the holder instead. Every time the f-word would appear, she blows into the noisemaker. It is hilarious.

(Jam, if you haven’t heard her, you must. I thought of you immediately…)

Also met the fantastic Joe Giacoio. His stuff is a little more traditionally “folky.” He writes wonderfully insightful and moving lyrics.

(Oh, and Carla and Joe are a disgustingly cute couple. At one point, I looked at Rand and said, “They’re out-cuting us.” Heehee.)

Some others met and seen (not meant to be a comprehensive listing):

The very funny Tom Smith
Dandelion Wine
Steve Macdonald
Canadian SF and Fantasy author Michelle Sagara West (Michelle is a good friend of Debbie’s. I wasn’t previously familiar with her work, but she did a reading, and I will defintely check her out…)
The Boogie Knights (Fun parody stuff. Again, Jam…thought of you!)

I know I owe details and stories to a lot of people. Working on it. 😉