tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post8294588720671708867..comments2024-03-17T02:20:03.772-05:00Comments on Riding With The Top Down: Imagination Unleashed - Guest Blogger Nancy NorthcottKathleen Eaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13561028604927993773noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-5646232375881870072008-09-03T20:52:00.000-05:002008-09-03T20:52:00.000-05:00Nancy, what a great blog! You've made me want to g...Nancy, what a great blog! You've made me want to go to DragonCon and I don't even write fantasy/sci-fi. There's nothing more fascinating than someone who is enthusiastic about their subject. It sounds like you had an incredible experience. Thanks for sharing. Amazing costumes, too!Christine Wellshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14260589566405262159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-42555036772400387202008-09-03T20:46:00.000-05:002008-09-03T20:46:00.000-05:00Unfortunately, I have to go make up a quiz for tom...Unfortunately, I have to go make up a quiz for tomorrow, so I'll call it a night. Thanks so much to everyone at Riding With the Top Down for having me and to everyone who stopped by for making it such a fun day. I enjoyed it immensely.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705259501965011703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-50660572570910749522008-09-03T20:44:00.000-05:002008-09-03T20:44:00.000-05:00Liza, me, too. :-)Jo, glad you liked the post. I...Liza, me, too. :-)<BR/><BR/>Jo, glad you liked the post. I found my first RWA national conference overwhelming, but I'd been to DragonCon, which is much larger, and wasn't bothered by it. Strange, huh?<BR/><BR/>Beth, how fun to spend a day reading! I did that while my guys were gone one day this summer, and I just lost myself in that book.<BR/><BR/>Jeanne, you keep saying that. One of these days, you're going to have to follow through! I love museums. I warned the dh when we visited Savannah before our wedding that I'm one of those people who reads every word of every plaque of every item that interests me. He isn't one of "us" in that regard, but he copes well. :-)Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705259501965011703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-48084082175421788912008-09-03T18:42:00.000-05:002008-09-03T18:42:00.000-05:00Oh, as to the recharge, I got to museums, take lon...Oh, as to the recharge, I got to museums, take long walks with the dogs or watch movies and read books. A lot of times for me, the recharge is needed because I've been sitting too long, so I have to get out of the house. Grins.Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03492480881584553111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-6002063983099879942008-09-03T18:41:00.000-05:002008-09-03T18:41:00.000-05:00Hi Nancy! I'm so jealous that you got to go to Dr...Hi Nancy! I'm so jealous that you got to go to DragonCon! I swear, I'm going one of these years, and by golly, I'm going in costume! I love costuming and I love Halloween and The Annual Adams Family Halloween Party is definitely a Dress affair! Grins.<BR/><BR/>Hey Marilyn/PlaygroundMonitor..I'm from NC as well and went to Mars Hill, not far from Western Carolina. Nancy, last time I went through Concord I almost didn't recognize it.<BR/><BR/>Hope you had fun with Dune today...Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse)https://www.blogger.com/profile/03492480881584553111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-74747055459842833272008-09-03T18:24:00.000-05:002008-09-03T18:24:00.000-05:00Nancy, it sounds like you had a blast! What a fun ...Nancy, it sounds like you had a blast! What a fun way to recharge *g*<BR/><BR/>When I need to refill the well I either read or watch TV or a movie. The last time I had a refill the well day I read from the moment I woke up until the minute I went to bed *g* The next day I was raring to get back to my own writing :-)Beth Andrewshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01204356784898045866noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-27632932181018064912008-09-03T18:21:00.000-05:002008-09-03T18:21:00.000-05:00Great post, Nancy. I'm absolutely fluxommed by th...Great post, Nancy. I'm absolutely fluxommed by the sheer SIZE of that convention -- amazing! And the costumes. I love the whole spirit of DragonCon although I know almost nothing about it. Thanks for sharing a little about the strands and characters of the con.<BR/><BR/>I recharge my batteries MUCH more simply -- I just visit with my CP's or chatter with my friends and daughters. Seems to do the trick for me!jo robertsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16824237193217632098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-39437067361380713052008-09-03T18:12:00.000-05:002008-09-03T18:12:00.000-05:00Nancy, yes I do tend to wonder what if...Nancy, yes I do tend to wonder what if...mslizalouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05346608035190326136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-14062225146230025042008-09-03T17:11:00.000-05:002008-09-03T17:11:00.000-05:00Eilis, I never actually saw the outfit worn--just ...Eilis, I never actually saw the outfit worn--just pictures! Lots of people at DragonCon do full-body color. I wonder if it rubs off.<BR/><BR/>Estella, I don't think you can beat reading for relaxation. I'm always baffled by students who think reading 7 novels in a semester is a burden.<BR/><BR/>Christie, I'd guess the costumed attendees are about 1/3 at most. Debra, what do you think? The first year he went, the dh described the Dragon*Con parade as "the extroverted half of the con performing for the introverted half." That's actually a pretty good description. <BR/><BR/>In addition to the costumed contingent, you have people like me wearing what the dh calls "appropriately decorated t-shirts." That's probably more than a third. Total percentage wearing ordinary street clothes may be no more than 25%, but that's a blind guess based on nothing scientific.<BR/><BR/>I hear Bones is good, but I haven't seen it. I'm looking forward to the return of Burn Notice after the US Open.<BR/><BR/>AC, glad you like the pictures. You take the best trips. I'm always envious. :-)<BR/><BR/>Fedora, glad you like the pictures. We had a blast. Last year, I enjoyed watching the boy have fun. It's good that I did, too, because he struck off on his own more this year.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705259501965011703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-50456041152365777962008-09-03T16:56:00.000-05:002008-09-03T16:56:00.000-05:00Hi, Nancy! Just wanted to say that those are grea...Hi, Nancy! Just wanted to say that those are great photos! I've never been to Dragon Con but it sure looks like fun! :)Fedorahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10879033776125666713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-60025080353909744092008-09-03T16:34:00.000-05:002008-09-03T16:34:00.000-05:00Another Bandita swinging by to say HI!Nancy, I LUR...Another Bandita swinging by to say HI!<BR/>Nancy, I LURVE those piccies! What a blast! No wonder you look forward to going every year.<BR/><BR/>Aunty's favorite way to replenish the "creative well" is to travel. No surprise, I know. And I'm about to do just that. We're off on our 12th cruise in less that two weeks! HOORAY! I've yet to have a BAD DAY cruising.<BR/><BR/>ACLoucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02217492654108300014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-82496474631286556022008-09-03T16:32:00.000-05:002008-09-03T16:32:00.000-05:00Wow! I adore Halloween, but once I had kids I sto...Wow! I adore Halloween, but once I had kids I stopped dressing up myself and dressed them instead. I can't really see myself going in costume to an event, but this sure looks impressive. What's the costumed/non-costumed ratio?<BR/><BR/>To recharge...read. And sometimes watch TV if I've been working so hard my eyes are tired. Tonight is the new episode of Bones (2 hours!) which probably qualifies as both a reading/TV watching experience since the series is based on a series of books.Christie Ridgwayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17036552271272402052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-70854749416545370462008-09-03T16:22:00.000-05:002008-09-03T16:22:00.000-05:00I recharge by putting my feet up and reading a goo...I recharge by putting my feet up and reading a good book.Estellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04199693275287344161noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-41329330955495728372008-09-03T15:06:00.000-05:002008-09-03T15:06:00.000-05:00Nancy, yes, I remember our mutual friend and her P...Nancy, yes, I remember our mutual friend and her Phantom Girl outfit. For a split second (about 100 pounds ago), I was tempted to do an early Shadow Lass, but let's face it, wearing blue makeup gets REALLY messy! (For those of you not Legion of Super-Heroes fans, it was a fairly conservative black spandex outfit -- and the character was blue.)EilisFlynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09730321975978034753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-57641103220724760412008-09-03T14:13:00.000-05:002008-09-03T14:13:00.000-05:00Liza, do you ever read something and then go "yeah...Liza, do you ever read something and then go "yeah, but what if--?" and find yourself going in a completely new direction?<BR/><BR/>Tawny, glad you liked the pictures. I really am jazzed, yes. Especially now that I've had some sleep.<BR/><BR/>My favorite "recharge" movie, which I've seen over and over and sometimes just let play in the background while I'm noodling around, is <I>The Thirteenth Warrior</I> with Antonio Banderas. It's based on a Michael Crichton book, and it's very atmospheric. Probably too obscure to make the jump to Blu-Ray, though, as some of my favorite recording artists never made it to DVD.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705259501965011703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-83964576855336894402008-09-03T14:09:00.000-05:002008-09-03T14:09:00.000-05:00Wow, Nancy this looks so fun! I love the pictures...Wow, Nancy this looks so fun! I love the pictures and it sounds like you were really inspired. I'd never thought of a conference as refilling the well, but you are so right. It sounds like it really refilled yours and you're jazzed, huh? <BR/><BR/>I'm looking for a new way to recharge my batteries LOL. Sleep isn't quite doing it anymore, probably becase I'm not getting enough of that. I do love movie marathons though. Comfy couch, big bowl of popcorn and the remote, along with a whole stack of movies to just vegetate through.Tawnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14076851566613018105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-56682743466618814172008-09-03T13:09:00.000-05:002008-09-03T13:09:00.000-05:00Sounds like lots of fun! I would enjoy DragonCon f...Sounds like lots of fun! I would enjoy DragonCon for the people watching alone. I recharge by reading or taking a nap.mslizalouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05346608035190326136noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-35392284108610610352008-09-03T12:22:00.000-05:002008-09-03T12:22:00.000-05:00Debra, I slipped into the Stargate panel for a few...Debra, I slipped into the Stargate panel for a few minutes before we left on Monday morning (slipping in being impossible at other times because the panels filled and the fire marshall requires vigilance about crowds). Beau Bridges actually said he'd thought the costumes impressive at Comic Con, but they were "nothing compared to what I've seen here. Some of these are better than what we have on set." Of course, he got mega-applause for that!<BR/><BR/>The dh said he'd heard people say Comic Con is still more comics focused while Dragon*Con is more eclectic. Comic Con is certainly bigger.<BR/><BR/>There's a listing of conventions on the website for Locus magazine (I subscribe), www.locusmag.com. If you scroll down the banner on the left, you'll find a link for conventions.<BR/><BR/>BTW, Michelle who's going to get goggles for Arwen is half of Gillian Summers, a writing team whose YA set at a Renaissance Fair is going gangbusters, for those who love Ren Fairs. The heroine is half elf but doesn't know it at first. To learn more, go to www.gilliansummers.com.<BR/><BR/>Sorry I don't know how to do html links in comments.<BR/><BR/>I'm teaching a 3-hr. science fiction class this afternoon and am, as the saying goes, "not quite ready." I'll pop out for a while now and back in before class. Then I'll be gone until after class. For those who're into SF, we're discussing DUNE today.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705259501965011703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-78503096034866388662008-09-03T12:14:00.000-05:002008-09-03T12:14:00.000-05:00Marilyn, you're so right about the restrictions of...Marilyn, you're so right about the restrictions of fan fiction. Navigating waters strewn with other fans' opinions can be tricky. I love the beefcake calendar idea, though. *g*<BR/><BR/>My first job out of school was in Concord. I lived there for five years. It certainly has changed a lot!<BR/><BR/>Michelle--a Siberian husky in aviator goggles? You could start a trend. The steampunk (Victorian with sff sensibility, if I understand it right) costumes really were cool. And so much less daring than some . . .<BR/><BR/>Cassondra, Dragon*Con is a great place to people-watch. Some people go up to the second floor of the hotel just to have a good overview of the lobby. I think "letting your inner somebody else" come out is an excellent way to describe going in costume.<BR/><BR/>Kathleen, we love the Renaissance Festival, too. When the boy was small, before he discovered anime, he was seriously into knights and castles. We went to the RenFest almost every weekend. Now that he's older, once is enough--which is way better for our budget. *g*Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705259501965011703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-89408406103722557332008-09-03T12:12:00.000-05:002008-09-03T12:12:00.000-05:00Betina-- It's in Atlanta, but almost every major ...Betina-- It's in Atlanta, but almost every major city has a SF/F con. DragonCon is the cream of the crop. Well, Comic-Con is big. And World Con, etc. but I bet you can find something fairly close. Atlanta is worth the drive/flight. Truly.<BR/><BR/>STEAMPUNK-- Love it!! Those costumes were fabulous as were the Sweeney Todd costumes.<BR/><BR/>Nancy's pictures are fun but believe me when I tell you they are only the tip of the ice berg in terms of seeing costumes. And elaborate costumes.Debra Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03992776098849029414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-64042504872917364412008-09-03T11:37:00.000-05:002008-09-03T11:37:00.000-05:00Oops. That "c" was me. Guess that's what happens...Oops. That "c" was me. Guess that's what happens when somebody else checks his e-mail and doesn't sign out. ~KathleenKathleen Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13561028604927993773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-86028009268655686342008-09-03T11:33:00.000-05:002008-09-03T11:33:00.000-05:00Hi, Nancy!Wow, what fun. I've always enjoyed cost...Hi, Nancy!<BR/>Wow, what fun. I've always enjoyed costumed events, but I'm usually an observer these days. Early in my teaching career I spent a whole Halloween dance party standing inside a wire cage made up as a pumpkin. I peeked out, people peeked in. Great for the observer. Dancing was no fun, though.<BR/><BR/>I love pageantry events, like the Renaissance festival here in MN. It's a big one, and you get to sort of go back in time. It would be so much fun to be there in costume playing a role. I guess it comes more naturally to me to do my role-play on paper.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01136694084090270627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-81193185209021506402008-09-03T11:20:00.000-05:002008-09-03T11:20:00.000-05:00Oh, as Artist Dates go, this would be a major one....Oh, as Artist Dates go, this would be a major one. Draining, as you say...but to fill my own well I often like to people watch. If I'm stuck on a manuscript I'll go sit somewhere and just watch people--their body language, what theyr'e doing, who they're with--who THEY watch...<BR/><BR/>I often get unstuck doing that.<BR/><BR/>And OH My Gosh this looks like the ultimate place to people watch. And what fun--a conference to let your inner--SOMEBODY ELSE YOU DREAM OF BEING--come out and play! I've never been. Now I wanna go!Cassondrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05215682018033681470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-53638763509181055872008-09-03T11:04:00.000-05:002008-09-03T11:04:00.000-05:00I see you're a member of CRW. I grew up in Concor...I see you're a member of CRW. I grew up in Concord, NC but haven't lived in NC since graduating from college. #2 son is in grad school at Western Carolina, so I do get back from time to time.<BR/><BR/>MarilynPlayground Monitorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07444337591281145863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-14951406330973194372008-09-03T11:02:00.000-05:002008-09-03T11:02:00.000-05:00Hi Nancy,Dragon*Con was a blast. It certainly igni...Hi Nancy,<BR/><BR/>Dragon*Con was a blast. It certainly ignites the imagination<BR/>and awakens the creativity.<BR/><BR/>I loved seeing the Steampunk costumes. The people that wore them put jaw-dropping creativity<BR/>into them. I'm thinking it would<BR/>be pretty cool to own a pair of aviator googles. I could get a pair for my dog, Arwen. She could ride in the front seat while I drive around town. You know, I may do that for Halloween. <BR/><BR/>As for recharging the well, I think going to the movies, hiking, and walking away from the work in progress, so you can have "noodling time" stirs the crockpot of creativity. Or, at least it does for me.<BR/><BR/>MichelleGraham Roperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08003267624149802664noreply@blogger.com