Be careful out there.

[lance_sibley]

I left work at 6:45, having finished work on adding a postal code lookup to one of our web pages. That's about 20 minutes earlier than usual - I figured that I'd still end up getting home around the same time, which is about 8:30, given the weather.

I just walked in the door at 10:01.

First, the Viva Blue bus I was on got stuck on ice about two blocks south of where I got on. The driver kicked us all off after about 20 minutes of spinning her wheels, so we started walking back to where I'd gotten on the bus in the first place. The snow was so heavy that I didn't realize for a full minute that I was actually walking on the road rather than the sidewalk. Fortunately, the first vehicle to come along was the next bus, which stopped to let us all on despite the fact that we were nowhere near the stop.

Then, the driver announced that Yonge Street was closed south of Highway 7 (which was BS, as there was northbound traffic when we got there - perhaps it was only closed for southbound traffic, but cars seemed to be using it anyway), so he kicked us all off at Richmond Hill Centre. Fortunately, there was a York Region bus #99 there waiting. The 99's route takes it from Finch (where I get on in the morning) to Bernard Terminal, which is about three quarters of the way to work.

However, becaue of Yonge being "closed", the driver had to find an alternate route. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to know any of the streets other than Yonge and had to get a passenger to tell her how to get over to Bayview (though she called it Bathurst, which is in the opposite direction). We then took Bayview down to Steeles, Steeles back to Yonge, and Yonge down to Finch.

All told, the entire trip took a little over three hours.

If you're in the path of this storm, and you don't have to go anywhere, don't.

Now I'm off to make dinner... then find out if Air Canada's seat sale is still going, and if I can get a cheap(ish) flight to Boston in a week and a half.

Comments

[boywhocantsayno.livejournal.com]

Well, if I had a car, the police would probably look askance at me because I've never gotten a license. ;)

I'm going to Boskone 45 (http://www.nesfa.org/Boskone/), one of Boston's local science fiction conventions. I have some meetings to attend for Anticipation (http://www.anticipationsf.ca/English/Home) - the Tech co-ordinator and, I believe, the heads of Facilities and the Hugo Awards (the latter two of which are reporting to me), will be there.

I've never actually been to a Boskone before, though I've been to Boston for two Worldcons and a Gaylaxicon. Plus my parents took me to Cape Cod when I was about three, but my only real memory of that trip was getting my first bicycle. (Yeah, I know that's weird.)

That's a fantastic picture. It looks kind of romantic. :)

[thespian.livejournal.com]

dude, you totally are coming to the wrong boston winter convention.

I know you have your reasons, but if you're at Boskone, and you don't come to Arisia next year, I'll just have to disown you.

I call sunday brunch.

[boywhocantsayno.livejournal.com]

dude, you totally are coming to the wrong boston winter convention.

I know, I know... I've been wanting to go to Arisia since I met two really hot guys who were wearing Arisia t-shirts... I want to say at Noreascon 4, but I think it was earlier than that.

I really wanted to go to L.A. for Gallifrey next weekend instead, but duty calls. (I went to Gallifrey two years ago and had a fantastic time; I had to skip last year's because my finances were getting tight, and then I landed my job a couple of weeks later.)

I know you have your reasons, but if you're at Boskone, and you don't come to Arisia next year, I'll just have to disown you.

*gulp*

I call sunday brunch.

It's a deal. :)

[ghstlght74.livejournal.com]

Looks like you're going to have some fun. I personally have never been to a Con before. :o( Though if Neil Gaiman is going to be at Anticipation, I might just have to try and get some funds together to go, lucky I have over a year. *smirks*

[boywhocantsayno.livejournal.com]

Looks like you're going to have some fun.

Well, when I'm not in meetings. :)

A little history: I got this screen name because one night I was talking to my favourite bartender at the bar I go to, and I was telling him about how I was working on what was then Toronto Trek (now Polaris), Conthulu and Torcon (the 2003 Worldcon), and was trying to get a Queer As Folk con started. He said, "Your problem is, you're the boy who can't say 'no'." I was so amused by that comment that I took the quote out of context and started using it as a signature quote in email and on message boards. Then when a group of my friends conspired to set up an account here for me, that was the name they chose.

So I do seem to have a problem when it comes to volunteering to work on cons. :) In fact, a few months ago when I was in Atlanta for Gaylaxicon, it was suggested to me that I mount a bid for Montreal in 2010 (I chaired 2006's con, here in Toronto). So far I have about half a dozen people who are interested in working on it...

I personally have never been to a Con before. :o( Though if Neil Gaiman is going to be at Anticipation, I might just have to try and get some funds together to go, lucky I have over a year. *smirks*

Most of the big names in SF literature go to almost every Worldcon - they do a lot of business there with editors and publishers, and I know of at least one publisher that has closed parties at Worldcons for their roster of authors, artists, editors, etc. It's a combination fan convention and professional conference. So if you can't make Anticipation (though I would love for you to be able to), Neil Gaiman's at pretty much every year's Worldcon.

(One of these years I have to get around to reading something of his besides Good Omens, his collaboration with Terry Pratchett... problem is, my to-read pile is huge.)

OMG!

[ghstlght74.livejournal.com]

(One of these years I have to get around to reading something of his besides Good Omens, his collaboration with Terry Pratchett... problem is, my to-read pile is huge.)

You've just got to move him to the top of that pile!! I've read just about everything he's published from Neverwhere (I even own the BBC Series on DVD) up to Coraline and Anansi Boys (Which of course is the sequel to American Gods). Stardust is a quick read, or even Smoke and Mirrors which is his collection of short stories. When I used to work at B&N I made it a point to get all his novels in hardback. :-) If you can't tell I like Neil Gaiman, just blame my best friend mamma_fire_bear. She turned me on to him by introducing me to the Sandman series.