When you think of me going to the World Fantasy Convention

in Columbus, Ohio, I know the first thought that springs to mind:  did I take any plant photos?

Thanks for asking.  I did indeed.  Two.

Outside the Subway where we stopped for lunch today stood this lovely tree.

Click an image to see a larger version.

I love the way the wind has stripped the leaves off most but not all of the sections of the tree.

Enjoying a small cup of ice cream at a Jeni's shop here, I couldn't help but notice this weird green plant in this jar of flowers.

I'm sorry to have to say it, but they do not look healthy, not at all.

Tomorrow, the con cranks up!

When you learn

that the redoubtable Jeni Britton Bauer, the ice cream genius behind Jeni's, has created a new collection, American Licks, whose goal is to capture the flavors of how ice creams of the past tasted in our memories, and if you're me, you have only one choice, of course:  you order them.

Click the image to see a larger version.

Then, you and anyone around must grab spoons and have an ice cream tasting party.

It's the only logical choice.

All of the flavors I tasted--I passed on the mint, of course--were delicious.  The standout, to my surprise, proved to be the orange sherbet, which was richer and better than any I've ever tasted.  It was, in fact, as good as my idealized memory of a few precious spoons of orange sherbet on a hot Florida summer day.

If you're an ice cream lover, I heartily recommend this collection.

'Twas the night before Thanksgiving

so of course our house needed an ice cream cookie tasting, because, well, it makes sense if you live here.  So we did.  I'd previously ordered all four of the ice cream cookies available online from the wonderful Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.

Click the image to see a larger version.

We sampled little wedges of each of these four delicious creations.  We all liked all of them, but for sheer power alone, the chocolate hazelnut cookie won.  Rich and strong and a perfect blend with the nuts and the cookie, the dark chocolate ice cream in this one would not be denied its championship.

If you've never tried these cookies, though they are not by any means cheap, they are worth ordering.

On the road again: DragonCon, Atlanta, day 5

I spent the vast majority of today in my room, either sleeping or working.  I didn't mind either one, because I needed to do both, but I also didn't see much of the con today.

Dinner led us to a local Basque-inspired restaurant, Cooks & Soldiers, about which I'd read many good things.  I may well do a full review of it later, but for now I will say that I was quite disappointed by the food.  It was decent, but with few exceptions it rarely rose above that level--and sank below it on two occasions.  If you want true Basque food, definitely do not go to Cooks & Soldiers, but if you're up for Basque-inspired food, it might be worth a look--but set your expectations low.

Dessert was delightful and spot on, as it always is when you go to a Jeni's ice creams shop.  The sun was setting as we were entering the shop, and the sky was lovely.

Click an image to see a larger version.

In the middle of the evening, I made my final rounds of the big fan gathering places.  The Hyatt's lobby was nearly entirely empty,

while a small group of hardy fans hung around the bar in the Marriott's atrium.

Overall, this year's DragonCon proved to be low-key fun, but enough so that I hope to return in 2016.

Tomorrow, the long drive home--and work when I'm not driving.

On the road again: DragonCon, day 5

After a little morning work, I tromped down the stairs--the elevators were jammed with fans who were checking out--to my one con activity of the day:  a panel titled, "Ask My Anything!"  The plan was that four other writers and I would answer whatever questions the audience threw at us, and that was pretty much what happened.  Almost all of the questions focused on topics related to publishing, both in the traditional ways and self-publishing.  The time passed reasonably quickly, and the audience seemed pleased, so I'd call the panel a moderate success.

After lunch, which I once again procured from the nearby food court, I walked a bit, did a little work, and had a lovely nap, a rare treat. 

Dinner was a decent Italian meal at one of the local Figo chains that just happened to be right near that Jeni's I'd visited earlier.  (Okay, so it wasn't all luck.)  Naturally, dessert was delicious ice cream.

Back at the hotel, the con, which officially ended late this afternoon, was barely present.  Here's a shot much like the others I took from my favorite people-watching spot in the Marriott's lobby.

As you can see, the crowd of determined partyers is a tiny fraction of what it was during the other nights of the con.

Tomorrow morning, I will catch up on whatever work has arrived and then head to the car before noon for the long drive home.

On the road again: DragonCon, day 2

Unfortunately, I spent almost all of today's daylight hours in my room, again, working.  I did get out for a quick burger for lunch and a walk through the large art show.  While on that walk, I ran into and chatted with Dan Dos Santos, an artist whose work I very much like.  He did the cover for The Wild Side, and I liked it so much I bought the original painting.  In person, he was friendly and humble and altogether delightful.  I quite liked him.

I also spent a few minutes talking with Annie Stegg, an artist whose work I had never seen before.  Her paintings were lovely, pieces that frequently exhibited a strong Pre-Raphaelite influence.  I will certainly be on the lookout for her art in the future.

At 5:30, it was time to do my comedy show.  The audience numbered around 40, larger than I'd feared, smaller than I'd hoped, and big enough that the sound of their laughter carried into the hall and drew in more people.  As best I can tell, the show went quite well; I know the whole audience laughed for nearly the entire set.  (I'm dropping the bits where they didn't laugh.) 

After the show, I gave myself the reward I had mentioned yesterday:  a trip to the local Jeni's for some ice cream. Publisher Toni joined us, and we had a grand time talking and enjoying scrumptious ice cream sundaes.

Back at the hotel, work had piled up once again, so I spent a few hours catching up.  I then headed out to people-watch, first in the lobby of the Hyatt, and then in the Marriott's lobby.  The crowds tonight were way larger than last night's.

Click an image to see a larger version.

Downstairs, a small rave was in progress, the beat pounding upward, the dancers all having a grand time.

I stayed for a surprisingly long time, watching the people, listening to the music, and finding myself smiling and invigorated at the sheer energy of the crowd.  The enthusiasm here is contagious.

I routinely read and hear discussions of how SF/F is dead, but this con, like many other large cons, puts the lie to that statement.  SF/F has carried the day, moved into video games and other games of all sorts, into TV shows and movies, and into the culture at large.  Sales of paper books may be down, but overall book sales--ebooks do count--are up.  The people at this con are, by and large, young and engaged and passionate about their interests.  Those interests touch every aspect of the fantastic.  If you asked them if science fiction and fantasy were dead, they would wonder if you were insane.

Are they all reading SF/F novels?  Most assuredly no.  But some of them are, and they are numerous.

I have always been hopeful for our field, and I am even more hopeful now.

What flavors won the ice-cream tasting?

Since I posted a picture of the birthday party ice-cream tasting offerings in this earlier blog entry, a few folks have asked which flavors won. 

I'm sorry to have to report that the results were entirely inconclusive.  We had so many people at the party with so many different preferences that no unanimous winners emerged.

Having said that, two flavors stood out as winners among almost all of the tasters:

Best salted caramel:  The Parlour's salted butter caramel

Everyone I know who likes this type of flavor loves The Parlour's version of it.  Smooth and creamy and just the right blend of these ingredients, you can never go wrong ordering this one.

Best intense chocolate:  Jeni's dark chocolate

I've raved about this flavor since I first tasted it some years ago, and it is still an amazing treat.  Though a minority preferred Ben & Jerry's chocolate therapy and a couple of other flavors, for my taste and money the Jeni's is the best.

All of the ice creams on hand were delicious, but none garnered as many comments as these two.  I highly recommend both.

Ice cream tastings

You know you're a hardcore ice-cream junkie when you hold an ice-cream tasting.

On the other hand, when Jeni's announces the availability of five new ice creams, the Super Pop Cakes! Collection, what else could I do but order two of each, invite nearby ice-cream enthusiasts who could come on short notice, and hold a tasting?

(As always, click on the image to see a larger version.)

The group was heavily divided on which was the best flavor, with none of the candidates getting a unanimous blessing as the best or the worst.

Predictably, I liked them all.

Jeni Britton Bauer is mad, but in all the best senses of the word, and definitely in a very good and tasty way.

If you haven't tried Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, pop for the high price and give some a chance. You'll be glad you did.

How much ice cream is too much?

That's one of the issues I'm pondering as I sort by flavors the rather large order (27 pints) of Jeni's fabulous ice creams that is now filling our freezers.


My initial reaction was, maybe this much.



I then, however, came to my senses. We don't have every single flavor Jeni's makes, and we have only one pint of several different flavors.

Nah, this is not too much. After all, we have a lot of people visit at various points during the holidays.

Come to think of it, we may need more....

On the road again: World Fantasy Con, Columbus, day 4

I didn't finish my work last night until nearly five in the morning, but I was able to sleep late and so woke up feeling okay. Lunch was again at the North Market, where this time I tried a hot Italian sandwich that was, unfortunately, only so-so. No matter, though, because an orchid vanilla ice cream cookie from Jeni's fixed me right up.

After a pass through the art show and the dealer's room, it was time for my panel on Thorne Smith. The five of us on the panel and quite a few audience members conducted a reasonably lively discussion of this largely forgotten fantasist who was a bestselling writer in his day. If you don't know his work, I recommend starting with The Night Life of the Gods.

Baen Senior Editor and friend, Jim Minz, treated a dozen of us to a very nice Italian dinner at Rigsby's Kitchen and then to dessert at the shop right across the street. Yes, you guessed it: another Jeni's.

The bulk of the rest of the evening went to the Artist's Reception and a few parties, notably Tor's.

A pleasant enough day, all in all, but now one in which I must return to work.

On the road again: World Fantasy Con, Columbus, day 1

Other than an hour in the Cincinnati airport once many years ago, I've not spent any time in Ohio. This trip will begin to fill that gap in my travel resume.

We drove here, a long drive that with lunch and gas breaks took almost nine hours. For a bit under an hour we had to fight fog and rain, but the rest of the way the weather was lovely. So was the scenery. I'd also never previously been in West Virginia, but I've always heard it was beautiful. It truly is. The old, low mountains sported fall colors just a bit past their prime, as if they were college professors adorned in well-worn plaids. Rarely was the view less than lovely.

For lunch, on Jain's recommendation, we pulled over and ate in the food court at Tamarack. This odd structure houses many different types of craftspeople, a conference center, an art gallery, and, of course, the grill from which we ordered. The food was decent, better than I'd initially feared, and the break in the trip was great.

Even though I had cellular connections most of the way and so could keep up with work somewhat, I still hit the hotel desperately behind on work. The evening plan thus turned simple: work, get dinner, work many hours more.

For dinner, we headed half a mile north to a very pleasant little place, The Happy Greek. I have no idea how authentically Greek the food was, but it tasted good, the portions were bigger than we'd expected, and I left happy.

Of course, we were only a block and a half away from a Jeni's ice creams store that was still open, so we had to drop in there and try a little tasty creamy goodness--and good it was. I expect to visit that place another few times before I leave town.

The con starts tomorrow, and I hope to manage to do it and my job and my writing--always a recipe for long days!

Travelin' Man

If you've never checked out my appearances page, you may not know that the next couple of months are going to be chock full of travel. Because that page doesn't even include all my trips, I thought I'd run down the list.

Portland, OR - Sept. 27 to Oct. 1

This is a work visit, but if any SF folks are interested in getting together one evening, I'd try to make it happen.

San Francisco, CA - Oct. 13 to Oct. 20

Mixing writing and work, I'll be attending Bouchercon and also visiting clients. Again, I should be able to swing a free evening sometime.

Columbus, OH - Oct. 27 - Nov. 1

World Fantasy Con is the reason for this journey, but Columbus also offers the promise of Jeni's ice creams. If I'm not in the hotel, that's probably where you can find me.

I can't tell you yet - Nov. 14 - Nov. 20

Okay, the truth is that I could tell you; I just won't. Not yet. You'll have to wait. What I'll be doing, though, is awesome, and it will relate to some cool news. More on it in a month. Or so.

Or maybe not. I may just do the picture-from-the-hotel-window thing and see if you can guess.


One more trip--a quick visit to Las Vegas--is still possible this year, but it's not settled yet. When it is, I'll let you know, so Las Vegas fans can chime in.

Man, I'm already tired just looking at this list!

On the road again: San Francisco, day 4

Work and the conference are ramping up, so I will be able to discuss less of each day for the rest of this trip. Today's non-work portions included some time walking in the Haight, which was a pleasant break in the afternoon. We enjoyed a good lunch at Cha Cha Cha, where the Cubano was as good as any I've had in a very long time.

The temptation of ice cream was too strong to resist today, so we hustled over to the Bi-Rite Creamery for some of their justly famous ice cream. I wouldn't rank them as high as Jeni's, but it was still mighty darn good.

Our small team held its pre-conference dinner at the nearest Max's, one of their Opera cafes, and I once again was unable to resist the patty melt. I keep hoping to have a better one elsewhere, but to date that hasn't happened.

The day was cool here, the night cooler, and back home the temperature is also dropping. Fall is coming, summer is fading, and time keeps chugging along at what feels like an ever faster pace. I long for each day to last longer, to have more hours, to give me more chances to accomplish something of value, but of course the standard twenty-four are all any of us get. I wish it felt like enough.

The overdue Odd Saturday report

Last Saturday was one of those days of excess that I love but cannot afford to do often. After sleeping late, we headed out to dip into the river of cheese (i.e., eat at a favorite local Mexican place, where the queso is plentiful and good, and the marinade on the beef in the fajita quesadilla steak is strong and flavorful). We then put in some Halo time, followed by a little work.

Everyone arrived about 4:15, and the festivities began in earnest.

First stop was Dorton Arena for a Carolina Rollergirls double-header. The opening game was a blow-out, with the visiting Dixie Derby Girls taking the Carolina Bootleggers 86 to 76. (The final score is closer than the game ever was.) Less than five minutes into the second match-up, however, we realized that we'd been seeing the junior teams before, because these women were faster, stronger, better skaters, and far more effective users of various strategies. The Steel City Derby Demons started with a 26-0 scoring run, and it looked for a bit like the home team, the Carolina All-Stars, were done. Carolina came back, though, to win it 144 to 143 in a truly exciting and excellent match.

We didn't see the last several minutes, however, because we had to leave to make our nine o'clock reservation for a dozen at The Pit. After several shared plates of Barbecue Fries and an additional couple of pans of cornbread, followed by heaping plates of 'cue, we were all so stuffed we could barely move.

We rolled into our cars and headed home, where through the combination of Spike TV's free broadcast and the UFC's PPV event, we were able to watch all but one of the fights. Somewhere after midnight, we took a break before the main event and tore into many pints of various flavors of Jeni's ice creams, as well as trays of two different types of cookies and the namesake bouchons from Thomas Keller's Bouchon mixes. Yes, cookies from mixes--but Keller mixes, so they were awesome.

When the fights ended and most of the crowd headed out, a hardy few of us stayed up for a little more entertainment, and then off to work I went.

It was a great evening, but, as I said, not one I could do very often.

On the road again: San Francisco, day 2

I slept a lot last night. A lot. It was wonderful. For almost three hours I was not tired. At one point, I inadvertently said aloud, "Damn," as I realized that the taste of energy I was feeling was what it was like not to be exhausted. Fortunately, fatigue set in soon, and I was back to normal.

I seriously do have to fix my life and this fatigue.

Last night, we tried the tasting menu at Luce, hoping to taste the creations of Chef Dominique Crenn, who soon will be vying to become the next Iron Chef. Alas, she was no tin, so another chef composed the menu. The dish here, hamachi (young yellowtail) on a red pepper tartar on a slice of melon, came early and promised great things. The rest of the dinner did not live up to the hope this dish induced. I would eat at Luce again, but I would probably order off the menu.

Our waiter, John, deserves special mention. He was good and funny, and we were happy to have him serving our table.

Lunch today was a strolling meal through the Ferry Building, where we sampled a variety of foods from local vendors. Everything was splendid.

In the middle of the afternoon, we took the first pilgrimmage to Humphry Slocombe. A line of people waited outside to order. We joined it. As we drew closer, we got to see these four paintings. In case you're not sure you're reading correctly, yes, the one in the upper left advertises Fetal Kitten Soup. I might try Secret Breakfast soup or even the Hibiscus Beet, but not this one.

No, sir, I do not want another.

We sampled a handful of flavors. All were quite good. I particularly liked the cream cheese and the Tahitian vanilla, and the olive oil was yummy.

If you magnify these two photos you may be able to see all of today's offerings. Had I time and stamina enough, I would have tried them all.

Though they were very good, though each and every one would blow away the competition from a chain Coldstone or Maggie Moo, and though I plan to go back tomorrow, none of these concoctions was as good as the top five or six flavors from Jeni's. For now, Jeni's remains the undisputed holder of the Ice Cream World Heavyweight Championship.


On the way back, a house and a shop sign particularly charmed me, so I leave you with these pictures of them.

The ice cream jury has handed down its decisions

and, to my amazement, none of the five "Straight from the Dirt" strange flavors proved to be at all nasty. In fact, all were at least tasty, and some I quite liked. I have to hand it to the folks at Jeni's Ice Creams: they make good flavors even from ingredients, such as beets, that I strongly dislike. Here's how the flavors measured up:

Carrot Cake

Probably the weakest for my palate, it tasted like a really great carrot cake turned into ice cream. Chunks of walnuts and candied carrots helped sustain the impression.

Celery

Imagine the flavor of green. Now, make it subtle, blend it with a superb sweet cream, and you have this taste treat. I expected to hate this one and instead quite loved it.

Cucumber Honeydew with Cayenne Yogurt

The Uma Thurman Kill Bill ninja warrior of the bunch, this one starts out all pretty and nice, charming you with its sweetness and hints of cucumber and melon, and then, wham!, the cayenne kicks the shit out of the back of your throat. Each person reacted the same way: at first wondering where the cayenne was and enjoying the smooth flavor, then reaching for some water.

Of course, if it were actually Uma Thurman kicking my ass, I'd still be downstairs (semi-)defending myself.

Red Beets with Lemon & Poppy Seeds

I am not a fan of the noble beet. I know it has its admirers, but so does Dick Cheney; it's a big world, and there's more than enough weirdness in it to go around. This ice cream, though, won my vote as second-best of the bunch by using the lemon to tame the beets and the poppy seeds to impart a wonderful earthiness.

I can't believe I'm saying this about anything with beets in it, but I might well order this one again.

Sweet Corn & Black Raspberries

I'd had this one before, so I had already gotten to know it. I like it, but I don't love it. The sweetness is good, the corn taste is minimal, and the raspberries are delightful--but it's only merely good, which is rough for a flavor sitting in the freezer next to so many stronger treats.


As usual when discussing Jeni's, I should conclude with this piece of unsolicited advice: If you're an ice cream fan and you can afford to pay the hefty price without breaking your bank, order some Jeni's now. It's that good.

Bold experiment or big mistake?

Due to SF conventions, I'm rarely home on Labor Day. This year, I will be, so I'm holding a small, extended family cook-out. I'll be grilling my favorite hot dogs (steak dogs from Allen Brothers) and their Wagyu steak burgers, and others will be contributing various side dishes.

For a cook-out near the end of summer, ice cream seemed the only proper dessert choice. I, of course, opted for Jeni's. That's when I ran into these flavors, their current special offer package:

Celery
Sweet Corn & Black Raspberries
Carrot Cake
Red Beets with Lemon & Poppy Seeds
Cucumber Honeydew with Cayenne Yogurt

You can read more about these unusual concoctions here.

Was this order a big mistake, or will it prove to have been a bold and wonderful experiment?

I'll know more on Monday and report back then.

Oh, yeah: just in case these flavors prove to be scary, I also ordered half a dozen pints I know we all love. It pays to be careful.

One way I get in trouble

I don't do all these tasty but bad things on my own. Other people enable me.

Case in point: Jennie and ice cream. She, after all, found Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams via Dean & Deluca, and then three orders later, I'm fatter and hooked on this amazing stuff.

Was she content to stop there? No.

She told me about the Bon Appetit article on the top ten artisanal ice cream makers in the U.S. She even tore out the page so I could read it, which I did. Fortunately, I'm too busy to bother entering into my notes all the URLs.

Then, teh Internets joined the enabling party by showing me the article online. What could I do? I had to cut and paste the key bits into my notes, and now my new iPhone 3GS beckons me constantly with the data and the ability to order these amazing ice creams.

I know I have to take full responsibility for my own issues, ice cream and otherwise, and I do, but I also have help, I really do.

Speaking of help, we're running low on Jeni's. I wonder which one we should try next....

My new favorite ice cream maker

In preparation for Jennie's upcoming party, at which she is considering serving a new brand of ice cream, some of us convened Friday night to taste-test these previously unknown (at least to her and to us) options. Jennie couldn't take the risk of serving untried ice cream to her friends, and we couldn't let her face this daunting task--there were nine flavors, after all--on her own, so we simply had to help. What can I say? We're that kind of people.

The verdicts ranged from, "Wow, this is great!" to "This is my new favorite ice cream brand." I'm in the latter camp. This stuff is amazing.

And just what is this brand of creamy goodness?

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, a small, family-owned company based in Columbus, Ohio. I've never particularly wanted to go to Columbus before, but now I look forward to visiting there for the World Fantasy Convention in 2010.

I have to warn you that this stuff is not for those afraid to clog their arteries with creamy goodness. It's so rich, and we had so many flavors, that none of us ate whole bowls of it. Instead, we tasted a single spoonful of each of them, and then we went back for second spoons of those we particularly loved. My favorites were the Wildberry Lavender, which was smooth and creamy and wonderfully rich with berry flavors; the Goat Cheese with Roasted Cherries, which managed to be even richer than the Wildberry Lavender; and the Dark Chocolate, which the site accurately describes as a "chocolate made with the most amount of chocolate and the least amount of anything else." I have never tasted a better chocolate ice cream.

If you're an ice cream fan, you definitely need to try Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.