Annoying Sense of "Don't Go There"

I'm annoyed. The only panel I really absolutely wanted to go to -- My Comic is Stillborn -- was on yesterday at 5pm. That time, I was only just getting away from Carolyn's. I'm debating what to do today. I have to go to Gender X Genre as I'm reading poetry there, but this is on between 12:30 to 1:30 pm, and afterwards I need to go to the Empire to check out the venue for the 2nd showing of this for Rainbow Visions. That means I can't go to: Grants, Sponsorship, Philanthropy Advertising; Character vs Plot; or even Comics: Letting Down the Revolution.. Maybe that's a good thing, I don't know.

For some reason I feel annoyed and angry at this year's T.I.N.A. I don't understand just why, but I recognise the feelings -- I used to have them when I'd go to SF Conventions back in Perth (like swancon). I used to go to those things expecting so much, and every time I'd come away bitter and disappointed. Something definitely weird going on in my head space.

Where is this coming from? Why am I angry? Is it just me being sick? What's making me bitter?

Anyway, the only other thing I wanted to go to today (apart from  the book crossing stuff, which I could do tomorrow), is Creative Commons vs Copyright, at 3:30pm. Nothing much after that appeals to me, and in any case I have to come home and feed the pets. Ah, bugger it!

Better than expected

Well, the reading went better than I expected.

Didn't get away from home until 11am. Got to the city at 11:30, and as the reading wasn't until 12:30pm, I went for a wander. had some lunch, (and bumped into Thom while he was taking a break from his work) and wandered back at 12:20pm. I met Sophie outside the venue (which sucked harshly because of location, and the fact that our readings were competing with a cappuccino machine), and then Bugsy turned up, as did Kim, and maybe a 1/2 dozen folk to listen.

We filled the whole hour. I read: "Girls, Like Me"; "Bitters Edge"; "On the Beach" (prose); and "A light was seen". Sophie also read the first sixth of my "Self Help" which she though was about a transgender support group, but which (if she'd bothered to read it all) was actually about Werewolves!

But I had a good time. Afterwards Sophie, myself, Kim and Bugsy all went around to the venue for the presentation next Friday. I was able to see how to present my comics there, and we discussed other issues with Dean, and it was fun. Afterwards we had coffee (and I got some chocolate cake - yum) and blocked out which bits of my comics would be used next week.

Then I dropped Kim off in Darby St, popped into the Octapod to use their toilets and drop off copies of my comics for their Zine Library. Apart from the reading, I haven;'t been to a single other TINA event. They're closing up here in a few minutes, and I might have a wander over to the PAN building, but it's straight home after that. I checked out the program, and there's nothing on from now 'til tonight that interests me.

Back tomorrow for the Arts Market / Zine Fair! :-)

- - - - -

Afterwards I had a look at the Watt Space Gallery.  Usual sort of stuff in there, but I was really taken by the art in the Locker Room - which was openly gay and out. I also chatted with Luke, one of the artists who created it, and was suitably impressed with their clarity and detail. They created a toilet cubicle mock-up with appropriate grafitti. Very clever.

I also dropped into the PAN building but they had a some panel speaking through a bad P.A. system, and a too crowded venue -- I wasn't impressed. Went home and fed the pets instead.