Well once again I am struck by how kind, thoughtful and loyal sci fi fans are...the convention (which I replaced Peter Jurasic in the last minute) was very well run with a great selection of talented model maker's wares on display. I was truly impressed with the talent and dedication these men and women have for the craft of model making...I have posted one of the photos I took of a couple of them.
I was reunited with a lovely young lady names Sarah who I had not held since 2001! Her photo is above as well, 2001 and 2010, a lovely young lady with a wonderful family in tow. Her Mom was kind enough to bring me a box of Kleenex , knowing that I had a dreadful cold.
The wonders of modern technology..people read something on Facebook then they act upon it! I can now communicate with fans who are attending conventions I will be at and meet them in person then follow them on FB..amazing!
Louisville was a very pleasant town though I didn't see much of it. We had a great behind the scenes tour of the zoo with our Host Dave who rescues wild and endangered cats, big and small and also works at the zoo, he is a lovely man with great passion for all things animal and sci fi convention as well...well rounded I would say!
We dined one night at Mortons and had fabulous steak, I bought bourbon balls for a dear friend, saw the giant baseball bat and even managed a drive by the venue for the Kentucky Derby...all in all a lovely trip thanks to Phil, Paula, Phil Jr., Dave, Gin and Sarah and a host of other lovely people who came to see me, drove us around and generally made the weekend a great one. Many thanks to all of you.

The trip was a success and now being home feels great. I didn't miss much being gone nearly 3 weeks which leads me to believe that I can do more of this traveling! Traveling is important on so many levels, it takes you out of your safety zone and exposes you to new people and ways of life.
I am always struck with the wonderful attitude of different cultures when it comes to living and work and the Italian certainly know how to live. Long meals are an everyday occurrence it seems, naps are completely acceptable for adults and laughter seems to cure all.
Next up...Germany and the UK in September...but first a short trip to North Carolina for Con Carolinas, should be fun it's a beautiful part of the United States.