Summer travel and event scheduling

[rax]

Short version:

• Brother's college graduation in Chicago, Jun 19-21 (you probably don't care about this unless you're family)
• Anthrocon (Jul 2-5 in Pittsburgh)
• Readercon (Jul 9-12 in Boston)
• Not Worldcon, sadly (it just costs as much as the other three put together and I'd rather do those)

Long version:

I'll be in Chicago or Chicago-ish from June 19th to the 21st because rathdei is graduating from college. I don't have a hotel booked yet, and I don't think I have couches I can surf, but maybe I am wrong. seth99rb , do you have plans yet? I probably won't have time for non-family stuff but I might be able to squeeze a couple of hours in if someone is nearby, and I always love seeing people. Let me know.

I'm going to Anthrocon, which I've never done before, but everyone tells me is fun and, well, it definitely counts as relevant to my interests. We have a suite in the Doubletree and we'd be happy to share. We're probably sharing with lutris , but there's room for more; let me know. I'm excited to meet new people there, including some of you reading this and your friends, so feel free to drop me planning lines. I don't have any specific plans other than "show up, meet people, play games, wear a catgirl costume* frequently." Actually, I do have this plot to bring scads of vegan food both to save money and to prevent "oh god where am I going to find vegan food when twenty furries want to go and eat nasty pizza." If you think having many gallons of lentil-seitan curry for the weekend is a good idea, drop me a line.

I'm going to Readercon, which at this point I pay for a year or two in advance. Readercon is the thing that convinced me that things ending in -con were worth going to. If you're interested in speculative fiction even a little bit and you want to have lots of amazing conversations about literature then this is where you want to be. It's local, and it's relatively inexpensive, so all you local people really have no excuse. postrodent , I am looking directly at you. I'm tempted to just bike there each day, though I'm tempted to do that every year and end up not doing so so that I can ferry people instead. I'll probably poll people on that issue closer to the event, since if you're making plans as to how you are getting somewhere ten miles away four months in advance, you are like me crazy.

If you've read this far you are either bored or addicted to scheduling information, so maybe you're interested in a couple of awesome concerts in Boston in April. The fall/winter will feature Fur and Loathing in ???, Catgirl Goth Rave, and maybe trips to North Carolina and/or California. Maybe even Texas. I don't know. Somewhere warm. But that will depend at least in part on grad school scheduling, and that information isn't available yet.

* You might be thinking "But Rachel, isn't wearing a catgirl costume around a bunch of people who have the hots for catgirls a terrible idea?" Here's the thing: Sure, if you're wearing a catgirl cosutme around, people might hit on you. Usually they're perfectly polite and you can just say no. But if they're not, and you hiss at them and make clawing motions at their face until they go away, everyone around you considers this completely socially acceptable. Personally I find this much more comfortable than your average nightclub, where people will hit on me anyway solely because I have breasts, and hissing at them and making physical threats is somehow considered rude. Your mileage may vary.

Comments

[etotheipi.livejournal.com]

I am interested in a recipe for lentil seitan curry.

[rax.livejournal.com]

It's a little different every time, but here's the gist:

First, make this seitan: http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=15959 You can get the gluten at Harvest Co-Op in Central Square, or maybe from Whole Foods?

Then get a giant non-stick pot, like really big, like bigger than your head in all dimensions. 12-quart works, though I want to find a bigger one. You can use what I semi-affectionately call a "stick" pot though you will have to stir really aggressively to minimize what burns onto the bottom. You'll want the following ingredients:

2 large yellow onions
OPTIONAL: a bunch of garlic
a bunch of spices: I always use cinnamon, cumin, and coriander, and then experiment from there
OPTIONAL: 2 large potatoes or sweet potatoes
2-3 cups of lentils
OPTIONAL: veggie broth or bullion (I use the "better than bullion" stuff since one jar lasts me like six months in the fridge)
1 16-ounce can of diced tomatoes (tomato sauce works but there's more texture to the diced tomatoes and you're boiling it down anyway)
OPTIONAL: Other things that taste good in curry like chickpeas, currants, hot peppers

Put a bunch of olive oil in the pot with some finely chopped onions (like, 1cmx1cm pieces) and garlic if you want it. Pour in spices and cook them way down while you chop the potatoes into one-inch square hunks. Add in the potatoes and the lentils and 4-5 cups of water. Some of the water can be replaced with veggie broth and it adds flavor, but it's not strictly required. Make that boil and then put a lid on and simmer it for maybe 45 minutes, stirring occasionally (or not occasionally if you don't have a non-stick pot). Then open it up, add the remaining ingredients, and cook for an additional hour or so on low-medium heat to condense. Add in the seitan, chopped into chunks, partway through this process. (The seitan is actually optional --- I often make it with just chickpeas and currants --- but dude, seitan.)

Goes great over basmati rice; you can make it taste really different by switching the type of lentils or potatoes and the spices without actually changing the recipe, really. If you're not vegan, you can replace the olive oil with ghee; if you're not even vegetarian, I bet you could use meat stock or, I don't know, actual meat. I was going to say "and that should hold you over until you post the actual recipe" but I think I just did. Enjoy! Let me know how it works for you if you try it.

[etotheipi.livejournal.com]

That sounds awesome. I tried seitan for the first time a couple weeks ago and liked it a lot. If you're ever around MIT at lunchtime, you should try the barbecue seitan sandwich from the Clover food truck. I'm not sure if it's vegan, but I'm sure they will make it vegan if you ask.

[rax.livejournal.com]

That's totally bikable from work, I'll definitely check it out. Thanks!

[paxed.livejournal.com]

Garlic is optional? *boggle*

[rax.livejournal.com]

In my experiments, removing the onion changes the flavor a lot more than removing the garlic. I certainly recommend the garlic, but if you don't have it, it's not really a huge deal, in my experience. Maybe I should put in more garlic next time, though... :)

[ckd]

Readercon's on my list, though I don't know if I'll make it up for the Thursday programming or not. I already know how I'll get there; walk to Central, Red Line to Alewife, #350 to Burlington, walk a bit. (Last year I stayed over using Marriott points instead of commuting each day, and was much happier, so I'm determined to not commute this year either.)

[rax.livejournal.com]

I know a couple of people had trouble getting home on the #350 post-Kirk-Poland last year, or at least anticipated doing so and begged rides instead. But that's certainly a valid plan :) It looks like the 350 is even one of the routes with bike racks now, so if I decided biking home at 11 was stupid for whatever reason, I could take the bus much of the way home. Hmmmm...

Commuting doesn't bother me, because the value of sleeping at home and cooking my own food is high, but I can totally see how the hotel might be the way to go. It's not worth the cost to me.

I haven't decided on Thursday either; if it's like last year, I'll be able to go after work if I want to, so I figure I can decide after the schedule comes out.

[ckd]

When I did commute in previous years, I rented a car; that lowers the marginal cost of staying, though obviously doesn't eliminate it. (Another reason to stay over: driving an unfamiliar car back to Cambridge at 0300, by myself, after a long Mafia game is probably not the least safe thing I've ever done, but it's hardly the safest.)

[rax.livejournal.com]

Ah, I tend to leave by 11 or midnight, which helps a lot :)

[goddess32585.livejournal.com]

I nominate Fur & Loathing in Montreal, if you're seriously considering someplace besides Las Vegas.

(Not that I will go, so my opinion is worth less the nothing! But it is a suggestion.)

[rax.livejournal.com]

We usually go in November, so Montreal might be a touch brisk, but hmm. Past years have been Las Vegas, Ann Arbor, New Orleans, Miami, and San Diego.

[goddess32585.livejournal.com]

That's what I get for skimming and not absorbing key details like November. Whoops, sorry :/

[ab3nd.livejournal.com]

Multiple people have told me I should go to readercon, so I'll be attending that one.

[rax.livejournal.com]

Oh right, you too! You'll really like it, or at least if you don't I'll be curious why not. It can be a little intimidating, but if you assume that most of the other people are faking it (which at least I feel like I will be), a lot of that goes away.

[eredien]

I think that you will like Readercon. Register now!

[ab3nd.livejournal.com]

Done and done. I should also post a "Things I'm doing over the summer" list, now that I have three things for it.

[krinndnz.livejournal.com]

You might be thinking "But Rachel, isn't wearing a catgirl costume around a bunch of people who have the hots for catgirls a terrible idea?" Here's the thing: Sure, if you're wearing a catgirl costume around, people might hit on you. Usually they're perfectly polite and you can just say no. But if they're not, and you hiss at them and make clawing motions at their face until they go away, everyone around you considers this completely socially acceptable. Personally I find this much more comfortable than your average nightclub, where people will hit on me anyway solely because I have breasts, and hissing at them and making physical threats is somehow considered rude.

Oh hell yes. <3

[rax.livejournal.com]

I've tested this on multiple occasions! It rules. It's one of my favorite "No, this seemingly sexist costume is actually really empowering to me" examples.

[krinndnz.livejournal.com]

Well, I think it also has to do with the wearer. Someone less awesome than you or with less chutzpah might not be able to deploy it as well. But it's still a damn cool culture-jam thing, taking advantage of archetypes, and so it could work for anyone.

[kelkyag]

Everyone else wanting to do much the same and not quite feeling at liberty to do so probably contributes to it being acceptable. :) I suspect threatening to claw someone who was being well-behaved wouldn't go over nearly as well.

[rax.livejournal.com]

This is a fair point. :)

[salamandream.livejournal.com]

walkabout33@gmail.com

Drop me a line if you have floorspace. :)

[rax.livejournal.com]

I think we'd probably prefer people we've interacted with in person before (just on general safety and comfort principles), but I may drop you a line nonetheless. :)

If I remember correctly, you're vegan, right? Have you gone previous years? Can you tell me where the food is? Do you like lentils?

[salamandream.livejournal.com]

Meh. -_- I forgot that I proxy-know you much better than you proxy-know me.

Sent you a PM.

[seth99rb.livejournal.com]

mom is doing the hotel planning thing :)

[rax.livejournal.com]

Aha! I know who to call then. Thanks!

[lothaekor.livejournal.com]

I'll be doing AC this year :)

[lothaekor.livejournal.com]

Whoops! Wrong journal!

Pay no attention to the dragon behind the curtain!

[rax.livejournal.com]

I wondered for a moment, then I realized you're a friend of eredien's. One of my reasons for going is to meet or visit a bunch of her friends, so hopefully I will meet you there!

[rabidfangurl.livejournal.com]

If you and eredien want to visit at the end of May, my door is open. My parents will be in Italy, but they're cool with it. Tell me if there's anything special you want to eat; my knowledge of vegan cooking only goes so far.

[rax.livejournal.com]

I don't know yet if that's something that we'll have time for, but it sure sounds awesome. :) We'll be in touch!

[postrodent.livejournal.com]

Yes, I will attend your Earth "Rea-Der-Con", unless the universe compels me strongly not to. I can't decide which I like best: a con I can commute to, or a con without TV fandoms. Oh wait, I definitely like the latter more.
Also, that thing where we had coffee together, that was pretty good. I'd love to do it again when your time budget permits. :)

[rax.livejournal.com]

I'll send you a scheduling email.

And it's not that Readercon has no audiovisual fandom at all --- last year featured a great paper about _Pan's Labyrinth_ and there have been conversations about movies. Though I don't remember anything about TV, I'm sure there was something there, I just didn't go to those panels. :)

[rathdei.livejournal.com]

I'm always amazed at how much chatter this things of yours generate.

And the fact that there is something called the "Post Punk Kitchen" is... well I don't know what to think about it but it sounds excellent.

Also, mom thinks you should open a vegan restaurant!

If you have any questions about commencement, by the way, they just sent me my packet of information, so in theory I know what's going on.

[rax.livejournal.com]

PPK is awesome, you should check it out. And opening a vegan restaurant is on my list of things to do if I find myself with infinite time magically, but I expect it's much harder than it seems and it seems really hard.

I'll poke you about commencement sometime soon.

[lhexa.livejournal.com]

...Actually, one of my Anthrocon memories is of a multi-hour trek to find vegan food for a friend. The journey was worthwhile, but not easy.

Have fun at all three. :)

[anasai.livejournal.com]

I want to go to your vegan restaurant.

Erica lives kinda nearish Chicago if you are wondering what people you know in the area.

I'm voting for F&L to be in Puerto Rico this year.