Complex Numbers

Iconoclasm

So I went to Iowa over the weekend.

It's not what I'd call a short drive. Left Thursday. Spent Thursday night in a hotel in Indianapolis.

I've decided I don't like Indianapolis, but that's a discussion for another time.

Went through all the "I" states, in fact (except for Idaho, into which I'll probably never set foot) and ended up at a sf/fantasy convention in Cedar Rapids. The convention was called iCon; hence the title of this entry.

Yes, this was planned. I hung out with Storm Machine over the weekend. She's pretty cool. And her friends are weird. But cool!

A few notable things:

1) Time changes suck. Gained an hour crossing into Illinois. While I was in Iowa, DST ended and I gained another hour. On the way back, crossing back into Indiana, lost an hour. I'm still not sure what time it is. Not sure I really care. No, I'm not a fan of the band Chicago.

2) Illinois has vineyards. What the fuck?

3) The Mississippi River is way wider than I thought along the Illinois/Iowa border. I mean, it still has a thousand miles to go before it hits New Orleans. I'm sure everyone else knew this already, but this weekend was the first time I've ever crossed that river in anything but an airplane.

4) Does any state (besides Virginia) NOT have casinos now? Are we that desperate? Really?

5) I can still drive 10 hours at a stretch.

6) But not much more than that. Sunday I stopped outside Columbus because Brandiwyn🎶 and her boyfriend were kind enough to put me in their guest bedroom for the night (THANKS!). She said she'd wake me up at 8:30. 'Round about 11:30 (I think - time shifted a lot this weekend) I stumbled out of bed.

7) When a pigeon commits suicide on the front of your brand-new car, it leaves a pigeon-shaped silhouette, just like in the cartoons.

8) Iowa isn't NEARLY as flat as advertised. It does, however, contain cornfields. No Enterprise drydock, though, sadly.

Next stop on the Waltz World Tour: Las Vegas, next month.

Think I'll fly, this time...