Got back home yesterday after a short 24-hour stint at ArmadilloCon in Austin. I needed to be back in San Antonio Saturday night so it was an abbreviated trip this year. As usual, the FACT folks run a terrific regional show. There was good buzz and energy everywhere. Visited briefly with Ben Yalow, and Laurie and Jim Mann. I’m impressed that they come down from the East Coast to do Armadillocon. L & J came because they wouldn’t be at Worldcon and picked Armadillocon as a consolation summer con getaway. I think that speaks volumes about the job that FACT does with this show. Logged some precious bar time with some of my favorite people….Chris Roberson, Allison Baker, Jess Nevins, and Mark Finn. Got to visit with good people I don’t see very often including Jay Lake, Scott Cupp, Rick Klaw, Chris Nakashima-Brown, Laura Anne Gilman (her first Armadillocon), Matthew Bey of Revolution SF, Joe Lansdale, Ellen Klages, Sara Felix, Bill Crider, Shai Mohammed, and Paul Benjamin. Hadn’t seen Matthew Sturges in ages, and it was great to see him. Gary Lippincott’s watercolors in the Art Show were sheer dynamite. He’s a solid cat and I look forward to seeing his work at WFC. Enjoyed being on panels with Gary, Cat Conrad, David Lee Anderson, Matt Taggart, Rocky Kelley and Sherlock. Saw Mikal Trimm, Sharyn November, and many, many others all too briefly. All and all — a great, albeit concentrated, dose of convention goodness.