Done and Done
Jul. 12th, 2009 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
drpaisleyMy long international nightmare has finished. The Anticipation Souvenir Book was uploaded* to the ftp site this morning, and with a couple of final, minor tweaks** is now on its way to the printer. The cover was sent along earlier this evening.
I have to say I had no fucking clue whatsoever just how big a kidneystone this was going to be. Of course, the fact that I couldn't read half of it didn't help any (my French is limited to oui, non, sacre merde et quel fromage, and the occasional, wistful, "voulez vous couchez avec moi?"). I was certainly aware of the, shall we say, malleability of deadlines in producing such items, having done almost half of ConQuesT's 40 program books, but damn, people! Despite all the chaos, the book was delivered to the printer on time, and should be waiting for the lucky attendees when they arrive.
Is it perfect? Oh hellz no. But I do think it will match up well with recent souvenir books. I do have to say I am eternally grateful that the program participant bios were moved to the Convention Guide. The Souvenir Book wound up at 168 pages, and even with taking chainsaws to the submitted bios (and, of course, the people with the least to recommend themselves have the longest, most turgid bios), they would have easily added another 100 pages to the finished product.
In other duties finished news, today was the memorial service for long-time KaCSFFS member Julie Hise, who died of a rare form of cancer on June 27th. When I saw her at ConQuesT, her first words to me were "I want you to do the eulogy." So I was up until 2a this morning working on that once the final corrections to the Souvenir book were made. After re-writing the same sentence three times, I decided that some sleep would be a good thing, and got back up at 8.30 to finish it.
There was a very large and diverse crowd, including present and former club members, along with co-workers of Julie's from UMKC. I got through it without breaking down, though it was close a couple of times, and her father, aunt and brothers all thanked me for a job well done, as did her husband, my friend Bob Hise. I am glad people think I do this well, but it's not something I'd want to make a habit of.
Following the part when people came up to share their stories of Julie, we played "When I Go," by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. Here's a live performance of this powerful song.
Don't know what I'm going to do toomorrow, with no pressing items on the agenda for the first time since May. I'mm sure I'll think of something.
*Sadly, not uplifed, otherwise it could have bee multilingual without human intercession
**René was kind enough to call me this evening to let me know he had made changes to the book, and as I imagined some horrible error I had made, he told me the printer had asked us to add four pages to finish out the last signature, so he'd put four pages headed "Autographs" at the end. Very sweet of him to let me know, but I nearly had heart failure
I have to say I had no fucking clue whatsoever just how big a kidneystone this was going to be. Of course, the fact that I couldn't read half of it didn't help any (my French is limited to oui, non, sacre merde et quel fromage, and the occasional, wistful, "voulez vous couchez avec moi?"). I was certainly aware of the, shall we say, malleability of deadlines in producing such items, having done almost half of ConQuesT's 40 program books, but damn, people! Despite all the chaos, the book was delivered to the printer on time, and should be waiting for the lucky attendees when they arrive.
Is it perfect? Oh hellz no. But I do think it will match up well with recent souvenir books. I do have to say I am eternally grateful that the program participant bios were moved to the Convention Guide. The Souvenir Book wound up at 168 pages, and even with taking chainsaws to the submitted bios (and, of course, the people with the least to recommend themselves have the longest, most turgid bios), they would have easily added another 100 pages to the finished product.
In other duties finished news, today was the memorial service for long-time KaCSFFS member Julie Hise, who died of a rare form of cancer on June 27th. When I saw her at ConQuesT, her first words to me were "I want you to do the eulogy." So I was up until 2a this morning working on that once the final corrections to the Souvenir book were made. After re-writing the same sentence three times, I decided that some sleep would be a good thing, and got back up at 8.30 to finish it.
There was a very large and diverse crowd, including present and former club members, along with co-workers of Julie's from UMKC. I got through it without breaking down, though it was close a couple of times, and her father, aunt and brothers all thanked me for a job well done, as did her husband, my friend Bob Hise. I am glad people think I do this well, but it's not something I'd want to make a habit of.
We are gathered here today, brought together from many disparate places, united in one purpose: to celebrate the force of nature that was Julie Hise, who enriched and intertwined our lives, and the lives of so many others, through her many passions. Her untimely passing has only brought those bonds to the forefront.
Julie brought an incredible energy and intensity to everything she did, and her interests were many and varied. From horses to dogs to fine food (Bob described her as ìthe skinniest gourmand everî) to science fiction and fantasy, she never did anything in half measures. When she moved to Kansas City and joined the local science fiction club, she threw herself headlong into the organization. She and Bob co-chaired ConQuesT, our local convention, in 1992, and despite a variety of unusual problems that came up prior to the con, she kept everyone focused on the main goal: putting on a great con. And that she did. As part of the Fubari Faux Maidens, she was always ready and willing to don strange and silly costumes and get up on stage for the annual Vaudeville Show.
And then there was her hair. The pictures on her memorial site show that even as a child, she had long, luxurious tresses. When she first came to Kansas City, it was a brown waterfall of curls cascading over her shoulders. Over the years, it became her trademark, growing longer and longer, always looking perfect. It seemed inevitable that at some point the sheer weight of it would pull her over backwards and leave her flailing like a turtle on the floor, but somehow it never happened. Hell yes I was jealous, and so was everyone else, whether they admitted it or not. In a typically selfless gesture, she had her hair cut two days before her death, and 4 braids 1.5" in diameter and almost 40" long were donated to Locks of Love to make wigs for others undergoing treatment for cancer.
Julie graduated in 1995 with a bachelorís degree in psychology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she also worked. Local fan and work-study student Chris-Rachel Oseland recommended Julie for the ìassistant to Rickî position at Communiversity, where she took what was a secretarial/office manager job and turned it into something much more. For many conveners, she was the go-to person in the office, the one who would make sure their concerns were addressed and problems solved. She also was a tireless booster for Communiversity, constantly nudging people about teaching classes.
The last time I spoke with Julie was Memorial Day weekend, at our local science fiction convention. I walked up to her in the con suite, not sure what to say, and the first thing she said to me was ìI want you to do my eulogy.î She then insisted I try some wine she had discovered on the trip she'd just taken back east. I could no more refuse one than the other. I watched her hold court in our room for several hours, chatting with friends, and was just amazed by her relentlessly upbeat attitude. She didn't try to deny or hide her condition, but put everyone else at ease with a constant stream of jokes and snarky comments. In other words, she was herself.
This attitude extended to the very end. One of Bob's updates discussed part of her treatment:
We had the oxygen systems brought in and hooked her up. . . . Itís pretty clear Julie doesnít like it. In a fleeting moment of clarity, she asked if anyone was benefitting from the oxygen treatment. Told her it made me feel better and she seemed content with that. Even this close to the end, sheís still trying to put my needs ahead of her own. I continue to be humbled by her compassion and bravery
(memories)
We have come here today to celebrate, with tears and laughter, the life of Julie Hise, to share with friends and family our memories of her and the joy she brought to our lives. The sorrow and pain we feel will slowly subside. But as long as we keep the memory of Julie a part of our hearts and minds, she will be with us. I hope that her family can take some comfort in knowing how important Julie was to us, and in seeing how many lives she touched. If we can all strive to take some of that energy and compassion that Julie had, and apply it to how we live our lives, and affect the lives of others, that will be the greatest tribute of all.
Following the part when people came up to share their stories of Julie, we played "When I Go," by Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. Here's a live performance of this powerful song.
Don't know what I'm going to do toomorrow, with no pressing items on the agenda for the first time since May. I'mm sure I'll think of something.
*Sadly, not uplifed, otherwise it could have bee multilingual without human intercession
**René was kind enough to call me this evening to let me know he had made changes to the book, and as I imagined some horrible error I had made, he told me the printer had asked us to add four pages to finish out the last signature, so he'd put four pages headed "Autographs" at the end. Very sweet of him to let me know, but I nearly had heart failure
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 05:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 09:16 am (UTC)As for tomorrow? I recommend sleep, comfort, and indulgence.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 11:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 12:47 pm (UTC)I remember when mom died I asked Dwight to do the service as he had done her wedding - he'd never done one before but I told him I wanted someone I trusted and that I knew mom trusted to do it.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 01:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-13 03:04 pm (UTC)Add the phrase "Je ne parle pas français" to your vocabulary. It's worth it.