Aliza didn't get back from California until this morning. She came in at 5:30 and woke me up. I must have been in the middle of a dream or something, because I apparently was all freaked out and all like "whuzzat? whauzzat??". Then she got into bed and I pinned her down with my arm to stop her from disturbing me further, and went back to sleep.

APE (in San Francisco) was a good time - I browsed more than I usually do, and I bought a reasonable amount of things.

One thing I noticed was different at APE than at the East Coast conventions I usually go to, were that there were less people trying to give you the hard sell. At SPX you sometimes feel you have to rush around the convention hall with your head cast downward, so's as to not make eye-contact with someone who's going to try and push some crummy comic on you. Maybe it's a West Coast/Laid Back kind of thing, or maybe it's because the corridors between tables are actually kind of wide at APE, which gives you plenty of room to walk without coming too close to a table if you don't want to.

I actually don't think this is a good thing - some of the people I was hanging out with didn't sell as well as they do normally, and I don't like to see them lose money. I also actually think people should be pushy and obnoxious with their wares, otherwise why bother even making them, or even coming to the convention if you aren't going to get them into somebody's hands?

Sunday we went to Napa to tour winerys with an old high school pal of mine and his wife and newborn. I had a great time, and was also very impressed at my friend's seeming ability to have a child and still maintain an active social life. It made me feel very optimistic about a future that may involve having a family and still having friends and interests.

I can't sleep well on planes, so I feel like crap today, so I'm going to go home.