May 27, 2012 23:43
It's bedtime for Phoenix Comic-Con, locking up and turning down the lights till next year. And there will be a next year, there's no doubt about that. Ooooh I could tell you more about What I Did This Weekend, but really it's the same old story. Get badge, catch up with friends, wander 'round taking pics, gaming, a couple parties and plenty of imbibing. An old story, but a classic, one that has yet to get old. Like Lord of the Rings or The Last Unicorn or The Joy of Sex. Wait, sorry, that last one wasn't a story, is it, more a guidebook. Well, more of a suggestion book. A suggestive suggestion book! But moving on.
The heat... it was so freaking hot all weekend. The only relief was at night, often on the hotel balcony outside a party in full swing, that is, if it wasn't being shut down twenty minutes after I finally get there. Bottled water was a constant companion, as well as my camera. The last convention, it ran out of memory space. This time, the batteries died midway through a Steampunk fashion show. Not that it made a difference, most of the pics I took of that show may not be salvageable even by Photoshop, I sorely need to get the hang of low-light indoor shooting when the subject is in motion where flashes aren't allowed. BUT! ANYWAY! I took a significant number of pics throughout the weekend, and learned a little more about just what this four year old camera can really do. And just what I'm capable of when I have a goal in mind.
Could've done without such a big crush of people all the time. The big, big, BIG drawback about these larger cons is the massive attendence. Understand, I like the energy and the sense of, call it community, that comes from so many people sharing similiar interests as me, but I really dislike the dodging and weaving and especially getting bumped into and jostled. But I put up with it because the trade-off is, to me, worth the aggravation. Roses have thorns, but that doesn't detract from its beauty, only warrants patience and careful handling rather than giving up and throwing it aside.
One thing that I will definitely miss, more so than any amount of alcohol, or corset-enhanced cleavage, will be that feeling of belonging. When I walked around downtown Phoenix, noticing the number of lanyard-wearers in regular and costume attire, it felt friggin' awesome. Like maybe I belonged here and now, that there were lots of people just like me.
I left for the last time in the afternoon. Didn't have a room so I was commuting anyway, and I'd done everything I wanted to do. Besides, I've always preferred to leave before they turn off the lights. Before the show is over, before the stage lights come on and the curtains close. If the last thing you see as you head out the door is the hustle, the bustle, everything going on just like it has yesterday and the day before, there's a little part of you that can believe that it'll never be over. And that it'll be waiting for you to come again, anytime. It makes the transition back to the mundane world easier.
On that note, there's photos to work on, and props and costumes to plan out. Only so much time till the next convention.:)