A handy-dandy OVFF survival guide.
Every year there are a lot of people who will be attending OVFF for the first time, and some of them either read my journal or occasionally get pointed here for tips and giggles. Hello, and welcome! Since I love knowing that people are enjoying my favorite conventions, and want you to have the best convention experience that you possibly can, I've prepared this handy-dandy OVFF survival guide. See? It's both handy and dandy, and that means it must be good! This guide will include tips on:
* Reaching the convention alive.
* Getting a hotel room.
* Enjoying/surviving the con.
* Things to do.
* Eating food.
* Staying healthy and sane.
It will also be heavily biased towards my own opinions on all these things, because hello, so totally me. But I'm honest about my biases, and I'll be factual whenever it's fact, rather than opinion. (In short, don't expect me to falsify hotel room rates to suit my own ideas of 'fair', but don't expect me to recommend a good Indian place, either.)
Ready? Okay!
Introduction: What is OVFF?
Well, if you're reading this guide, I'm going to sort of assume you know the answer, but just for the sake of clarity, OVFF is the Ohio Valley Filk Festival, a large filk music convention held annually in Dublin, Ohio. OVFF used to be held over Halloween weekend. For the last few years, it's been bumped forward a weekend, and this year's convention is happening on the weekend of October 24th through the 26th. Contrary to rumor, this is not because the convention hotel is haunted by evil spirits. It's just that we got tired of conflicting with the assorted Witches' Balls, and decided that changing weekends was better than being turned into a bunch of frogs.
Due to its central location, OVFF attracts filkers from both sides of the country, as well as Canada, and this sheer density of personality, talent, and amazing coolness then proceeds to act like a vortex, sucking filkers from around the world into its gaping maw. Which is really more complimentary than it sounds.
Basically, OVFF is a weekend-long party, a celebration of music and madness from all around the country and the world, an excuse to see your dearest friends, hear songs you've never heard before, meet new people, make new friends, and generally just a chance to get down with yourself in a way that is all too rare in the modern world. It's an exit, an escape, and a damn good time. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves music and doesn't live inside a plastic bubble. And if you live inside a plastic bubble, you're totally welcome to bring it with you.
You will need a membership to attend the convention. These can be purchased before the convention or at the convention. Memberships are cheaper before the convention, up until October 1st, at which point they start costing the same in advance or at the door (it's too late to pre-order now, but this may help you for next year). You will be able to put stickers on your badge if it makes you happy. This makes a lot of people happy. Your membership includes admission to all convention events, with the exception of the Pegasus Banquet. I will explain in more detail later.
Part I: Travel.
Unless you have a magical teleportation machine (and why aren't you sharing?), you'll probably have to travel at least a little to reach the convention. Let me help you figure out how to do that.
Where is OVFF?
OVFF is located in Dublin, Ohio, in the Clarion Dublin Hotel.
How do I get there?
You can reach OVFF through a variety of methods. Many people drive; I carpooled in from Indianapolis once, and know folks who drive from all over the East Coast. This is a convenient way of reaching the con if you need to bring more stuff than a plane allows, or just want to be more mobile during the convention. The hotel does provide parking, if you need a place to stow your car. At least one person is coming to this year's OVFF by Greyhound bus, although this method requires finding someone with one of the aforementioned cars to help you make it the rest of the way.
By far, the most common method of reaching OVFF is by plane. The nearest airport is Columbus, Ohio, airport code CMH. Most airlines run their specials to Ohio during the latter part of September, but it's still possible to get tickets now. If you need a last-minute flight, you might want to try one of the following sites:
Cheap Tickets.
Travelocity.
Orbitz.
Obviously, none of these sites are endorsed by the convention, and no one can guarantee you any real luck, but I've found them to be useful. All three will offer to find you a hotel room; politely refuse. You're going to want to book your own room, through the convention hotel. This both helps you get a good rate, and helps OVFF guarantee their room block (we'll discuss this more a little later).
Plane fares will vary depending on where in the country or world you're starting out, and there's no way to guarantee that what you get will be 'the best.' I recommend determining what you want to pay, and what you can pay, and then watching the fares until they give you something you like. The final price jump usually happens about a week before the convention. Remember that current gas prices have things a little scrambled.
Once you have reached the airport, you're going to need to arrange for a ride, as there isn't a reliable shuttle. You can take a taxi -- and if you split it several ways, this isn't overly expensive -- or you can arrange for a private ride ahead of time. You're on your own with this one. I usually try to hook up with somebody who has a rental car, and recommend that if you have a large (three or more) group of people, you obtain at least one vehicle for your personal use. It'll make the con a lot easier on you.
How do I actually find the hotel?
You can use the address to pull driving directions off a variety of services (or get them from the OVFF website). Here:
600 Metro Place North,
Dublin, OH
USA 43217
The hotel is located on the northwest side of Columbus, Ohio, just south of Route 161 and Frantz Road, and just off of the I-270 outer belt. If you're going the right way, you'll probably see a lot of Canada geese.
Also, any decent taxi or shuttle driver will be able to get you there without so much as blinking.
What if I get lost?
If you get lost, call someone. I recommend calling the hotel, since it knows where it is, and your friend who happens to already be at the convention, such as me, may not really know much beyond 'um, turn right so that you pass the big artificial lake'. The hotel phone number is:
(614) 764-2200
Please do not call them to ask where your marbles are. They honestly don't know.
Part II: Hotel.
If you're local or living in an RV, you won't need a hotel room, but you should still read this section, since you'll be spending a lot of time in the hotel, whether you're sleeping there or not. Seriously.
How do I get a hotel room?
To book your hotel room, call the Clarion Dublin Hotel, at:
(614) 764-2200
The convention room rate is $94.95 per night. This does not include taxes or tips. It doesn't change when you add extra people, either, so you can split it as many ways as you like. (Please note that the legal limit is four adults. Which means that if you have more people in your room than that, you really shouldn't talk about it where the hotel staff can hear you.)
Please note that the convention room rate is not guaranteed for rooms reserved after September 28th. If you make a reservation now, you'll be dealing with the national chain, and may or may not get the 'good' rate. You may want to ask around and see if you can find someone to room with. If you are making a new reservation, despite the lateness of the hour, we would like the rooms around 150 blocked with OVFF members so that we can make noise in that room later in the evening. When you call to reserve a room for OVFF, please request a specific room number. The most necessary rooms to block are:
154, 148, 155, 153, 252, 250, 248, 253, 251. Rooms 235-265 and 167-173 are smoking rooms, so if you have allergies, you don't want to be in one of these.
If the above rooms are already reserved, please request a room number nearby.
What do I get with my hotel room?
The standards, first off: a place to sleep, hot running water whenever you want it, and a place to store your stuff. That said, you also get access to the hotel pool and workout room, and two free tickets to the breakfast buffet for every night that you stay there. (Additional breakfasts can be purchased at the restaurant for $11 each.)
There is free wired Internet access in the rooms, and there are wifi hot spots located in the lobby and the restaurant.
Tell me more about the pool and workout room.
The pool is indoors, and heated, which makes it wonderful even during the chill of an Ohio October. There isn't a real shallow end, and there is no lifeguard on-duty, so it's not a good place to dump the kids and wander away from. There are deck chairs. I tend to lounge in them. There is no hot tub, which may not seem unusual to anyone who isn't from California, but is notable if you happen to be me.
They do not over-chlorinate, and the water has never turned my hair green.
The workout room is small, with the usual assortment of small hotel 'treadmill, television, resistance machine' equipment. But it's there, and you can use it, and it's better than running laps around the halls and frightening the maids.
I can't afford to room by myself.
OVFF is a great place to meet new people, sometimes by sharing a room with them! While the convention doesn't presently offer an official 'roommate dating service,' you can often find people who need OVFF roommates by posting in your LJ, or by visiting one of the filk mailing lists. Filkers are generally very helpful people, and if there's someone out there willing to vouch for you not being insane, you can probably find someone to share with.
If you've never shared a hotel room before, please, be upfront with your needs, and with any disadvantages that might come from sharing with you. For example, I am a very light sleeper, and require quiet during my sleeping periods (possible disadvantage). I don't smoke or snore (advantages), although I will room with smokers. I need half a bed, and will share with members of either gender. By putting things clearly, I increase my odds of finding a roommate.
You mentioned that tips weren't included in the room rate. What tips?
Okay. Here's the thing: if you stay in a hotel room, someone has to clean up your mess. Even if you don't let the maids in once during your stay, they're going to have to clean the place after you go. Tip your maids. Tip them whatever you can. They're nice, hard-working people who spend their days wallowing in the filth of others, and given what I've seen filkers do to hotel rooms, they deserve a little love and compassion. Tip your maids. Tip them in quarters if you have to. Call it a charge to karma, and tip your maids.
Part III: Packing for OVFF.
So you've decided to come to the convention -- that rocks! Yay! You have a means of transportation, and you have a hotel room (or an RV). Now what happens?
Now you pack.
The weather outside.
The weather in Columbus in October is usually briskly chilly, but not freezing -- think a Seattle December, or a September in New Jersey. Now, please note the word 'usually.' I have seen snow at OVFF. I have seen sleeting rain at OVFF. I highly recommend checking the weather forecast before you go, and bringing a warm coat, Just In Case.
Also remember that cold is a very subjective thing. As a Californian, I chill at a rate which causes my hardier friends from Canada to laugh at me in a gently mocking way. If you come from a warm climate, bring extra warm clothing. I recommend hitting your local Target (or equivalent), and investing twenty dollars in thermal pants to wear beneath your jeans. You'll be substantially happier if you never have to explain that you're doing the potty dance because your legs are frozen solid. Scarves and gloves are your good, good friends.
Inside the hotel.
It's going to be warmer inside the hotel. Much, much warmer. Not 'oh good gods, I'm going to die of hot,' but definitely cozy; I've been known to spend a good portion of the weekend in tank tops and thin pants. Bring clothes that you're comfortable sitting down and hanging out in, things that you like, and that wear well. Bring comfortable shoes or attractive socks that you feel like showing off when you inevitably kick your shoes off. Please remember that you'll be doing a lot of walking over the course of the weekend, and don't plan to spend three days solid wearing heels.
Just to make things more fun, sometimes they turn the air conditioning on, and then it gets colder inside the hotel. Much, much colder. Bring a sweater or light indoor jacket, just in case you get the chills. This happens especially in large rooms, such as the main concert room, and you don't want to miss the big events just because you're chilly!
Bring a swimsuit if you think you might want to swim. Nothing is sadder than seeing everyone else having fun in the pool, and not having the option, even if you want it.
The necessities.
It's silly of me to say all of this, but I'm saying it anyway, since some people have never been to a convention before:
Bring something comfortable to sleep in, not just your best lace teddy. Bring one pair of underwear more than you actually need, because you may sweat a lot, and clean clothes will make you feel better. Ditto socks. Girls, bring an extra bra. If you plan to work out, bring a set of workout clothing, and a plastic bag to put it in, to keep it away from the rest of your clothes.
There are stores in Columbus -- shocking, I know -- but you'll be happier if you don't have to shop, so bring your toiletries. This should include, minimum, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush of some sort, and deodorant. The hotel will supply little soaps, shampoos and conditioners. I, personally, don't like to use these, and travel with my own shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. This is because I am very girly, but also because I like to have control over my cosmetics.
You can get travel-sized bottles of most common shampoos, conditioners, and shower gel brands at any given super- or drugstore, such as Target, WalMart, or Longs. They also sell little bottles that you can put any liquid cosmetic into, for handy travel purposes. Lush sells solid shampoos that are divine for taking to conventions, because they don't spill.
If you're a light sleeper, bring earplugs.
If you have a tendency to injure yourself, bring supplies. I never travel without an Ace bandage and a jar of muscle relaxant, such as Tiger Balm or Blue Emu Oil.
Pack your basic painkillers, such as aspirin and Midol. If your period is looming, pack supplies. And remember that your nutrition is likely to suffer during a convention; if you take any vitamins or dietary supplements, be sure to measure them out before you go, and bring a supply for the weekend. If you have allergies or medical conditions which may require medication, be sure to bring whatever it is you need, as no one else is guaranteed to have them along, and no one wants to swell up like a blueberry because they accidentally ate the wrong thing.
The extras.
If you're a musician, remember to bring the things you need to make music, whatever they may be. You can probably find someone to loan you a guitar -- we're nice like that -- but no one is going to be able to loan you your personal songbook, or your magical lucky harmonic. Forgetting your music when you're going to a convention about music sort of sucks. Bring spare strings, if whatever you play has strings. If you're a guitarist, remember your capo and picks.
You may or may not have much downtime, but everyone needs to detox now and then. I recommend that you bring a book you want to read, a book you know you like, a portable music player of some sort, and a variety of music for the same. If you draw, bring a sketchbook, and if you write, bring a notebook. Bring a writing implement of some sort.
Also, there is a dealer's room, and it probably will have things you want. Bring cash and/or your checkbook, and decide ahead of time how much you have to spend. You'll be happier that way.
Part IV: OVFF!
Getting to the convention.
When you arrive at the convention, you're going to need to pick up your badge. Assuming that you've entered through the main lobby, you reach registration by going to the hallway at the back of the room, turning right, and then following the somewhat windy route all the way to the rear of the hotel. The registration desk is there. If you've already registered, they'll have your badge. If you haven't, you'll need to give them money. Either way, they're nice people, and they don't bite.
Registration opens on Friday, whenever they finish setting up, and will be open throughout the weekend. They may occasionally move into the main concert room (right next door), but when they do, they leave signs clearly posted, so that you can find them.
Registration is also where you'll get your program book, which includes a schedule for the weekend, and where you can sign up for the songwriting contests, trick or treat goody bags, and Sunday night dinner run. If you want to attend the Pegasus Banquet, you'll buy your ticket here.
Thursday night.
Thursday night has at last been officially declared a part of the convention! Over the past several years, more and more people have taken to arriving early, so that they can hang out in the hotel lobby and see their friends arrive. This is a great time to meet people, since programming hasn't officially started yet, and no one has anything they absolutely have to be doing. Folks tend to start collecting around six or seven, and stay until they get tired.
While there's no guarantee that anyone will be arrive Thursday night, it's happened pretty reliably, and this year we'll actually have a filk room at our disposal. If you're around, drop by!
Friday morning and afternoon.
This is when the con really gets started, although programming doesn't kick in until mid-afternoon. People are around and in the halls, everyone's excited, everyone's rarin' to go. Most people arrive during this window. If you're looking for people to talk to, watch for the folks in the bright orange shirts saying 'New to Filk?'. They're our official greeters, and they'll be glad to chat. Otherwise, just say hello, engage people in conversation, and generally relax.
Somewhere in this window, the con suite will open. The con suite rules. It's basically a room set up for conversation and food, and people will gather there throughout the weekend. There are games. There are tables. There are free drinks. You can hang out as long as you like, meeting people, swapping stories, and having snacks. There is absolutely no bad here. If you don't know what to do with yourself, go to the con suite.
Friday night.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! By Friday night, programming is hopping, the con suite and registration are both open, and it's time for the Pegasus Concert. This is the event wherein all the nominees for this year's Pegasus Awards are presented for your listening pleasure, performed by folks who have come from near and far to entertain you. Pegasus ballots will be provided for at-con voting, and the folks responsible for counting the votes will spend the rest of the night making themselves crazy with numbers. Enormous fun.
For a full guide to Friday night programming, see your program book.
Saturday.
Saturday is the 'big' day at OVFF. Check your program book, because the offerings change from year to year. This is traditionally when you'll get the Guest of Honor, Interfilk, and Toastmaster concerts, as well as at least one of the songwriting contests. This is also when you'll get the Interfilk auction and the Pegasus Banquet. Let's look at both of those a little more deeply.
The auction.
Interfilk is the filk charity -- an organization dedicated to spreading filk and filkers around the country, cross-pollinating like some sort of crazed genetics project. To make this easier, they hold auctions at every North American filk convention, including OVFF.
At the surface, Interfilk auctions are simple. Items for the silent auction will be on display at the back of the main room on Friday night and on Saturday before the auction. If an item gets a certain number of bids, it goes to voice auction; if not, it goes to the highest bidder. The voice auction is hosted at OVFF by a state-certified auctioneer, who keeps things popping. Pretty easy, right?
Sure, except for the part where the items in the auction re-define 'weird'. We're fans, remember? Books, CDs, jewelry, fun T-shirts, and chocolate are common...but so are pre-release recordings, tapes of conventions, really weird books, oddly-shaped lemons...you name it, we've had it. It gets bizarre, and the bidding gets pretty heated.
To drive the prices up, we have runners, called 'wenches': attractive female filkers dressed in skimpy clothing, carrying the items from bidder to bidder. If you bid enough, you may wind up with a wench in your lap. Be prepared.
If you'd like to make a donation to Interfilk, you can find information detailing how to do so on the Interfilk web site.
The banquet.
The one event not included in your OVFF membership is the Pegasus Banquet, where the Pegasus Awards for the year are announced, and any winners who actually happen to be present stare in stunned silence. A menu for the banquet -- it changes from year to year -- is generally available at Registration. Tickets are limited, so sign up early if you want to go. Ticket prices will be available at Registration.
Sunday.
By Sunday, no one has slept much. Many of us look shell-shocked but happy. For a full guide to Sunday programming, see your program book.
The Sunday night dinner run.
Every Sunday night, whoever is left at the convention goes out to dinner. I love this. This is brilliant. There will be a sign-up sheet at Registration, so that people without cars can find rides, and people with cars can offer them.
For the last several years, we've gone to BD's, which is the best Mongolian barbecue in the world. Come to this. You won't regret it.
Open filking.
Throughout the weekend, you'll find open filking. Big circles. Small circles. Short circles. Tall circles. Sitting in the hall circles. It's all there, it's all brilliant, and it's all waiting for you. Open filking will usually run straight through until dawn.
Do: find a circle that you're comfortable with. Big or small, whatever suits you is perfect. Sing, if you want to! If you're having trouble breaking in, ask someone for help. It can get rowdy, especially on Saturday night, but if you get someone to hit a power chord on their guitar, you can usually break in. Wait your turn. Don't come into a busy circle and expect to be the next one to sing. Pay attention to the mood. If everyone is singing sad songs, they may not welcome your happy song about cheery bunnies. Either wait for the mood to shift naturally, or go find a happy circle. Keep an eye on the time. If you want to make the yoga class at ten, go to bed before six.
Don't: stay in a circle that's making you miserable. That's why we have six of them going through most of the convention. Be afraid to start your own circle. If nothing makes you happy, grab five friends and an open room, and go to town! Be a filk-hog. As a rule of thumb, you want to wait until at least half the people in the room have had a chance to sing before you try to go again. Stay up too late -- you're likely to get carved into a jack-o-lantern if you turn into a pumpkin!
Big fun for everyone!
The Dead Dog.
Although the convention officially 'ends' on Sunday afternoon, we have one last big filk circle after the Sunday night dinner run: the Dead Dog, where we all cram into one little room and sing our happy hearts out. This circle starts huge and shrinks throughout the night, as people head home or off to bed. It's well-worth staying for.
Part V: Staying alive.
Wow. That's a lot of stuff, isn't it? Here are some tips for staying upright.
Pace yourself.
Look at the available events, and decide what you really want to do. Rank things, and come up with a basic game plan. You can do this daily, hourly, or just once, on Friday, but you really, really want to, because otherwise, you'll blink and realize that you haven't eaten or slept in three days. And that would be a bad thing. Very bad.
Sleep.
The human body needs more sleep than it gets on a regular basis. Note that a filk convention is anything but 'a regular basis.' Know your own needs. I can't function on less than six hours; if I need to be up and active by ten, I have to go to bed by four, period. If you can manage four hours, more power to you. Just be aware of what you, personally, require, and make sure that you get it.
Eat.
As a rule of thumb, the rule is 'six and two' -- you either need six hours of sleep, and two meals, or two hours of sleep, and six meals. Make sure you eat. Better yet, make sure you eat food. Candy corn is tasty, but not nutritious. You need to eat green things, things made with protein, and things that are not sugar. I'll try to help you out with that a little later on in this guide, but in the end, it's your responsibility.
Drink.
You need six glasses of water a day -- that's a liter and a half, minimum. You can get some of that from coffee and tea, but the fact of the matter is, you need water. The air in hotels is dehydrating, which means that it sucks the water out of you. Soda doesn't replace that. Try to drink some water every day, for the sake of your health. You'll feel substantially better if you do.
Bathe.
This is for you, and for everyone around you. Bathe. Go into your hotel room, turn on the hot water, and use it, combined with soap, to remove sweat and dead skin from your body. You'll feel better, and you'll smell better, and people will enjoy your company more. (A handy tip: I always pack a few extra outfits, and change my clothes if I start to feel overheated or grimy. It extends the wear of your clothing, and keeps you feeling better, longer.) You may find that you feel better when you shower three or four times a day, and hey! No one will stop you.
Monitor your mood.
Sometimes, the throng of people can be overwhelming, especially if you're naturally shy. It's okay to go off and be by yourself for a little while! No one will punish you. Take a nap, sit and read your book, or go for a cup of coffee, and let yourself relax. You don't have to be social all the time, and a few little breaks will help you feel like you've really lived the convention.
Part VI: Food.
Now, first off, I'd like to note that I am possibly the pickiest eater in the entire cosmos, and as such, this section will not help if what you want is, say, excellent Indian food. The convention provides a list of local restaurants that's going to be a lot more useful to you. No, this isn't about what to eat; it's about how to eat. There's a difference.
Meals.
Eat meals. Actual meals, not just snacks. This isn't just going to fuel your body; it's going to give your psyche a chance to snag a few vital minutes of downtime, and leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of the convention.
TIP: Most people treat dinner as their largest meal of the day. Most people are also fairly sedentary in the evenings. The activity at a filk convention is likely to run long after midnight, and sometimes even all the way to dawn. Don't overeat at dinner, as 'I missed the concerts due to food coma' is a little mortifying to admit. If you cut your meal in half and bring part of it back to the hotel in a to-go box, you not only keep yourself from dozing off, you have a handy midnight snack for that late-night sugar crash!
Eating at the hotel.
You'll probably eat at least one meal at the hotel, if only because you get free breakfast with your room. Yum! The hotel restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner, and sells the usual assortment of Americana and hotel-food classics -- salads, burgers, steaks and such. If you need food now, the hotel is a good way to get it.
Please check the posted hours carefully, as the restaurant does close down for several hours before the dinner rush.
The breakfast buffet.
The hotel's breakfast buffet is pretty comprehensive, and includes fruit, yogurt, small boxes of cereal, scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, milk, coffee, orange juice, fresh-made waffles, and omelets on demand. It isn't kosher, obviously, but it's filling, friendly, and a great way to socialize with other convention-goers in the early morning, since tables tend to fill and deflate in a great, slow pulse as people enter and exit.
TIP: Please, please, tip your waitress. Just because the breakfast is free, that doesn't mean that the staff isn't working hard to help you, and they do remember people who don't acknowledge their efforts. If you enjoy having your cup refilled every time it empties, reward the people who take care of you!
Organizing a food run.
There comes a time in every life where you just need to get out of the hotel. You can go by yourself if you have a car, or -- assuming that it's a normal mealtime -- you can try to put together a food run. Usually, just saying 'I'm going to _____' in a public place is enough to create a food run. You can also try arranging things ahead of time.
When making a food run, remember to take into account driving time, distance, number of people, and time of day. Hitting Max and Irma's on Saturday night with a group of fifteen is a good way to guarantee yourself a long wait, so don't do it if you need to be back at the hotel in time for something specific. Make sure to have a destination in mind before you go, as the convention is usually more interesting than driving randomly through downtown Columbus. Seriously. Native guides are useful things to have; anyone who's been to a few OVFFs in the past will count as a native guide.
Bringing things back to the hotel.
The hotel prefers that outside food be kept in private sleeping rooms or in the con suite. If you make a food run -- say, to Tim Horton's for timbits -- you should be sure to keep your food in one of these two areas whenever possible. It's just polite.
And no, that doesn't mean you'll get in trouble if someone sees you eating a granola bar in the hallway. Just that we're trying to be civil and adhere to the hotel's demands.
Groceries.
Sometimes you just want a damn apple already. There are a variety of grocery stores in and around the Dublin/Columbus area. There's a Kroeger's in easy (long) walking distance, for your basic supplies, and a Whole Foods on Sawmill, if what you really want is a bottle of pomegranate juice and some rye bread. Be sure to check around if you're heading for the store, as folks may want to come with you. Mmmmm, pomegranate juice.
Snacks.
Snacks rock, especially in a convention setting. Snacks keep your blood sugar up, and mean that you don't go psycho and kill us all with a capo. Please, snack.
Nuts, lunch meat, cheese, soy-based granola bars, and peanut butter are all good sources of protein. Protein provides your body with long-burning energy that can last substantially longer than simple sugars. Luna Bars are a good source of tasty soy protein, and are available in a lot of flavours.
Sliced fruit, chocolate, baked goods, candy corn, jelly beans, and jelly are all good sources of sugar and carbohydrates. Sugar and carbohydrates will provide your body with a quick burst of energy that can equalize you faster than protein, and -- when eaten in tandem with protein -- may allow you to keep going long enough for your body to break down that pesky turkey sandwich.
Yes, I am aware that by this formula, I have just claimed that peanut M&Ms are the perfect food.
If you have specific taste in snacks, bring them with you. I'll be bringing Luna Bars and an assortment of single-serving cakes, because I know I'll eat them, and they'll get me through the space between meals. I'll also be hitting Whole Foods for a bag of Gala apples, because I've actually met me. Know what you're likely to want, and make sure you can get it. By the time you're hungry enough to eat the concom, you've gone too long between meals.
TIP: If you're allergic to peanuts, there are other kinds of nut butter in the world! Most are available at Whole Foods, and may satisfy a childhood craving you'd forgotten that you had.
Drinks.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: water. Man does not survive by caffeine alone, and neither does woman, child, or cat. As a rule of thumb, drink a glass of water for every can of soda or two cups of coffee that you consume. This will help keep you balanced and prevent you from dehydrating.
TIP: The con suite will have drinks, but it may not have your drink. I only drink Diet Dr Pepper. I will thus be buying a supply from Kroeger's, because warm soda is better than no soda at all. If you have specific drink needs, take responsibility for fulfilling them.
Conclusion.
I hope this is helpful; I know I've skipped a lot of things, but, well, I was sort of starting to daunt myself. I can't wait to see you at the convention.
We're all going to have a wonderful time!
* Reaching the convention alive.
* Getting a hotel room.
* Enjoying/surviving the con.
* Things to do.
* Eating food.
* Staying healthy and sane.
It will also be heavily biased towards my own opinions on all these things, because hello, so totally me. But I'm honest about my biases, and I'll be factual whenever it's fact, rather than opinion. (In short, don't expect me to falsify hotel room rates to suit my own ideas of 'fair', but don't expect me to recommend a good Indian place, either.)
Ready? Okay!
Introduction: What is OVFF?
Well, if you're reading this guide, I'm going to sort of assume you know the answer, but just for the sake of clarity, OVFF is the Ohio Valley Filk Festival, a large filk music convention held annually in Dublin, Ohio. OVFF used to be held over Halloween weekend. For the last few years, it's been bumped forward a weekend, and this year's convention is happening on the weekend of October 24th through the 26th. Contrary to rumor, this is not because the convention hotel is haunted by evil spirits. It's just that we got tired of conflicting with the assorted Witches' Balls, and decided that changing weekends was better than being turned into a bunch of frogs.
Due to its central location, OVFF attracts filkers from both sides of the country, as well as Canada, and this sheer density of personality, talent, and amazing coolness then proceeds to act like a vortex, sucking filkers from around the world into its gaping maw. Which is really more complimentary than it sounds.
Basically, OVFF is a weekend-long party, a celebration of music and madness from all around the country and the world, an excuse to see your dearest friends, hear songs you've never heard before, meet new people, make new friends, and generally just a chance to get down with yourself in a way that is all too rare in the modern world. It's an exit, an escape, and a damn good time. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves music and doesn't live inside a plastic bubble. And if you live inside a plastic bubble, you're totally welcome to bring it with you.
You will need a membership to attend the convention. These can be purchased before the convention or at the convention. Memberships are cheaper before the convention, up until October 1st, at which point they start costing the same in advance or at the door (it's too late to pre-order now, but this may help you for next year). You will be able to put stickers on your badge if it makes you happy. This makes a lot of people happy. Your membership includes admission to all convention events, with the exception of the Pegasus Banquet. I will explain in more detail later.
Part I: Travel.
Unless you have a magical teleportation machine (and why aren't you sharing?), you'll probably have to travel at least a little to reach the convention. Let me help you figure out how to do that.
Where is OVFF?
OVFF is located in Dublin, Ohio, in the Clarion Dublin Hotel.
How do I get there?
You can reach OVFF through a variety of methods. Many people drive; I carpooled in from Indianapolis once, and know folks who drive from all over the East Coast. This is a convenient way of reaching the con if you need to bring more stuff than a plane allows, or just want to be more mobile during the convention. The hotel does provide parking, if you need a place to stow your car. At least one person is coming to this year's OVFF by Greyhound bus, although this method requires finding someone with one of the aforementioned cars to help you make it the rest of the way.
By far, the most common method of reaching OVFF is by plane. The nearest airport is Columbus, Ohio, airport code CMH. Most airlines run their specials to Ohio during the latter part of September, but it's still possible to get tickets now. If you need a last-minute flight, you might want to try one of the following sites:
Cheap Tickets.
Travelocity.
Orbitz.
Obviously, none of these sites are endorsed by the convention, and no one can guarantee you any real luck, but I've found them to be useful. All three will offer to find you a hotel room; politely refuse. You're going to want to book your own room, through the convention hotel. This both helps you get a good rate, and helps OVFF guarantee their room block (we'll discuss this more a little later).
Plane fares will vary depending on where in the country or world you're starting out, and there's no way to guarantee that what you get will be 'the best.' I recommend determining what you want to pay, and what you can pay, and then watching the fares until they give you something you like. The final price jump usually happens about a week before the convention. Remember that current gas prices have things a little scrambled.
Once you have reached the airport, you're going to need to arrange for a ride, as there isn't a reliable shuttle. You can take a taxi -- and if you split it several ways, this isn't overly expensive -- or you can arrange for a private ride ahead of time. You're on your own with this one. I usually try to hook up with somebody who has a rental car, and recommend that if you have a large (three or more) group of people, you obtain at least one vehicle for your personal use. It'll make the con a lot easier on you.
How do I actually find the hotel?
You can use the address to pull driving directions off a variety of services (or get them from the OVFF website). Here:
600 Metro Place North,
Dublin, OH
USA 43217
The hotel is located on the northwest side of Columbus, Ohio, just south of Route 161 and Frantz Road, and just off of the I-270 outer belt. If you're going the right way, you'll probably see a lot of Canada geese.
Also, any decent taxi or shuttle driver will be able to get you there without so much as blinking.
What if I get lost?
If you get lost, call someone. I recommend calling the hotel, since it knows where it is, and your friend who happens to already be at the convention, such as me, may not really know much beyond 'um, turn right so that you pass the big artificial lake'. The hotel phone number is:
(614) 764-2200
Please do not call them to ask where your marbles are. They honestly don't know.
Part II: Hotel.
If you're local or living in an RV, you won't need a hotel room, but you should still read this section, since you'll be spending a lot of time in the hotel, whether you're sleeping there or not. Seriously.
How do I get a hotel room?
To book your hotel room, call the Clarion Dublin Hotel, at:
(614) 764-2200
The convention room rate is $94.95 per night. This does not include taxes or tips. It doesn't change when you add extra people, either, so you can split it as many ways as you like. (Please note that the legal limit is four adults. Which means that if you have more people in your room than that, you really shouldn't talk about it where the hotel staff can hear you.)
Please note that the convention room rate is not guaranteed for rooms reserved after September 28th. If you make a reservation now, you'll be dealing with the national chain, and may or may not get the 'good' rate. You may want to ask around and see if you can find someone to room with. If you are making a new reservation, despite the lateness of the hour, we would like the rooms around 150 blocked with OVFF members so that we can make noise in that room later in the evening. When you call to reserve a room for OVFF, please request a specific room number. The most necessary rooms to block are:
154, 148, 155, 153, 252, 250, 248, 253, 251. Rooms 235-265 and 167-173 are smoking rooms, so if you have allergies, you don't want to be in one of these.
If the above rooms are already reserved, please request a room number nearby.
What do I get with my hotel room?
The standards, first off: a place to sleep, hot running water whenever you want it, and a place to store your stuff. That said, you also get access to the hotel pool and workout room, and two free tickets to the breakfast buffet for every night that you stay there. (Additional breakfasts can be purchased at the restaurant for $11 each.)
There is free wired Internet access in the rooms, and there are wifi hot spots located in the lobby and the restaurant.
Tell me more about the pool and workout room.
The pool is indoors, and heated, which makes it wonderful even during the chill of an Ohio October. There isn't a real shallow end, and there is no lifeguard on-duty, so it's not a good place to dump the kids and wander away from. There are deck chairs. I tend to lounge in them. There is no hot tub, which may not seem unusual to anyone who isn't from California, but is notable if you happen to be me.
They do not over-chlorinate, and the water has never turned my hair green.
The workout room is small, with the usual assortment of small hotel 'treadmill, television, resistance machine' equipment. But it's there, and you can use it, and it's better than running laps around the halls and frightening the maids.
I can't afford to room by myself.
OVFF is a great place to meet new people, sometimes by sharing a room with them! While the convention doesn't presently offer an official 'roommate dating service,' you can often find people who need OVFF roommates by posting in your LJ, or by visiting one of the filk mailing lists. Filkers are generally very helpful people, and if there's someone out there willing to vouch for you not being insane, you can probably find someone to share with.
If you've never shared a hotel room before, please, be upfront with your needs, and with any disadvantages that might come from sharing with you. For example, I am a very light sleeper, and require quiet during my sleeping periods (possible disadvantage). I don't smoke or snore (advantages), although I will room with smokers. I need half a bed, and will share with members of either gender. By putting things clearly, I increase my odds of finding a roommate.
You mentioned that tips weren't included in the room rate. What tips?
Okay. Here's the thing: if you stay in a hotel room, someone has to clean up your mess. Even if you don't let the maids in once during your stay, they're going to have to clean the place after you go. Tip your maids. Tip them whatever you can. They're nice, hard-working people who spend their days wallowing in the filth of others, and given what I've seen filkers do to hotel rooms, they deserve a little love and compassion. Tip your maids. Tip them in quarters if you have to. Call it a charge to karma, and tip your maids.
Part III: Packing for OVFF.
So you've decided to come to the convention -- that rocks! Yay! You have a means of transportation, and you have a hotel room (or an RV). Now what happens?
Now you pack.
The weather outside.
The weather in Columbus in October is usually briskly chilly, but not freezing -- think a Seattle December, or a September in New Jersey. Now, please note the word 'usually.' I have seen snow at OVFF. I have seen sleeting rain at OVFF. I highly recommend checking the weather forecast before you go, and bringing a warm coat, Just In Case.
Also remember that cold is a very subjective thing. As a Californian, I chill at a rate which causes my hardier friends from Canada to laugh at me in a gently mocking way. If you come from a warm climate, bring extra warm clothing. I recommend hitting your local Target (or equivalent), and investing twenty dollars in thermal pants to wear beneath your jeans. You'll be substantially happier if you never have to explain that you're doing the potty dance because your legs are frozen solid. Scarves and gloves are your good, good friends.
Inside the hotel.
It's going to be warmer inside the hotel. Much, much warmer. Not 'oh good gods, I'm going to die of hot,' but definitely cozy; I've been known to spend a good portion of the weekend in tank tops and thin pants. Bring clothes that you're comfortable sitting down and hanging out in, things that you like, and that wear well. Bring comfortable shoes or attractive socks that you feel like showing off when you inevitably kick your shoes off. Please remember that you'll be doing a lot of walking over the course of the weekend, and don't plan to spend three days solid wearing heels.
Just to make things more fun, sometimes they turn the air conditioning on, and then it gets colder inside the hotel. Much, much colder. Bring a sweater or light indoor jacket, just in case you get the chills. This happens especially in large rooms, such as the main concert room, and you don't want to miss the big events just because you're chilly!
Bring a swimsuit if you think you might want to swim. Nothing is sadder than seeing everyone else having fun in the pool, and not having the option, even if you want it.
The necessities.
It's silly of me to say all of this, but I'm saying it anyway, since some people have never been to a convention before:
Bring something comfortable to sleep in, not just your best lace teddy. Bring one pair of underwear more than you actually need, because you may sweat a lot, and clean clothes will make you feel better. Ditto socks. Girls, bring an extra bra. If you plan to work out, bring a set of workout clothing, and a plastic bag to put it in, to keep it away from the rest of your clothes.
There are stores in Columbus -- shocking, I know -- but you'll be happier if you don't have to shop, so bring your toiletries. This should include, minimum, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a hairbrush of some sort, and deodorant. The hotel will supply little soaps, shampoos and conditioners. I, personally, don't like to use these, and travel with my own shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. This is because I am very girly, but also because I like to have control over my cosmetics.
You can get travel-sized bottles of most common shampoos, conditioners, and shower gel brands at any given super- or drugstore, such as Target, WalMart, or Longs. They also sell little bottles that you can put any liquid cosmetic into, for handy travel purposes. Lush sells solid shampoos that are divine for taking to conventions, because they don't spill.
If you're a light sleeper, bring earplugs.
If you have a tendency to injure yourself, bring supplies. I never travel without an Ace bandage and a jar of muscle relaxant, such as Tiger Balm or Blue Emu Oil.
Pack your basic painkillers, such as aspirin and Midol. If your period is looming, pack supplies. And remember that your nutrition is likely to suffer during a convention; if you take any vitamins or dietary supplements, be sure to measure them out before you go, and bring a supply for the weekend. If you have allergies or medical conditions which may require medication, be sure to bring whatever it is you need, as no one else is guaranteed to have them along, and no one wants to swell up like a blueberry because they accidentally ate the wrong thing.
The extras.
If you're a musician, remember to bring the things you need to make music, whatever they may be. You can probably find someone to loan you a guitar -- we're nice like that -- but no one is going to be able to loan you your personal songbook, or your magical lucky harmonic. Forgetting your music when you're going to a convention about music sort of sucks. Bring spare strings, if whatever you play has strings. If you're a guitarist, remember your capo and picks.
You may or may not have much downtime, but everyone needs to detox now and then. I recommend that you bring a book you want to read, a book you know you like, a portable music player of some sort, and a variety of music for the same. If you draw, bring a sketchbook, and if you write, bring a notebook. Bring a writing implement of some sort.
Also, there is a dealer's room, and it probably will have things you want. Bring cash and/or your checkbook, and decide ahead of time how much you have to spend. You'll be happier that way.
Part IV: OVFF!
Getting to the convention.
When you arrive at the convention, you're going to need to pick up your badge. Assuming that you've entered through the main lobby, you reach registration by going to the hallway at the back of the room, turning right, and then following the somewhat windy route all the way to the rear of the hotel. The registration desk is there. If you've already registered, they'll have your badge. If you haven't, you'll need to give them money. Either way, they're nice people, and they don't bite.
Registration opens on Friday, whenever they finish setting up, and will be open throughout the weekend. They may occasionally move into the main concert room (right next door), but when they do, they leave signs clearly posted, so that you can find them.
Registration is also where you'll get your program book, which includes a schedule for the weekend, and where you can sign up for the songwriting contests, trick or treat goody bags, and Sunday night dinner run. If you want to attend the Pegasus Banquet, you'll buy your ticket here.
Thursday night.
Thursday night has at last been officially declared a part of the convention! Over the past several years, more and more people have taken to arriving early, so that they can hang out in the hotel lobby and see their friends arrive. This is a great time to meet people, since programming hasn't officially started yet, and no one has anything they absolutely have to be doing. Folks tend to start collecting around six or seven, and stay until they get tired.
While there's no guarantee that anyone will be arrive Thursday night, it's happened pretty reliably, and this year we'll actually have a filk room at our disposal. If you're around, drop by!
Friday morning and afternoon.
This is when the con really gets started, although programming doesn't kick in until mid-afternoon. People are around and in the halls, everyone's excited, everyone's rarin' to go. Most people arrive during this window. If you're looking for people to talk to, watch for the folks in the bright orange shirts saying 'New to Filk?'. They're our official greeters, and they'll be glad to chat. Otherwise, just say hello, engage people in conversation, and generally relax.
Somewhere in this window, the con suite will open. The con suite rules. It's basically a room set up for conversation and food, and people will gather there throughout the weekend. There are games. There are tables. There are free drinks. You can hang out as long as you like, meeting people, swapping stories, and having snacks. There is absolutely no bad here. If you don't know what to do with yourself, go to the con suite.
Friday night.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines! By Friday night, programming is hopping, the con suite and registration are both open, and it's time for the Pegasus Concert. This is the event wherein all the nominees for this year's Pegasus Awards are presented for your listening pleasure, performed by folks who have come from near and far to entertain you. Pegasus ballots will be provided for at-con voting, and the folks responsible for counting the votes will spend the rest of the night making themselves crazy with numbers. Enormous fun.
For a full guide to Friday night programming, see your program book.
Saturday.
Saturday is the 'big' day at OVFF. Check your program book, because the offerings change from year to year. This is traditionally when you'll get the Guest of Honor, Interfilk, and Toastmaster concerts, as well as at least one of the songwriting contests. This is also when you'll get the Interfilk auction and the Pegasus Banquet. Let's look at both of those a little more deeply.
The auction.
Interfilk is the filk charity -- an organization dedicated to spreading filk and filkers around the country, cross-pollinating like some sort of crazed genetics project. To make this easier, they hold auctions at every North American filk convention, including OVFF.
At the surface, Interfilk auctions are simple. Items for the silent auction will be on display at the back of the main room on Friday night and on Saturday before the auction. If an item gets a certain number of bids, it goes to voice auction; if not, it goes to the highest bidder. The voice auction is hosted at OVFF by a state-certified auctioneer, who keeps things popping. Pretty easy, right?
Sure, except for the part where the items in the auction re-define 'weird'. We're fans, remember? Books, CDs, jewelry, fun T-shirts, and chocolate are common...but so are pre-release recordings, tapes of conventions, really weird books, oddly-shaped lemons...you name it, we've had it. It gets bizarre, and the bidding gets pretty heated.
To drive the prices up, we have runners, called 'wenches': attractive female filkers dressed in skimpy clothing, carrying the items from bidder to bidder. If you bid enough, you may wind up with a wench in your lap. Be prepared.
If you'd like to make a donation to Interfilk, you can find information detailing how to do so on the Interfilk web site.
The banquet.
The one event not included in your OVFF membership is the Pegasus Banquet, where the Pegasus Awards for the year are announced, and any winners who actually happen to be present stare in stunned silence. A menu for the banquet -- it changes from year to year -- is generally available at Registration. Tickets are limited, so sign up early if you want to go. Ticket prices will be available at Registration.
Sunday.
By Sunday, no one has slept much. Many of us look shell-shocked but happy. For a full guide to Sunday programming, see your program book.
The Sunday night dinner run.
Every Sunday night, whoever is left at the convention goes out to dinner. I love this. This is brilliant. There will be a sign-up sheet at Registration, so that people without cars can find rides, and people with cars can offer them.
For the last several years, we've gone to BD's, which is the best Mongolian barbecue in the world. Come to this. You won't regret it.
Open filking.
Throughout the weekend, you'll find open filking. Big circles. Small circles. Short circles. Tall circles. Sitting in the hall circles. It's all there, it's all brilliant, and it's all waiting for you. Open filking will usually run straight through until dawn.
Do: find a circle that you're comfortable with. Big or small, whatever suits you is perfect. Sing, if you want to! If you're having trouble breaking in, ask someone for help. It can get rowdy, especially on Saturday night, but if you get someone to hit a power chord on their guitar, you can usually break in. Wait your turn. Don't come into a busy circle and expect to be the next one to sing. Pay attention to the mood. If everyone is singing sad songs, they may not welcome your happy song about cheery bunnies. Either wait for the mood to shift naturally, or go find a happy circle. Keep an eye on the time. If you want to make the yoga class at ten, go to bed before six.
Don't: stay in a circle that's making you miserable. That's why we have six of them going through most of the convention. Be afraid to start your own circle. If nothing makes you happy, grab five friends and an open room, and go to town! Be a filk-hog. As a rule of thumb, you want to wait until at least half the people in the room have had a chance to sing before you try to go again. Stay up too late -- you're likely to get carved into a jack-o-lantern if you turn into a pumpkin!
Big fun for everyone!
The Dead Dog.
Although the convention officially 'ends' on Sunday afternoon, we have one last big filk circle after the Sunday night dinner run: the Dead Dog, where we all cram into one little room and sing our happy hearts out. This circle starts huge and shrinks throughout the night, as people head home or off to bed. It's well-worth staying for.
Part V: Staying alive.
Wow. That's a lot of stuff, isn't it? Here are some tips for staying upright.
Pace yourself.
Look at the available events, and decide what you really want to do. Rank things, and come up with a basic game plan. You can do this daily, hourly, or just once, on Friday, but you really, really want to, because otherwise, you'll blink and realize that you haven't eaten or slept in three days. And that would be a bad thing. Very bad.
Sleep.
The human body needs more sleep than it gets on a regular basis. Note that a filk convention is anything but 'a regular basis.' Know your own needs. I can't function on less than six hours; if I need to be up and active by ten, I have to go to bed by four, period. If you can manage four hours, more power to you. Just be aware of what you, personally, require, and make sure that you get it.
Eat.
As a rule of thumb, the rule is 'six and two' -- you either need six hours of sleep, and two meals, or two hours of sleep, and six meals. Make sure you eat. Better yet, make sure you eat food. Candy corn is tasty, but not nutritious. You need to eat green things, things made with protein, and things that are not sugar. I'll try to help you out with that a little later on in this guide, but in the end, it's your responsibility.
Drink.
You need six glasses of water a day -- that's a liter and a half, minimum. You can get some of that from coffee and tea, but the fact of the matter is, you need water. The air in hotels is dehydrating, which means that it sucks the water out of you. Soda doesn't replace that. Try to drink some water every day, for the sake of your health. You'll feel substantially better if you do.
Bathe.
This is for you, and for everyone around you. Bathe. Go into your hotel room, turn on the hot water, and use it, combined with soap, to remove sweat and dead skin from your body. You'll feel better, and you'll smell better, and people will enjoy your company more. (A handy tip: I always pack a few extra outfits, and change my clothes if I start to feel overheated or grimy. It extends the wear of your clothing, and keeps you feeling better, longer.) You may find that you feel better when you shower three or four times a day, and hey! No one will stop you.
Monitor your mood.
Sometimes, the throng of people can be overwhelming, especially if you're naturally shy. It's okay to go off and be by yourself for a little while! No one will punish you. Take a nap, sit and read your book, or go for a cup of coffee, and let yourself relax. You don't have to be social all the time, and a few little breaks will help you feel like you've really lived the convention.
Part VI: Food.
Now, first off, I'd like to note that I am possibly the pickiest eater in the entire cosmos, and as such, this section will not help if what you want is, say, excellent Indian food. The convention provides a list of local restaurants that's going to be a lot more useful to you. No, this isn't about what to eat; it's about how to eat. There's a difference.
Meals.
Eat meals. Actual meals, not just snacks. This isn't just going to fuel your body; it's going to give your psyche a chance to snag a few vital minutes of downtime, and leave you feeling refreshed and ready for the rest of the convention.
TIP: Most people treat dinner as their largest meal of the day. Most people are also fairly sedentary in the evenings. The activity at a filk convention is likely to run long after midnight, and sometimes even all the way to dawn. Don't overeat at dinner, as 'I missed the concerts due to food coma' is a little mortifying to admit. If you cut your meal in half and bring part of it back to the hotel in a to-go box, you not only keep yourself from dozing off, you have a handy midnight snack for that late-night sugar crash!
Eating at the hotel.
You'll probably eat at least one meal at the hotel, if only because you get free breakfast with your room. Yum! The hotel restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner, and sells the usual assortment of Americana and hotel-food classics -- salads, burgers, steaks and such. If you need food now, the hotel is a good way to get it.
Please check the posted hours carefully, as the restaurant does close down for several hours before the dinner rush.
The breakfast buffet.
The hotel's breakfast buffet is pretty comprehensive, and includes fruit, yogurt, small boxes of cereal, scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, milk, coffee, orange juice, fresh-made waffles, and omelets on demand. It isn't kosher, obviously, but it's filling, friendly, and a great way to socialize with other convention-goers in the early morning, since tables tend to fill and deflate in a great, slow pulse as people enter and exit.
TIP: Please, please, tip your waitress. Just because the breakfast is free, that doesn't mean that the staff isn't working hard to help you, and they do remember people who don't acknowledge their efforts. If you enjoy having your cup refilled every time it empties, reward the people who take care of you!
Organizing a food run.
There comes a time in every life where you just need to get out of the hotel. You can go by yourself if you have a car, or -- assuming that it's a normal mealtime -- you can try to put together a food run. Usually, just saying 'I'm going to _____' in a public place is enough to create a food run. You can also try arranging things ahead of time.
When making a food run, remember to take into account driving time, distance, number of people, and time of day. Hitting Max and Irma's on Saturday night with a group of fifteen is a good way to guarantee yourself a long wait, so don't do it if you need to be back at the hotel in time for something specific. Make sure to have a destination in mind before you go, as the convention is usually more interesting than driving randomly through downtown Columbus. Seriously. Native guides are useful things to have; anyone who's been to a few OVFFs in the past will count as a native guide.
Bringing things back to the hotel.
The hotel prefers that outside food be kept in private sleeping rooms or in the con suite. If you make a food run -- say, to Tim Horton's for timbits -- you should be sure to keep your food in one of these two areas whenever possible. It's just polite.
And no, that doesn't mean you'll get in trouble if someone sees you eating a granola bar in the hallway. Just that we're trying to be civil and adhere to the hotel's demands.
Groceries.
Sometimes you just want a damn apple already. There are a variety of grocery stores in and around the Dublin/Columbus area. There's a Kroeger's in easy (long) walking distance, for your basic supplies, and a Whole Foods on Sawmill, if what you really want is a bottle of pomegranate juice and some rye bread. Be sure to check around if you're heading for the store, as folks may want to come with you. Mmmmm, pomegranate juice.
Snacks.
Snacks rock, especially in a convention setting. Snacks keep your blood sugar up, and mean that you don't go psycho and kill us all with a capo. Please, snack.
Nuts, lunch meat, cheese, soy-based granola bars, and peanut butter are all good sources of protein. Protein provides your body with long-burning energy that can last substantially longer than simple sugars. Luna Bars are a good source of tasty soy protein, and are available in a lot of flavours.
Sliced fruit, chocolate, baked goods, candy corn, jelly beans, and jelly are all good sources of sugar and carbohydrates. Sugar and carbohydrates will provide your body with a quick burst of energy that can equalize you faster than protein, and -- when eaten in tandem with protein -- may allow you to keep going long enough for your body to break down that pesky turkey sandwich.
Yes, I am aware that by this formula, I have just claimed that peanut M&Ms are the perfect food.
If you have specific taste in snacks, bring them with you. I'll be bringing Luna Bars and an assortment of single-serving cakes, because I know I'll eat them, and they'll get me through the space between meals. I'll also be hitting Whole Foods for a bag of Gala apples, because I've actually met me. Know what you're likely to want, and make sure you can get it. By the time you're hungry enough to eat the concom, you've gone too long between meals.
TIP: If you're allergic to peanuts, there are other kinds of nut butter in the world! Most are available at Whole Foods, and may satisfy a childhood craving you'd forgotten that you had.
Drinks.
I've said it before, I'll say it again: water. Man does not survive by caffeine alone, and neither does woman, child, or cat. As a rule of thumb, drink a glass of water for every can of soda or two cups of coffee that you consume. This will help keep you balanced and prevent you from dehydrating.
TIP: The con suite will have drinks, but it may not have your drink. I only drink Diet Dr Pepper. I will thus be buying a supply from Kroeger's, because warm soda is better than no soda at all. If you have specific drink needs, take responsibility for fulfilling them.
Conclusion.
I hope this is helpful; I know I've skipped a lot of things, but, well, I was sort of starting to daunt myself. I can't wait to see you at the convention.
We're all going to have a wonderful time!