PAX East - Part 2
Friday night, we headed to the hotel. The cab driver we had from the airport to the hotel was amazing. He talked to us the whole way over, giving us ideas for places to eat and things to see while in town.
At the hotel, we check in, head up to the room. We decide that maybe all we want is food and to relax. After lounging on the bed, we head back downstairs. A short walk brings us to Legal Seafood.
This place was... fancy, low light, great ambiance. Our waiter was fantastic. His personality warm and welcoming. We started with drinks. Randy got a beer. He doesn't really like beer, but he keeps trying the mircobrews in hopes of finding one he likes. I got a mojito. The mojito came with a lime wedge and whole mint leaves sitting on the top. The alcohol content was higher than I expected, but so very good after a long day.
For appetizers, I had popcorn shrimp that came out with potato wedges. Randy had a sampler plate that had shrimp cocktail, sushi, and a few other things that I can't remember now. For dinner, I had a char that was the most amazing piece of fish I have ever had. Randy had a dish with mollusks and lobster. Then dessert. Oh. There was the most amazing cheesecake ever. It had a caramel sauce and tasted like heaven. Randy had bananas Foster, which was pretty damn amazing in its own right.
After dinner, we went back to the hotel and finally watched the Doctor Who Christmas special while I did some grading.
Saturday: We met up with Joe, Bill and Amy. Headed over to the Con on the shuttle. There was a creepy guy, trying to get people to pay five dollars a piece to get a ride over to the con. The van had tinted windows. And he just kept trying until someone finally gave in.
The convention center is huge. We came in on the first floor. People streaming in around us. The first thing we did was head down to the bottom floor. Randy and I picked up our lanyards and Swag bags. Then we hit up the expo floor for a bit of walking around. After getting separated in the crowds, we met up in Indy Alley. Then Amy and I went off to a couple panels.
The first one was about finding a writing or marketing job in the gaming field. I picked up some good information, and a couple ideas about what to do if this whole teaching thing doesn't pan out. There's a whole niche in gaming that's starting to open up. Educational games, not just for younger kids, like the ones that teaching reading and math, but older kids. Games that align with the teaching standards. It's a thing.
The second panel was focused on things you shouldn't do if you get into the gaming industry. The pitfalls as it were. Sleep and be social are the two biggest things I got from it.
The rest of the day we walked around, got food, hung out in the handheld lounge on gigantic beanbags. Then it was time to go stand on line for Scott and Kris after hours. The standing on line took much longer than anticipated, and we were all crowded together for about forty-five minutes before they let us in. After getting in, the fun began. Kris and Scott started drinking. The words started flowing. There's no good way to describe the chaos of the night but to say that it kept going for about three hours.
We went back to the hotel and finally got to sleep after 3:30am. The time change was amazing.
Sunday. Sunday was about collecting items and autographs. We got Gabe to sign the back of one of Randy's Moleskin notebooks. Then we walked around the expo floor. I wanted to get a new Catan game, Settlers of America, but we realized we wouldn't be able to take it on the plane without a bag. That took us to the Red vs Blue where we got a black shoulder bag and the latest DVD what was signed by Simmons and Griff.
Randy got a book at the Penny Arcade store. Then, we went upstairs to wait for Scott and Kris to get back from food to sign autographs. Randy got three books signed by each of them, and a picture. It's a nice picture. He has a picture with Gabe too.
The last thing we did of note before heading home was play the demo for the World of Warcraft card game. Then we bought five starter decks. The game is fun enough, and we don't need to be super competitive with it, like Magic.
The trip to the airport and flight home were uneventful. A good thing for sure, especially where the flying is concerned.
The plan, as it stands right now, is to get the hotel reservations as soon as possible to ensure we can go next year. I think we're flying out again. Not sure right now how exactly that will play out. First we need to get through the rest of the semester. Then we can worry about other things.
At the hotel, we check in, head up to the room. We decide that maybe all we want is food and to relax. After lounging on the bed, we head back downstairs. A short walk brings us to Legal Seafood.
This place was... fancy, low light, great ambiance. Our waiter was fantastic. His personality warm and welcoming. We started with drinks. Randy got a beer. He doesn't really like beer, but he keeps trying the mircobrews in hopes of finding one he likes. I got a mojito. The mojito came with a lime wedge and whole mint leaves sitting on the top. The alcohol content was higher than I expected, but so very good after a long day.
For appetizers, I had popcorn shrimp that came out with potato wedges. Randy had a sampler plate that had shrimp cocktail, sushi, and a few other things that I can't remember now. For dinner, I had a char that was the most amazing piece of fish I have ever had. Randy had a dish with mollusks and lobster. Then dessert. Oh. There was the most amazing cheesecake ever. It had a caramel sauce and tasted like heaven. Randy had bananas Foster, which was pretty damn amazing in its own right.
After dinner, we went back to the hotel and finally watched the Doctor Who Christmas special while I did some grading.
Saturday: We met up with Joe, Bill and Amy. Headed over to the Con on the shuttle. There was a creepy guy, trying to get people to pay five dollars a piece to get a ride over to the con. The van had tinted windows. And he just kept trying until someone finally gave in.
The convention center is huge. We came in on the first floor. People streaming in around us. The first thing we did was head down to the bottom floor. Randy and I picked up our lanyards and Swag bags. Then we hit up the expo floor for a bit of walking around. After getting separated in the crowds, we met up in Indy Alley. Then Amy and I went off to a couple panels.
The first one was about finding a writing or marketing job in the gaming field. I picked up some good information, and a couple ideas about what to do if this whole teaching thing doesn't pan out. There's a whole niche in gaming that's starting to open up. Educational games, not just for younger kids, like the ones that teaching reading and math, but older kids. Games that align with the teaching standards. It's a thing.
The second panel was focused on things you shouldn't do if you get into the gaming industry. The pitfalls as it were. Sleep and be social are the two biggest things I got from it.
The rest of the day we walked around, got food, hung out in the handheld lounge on gigantic beanbags. Then it was time to go stand on line for Scott and Kris after hours. The standing on line took much longer than anticipated, and we were all crowded together for about forty-five minutes before they let us in. After getting in, the fun began. Kris and Scott started drinking. The words started flowing. There's no good way to describe the chaos of the night but to say that it kept going for about three hours.
We went back to the hotel and finally got to sleep after 3:30am. The time change was amazing.
Sunday. Sunday was about collecting items and autographs. We got Gabe to sign the back of one of Randy's Moleskin notebooks. Then we walked around the expo floor. I wanted to get a new Catan game, Settlers of America, but we realized we wouldn't be able to take it on the plane without a bag. That took us to the Red vs Blue where we got a black shoulder bag and the latest DVD what was signed by Simmons and Griff.
Randy got a book at the Penny Arcade store. Then, we went upstairs to wait for Scott and Kris to get back from food to sign autographs. Randy got three books signed by each of them, and a picture. It's a nice picture. He has a picture with Gabe too.
The last thing we did of note before heading home was play the demo for the World of Warcraft card game. Then we bought five starter decks. The game is fun enough, and we don't need to be super competitive with it, like Magic.
The trip to the airport and flight home were uneventful. A good thing for sure, especially where the flying is concerned.
The plan, as it stands right now, is to get the hotel reservations as soon as possible to ensure we can go next year. I think we're flying out again. Not sure right now how exactly that will play out. First we need to get through the rest of the semester. Then we can worry about other things.