Next BayCon...
* I will bring more to drink. We actually ran out this time.
* I will bring spare Zip-Loc bags. One never knows when they may come in handy.
* I will be assembling my own costume, consisting of bath robe, bath brush, soap-on-a-rope and other bathing accessories.
More plans as I come up with them!
So, BayCon... It was, as usual, elbow-to-elbow with people. Not a bad thing, as successful cons need to have lots of people in order to be successful. There was the usual panoply of beautiful costumes. We did not venture into the huckster's room because we did not want to be tempted by things we could not (and should not) afford.
We met up with our friend and went out for pizza (Tony & Alba's), and a good time was had by all despite a long drive, sleep deprivation and caffiene. Same time, next year?
I actually ventured onto the party floor for a little while on Saturday night. (Neil was already in bed by that time, but I felt restless.) I visited the Klingon bar (called something quaint like "The Black Hole," I think), and there, I had a mixed drink called "Revenge." As it is served, the Klingons in attendance shout, "Revenge is a drink best served cold!" The flavour was vaguely fruit-like, and it was very, very strong, but good.
As I wandered the rest of the party floor, I was struck - often forcibly - by the diverse array of sounds, sights and particularly, odours. It made me wonder whether or not some attendees of the con had ever bathed, hence, my costume idea for next year.
We checked out in good order, and yes, we caved and joined BayCon for 2010. Maybe next year, we can stay longer. I hope so. We had fun, and ran into several old friends, but one day is just not enough to enjoy the con.
The drive to Santa Cruz was very hot, especially since traffic became stop-and-go once we hit Highway 17. Everybody and their dog (and her puppies) were heading to Santa Cruz or the coast, it seemed. (Memo to me: alternate routes would be a Good Thing.)
We finally arrived at our friends' place. Since their apartment is a studio, places to sit are at a premium, and Neil and I were invited to sit on the bed. This proved to be an unwise idea, as their bed proved to be inadequate to support our combined weights. Of course, Allan tells us that the bed was not that well-constructed to begin with, but we still felt badly.
We relocated to the pool area, chatted for a while, then went in search of supper. The seafood place we'd originally decided upon got scrubbed because there was quite literally no place to park. None. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Zero. We orbited the pier several times. We saw people who were both driving AND walking stupidly. Stupid seemed to pervade the very air!
We finally settled on a Thai place. It was crowded, but seemed reasonable, and we were able to get seated fairly quickly. Unfortunately, there were people smoking outside, and the restaurant had the door wide open, which made poor Helen sick. We tried to get Helen's and Allan's orders to go, but by then, they'd served us. They screwed up Neil's order - yellow curry instead of red, mild instead of spicy - and they forgot Neil's rice. Our waitress then grabbed Neil's order (but not mine) and packed it, too! There was no getting the attention of the serving staff, and moreover, they did not seem to care. Guess where we're not eating next time?
We split up so Neil could get some food. Allan took Neil whilst Helen and I went in search of a seashore. We settled upon Seabright Beach, found a parking space and walked along the beach until it started to get dark. There's something renewing about the feel of seawater on my skin. There's no substitute for it, and I often find myself craving it like candy. The tide seemed to be coming back in. There were several people on the beach with bonfires or campfires. There was the aroma of wood smoke and barbecue in the air, combined with the aroma of salt and ocean. *sigh* If we hadn't needed to go back and get on the road, I could have just pulled up a hunk of sand and watched the stars come out as I listened to the music of the waves.
We made good time getting home. I drove from Santa Cruz to Lathrop then let Neil take over again, which meant he got to nap in the car whilst I drove.
All in all, it was a good trip. Thanks again to our friends who helped make it so.
Take care, all. Real Life beckons.
Namarië
* I will bring spare Zip-Loc bags. One never knows when they may come in handy.
* I will be assembling my own costume, consisting of bath robe, bath brush, soap-on-a-rope and other bathing accessories.
More plans as I come up with them!
So, BayCon... It was, as usual, elbow-to-elbow with people. Not a bad thing, as successful cons need to have lots of people in order to be successful. There was the usual panoply of beautiful costumes. We did not venture into the huckster's room because we did not want to be tempted by things we could not (and should not) afford.
We met up with our friend and went out for pizza (Tony & Alba's), and a good time was had by all despite a long drive, sleep deprivation and caffiene. Same time, next year?
I actually ventured onto the party floor for a little while on Saturday night. (Neil was already in bed by that time, but I felt restless.) I visited the Klingon bar (called something quaint like "The Black Hole," I think), and there, I had a mixed drink called "Revenge." As it is served, the Klingons in attendance shout, "Revenge is a drink best served cold!" The flavour was vaguely fruit-like, and it was very, very strong, but good.
As I wandered the rest of the party floor, I was struck - often forcibly - by the diverse array of sounds, sights and particularly, odours. It made me wonder whether or not some attendees of the con had ever bathed, hence, my costume idea for next year.
We checked out in good order, and yes, we caved and joined BayCon for 2010. Maybe next year, we can stay longer. I hope so. We had fun, and ran into several old friends, but one day is just not enough to enjoy the con.
The drive to Santa Cruz was very hot, especially since traffic became stop-and-go once we hit Highway 17. Everybody and their dog (and her puppies) were heading to Santa Cruz or the coast, it seemed. (Memo to me: alternate routes would be a Good Thing.)
We finally arrived at our friends' place. Since their apartment is a studio, places to sit are at a premium, and Neil and I were invited to sit on the bed. This proved to be an unwise idea, as their bed proved to be inadequate to support our combined weights. Of course, Allan tells us that the bed was not that well-constructed to begin with, but we still felt badly.
We relocated to the pool area, chatted for a while, then went in search of supper. The seafood place we'd originally decided upon got scrubbed because there was quite literally no place to park. None. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Zero. We orbited the pier several times. We saw people who were both driving AND walking stupidly. Stupid seemed to pervade the very air!
We finally settled on a Thai place. It was crowded, but seemed reasonable, and we were able to get seated fairly quickly. Unfortunately, there were people smoking outside, and the restaurant had the door wide open, which made poor Helen sick. We tried to get Helen's and Allan's orders to go, but by then, they'd served us. They screwed up Neil's order - yellow curry instead of red, mild instead of spicy - and they forgot Neil's rice. Our waitress then grabbed Neil's order (but not mine) and packed it, too! There was no getting the attention of the serving staff, and moreover, they did not seem to care. Guess where we're not eating next time?
We split up so Neil could get some food. Allan took Neil whilst Helen and I went in search of a seashore. We settled upon Seabright Beach, found a parking space and walked along the beach until it started to get dark. There's something renewing about the feel of seawater on my skin. There's no substitute for it, and I often find myself craving it like candy. The tide seemed to be coming back in. There were several people on the beach with bonfires or campfires. There was the aroma of wood smoke and barbecue in the air, combined with the aroma of salt and ocean. *sigh* If we hadn't needed to go back and get on the road, I could have just pulled up a hunk of sand and watched the stars come out as I listened to the music of the waves.
We made good time getting home. I drove from Santa Cruz to Lathrop then let Neil take over again, which meant he got to nap in the car whilst I drove.
All in all, it was a good trip. Thanks again to our friends who helped make it so.
Take care, all. Real Life beckons.
Namarië