GenCon 2007
SO! The Con is over for another year, and I couldn't be more angry about it. I mean, honestly; is it too much to ask that I get to see a huge number of my friends for a period of several days, spend ungodly amounts of cash on food and drinks (mostly drinks - I developed a bad habit of skipping meals this time around) and generally act like I'm a sixteen-year old rockstar?
Well, I guess maybe it is. But I had fun anyway. Let's be honest, you either want to know about it or you don't; so I'm not going to bother chaptering cuts.
The Drive Down
I picked Joe up around eleven AM from his condo. He was having some issues with his iPod - he has too many songs to fit on even the biggest of the buggers - and I offered to help. Well, I helped, if by "helped" you mean "deleted half the music on his iPod and all his playlists." Luckily, he was fine with it, and we were able to take off without an unfortunate accident occuring to me. The trip was uneventful, for the most part! We didn't have any rain or get lost anywhere, though we made friends with two tiny dogs at a gas station next door to the Lion's Den adult bookstore.
The Songfight
The Songfight went very well indeed - it's my humble opinion that mine was the best of the lot, but that's not a very nice thing to say, I suppose. Still, everyone had some wins: doogs19 ran the "If I Were" category through three levels, prompting Joe to announce that the dance remix of Somewhere Over the Rainbow was "Gaycon 5."
I always get some great music from Joe's selections, and this year was no exception. My new favorite song may be A Plea From A Cat Named Virtue, by the Weakerthans, which manages to be both playful and heartrending at the same time.
Bill's selections were Bill's selections - he did give me the Bosstones covering Detroit Rock City, for which I'm thankful; and Ben managed some incredible stuff by providing us with a music remix done all by his lonesome on the topic of Peak Oil. I want everyone to hear that freaking track!
At any rate, my CD list:
Cover Songs
"Mexican Radio," Authority Zero
"Just Like Heaven," Goldfinger
"Can Can (Live)," Bad Manners
If I Were
"Gymnopedie 0.1," Pine *am
"Ray of Light," Madonna
"No One Takes Your Freedom," DJ Earworm
Animals
"Monkey," Boss Hog
"Monkey Man," The Rolling Stones
"Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse," Warren Zevon
Guilty Pleasures
"Hang On Girl," the Favorite Sons
"Baby Blue," the Warlocks
"Send Me On My Way," Rusted Root
The Hotel
GOOD SWEET JESUS the hotel. A widescreen plasma television and two-line telephone in the marble bathroom. Beds that swallowed you like a long-term lover. A complimentary loan of a cellphone charger when I had forgotten my own. Wakeup calls with a ten-minute snooze option. Three minutes' walk to the Chick Fil-A for breakfast. I swear, this place? I could live here.
The downside? $326 a night with taxes. I had a great time, but I'm still going to suggest the Hyatt next year.
Wednesday Night
When Ben arrived, the three of us headed for the fitness center. Yes, Ben had had a few beers and I'd been smoking on the way down, but who cares? Ben got a good run in - it was my day to work chest and pectorals, and Joe gave me some cool new exercises for definition rather than simple building. We got back to the room and Ben showered while I took an iron to my clothes.
We ate at the food court - I was about to skip dinner, but luckilly, common sense prevailed. Not mine, of course, but the guys working together convinced me to eat something. Afterwards I went to the Claddagh while Ben and Joe went straight for Nicky's.
I had a BLAST at the Claddagh. Karen, Bill, Dana, Lisa, Moose, Kerry, Dan and Gary - if I missed anyone I apologize profusely - were just awesome. I was able to stand the first round, and Dan (aka piraticalintent) bought me my first-ever Irish Car Bomb, which is nothing like as bad as I expected.
Of course, things went south when the waiter lost Dana's credit card … but after some intense searching, the waiter came back and let us know it had been found. After which they failed to provide any kind of discount. Yeah, no tip for you, Chester.
I went to Nicky's to meet up with Ben, Joe, Rett, Rich and Other Rich; and Moose, Kerry, Dan and one or two other folks came to join us soon. I don't know if I've ever been so happy to be at Nicky's - it was just a great night all around with some really wonderful people.
We stumbled out around 2:30 AM, and Ben and I stayed up smoking and talking standing outside the Conrad until 4:30 in the morning. He asked when we should try to get up, and I told him 7:30.
Thursday
Ben gets up at the 7:30 wakeup call, showers, and tries to wake me. I think my reply was "Fuck off, I die now." It wasn't fair and it wasn't right, but hey, I'm learning that I make a decent villain when I want to.
I did manage to get up around nine and grab breakfast before heading over. I met up with Ben for the floor opening and walked around a bit, but had to skate for a noontime Burning Empires game.
Wow. What a great time - we weren't excatly figures of note, but it was an amazing game. I've never seen four guys so happy to lose the game and see all their characters die before. Mauruyan did an amazing job of running down the rules and really giving us a feel for the game.
Afterwards, I met up with gaaneden and her beau solarannulus, who are great, great people! We met some new friends over dinner and left to go play Dogs in the Vinyard with Joe. We got through character creation and initiation, but folks were sleepy from a long trip; so we let them go while Joe and I wandered back to Nicky's.
That was a stranger evening - Ben was networking with Canadian game developers, the folks to do Kill The Hippies. They were really nice guys, but it was a total business meeting, which left Joe and I somewhat on our own. No big deal - we shook out around 1:30 and headed for bed.
Friday
On Friday, I started the day by accidentally kicking a hung-over Ben in the head. No, really, with my shoes on and everything.
We did breakfast and headed for the Con, walking the floor a bit longer until my noontime Burning Wheel game. It did exactly what I want Burning Wheel to do - gave us a kicker, let us go head to head, and made us responsible for driving the plot and creating our own fun. It was a good time, and I was actually able to help the GM out once or twice by taking separate combats on.
Afterwards I went to the gym for a quick back workout, then showered up and went to Houlihan's with Joe for a little quiet conversation about love, war, women and song. I have said it before and I'll say it again - I love my friends so much. Dana and Lisa showed up for dinner; I asked Joe to stay but he had a lot of work to catch up on.
Dana, Lisa and I had fun catching up and eating some very tasty food. I almost made the mistake of ordering a tequila flight, but finally opted against it pre-LARP. We split up to get dressed, and I got a call from torigirl84 and piraticalintent, who wanted to see the Conrad. I brought them to the room and I think it's safe to say they were as flabbergasted as I was.
Got dressed and the three of us walked a few blocks, gathering good stares and compliments as we went. Once there we learned that the hotel would let you bring drinks into the LARP room, which was very, very handy for us!
The LARP was wonderful - I played the vicious Marquis, playing a demented game of Democratic Selection with the crew of five different ships. That is, everyone thought I was. I was actually a minor actor, ordered to play the part at the cost of my life if anyone found out. I think I made a damn fine villain, if I do say so myself, and corone - the real villain - and I had a blast interacting with one another in a secret hallway area, where I was able to panic right proper.
After the LARP I walked back to the Conrad … where the doors were roped off, three tour busses were waiting, and rock groupies were pressed wall-to-wall. I don't know what band it was, but man, were the groupies confused when I showed up in full renfair garb. Met up with the entire crew at the Hyatt bar, where we had time for maybe two drinks before being ordered out and heading home.
Saturday
On Saturday I was scheduled for a game of the Mountain Witch, but I decided to go play 7th Sea again with Dan, Kerry, Moose, Joe and Jen. The game was wonderful - Dan is an excellent GM - and afterwards we chatted a bit before I went to find the Boozehounds, who were down for the day.
We met up in the Food Court, swapped some tales thus far, and headed down to the Ram where I would meet waiwode. He and I shared a few drinks and gabbed about gaming and life, and were joined by Kerry shortly after, who was, as always, an excellent addition to the crowd. We all headed back to the floor, met up with the Boozehounds and walked a bit, then decided to go get tables for dinner back at the Ram.
We could only get two booths next to each other, and dinner was great: Rett, Jack, Sean, Bill, Dan, Joe, Me, Kerry, Dan, Jenn, Jeff, Ben and Beth all hanging out and talking for a good long time.
At the end of it all, the boys had to go their merry ways, which was terrible sad. Jenn, Jeff, Dan, Kerry and I were directed to a bar called … The Fearsome Beaver? Something like that. We walked down and said, "No way. If we're gonna be surrounded by yuppies, let's go back to Nicky's."
What a fabulous time. I think I learned more about everyone, and myself, in a single night there than typically happens in a month of friendships, and I wouldn't have traded it for the world. However, I think we all hit the wall at about the same time - 1 AM - and went our separate ways. Boo to that!
Sunday
It took Joe and I about three hours to get out of the hotel, what with packing, paying, panicking, etc; but once we were on the road things only got worse. Visibility thanks to the storm was about two car lengths, and I think Joe was freaking out a bit by the time we got out of Gary. On the plus side, I got him home right when he thought we would, at 1:30 PM.
As I was pulling away from Joe's house, totally alone for the first time in five days - and I swear I am not making this up - Semisonic's Closing Time came on the radio, and I'm not entirely ashamed to say that I nearly wept to think that things were over for another year. I had a wonderful, amazing time. Every year that I go something stuns and delights me, and man, I just love when that happens.
So … I'm home. I'm no longer the King of Everything.
But I'm not far from the Prince.
I've posted all the photos I was able to take, plus some from Kerry and Dan. Have fun reminiscing if you were there!
Well, I guess maybe it is. But I had fun anyway. Let's be honest, you either want to know about it or you don't; so I'm not going to bother chaptering cuts.
The Drive Down
I picked Joe up around eleven AM from his condo. He was having some issues with his iPod - he has too many songs to fit on even the biggest of the buggers - and I offered to help. Well, I helped, if by "helped" you mean "deleted half the music on his iPod and all his playlists." Luckily, he was fine with it, and we were able to take off without an unfortunate accident occuring to me. The trip was uneventful, for the most part! We didn't have any rain or get lost anywhere, though we made friends with two tiny dogs at a gas station next door to the Lion's Den adult bookstore.
The Songfight
The Songfight went very well indeed - it's my humble opinion that mine was the best of the lot, but that's not a very nice thing to say, I suppose. Still, everyone had some wins: doogs19 ran the "If I Were" category through three levels, prompting Joe to announce that the dance remix of Somewhere Over the Rainbow was "Gaycon 5."
I always get some great music from Joe's selections, and this year was no exception. My new favorite song may be A Plea From A Cat Named Virtue, by the Weakerthans, which manages to be both playful and heartrending at the same time.
Bill's selections were Bill's selections - he did give me the Bosstones covering Detroit Rock City, for which I'm thankful; and Ben managed some incredible stuff by providing us with a music remix done all by his lonesome on the topic of Peak Oil. I want everyone to hear that freaking track!
At any rate, my CD list:
Cover Songs
"Mexican Radio," Authority Zero
"Just Like Heaven," Goldfinger
"Can Can (Live)," Bad Manners
If I Were
"Gymnopedie 0.1," Pine *am
"Ray of Light," Madonna
"No One Takes Your Freedom," DJ Earworm
Animals
"Monkey," Boss Hog
"Monkey Man," The Rolling Stones
"Monkey Wash Donkey Rinse," Warren Zevon
Guilty Pleasures
"Hang On Girl," the Favorite Sons
"Baby Blue," the Warlocks
"Send Me On My Way," Rusted Root
The Hotel
GOOD SWEET JESUS the hotel. A widescreen plasma television and two-line telephone in the marble bathroom. Beds that swallowed you like a long-term lover. A complimentary loan of a cellphone charger when I had forgotten my own. Wakeup calls with a ten-minute snooze option. Three minutes' walk to the Chick Fil-A for breakfast. I swear, this place? I could live here.
The downside? $326 a night with taxes. I had a great time, but I'm still going to suggest the Hyatt next year.
Wednesday Night
When Ben arrived, the three of us headed for the fitness center. Yes, Ben had had a few beers and I'd been smoking on the way down, but who cares? Ben got a good run in - it was my day to work chest and pectorals, and Joe gave me some cool new exercises for definition rather than simple building. We got back to the room and Ben showered while I took an iron to my clothes.
We ate at the food court - I was about to skip dinner, but luckilly, common sense prevailed. Not mine, of course, but the guys working together convinced me to eat something. Afterwards I went to the Claddagh while Ben and Joe went straight for Nicky's.
I had a BLAST at the Claddagh. Karen, Bill, Dana, Lisa, Moose, Kerry, Dan and Gary - if I missed anyone I apologize profusely - were just awesome. I was able to stand the first round, and Dan (aka piraticalintent) bought me my first-ever Irish Car Bomb, which is nothing like as bad as I expected.
Of course, things went south when the waiter lost Dana's credit card … but after some intense searching, the waiter came back and let us know it had been found. After which they failed to provide any kind of discount. Yeah, no tip for you, Chester.
I went to Nicky's to meet up with Ben, Joe, Rett, Rich and Other Rich; and Moose, Kerry, Dan and one or two other folks came to join us soon. I don't know if I've ever been so happy to be at Nicky's - it was just a great night all around with some really wonderful people.
We stumbled out around 2:30 AM, and Ben and I stayed up smoking and talking standing outside the Conrad until 4:30 in the morning. He asked when we should try to get up, and I told him 7:30.
Thursday
Ben gets up at the 7:30 wakeup call, showers, and tries to wake me. I think my reply was "Fuck off, I die now." It wasn't fair and it wasn't right, but hey, I'm learning that I make a decent villain when I want to.
I did manage to get up around nine and grab breakfast before heading over. I met up with Ben for the floor opening and walked around a bit, but had to skate for a noontime Burning Empires game.
Wow. What a great time - we weren't excatly figures of note, but it was an amazing game. I've never seen four guys so happy to lose the game and see all their characters die before. Mauruyan did an amazing job of running down the rules and really giving us a feel for the game.
Afterwards, I met up with gaaneden and her beau solarannulus, who are great, great people! We met some new friends over dinner and left to go play Dogs in the Vinyard with Joe. We got through character creation and initiation, but folks were sleepy from a long trip; so we let them go while Joe and I wandered back to Nicky's.
That was a stranger evening - Ben was networking with Canadian game developers, the folks to do Kill The Hippies. They were really nice guys, but it was a total business meeting, which left Joe and I somewhat on our own. No big deal - we shook out around 1:30 and headed for bed.
Friday
On Friday, I started the day by accidentally kicking a hung-over Ben in the head. No, really, with my shoes on and everything.
We did breakfast and headed for the Con, walking the floor a bit longer until my noontime Burning Wheel game. It did exactly what I want Burning Wheel to do - gave us a kicker, let us go head to head, and made us responsible for driving the plot and creating our own fun. It was a good time, and I was actually able to help the GM out once or twice by taking separate combats on.
Afterwards I went to the gym for a quick back workout, then showered up and went to Houlihan's with Joe for a little quiet conversation about love, war, women and song. I have said it before and I'll say it again - I love my friends so much. Dana and Lisa showed up for dinner; I asked Joe to stay but he had a lot of work to catch up on.
Dana, Lisa and I had fun catching up and eating some very tasty food. I almost made the mistake of ordering a tequila flight, but finally opted against it pre-LARP. We split up to get dressed, and I got a call from torigirl84 and piraticalintent, who wanted to see the Conrad. I brought them to the room and I think it's safe to say they were as flabbergasted as I was.
Got dressed and the three of us walked a few blocks, gathering good stares and compliments as we went. Once there we learned that the hotel would let you bring drinks into the LARP room, which was very, very handy for us!
The LARP was wonderful - I played the vicious Marquis, playing a demented game of Democratic Selection with the crew of five different ships. That is, everyone thought I was. I was actually a minor actor, ordered to play the part at the cost of my life if anyone found out. I think I made a damn fine villain, if I do say so myself, and corone - the real villain - and I had a blast interacting with one another in a secret hallway area, where I was able to panic right proper.
After the LARP I walked back to the Conrad … where the doors were roped off, three tour busses were waiting, and rock groupies were pressed wall-to-wall. I don't know what band it was, but man, were the groupies confused when I showed up in full renfair garb. Met up with the entire crew at the Hyatt bar, where we had time for maybe two drinks before being ordered out and heading home.
Saturday
On Saturday I was scheduled for a game of the Mountain Witch, but I decided to go play 7th Sea again with Dan, Kerry, Moose, Joe and Jen. The game was wonderful - Dan is an excellent GM - and afterwards we chatted a bit before I went to find the Boozehounds, who were down for the day.
We met up in the Food Court, swapped some tales thus far, and headed down to the Ram where I would meet waiwode. He and I shared a few drinks and gabbed about gaming and life, and were joined by Kerry shortly after, who was, as always, an excellent addition to the crowd. We all headed back to the floor, met up with the Boozehounds and walked a bit, then decided to go get tables for dinner back at the Ram.
We could only get two booths next to each other, and dinner was great: Rett, Jack, Sean, Bill, Dan, Joe, Me, Kerry, Dan, Jenn, Jeff, Ben and Beth all hanging out and talking for a good long time.
At the end of it all, the boys had to go their merry ways, which was terrible sad. Jenn, Jeff, Dan, Kerry and I were directed to a bar called … The Fearsome Beaver? Something like that. We walked down and said, "No way. If we're gonna be surrounded by yuppies, let's go back to Nicky's."
What a fabulous time. I think I learned more about everyone, and myself, in a single night there than typically happens in a month of friendships, and I wouldn't have traded it for the world. However, I think we all hit the wall at about the same time - 1 AM - and went our separate ways. Boo to that!
Sunday
It took Joe and I about three hours to get out of the hotel, what with packing, paying, panicking, etc; but once we were on the road things only got worse. Visibility thanks to the storm was about two car lengths, and I think Joe was freaking out a bit by the time we got out of Gary. On the plus side, I got him home right when he thought we would, at 1:30 PM.
As I was pulling away from Joe's house, totally alone for the first time in five days - and I swear I am not making this up - Semisonic's Closing Time came on the radio, and I'm not entirely ashamed to say that I nearly wept to think that things were over for another year. I had a wonderful, amazing time. Every year that I go something stuns and delights me, and man, I just love when that happens.
So … I'm home. I'm no longer the King of Everything.
But I'm not far from the Prince.
I've posted all the photos I was able to take, plus some from Kerry and Dan. Have fun reminiscing if you were there!