MTG nationals
So I may have mentioned that I was qualified for the national champs of magic on rating (top 100 US). Here is my story:
First of all, FaddyJosh and I debated whether I could qualify on rating at all. He agreed to pay for Fogo if I could pull it off. Fogo is like $80 all-you-can-eat Brazilian steak house. Clearly I pulled it off, so I freerolled some Fogo.
Nationals was in Chicago. I rode with FaddyJosh, and he chose to drive pretty much the whole way. Took about 14 or 15 hours each way, with various detours and all sorts of nonsense that set us back, including GPS'ing the wrong destination.
In the actual event, my record was 4 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw, then I dropped. I could have played the remaining 5 rounds, but even if I won the last 5 rounds, I would finish in 22nd place, and the prize payout only went to top 20, so it was time to drop. After round 2, I left my deck at the table, and when pairings went up for round 3, I scrambled to locate it. I ran up to the head judge, and he said the lost and found was on the other side of a very humongous ballroom, then the lost and found told me that maybe the head judge had the deck, so I ran back to the other side, and lo he had it. I asked him if there was any way I could avoid a game loss for not being in my seat in time, then he said "If you came to me to begin with, then maybe..." so I had to convince him that I just spoke with him 3 minutes ago.
As far as the room situation went, Bruner reserved a room, but was hoping to not pay and just jump-in on someone else's room. As a result of a misunderstanding, he wound-up having to pay on that room, and I went ahead and shotgunned it. The hotel was extremely good-looking, though it was quite the price gouger. Bottled water was $3, one beer was $6.13, and a bagel was like $4, but we actually purchased all of those things at grocery stores for the low low. Bruner insisted that I not pay my half of the hotel, and I did not argue.
Bruner also had an extra ticket to Lollapalooza, so I shotgunned that the second day. Rage Against The Machine was playing, so inevitably there was much shoving and moshing, which led to much beer getting spilled on many clothes. Also, apparently some people got crushed against the front guard rail. and I stepped in some gum, which sucked almost as bad. When we left, we couldn't catch a cab, so we rode back to the hotel in a limo instead.
Overall, it was quite a ballin' trip. Now I must pack-up and move to Gainesville ASAP. If I can get there by today afternoon, that would be awesome.
First of all, FaddyJosh and I debated whether I could qualify on rating at all. He agreed to pay for Fogo if I could pull it off. Fogo is like $80 all-you-can-eat Brazilian steak house. Clearly I pulled it off, so I freerolled some Fogo.
Nationals was in Chicago. I rode with FaddyJosh, and he chose to drive pretty much the whole way. Took about 14 or 15 hours each way, with various detours and all sorts of nonsense that set us back, including GPS'ing the wrong destination.
In the actual event, my record was 4 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw, then I dropped. I could have played the remaining 5 rounds, but even if I won the last 5 rounds, I would finish in 22nd place, and the prize payout only went to top 20, so it was time to drop. After round 2, I left my deck at the table, and when pairings went up for round 3, I scrambled to locate it. I ran up to the head judge, and he said the lost and found was on the other side of a very humongous ballroom, then the lost and found told me that maybe the head judge had the deck, so I ran back to the other side, and lo he had it. I asked him if there was any way I could avoid a game loss for not being in my seat in time, then he said "If you came to me to begin with, then maybe..." so I had to convince him that I just spoke with him 3 minutes ago.
As far as the room situation went, Bruner reserved a room, but was hoping to not pay and just jump-in on someone else's room. As a result of a misunderstanding, he wound-up having to pay on that room, and I went ahead and shotgunned it. The hotel was extremely good-looking, though it was quite the price gouger. Bottled water was $3, one beer was $6.13, and a bagel was like $4, but we actually purchased all of those things at grocery stores for the low low. Bruner insisted that I not pay my half of the hotel, and I did not argue.
Bruner also had an extra ticket to Lollapalooza, so I shotgunned that the second day. Rage Against The Machine was playing, so inevitably there was much shoving and moshing, which led to much beer getting spilled on many clothes. Also, apparently some people got crushed against the front guard rail. and I stepped in some gum, which sucked almost as bad. When we left, we couldn't catch a cab, so we rode back to the hotel in a limo instead.
Overall, it was quite a ballin' trip. Now I must pack-up and move to Gainesville ASAP. If I can get there by today afternoon, that would be awesome.