Arisia! It happened! I was there!
So... yah. That!
Did a mostly OK job of keeping up on sleep until Wednesday, when I did the gamer downtimes meetup and stayed out too late again. Tho in my defense the trains are screwed up. Tho I should have remembered they were screwed up from Monday nite. *shrugs* I think I got to bed on time Thursday nite too, after much packing and prep work, don't quite remember.
A lot of Arisia is still a blur. I was very worn down, brainfogged, and extra-zombie-fried for most of it, so the happy wasn't as cathartic as last year. However, it was really wonderful hanging out with my local Boston friends as ourselves (rather than as larp characters), and likewise seeing friends from elsewhere and, um, NYC whom I don't see very often. B/c leaving the house is hard. Very much calling this a win, Arisia was wonderful even though my brain was broken. Spent Monday having lunch with some of them, then meeting up with more in the gaming room for one final huzzah over CAH. Despite being brainfogged all weekend I still wasn't prepared to leave. Definitely going back next year :-)
The train was much much less stressful than the last few bus rides to Boston, and even less crowded than it was last Arisia. Even tho there were train delays, I think I got in about a half hour or more past what it said on my ticket. Ironically, my roommate A.S. who took an express train an hour after me who was supposed to get there before me got in around the same time. But convenient, b/c we took the T to the hotel together (why is the silver line train a bus? o_O?), and then checked in, after which only one wayward roommate was unaccounted for (and driving to con, eep). Our trains home left at about the same time too, but I think he had to take the express train b/c that's what was left by the time he bought his tix. Ima make an effort to plan my trips up there for con and MES far enough in advance to get cheaper train tix tho, its just so much better than the bus.
On Friday night I had dinner at the pub, a GF dish of steak tips and sides, but I found out later that it may not have been GF because of the BBQ sauce. I got the same thing on Sunday without sauce, the waitress explained it wasn't GF. But I made sure to ask the waiter on Friday if the sauce was OK. So this may have been the source of the extra zombification, or maybe the cook on Sunday was just less sure about it. Either way, despite not being exhausted from the train ride, I totally brain-fogged after dinner on Friday. But I haven't had my adrenal kick-back yet so it may not have been the trigger. I *did* have six months of frequent illness and antibiotics to deal with before con this year, not so much last year. Otherwise, I binged on honey sticks all weekend, had my own brownie stash, and accidentally got a free breakfast at the Westin hotel on Saturday (they still do very nice GF breakfasts), plus more GF pub food (probably).
The overflow hotel wasn't a bad hotel (although some other ppl I know had a real lemon of a room, yikes), and not much further away from the con hotel than the distances I have to walk around the DCon neighborhood, but its January and not August. So... ick. Not sure if this added to my zombieness- each day I made sure I wouldn't be returning to my hotel room until I was ready for bed, and couldn't just nip upstairs for a nap if I wanted to. It also meant going to bed early, and sacrificing party-time for gf breakfasts, tho I wasn't in much of a party mood that weekend. Next year, I will try much harder to be awake in September and not spazz on getting a Westin room.
Swag-budgeting didn't go as badly as it usually does, but could have been better. Many, many patches were purchased for jacket and larp-bag, and then silver rings that are wearable IRL but mostly for that same larp costume. Y'know, for the PC that's the most un-materialistic I'm playing right now. *headdesk* And a skeleton key, but that wasn't very expensive. Also picked up a card game (Boss Monster) that I really liked at one of the Nerd NYC boardgame nites, and chocolate that wasn't so awesome. I bought tons of their truffles last year, but this year they didn't have any, b/c they're such a perishable item. I didn't try all the oddly flavored bars tho, will have some more while home next weekend and see how they are. Luckily that fabric vendor wasn't there this year, and I was able to resist tshirts b/c I just have too many of them now (friking teefury).
Swaaaaaag.
Overall the budget didn't get that badly skewed as last year. But I did get an accidental free breakfast, and almost at the last minute a third roommate for two of the three nights. So that helped. Next year tho, I might just keep my budget to patches (b/c always patches) and honey sticks.
Pretty much nobody recognized my Chronic Illness Cat costume, but my friends thought it was cute, and many people got the 'spoons' references I was holding up on paper signs. I expected a lot of spoonies or spoon-savvy folks at Arisia. Oddly enough, that means more people recognized the McCall's pattern of the dress than the meme. *shrugs* The last minute pleather/knit dress looked nice too, worn Satur-day with my patches shirt, and Saturday night for larp with my brown velvet coat.
The MES Cam/Anarch larp was fun, although after all the work I did to get my Giovanni PC in the database it turned out to be a non-chronicle game, lol. STs didn't even look at my character sheet. Still good rp practice, and VERY fun being on Team Giovanni while the city burned around us. Although those possible traitors got away from us before we could sell them back to the Camarilla, darnit. Also, kept slipping into Marguerite-mode, and I'm like "No, no frenchie accent now, she's from Queens dammit. Staaaahp." Lolz. We got put into a rather small room, but I ended up liking it. We didn't have so many players that it got claustrophobic, so it kept people interacting and prevented the drama/tension from dissolving like it would have in a big ballroom. And a nice simple story of books, backstabbing, and betrayal. Yay!
As for panels... more blurry. I think I spent more time hanging out and talking with friends, which I do not regret. Some literature panels with friends on them, the flirt panel, the Curmudgeon panel which was hilarious and felt like a cleanse, the Doom and Gloom song contest, saw the GoH read (otherwise I think Nora would start signing my books "You missed my readings!" lol), and one on 'magickal' paths and traditions which was fun, I think that was Sunday night and thus the last panel of my con weekend.
After that last panel, my fave fortuneteller and Xtian mystic from various cons, who also has CFS, gave me some recs for books on acupressure (after showing me points that would unclog my sinuses, that seemed to actually work yay), and a company that makes sleep and meditation CDs that might help my delta waves. Sadly I won't be getting to WF to see her, but may try doing a day trip to SPWF if I can hitch a ride, and they'll be at both. Will also try to look into reiki again in NYC, although it looks just as expensive as I expected to take classes. Will start with books.
I do think that I'm a bit past the point of "Are you sure you don't secretly *want* to be sick?" for chronic fatigue, sinus probs, etc. NO. I DO NOT. I'm still looking for that bit of leverage to get out from under the rock, which I think I did find in MES last spring, but then my sinuses rebelled. Will pick up that acupressure book and try a few more new things, some of which got derailed in the past (oh, you wanted to go to the reiki open circle? here's a hurricane instead :-P). Maybe if I can scrounge up the budget I can start doing acupuncture again, maybe just monthly. The BrainSync page sez I need to use their special expensive sleeper headphones, but I can get one of their MP3s on a gift card and try that out via computer speaker, at least for the first time. I have a whole new pinterest board filling up with the newagey side of self-care and coping.
Tho coming back down to earth again, none of this will probly happen this month. Well, maybe some books b/c I have a B&N gift card. Its rather the opposite of what I was planning, but I've screwed up my regular monthly budget enough that I should probably just stay in and sew, and veg out, for the next couple of weekends. Not to mention that I seem to have shrunk so I want to try out some old sewing patterns to see what fits now. Also, stash fabric. And new patches. Sho many. I did laundry the week before con, so I should have the 'livingroom nook' open all weekend for fabric stuff.
There's IRC stuff tomorrow and Thursday, not sure if I'll be up for it. I really am just in the mood for moar sewing this week, maybe some email gaming. And I need to set up some Dunsirn connections now that this new PC is in the MES database.
Doing mostly OK today, except for that whole "Dude, what did I do last weekend?" sense in my brain. Monday night I got home around 8pm, Amtrak was 20 mins early and then every subway train was at the platform when I needed it (thankyee Eshu). Spaced out on the internet for a little while as I tried to figure out if I were hungry or should eat anyway, then eventually realized I could just go to bed. I was already down to cover the 1:30-9:30 shift at work Tuesday, so that left time for lots and lots of sleep. I did try to tarot, but that part of my brain still isn't functional either. Oh well.
And unfortunately I had to choose either baking brownies *or* making this week's lunches last Thursday, so I won't have a chance to cook again until Wednesday nite. Which means two Bareburger lunches are also going on the $$ tracker. My stomach's been ever so slightly upset by BB the last few times, so at least it gives me a chance to see if one item in particular is doing that to me. Yay? Today no lettuce, and still lots of spicy veggies, but I seem a bit better.
<3 Chrysilla
Crossposted from Dreamwidth, http://chrysilla.dreamwidth.org/
Did a mostly OK job of keeping up on sleep until Wednesday, when I did the gamer downtimes meetup and stayed out too late again. Tho in my defense the trains are screwed up. Tho I should have remembered they were screwed up from Monday nite. *shrugs* I think I got to bed on time Thursday nite too, after much packing and prep work, don't quite remember.
A lot of Arisia is still a blur. I was very worn down, brainfogged, and extra-zombie-fried for most of it, so the happy wasn't as cathartic as last year. However, it was really wonderful hanging out with my local Boston friends as ourselves (rather than as larp characters), and likewise seeing friends from elsewhere and, um, NYC whom I don't see very often. B/c leaving the house is hard. Very much calling this a win, Arisia was wonderful even though my brain was broken. Spent Monday having lunch with some of them, then meeting up with more in the gaming room for one final huzzah over CAH. Despite being brainfogged all weekend I still wasn't prepared to leave. Definitely going back next year :-)
The train was much much less stressful than the last few bus rides to Boston, and even less crowded than it was last Arisia. Even tho there were train delays, I think I got in about a half hour or more past what it said on my ticket. Ironically, my roommate A.S. who took an express train an hour after me who was supposed to get there before me got in around the same time. But convenient, b/c we took the T to the hotel together (why is the silver line train a bus? o_O?), and then checked in, after which only one wayward roommate was unaccounted for (and driving to con, eep). Our trains home left at about the same time too, but I think he had to take the express train b/c that's what was left by the time he bought his tix. Ima make an effort to plan my trips up there for con and MES far enough in advance to get cheaper train tix tho, its just so much better than the bus.
On Friday night I had dinner at the pub, a GF dish of steak tips and sides, but I found out later that it may not have been GF because of the BBQ sauce. I got the same thing on Sunday without sauce, the waitress explained it wasn't GF. But I made sure to ask the waiter on Friday if the sauce was OK. So this may have been the source of the extra zombification, or maybe the cook on Sunday was just less sure about it. Either way, despite not being exhausted from the train ride, I totally brain-fogged after dinner on Friday. But I haven't had my adrenal kick-back yet so it may not have been the trigger. I *did* have six months of frequent illness and antibiotics to deal with before con this year, not so much last year. Otherwise, I binged on honey sticks all weekend, had my own brownie stash, and accidentally got a free breakfast at the Westin hotel on Saturday (they still do very nice GF breakfasts), plus more GF pub food (probably).
The overflow hotel wasn't a bad hotel (although some other ppl I know had a real lemon of a room, yikes), and not much further away from the con hotel than the distances I have to walk around the DCon neighborhood, but its January and not August. So... ick. Not sure if this added to my zombieness- each day I made sure I wouldn't be returning to my hotel room until I was ready for bed, and couldn't just nip upstairs for a nap if I wanted to. It also meant going to bed early, and sacrificing party-time for gf breakfasts, tho I wasn't in much of a party mood that weekend. Next year, I will try much harder to be awake in September and not spazz on getting a Westin room.
Swag-budgeting didn't go as badly as it usually does, but could have been better. Many, many patches were purchased for jacket and larp-bag, and then silver rings that are wearable IRL but mostly for that same larp costume. Y'know, for the PC that's the most un-materialistic I'm playing right now. *headdesk* And a skeleton key, but that wasn't very expensive. Also picked up a card game (Boss Monster) that I really liked at one of the Nerd NYC boardgame nites, and chocolate that wasn't so awesome. I bought tons of their truffles last year, but this year they didn't have any, b/c they're such a perishable item. I didn't try all the oddly flavored bars tho, will have some more while home next weekend and see how they are. Luckily that fabric vendor wasn't there this year, and I was able to resist tshirts b/c I just have too many of them now (friking teefury).
Swaaaaaag.
Overall the budget didn't get that badly skewed as last year. But I did get an accidental free breakfast, and almost at the last minute a third roommate for two of the three nights. So that helped. Next year tho, I might just keep my budget to patches (b/c always patches) and honey sticks.
Pretty much nobody recognized my Chronic Illness Cat costume, but my friends thought it was cute, and many people got the 'spoons' references I was holding up on paper signs. I expected a lot of spoonies or spoon-savvy folks at Arisia. Oddly enough, that means more people recognized the McCall's pattern of the dress than the meme. *shrugs* The last minute pleather/knit dress looked nice too, worn Satur-day with my patches shirt, and Saturday night for larp with my brown velvet coat.
The MES Cam/Anarch larp was fun, although after all the work I did to get my Giovanni PC in the database it turned out to be a non-chronicle game, lol. STs didn't even look at my character sheet. Still good rp practice, and VERY fun being on Team Giovanni while the city burned around us. Although those possible traitors got away from us before we could sell them back to the Camarilla, darnit. Also, kept slipping into Marguerite-mode, and I'm like "No, no frenchie accent now, she's from Queens dammit. Staaaahp." Lolz. We got put into a rather small room, but I ended up liking it. We didn't have so many players that it got claustrophobic, so it kept people interacting and prevented the drama/tension from dissolving like it would have in a big ballroom. And a nice simple story of books, backstabbing, and betrayal. Yay!
As for panels... more blurry. I think I spent more time hanging out and talking with friends, which I do not regret. Some literature panels with friends on them, the flirt panel, the Curmudgeon panel which was hilarious and felt like a cleanse, the Doom and Gloom song contest, saw the GoH read (otherwise I think Nora would start signing my books "You missed my readings!" lol), and one on 'magickal' paths and traditions which was fun, I think that was Sunday night and thus the last panel of my con weekend.
After that last panel, my fave fortuneteller and Xtian mystic from various cons, who also has CFS, gave me some recs for books on acupressure (after showing me points that would unclog my sinuses, that seemed to actually work yay), and a company that makes sleep and meditation CDs that might help my delta waves. Sadly I won't be getting to WF to see her, but may try doing a day trip to SPWF if I can hitch a ride, and they'll be at both. Will also try to look into reiki again in NYC, although it looks just as expensive as I expected to take classes. Will start with books.
I do think that I'm a bit past the point of "Are you sure you don't secretly *want* to be sick?" for chronic fatigue, sinus probs, etc. NO. I DO NOT. I'm still looking for that bit of leverage to get out from under the rock, which I think I did find in MES last spring, but then my sinuses rebelled. Will pick up that acupressure book and try a few more new things, some of which got derailed in the past (oh, you wanted to go to the reiki open circle? here's a hurricane instead :-P). Maybe if I can scrounge up the budget I can start doing acupuncture again, maybe just monthly. The BrainSync page sez I need to use their special expensive sleeper headphones, but I can get one of their MP3s on a gift card and try that out via computer speaker, at least for the first time. I have a whole new pinterest board filling up with the newagey side of self-care and coping.
Tho coming back down to earth again, none of this will probly happen this month. Well, maybe some books b/c I have a B&N gift card. Its rather the opposite of what I was planning, but I've screwed up my regular monthly budget enough that I should probably just stay in and sew, and veg out, for the next couple of weekends. Not to mention that I seem to have shrunk so I want to try out some old sewing patterns to see what fits now. Also, stash fabric. And new patches. Sho many. I did laundry the week before con, so I should have the 'livingroom nook' open all weekend for fabric stuff.
There's IRC stuff tomorrow and Thursday, not sure if I'll be up for it. I really am just in the mood for moar sewing this week, maybe some email gaming. And I need to set up some Dunsirn connections now that this new PC is in the MES database.
Doing mostly OK today, except for that whole "Dude, what did I do last weekend?" sense in my brain. Monday night I got home around 8pm, Amtrak was 20 mins early and then every subway train was at the platform when I needed it (thankyee Eshu). Spaced out on the internet for a little while as I tried to figure out if I were hungry or should eat anyway, then eventually realized I could just go to bed. I was already down to cover the 1:30-9:30 shift at work Tuesday, so that left time for lots and lots of sleep. I did try to tarot, but that part of my brain still isn't functional either. Oh well.
And unfortunately I had to choose either baking brownies *or* making this week's lunches last Thursday, so I won't have a chance to cook again until Wednesday nite. Which means two Bareburger lunches are also going on the $$ tracker. My stomach's been ever so slightly upset by BB the last few times, so at least it gives me a chance to see if one item in particular is doing that to me. Yay? Today no lettuce, and still lots of spicy veggies, but I seem a bit better.
<3 Chrysilla
Crossposted from Dreamwidth, http://chrysilla.dreamwidth.org/