Holy Crap, Real Life!
Sweet Rassilon , the last two weeks.
So my life, for approximately as long as I can remember, being approximately the past 16 days, has been dominated by two massive events. WorldCon and my new College.
Starting chronologically, and arguably with the most important: WorldCon.
Approximately 2.5 years ago I found out that WorldCon, the world's oldest Science Fiction Convention was coming to Reno, NV, about 40 minutes away from my other hometown. So this August, Seagullsong and I attended the creatively named: '69th Annual Worldcon: Renovation'.
And it... was... AWESOME.
We ended up getting a hotel room between the two main casinos hosting the convention. It was our first big convention, (the amalgam anime convention at the local Alaskan College not quite counting) and while we had been worried about choosing from the dozens of amazing panels, all of which seemed to be on at the same time, we had not properly prepared to pace ourselves for what seemed a marathon where everyone sprinted the entire way.
It was five days and nights. And probably the best weekend of my life.
Highlights include, but are by no means limited to:
- Front Row Dr. Demento Concerts. Thrice.
- 10 concerts I managed to make it to. Actually became quite fond of Devo Spice, a very white nerd rapper.
- The Balls. Regency and Steampunk and Firefly... The Rave where Dr. Demento DJ'd Dr. Who and Star Wars dance music. I danced EVERY NIGHT. Despite the blisters on my feet and the aching in my legs in the morning. I fell head over heels in love with the Waltz, particularly the Regency Waltz.
- The Panels. The Endless, Endless Panels. On the latest topics in science, to the fanboying over The Big Bang Theory Show, to the wank over which Doctor was Best and the 'Ask A Genius' open question panel. Always, always a panel!
- Standing line for 90 minutes to get George R.R. Martin's autograph when I hadn't even finished the first book yet.
- Rachel Bloom showing up to sing her hit single and 'Seasons of Love' from RENT. ...In Klingon.
- Making friends with a guy who goes by the name of Dr. Chaos, and staying up in a Casino Cafe until 4 A.M. discussing everything from D&D monsters to Paranormal Experiences to his work on the power systems on the ISS, to teenage college angst.
- The Masquerade, aka the giant fashion show the con is famous for. Actually, the better part was the half-time show. Paul Cornell hosted Just a Minute with four published Sci-Fi/Fantasy authors. Seriously. Youtube it. Now. It's an hour of non-stop laughing. If you don't know who Seanan McGuire is, it doesn't matter. You will worship the ground she walks on by the end.
- Skipping the Hugo Awards, (I know, I know. We're bad nerds) because two Master Klingons were impressed enough by our Original Series Mirrorverse Costumes to personally invite us to a Klingon Bar Room Party. And the six or seven other room parties from the Brotherhood Without Banners party to a just unattended room with a strobe light, music and keg of vodka.
- Not to mention the giant Dealer's Room, Lounges, Art Shows, Movie Rooms...
*Deep Breath*
Anyway, two days after we made it home to Anchorage, I hopped another flight to Oregon for my transfer to the University of Portland.
Having finally, after wasting a tortured two years and my mid-teen years in local universities of varying quality, I finally found a degree that would satisfy my passions and pragmatism, getting into a larger city and moving away from home.
So I have spent the past week unpacking, trying to find my way around campus, dealing with my knee giving out from too much waltzing and walking, adjusting to rooming with someone else for the first time in my life that is not feline, though still very nice, finding new Whovians to watch 'Let's Kill Hitler' with, and(hopefully) pulling hair for the last time over credits that would not transfer and retaking of basic, boring courses.
And so, Dear LJ, here I sit. In a three hour Fine Arts class, trying not to weep because most of the class relate Michaelangelo with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and trying to calm myself by organizing my thoughts. With the re-emergence of busy work homework, so too has returned my muse for writing, and 10 pages of notes were taken in Biology as my professor rehashes the importance and steps of the scientific method in medical testing.
So here I go. Or stop. I don't know. I've been sleeping 16 hours a day to keep my brain caught up.
So my life, for approximately as long as I can remember, being approximately the past 16 days, has been dominated by two massive events. WorldCon and my new College.
Starting chronologically, and arguably with the most important: WorldCon.
Approximately 2.5 years ago I found out that WorldCon, the world's oldest Science Fiction Convention was coming to Reno, NV, about 40 minutes away from my other hometown. So this August, Seagullsong and I attended the creatively named: '69th Annual Worldcon: Renovation'.
And it... was... AWESOME.
We ended up getting a hotel room between the two main casinos hosting the convention. It was our first big convention, (the amalgam anime convention at the local Alaskan College not quite counting) and while we had been worried about choosing from the dozens of amazing panels, all of which seemed to be on at the same time, we had not properly prepared to pace ourselves for what seemed a marathon where everyone sprinted the entire way.
It was five days and nights. And probably the best weekend of my life.
Highlights include, but are by no means limited to:
- Front Row Dr. Demento Concerts. Thrice.
- 10 concerts I managed to make it to. Actually became quite fond of Devo Spice, a very white nerd rapper.
- The Balls. Regency and Steampunk and Firefly... The Rave where Dr. Demento DJ'd Dr. Who and Star Wars dance music. I danced EVERY NIGHT. Despite the blisters on my feet and the aching in my legs in the morning. I fell head over heels in love with the Waltz, particularly the Regency Waltz.
- The Panels. The Endless, Endless Panels. On the latest topics in science, to the fanboying over The Big Bang Theory Show, to the wank over which Doctor was Best and the 'Ask A Genius' open question panel. Always, always a panel!
- Standing line for 90 minutes to get George R.R. Martin's autograph when I hadn't even finished the first book yet.
- Rachel Bloom showing up to sing her hit single and 'Seasons of Love' from RENT. ...In Klingon.
- Making friends with a guy who goes by the name of Dr. Chaos, and staying up in a Casino Cafe until 4 A.M. discussing everything from D&D monsters to Paranormal Experiences to his work on the power systems on the ISS, to teenage college angst.
- The Masquerade, aka the giant fashion show the con is famous for. Actually, the better part was the half-time show. Paul Cornell hosted Just a Minute with four published Sci-Fi/Fantasy authors. Seriously. Youtube it. Now. It's an hour of non-stop laughing. If you don't know who Seanan McGuire is, it doesn't matter. You will worship the ground she walks on by the end.
- Skipping the Hugo Awards, (I know, I know. We're bad nerds) because two Master Klingons were impressed enough by our Original Series Mirrorverse Costumes to personally invite us to a Klingon Bar Room Party. And the six or seven other room parties from the Brotherhood Without Banners party to a just unattended room with a strobe light, music and keg of vodka.
- Not to mention the giant Dealer's Room, Lounges, Art Shows, Movie Rooms...
*Deep Breath*
Anyway, two days after we made it home to Anchorage, I hopped another flight to Oregon for my transfer to the University of Portland.
Having finally, after wasting a tortured two years and my mid-teen years in local universities of varying quality, I finally found a degree that would satisfy my passions and pragmatism, getting into a larger city and moving away from home.
So I have spent the past week unpacking, trying to find my way around campus, dealing with my knee giving out from too much waltzing and walking, adjusting to rooming with someone else for the first time in my life that is not feline, though still very nice, finding new Whovians to watch 'Let's Kill Hitler' with, and(hopefully) pulling hair for the last time over credits that would not transfer and retaking of basic, boring courses.
And so, Dear LJ, here I sit. In a three hour Fine Arts class, trying not to weep because most of the class relate Michaelangelo with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and trying to calm myself by organizing my thoughts. With the re-emergence of busy work homework, so too has returned my muse for writing, and 10 pages of notes were taken in Biology as my professor rehashes the importance and steps of the scientific method in medical testing.
So here I go. Or stop. I don't know. I've been sleeping 16 hours a day to keep my brain caught up.