con in a nutshell
I did less partying, less wandering, and less camera-hogging this year. I think I'm finally maturing into my role in the fen collective: I am the one who sits in panels whose raised hand is never noticed. Con and school meshed for one brief, shining moment there.
But seriously, I had a lot of fun. Went to panels for a change and got to bond with some fellow 'Scapers, an experience which I didn't realize I had been so deprived of until it happened. Made me crave a return to the Farscape fandom. (Maybe I can hook someone else -- I've been trying for years, but it's not an easy show to make converts to.)
Did the Walk of Fame (or parts of it) and can now accurately quote Willow: "I can usually make a few vowel sounds and then I have to go away." Virginia Hey. Gigi Edgley. Raelee Hill. Jewel Staite. Adam Baldwin. George Lowe. Omg. I die now.
Service in the Hyatt was utter crap but it was so lovely not to have to walk four blocks eight times a day -- plus D*C had set up its own TV channel in the hotels, so we watched (or more like MSTed) the Masquerade from the room rather than squishing into the freakishly packed ballroom(s).
The finished Sabriel costume rocked; a sum total of 2 people recognized it. The Ford & Arthur costumes mostly went unnoticed due to the several hundred other Arthurs there (although Robbie was really the only good, if not the only altogether, Ford Prefect). Hey, Arthur was a comfortable outfit. I wore it more than any of the others because I could get away with sneakers and no bra. Robbie's Spike & Snape and Emily's Drusilla really got all the attention this year, and I have to say in all honesty that I was happy about it. I've done five cons' worth of showy costumes and although I like having my picture taken, I enjoyed doing one whole con of outfits that were personally meaningful and comfortable.
I was actually feeling a little run-down towards midafternoon Sunday, but then we went to get on the elevator and this little stick-figure bitch and her all-American flank steak of a boyfriend (fiancee? husband? didn't seem married-like to me) -- clearly non-con-goers staying in the wrong hotel at the wrong time -- got on the same elevator with us. They snotted and snarked their way all the way down to the lobby, said cruel and unusual things about fen in general and us in particular (though not directly), and generally reinforced my slumping clan-loyalty to the geek universe. As soon as we all stepped off that elevator, I experienced this huge burst of pride in all the furries, mechas and goths who were waiting outside to trample Bitch & Beau. I hope she broke a heel tripping over a dragon's tail somewhere down the line.
Mom reamed some comicbook artist a new one because he ignored her and signed autographs for other people for, like, fifteen minutes. I wish I'd been there.
Dad went out to some Braves games and now has lobster-knees. Shorts are overrated.
Annual swag tally:
MY PRECIOUS: Season 2 (my favorite season) of Farscape on DVD. The price was unspeakable, but I could resist no longer.
Last Exile DVD box set
Paranoia Agent DVD box set
Manga volumes 2-5 of Saiyuki
Manga vol. 10 of Fruits Basket
Marvel 1602, Neil Gaiman
Issues 1 & 2 of the Serenity comic
Witch Hunter Robin poster (too broke by then for a new wallscroll, dammit)
2 small prints of these adorable butterfly-dragon drawings from the art room (I had an attack of the cutesies)
Fullmetal Alchemist OSTs 1 & 3 (2 was nowhere to be seen)
Farscape: Peacekeeper Wars score
Farscape Classics CD Vol. 1: Music from the eps "Revenging Angel" and "Eat Me"
Button that says: "No one knows the exact age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better."
Plus a few small presents for other people.
NO SHIRTS THIS YEAR. I am proud of myself. I resisted the shirts -- unfortunately that just meant that I could afford to succumb to the DVDs, but what the hell. Money + pocket = spontaneous combustion if not spent soon.
Am now broke. More than just broke, actually: owe mother unspeakable amounts of money. But I watched "Won't Get Fooled Again" on DVD tonight and all the pain went away.
in bliss,
-rave