Back from the (near) dead
No, I will not sum up because the too much has parts of All Awesome.
Right, so I think I left of sometime before Dragon*Con where I was complaining that there was still too much to do and I was actually ill.
That ill lingered through Dragon*Con and today is the first day I actually feel like myself again. I was sick with a sinus infection all through Con. I have no idea how my head did not explode on the plane ride home. Tuesday after we got back I went to the doc and was diagnosed with no mere sinus infection, but a "raging" sinus infection that landed me on tetracycline. Awesome, I am on my way back to health. Wrong.
Two days after I started the antibiotics my head started feeling less like an overinflated balloon but came with a very bizarre visual disconnect with the world, like I was looking at everything through a fish-eye lens, sometimes accompanied by a subtle vertigo that I could tell had nothing to do with my vestibular system. It was kind of like all the descriptions I ever got from people who were taking SSRI's for ADHD. I didn't feel like myself at all. I barely tolerated this for another 4 days (mostly because there was a weekend and the doc's offices were closed) but I went back in the following Monday and said, "This is not OK." He said, "Yes, and you don't get to take tetracycline anymore either." Turns out I'd had a very rare reaction that increased my intracranial pressure. In layman's terms, it made something in my spinal cord and brain go wonky and increase the pressure in my skull which put pressure on my brain. Concussions can do this, and the symptoms were pretty similar. Yes, this is Fucking Scary and I do not recommend it for anyone. And oh yeah, you still have a sinus infection and now you have an ear infection too. Fuck you, microbes.
So he put me on azythromycin, and now I AM BACK. And so, at last,
We were up until 2:30 the morning we left for Con, partly because nothing was finished and partly because latunda was playing hockey from 10-11 pm. The stamp to make Boromir's Belt for wicked_swann had arrived *that day* and the impression was backwards. I was so mad, I cannot begin to tell you. I still needed to do *something* because I *had* promised, so I used it and it was *awful.* It was so not up to my standards. I was also trying to get Vilya done in time but the damn ArtClay wouldn't sinter properly and I lost the two hours I needed to file it down getting the clay to fire. Then it came out and I was all WTF did I just make? So that project has been re-started and the stamp for Boromir's Belt has been returned. Bubba who made the stamp is not getting any payment until I get the right one. But I digress, because at the end of the plane ride (that I mostly slept through, go figure) was an AMAZING PARTY that OMG finarfiniel I *still* cannot believe I let you talk me into. But...that night was the most thermally comfortable the whole Con, because ventilation. I may have to reassess my general disdain for dresses and skirts.
You guys, I was so glad to see all of you, and I am so sorry I was such a putz the whole time, totally doped on ibuprofen and decongestants. I so love all of you and you were so very gracious to put up with me. Especially when I dropped my mead glass on the floor. 0_o That was the last alcohol for 2 more days. Sober at Con. I know, it's a tragedy I really do not want to repeat.
The next day was spent doing something, latunda debuted her Dr. Horrible/Sinestro Corps crossover
and then a Faramir happened with a Boromir. For which I have no pictures.
Then a thing happened, and suddenly Gil-Galad. He went out looking for his scout and then Bree? For which I also have no pictures but there are plenty on Facebook. But Craig! Parker. I wanted to go all melty but the decongestants/stimulants wouldn't let me. finarfiniel, I don't know if you heard him but he stopped me and said that our costumes were the best he'd seen outside a set. I finally melted sometime after that.
I think there was a hotel room, and then a Deconstruction of the Elf that included an unholy amount of cleaning my face and ears.
Since I have no pictures of Bree I will post a few pics of the night the Elves went walking (there was a costume contest for Hobbit Day):
The next day was the parade and I totally had an Alarm Setting Fail. I called finarfiniel in a near panic and we decided we'd have to meet somewhere totally dressed instead of helping each other get dressed. Putting on 2nd Age elven armor requires a squire. Period. So latunda helped me out and I crammed my screaming feet into my boots (note to self: next year, DO NOT put making boots so far down the list you have to wear boots 1/2 size too small because you ran out of time, again) and practically ran to the Marriott. Then all the walking, and Lou Ferrigno! The Tolkien group was right in front of the LARP group so they would periodically do a fight. That was highly entertaining, and the archers in the Tolkien group would form a perimeter protecting the rest of the group. The crowd loved it. bonnie_halfelven and finarfiniel sang the Passing of the Elves. Repeatedly. I was entranced, I love hearing them sing. Thanks for inviting me to sing with you, but I knew from Elf Choir the previous day I would just be croaking the part. It was a soul comfort to listen to though, thank you.
After the parade I peeled myself out of the silk and leather and changed into cotton. Then latunda and I made our way to the Walk of Fame and...Craig.
Gracious, engaging, honest. I've been wanting to meet this guy since Bellerophon (I told him so and he giggled, said "that was a while ago") and it was truly the best fan experience ever. He remembered me from Bree the previous night and again complimented our costumes (finarfiniel!). I introduced latunda as my wife and we just launched into a discussion about gay rights in the US and New Zealand. I could have talked to the man all day but, you know, the line behind us.
latunda stopped at Levar Burton's booth and talked with him briefly, then we were off...somewhere. My head was full of Craig! Parker and I floated for the rest of the Con.
That night was the Alderaan Party and, well, it sucked. So we tried the Villains & Heroes Ball, and, well, it sucked.
Much of the rest of my memory of these days is a blur and I cannot tell one day from another. So here's a PicSpam of the rest of what I have that I don't remember when it happened:
Loki and Joffrey Baratheon made their debut and I had the privilege of hanging out with them as their shared minion. Well, maybe Loki's minion sometimes loaned with interest to Joffrey.
The Ball Pit Fiend. Really only funny if you've fought a Pit Fiend.
The Creature in the Darkness. Really only funny if you've read Order of the Stick
Loki surveys his domain from the 47th floor while the Weasley's flying car approaches.
For one dollar you can be burdened with glorious purpose...or be Loki'd...
A gaggle of Lokis.
Sunday night was much fun, latunda dressed as Professor McGonagall as a Green Lantern. musedmoose reprised Snape (to great effect, again), and Purple! Elrond and Thranduil ElvenKing crashed Hogwarts. I was still feeling, well, ill and drugged, so we didn't stay very long after the costume contest.
Green lame' everywhere...
Duelling with Bellatrix
I found Waldo! Though, it wasn't nearly as awesome as seeing Waldo and Carmen Miranda meet on opposing escalators in the Marriott, calling to each other "I'll find you!!"
latunda with Dumbledore
Two beautiful elves
Do not annoy the immortals with your petty mortal concerns. Especially when you come without Sierra Mist.
Wicked_swann's friend/coworker Dana who looked smashing in his hand-made Gryffindor Quidditch uniform
I *loved* this Boggart Snape.
Then a thing happened, and another thing, there was a glass of wine at the bar, and Monday morning we met up with winterofourdiscontent and wicked_swann for breakfast. Went and fetched finarfiniel from her bed (sorry, I know you weren't feeling well) and then I had to leave.
I made my way back to the Walk of Fame to get John Rhys-Davies' autograph and this happened to Sylvester McCoy
I told John the story of how our cat Gimli got his name (he'd been tossed across 3 lanes of traffic, we named him Gimli because nobody tosses a dwarf). He kissed my hand and told me to "save all the little dwarfs." *so cute*
As I was leaving Craig stopped his conversation with a fan to shout across the room "Hey Heidi! Safe travels!"
I hate goodbyes.