Update of much updateness!
So firstly- I still have a job. Huzzah!
What had happened is a bit complicated, but shortly put I'd been unable to communicate my schedule to work on time, and they'd scheduled me to work for Anime Boston and Ad Astra. Very not good things. I only find this out on the 13th. So I email in after yesterday's work, and get an OMINOUS msg from Donald about having a meeting to address these concerns (And I missed a shift because they changed my schedule without me knowing while I was stuck in Chicago) and I was damn worried.
But, Donald sat down with me, was not happy about the mixup but told me it'd be taken care of, promised me he'd do whatever he could to support my 'photo thing' and told me it was in his best interests to do so- people who have something to work for tend to work harder and better, he's noticed.
I agree.
So I am back to loving my job again- the store is completely different than the kiosk. My pay's going to double, easy. This makes me ungodly happy. We're busy ALL THE TIME. We're hopping constantly and people are genuinely interested in buying- all of which were completely untrue for the kiosk.
Speaking of which- I ended up transferred to Scarborough Town instead of Bayview- something that's an added bonus because I figured out transit would have been almost an hour thirty, and I wasn't pleased about the thought.
So work goes well.
The day before my trip I braved the heights of the CN tower for a lovely fancy dinner for Ayumi. I was rather pleasantly surprised that the food was good- and that the vegetables were better than the meat (You know me and my veggies…) and the height was a bit evil (UGH) but the wonderful snowstorm meant I got a great view of… white. Nothing but clouds/fog. Heh!
Best moment of the night? Singing Happy Birthday. Because this is my group of friends, who toss around nicknames far more often than real names. And so, when we got to the Happy Birthday dear… we ALL (all 20 of us) paused, faltered, and then just said whatever- a strong mix of Ayumi coupled with a few other names- and promptly burst out laughing too hard to properly finish. I suspect we worried the other patrons.
Moral of the story: No matter how often you call them something, in fandom, you only know 50% of your friends real names.
And you probably only know 15% of their last names.
So. Trip to the US.
This came about because Ryn and Saeru came up to see me in January, and we had much fun They spark my creativity in a major sense, and are good for my brainmeats. So, given the chance to go see them in the week off period while I was switching stores, I hopped on a flight down to St. Louis to see what the US was like not-at-con.
First thing: I really really don't like flying.
Really.
A lot.
Ok?
Moving on.
Get to St. Louis. Saeru's working, which is ok- I need to sleep! So I sleep, we stay up and chat, then she and Ryn get ready as we're going to drive up to Chicago to return Ryn home for a few months, and will have awesome sushi and do some cool things while we're out there. We get to Chicago, Saeru does a few more demos (for Cutco) comes back- we'd planned on watching a movie and chatting about Turks and cons and stuff, but she's exhausted, so we crash out in Ryn's most excellent basement, and make rough plans to head back on Monday night.
Sunday morning: Saeru wakes up sick as all hell. Fever, chills, throat swollen, whole nine yards.
Which leads to us spending a week in Ryn's basement. ^_^ We did manage to sneak out for food and movie renting- but Saeru was in bad shape. Bad enough she had the shakes after ten minutes outdoors. I have to say, it's amazing we didn’t get sick with her.
Ate at some damn cool places- Sushi Station, which was a Sushi Train style place, cheap food that was DAMN tasty- Swordfish, which was upscale sushi in nifty presentations and names- I had a dirty old man, for example… XD
I was given an example of Thai food.
I think I'll pass on that one. X_X
An awesome Irish pub that was full of Irish things- like walls- from Ireland. They took apart a cathedral or castle or something apparently.
We watched Bill and Ted's most Excellent Adventure and Hairspray (and laughed a lot) I took photos of Ryn's YUURA costume, which was fun, and we relaxed while Saeru recuperated. Also, we were interviewed for the cosplay documentary- I feel I made a fool of myself, but I always do that.
This was hence the LJ post- since I had the ability to switch over my flight dates- not location- I shifted for the 12th, Saeru got well, we left on Saturday and I spent the next few days in St. Louis proper.
The house in St.Louis was pretty cool- it had old house issues, but was made up for good company via Harl and Saeru, plus two ADORABLE kittens NIMH* and Autumn. They were adorable personified.
I got to see a short tour of the St. Louis Zoo, which was damn cool because the enclosures are very different than the Toronto Zoo. Also Forest Park. WHICH IS SO DAMN SHINY. I need to take photos there. EVERYWHERE. SO many photo opportunities. Yowsa.
Ate bad sushi, discovered the habit of many restraints of closing between 2 till 5. GYAH! That's when I wanna EAT! And achieved a lifelong dream.
Yes folks, AMANDA GOT TO HAVE A HOT TOPIC EXPERIENCE!
I think the best part of walking through the shop was the fact that every time I asked 'how much' Saeru would say 'less than you think it is'.
Goth clothing is insanely overpriced in Toronto, so I own few cool things. Now I own tripp pants, cool arm warmers, a fishnet shirt, a cute lace shrug, cute lace gloves, a bullet belt, various accessories and a corset styled off the shoulder top. All for $180 bucks.
I was damn happy. And our guy-behind-the-counter was fun. And nice.
I was treated to a many US fast food joint. I can't possibly remember them all, but Sonic was one- kinda cool, and a tasty drink- and a Jack-in-a-box that TOTALLY made my weekend.
See, Saeru has been extolling the wonders of Jack-in-a-box for a while. Good food, cheap food, nice selection. Ok, sure! So, our second last day, we head out and go to one. We walk in, wait for the line to clear a bit- there's only one person working behind the counter and she looks a bit frazzled. Older lady, white, graying hair, in the silly uniform and visor, running back and forth with that unmistakable American twang in her voice as she's getting orders. I'm studying the menu and look at the 'ultimate bacon cheeseburger'
On the menu is a TINY line of text under the burger, neither I nor Saeru can read this, so I step up and we both read aloud "Ultimate Bacon Burger still available'
Well I kid you now- this woman looks up in utter, total and complete shock, and she' just quietly flips out. "Thank you!" And it's said So damn… forcefully before she runs off to the back Saeru and I just look at each other- and I figure, well, she probably has to tell somebody that a few times an hour….
She comes back, and just spazzes in a very happy, thank you kind of way- apparently she's never had anyone actually bother to read the sign. And it's a ten times an hour question.
We order our food, she praises us to high heaven, gives us food, and we go back to our table. A few minutes later, she comes over to our table with a brown paper bag- she tells us she's made her day- and we tell her the same (Seriously- this was just damn fun to deal with and really cheered us both up from the whole 'I go back tomorrow thing') and makes us promise not to open the bag till we get to our car. Also? She tries to marry us off to her son. He's single! Makes 35k a year! In some service or another! He's nice!
In the bag? Were little Jack in the box logo antenna bobbles- golfballs with snow-cone hats.
We laughed our way home.
Time to fly was annoying- have I mentioned I HATE FLYING? I also a) almost missed my flight, b) Almost missed my connection, and C) my luggage got broke, but hey, I got home, I survived, and the trip was totally worthwhile.
The flight was made better by the fact that a) I had my MP3 player, and B) I had a book of the first three Calahan's bar books by Spider Robinson.
Let's just say I am addicted- And that I have addicted Kate to Discworld in turn. HA!
Now my current plans are to solidify matters for Ad Astra, get ready for Boston, survive the next two weeks and then pass out for all of April. Also? Featherweight has finished my kino guns, sans paint. I AM KJFHAJKFHASJHFGDJAKSHGFH HAPPY.
http://www.cosplay.com/photo/1438913/
http://www.cosplay.com/photo/1438915/
My lord- I need to make this costume to JUSTIFY these guns!
Tomorrow: MUSIC CATCHUP and PHOTOS! Photoshoots are done and up to date.
*National Institute of Mental Health