Arcana, day 2
Got up early enough on Saturday to make the "Horror and Rock" panel but unfortunately my jeans failed me (probably not for the last time) so phoenixalpha got her trip to the surplus store after all. I bought a pair of 5XL black SWAT pants to replace the jeans, phoenixalpha got the jungle boots she'd been lusting after, and we continued on to Arcana, arriving about 1130 and realizing on arrival that I' managed to lose my key to the Hospitality Suite. Arrrgh. Got new one from the desk, got ice for the bathtub, and carried on until 1 PM when the "Horror in Anime" panel came around. That went well and picked up attendance as it went along, and then we all hung out until phoenixalpha, Anne Waltz, Mike Waltz and I went out for dinner at the Pho 79, which has replaced the Caravelle in the strip mall on Raymond & Energy Park Drive. The pho was excellent, the spring rolls were very different and really good, and of course the company was great.
Attendance at Arcana seems to be up this year from last year, and I don't know if that's because of Tim Powers (who is very funny and a great GoH) or just random factors. Oddly, it seems to have more energy than Diversicon did, and there seems to be more going on although there's still just the one function room, the dealer's room, Krushenko's and the hospitality suite. The Holiday Inn Express is under new management and seems more helpful, friendly and accommodating this year than in previous years; there are a lot more plants around the lobby and the security guards aren't chasing people out of the atrium at 11 PM as they have in previous years. *finishes coffee, yawns* Time to hit the shower and get back to the convention.
Attendance at Arcana seems to be up this year from last year, and I don't know if that's because of Tim Powers (who is very funny and a great GoH) or just random factors. Oddly, it seems to have more energy than Diversicon did, and there seems to be more going on although there's still just the one function room, the dealer's room, Krushenko's and the hospitality suite. The Holiday Inn Express is under new management and seems more helpful, friendly and accommodating this year than in previous years; there are a lot more plants around the lobby and the security guards aren't chasing people out of the atrium at 11 PM as they have in previous years. *finishes coffee, yawns* Time to hit the shower and get back to the convention.