Monday, August 20, 2007

GenCon or bust!

Let me explain. No, that would take too long. Let me sum up:

Wednesday:
Arrived in Indy, missed the driveway to the Westin because taxis were blocking it, drove around the block several times, finally made it.
Tried to check in, but they had lost my reservation. Then they found it.
Met up with M and the booth monkeys. Carried stuff to booth, collected badge.
Met up with my roommate, went to dinner at Alcatraz, played some games.
Tried the hot tub - it was busted.

Thursday:
Woke up, got into costume, set up booth.
Ran to Westin to warm up M's bellydance class while she danced in the opening ceremonies, returned to booth, drove to airport to collect C, went to grocery store to get Real Food, returned to Westin, went to Subway, returned to booth.
Met up with T for dessert, ordered Great Wall of Chocolate.
Tried the hot tub - it was still busted.

Friday:
Woke up, got into costume, set up booth.
Danced around in exhibit hall all day.
Managed to cause a superhero dance party to break out:



Met up with several friends for dinner at PF Cheng's. Found the wait to be too long. Triangulated and found seating at another restaurant. Watched one friend eat a piece of ice cream cake the size of a 3-ring binder.
Tried the hot tub - it was still busted.


Saturday:
Woke up, got into costume, set up booth.
Checked out exhibit hall.
Did kendo demo in the Westin. Returned to booth wearing kendo gear.
Impressed Morgan Shepard, apparently...
Met up with group at Buca di Beppo's for dinner. Had lots of food.
Tried hot tub - still busted!

Sunday:
Woke up, packed, got into costume, set up booth.
Checked out exhibit hall.
Checked out of hotel, dragged loads of stuff down to car, returned to booth.
Danced around all afternoon, closed up booth, packed up, hugged lots of people, came home.
Wondered what to do, now that GenCon is over for another year...

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Monday, August 13, 2007

A Sinister Event!

Today is International Left Handers' Day!


I shall celebrate by doing what I always do - keep my mouse set to left-handed. It drives everyone who tries to use my computer stark-raving bonkers! (Bwahahahahahaha!!!!)


Though, being ambidextrous, I almost feel kind of guilty celebrating left-handedness... but I figure, I'm only partially Polish, yet I pull out the ethnic pride whenever the subject of pierogies and kielbasa come up in conversation. (Who was making them by hand since the age of four - well over a decade before pierogies became the hip food of the 1990s? Boo-ya!)

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Geek On!

In just two days, I will be shutting down my computer, setting my phone to voicemail, locking my office, and heading off to GenCon!

I can't believe it's already here! I've spent months looking forward to it, planning for the booth and the kendo demonstration and the roaming performances (OK, I'm still working on that last part). It's hard to believe that in less than a week, it will be over, again.

What with the official "busy season" at work having ended last week, and the flux of fall conferences all being off-site, I'm not quite sure what I'll have to look forward to, for the next few months!


My main goal in the exhibit hall (aside from selling my own stuff), is to locate and acquire a couple dozen factory seconds gaming dice. I have grand plans for a tassle belt strung with d10s and the like, to wear especially whenever I do that "White and Nerdy" number. (Though, that reminds me... i need to sew some bric-a-brac trim onto the sleeves of my Redshirt red shirt.)

The kendo demo is worrying me a wee bit, as well... as all of my helpers have cancelled. This leaves me with no one to spar with. ): Ah well. In times like this, I ask myself, WWASD? (What would a samurai do?) Well, I'm sure the samurai would track down the people who backed out on him and force them to commit seppuku, or something... but I'll settle for improvising - killing some time by dressing some random six-year-old up in my armor. That's always a crowd-pleaser, because a) the kid gets to feel important and stuff, and b) let's face it, I may be small, but even my armor looks ridiculously huge on a child.


Now... here's to hoping that I remember to pack everything!

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