DragonCon happened. I think?
Sep. 4th, 2013 05:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chrysillaSo... yah. Happened. I survived, and better than I would have expected, even after unexpected injuries.
Good things:
-Red & Mokey Fraggle, with their buddies, live and in person. OMG.
-Sylvester McCoy answering audience questions while zooming around the hall on a power chair. OMG :-D
-Lots of ppl liked our Babylon 5 costumes. I wore mine for most of Sunday, which was my best day at con, so I'm considering the psychological effects of cosplay on my own mental health.
-PUPPETS! That track has really got its act together this year. And made lots of new puppeteer friends :-D
-Gluten free food was not difficult to find in the food court, and there was a pizza place with dedicated gf options a mild hike away from the Westin.
-BPAL LE achievements unlocked, and I managed to get my friend's LE's too, and nothing exploded in my checked bag on the way home.
-Lost Girl panel. Not really all that interesting, but the dudes were funny.
-Went a bit over budget, but closer-to-fine than I would have thought possible a year ago. There is both evidence of and room for improvement.
-Didn't buy anything for myself in the art room. OMG.
-Tom Smith! Brobdinagian Bard! Squeee!
-Ppl liked my geek patches shirt, and one person even asked for photos of it. Did not need to buy more patches, b/c I have more at home and couldn't remember what I didn't already have.
Bad things:
-Some kerfluffle about the room when I got in, but everything was settled by the time my roommates arrived.
-Travel exhaustion. Like jet lag but without the timezone change. Did not realize it was a thing :-P
-OVERWHELMED by crowds. On Sunday when it started to rain, guards started turning ppl away from the Hyatt b/c it was filled to capacity. In the middle of the day. That's nutz.
-Saturday, slipped in a public ladies room at the Westin and fell hard on the floor. My skinned knee still hurts today, but otherwise nothing was broken, twisted, or sprained. Tho I had to go up to my room to recover from the shock. And my muscles and joints were extra cranky for the rest of the day, but I slept that off somehow.
-My fall was the fault of my slippery mj-sneakers, and I didn't have my Docs with me, this led me to decide against going to a lot of things on Monday for fear of walking in the rain to my own demise.
-All the physical probs meant I didn't really enjoy DCon itself until Sunday. Which meant I didn't talk to *any* new ppl until that day, which kinda defeated my intentions.
-Forgot my business cards, after a few people were like OMG THAT TIARA! Whups.
-Was frequently frustrated that I had no new actually-in-production projects to talk about or network for.
-One alt-history panelist chided me and my Delenn costume for use of cotton and lack of corset, but more ppl at that panel recognized my costume than hers, so maybe it was just sour grapes. Even Steampunk Boba Fett liked us. Cotton = not dying in Atlanta humidity, and the next time someone who doesn't have CFS or IBS chides me about lack of corset I may go off on them. Or maybe I should just cosplay Regency from now on and avoid their b.s. all together.
-After making a bunch of new puppeteer friends, I tried waiting with them on line for the puppet slam. The wait was 2 hours, I only made it through one. My body was like "F#$% you" but my brain still wanted to be active, so I wandered to the Mechanical Masquerade in my hotel. Sat and chatted with some NY/NJ friends, but soon my brain caught up with my crashing body. I kinda wish I'd gone straight to the Masquerade, but I'm glad I got to hang out with new puppeteer friends.
-Despite not ninja-ing my way around con, I somehow missed 90% of my friends at con. I'm not sure how, but I definitely feel like I did DCon *wrong* somehow.
-My flight in was 90 minutes late (missed early check in), and then my flight home was FIVE HOURS late. Sorry American Airlines/Eagle, next year I'm back to Delta. Tho I'll need to remember to buy my tix earlier than June.
Mixed things:
-No really good pics of my Delenn costume yet. Just b/c someone else is willing to snap a shot of you with your own camera, doesn't mean they know what they're doing :-/. I have a tripod at home, may set something up myself after cleaning the clothes-parts.
-Bought my first cane. Definitely mixed feelings about owning one, and my spoonie lifestyle. Not sure if it counts as an impulse buy. Didn't need it by Sunday, but considering what happened Saturday I should probably start bringing one with me. And kinda expensive, but the vendor gave me a bit of a discount b/c I bought two toppers for one black lacquered cane: one plain brass knob, one nice brass kitty head. Yay, kitty cane. On the other hand, now that I have it, I may stop needing it, ie the umbrella-effect. I'm totally OK with that, can still use decorative cane as costume prop. Tho it doesn't fit in my largest checked bag, whups.
-Ppl kept telling me to apply for a handicapped sicker for next year. I'm considering it, but I see so many people at con who need it more than me that I feel guilty. May just get it so if/when I take a small folding stool with me for long lines then con-staff can't bust me for sitting down. The walking isn't nearly as bad on my system as the standing around.
-I'm wondering if my DCon would be less physically unpleasant if I could remember to excersise, so my muscles would be more hardy about the standing-around parts.
-On-site ticket purchase took 20 mins, but my friends at pre-reg were only there maybe 30 minutes longer than me, and we were together on the outside line. Apparently the 'new' barcode system actually does work better now. So I feel kinda silly. On the other hand, handicap sticker may also get me off the main prereg line.
-Felt silly packing all of those GF snacks into my suitcase. Next year I may just bring brownies and a few Kind bars. On the other hand, it was nice just being able to snack on chips in my hotel room all the time, but I got those at the mall's CVS on Thursday. Also felt silly about buying a bunch of cans of tuna fish that I didn't use, plus packing my scale, a butter knife (to cut fruit), and a can opener in my carryon. And the rolling suitcase that I was going to use to get grocieries. Next year I'll know better what to expect, hopefully those gf restaurants will still be there.
-Also felt silly buying a bunch of non-LE BPALs at con. It would have been less stressful to just order them online, b/c I was left standing at the booth for a looong time while the employee got the stuff on my list, and then had to wait on her own line to use the credit card machine. I guess I justified it beforehand as part of my DCon budget, but that's a bunch of $$ I could have just as easily not spent there. Not to mention, getting there right when the dealers room opened left me in massive owch for the rest of Friday. On that note (lol) I won't have to buy any more perfume for a while. Tho I'd like to order some wand caps. If I'm back at DCon next year, I will just buy LE's, and maybe the (licensed) scents they won't sell imps of.
-After the BPAL, realized I could replace my worn out t-shirts with TeeFury and less fuss. So didn't buy any shirts at con. Which turned out to be a good idea, as packing to go home was rather frustrating.
After the bad slip-and-fall shock on Saturday, I started having a bit of a DCon crisis of faith. Not a horrible thing, b/c it is just a con in the end, but it wasn't fun. But if 2013 was the year I figure out whether I can afford DCon *physically*, the findings are mixed at best.
For next year, I could get a handicap sticker and then 'ninja' my way around con. Avoid all or most of the giant-line events (excluding Fraggles), avoid crowds and get to the smaller indie panels and interesting things via back doors. On one hand, ppl don't really ask to photograph your costume if they don't see you. On the other, the Marriot floor was so ridiculously crowded that there was barely any room for photos. On FRIDAY. Ugh.
I already have a room reserved at the Westin, but if I change my mind I can get my deposit back. Whether I change to a different hotel or decide to skip next year.
I was less interested in swag as I expected (at least in retrospect), so I'm vaguely planning to keep a room entirely for myself next year. Maybe. We'll see. I might be willing to charge someone only 1/4 of the room cost if they get the floor or the rollaway, and I can keep the GIANT king sized bed to myself. Split 50/50 we share the bed. The rollaway wasn't that uncomfortable, but based on the terrible sleep I got on Thursday and Sunday nights it might be worth it?
It's hard to tell what DCon is worth, financially and physically, when I was to physically wrecked to enjoy it until Sunday this year. But maybe by next year I'll have some new project to show off and network for, so it might be more worth it by then?
And of course, my brain is already working out next year's costume. Which may include a lobster tail bustle. B/c I'm nutz. *headdesk*
<3 Chrysilla
Good things:
-Red & Mokey Fraggle, with their buddies, live and in person. OMG.
-Sylvester McCoy answering audience questions while zooming around the hall on a power chair. OMG :-D
-Lots of ppl liked our Babylon 5 costumes. I wore mine for most of Sunday, which was my best day at con, so I'm considering the psychological effects of cosplay on my own mental health.
-PUPPETS! That track has really got its act together this year. And made lots of new puppeteer friends :-D
-Gluten free food was not difficult to find in the food court, and there was a pizza place with dedicated gf options a mild hike away from the Westin.
-BPAL LE achievements unlocked, and I managed to get my friend's LE's too, and nothing exploded in my checked bag on the way home.
-Lost Girl panel. Not really all that interesting, but the dudes were funny.
-Went a bit over budget, but closer-to-fine than I would have thought possible a year ago. There is both evidence of and room for improvement.
-Didn't buy anything for myself in the art room. OMG.
-Tom Smith! Brobdinagian Bard! Squeee!
-Ppl liked my geek patches shirt, and one person even asked for photos of it. Did not need to buy more patches, b/c I have more at home and couldn't remember what I didn't already have.
Bad things:
-Some kerfluffle about the room when I got in, but everything was settled by the time my roommates arrived.
-Travel exhaustion. Like jet lag but without the timezone change. Did not realize it was a thing :-P
-OVERWHELMED by crowds. On Sunday when it started to rain, guards started turning ppl away from the Hyatt b/c it was filled to capacity. In the middle of the day. That's nutz.
-Saturday, slipped in a public ladies room at the Westin and fell hard on the floor. My skinned knee still hurts today, but otherwise nothing was broken, twisted, or sprained. Tho I had to go up to my room to recover from the shock. And my muscles and joints were extra cranky for the rest of the day, but I slept that off somehow.
-My fall was the fault of my slippery mj-sneakers, and I didn't have my Docs with me, this led me to decide against going to a lot of things on Monday for fear of walking in the rain to my own demise.
-All the physical probs meant I didn't really enjoy DCon itself until Sunday. Which meant I didn't talk to *any* new ppl until that day, which kinda defeated my intentions.
-Forgot my business cards, after a few people were like OMG THAT TIARA! Whups.
-Was frequently frustrated that I had no new actually-in-production projects to talk about or network for.
-One alt-history panelist chided me and my Delenn costume for use of cotton and lack of corset, but more ppl at that panel recognized my costume than hers, so maybe it was just sour grapes. Even Steampunk Boba Fett liked us. Cotton = not dying in Atlanta humidity, and the next time someone who doesn't have CFS or IBS chides me about lack of corset I may go off on them. Or maybe I should just cosplay Regency from now on and avoid their b.s. all together.
-After making a bunch of new puppeteer friends, I tried waiting with them on line for the puppet slam. The wait was 2 hours, I only made it through one. My body was like "F#$% you" but my brain still wanted to be active, so I wandered to the Mechanical Masquerade in my hotel. Sat and chatted with some NY/NJ friends, but soon my brain caught up with my crashing body. I kinda wish I'd gone straight to the Masquerade, but I'm glad I got to hang out with new puppeteer friends.
-Despite not ninja-ing my way around con, I somehow missed 90% of my friends at con. I'm not sure how, but I definitely feel like I did DCon *wrong* somehow.
-My flight in was 90 minutes late (missed early check in), and then my flight home was FIVE HOURS late. Sorry American Airlines/Eagle, next year I'm back to Delta. Tho I'll need to remember to buy my tix earlier than June.
Mixed things:
-No really good pics of my Delenn costume yet. Just b/c someone else is willing to snap a shot of you with your own camera, doesn't mean they know what they're doing :-/. I have a tripod at home, may set something up myself after cleaning the clothes-parts.
-Bought my first cane. Definitely mixed feelings about owning one, and my spoonie lifestyle. Not sure if it counts as an impulse buy. Didn't need it by Sunday, but considering what happened Saturday I should probably start bringing one with me. And kinda expensive, but the vendor gave me a bit of a discount b/c I bought two toppers for one black lacquered cane: one plain brass knob, one nice brass kitty head. Yay, kitty cane. On the other hand, now that I have it, I may stop needing it, ie the umbrella-effect. I'm totally OK with that, can still use decorative cane as costume prop. Tho it doesn't fit in my largest checked bag, whups.
-Ppl kept telling me to apply for a handicapped sicker for next year. I'm considering it, but I see so many people at con who need it more than me that I feel guilty. May just get it so if/when I take a small folding stool with me for long lines then con-staff can't bust me for sitting down. The walking isn't nearly as bad on my system as the standing around.
-I'm wondering if my DCon would be less physically unpleasant if I could remember to excersise, so my muscles would be more hardy about the standing-around parts.
-On-site ticket purchase took 20 mins, but my friends at pre-reg were only there maybe 30 minutes longer than me, and we were together on the outside line. Apparently the 'new' barcode system actually does work better now. So I feel kinda silly. On the other hand, handicap sticker may also get me off the main prereg line.
-Felt silly packing all of those GF snacks into my suitcase. Next year I may just bring brownies and a few Kind bars. On the other hand, it was nice just being able to snack on chips in my hotel room all the time, but I got those at the mall's CVS on Thursday. Also felt silly about buying a bunch of cans of tuna fish that I didn't use, plus packing my scale, a butter knife (to cut fruit), and a can opener in my carryon. And the rolling suitcase that I was going to use to get grocieries. Next year I'll know better what to expect, hopefully those gf restaurants will still be there.
-Also felt silly buying a bunch of non-LE BPALs at con. It would have been less stressful to just order them online, b/c I was left standing at the booth for a looong time while the employee got the stuff on my list, and then had to wait on her own line to use the credit card machine. I guess I justified it beforehand as part of my DCon budget, but that's a bunch of $$ I could have just as easily not spent there. Not to mention, getting there right when the dealers room opened left me in massive owch for the rest of Friday. On that note (lol) I won't have to buy any more perfume for a while. Tho I'd like to order some wand caps. If I'm back at DCon next year, I will just buy LE's, and maybe the (licensed) scents they won't sell imps of.
-After the BPAL, realized I could replace my worn out t-shirts with TeeFury and less fuss. So didn't buy any shirts at con. Which turned out to be a good idea, as packing to go home was rather frustrating.
After the bad slip-and-fall shock on Saturday, I started having a bit of a DCon crisis of faith. Not a horrible thing, b/c it is just a con in the end, but it wasn't fun. But if 2013 was the year I figure out whether I can afford DCon *physically*, the findings are mixed at best.
For next year, I could get a handicap sticker and then 'ninja' my way around con. Avoid all or most of the giant-line events (excluding Fraggles), avoid crowds and get to the smaller indie panels and interesting things via back doors. On one hand, ppl don't really ask to photograph your costume if they don't see you. On the other, the Marriot floor was so ridiculously crowded that there was barely any room for photos. On FRIDAY. Ugh.
I already have a room reserved at the Westin, but if I change my mind I can get my deposit back. Whether I change to a different hotel or decide to skip next year.
I was less interested in swag as I expected (at least in retrospect), so I'm vaguely planning to keep a room entirely for myself next year. Maybe. We'll see. I might be willing to charge someone only 1/4 of the room cost if they get the floor or the rollaway, and I can keep the GIANT king sized bed to myself. Split 50/50 we share the bed. The rollaway wasn't that uncomfortable, but based on the terrible sleep I got on Thursday and Sunday nights it might be worth it?
It's hard to tell what DCon is worth, financially and physically, when I was to physically wrecked to enjoy it until Sunday this year. But maybe by next year I'll have some new project to show off and network for, so it might be more worth it by then?
And of course, my brain is already working out next year's costume. Which may include a lobster tail bustle. B/c I'm nutz. *headdesk*
<3 Chrysilla
no subject
Date: 9/4/13 11:21 pm (UTC)There may be some "but you don't look sick" people out there, but fuck 'em. A friend of mine got the sticker the year she went to DC with fucking cancer (on chemo).
Also, nuts to the lady giving you a hard time about costuming. A) Steampunk is ahistorical anyway. B) She's a nosy busybody.
(no subject)
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