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I've been going to Archon since Archon 14 in 1990.
So that's 24 years, I've been going to that con. There have been more years where I went to Archon than when I didn't.
This one was really good for a variety of reasons. I didn't actually do many of the things I set out to do, but that's not a huge issue. I wanted to investigate the guests, but other than walking past Tony Todd in the hall, I didn't really do any of that.
I also didn't really go to any programming that I wasn't directly involved in, except the Children's Masquerade.
On the other hand, I did a lot of things that I love to do at Archon. Here are some of them:
1. Hijinks in the hallways. In addition to the Fauns on Friday, I also had another roam-the-hallways group to participate in! I know a young pre-teen who wanted to dress up as Ciel from Black Butler. His mom got him the costume (no, she didn't make it) and so I made a pinafore to create a Mei Rin costume (the maid). We also had a Butler Grell and a Sebastian (sort of; she was otherwise occupied in the afternoon which is fine.) It was fun to just stroll around, being seen, being photographed and being recognized. I realized that I would be delighted to foster this young man into the con scene, which might be more elegant that him being dragged around by a parent. Mwa ha ha.
2. Fairy Godchildren. Which brings me to point out that I've been a fairy godmother for many years. Some of my godchildren are adults now (though none of my kids ever becomes "Grown up".) Some of them are married or have kids of their own now. I had a blast reintroducing adults who played together as kids and teens. I found myself doing it all weekend long. I keep adopting more. Heh.
3. Disco Nap. I'm coming to the sad conclusion that I need a nap about halfway through the con, and this seems true of most conventions. A nice 20 minute lay-down on Saturday afternoon helps immensely. It doesn't even really need to be a true nap, though that seems to be best. I actually snagged two cat-naps and it did me a world of good. I'm going to start scheduling them into my day so that I don't have to get blindsided by "oh god I need a nap" time.
4. New Friends. I made a few new friends, one of which decided that I was her Spirit Animal. (preens) Another pair were a charming couple who had tasty bourbon. They were a little bit surprised that I remembered them in the morning. I was throwing myself around quite a bit, and I was enjoying a good return on that investment. I met a delightful professional stylist who was tons of fun to talk to about hair, some new friends-of-friends, and even someone's really awesome mom. Yay! New friends!
5. Old Friends. Made a few reconnections, including one that I really ought to follow up on more often. Also discovered some interesting new data. I've been paying close attention to the kinds of things that my friends inspire in me. I worked out that there are a few acquaintances who make me crazier just by talking to me. Hmm. Found out that there are a few long-lost friends that I ought to be talking to more often. Found out that not all my friends know each other, not even the ones who have been going to Archon longer than I have. And also some of my friends know each other, but have no idea from where. I also learned the first AND last name of an acquaintance who I like to objectify. (He likes being objectified.) His name is completely amusing and awesome, and he was determined to get to know me better this time around. Mwa ha ha.
6. Walking Advertisement. I've been a spokesmodel for several artists over the years, and this year was no different. I sported the giant pair of Bast's Garden wings on Saturday night, and got a LOT of positive feedback. I wish that I'd had cards to give out; the Ladiez do fine work. I also wore my Mushroom corset, twice, which attracted a LOT of attention. I do love to promote Curious Cat; this time I actually got to do a little bit of Booth Babe work for her, too. (Well, I say, "Work", more like being my usual self and seducing, er, persuading ladies to try on the corsets.)
7. Food Run. A good friend gave me the phrasing, and he was entirely correct. When we made our Saturday food run, I wasn't hungry to start but when I walked into Culver's, I was suddenly ferociously hungry. "I'll take... that side of the menu to go, please. And... The other side for here." OM NOM NOM oh GOD I love Culver's. Also, today I was invited out for brunch with a good friend, and that was an excellent way to start the day.
8. Surreality. I am not embarrassed to admit that reality was a little bit thin over the weekend. I don't just mean because it got a little drunk out (that's a separate bullet point.) I was picking up weird little nudges from the edges of my vision. So much so, that I occasionally asked for corroboration if I saw something weird. No one ever contradicted me, so I don't think I had a break with reality or anything. There was a kind of wyrd energy all weekend. I like that. Also there were surreal social moments, including the bit where someone who ought to have known better spent like 10 minutes talking to me about my husband and his situation, while I was in the company of a minor child who did not need to know any of that nonsense. (grrrr) So not all of the surreality was good, but the bad was heavily outweighed by the positive experiences.
9. It Got A Little Drunk Out. A *little*. Oh, I'm sure that there were fans who overdid it, but I wasn't one of them and I didn't see a lot of issues. (One or two, here or there. Not bad.) The room parties were fabulous, which is refreshing to see. I liked the Wonderland party quite a bit, but so did everyone else so there was a lot of crowding in that one.
10. Klingons Everywhere. I didn't manage to wear K'mawMas at all, but that's Ok. My Klingon alter-ego didn't really manifest. It did
make me feel nostalgic and fuzzy to see so many of my warrior kin strutting their Klingon stuff. I may have to resurrect the Iron Butterfly and even the Purple Haze.
11. I like to watch. You know, I don't think I've watched the Masquerade from the audience two years in a row before. Mmm. No, that's not true; I watched from the audience at Archon 16, the last of the Henry VIII Archons, and then I watched from the audience at Archon 17, the first of the Collinsville ones. Other than that, I'm usually on stage or backstage. This time I chose the easiest path; I waited until shortly before the contest started, and then showed up to see if any seats were still available. There were a few in the back, and so I sat with some friends in the actual back row and we had a ncie time. It was remarked upon that I am a fan of certain costumers and their work. One of my companions this time around was somewhat unfamiliar with the number of regularly competing costumers that I know personally, or whose work I follow avidly. I'm an artist, and I love art. I love other people's art, including costuming. Maybe I *don't* need to put anything on the stage anymore. Maybe I want my nap and my Saturday back. Hmm. This bears considering. I love the stage, and I have so many ideas, but I also want ALL THE THINGS. Time to choose.
12. Tea Time. I still love hosting the tea party. If it hadn't been for one spectacular bump in the road, this would have been a perfect tea, I think. We were ready really close to on time (unusual!) and I had my sh*t together and TIGHT this time. I was a lot more organized in advance, and figured out how to get the most bang for my buck on the food. Other than a few secret sources for delicious and unusual treats, I mostly just catered the party out of Aldi. (Though I had to send a friend for Cucumbers; Aldi was out when I shopped and I didn't have time to pick any up.) I was happy with my costume and the small amount of patter and fun I did for the crowd. We were less Sherlocky and more Clue-oriented, and I'm particularly pleased with myself over the innuendo and discussion that manifested. Miss Scarlett Adler is a fully-formed character and she slid into place neatly and seamlessly. She was an Athena; born fully formed from my head. Tips this year nearly paid for the food; this is GOOD. I like that a lot. I also got a LOT of really positive feedback, so I'm very pleased to continue the tradition. Next year's theme is under consideration, but I think I know what I want.
13. For unlucky 13, I'll list a few of the disappointing things that I had to endure. Missed Masquerade opportunities. A panel on feminism and gender roles in fiction that I ought to have gone to. Hotel Breakfast, or rather not having it. Not having thesigother at my side. Not having The Boy or The Girl at my side. Missing some excellent panels. Failing to do the annual Supply Run. Not getting more time with Allura and her Unicorn. Not getting a chance to really enjoy the Art Show.
SO overall it's a win. I had a great time, and I feel really happy about coming back next year. I preregistered myself and thesigother, so here's hoping that we get to bring him back! (If not, there will be a pre-reg badge up for grabs late in the season, so that's not bad either.)
And now, the wayback machine:
( Read more... )
So that's 24 years, I've been going to that con. There have been more years where I went to Archon than when I didn't.
This one was really good for a variety of reasons. I didn't actually do many of the things I set out to do, but that's not a huge issue. I wanted to investigate the guests, but other than walking past Tony Todd in the hall, I didn't really do any of that.
I also didn't really go to any programming that I wasn't directly involved in, except the Children's Masquerade.
On the other hand, I did a lot of things that I love to do at Archon. Here are some of them:
1. Hijinks in the hallways. In addition to the Fauns on Friday, I also had another roam-the-hallways group to participate in! I know a young pre-teen who wanted to dress up as Ciel from Black Butler. His mom got him the costume (no, she didn't make it) and so I made a pinafore to create a Mei Rin costume (the maid). We also had a Butler Grell and a Sebastian (sort of; she was otherwise occupied in the afternoon which is fine.) It was fun to just stroll around, being seen, being photographed and being recognized. I realized that I would be delighted to foster this young man into the con scene, which might be more elegant that him being dragged around by a parent. Mwa ha ha.
2. Fairy Godchildren. Which brings me to point out that I've been a fairy godmother for many years. Some of my godchildren are adults now (though none of my kids ever becomes "Grown up".) Some of them are married or have kids of their own now. I had a blast reintroducing adults who played together as kids and teens. I found myself doing it all weekend long. I keep adopting more. Heh.
3. Disco Nap. I'm coming to the sad conclusion that I need a nap about halfway through the con, and this seems true of most conventions. A nice 20 minute lay-down on Saturday afternoon helps immensely. It doesn't even really need to be a true nap, though that seems to be best. I actually snagged two cat-naps and it did me a world of good. I'm going to start scheduling them into my day so that I don't have to get blindsided by "oh god I need a nap" time.
4. New Friends. I made a few new friends, one of which decided that I was her Spirit Animal. (preens) Another pair were a charming couple who had tasty bourbon. They were a little bit surprised that I remembered them in the morning. I was throwing myself around quite a bit, and I was enjoying a good return on that investment. I met a delightful professional stylist who was tons of fun to talk to about hair, some new friends-of-friends, and even someone's really awesome mom. Yay! New friends!
5. Old Friends. Made a few reconnections, including one that I really ought to follow up on more often. Also discovered some interesting new data. I've been paying close attention to the kinds of things that my friends inspire in me. I worked out that there are a few acquaintances who make me crazier just by talking to me. Hmm. Found out that there are a few long-lost friends that I ought to be talking to more often. Found out that not all my friends know each other, not even the ones who have been going to Archon longer than I have. And also some of my friends know each other, but have no idea from where. I also learned the first AND last name of an acquaintance who I like to objectify. (He likes being objectified.) His name is completely amusing and awesome, and he was determined to get to know me better this time around. Mwa ha ha.
6. Walking Advertisement. I've been a spokesmodel for several artists over the years, and this year was no different. I sported the giant pair of Bast's Garden wings on Saturday night, and got a LOT of positive feedback. I wish that I'd had cards to give out; the Ladiez do fine work. I also wore my Mushroom corset, twice, which attracted a LOT of attention. I do love to promote Curious Cat; this time I actually got to do a little bit of Booth Babe work for her, too. (Well, I say, "Work", more like being my usual self and seducing, er, persuading ladies to try on the corsets.)
7. Food Run. A good friend gave me the phrasing, and he was entirely correct. When we made our Saturday food run, I wasn't hungry to start but when I walked into Culver's, I was suddenly ferociously hungry. "I'll take... that side of the menu to go, please. And... The other side for here." OM NOM NOM oh GOD I love Culver's. Also, today I was invited out for brunch with a good friend, and that was an excellent way to start the day.
8. Surreality. I am not embarrassed to admit that reality was a little bit thin over the weekend. I don't just mean because it got a little drunk out (that's a separate bullet point.) I was picking up weird little nudges from the edges of my vision. So much so, that I occasionally asked for corroboration if I saw something weird. No one ever contradicted me, so I don't think I had a break with reality or anything. There was a kind of wyrd energy all weekend. I like that. Also there were surreal social moments, including the bit where someone who ought to have known better spent like 10 minutes talking to me about my husband and his situation, while I was in the company of a minor child who did not need to know any of that nonsense. (grrrr) So not all of the surreality was good, but the bad was heavily outweighed by the positive experiences.
9. It Got A Little Drunk Out. A *little*. Oh, I'm sure that there were fans who overdid it, but I wasn't one of them and I didn't see a lot of issues. (One or two, here or there. Not bad.) The room parties were fabulous, which is refreshing to see. I liked the Wonderland party quite a bit, but so did everyone else so there was a lot of crowding in that one.
10. Klingons Everywhere. I didn't manage to wear K'mawMas at all, but that's Ok. My Klingon alter-ego didn't really manifest. It did
make me feel nostalgic and fuzzy to see so many of my warrior kin strutting their Klingon stuff. I may have to resurrect the Iron Butterfly and even the Purple Haze.11. I like to watch. You know, I don't think I've watched the Masquerade from the audience two years in a row before. Mmm. No, that's not true; I watched from the audience at Archon 16, the last of the Henry VIII Archons, and then I watched from the audience at Archon 17, the first of the Collinsville ones. Other than that, I'm usually on stage or backstage. This time I chose the easiest path; I waited until shortly before the contest started, and then showed up to see if any seats were still available. There were a few in the back, and so I sat with some friends in the actual back row and we had a ncie time. It was remarked upon that I am a fan of certain costumers and their work. One of my companions this time around was somewhat unfamiliar with the number of regularly competing costumers that I know personally, or whose work I follow avidly. I'm an artist, and I love art. I love other people's art, including costuming. Maybe I *don't* need to put anything on the stage anymore. Maybe I want my nap and my Saturday back. Hmm. This bears considering. I love the stage, and I have so many ideas, but I also want ALL THE THINGS. Time to choose.
12. Tea Time. I still love hosting the tea party. If it hadn't been for one spectacular bump in the road, this would have been a perfect tea, I think. We were ready really close to on time (unusual!) and I had my sh*t together and TIGHT this time. I was a lot more organized in advance, and figured out how to get the most bang for my buck on the food. Other than a few secret sources for delicious and unusual treats, I mostly just catered the party out of Aldi. (Though I had to send a friend for Cucumbers; Aldi was out when I shopped and I didn't have time to pick any up.) I was happy with my costume and the small amount of patter and fun I did for the crowd. We were less Sherlocky and more Clue-oriented, and I'm particularly pleased with myself over the innuendo and discussion that manifested. Miss Scarlett Adler is a fully-formed character and she slid into place neatly and seamlessly. She was an Athena; born fully formed from my head. Tips this year nearly paid for the food; this is GOOD. I like that a lot. I also got a LOT of really positive feedback, so I'm very pleased to continue the tradition. Next year's theme is under consideration, but I think I know what I want.
13. For unlucky 13, I'll list a few of the disappointing things that I had to endure. Missed Masquerade opportunities. A panel on feminism and gender roles in fiction that I ought to have gone to. Hotel Breakfast, or rather not having it. Not having thesigother at my side. Not having The Boy or The Girl at my side. Missing some excellent panels. Failing to do the annual Supply Run. Not getting more time with Allura and her Unicorn. Not getting a chance to really enjoy the Art Show.
SO overall it's a win. I had a great time, and I feel really happy about coming back next year. I preregistered myself and thesigother, so here's hoping that we get to bring him back! (If not, there will be a pre-reg badge up for grabs late in the season, so that's not bad either.)
And now, the wayback machine:
( Read more... )
