w00t w00t booyah

I am up, vertical and functional this morning - kid is at preschool, Jim is at work and we're not falling over exhausted.

But we just finished doing a con in San Francisco that required a little over six hours of driving each way to attend. (Three hundred dollars is three hundred dollars, and I packed pocketknives, toothpaste, shampoo and didn't have to show my ID neither. Pthwwpt!)

Taking advantage of the company's rental junket club, I rented a hybrid to do the drive. Getting to the lot, we were shown all of the choices available - which included a Ford Escape.

It was bigger than the Prius. We were doing a con. We scratched our heads and said 'why not?'

Oh baby. I can see why Ford is still in business. Let's just say - it worked. Worked WELL. It was one thing we didn't have to worry about.

Something you don't expect to find in a car, but the hybrids probably take for granted - electric ports of all kinds. Like - a 110 plug. Baby, I plugged in a power strip and the kid and I both had tech all the way up and back. I played Sims on my laptop, and he watched all the DVDs we could play. Effortless.

One reason we're not exhausted.

Animation On Display (AOD) moved its digs from the old Cathedral Hill Hotel to the Kabuki Hotel in J-Town, due to imminent demise of the Cat Hill - it's going to see a wrecking ball Real Soon Now and I still think someone ought to dart in there and steal random objects. We really loved that old place - but.

Let's get one thing straight. The Kabuki is POSH. After spending many happy, happy years at the Cat Hill, with its bare (but dressed) cement walls, institutional-style flush toliets, leaky ceilings, elevators that refused to work with more than eight people in them (but had the cheery 'Help Is On The Way' buttons in them) and beds that resembled blocks of stone - stepping into the Kabuki must have seemed like a sweet, sweet reward.

(For instance - Con Ops had been held on the third floor of the Cat Hill in a little room with no windows and little change in color from floor to ceiling - not even pictures on the walls. We checked into our room, decided the Con Chair loved me because our room? OH BABY. And then word reached us in reverent tones. "Con Ops - has a sauna!")

No shit.

Our room? Soft, welcoming beds with feather duvets so thick the kid almost disappeared into them at naptime. On the 9th floor, well out of range of any loud attendees or other possible noise issues. At the end of the hall. The short end. The bathroom had a furo tub in it that must have been 3 - 4' deep - Jim and the kid took a bath together in it, that big. (It took a while to fill up. Oh well. There was a place to shower off first anyway.) And the hotel tolietries were wonderful and plentiful.

The mini-bar was expensive, but had Pocky.

Reason number two we're not exhausted.

First day of the con, Jim is drafted to a Costco run - so he takes kid, hybrid and con staffer and is gone most of the morning. Me, I get to help out at Registration - and quickly find out I can bellow 'NEEEEXT' to pitch. Two hours into the con, and the lines are CLEARED.

But now it's time for me to take kid, feed him lunch and put down for nap for I have a panel at two. Cupcakes are arriving at 1:30, and I've got joseph_palmer coming in to help me out with the panel.

One, two, three, four. We eat, the kid goes down to sleep, cupcakes arrive, so does Joe - and the panel goes off beautifully.

Celebrations are had after, and much sake is consumed by both me and silverkun - who steps in to be me/Jim at need when kid stuff takes over the schedule. This works amazingly well. The fact I have three of Xander's 'committee' on site during this con makes me a very happy panda - the fact that they are all getting to know each other better makes me ecstatic. The fact that I'm having to do NOTHING for this to happen organically is beyond words.

Reason three I'm not exhausted.

I spend very little time in Ops, when last year I lived there. I found I was doing one of four things - sleeping (which having kid onboard made mandatory), eating something with him prior to putting to bed (either a nap or sleep), doing a panel or something related to con, but not in Ops. And Ops had a sauna! *pouts* Well, not very much. I got two of the best hot soaks in years, and I didn't even have to leave my room!

Sunday comes off like clockwork, as I take kid shopping in the morning (scoring FIVE Pokemon bath fizzies, hooray!), feeding him lunch and getting him back to the room for his nap before I grab laptop, DVDs and my ass as I find myself doing a 'the 60's were a great time to be a kid' panel. I'm certain I'm going to be facing an empty room twenty minutes into the panel and fold. I am surprised to find a similar result to the fan fic panel - people came in to the room and stayed to the end. I played a bunch of DVD clips, nattered and gromished my way through an hour and decided this is actually a pretty good idea, but needs better prep. (I thought they'd cancelled it when I asked for a schedule change for the fan fic panel. Uh, no. They flipped them.)

I come to my senses after the panel - we really should pack up and start driving to get home anytime at a reasonable hour for all of us. So we say our goodbyes, hit the road and get home before 9:30 PM.

I really wanted another hour for shopping. That's my only regret. I can get the california roll bento anytime.

AOD 2010 - assignment complete. And I can't wait for next year.

I am up, vertical and functional this morning - kid is at preschool, Jim is at work and we're not falling over exhausted.

But we just finished doing a con in San Francisco that required a little over six hours of driving each way to attend. (Three hundred dollars is three hundred dollars, and I packed pocketknives, toothpaste, shampoo and didn't have to show my ID neither. Pthwwpt!)

Taking advantage of the company's rental junket club, I rented a hybrid to do the drive. Getting to the lot, we were shown all of the choices available - which included a Ford Escape.

It was bigger than the Prius. We were doing a con. We scratched our heads and said 'why not?'

Oh baby. I can see why Ford is still in business. Let's just say - it worked. Worked WELL. It was one thing we didn't have to worry about.

Something you don't expect to find in a car, but the hybrids probably take for granted - electric ports of all kinds. Like - a 110 plug. Baby, I plugged in a power strip and the kid and I both had tech all the way up and back. I played Sims on my laptop, and he watched all the DVDs we could play. Effortless.

One reason we're not exhausted.

Animation On Display (AOD) moved its digs from the old Cathedral Hill Hotel to the Kabuki Hotel in J-Town, due to imminent demise of the Cat Hill - it's going to see a wrecking ball Real Soon Now and I still think someone ought to dart in there and steal random objects. We really loved that old place - but.

Let's get one thing straight. The Kabuki is POSH. After spending many happy, happy years at the Cat Hill, with its bare (but dressed) cement walls, institutional-style flush toliets, leaky ceilings, elevators that refused to work with more than eight people in them (but had the cheery 'Help Is On The Way' buttons in them) and beds that resembled blocks of stone - stepping into the Kabuki must have seemed like a sweet, sweet reward.

(For instance - Con Ops had been held on the third floor of the Cat Hill in a little room with no windows and little change in color from floor to ceiling - not even pictures on the walls. We checked into our room, decided the Con Chair loved me because our room? OH BABY. And then word reached us in reverent tones. "Con Ops - has a sauna!")

No shit.

Our room? Soft, welcoming beds with feather duvets so thick the kid almost disappeared into them at naptime. On the 9th floor, well out of range of any loud attendees or other possible noise issues. At the end of the hall. The short end. The bathroom had a furo tub in it that must have been 3 - 4' deep - Jim and the kid took a bath together in it, that big. (It took a while to fill up. Oh well. There was a place to shower off first anyway.) And the hotel tolietries were wonderful and plentiful.

The mini-bar was expensive, but had Pocky.

Reason number two we're not exhausted.

First day of the con, Jim is drafted to a Costco run - so he takes kid, hybrid and con staffer and is gone most of the morning. Me, I get to help out at Registration - and quickly find out I can bellow 'NEEEEXT' to pitch. Two hours into the con, and the lines are CLEARED.

But now it's time for me to take kid, feed him lunch and put down for nap for I have a panel at two. Cupcakes are arriving at 1:30, and I've got joseph_palmer coming in to help me out with the panel.

One, two, three, four. We eat, the kid goes down to sleep, cupcakes arrive, so does Joe - and the panel goes off beautifully.

Celebrations are had after, and much sake is consumed by both me and silverkun - who steps in to be me/Jim at need when kid stuff takes over the schedule. This works amazingly well. The fact I have three of Xander's 'committee' on site during this con makes me a very happy panda - the fact that they are all getting to know each other better makes me ecstatic. The fact that I'm having to do NOTHING for this to happen organically is beyond words.

Reason three I'm not exhausted.

I spend very little time in Ops, when last year I lived there. I found I was doing one of four things - sleeping (which having kid onboard made mandatory), eating something with him prior to putting to bed (either a nap or sleep), doing a panel or something related to con, but not in Ops. And Ops had a sauna! *pouts* Well, not very much. I got two of the best hot soaks in years, and I didn't even have to leave my room!

Sunday comes off like clockwork, as I take kid shopping in the morning (scoring FIVE Pokemon bath fizzies, hooray!), feeding him lunch and getting him back to the room for his nap before I grab laptop, DVDs and my ass as I find myself doing a 'the 60's were a great time to be a kid' panel. I'm certain I'm going to be facing an empty room twenty minutes into the panel and fold. I am surprised to find a similar result to the fan fic panel - people came in to the room and stayed to the end. I played a bunch of DVD clips, nattered and gromished my way through an hour and decided this is actually a pretty good idea, but needs better prep. (I thought they'd cancelled it when I asked for a schedule change for the fan fic panel. Uh, no. They flipped them.)

I come to my senses after the panel - we really should pack up and start driving to get home anytime at a reasonable hour for all of us. So we say our goodbyes, hit the road and get home before 9:30 PM.

I really wanted another hour for shopping. That's my only regret. I can get the california roll bento anytime.

AOD 2010 - assignment complete. And I can't wait for next year.

Boy, they are a LOT of conventions this weekend. Including mine, but whoa.

You want me, I'm in SFO (driving up there as we speak) - http://www.aodsf.org

I'll be the one in motion. Promise.

Kid did not nap yesterday. Kid was a wreck until he went to sleep at 6:30 PM. We managed to feed and change clothes - but I felt terrible for him getting him dressed for bed.

He wanted to go to the market and buy toys. Inconsolable. Under normal circumstances, it's not an issue and it's dinner, bath and so forth.

I had to hide the pants.

So, no - I did not get to watch State of the Union, engage in any drinking games or the like.

Tonight, I pack for the weekend! Fear.

(I'm going up to SFO for AOD - http://www.aodsf.org - you want?)

Kid did not nap yesterday. Kid was a wreck until he went to sleep at 6:30 PM. We managed to feed and change clothes - but I felt terrible for him getting him dressed for bed.

He wanted to go to the market and buy toys. Inconsolable. Under normal circumstances, it's not an issue and it's dinner, bath and so forth.

I had to hide the pants.

So, no - I did not get to watch State of the Union, engage in any drinking games or the like.

Tonight, I pack for the weekend! Fear.

(I'm going up to SFO for AOD - http://www.aodsf.org - you want?)

bigbigtruck and dawnmipb need to share each other's posts today.

I have a flock of origami cranes made out of Starburst wrappers on my desk. I'd take a picture and post it, except it's a total PIA to get it out of the camera, corrected and cropped and then uploaded. That process is in dire need of simplification. Seriously.

I took no pictures at AOD. But then again, pictures aren't the best part of that con. Busting up Andy and making Hank happy are.

The lady running helm at Security called me a smart cookie. She has no idea. I do try to use my powers for Good, truly I do.

If not that, crepes with nutella and bananas in them.

I'm also a smart-ass, and try to listen to three things at once working Con Ops. Not always successful.

I currently have more tech on my desk than any reasonable human should. Yes, more than I had during the weekend (which was a laptop, Bluetooth in one ear, and con radio on the other).

If I brought the laptop in, I'd have three computers and two phones, two cell phones in addition - and the DS. That's enough tech to keep anyone happy.

Now? Now, more tea. Always need more tea.

I wanna 'nother weekend like that one.

I didn't do it.

No, I know who did.

And I got it nailed. But.

I have been SLAMMED. Three ways to Sunday and it's only Wednesday.

When I get some air, I'll tell y'all more - but I'll tell you this much.

I've already submitted my volunteer app to the Festival of Books, and AOD staff should expect queries about my competency because I've asked to be put on the Special Sekrit Service tasks...and that requires a resume.

I'll get a t-shirt and lunch out of it. At least.

For the rest - catch you later!

I didn't do it.

No, I know who did.

And I got it nailed. But.

I have been SLAMMED. Three ways to Sunday and it's only Wednesday.

When I get some air, I'll tell y'all more - but I'll tell you this much.

I've already submitted my volunteer app to the Festival of Books, and AOD staff should expect queries about my competency because I've asked to be put on the Special Sekrit Service tasks...and that requires a resume.

I'll get a t-shirt and lunch out of it. At least.

For the rest - catch you later!

But so help me, I'm going to KILL my boss when I see him Monday.

I'm currently at AOD in San Francisco (*waves*) - so come on over if you can - I'll be here until 3:00 PM today.

(Page me, get me on the phone and don't read my directions? Oh, kill. Just cos'.)

Catch up you all later - hope your weekend is a good one!

It's the kind of day where I can drink the tea while it's still hot, all the way to the end.

Plenty of spoons, no forks and they took my knife at Oakland Airport. Yes, they did. Drat. I lose more pocketknives that way.

HOOGE-ASS Mag-Lite? Not so much. And they completely missed the toothpaste.

Wee pocketknife, in the bottom of purse (and I didn't even remember it was there, let alone know it was there) - BWAH BWAH BWAH.

*eye roll*

AOD was as much fun as working a con gets. I could bust up the entire room in Con Ops without trying hard. Last Breakfast on Sunday was hysteria over coffee and bad french toast. GREAT group.

I also opened my yap and suggested that if we were broadening the appeal of the con by including "non-anime" animation, we should - yanno - have a non-anime video schedule.

Guess what.

Yeah. I get to see if I can actually find the license holders for things like Asterix, Popeye, Danger Mouse, Inspector Gadget, Beany & Cecil - and if I can talk Hanna-Barbera out of some of their older, stranger properties. (Anyone besides me remember the Alice In Wonderland they did in the early 60's with Scatman Crothers as the Cheshire Cat?)

I think the best angle will be to find distributora who can show for promotional purposes if they're selling at the con. Hello, two birds - BANG. Wish me luck.

Jim and I walked down to J-Town, bought the anime and books we would had gotten in the dealer's room - except there wasn't anyone selling anime in the dealers room (could I have missed it - did I?) and then jetted out to San Remote to meet up with silverkun for lunch, and then back to the APO to go home.

*slurp*

A coworker's spouse makes the most incredible baked goods - and he uses us as a test group for new recipes. This morning, he brought in leftover cupcakes from a party over the weekend that had a beach theme. She made cupcakes and iced some of them with blue icing and shark-fin cutouts...and some of them were iced with white icing and cinnamon/brown sugar crumble - with little umbrellas. Think I'll steal that idea and add beach balls and buckets. TOO CUTE.

Delicious, no idea. They smelled good, though. They're all gone now. ;_;

And so goes Monday. Tomorrow is Rahki - should I go raid Little India for pretties?