w00t w00t booyah

And I'm leaving on a jet plane....and stuff.

Yesterday came together like a really good exercise in flexibility. After having my entire itinerary turned upside down, punting including visiting the Sho Chiku Bai sake brewery (w/tasing!), lunch at the Emeryville Food Market (YUM)...then our event (complete with about two hundred helium balloons, released to the ceiling on VERY long ribbons), then meeting up in J-Town for dinner and crepes.

Attending?

It was amazing - we all had LJs, but a whole buncha folks didn't know each other.

murphymom and kshandra
feyandstrange with her fella digitalsidhe
nytshaed with her daughter OMG she's tall now Aurora (She have an LJ of her own yet?)

Then there was us, silverkun and purrplexitty.

The boat sushi place wept in despair. Ditto the Benihana. But a third place said they could seat the ten of us inside of ten minutes and they got the gig.

Then we ate crepes. Then parted company, where we fell down like really well-fed dead things and then woke up.

We're now on our way out to breakfast with Hank - and then back to SFO, and home.

I've got a lovely phone conference with my agency owner to look forward to next week...but business as usual. rrrr.

How was your weekend?

And I'm leaving on a jet plane....and stuff.

Yesterday came together like a really good exercise in flexibility. After having my entire itinerary turned upside down, punting including visiting the Sho Chiku Bai sake brewery (w/tasing!), lunch at the Emeryville Food Market (YUM)...then our event (complete with about two hundred helium balloons, released to the ceiling on VERY long ribbons), then meeting up in J-Town for dinner and crepes.

Attending?

It was amazing - we all had LJs, but a whole buncha folks didn't know each other.

murphymom and kshandra
feyandstrange with her fella digitalsidhe
nytshaed with her daughter OMG she's tall now Aurora (She have an LJ of her own yet?)

Then there was us, silverkun and purrplexitty.

The boat sushi place wept in despair. Ditto the Benihana. But a third place said they could seat the ten of us inside of ten minutes and they got the gig.

Then we ate crepes. Then parted company, where we fell down like really well-fed dead things and then woke up.

We're now on our way out to breakfast with Hank - and then back to SFO, and home.

I've got a lovely phone conference with my agency owner to look forward to next week...but business as usual. rrrr.

How was your weekend?

And old friends. It's been a busy, exhausting weekend (chit, cleaning up the dishes from Saturday took until 1:00 Sunday...), but it's included five flavors of awesome, and I'm acutely reminded I need to pay more attention to my friends. I'm missing out, and it's just not necessary.

Also - got the new expansion pack for Sims2, and the Prima Guide arrived the day before. Worth it's weight in frustration lost trying to figure it all out, because this is the pack that doesn't change anything as much as the back end. It changes behavior - and cleans up a bunch of crap.

One word - slick. (kiyone, you got the codes for the bonus downloads?)

And it can be yours too, for $55 each way - that's like, fifty cents a mile. I'm talking about taking Amtrak from LA Union Station to San Jose, of course.

Now, I expected the smooth ride, the station stops and so on - but I'd been warned about spotty foodservice, so I packed enough to tide us over and ran through the bakery in Little Tokyo on the way out on Friday. There really isn't anything like munching warm-from-the-oven anpan standing in line to get on the train, yanno.

No x-ray machines, no taking my shoes off, half a six pack of DDP no worries, only need to check one bag and that was no big deal...the only thing missing was the safety briefing, to be replaced with a card in the pocket in front of you that suggested three methods of exiting the train in order of preference (first, the door you came in, second, another door, third, the window next to you) in case of an emergency. The conductor came through, asked us all to tidy up after ourselves when we used the bathrooms located downstairs, and to have fun!

The next announcement was Debbie from the dining car, advising us of the procedures to obtain lunch or dinner in the dining car. Have a reservation, and the sleeper cars would be polled first - but then she would be through to take our requests, see you in 45 minutes.

And we were off.

I knitted a bit, then got curious. Found the lounge car, with a magnificent observation deck - and docents from the California Parks Service. We would be crossing through a number of California sights - and what would that be if you didn't know where they were?

I have now seen the mission at San Miguel, the Guadalupe jail (room for one only, hence the fact it's a landmark and not a working jail anymore), the clams at Pismo Beach, the missile silos at Vandenburg AFB - and lots and lots of oak woodland. I live in a very pretty state - this was just a reminder.

Weather going up was cold, moist and wet enough to make looking out the windows pretty difficult, and besides - I'd found the electrical outlet downstairs next to the snack bar. Snakes on a plane? I got Geeks on a Train - all I had to do was pull out the power strip and I had many instant friends.

Pulled into San Jose about 9:00 PM, got picked up by silverkun and back to our hotel after returning him to his digs at Baycon.

We fwumped. Resumed activities at a reasonable hour the next day, which was spent divided between Baycon and Fanime. Took some pictures, which I'll get posted soon.

Baycon was sharing space with a charismatic Catholic conference. It was - rather odd, but kinda appropriate to be in the restaurant looking at badges to tell the difference between the hard-core Catholic monks (the ascetic, unused to speaking to anyone, wearing simple robes - dead giveaway) and the random Star Wars/I-like-the-simple-life cosplayer.

Utilikilts everywhere. I kind think I want one for myself - they looked both durable and useful.

Gaming was gaming - and a really nice room to sit in, let alone play in. I have to admit - I'm the Sim with 8 neat points. I tend to cruise rooms, picking up - because I've noted that people are more willing to sit at empty tables and use them for their intended use, but won't normally if - say - there's an empty glass sitting there. Hey, trash can right over there? No? No worries. Wow, look. A table ready to use again.

Got reminded yet AGAIN that Rock Band - while it requires a ton of tech - really is the game of the last year or so, and I predict that will hold for the next five years. It really is as good as advertised - and only gets better with friends.

Noted that they were having a blood drive - and since I'd missed the last Red Cross appointment, I took advantage...and ran into western_slope in the process. That was the easy part of being around - the people I needed to see? Just showed up. Surely, there were more people there that I didn't see - but I got just enough socialization to make me a happy camper. I think we ran into betnoir at breakfast the next morning - and just got reminded again that we need to get together more often. For one thing, my husband needs someone to play with and Steve has things wot go boom. What else could be better?

Got together with murphymom, kshandra and her youngest son - with a long chat on adoption, both from her POV as a reunited adoptee (wow, happy ending deluxe considering the time her adoption happened in, when she did her search and on - proof there is no better time than the one have to do such a thing. You just can't predict the outcome) and mine as a prospective adoptive parent, nevermind having adopted cousins. I cherish my resources found through LJ - yes, I truly do.

Then we packed it in and went over to meet up with the crew in the karaoke room at Fanime. catsonmars, kiyone, hamusutaa, skademonx, desslok - socializesocializesocialize. Beer. Repeat.

Go back to hotel, fall down. Sleep. Wake. Demand breakfast and begin again.

However, Sunday was Gong Show at Fanime. This - was fun. Any time Jim can chase Tommy around a packed house of crazed karaoke nuts demanding the gong that Tommy won't let him use - was worth the price of admission. We need more ad hoc acappella stuff ala Carmen Sandiego.

I was noting that while they didn't think that Gong Show was the best one so far, it certainly was well attended. A somewhat empty room certainly filled up fast enough during the contest...and of course, emptied pretty quickly once the contestants were done. Who wants to see someone else get prizes, right? But at a couple of points, it was standing room only - who noticed?

The weekend was either nonfat lattes or beer. By the time we got home Monday night after an equally FINE ride home on the train, so tired I couldn't crack a book open but to fall asleep reading it.

So goes the con report - commentary, another time. Now? Now I go Sim - today was a beat me up, drag me around day at work. I'm going to go play a bit now.

And it can be yours too, for $55 each way - that's like, fifty cents a mile. I'm talking about taking Amtrak from LA Union Station to San Jose, of course.

Now, I expected the smooth ride, the station stops and so on - but I'd been warned about spotty foodservice, so I packed enough to tide us over and ran through the bakery in Little Tokyo on the way out on Friday. There really isn't anything like munching warm-from-the-oven anpan standing in line to get on the train, yanno.

No x-ray machines, no taking my shoes off, half a six pack of DDP no worries, only need to check one bag and that was no big deal...the only thing missing was the safety briefing, to be replaced with a card in the pocket in front of you that suggested three methods of exiting the train in order of preference (first, the door you came in, second, another door, third, the window next to you) in case of an emergency. The conductor came through, asked us all to tidy up after ourselves when we used the bathrooms located downstairs, and to have fun!

The next announcement was Debbie from the dining car, advising us of the procedures to obtain lunch or dinner in the dining car. Have a reservation, and the sleeper cars would be polled first - but then she would be through to take our requests, see you in 45 minutes.

And we were off.

I knitted a bit, then got curious. Found the lounge car, with a magnificent observation deck - and docents from the California Parks Service. We would be crossing through a number of California sights - and what would that be if you didn't know where they were?

I have now seen the mission at San Miguel, the Guadalupe jail (room for one only, hence the fact it's a landmark and not a working jail anymore), the clams at Pismo Beach, the missile silos at Vandenburg AFB - and lots and lots of oak woodland. I live in a very pretty state - this was just a reminder.

Weather going up was cold, moist and wet enough to make looking out the windows pretty difficult, and besides - I'd found the electrical outlet downstairs next to the snack bar. Snakes on a plane? I got Geeks on a Train - all I had to do was pull out the power strip and I had many instant friends.

Pulled into San Jose about 9:00 PM, got picked up by silverkun and back to our hotel after returning him to his digs at Baycon.

We fwumped. Resumed activities at a reasonable hour the next day, which was spent divided between Baycon and Fanime. Took some pictures, which I'll get posted soon.

Baycon was sharing space with a charismatic Catholic conference. It was - rather odd, but kinda appropriate to be in the restaurant looking at badges to tell the difference between the hard-core Catholic monks (the ascetic, unused to speaking to anyone, wearing simple robes - dead giveaway) and the random Star Wars/I-like-the-simple-life cosplayer.

Utilikilts everywhere. I kind think I want one for myself - they looked both durable and useful.

Gaming was gaming - and a really nice room to sit in, let alone play in. I have to admit - I'm the Sim with 8 neat points. I tend to cruise rooms, picking up - because I've noted that people are more willing to sit at empty tables and use them for their intended use, but won't normally if - say - there's an empty glass sitting there. Hey, trash can right over there? No? No worries. Wow, look. A table ready to use again.

Got reminded yet AGAIN that Rock Band - while it requires a ton of tech - really is the game of the last year or so, and I predict that will hold for the next five years. It really is as good as advertised - and only gets better with friends.

Noted that they were having a blood drive - and since I'd missed the last Red Cross appointment, I took advantage...and ran into western_slope in the process. That was the easy part of being around - the people I needed to see? Just showed up. Surely, there were more people there that I didn't see - but I got just enough socialization to make me a happy camper. I think we ran into betnoir at breakfast the next morning - and just got reminded again that we need to get together more often. For one thing, my husband needs someone to play with and Steve has things wot go boom. What else could be better?

Got together with murphymom, kshandra and her youngest son - with a long chat on adoption, both from her POV as a reunited adoptee (wow, happy ending deluxe considering the time her adoption happened in, when she did her search and on - proof there is no better time than the one have to do such a thing. You just can't predict the outcome) and mine as a prospective adoptive parent, nevermind having adopted cousins. I cherish my resources found through LJ - yes, I truly do.

Then we packed it in and went over to meet up with the crew in the karaoke room at Fanime. catsonmars, kiyone, hamusutaa, skademonx, desslok - socializesocializesocialize. Beer. Repeat.

Go back to hotel, fall down. Sleep. Wake. Demand breakfast and begin again.

However, Sunday was Gong Show at Fanime. This - was fun. Any time Jim can chase Tommy around a packed house of crazed karaoke nuts demanding the gong that Tommy won't let him use - was worth the price of admission. We need more ad hoc acappella stuff ala Carmen Sandiego.

I was noting that while they didn't think that Gong Show was the best one so far, it certainly was well attended. A somewhat empty room certainly filled up fast enough during the contest...and of course, emptied pretty quickly once the contestants were done. Who wants to see someone else get prizes, right? But at a couple of points, it was standing room only - who noticed?

The weekend was either nonfat lattes or beer. By the time we got home Monday night after an equally FINE ride home on the train, so tired I couldn't crack a book open but to fall asleep reading it.

So goes the con report - commentary, another time. Now? Now I go Sim - today was a beat me up, drag me around day at work. I'm going to go play a bit now.

Wow. That CD I picked up at Starbucks the other day is FANTASTIC.

Party last night so full of WIN, it's running over into today which is pouring rain and looking like hot chocolate and blankets on the couch watching MUNCLE sort of stuff.

WIN, I tell you.

I need to have one of those here at MAH HOUSE just for kicks and giggles this summer.

Yes, I'm adding people again.

What.

Yes, I'm adding people again.

What.

You remember that Friends of Lulu fundraiser to kick off that new fund to prosecute assaults against women? Yeah, the one auctioning Sin City stuff. *facepalms*

This makes a whole lot more sense to me - from theferrett, of course.

3) In the middle of a depression, it's satisfying to have a bunch of good friends over to help you out. Part of my technique for fighting my SADs is logic, wherein I try to beat down silly emotions with the club of "That's not real! You have worth! You have friends!" When seven people show up, that's the sort of hard proof that makes biochemical additives slink away in shame... At least for a little while. Thanks, guys.

4) In case you're wondering why I'm doing all of this cooking, it's for Real Men Cook, a local Cleveland event wherein about eighty men cook up their favorite dish for about a thousand people. Each of those thousand people pays about $15.00 to come in and sample the dishes from Cleveland's Finest Cooks (and a Ferrett), and the money goes to a women's shelter.

It's a very cool event with a lot of friendly guys, and as you sample the dishes you vote for the best in each category. No, I've never come close with my Apple Crisp; I've come in second, but first is a smiling, jovial guy with a banana creme-and-cookies pudding that's to die for. Last event, I think I got like forty votes and he got four hundred.

I like Ferrett deMetz. Lots.

That I have a "roll-your-own" custom DS, I take it to McDonalds for the WiFi and play Animal Crossing:WW on it:



Nik actually took a picture of me and his father - and for 8 years old, did a decent job - wanna see?

( Not Half Bad )