New beginnings...

Awww yeah, it's been a long time since I've written in this journal, much less actually written a report on what I did during Otakon. I decided to do a bare bones review just because.

It starts Wednesday, when Cheza missed her flight >_> When she arrived we went to Sakura's for delicious Ten Don and finally to Dave & Buster's, which is only my second time going. I had fun there in ATL when I was younger, but a stand alone store is better and bigger, if you ask me. I probably won't go back unless someone else wants to go.

Thursday, we all gather at my house aaand naturally, Kevin forgot something at his house and so they were late. I don't know how it happens every year, but Pan and Kevin have some kind of delay and we don't leave on time. So the three cars filled with the people we had left at 10:45 instead of 10:30. The drive up was amazingly pain free. We somehow managed to get there in 2.5 hours. No delays of traffic, no getting turned around, no missed turns, it was kind of amazing.

So we get there, I check in aaand lol the person gave us the wrong rooms. I went in and suitcases and such were already in there. I called down using the room phone and turns out it was already someone elses 8D; So I got the keys for the right room and went up two floors. And then the keycard for the OTHER room didn't work when they brought them to me, so I had to go down and get the keycards redone. 8|

BUT everyone arrived and we went to the smoothie place AND IT'S CLOSED. I can't believe it I was looking forward to it SO MUCH and we saw the guy and apparently he went out of business? I don't know, but he was shutting down and I was like NOOOoooooo.

Then, after walking all that way, we went to the Matsuri that was open free to the public and it was boring and nothing really went on. We walked right through and went to Cheesecake factory to eat, even though the wait was like, 40 minutes. *sobs* [17$] My cousin missed her bus because of the storm and so instead of picking her up at 10:30 It was 12:30 and I was so tired. Ugh, I wanted to go to sleep so bad but I couldn't. I didn't go to bed until 2am and then the TV was on because Imouto and her mom and brother can't sleep without the TV on. *cries into my hands*

Next morning, I got up partially because the TV woke me up and because it was morning. I showered and got a smoothie and veggie breakfast panini [8$] before getting into the line for the Dealer's room. Of course, I wandered from door to door trying to get to it and they always close doors off and you have to go the most round about longest way to get to the damn thing. When I finally get there, I sit down for about 2 hours and polish off Rapture by Kate Lauren. When I get in, I FINALLY get IWGP Vol 4 that I've been looking for for ages and could never find until now, all of a sudden. I got it for [8$] and saw at least 1 other copy when before I couldn't ever find it. Life be trollin'. Then I found the 5 dollar manga table and got TsubaChron 23-26 and Blade of the Immortal 22 for [20$]. Then the buy 3 get the 4th free table I got Karin 9, 10, and 13, Your & My Secret 7 [36$]. Apparently Karin has limited quantity so it was 14.99. 8| I probably should have seen if 14 was that price, too, but I didn't and when I went back the next day to check it was gone .__.

So I finished up in the Dealer's room and went to the Angel's in Anime Panel at 2:30. Lol more waiting in line before that, so I got more reading done in Catching Fire. The panel was fun |D Informative. Angel Sanctuary was hilariously poked at. All is good. I go back tot he hotel room to eat the left overs from the Cheesecake factory and then I go and get in line for the AMV contest. There were some good ones and as always, not so good. I'll have to go watch them later on youtube 8D; I went to the game room -I think- and then went back to the hotel room. I was supposed to go to Anime's Craziest deaths, but lol I just laid down and didn't go back out 8D I went to sleep instead |D

I went to the Artist Alley Friday to get the Teahouse Comic Special Edition for Ch 3 but they were out, so Saturday morning I got up and got in line and was in there at 10am to make sure I got a copy 8D. Lol [50$] later I was the owner of a delicious special edition. Of course, I went looking for bookmarks and only found one [3$] Friday. Come Saturday, suddenly there were bookmarks everywhere. B| Maybe because it was so early in the day there weren't people to obscure them? Either way, I got 3 bookmarks [9$] to go with the one from Friday and the 3 cards [10$] I got that were original art. VERY pretty. I left there and went into the Dealer's room again and got 2 shirts because I forced myself to finally buy shirts. They were 18 a peice, but when I bought two they were 32, so I had to get two. I was like Damn you Laddiiieee and she was like 'LOL BUY MORE 8D'. So I got an Aoi no Exorcist shirt and then a Doctor Who shirt with the hashmarks on it. There were Otakon hoodies and Imouto got in line and got one for me [42&] so now I don't need to buy another hoodie XD;

After that, I went to the Great Anime Openings. So many openings, so little time. Some were a blast from the past. I do not know why I still remember the 1st Card Captor Sakura opening from HOW long ago? Imouto joined me at the panel and then we went back to the hotel room and waited until the restuarant opened at 5 to eat. I got pizza and a slice of cheesecake [20$] and missed the panel I was thinking of seeing at 6 because I was too lazy to walk back >_>; But we all went to the 'Morality in Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica' panel. Cheza put on her headphones to avert all the spoilers for the series because she wanted to see it first. She's sitting next to me now watching it ahahah I wanted to go to the Avatar panel after that, but it was cancelled, damnit. So I wandered around for a bit and finally ended up in the Game room. Played some PIU and my legs hate me. Then sat and played Dead or Alive 5 WHICH IS SO PRETTY and it was a demo but so... ugh I want it, but I don't have a XBox 360 and I'm not buying one for just one game.

After that, I went up and was going to wait in the Lupin panel for my Josei/Shoujo panel that was after it since there was no room clear, but just... no, I didn't feel like it, so I went to the Intro to KPop panel which was fun. So many groups though, it was crazy. Wild cheering nearly made me deaf when they intro'd some groups. After that, I went to 'The Art of Fanservice' panel, which was hilarious when comparing fanservice for guys and fanservice for girls. It was fun and I nearly died. Then I switched panels and read for Catching Fire before the Josei/Shoujo panel started. I was *really* tempted to go to the Type Moon panel, but I didn't even try. It was going to be packed, I knew it.

After that I was tired as hell and dragged back to the hotel. I was supposed to pack and take my suitcase downstairs, but just crawled into bed instead around 3 after booting out Kevin, Pan, and Aaron since they were on my bed. B| Stupid TV was on, so I still woke up earlish, but I should have left and put my stuff in the car faster. I was packed and was waiting for the others, but the elevators took forever because they were always full. >8| Eventually we got the car packed and did one last tour of the dealer's room and artist alley. Then we left around 12:40.

BUT OMG TRAFFIC. FUCKING TRAFFIC. I didn't get to my uncle's house to drop off my cousin until 4:30. So ricockulous. I had to take route 1 for 10 miles to skip around traffic, it pissed me off so bad T^T But I got fish! Yaaaaaaay. After that we got home and Cheza started watching Madoka /trollface

There were also issue in Pan/Kevin/Lacie's room that make me facepalm. I wish people would *tell* me shit, but nooo. Not until it's too late and so Lacie and her friends left at 12 on Saturday. /)_= Then there was one less person in the room than I had though so I had to collect MORE money from them because I don't have the money to eat the 60 dollar cost difference. It was actually more than that, but I went over there before I'd figured it out properly and couldn't think so got less money than I needed. 8| But alas. Whatever. Next year, I think I'm going to do it a bit differently. Lacie might not even come back, and if she does then she won't be in the room with an and Kevin. It's going to make it more expensive for all of us. /sighs; I still need to talk to them about it, because i'm not having this shit next year. You don't invite people you only barely know to a con. Especially if you know their personality might be sketchy and not mesh well with everyone else. I wonder if I'm going to have to start vetting people or something. WHY CAN'T WE ALL BE ADULTS.

But otherwise, the con was fun. I think I want to go to a con in Ohio, but the cost... ugh the cost. The hotel and pass won't be bad, but *getting* there is the problem. I'll have to figure something out. /flops around wildly

But until then, lol, running away from DW to do other things. Like Heckle Cheza while she watches Madoka 8D

FIRST!

OTAKON. Who on my f-list [lj only people] are coming and going to be in my room? My calculations are 7 people right now, but a few maybes.

NEXT!

SCHOOL. I have applied, spoke with my counselor. I skipped... a few steps I think. .__. I have to speak with the transfer specialist, and then probably financial aid. I have grant money to use, but I don't know how the hell all of this stuff works. I know I need the money to pay for classes and the books and all, but I'm hoping I'll have some left over. I'm kind of doubting it. BUT going back into school on a full time basis WOULD delay my student loans. Which is a major part of why I can't ever catch up. 200 bucks going towards that every month.

Even if I only go full time one semester [fall] I would still have 6 months after that before they start again. And by that time, I'll have paid off one of my loans, and if I do it right, possibly my car, too. That would be such a load off. But then all the money would just go to my mother, who I... haven't really been paying all of my rent to since I moved in. ⌐_⌐ I have a roommate now, finally, a co-worker who's nice |D and it's amazingly helpful for my mother to have someone who is actually PAYING to stay in the house. But then the AC blew up. So she's still in the hole paying for that. It's like Murphy's Law decided to target us specifically.

And, of course, I don't know which courses I want to take. I have been looking at the Networking Fundamentals, because I thought to myself that maybe that's what I should have done. It has more hands on work and not just staring at the computer all day. Probably. It's a certificate and not a degree, but based on it I can get my A+ cert later, which I should have had ages ago, and yet 8|a

But then there's WELDING. I don't know why that's stuck in my head, but I kind of want to go for it. It's also just a certificate, but I figure I could get it in two semesters as extra classes to take. Problem is, it's at another campus. It's a good clip away, but I believe some classes are at the campus closest to me. If I'm lucky, it's the ones that are the fundamentals that I need to take first that are over here, so I can figure out whether to power on or just drop it. At least with the networking stuff it's all over here. If I like the classes, I can jump right into the associates while trying to find a service desk job or something. I thought about a bachelors, but computer science is a lot of math and programming and that's why I didn't want to do web design. The programming part that is. Eventually I will probably have to get a bachelors in SOMETHING so that I can get higher paying jobs, but I'm just happy to have some kind of plan.

I haven't told my mother anything either, because then she'll act all happy and if I drop the ball her disappointment will crush me. ;__;

THEN!

Work. Not getting enough pay, as usual. Not enough hours, but I don't really want more. I'm hoping to get a call for that post office job at the end of this month, but who knows. If I do, then I'll have that, my current job, and school. I don't know how that'll work, but I have to give it a shot. If all else fails, I'll have to drop down from my current job to one day a week or something. I just need to keep it because I DEMAND to get my vacation week. I would also like to keep my insurance, but pft. Who knows.

Otakon was tiring. A con report... eventually.

My job interview thing was rescheduled before Otakon, so that gives me more time to actually study, hopefully.

Buz and Ned's was delicious. I'm not sure if their 'real' barbeque is SO DELICIOUS I CAN ONLY EAT THEIRS, but it was good and decently priced. They aren't too far away either, so =o=

I am currently staring at two dead comatose sleeping bodies. I should be sleeping, too, since i wanted to leave at 10:00 for Williamsburg, but...


(((O_O)))

Definitely two rooms next year, so I have to NOT fail at booking rooms at the hotel on time. Speaking of on time, the dates for next year are up: July 29-31, 2011. Oh snap.

EDIT: Three rooms in the Holiday Inn. Double beds, 150 a night for three nights, 15.5% hotel tax. Because I'M A BOSS.

Alright. This is the FIIINAL chart for Otakon this year. I'm tired of doing them, even if I did it all in a spreadsheet. B| We're at the Days Inn, 125 a night + 15.5% hotel tax, parking is 20 bucks a night, and gas for two 13 gallon tanks.

Otakon Spreadsheet     Hotel: 434   People Hotel [Per Person]   9 49   10 44   11 40   12 37   13 34         Gas: 65   People Gas [Per Person]   6 11   7 10   8 9         Parking: 120   People Parking [Per Person]   5 24   6 20   7 18

FOR ANYONE TRAVELING AROUND VA WITH ME AFTER THE CON: I think this is only Cheza and Kris, I need ten bucks for gas. We'll be driving around a lot, and that's a three way split between us for one gallon of gas. I also don't know where the hell we're going, aside from colonial Williamsburg so... uh. Yeah.

And the list:
Me
Pan
Kevin
Jay
Kristen
Imouto
Cheza
Friend 1
Friend 2
Friend 3
Kris
Jon
Jen

Mmm, finished reading Good Omens. That was fun. And I have five books I'm waiting for to come in to the library. I'm assuming it'll be Monday. In the meantime, I can start up Watership Down if I want to read... or draw more 8D Since I moved my computer into the room with the router and no longer have to worry about my infernal wireless being a bitch, I should be back on the interwebz more. But before I get sucked back in, here are the Otakon spreadsheets. I sent links to most people, but just in case you didn't get it, here it is.

Otakon Spreadsheet       Hotel: 519.75   People Hotel [Per Person]   9 58   10 52   11 48   12 44   13 40         Gas: 65   People Gas [Per Person]   6 11   7 10   8 9         Parking: 144   People Parking [Per Person]   5 29   6 24   7 21

And this is the list of people I have who are going or are potentials in my rooms. I'll know for certain. Before the 22nd because I have to cancel the extra rooms.

Me Pan Kevin Jay [?] Kristen Imouto Cheza

Friend 1 Friend 2 Friend 3 Kris Jon Jen [?]

I trust you all can do math. B|

As much as horrifying Pan on her return from... wherever she went... at the eggs she had carefully plucked being dead would amuse me to tears, I'm going to post them here. So you all click on them. =o=



And moving on from there, Tuesday I am either going to be in Newport News for Census work, or New Jersey harassing Kris for a few days. Cheza, if you were 2 hours closer I would be popping up at your house =D; I'm torn as to which one I want most. Census work means MOAR MONEY. And I definitely need it, as it's ending sooner than I had hoped. But a trip up to Jersey may be what I need. Just to get out of the damn house and DO something different.

After Otakon, I think I'm going to go on a site seeing tour around VA. I've lived here most of my life and yet haven't been so so many places. Luray Caverns... And I wanna visit Colonial Williamsburg. I haven't been there since... middle school field trip. Maybe pop up in jamestown or york town. Just... soak in all the history that's around me. Anyone going to Ota who wants to travel down to VA is welcome to join me, as long as I have room in my car, or you have you own >_>;; But Imma be running my own schedule, so if you want to do something different, I will leave you behind if I'm not interested \o

Fuuunraba~

Everyone knows what this time of the year means, right? More allergies \o/ It's CON season, and Otakon is around the corner. Mmm, yes. I haven't mentioned it at all recently, and my charts have been mysteriously absent, BUT NO MORE. My mad spreadsheet skills are making a comeback!

SO. For those on my f-list [and those who are not and get this message relayed to them by someone] WHO IS GOING TO OTAKON THIS YEAR?

Comment here to say you're going, or to add people who don't have my contact info who know they're going. Even if it's a maybe, say that, too. I need guesstimates. I honestly have no idea how many are going this year. 8D;;;

And you thought I forgot.

Otakon 2009

( I’m not sure when Kris joined us… She just appeared like a wild pokemon. )

Okay. First of all? Bleach? YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY. That last panel, FINALLY we got to see them all. My fannish heart palpitated with glee. GLEE I tell you.

Naruto? WHAT. Just. DON'T EVEN GO THERE. How the FU- *throws up hands and just cries*

Soouuul Eaaatter~! Kid was looking mighty fiiine in that one panel. :< Unfortunately the only person I know of who'd truly appreciate the sexy doesn't want to be spoiled on future events. And she's reading slower than molasses flows downhill in below freezing temperatures.


TOP 10 LIST OF EVERYTHING. You thought cracked.com or any of those other places was a time suck, right? Well. TIME.COM just destroyed my whole afternoon. My recommendations are the Top 10 Quotes, Top 10 Oddball Stories, and Top 10 Underreported Stories.


I know everyone [who's going with me] is clamoring for my Otakon charts for prices. They're coming, you bints. I know it's getting very close to the last minute, but you guys really annoy the hell out of me and make me so reluctant to do it. ~_~ Srsly. APPRECIATE MY MATH SKILLS.

People going: [14 at my count] 9 in cars Me Pan Kevin Jay Imouto Kristine Rose <-- are you going? Cheza Jesse Kevin's Friend 1 Kevin's Friend 2 Kevin's Friend 3

Driving Up With Meeting Us There Kris Sorah

# People	One Room	Two Rooms
8	63
9	56
10	51
11	46
12	42	84
13		78
14		72
15		68
16		63
Total	506.25	1012.5

As for the cars, I'm only doing it for the three. I don't know what the other guy drives, have no idea how big his tank is or anything. So him and his two friends [It is just the three right? >_>;] Need to deal with it on their own. :| They can even use my charts... since it should apply to them as well. If there are three people in one car and we're staying for 3 nights, they basically each pay for a night of parking, and a night of parking is 21 bucks. And if we drop down to 8 people, we're dropping down to two cars. Four people in a car, so pack light bitches~!

Parking | 3 Nights; 21$ a Night
People 7 8 9 10 11	18 15.75 21 19 17.25

Gas
_ 8 9 10 11	2.20 7.25 10.00 9.00 8.25	2.30 7.50 10.50 9.50 8.75	2.40 8.00 11.00 10.00 9.00	2.50 8.25 11.50 10.25 9.50

Mrrr. Tagged by pridefall.

Reply to this meme by yelling "Words!" and I will give you five words that remind me of you. Then post them in your LJ and explain what they mean to you.

Two out of the following five are straight up lies =o=

o BLEACH - Well, between it and Naruto, it's been my biggest fandom as far as RP muses go, and my most popular is probably from this fandom. All of my fanfics are from this fandom, too. *burns them all*
o GRIMMJOW - Violent, blue-haired, foul-mouthed. He's just fun to play. I think I get the most mileage off of him versus most of my other muses, aside from Yukino.
o SEME - I top all of you. :| Despite what anyone else says. *sits my fat ass on you all*
o INTENSE - Filler word. :| Oh Ilan, I have no idea what you're talking about. That's just my crazy leaking out.
o Amazing - As much as I joke about how amazing I am sometimes, we all know it's a lie. *swims around in my pool of fail*


OTAKON
The pre-reg ends today. If you haven't done it yet. GO DO IT.