GenCon, Day 2
Aug. 15th, 2009 06:17 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
filkertomBoy, am I tired.
I only got about five hours of sleep on Thursday night. And I was supposed to start the day busking for two hours. I admit I was not looking forward to it. The air in the convention center is somehow warm, humid, and drying at the same time -- I was sweating like crazy, yet my mouth was parched and my throat hurt.
Right. Busking. My clever plan was to wander around for about an hour, go back to the Entertainment Spotlight area, and perform there for about 45 minutes. (As it was about fifty feet from the table, it did indeed count as "roving". I asked.) So I started telling people I'd perform there at 12:15.
Not 11:15, which is what I meant. I cannot brain, I have the dumb.
Got to my table at 10:00.lukeski had already been to the local Kinko's, getting together a flyer with our concert times and locations (both he and marcgunn are in the Indiana ballrooms at the Marriott at 9:00 Saturday night -- yes, up against each other, oy -- while I'm in Indiana Ballroom C at 10:00, unless they move me again). I made sure __kat__ was there (thanks again, dear), then headed off to sing for the registration line. That was fun. Several people crowded around, and we had to make room for the people trying to get by. Folks in line laughed. Jeanette LeGault, the Events coordinator who got me to GenCon, came by and actually had the chance to listen to me perform, and liked it. Wandered back to the exhibit hall, poking around, playing here and there, although not much because again the game demos were already in full, loud swing. Noticed that, in front of the exhibit hall's main entrance, there was a little food court with pizza, burgers, and deli sandwiches. Visited dhstein and hbruton again. Got a few Blackmoor books (D&D 3.5, on sale for five bucks each). Realized that I had meant 11:15, not 12:15, and decided to just split up that two-hour busking period, which also made sense on account of I was frickin' exhausted.
And it worked out anyway, because when I got back at 11:15, Marc was performing. As usual, he sounded great. After he was done, I mentioned that food court, and he and a couple other people warned me away. Well, goodness knows I sometimes have to learn these things for myself.
I hung out for a little while. At 12:15, I went over to the "stage" area and played for not quite an hour. Fun, about a dozen people listening at any given time, got some good laughs from newbies.
I asked__kat__ to bring me back a burger and a slice of pizza before she split, and she graciously did so. Worst burger I've had in I don't know how long. Rubbery, bland, yecch. Made Mickey D's seem like fresh-ground, hand-formed Kobe beef grilled by Bobby Flay in comparison. The pizza slice wasn't much better. But they were protein and carbs.
Sitting at the table is fun. People come up and say Hi, and occasionally buy. As mentioned before, I'm really hopeful that today (i.e., Saturday) will be a good sales day, 'cause I didn't expect it on Thursday or Friday and that's indeed what I got. But it was fun. And, surprise!bedlamhouse popped in to say Hi. That was excellent. (I asked where ladyat was, and he said that she let him go to the con by himself so she could get stuff done.)
Second wave of busking. Stopped briefly at Steve Jackson Games to get some Munchkin stuff, and a lovely hardcover of GURPS Dragons that was half-price. Then I headed over to Mayfair Games -- Don Glass had come over to the table earlier, so I went and sang for him (and some other folks, yay) for a bit. Fun. And then I went back and did twenty-five minutes in the Entertainment Spotlight, again, getting some good laughs. Luke came over and helped with "Talk Like A Pirate Day".
And then I waited out the last two hours. Nice people kept coming up, which was great, including Matthew Duhan, Scott Micha and his friend Adam, etc., etc. Watched Willie's Wenches shticking about -- they are really entertaining, and not just because they all look great in corsets, I seriously think they could do very well with a DVD of one of their shows -- and I sang a couple more songs with them, including me and Luke doing "Cthulhu Fthagn", which went over very well.
And then it was 6:00, and I was outa there. Got back up to the room, browsed online for awhile, and I went to bed. I actually even managed some sleep -- again, not nearly enough, but I'll take it.
Today I busk from 1:00-3:00, and what I'm likely to do is be back at the Entertainment Spotlight around 2:15. I also rove between 6:00 and 7:00, and I think I may just position myself outside the Exhibit Hall, where everyone goes by after the hall closes. And then I've got the above-mentioned concert at the Marriott across the street at 10:00.
Boy, am I tired.
So, tell us about your day. :)
I only got about five hours of sleep on Thursday night. And I was supposed to start the day busking for two hours. I admit I was not looking forward to it. The air in the convention center is somehow warm, humid, and drying at the same time -- I was sweating like crazy, yet my mouth was parched and my throat hurt.
Right. Busking. My clever plan was to wander around for about an hour, go back to the Entertainment Spotlight area, and perform there for about 45 minutes. (As it was about fifty feet from the table, it did indeed count as "roving". I asked.) So I started telling people I'd perform there at 12:15.
Not 11:15, which is what I meant. I cannot brain, I have the dumb.
Got to my table at 10:00.
lukeski had already been to the local Kinko's, getting together a flyer with our concert times and locations (both he and marcgunn are in the Indiana ballrooms at the Marriott at 9:00 Saturday night -- yes, up against each other, oy -- while I'm in Indiana Ballroom C at 10:00, unless they move me again). I made sure __kat__ was there (thanks again, dear), then headed off to sing for the registration line. That was fun. Several people crowded around, and we had to make room for the people trying to get by. Folks in line laughed. Jeanette LeGault, the Events coordinator who got me to GenCon, came by and actually had the chance to listen to me perform, and liked it. Wandered back to the exhibit hall, poking around, playing here and there, although not much because again the game demos were already in full, loud swing. Noticed that, in front of the exhibit hall's main entrance, there was a little food court with pizza, burgers, and deli sandwiches. Visited dhstein and hbruton again. Got a few Blackmoor books (D&D 3.5, on sale for five bucks each). Realized that I had meant 11:15, not 12:15, and decided to just split up that two-hour busking period, which also made sense on account of I was frickin' exhausted.And it worked out anyway, because when I got back at 11:15, Marc was performing. As usual, he sounded great. After he was done, I mentioned that food court, and he and a couple other people warned me away. Well, goodness knows I sometimes have to learn these things for myself.
I hung out for a little while. At 12:15, I went over to the "stage" area and played for not quite an hour. Fun, about a dozen people listening at any given time, got some good laughs from newbies.
I asked
__kat__ to bring me back a burger and a slice of pizza before she split, and she graciously did so. Worst burger I've had in I don't know how long. Rubbery, bland, yecch. Made Mickey D's seem like fresh-ground, hand-formed Kobe beef grilled by Bobby Flay in comparison. The pizza slice wasn't much better. But they were protein and carbs.Sitting at the table is fun. People come up and say Hi, and occasionally buy. As mentioned before, I'm really hopeful that today (i.e., Saturday) will be a good sales day, 'cause I didn't expect it on Thursday or Friday and that's indeed what I got. But it was fun. And, surprise!
bedlamhouse popped in to say Hi. That was excellent. (I asked where ladyat was, and he said that she let him go to the con by himself so she could get stuff done.)Second wave of busking. Stopped briefly at Steve Jackson Games to get some Munchkin stuff, and a lovely hardcover of GURPS Dragons that was half-price. Then I headed over to Mayfair Games -- Don Glass had come over to the table earlier, so I went and sang for him (and some other folks, yay) for a bit. Fun. And then I went back and did twenty-five minutes in the Entertainment Spotlight, again, getting some good laughs. Luke came over and helped with "Talk Like A Pirate Day".
And then I waited out the last two hours. Nice people kept coming up, which was great, including Matthew Duhan, Scott Micha and his friend Adam, etc., etc. Watched Willie's Wenches shticking about -- they are really entertaining, and not just because they all look great in corsets, I seriously think they could do very well with a DVD of one of their shows -- and I sang a couple more songs with them, including me and Luke doing "Cthulhu Fthagn", which went over very well.
And then it was 6:00, and I was outa there. Got back up to the room, browsed online for awhile, and I went to bed. I actually even managed some sleep -- again, not nearly enough, but I'll take it.
Today I busk from 1:00-3:00, and what I'm likely to do is be back at the Entertainment Spotlight around 2:15. I also rove between 6:00 and 7:00, and I think I may just position myself outside the Exhibit Hall, where everyone goes by after the hall closes. And then I've got the above-mentioned concert at the Marriott across the street at 10:00.
Boy, am I tired.
So, tell us about your day. :)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-15 09:17 pm (UTC)I get in, walk around, see the sights. It was fun but I wasn't feeling myself. Not sure I could explain it. It was being there that I liked and not attending the shows or anything. Maybe it was the heat. I got a glass of sassafrases soda and found the privy with the flush toilets. But most of the time I spent walking around. That got tiring. I thought about getting lunch but 1) lines were too long for anything other than snack food 2) the prices were too high period. I got two books about pirates *arrrrrr* and came home.
I spent about 2 hours there and it doesn't seem worth it for a 4 hour round trip. I felt I could have stayed longer but my heart wasn't in it. I'm not sure what to make of it. I have to wonder if I went for the sake of going. Nothing's wrong with that of course. It was a good trip and I'd go back when the need moves me.
No problems with staying awake. I took a caffeine pill and listened to the Star Wars radio drama and that did the trick.