Day 1.

I took a redeye flight from LA to NYC at 9:20pm—the plane wasn’t supposed to arrive until almost 6m, but it got there at like 5:10. So I was like *whoa*. Me and the guy I sat next to talked the whole trip(neither one of us could sleep, though we tried) and he laughed when I commented on how retarded it was to have the sun up at 2am. He lived in NYC, so he was coming home and looking forward to it, though he had fun while in LA. So, yeah, I got off the plane and got more money (I’d had no idea about the price of taxis). This personal shuttle guy snagged me and said okay, I’ll use your service—in LA, we have shuttle services up the wazoo and _many_ hotels have complimentary shuttle services for staying in their facilities ( usually depends on how close the hotel is to the airport), Anyways, I didn’t see any Super Shuttle type things, so I went with the guy. He snagged a couple more people and we were off to Manhattan.

Now, let me say that the first thing I noticed about NYC was the heat. I groaned, hoping it wouldn’t be another Orlando type weather ( sweat soaked days of fun and constant shirt changes)—and thankfully, Sat and Sun were really nice and cool, while Mon was a bit warmer, it was not as freaky as Friday’s. The second thing I noticed was the _smell_. Dude, NYC is _rank_. I mean, I know LA has its own odor, but we don’t smell like a landfill. O_o Anyways, I soon realized that it was due to the _vast__amounts_of_garbage_ that lay on _every_ street corner. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked. I didn’t expect NYC to be pristine or something, but I didn’t expect _that_.

So anyways, I endured the trip to the hotel—I prayed all the away, I might add, since NY drivers are downright _nuts_ ( what traffic laws? I don’t see no traffic laws…)—so I get to the hotel, pay the man and drag my luggage into the hotel lobby. By this time it’s about 6:30…and I’m like, crap, it’s so early! My internal clock was all screwed up. So I call Kelly(Kya White Sapphire) on her cell and she answers all sleepily – I feel so bad about that!!! But I was really incoherent and felt totally out of place and I’d only been in NYC for like an hour!! – I think I needed to hear a friendly voice and see a friendly face. I was just going to come up to the room, but the hotel doesn’t allow you on the elevators without a hotel door key ( weird, I think…). So she comes down –asleep- ( hehehe) hugs me and then we go back up to the room, dragging my luggage.

The room was through this “mirror” hallway—so it looks like there’s a mirror where the hallway to the room is. That was funny, heh. But we go through the archway and lo, there lies the room. Which is, in actuality, a suuped up closet. I eyeball the place and giggle a bit—honestly, I felt really odd. Like I should sleep, but shouldn’t at the same time. It’s been a while since I’ve kept weird hours, so the redeye plus hour shift was taking it’s toll on me. Kelly showed me her ‘raptor plushie’ shirt—it was adorable! And her little comic doodle of all the folks coming to the gathering and their subsequent state of minds when they got there. It was really cute! Liz (Sara Berkeley) was dead to the world, with the sheets pulled up over her head. It was funny. Kelly asked if I wanted to sleep, but I was feeling all out of sorts, so I said I’d just wander a bit and find some food. She gave me her key so I could get in the room when I came back (later found out to be unnecessary, as the door didn’t actually _lock_...). I left the hotel and wandered around the corner to, I think it was Park Ave or something like that. Anyways. I was…well expecting to see like a grocery store or diner or _something_ but didn’t even see a Starbucks…and I was really feeling out of sorts. I stopped in this little café—I was starving and got a muffin and a Snapple. The people in there were really nice, and I was glad for it, because I had just learned that walking on NY streets was a deathwish ( I couldn’t figure out when to go, when not to go and everyone walked just kinda whenever!)—not to mention the humidity was like _ugh_. I left the café and wished dearly for a Starbucks. And then lo, a light shined upon me and down the sidewalk to one. Not really, but I saw the sign for a starbucks and like, sprinted for it. I went inside, felt like I was home for a minute or so as I waited for my mocha frap and then went back to the hotel. I would’ve stayed in the Starbucks to finish my frap, but there was a BIG ASS ROACH chillin’ on one of the chairs at the front of the establishment. It was definitely time for me to go.

Oh, I should mention I get extremely homesick at times, unless I’m around friends and having a good time. Usually it takes a few days for that to happen, but sometimes it doesn’t.

So I get back to the hotel and decide not to barge in and wake up the gals—they should get more sleep, afterall. So I sit in the lobby, drinking my frap. These two girls come and sit next to me and lo! I find out they’re from LA, near me even! I was so psyched. They’d been interning in Washington DC and had took the train up to New York for a couple of days. We shot the breeze for a bit, then I decided to come up to the room again. I forget if Kelly was awake when I entered, but I know Liz wasn’t, hehehe. Kelly and I whispered for a bit, then Kelly nudged Liz awake. Me and Liz got introduced ^_^
…I just a had a brain fart. Right. Once Liz got awakened, the three of us took her art stuff upstairs and helped her set up. My roommates for the first couple nights of the con, Pam ( Thundra) and Lauren ( Djali) weren’t at the hotel yet, though their were _somewhere_ in New York, so I was going to kick it with Kelly and Liz for a while ^_^. So, I helped them set up—and then….er….right! We went downstairs to the registration desk—I still had to pick up my registration and since there’d been that whole thing with not knowing if it had went through or not, I was a little nervous. But lo, Lynati is kickass and moved mountains. And apparently, it had been received. Yay! So we got that and everything—and I run into my roomies! Very cool. They get their registration and then…I don’t remember exactly what happened…it’s all garbled—I think we went back to Kelly’s room and I met Emily (Cybernixie/Scullyraptor) and er…Gan…something or other. Porn guy. Right. Anyways, I think we left Pam’s stuff there, because she was toting around the mini bag of doom (the real bag of doom is coming up later)…and we found Lauren again, cuz I think we lost her. I _think_ we went to opening ceremonies then and saw Kyffin! ( whose real name I dunno >:]) But I was extremely tired and was napping. Then Karine (Kanthara) showed up! I was so sleep. :P Then we all sat together for opening ceremonies. After opening ceremonies, we all went to this..I guess it was a mall, and we ate some quiche and had smoothies:D. Then we went and played DDR. Pam and I played it for the first time—it was fun! I’m…tempted…to play more of it, hehehhe.

After a bit, Pam and I went back to the hotel and checked in and got their bags—Lauren’s bag was the size and weight of a small 3rd world country O_+. Emily was with us, -- Gan had went with us gals to DDR, but Emily had done volunteer work, I think it was. When we went to get Pam’s mini bag of doom so she could get her checkin info, Emily was in the room. Anyways , so we got the stuff and toted it all upstairs to our room.

Another brain fart. Somehow or another, we all decided to go to Sushi! ( sans Pam and Laure, who are not sushi ppls). It was me, Kelly, Liz, Karine, Sarah (Dreamie), Alan ( Winterwolf), Emily and Gan. We went to Monster Sushi, which Liz and Kelly, I think, went to the previous night, but were game for going to again. We ordered a bunch of sushi—Karine asked me about the caterpillar roll and I about drooled myself under the table. The sushi was good and Sarah and Alan were kind enough to let me taste their calamari. Which was actually quite good! All in all, a good evening. I think we went back to the hotel…and I don’t remember if I did anything after that except head off to bed. I was absolutely tacked.

Day 2

Anyways, Saturday. I woke up around, oh 10:30ish. I remember it being really late. I also had some vague off the wall memory of my cell phone ringing and me jumping up to get it and me screaming. It was very odd, so I asked Lauren about it. And she was like yeah, my phone was ringing. And I was like, I thought my phone was ringing. Later we would find out that indeed, everyone’s phones were ringing and that Lauren had scared the bejeezus out of me—you see, my phone was plugged up in the bathroom because the hotel obviously didn’t believe in having enough outlets in the main room for all of its guests. So, I was sleep and finally beat my phone until it turned off and when I walked out Lauren was just there and I totally lost my mind for a minute or four. Then she was like it’s me! And I’m like oh. Then I went to bed.

Anyways.

I wanted to go to Karine, Kyt, Liz and Hecate ( was it hecate? I think it was...)’s art panel and all. I was about 45 minutes late but it was okay and I wandered sleepily in. The gals had called the night before ( yes, that was the infamous phone ringing) to let me know that they were going for dim sum—of course, I slept right through that little...adventure ( as I later found out). I was at their panel and –--

---I think I met Matt (artgolem) in the elevator before I got to the panel. Because I remember poking him about giving me a KoTS ashcan, in which he drew a most lovely Scar. :D And if I was poking him and he wasn’t wondering who I was, then that means I must’ve met him before that. Right.

(getting old here.)

Anyways, I ended up staying with Emilie through the costuming panel, which was very enlightening and cool...and then...I...went....somewhere. The art room. I’m sure I wandered around for a while and eventually, I met up with Karine, Kyt and Matt and we headed to the Sbarro across the street from the hotel. We had some food and I finally got some liquor, dammit. It was only a Sminoff Ice—I so was craving a Triple Black...but it was enough to hold me over. Until. Three. Weeks. Later. (in Vegas, where I got happily drunk and threatened to go home by plane if we didn’t leave right_that_minute!) Anyways. I received the obligatory point out that I should take life drawing – I want to, I really do, but I’m a lazy bum and when I’m not, I’m like a chicken without a head. Life drawing could do wonders for me...I just don’t have time.:/ I’m trying though, I am and one day, I shall take over the world :] Hehehhe. Anyways, I decided that yes, I wanted to go to the banquet. I spent a good two hours searching for people to give money to and then I was like to hell with it, and went for dinner with my roomies, Laurean and her boi Adam and Kyffin and his lady friend ( I can’t remember her name!). We went and had chinese food.

Then it was Masquerade time! Pam put on her leather pants and cutesy top and we all shindigged it to the Masquerade. It was cool, we saw Nichelle Nichols when we got up to the ballroom! She was so gosh darn regal O_O. Anyways, one of us got pictures of her and then we all went into the room to wait for the masquerade.

All I have to say is this. Kyt, you looked awesome. And I totally dig slutboi.

There weren’t nearly as many costumes as before, but there was an awesome Vinnie, Owen(s) (one of whom I thought looked more like Vogel...) Guoche (sp?) and Patrick, of course, as a woman...Anastasia. He and Karine did this skit...she was Fox and there was Alex-doll...it was cracked:]

Anyways, I think..._think_ that after that I ended up in the con suite with Dreamie...ah yes. Dreamie, Alan, my roomie Lauren and some other folks – and Dreamie made me obsessed with tacos that shit ice cream. Thanks.:P

Day 3
I am such a freak. Okay the phone call was Sunday morn/Sat night, because, as Karine pointed out, they called me for dim sum for Sunday morning. Hahaha.:P I believe I woke up late on Sunday too ^^;;; Also, that night, I was hanging out with Emilie! With Dreamie chatting about tacos that shit ice cream.

I remember going downstairs for breakfast, to the hotel’s little store and getting a chocolate croissant and this yogurt drink thing. It was tasty. I hadn’t really looked at stuff in the art room, so I went up there and went to vote on junk and also, maybe see if I could buy off Kyt’s Isis pic – speaking of which, if it’s available still, then I would so buy it. I bought a pic of slut boi from her—did you know I have more Kyt art than anyone else’s art? Hmm. I sense a fetish:P Anyways, I did my voting on stuff—the art show wasn’t nearly as kickin’ as it was last time I was there and I admit, I didn’t bring anything to show, but next year! I shall do so. I think we went and sat in on Liz’s computer coloration panel for a bit after that.

Anyways, I believe me and my roomies went to the auction and waited for it to start. I drew a piccy for Pam and snagged Emilie, who was sitting by herself and dragged her over. We giggled and chatted and everything. Pam and Lauren’s flight would be leaving shortly, so we all just chilled there. The auction was going on for far too long, so they cut it short for the closing ceremonies. Greg gave a fire and brimstone speech about showing up next year and everything – tis cool. Pam and Lauren had to leave in the midst of the deal, so we went back downstairs to kelly’s room to pick up their baggage. We’d stashed their stuff in the room, since we had to check out—I was staying with Kelly and clan for the next couple of days, so it was all good. So we got their stuff and we had a huggy goodbye and I felt all sad. Especially, since Karine like, bolted past us to get her stuff together so she could leave too. I felt really sad—things had moved so fast! I was really going to miss everyone. They left and I went back up to the closing ceremonies and Kelly was on stage and called out to me to see if Pam or Lauren’s raffle tickets matched the winning ticket. Lauren’s did—I think she got a pass to the banquet for next year. I sat with Emilie again and we chatted some. Then the closing ceremonies was over and that was depressing.

Karine came trotting back in—and me and Emilie drew in her sketchbook at the same time to conserve time, since she was going to leave. I wish she could’ve stayed more.

It felt like it was only like noon, but in actuality it was much later than that. The gals were going on the Coney Island expedition – Emilie wasn’t going and we were both hungry, so we opted to go try to find stuff to eat. We went to this little pizza place on the corner a few blocks from the hotel and got like, 16lb slice of pizza. Two of them. We were sitting in the window and chatting when suddenly, this guy like slams up against the window and half kisses it. I was thoroughly disturbed. He kept on harassing us and I didn’t want to do anything because I’d never been to New York, I didn’t know how people acted. Eventually one of the workers kind of asked the guy to go—Emilie told to guy to leave us alone – had it been LA, I would’ve told him something scathing—but I didn’t want to start anything that would end up with us having a problem. After that we decided we should get to the hotel asap. We stopped next door to the hotel to get Lindy’s cheesecake—6 bucks a slice for a teeny thing. We went back to the room, chatted and listened to music. I ended up drawing bondage pics ( thanks to Kyt’s slutboi in chains pic)...I felt highly disturbed, but happy:P

After a while, the gals and Rob (taleysin) showed back up with Dreamie and Alan in tow. We all chatted and drew some more ( Emilie drew, I chatted) – and stayed up waaaaaay to late into the night. All I knew as that I went to sleep on the floor while Dreamie was watching something odd on comedy central.

Day 4

Woke up. On the floor. I honestly don’t remember if I showered that morning or the previous night. The previous night, I think. Anyways, I think it was late in the day... well not that late.

Anyways, we all got together with Dreamie and Alan and Emilie’s friend...who I can’t remember the name of. So it was me, Kelly, Rob, Liz, Emilie+ friend, Dreamie and Alan. I know we were going to try to get to Chinatown – Liz wanted to get a modded PS2. Wqe walked around for a while..and complained of starvation, so we ended up in this Indian place—I’ve never had Indian food...it was a somewhat weird experience. Rob got up to use the facilities and came back saying he understood, now, why they say not to use bathrooms in Indian restaurants. Hehhe. Anyways, we all ended splitting up—Emili and her friend went to an art store, I think, and Rob and Kelly trotted off and the rest of us went to Chinatown.

I must say, that of everything in New York that I hated—I loved Chinatown. Absolutely.

Oh! The subways of New York, which we took to get to Chinatown, are very weird to me. It was somewhat scary actually. So we get to the Chinatown and I start on my hunt for pocky. POCKY. I wanted pocky so badly. ( Actually, I wanted chocolate pocky and Smirnoff black, neither of which I could find.) We passed all these cools stores that had jade jewelry—I love jade stones. I don’t own any, but they really are beautiful.

(Things I want to collect or do collect: anime, comics, swords(weapons), jade objects)

We finally find this shop that had a bunch of vid games and anime dvds, import of course. I buy a Sakura Taisen the movie dvd ( which I can’t find in my house anywhere!!! X|) – Liz gets her PS2. it was really hot, so we eventually stopped in this coffee house for mochas and a bathroom, cuz I had to pee. We had stopped in this arcade and it was packed—we were looking at the DDR game. Anyways, we stopped in the coffeehouse and chilled for a while. Then we started back because we were going to dinner with Greg Weisman and a few other folks.

So we get back, get as changed as we’re going to get, then meet everyone in the lobby of the hotel. I was planning to do a doodle of Solange for Emilie but never got around to finishing it. Neither did I get a chance to do one of Sapphire—I’ll have to do those. Basically, I had Emilie’s little black sketchbook with me, in other words. So, Greg and the rest of the folks show up and meet me, Liz, Kelly, Rob, Dreamie and Alan.

Okay, Greg Weisman totally weirded me out.

First I was standing there and then he was like “Hi.” And I’m like “ ...Hi...”. Then he was like he knows I’ve been around, but didn’t remember my name, as he sort’ve reaches towards me. I’ve got this fright and flight feeling going on, but I compose myself. I tell him my name(s) and he nods and kind’ve wanders off. But dude, he had this freaky deer in headlights look that made me freak out a little and it was just Odd.

Anyways, I think I’d just been around too much weirdness:P

So we all head off to PJ Clarkes for dindin. We find out that the subway is retarded—it won’t let you swipe the metro card more than I think it was four times. So we were putting money on this card and then a second card and there’s just me and Liz and everyone else has lost us. I’m on the other side, waiting for Liz and Kelly comes bolting back up the stairs wondering what happened and that she was worried when we didn’t show up. So finally, Liz gets through and we get down to the platform. Greg starts doing a head count o make sure we were, indeed, all there. We ride the subway and get off, then walk for a bit til we get to the restaurant. The food was okay—I don’t eat beef—so no hamburgers or hotdogs and so forth for me. So I got a turkey club—it was huge! Oh, Alan was waiting for his sister to come and pick up their bags at the hotel, so he was supposed to meet us, but didn’t eventually. Greg, Patrick and Carol ( I think?) they had a play to go to, so hey left. We left too—Liz continued her explaining of doing caricatures – which was really cool, btw. We trot off back to the hotel—had to take the subway again—we find out that the card will read as many ppl as you have money for, as long as you don’t swipe them back to back. So we wait for our train and then get on it. This guy, Tuck? I think it was, takes our picture for us and talks to Liz in japanese for a second. It was really cool:] Anyways, we finally get back to the hotel. Emilie is there still!! I thought she was headed home, actually and I think she says she’s still going to head home. The rest of us meet back up with Alan and we go off in search of a DDR place Kelly has seen. We don’t find it, so we go to the movies instead. We see the Hulk, which I’ve seen before. I make barbs throughout the movie—some guy behind us wouldn’t stop talking—it was annoying. So we leave and Rob, Dreamie and Alan go back to the hotel. Me, Liz and Kelly go out drinking. I introduce Kelly to the midori sour (which she likes). I’m looking for my id, even though the guy didn’t card us and can’t find it.

Turns out I lost it somewhere. It was really annoying and kind’ve bummed the night. I called my dad, just to make sure, I could get home without it. He says it was okay. So we end up crashing—Emilie crashes on the floor an extra night.

Day 5

I get up—I feel like shit. My throat hurt and everything. I get my stuff together and I head down to the counter for the shuttle service. Okay, there’s this lady there on the phone manning the counter. I’m waiting by the counter until she gets of the phone. But she keeps looking at me and finally asks her person to hold on and says that they aren’t open til 8am. I look at my watch—five minutes til and say, that’s fine. She goes back to her conversation. I jsut wait there until they are “open”, like any normal person would do and suddenly she stares at me, says, almost angrily, I have to go, and hangs up. Then she turns to me and says “WHAT!” I’m like “Excuse me?” She then goes, “You’ve been standing here, you obviously want something, what do you want?” I’m almost tempted to ream her ass, but I breathe and say I wanted to inquire about the shuttle services, Like I just told her all of four minutes ago. The guy that was there yesterday said that I just needed to get a ticket whenever I was ready to go. She’s like, where are you going – I tell her JFK—mind you, she has a nasty attitude this whole time. Then she asks when my flight is—I’m starting to wonder what her problem is and why is she asking me that in the first place. I said 11:20, but why are you asking? She goes off. She says, “You can’t take the shuttle. You’ve already missed your flight.” And I’m like, wtf? And I say “What are you talking about—I want a shuttle ticket!” She like, “Go away, you can’t get one.” I am thinking stupid bitch, give me my goddamn shuttle ticket! And I am absolutely speechless. My thoughts must’ve run across my face, because then she’s like fine, take a stupid ticket, but don’t hold me responsible if you miss your flight. I don’t take the ticket, I raise my hands surrender and am like “ you know what? You can take you ticket and shove it.” I go back to room and am livid. I stomp into the room, snarling about her being a stupid ass bitch and I hope she dies screaming . Apparently, I woke Kelly up ( I am so sorry!!!). Anyways, I opt to take a cab and by this time, I feel even worse for having to deal with everything. I bid everyone goodbye and head down. A cab shows right up and I go to the airport. The cabby was really nice and that’s what I needed—I felt like New york city was a pile of shit not worth my disdain at the time.

Everything else went fine—I had a window seat in the emergency aisle, so I had plenty of room. Dad picked me up at the airport and I went home, kissed my carpet, hugged my couch, cuddled with my cat, then went to bed.