About a month ago, I was at work, and seriously considering not going to this convention, for reasons that seem incredibly silly now. Well, along comes my boss and hands me something about a training class in North Carolina, literally on top of where the con was going to be, and it would end right when the con was going to start. Dude, I was gonna be THERE. So I made the appropriate plans. Called the hotel, all they had left was a suite. Got it. The suite for this weekend cost about the same or even less than what I’d pay for at Katsucon or Otakon. Then, about a week before I was supposed to go, the people that ran the class canceled it on account of low registration. Oh well, by that time I was getting psyched up for Animazement and my boss told me I could take off that Friday as long as I got my 40 hours in for that week. No problem.
As things turned out, I volunteered to take a couple fellow AUSA staffers
down to the convention with me, which involved me having to clean my car
out. Such is fate.
Who was I kidding, trying to leave on time?
Woke up at around 9 AM. I was supposed to have already been at Jen’s to pick her up by now. It’s her first convention, does she know what to expect? Ahhhh... I buzz around the house gathering up the usual necessary things, and finished up cleaning out Ai-chan. Not completely, but just enough. My car hasn’t been this uncluttered since Otakon.
Picked up Jen at around 11:30, then after an hour of fighting traffic in and around the infamous Mixing Bowl, we picked up Mike. With the three of us and con stuff, it was tight, but we still had breathing room.
("Blister in the Sun" playing on radio)
Me: Ah, this song brings back memories...
(strange looks from my passengers)
Suiteness!
Finally got to the hotel at around 6 PM, too late for the dealers room. Rough traffic, but good company. Got my badge, then got my room. Since Jen and Mike had no idea where to begin to find Steve for crash space, I got extra room keys for them. Turns out Steve’s room is two doors down the hallway.
Viva la dinner!
Steve and his staff plan on Mexican food, so I go along with them after a quick shower. We eat at a genuine Mexican restaurant, the kind where genuine Mexicans eat. It looked like a dive on the outside, but the food was great. Forget the chain restaurants, this is what it’s about. While there, they have some Latino TV shows going on, and what was on looked like some racy version of “You can’t do that on television”. Why can’t we make shows like this? Hell, I’d pay for the channel it was on. Or I could just learn Spanish.
So I look at the schedule, and there’s an Eva parody. I’m there. After that, they’re showing all of Mahoromatic. No way I’d be able to stay up late enough for all of it, but I’ll check it out.
Over five hours later...
Seeing a fan parody that portrayed Gendou as a pimpsta was indeed fun. Initially, I was going to watch just a couple episodes of Mahoromatic. Then I watched six. Then I figured I might as well go the distance. And I did. My question is, isn’t it normal practice at cons to just show a couple episodes of something and go onto the next series? Anyway, I enjoyed Mahoromatic. Five in the morning, and I’m still the first one to get back to the room. Heh.
Last year at this time, I was unemployed. But, times have been
good to me lately. This is the first convention I’ve been to where
I could afford to get my own suite, buy gifts for other people, and let
others crash in my room for free, all at the same convention.
As I’ve told some of my friends, I’m just sharing some of my sunshine.
Boy, if only these guys knew what goes on at these things...
Woke up around noonish. Headed down to get some more stuff out, and found the local sheriff parked next to my car. I haven’t had a police car near mine since... never mind that for now, that’s a different story. Animazement was continuing their practice of using actual law enforcement officers for guarding the dealers room.
A small investment for sanity!
Seeing as how I didn’t get any goodies yesterday, I picked up a few CDs of Mahoromatic, Noir, and NieA_7. The Mahoromatic CD needed to be bought first, otherwise the ending theme song would haunt me for weeks or even months. Then I snagged some Asuka-themed stuff. For awhile, I lay back on the bed, relaxing, feeling mellow, listening to a little bit of my CDs.
...Mahoro de mambo... AHHHH
Later on, I’m hanging out at the AUSA table, selling raffle tickets, and otherwise watching the world go by. Just one last stop into the dealers room I wanted to make for the day, so I scored a Gokudo-kun DVD, and helped with the Utena ring raffle. Probably, I’m going to skip the cosplay in favor of getting something to eat. Something Animazement was able to get away with, because of where the hotel is and the nice weather: looping the line for the cosplay outside. That trick could be useful in the future. The ending theme for Mahoromatic is firmly implanted in my brain.
Go figure.
Ended up skipping dinner in favor of cosplay. Grabbed my camcorder and such at the last minute. There was a rear stage for cameras and such, so I indulged. Either I was out of practice or I was still really not enthusiastic about taping it, because I know my copy didn’t turn out well. Plus I still doubt my reasoning for going in for taping it in the first place.
Tired. Despite or because of my ingestion of sugary foods and
Mountain Dew, it’s before midnight and I’m ready to conk out. I’ll
need the sleep for the drive home. It’s a good kind of worn out.
Getting ready for cruise mode, in a couple hours
Got everyone’s stuff out in a couple of trips, checked out, and pre-ordered a couple AZ 2002 shirts. They sold out during the weekend, but they apparently have some method of reprinting shirts. Got me a couple more goodies, including a Mariko Kouda CD, and picked up a Puchiko doll for Aeris.
Yummy...?
Hanging out in the artists’ alley, hawking AUSA stuff. It’s become the new base of operations, a little better than living out of the car. Had some leftover fries, that’ll last me for some of the trip home.
Closing ceremonies. It was only proper for me to go to that, because of the fun I had. It really has been fun.
Biggie-size that, please.
After all was said and done, it was about 4 in the afternoon when we decided it was time to go. Before we got the trip underway proper, we had to stop for something to eat. Jen wasn’t really hungry, but Mike and I were famished. When we first went in, there wasn’t anyone in there except for the people working there. Within about 15 minutes, it started to fill up with fellow congoers. As much as we wanted to hang around and talk with them, we still had a trip ahead of us.
I love it when a plan comes together.
The trip home was smoother, but took more time. When we stopped to drop off Mike, we talked with his dad for awhile, and when I dropped off Jen, I talked with her parents for awhile. Originally I was going to just drop her off and go, but I decided it would be in my best interests to use their bathroom. Next thing I know, her parents offer me dinner. Finally, I get home at around one in the morning. I’m thankful that Animazement staff chose Memorial Day weekend for their con, gives me a free recovery day.
The result of me going to Animazement this year? For starters, I feel good about myself. I not only had fun, but I enabled others to have fun as well. Staying up late watching anime, having a big room, and the camaraderie. I barely knew Mike or Jen before this, and they barely knew me, but now, even though I don’t know them as well I do many of my other friends, I know them enough now to say they’re great people, and I more than enjoyed my time with them. I’m very glad I changed my mind about going. Come to think of it, I’m now glad that the training class was canceled. The original offer served it’s purpose, which was to get me hyped about going. The weekend may not always work out the way we want it to, but it does work out in ways we don’t expect, and that’s what makes it all the more worthwhile, just to find out how it will.
If I have as good a time at future conventions as I had at Animazement
this year, then I'm really looking forward to more conventions this year.
Attendance: I'd guess somewhere over 2000.
Highs:
I dunno, that covers a LOT of ground. Let's see, authentic Mexican food that didn't ream out my insides, able to stay awake for the entirety of Mahoromatic, didn't have to sit in a line in order to tape the Cosplay, seeing another fan-parody, the trip to the con and back, being able to afford a suite on my own... It goes on.
Lows:
I kinda wished I had been able to get everyone there earlier in the day...
Grub:
good Mexican food
assorted fast foods
miscellaneous junk
and Dew, plenty of Dew
Cost overview: Damn, I blew some cash this weekend. Total cost came close to $900. Consider that the suite and other operational costs accounted for about half, but that still leaves a boogity lot of money for other stuff.
While I don't make definite commitments this far in advance in regards to what conventions I'll go to, it certainly looks probable that I'll go again next year, as things stand.
Up next: Anime Mid Atlantic!