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The other thing I've been meaning to post about when I was awake enough to do so was the rest of my Canada trip.
I was going to see a couple of friends who had gotten married over the summer. I'd been invited to the wedding but couldn't make it. As it happens, though, she runs a Sci Fi convention called VCON, so I decided to attend. It seemed like a good chance to meet her and her husband (the creator of the awesome webcomic Goblins).
That was a lot of fun. I'd gone to New York ComicCon for the last two years and found it to be painfully overcrowded. It was really cool, don't get me wrong. But there was no room and no time. I gave up on going to any of the major panels because the lines were just ridiculous. Even going downstairs an hour early, the lines snaked down the hall. Moving across the show floor was like trying to push through crosstown traffic. And, despite it being winter outside, all the body heat made the entire convention center so hot I could barely function. It was worth it, for the chance to meet creators I liked, to find out what was new, to see the amazing costumes people had made, and to get in a couple of "small" panels.
VCON was an entirely different experience. There were enough people there that it felt busy. There was always something to do (quite literally, the games rooms were open 24/7). But it was also small and friendly. There was free food (donations appreciated) at the hospitality suites. You could walk into a panel, and there would be enough people to keep things lively, but not so huge that you couldn't get a word in if you really wanted to. And there were always enough chairs for everyone. Going to VCON this year meant that I couldn't make it to NYCC, but I don't regret the trade-off at all. In fact, I'm planning to do it again next year.
After the con, I went back with them to their home up the coast. Mostly, we just hung out. They live in a beautiful area, and, really, it was just so refreshing to be able to relax amongst my own kind. Not that my family doesn't understand me or anything like that. But they're not geeks or nerds. The mindset and the culture are alien to them. They accept it, but they don't get it. It's not often that I get to spend time in person with people who do.
But we did take a lovely walk out to a beautiful waterfall, and that was pretty awesome, too. And we visited the local farmer's market (which was small but smelled amazing).
Oh yes, and we went on a quest for Five Guys. They'd seen that songified review which went viral this summer and wanted to try the place for themselves. They'd heard at the con that one had opened in the city. It became a bit of a quest, trying to track down the exact location. (He compared it to Harold & Kumar.) We finally found it... Except it was closed for renovations. Oops. On my way back at the end of the week, while he diligently worked at the comic, she drove me to the city. I found out there was another location. We decided to go out of our way so she could bring it home... and it turned out to be inside an office building that closed for the day an hour before we got there. They would be going back into town after the weekend... when it would be closed for Canadian Thanksgiving. The universe seems to be set against this happening. Nevertheless, it will happen. Eventually. (And then they'll find out it's just a burger joint. A good burger joint, but perhaps somewhat disappointing after the effort it took to get there. We shall see.)
Oh, and the (thankfully nonstop) flight home was pleasantly uneventful, especially in view of the whirlwind trip through Toronto on the way out.
I was going to see a couple of friends who had gotten married over the summer. I'd been invited to the wedding but couldn't make it. As it happens, though, she runs a Sci Fi convention called VCON, so I decided to attend. It seemed like a good chance to meet her and her husband (the creator of the awesome webcomic Goblins).
That was a lot of fun. I'd gone to New York ComicCon for the last two years and found it to be painfully overcrowded. It was really cool, don't get me wrong. But there was no room and no time. I gave up on going to any of the major panels because the lines were just ridiculous. Even going downstairs an hour early, the lines snaked down the hall. Moving across the show floor was like trying to push through crosstown traffic. And, despite it being winter outside, all the body heat made the entire convention center so hot I could barely function. It was worth it, for the chance to meet creators I liked, to find out what was new, to see the amazing costumes people had made, and to get in a couple of "small" panels.
VCON was an entirely different experience. There were enough people there that it felt busy. There was always something to do (quite literally, the games rooms were open 24/7). But it was also small and friendly. There was free food (donations appreciated) at the hospitality suites. You could walk into a panel, and there would be enough people to keep things lively, but not so huge that you couldn't get a word in if you really wanted to. And there were always enough chairs for everyone. Going to VCON this year meant that I couldn't make it to NYCC, but I don't regret the trade-off at all. In fact, I'm planning to do it again next year.
After the con, I went back with them to their home up the coast. Mostly, we just hung out. They live in a beautiful area, and, really, it was just so refreshing to be able to relax amongst my own kind. Not that my family doesn't understand me or anything like that. But they're not geeks or nerds. The mindset and the culture are alien to them. They accept it, but they don't get it. It's not often that I get to spend time in person with people who do.
But we did take a lovely walk out to a beautiful waterfall, and that was pretty awesome, too. And we visited the local farmer's market (which was small but smelled amazing).
Oh yes, and we went on a quest for Five Guys. They'd seen that songified review which went viral this summer and wanted to try the place for themselves. They'd heard at the con that one had opened in the city. It became a bit of a quest, trying to track down the exact location. (He compared it to Harold & Kumar.) We finally found it... Except it was closed for renovations. Oops. On my way back at the end of the week, while he diligently worked at the comic, she drove me to the city. I found out there was another location. We decided to go out of our way so she could bring it home... and it turned out to be inside an office building that closed for the day an hour before we got there. They would be going back into town after the weekend... when it would be closed for Canadian Thanksgiving. The universe seems to be set against this happening. Nevertheless, it will happen. Eventually. (And then they'll find out it's just a burger joint. A good burger joint, but perhaps somewhat disappointing after the effort it took to get there. We shall see.)
Oh, and the (thankfully nonstop) flight home was pleasantly uneventful, especially in view of the whirlwind trip through Toronto on the way out.
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