Conclave 2007 -- a bit more detail

[dagibbs]

Friday

Show up reasonably early on Friday, due to flying in from Ottawa rather than driving. After checking in, and getting keys for jeffreyab stored away at the desk, I try to get in to my room, and fail. Lock won't open. Back to front desk, they make new set of keys, and say a tech/help guy will meet me at the room. I ask about Jeff's keys, and they assure me they will be fine. Tech guy is there, my keys don't work, he does some lock re-programmy thing, and my keys now work. After dropping stuff, I go to register for the con, only to have the hotel tech guy find me there and give me a new set of keys (tested he says -- they work) cause they had a set of keys set aside for Jeff that wouldn't work anymore. Doh! I asked them about that off the top. At least they were good enough to track ME down, rather than me them.

Had to buy a membership, thought I already had one -- but probably wrong. Was the first credit card the person at reg did (ever).

Had time to kill, so accepted the hotel's $9.99 charge for internet. Oddly, though, this never appeared on the final bill.

Hellos to a few people, dinner with Jeri and (I think her name is) Susan. After dinner, Jeff still hasn't shown up, and I'm beginning to wonder -- he's throwing a party, and it is 10-to-party and still no Jeff. At 5-to-party Jeff shows up.

More wandering, including parties, con suite, dance, until about 11pm when Caryn mentions the magic word "Port" and we head off to drink some with Sylvia, Jason, and Mary. One bottle and about 2 hours later we're done the port. Mary is asleep, and I metion 12-year old Glen Livet, and haul them back to the tail end of Jeff's party. Plan to do port again Saturday evening, around 11pm.

Offered shadowriderhope crash space, which she graciously accepted.

Collected some nice hugs from a bunch of people, and some nice cuddles with rainbowravenx.

Bed, finally, around 3:30am, shortly after my room-mates.

Saturday

Up Saturday around 11am -- not too bad, though not too late. Hope ran off in mild panic for a concert.

Had breakfast with Jeff, then wandered around the convention. Jjenna appeared... wow... years. Awesome to see her again, and homeless, and catch up a bit.

Shalla, or perhaps Shalla's evil twin (or maybe good twin?) appeared in a getup that was very yummy, not something I've ever seen Shalla in. I appreciated it, very definitely.

Dinner trip with Caryn, Jordan and their well-behaved pirate daughter Kate. Went to Beirut (mid-eastern restaurant) that was two parking lots north of the hotel by way of about 6 miles north, since we accidentally drove right past it. Food was awesome, but it was very busy and the food was also very slow arriving. After dinner, took Caryn (as local guide) on a quick shopping trip for more port.

Changed for the evening...

Saturday Evening

In the early evening a few more people I'd missed showed up -- had a short visit with Michael. tammylc and eviljohn appeared, and I talked Tammy into hosting gaming for me on Friday. (Twisted her rubber arm. :) Saw Cindy looking very nice on her way out to a formal evening get together. Had Nathan catch up to me at one point, and mention the magic word "Port" associated with even more magical power-up "fifty-year-old", and a time and place.

Was "arm-twisted" into getting a nice backrub from Jeri in the con suite.

Somewhere along the way I got to spend some more time with Bella's gf Alexa, and found I was a lot more comfortable with her than I had previously been. I was very glad of this, and got to talk to her a bit about it on Sunday.

50-year old Port. Lovely. Complex, rich. Delightful. Every sip different -- changing as we drank it. Just a wonderful, magical experience. I am so happy to have been invited, to be one of the people that this group includes as a "port person".

What does it mean when somebody's (10ish? year old) daughter comes up to you, says "hi, my mom's not here right now -- but she'll be back later"? :)

After the 50-year old port, the next port -- really quite a nice Australian Tawny -- was a let-down. I think almost anything would have been. At least for the first few sips. After that, the early memory was washed away from my tongue enough to appreciate the next port. Finished the 375ml tawny 4-ways, then a 750-ml tawny 4-ways, then we moved on to a 375-ml Muscat. It was a nice finish -- sweet, pleasant, but not that complex. Very nice, though, at the end of the evening. We didn't finish that, but it was around 1am by then and time to get back out to the con.

A bit more social, a bit of dancing with Cindy and Caryn. Some moments of OMG age -- when the "kid" we were sitting near didn't recognise Bohemian Rhapsody, and other fun.

Called the hotel to ask for late checkup, and they said I'd need to call back after the day manager came on at 7am. I pointed out the pointlessness of this, but it didn't change anything. Apparently I'd forgotten the magic words "Priority Club Member", which when mention instantly got me a 2pm checkout.

Caught back up with Bella and Alexa, and ended up at the DDR section of the Confusion party, quite late. Some DDRing, some necking, then the doors closed -- and 1/2-naked DDR was the... more innocent part of the time. 2 gay couples and a lesbian couple all making out on a double bed is quite crowded -- though fun. (Ok, both the "lesbians" were as far as I know actually bi- but, they were just paying attention to each other. The gay boys had some more group-like action.) DDR is fun, though. But, not enough fun that I feel it would be worth buying what I need -- just enough fun to play at parties when I get the chance.

Bed around 4:30am, again after both my room-mates, but not much after.

Sunday

Got up around 11am, breakfast with Jeri, Jeff, and the same (probably) Susan. More wandering around, another nice back rub from Jeri, some nice cuddling with Bella. And, then the time of saying good bye.

netmouse showed up for a Confusion programming meeting with Jeff, and brought along her new (LOCAL!) beau. He has a wonderful grin, and seems like a really good type. And he makes her both smile beautifully and blush gorgeously. Yay for her, and them. (And, did I mention, he's LOCAL!!!)

Finally dinner at the Beirut again, with Jeff, Bella, and Alexa. There were 3 other tables there full of con people -- but it wasn't as crowded or as slow. Then, when we were the last table left in the place, Marcus and 2 more showed up for coffee and dessert and joined us.

Hammered out Saturday climbing and dinner plans with Bella, and invited Alexa along too to her clear excitement.

Then off to Warren, and my hotel to catch up on the internet, LJ, and stuff.