dreamshark (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dreamshark) wrote2012-07-09 12:59 am
dreamshark) wrote2012-07-09 12:59 am
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Gee, It's Great to Be Back Home
Today has been lovely. Thank you David Emerson for the ride home at about 1:30 am this morning. I slept until 11am, had iced coffee with my breakfast, sat in the backyard swing reading Friday and Saturday's newspaper, worked on jewelry, ate ice cream and tuna fish sandwiches, then read today's paper. R and T are still at the con, and I'm luxuriating in being alone. But best of all is the stillness. No whooping, shrieking, caterwauling, giggling, yammering, group singing, floor-shaking bass lines or the sounds of people rebounding off of hallway walls. I can open a door and just walk through it without having to shove my way through a sweltering mass of howling humanity. What bliss.
5,400 is just too damn many people for that hotel. The Convergence staff does an amazing job of managing the people and the space, but ultimately you can't get a gallon of water into a 2-quart measuring cup no matter how hard you try.
There were some good times, of course. I think the Minnstf room party went very well - thanks to all who helped out and especially to mle292 and vanaabegra for shouldering primary responsibility for the entire weekend. There were quite a few vintage Minstfers at the Friday night party for Jim, and it was gratifying to see some of them reconnecting with people they hadn't seen in many years. I think Jim would have been pleased.
Probably the best part of the con was the new (outdoor) smoking consuite very capably managed by Cayenne Chris Conroy. Variously referred to as "the Plaza," "the smokers' tent," and "the Taj Mahal," it was a re-imagining of the deserted U-shaped space on the east side of the hotel into a sprawling outdoor cafe. The con rented a big tent and the hotel provided chairs, tables, ambient music and a short-order grill. Periodically, weird entertainment events would transpire, such as the roller derby scrimmage on Saturday. Even during the "Heatstroke Hacienda" days before the weather broke it was pleasanter than the non-stop mosh pit atmosphere inside the hotel. I probably spent 2 or 3 hours out there over the course of the con, and most of my pleasantest con memories are from there. Among other things, I think I saw all the Brusts out there at one time or another, although it was indoors at the base of the escalator that I ran into Corwin, Dee and Anika. I had some nice conversations in the Minnstf room too, including a long chat with Ruth Anderson and her new husband. A lovely breakfast with Chas and Bonnie and Liz. Some enjoyable random conversations with strangers and surprise encounters with old friends. Didn't catch much programming except for the Marian Call concert, but that was well worth attending.
So all in all, it wasn't a bad con for me. But none of it holds a candle to the relief of being done with it. I'm pretty sure that's nature's way of telling me that it's time for me and Convergence to part company.
5,400 is just too damn many people for that hotel. The Convergence staff does an amazing job of managing the people and the space, but ultimately you can't get a gallon of water into a 2-quart measuring cup no matter how hard you try.
There were some good times, of course. I think the Minnstf room party went very well - thanks to all who helped out and especially to mle292 and vanaabegra for shouldering primary responsibility for the entire weekend. There were quite a few vintage Minstfers at the Friday night party for Jim, and it was gratifying to see some of them reconnecting with people they hadn't seen in many years. I think Jim would have been pleased.
Probably the best part of the con was the new (outdoor) smoking consuite very capably managed by Cayenne Chris Conroy. Variously referred to as "the Plaza," "the smokers' tent," and "the Taj Mahal," it was a re-imagining of the deserted U-shaped space on the east side of the hotel into a sprawling outdoor cafe. The con rented a big tent and the hotel provided chairs, tables, ambient music and a short-order grill. Periodically, weird entertainment events would transpire, such as the roller derby scrimmage on Saturday. Even during the "Heatstroke Hacienda" days before the weather broke it was pleasanter than the non-stop mosh pit atmosphere inside the hotel. I probably spent 2 or 3 hours out there over the course of the con, and most of my pleasantest con memories are from there. Among other things, I think I saw all the Brusts out there at one time or another, although it was indoors at the base of the escalator that I ran into Corwin, Dee and Anika. I had some nice conversations in the Minnstf room too, including a long chat with Ruth Anderson and her new husband. A lovely breakfast with Chas and Bonnie and Liz. Some enjoyable random conversations with strangers and surprise encounters with old friends. Didn't catch much programming except for the Marian Call concert, but that was well worth attending.
So all in all, it wasn't a bad con for me. But none of it holds a candle to the relief of being done with it. I'm pretty sure that's nature's way of telling me that it's time for me and Convergence to part company.
no subject
I heard 5900+ registrations with 5600+ warm bodies or something like that. Too much for that hotel. I know the folks running the con and many attending love that space, especially the pool area party spaces, but were I them I'd be doing an extensive hotel search anyway. Or consider capping attendance. I dunno. Glad it's not my problem to deal with.
It's been fascinating to watch the con grow and I wish everyone there well. They improved on some aspects of the "big Minicon" but also lack some things that were nice about the old Minicon (and about the current Minicon). Some of the lacks have since been fixed (the first year or two there weren't music parties and far less music in general) but others remain or have worsened IMHO.
Reading the schedule and watching people post about stuff that happened there, it felt more like a general geek convention in some ways than a science fiction convention. Dunno if that's how it seemed on the ground.
Even if money were not an issue, it would've been extremely difficult if not impossible for me to attend CONvergence. Commuting is tough because of the parking situation-- one has to be willing to spend 30-60 minutes or more driving around hunting for a parking spot or willing to park far away. Getting a hotel room in the con hotel is difficult-- it sold out in less than an hour (and wasn't announced to everyone at that point anyway) and Sofitel sold out in the same amount of time. And so on.
I suspect had I been there I'd agree on hanging around outside being among the best bits. Or wouldn't have minded being there for the dead dog when there are far fewer people around.
no subject
You really don't think you'll go back again next year? Even just to help out with the Minnstf party room?
no subject
no subject
It was a huge blessing to have a place to go where I could be sure of finding a few familiar faces in the crowd. Thanks to you, Richard, Emily and Aaron for making it happen!