Conflikt, more detailed.

[kyrielle]

Friday

I drove up Friday. I knew I'd be early, but I figured there would be people there anyway, and I could settle in without feeling rushed. Right, on all counts. The hotel is really easy to find, right off I-5, and actually very nice. (We had a view of the scenic swimming pool, when the curtains were open, but I think the other options for views involved parking lots, and it's not like I was in the room and awake enough to want a view much except Sunday morning.)

There was hanging out and milling about and gabbing. And a time warp! (A large portion of the convention booklets were printed before a typo that placed the con in 2007 instead of 2008 was noticed, and they were left that way. There was a sign up with something to the approximate effect of the concom apologizing for the localized time shifting, but I don't remember the exact phrasing. Should have photographed that one, along with many many other things I was too silly to pull the camera out for.)

Seanan (cadhla) arriving and then abruptly tackle-hugging me when she registered my presence? Seriously, that made my day. I mean, I knew she had hoped I'd be there and all, but I didn't realize my appearance was going to be worthy of that kind of greeting. I was grinning like an idiot, I think. (Fair enough: I am an idiot much of the time anyway, after all.)

Ostensibly there was open filking from 3-7, but non-ostensibly that room was dead every time I saw it Friday afternoon. I think most people (like me) were still in "oh hi there!" mode or waiting for people or...yeah. Arriving, in other words. Partway through the afternoon, Jenn (dormouse_in_tea) gave me a call and let me know that her ride to the con (she was visiting friends and just had to get over from there house to the hotel) was having to work late, and thus, was not driving to the con, and could I come pick her up maybe?

I love my GPS device. LOVE it. Without it, I would have had to find a native Seattle-ite even if Jenn had been able to get me good directions. I am terrified of getting lost and not being able to get back to anything I know, which is substantially complicated when your only trusted landmark in the area is a single freeway. With the GPS, I fed the end address into it, drove up there (with my biggest concern being the device's happy willingness to send me through intersections that involved my having a cross sign when the cross traffic didn't when, as I found out shortly thereafter, there was a perfectly good road just a couple intersections up that would have been much easier, and which I had to cross anyway). I parked in front of the house and tried waving to Jenn and her friend, who were sitting behind a biiiiiig window in the living room. They didn't notice, so I called on the cell phone, and just as Jenn was taking the phone from her friend, they noticed. Shortly, I had a Jenn and was returning to the con. The GPS thoughtfully got us back, too, though it insisted (as it did on my initial arrival) that we'd "arrived" at the hotel on the right. Technically, this is true: the hotel was to the right of us. But normally "arrived" means there is a driveway. It was two more right turns to get a driveway. However, since that was the only option for where to go, and thus obvious, it was amusing.)

Much glee. We got back in time to have a light dinner at the hotel restaurant (which was surprisingly good in terms of price-to-quality, as hotel restaurants go, at least, what little I ate there). Then we headed to Seanan's concert.

Seriously? Made of win. In spite of the sound problems in the first song (it was hard to hear Seanan!) and a train wreck on Continental Divide (which Seanan handled with such wonderful joking that I was laughing too hard to be too upset, in spite of the fact that I'd really really someday like to hear the song performed through as she intended), the concert was utterly lovely. And, I'm sorry, but I have never laughed so hard at a song in my life as when I realized that yes, she had just used hemorrhagic in a song - as a rhyming word, no less! Dude, that is the perkiest, bounciest song about the black death that I have ever heard. (It may also be the only song about the black death I've ever heard, of course.) I had gotten her okay to videotape the concert for my own amusement (I know that technically the con rules are that you can record anything for yourself, unless the performer asks otherwise; but I wasn't sure whether that was considered polite, and in any case I felt more comfortable asking). Which was happy (because the recording came out - oh, the video is weak, but hey, it'll do; the sound is quite good, and I am pleased), but also sad. Why sad? Because honestly, most of her songs made me want to bounce around, and if you have a hand-held camcorder in one hand, that is not really advisable. I sat far more still than I wanted to.

Next concert on Friday was Jeff Hitchin who, like many of the performers, I had never heard of before. He was doing something somewhere between stand-up comedy and singing; a lot of funny songs, but a lot lot of patter in between. Very enjoyable, I should add, lest that be taken wrong. Unfortunately, I have a much poorer memory of his performance than of Seanan's (owing in part to the aforementioned video tape of hers, of course). I wish I remembered enough to properly comment because I was surely laughing hard. I do remember a certain section where he was doing little funny verses, I forget to the tune of what, but he was switching languages and did one about manga (I think) in Japanese that had dormouse_in_tea gasping for breath. Someone told her to breathe, and she replied "I can't breathe" just as a lull in the performance and chatter lead to silence in the room. I forget the exchange from there but she basically became an impromptu part of the comedy routine for a little bit.

Then was katyhh's concert, of which I am horrified to say I remember nothing. Which is pathetic because I really really enjoyed it (and knowing my memory when cons start to blur together, even wrote "gorgeous" next to the concert in my booklet with the con schedule). I allowed myself hardly any downtime at this con, and I forgot that if I do that, I must do a brain dump every night or lose things. I lost most of Friday that wasn't recorded, apparently. :(

Then open filking, where I hung out and listened and enjoyed. And I don't remember any song that was done but one, though I know there were several I enjoyed. The one that I do remember was a Sweeney Todd filk to the tune of "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" by Ash Productions": "People in the pies on Fleet Street...." I wish I had the full lyrics. I will eventually have them, but right now, I just wish. The room was breaking up in laughter. (And the expression on cadhla's face was great! Yes, I'm easily amused. Especially when it's close to, or maybe after, 11 at night.)

I went back to the room and crashed. Actually I read email and then crashed, but since I don't remember the reading-email other than that it happened, I'm ignoring that. I do not have the stamina to stay up until 3 am. I don't even want it since I kinda need to stay at least vaguely close to my normal sleep schedule when I'm on a three-day weekend.

When I went to bed, I was muttering about filk-con hours and mornings with nothing to do. When I got up, I was muttering about alarm clocks. (But I still had time to be bored, and I wish they started and ended earlier so I could enjoy more of the music. Ahwell! If I were happy someone else would not be.) Saturday basically started with the brunch, which was a perfectly nice brunch, with food, and sitting about chatting, and insta-filks on the table which I didn't contribute much (read anything) to our table's working with it. And then we all wandered out. I went to the roleplaying sing-along, which was neat, but which I don't think I'd do again; the time might have been better used hanging out with friends. (Some of whom were, I noticed, not at either of these events. Sane people, perhaps. Or tired. I'm not sure which.)

I stayed for the ten-minute slots, and I remember enjoying some of them, but even when I can remember the performer, I don't remember word one that was sung. Wow was my memory useless!

Barely into the songbook sing-along, I wandered off, hunting for people to hang out with. I ended up back in the hotel room instead and took a breather and made a brief LJ post. (dormouse_in_tea still rocks, and I still love the carnation scent she found for me!!!) And then I wandered some more and bounced in and out of the back of the room during the Interfilk concert thing, which had some interesting songs but which also had a lot of full seats. I didn't want to go forward and work my way to an empty seat, but I also didn't want to stand still, which made staying in the room somewhat unlikely.

Then the interfilk auction which was highly interesting and entertaining. I understand the urge to donate to a good cause, but the image of a bar of (fancy!! but still!) chocolate going for $30 still boggles me. (The CD that went for $310 also boggles me, but the entire room was sort of tense by then and people actually bowed to the one what purchased, so I am assuming that I was not the only boggled party there.) Funniest purchase of the auction goes to the shirt that someone - Steve? - brought and donated because he didn't want it and it had his picture on it. Someone paid $35...on the condition that he take it home with him again after all! (There was an attempt to require that he wear it for his concert, but the person who had specified that was outbid.)

There was dinner. There was Baja Fresh. Which...wow. Produces a taco that is spicy enough to make my mouth burn but doesn't bug my gut. I was so happy. Also? I have no judge of portion size and I so didn't need to order the salad that I did. (Actually, I needed to order the salad, but I also needed not to eat the free tortilla chips. Seanan, I am blaming you for the fact that the last half of that sentence bounced along in my head to the tune of The Black Death. Especially as you were the one to mention Baja Fresh in my hearing.) Once again, I love my GPS, which got us there and back. I also love Rebecca - tibicina - and Jenn, both of whom spotted the sign before I did. I was a little twitchy by then with the traffic and the 'what lane do I need to be in?' and they neatly told me where I needed to be and we got there.

Back for the Skinny White Chick concert. Another person I had never heard of. I had a blast. (I also bought CDs after. It was good music. Though I admit, her stage presence adds to that; she's just fun to watch.) I was in the back then, near Seanan who was inking at a table in the back. People were dancing in the open areas near the back, and I was one of the few people in a position to watch both the dancers and the performance. 'Twas nice. I don't recall set order, but I know that among the songs performed were Taglio!, Firebird's Child, all three songs in The Wendy Trilogy, and Alligator in the House. All were very enjoyable, all compelling in their own ways. (I was surprised that Alligator in the House had that effect on me, but it very much did and does. The "feel" of it is amazing.)

After that was Callie Hills (cflute), whose concert I remember enjoying a lot, as well as being very glad to finally see her on stage. Unfortunately, much to my chagrin, hers is another that I can't remember the set list from at all. (I think I'm mostly remembering the ones I have a memory-jog such as CDs or video for, so there is a pattern here and not a reflection on the performers, but argh!)

After that, Steve MacDonald performed. I enjoyed his performance very much. And...apparently promptly forgot it. Silly brain. Not helpful!

Somewhere in there, they announced that Seanan will be the Guest of Honor at Conflikt next year. She obviously knew about this announcement, and helpfully hid under the table before they made it, so that there was a "Is Seanan here? Where's Seanan?" moment. Several of us helpfully pointed at the table. Seanan snaked her hand up from underneath and waved at the audience without coming out, and we all cracked up. It was just fun. (I didn't get my camera out fast enough, and failed to get the shot. Wah! But Seanan, being very very tolerant of me and my camera obsession, yielded to my begging and got back under the table once the concert in progress was complete, so that I could photograph her hiding under the table. It was actually a very cramped under-table hiding spot, I must say. They need a larger table for future GoH's to hide under, in the future.)

After that was open filk. I don't remember anything from that, but I don't regret that for Saturday night. Because I shouldn't remember anything from it - by then it was late and I was tired, so I went off to bed!

Sunday morning we got together in the room Jenn and I were sharing with quite a few people to try on Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfumes. Several imps (small sample vials) that appalled their current owners were passed to more appreciative owners, and some scents, though liked by current owners, changed hands to someone who loved them more. tibicina had cleverly brought decanting supplies and was doing some decanting of scents that people wanted. I kept sniffing bottles but didn't smell anything that tempted me for myself, with the exception of Chanukkiyah, which someone had brought a bottle of and they were trying to get rid of the entire bottle. The requested return was a donation to Interfilk. Interfilk got money from me, and I am happy with a bottle. (It morphs into all sorts of amazing things on me; I smell somewhat like a milk chocolate buttercream tastes at one point during the drydown. It's lovely.) I also got imps of Arachne, Iambe, O, Kabuki, Shub-Niggurath, Lady Luck Blues, and Blood. Yay! Blood liked me. bayushi brought that one, and Blood smelled on me more or less like she'd hoped it would smell on her. I am sorry it was not so kind to her but I am glad it worked for me. (Scott has so far smelled Chanukkayah and the Possets Silver Carnations that Jenn brought me, and liked both, tho' he likes Chanukkayah better - hee.)

Part way through the BPAL we moved to Seanan's room to finish because we had to be out of ours by noon while they were staying 'til the next day. So I got us checked out and we hung out in their room. We finished with the BPAL and were just hanging out and chatting through the "lunch" period, and then we got word of Greg McMullan's death. I didn't know him, but it was obvious that he had been well-known and liked, and to watch the pain my friends felt...I wanted to do something, and of course there's nothing you can do at such moments, except at most to be there for them if they want.

The con went on; we went to the Ash Productions concert, which was witty and comic and silly. I don't recall the songs, though - again. Argh. And then Merav was on, and her performance was lovely, though I can no longer name the songs. I remember the mood of several was sad, and I remember that they were lovely. And I remember that her poise and everyone's poise was just incredible, everything considered.

Then was the band scramble concert, which I enjoyed. I remember two of the five songs, at least partly! mnemex was part of the first group up, and they did a lovely vocal piece with complex harmonies. I couldn't any more tell you the song or the tune but I remember the sound of their voices blending, and it was gorgeous. And later there was a piece involving two banjos and a guitar, and it was impressive, and I have still managed to forget any other details of it.

And then I drove home, because wow, did I need to go home. First, I love my GPS - I was one lane over from where I needed to be and ended up on I-5 north. My GPS knew for sure that I could get off at the next exit and reach the southbound lanes, and got me there. Second, if I had known what the weather would be, I might have tried to get a room for the night at the con hotel. It wasn't very bad, but around Centralia I was into snow and it was blowing as it fell. Very pretty visual effect, terrible visibility. Some places I was doing 30 mph. Luckily it was warm enough (just above freezing) and there was enough traffic that the road wasn't slick. I made it through and out of that and after that the road was fine the rest of the way down to Oregon and home.

I wish I could have stayed; I was sorry to miss the jam and the smoked salmon. (That's not a meal, that's a last getting-together-to-sing until the doors close on the con, since the official programming is over. They call it 'dead dog' at other cons, but here it was the smoked salmon.) Ah, well. I missed that, but I still got to enjoy most of the con.