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I had an excellent time at Conflikt, though there's always the feeling that if only I could be two or three of myself I could have a *more* excellent time. The joy-potential of that con is routinely too high to realize in the time available.
Complicated by bringing along Drew and Ian, of course. Drew loved the music...but he wanted to talk, dance, yell, and run through it. The dancing, contained carefully, was not too disruptive as far as I could tell (and, as a mommy, I found it cute). The talking and yelling, however, was not such a happy thing, and running through a crowded room is a not-happening idea. So there were a lot of times that Drew watched concerts from the room with Scott, via the live feed, rather than being in the rooms.
May I just say that having the live feed ROCKED? Though I find it amusing to live in the future - when we were in the room watching the feed, we were watching it on our iPhones, connected to the hotel wireless. Seriously cool, and I saw two concerts and parts of three more that I would've missed otherwise.
Ian, being small, didn't run or talk, but he did wake up and need to be changed and fed. Hasty retreat due to fussing baby happened more than once. I think I mostly managed to keep the fussing baby from impacting anyone besides us, however - with Ian's help. On at least one occasion he woke up, made his screaming face, and waited to scream until I had gotten into the hallway with him. Which, granted, I did fairly quickly, but still - very nice!
The con, though...the con was amazing. The music and the messages and the friends. Frequently I wanted to be talking with four different people, watching a concert, even in some cases attending a panel...all at once. Not possible, of course. But I got to talk with a lot of friends I don't usually, and also make new ones. And turn acquaintances into friends - several people I knew from online (directly or indirectly) but hadn't really *spoken* with extensively. Plus Ian got *lots* of holding and cuddling and admiration. Which, you know, totally makes my day actually (and appeared to make the days of the people doing said holding/cuddling/admiring in some cases, so win).
The music...mmm, live music. Funny music, sad music, happy music, touching music, music music music. Happy, happy. I am not a performer. I don't even aspire to be one. I just want to be where they are, because I want to listen.
I'm not going to try to comment on the concerts. It's late, and I'm tired, and I took no notes. My comments wouldn't be coherent and I wouldn't want to slight someone by omission or forgetfulness or just because I was busy with other things at the time their performance. What I saw, what I heard, I loved. I had a blast.
I wish I had made it to more open filking, but...see the need for sleep. And I would not have traded the sleep, nor the time spent with friends chatting in the hallway, for the music - I just wish I had some way to attend the con several times to soak up all the experiences. Alas!
My biggest regret is the Sunday night smoked salmon filk. Scott was in our room with the boys, and I was free to attend until Ian needed to eat...and I stayed until 11, at which point I was nearly falling asleep in my seat and had to concede defeat. Bother! Then I got up to our room and Ian was just waking up and wanting to eat. So Scott gave him to me and dragged Drew - who had been stubbornly staying awake - to bed. As I'm holding Ian upright after feeding, I look around and realize: Scott has fallen asleep. Drew has fallen asleep, curled up against Scott with his head on Scott's shoulder. Ian is sleeping on my chest. And, 45 minutes after I left the music because I needed sleep, I am the only one still awake in the room. There was a certain amount of irony in that. I tucked Ian into the crib not long after, and fell over sideways myself.
On the plus side, besides the music and friends, I was very pleased with the hotel. Last year I was very not-pleased with the same hotel. The top-floor space we were in then had windows that left me twitchy about height and the carpet made me dizzy. The acoustics had sound from the hallway coming in way too easily. And everything *but* the performances was on the first floor, so the elevators got a workout and there were often waits. Also, my room was on an upper floor with a window that opened to open air. I don't even. The hotel was able to jam it shut. (Before anyone says safety issue to do so: there'd be no surviving that fall, and Drew figured out how to open it early on. Cue hyperventilation.)
This year, the con was all on the first floor (except the hospitality suite on the second floor). The smaller of the two concert spaces was a bit too small, but without using the top-floor space I don't think that was avoidable. Other than that, it was great. The sound bleed was much less, almost non-existent with the doors closed; the main space had one set of doors that was set such that sound bleed wasn't bad with one open. I wish the doors in had opened more quietly; they were a little loud being opened unless one was very careful. But otherwise the space was hugely improved, from my perspective. Our room was second-floor (with a hideous view of the roof, but so what? I almost never open the curtains in a hotel room other than to briefly see what view I have, and I'm not there for the view). The window was already set to open only a few inches (ironically, here it might be safer in the event of a fire if it *did* open all the way, but as the hotel didn't burn while we were there, it never came up, thankfully).
The included breakfast buffets with our memberships...I remember the hotel restaurant as pretty weak and expensive for dinners, from last year. I don't recall if we ate breakfast there or not. This year...that buffet was excellent. I was *very* pleased to have a breakfast solution with things I could reliably eat (and enough variety I suspect everyone could find something). Included, no less. Sweet! I did regret that we got one ticket for two adult buffets for each day - it meant we couldn't go down separately, which meant no one ate until everyone except Ian was awake. (Holiday Inns let the kids eat free if the parents are staying there and at the meal, so Drew was included in our free breakfast as well - win!) But that was minor, and honestly it's easier to manage the meal when we are all there, so it might be better that it worked out that way.
We asked for and got a refrigerator/microwave set with our room this time. I am...unimpressed by the microwave, which was a 650 watt beastie with a dial timer. It's either an antique, or a brilliant reproduction of one. It did, however, have a spinning tray...which stuck a little and squeaked. The hotel was willing to replace it except they were out by the time we discovered that, all their available microwaves being in guests' rooms. It worked (...as well as a microwave of that wattage can, at least), and removing and re-settling the spin plate reduced it to a mild squeak. Anyway, the refrigerator was more important, and for a hotel fridge it was a good one, with an actual separate freezer. I was *very* pleased with that. I don't know if the combo is normally free for the asking, or if they struck the charge because of the microwave issue; either way we didn't pay for it, which makes it even harder to be overly upset at the microwave. :)
The drive up and back was...gah. Wilsonville, OR to Seattle, WA is 180 miles (roughly) and should take about 3 hours to drive (give or take; there's a long stretch at 70 mph, offset by slower speeds through some cities). It took us about 5-6 hours each day, with stops to feed us and Drew, stops to change and feed Ian, etc. As much as possible we mixed the two, but.... Today we thought we were going to get home in only four hours, but about 30-45 minutes out from home Ian woke up and the best place we could go for a diaper change was a Fred Meyer. At which point I conceded and did some brief grocery shopping, so the house actually contains some fresh vegetables. So I think today would've been only 5 hours had I not done that. Still, it definitely lengthens the trip. And it might have been wise, regarding mood today, to stop at a rest stop or somewhere appropriate and let Drew run for 15-30 minutes. (Pity none was immediately available when Ian woke up.)
Drew periodically complained (usually in the evenings while very tired: I think he was uneasy sleeping in the unfamiliar room, though always having us there with him let him do so) that he wanted to go home, starting Saturday night. We kept telling him when we would, and he was very pleased to head home today. After we did the Fred Meyer stop, as we got back on the freeway, he fell asleep in the car. Ironic: I had been hoping he'd nap after lunch, which is his usual time, but this was several hours later. So we get home and he sleeps as Scott carries him into the couch. Hours later, he wakes up, and asks if we're home. We confirm we are and he says he doesn't *want* to be home, he wants to be there.
...sorry, kiddo. So do I, but the con is over.
From my tweets during the con (and while traveling to/from), which at least capture some moments and moods:
So glad that driver is now in front of us. Tailgating within 1-2 car lengths at 60 while talking on a cell phone. Pity no police saw!
I am grateful for friends, old and new, for songs and shared voices, for friendly laughter, for a comfortable place to sleep.
Ian breastfeeding. (What did you expect to see? Hee. I just lived the way his feet settled around mine!) http://pic.twitter.com/XLdPtDSf
#conflikt5 is making me happy. I wish I were spending less time listening from our room but so glad I can.
Left open filk when I felt I'd pushed as far as limits of baby sleep allowed, arrived to find Ian restless but not yet awake. If only I were that good at predicting his wake/sleep/needs more often. So glad I didn't return to the room any later. :)
I am grateful for hot breakfast with tea, sleeping Ians, strollers, silly toddlers and companionable conversations.
Sitting in the restaurant eating breakfast & discussing how eating pre-reg (had we gone before breakfast) might have been bad.
I was so tired I was nodding off where I sat, so I came up to the room at 11. I am missing most of tonight's filking for sleep...ostensibly. Ian was awake and wanted to eat, Scott handed him to me and laid down by Drew. Ian's awake. I'm awake. They're asleep. [Editor's note: this was, of course, before Ian fell asleep on me. Not by much, if I remember right.]
Also, hopefully I got Drew's two stuffed bears purged of the apple juice. Sigh.
[Editor's note: Drew nailed his two little stuffed bears with apple juice and we didn't notice for a while so it soaked in. They're supposed to be surface wash only. I squeezed it out and scrubbed. We'll see. If that didn't work, they get a bath and we just hope they recover from it. He also later poured a full glass of ice water into his car seat, while occupying it, on the way home. It also got the ancient iPhone that we repurposed as an iPod of sorts for him, but luckily doesn't appear to have done any damage.]
Hotel bed has four pillows. I have one. Scott has one. Drew has two.... And Ian is asleep in his crib, so g'night.
The hotel dining room at 9 am after a con is a sad, sad, empty place.
[Editor's note: after I tweeted that, more of the people staying later Monday - as opposed to the red-eye flight people, who were gone before I was up - filtered in, and I got to sit and chat for a while. So while it was a sad sad empty place at 9 am, a half hour later it was a pretty companionable, con-feeling space. However, during the con the place was *full to the gills* and now it was 1/3 full at most. This meant, among other things, that the pancakes actually sat long enough to harden. Ew. I ambushed the new batch when it came out and was much happier, though. Never happened that way during the con, the pancakes weren't allowed to sit long at all by comparison! Hee. Ravenous hordes and free breakfasts, after all.]
I am grateful for #Conflikt even if I am sad it's over. I'm glad for the music & most of all for friends and time with them.
Bye, #Conflikt - see you next year!
"Drew, Daddy has a pie to share with you." "MY pie." "OUR pie. Well, yours and his. I'm not having the pie." "You're not. *I* am!"
[Editor's note: the last one isn't con-relevant and is after con time. But it's too stinking cute not to share. Also, un-tweeted, getting a pie milkshake at Shari's later for all of us to share. It arrives and Drew proclaims (to the server's visibly intense amusement) "MINE!" Alas for him, ours. But he got to have some, so.]
I didn't take as many photographs as I normally would. Alas. But there were too many other things to be doing and in the end, they were more important and more interesting.
Summary: I had a great time. I pre-registered us for next year. To the con, to the people who put it together and who performed (in concerts or in filking circles), to the sound crew, to Interfilk, to the people who hung out, ran the con suite, listened and chatted, admired my baby or merely tolerated him, to the hotel staff, to *everyone*, THANK YOU. I didn't have a perfect weekend, but I had a wonderful weekend, and it was made brighter and happier by so many things and people, moments big and small.
And now I fall over and go to sleep. ...sigh. As soon as I get Drew back to sleep. He just came in here and told me Daddy is asleep and is talking to me happily. It's almost 11. He's still on con time. Tomorrow's pediatric appointment, complete with immunizations, may be fraught if he's as tired as I think.
Complicated by bringing along Drew and Ian, of course. Drew loved the music...but he wanted to talk, dance, yell, and run through it. The dancing, contained carefully, was not too disruptive as far as I could tell (and, as a mommy, I found it cute). The talking and yelling, however, was not such a happy thing, and running through a crowded room is a not-happening idea. So there were a lot of times that Drew watched concerts from the room with Scott, via the live feed, rather than being in the rooms.
May I just say that having the live feed ROCKED? Though I find it amusing to live in the future - when we were in the room watching the feed, we were watching it on our iPhones, connected to the hotel wireless. Seriously cool, and I saw two concerts and parts of three more that I would've missed otherwise.
Ian, being small, didn't run or talk, but he did wake up and need to be changed and fed. Hasty retreat due to fussing baby happened more than once. I think I mostly managed to keep the fussing baby from impacting anyone besides us, however - with Ian's help. On at least one occasion he woke up, made his screaming face, and waited to scream until I had gotten into the hallway with him. Which, granted, I did fairly quickly, but still - very nice!
The con, though...the con was amazing. The music and the messages and the friends. Frequently I wanted to be talking with four different people, watching a concert, even in some cases attending a panel...all at once. Not possible, of course. But I got to talk with a lot of friends I don't usually, and also make new ones. And turn acquaintances into friends - several people I knew from online (directly or indirectly) but hadn't really *spoken* with extensively. Plus Ian got *lots* of holding and cuddling and admiration. Which, you know, totally makes my day actually (and appeared to make the days of the people doing said holding/cuddling/admiring in some cases, so win).
The music...mmm, live music. Funny music, sad music, happy music, touching music, music music music. Happy, happy. I am not a performer. I don't even aspire to be one. I just want to be where they are, because I want to listen.
I'm not going to try to comment on the concerts. It's late, and I'm tired, and I took no notes. My comments wouldn't be coherent and I wouldn't want to slight someone by omission or forgetfulness or just because I was busy with other things at the time their performance. What I saw, what I heard, I loved. I had a blast.
I wish I had made it to more open filking, but...see the need for sleep. And I would not have traded the sleep, nor the time spent with friends chatting in the hallway, for the music - I just wish I had some way to attend the con several times to soak up all the experiences. Alas!
My biggest regret is the Sunday night smoked salmon filk. Scott was in our room with the boys, and I was free to attend until Ian needed to eat...and I stayed until 11, at which point I was nearly falling asleep in my seat and had to concede defeat. Bother! Then I got up to our room and Ian was just waking up and wanting to eat. So Scott gave him to me and dragged Drew - who had been stubbornly staying awake - to bed. As I'm holding Ian upright after feeding, I look around and realize: Scott has fallen asleep. Drew has fallen asleep, curled up against Scott with his head on Scott's shoulder. Ian is sleeping on my chest. And, 45 minutes after I left the music because I needed sleep, I am the only one still awake in the room. There was a certain amount of irony in that. I tucked Ian into the crib not long after, and fell over sideways myself.
On the plus side, besides the music and friends, I was very pleased with the hotel. Last year I was very not-pleased with the same hotel. The top-floor space we were in then had windows that left me twitchy about height and the carpet made me dizzy. The acoustics had sound from the hallway coming in way too easily. And everything *but* the performances was on the first floor, so the elevators got a workout and there were often waits. Also, my room was on an upper floor with a window that opened to open air. I don't even. The hotel was able to jam it shut. (Before anyone says safety issue to do so: there'd be no surviving that fall, and Drew figured out how to open it early on. Cue hyperventilation.)
This year, the con was all on the first floor (except the hospitality suite on the second floor). The smaller of the two concert spaces was a bit too small, but without using the top-floor space I don't think that was avoidable. Other than that, it was great. The sound bleed was much less, almost non-existent with the doors closed; the main space had one set of doors that was set such that sound bleed wasn't bad with one open. I wish the doors in had opened more quietly; they were a little loud being opened unless one was very careful. But otherwise the space was hugely improved, from my perspective. Our room was second-floor (with a hideous view of the roof, but so what? I almost never open the curtains in a hotel room other than to briefly see what view I have, and I'm not there for the view). The window was already set to open only a few inches (ironically, here it might be safer in the event of a fire if it *did* open all the way, but as the hotel didn't burn while we were there, it never came up, thankfully).
The included breakfast buffets with our memberships...I remember the hotel restaurant as pretty weak and expensive for dinners, from last year. I don't recall if we ate breakfast there or not. This year...that buffet was excellent. I was *very* pleased to have a breakfast solution with things I could reliably eat (and enough variety I suspect everyone could find something). Included, no less. Sweet! I did regret that we got one ticket for two adult buffets for each day - it meant we couldn't go down separately, which meant no one ate until everyone except Ian was awake. (Holiday Inns let the kids eat free if the parents are staying there and at the meal, so Drew was included in our free breakfast as well - win!) But that was minor, and honestly it's easier to manage the meal when we are all there, so it might be better that it worked out that way.
We asked for and got a refrigerator/microwave set with our room this time. I am...unimpressed by the microwave, which was a 650 watt beastie with a dial timer. It's either an antique, or a brilliant reproduction of one. It did, however, have a spinning tray...which stuck a little and squeaked. The hotel was willing to replace it except they were out by the time we discovered that, all their available microwaves being in guests' rooms. It worked (...as well as a microwave of that wattage can, at least), and removing and re-settling the spin plate reduced it to a mild squeak. Anyway, the refrigerator was more important, and for a hotel fridge it was a good one, with an actual separate freezer. I was *very* pleased with that. I don't know if the combo is normally free for the asking, or if they struck the charge because of the microwave issue; either way we didn't pay for it, which makes it even harder to be overly upset at the microwave. :)
The drive up and back was...gah. Wilsonville, OR to Seattle, WA is 180 miles (roughly) and should take about 3 hours to drive (give or take; there's a long stretch at 70 mph, offset by slower speeds through some cities). It took us about 5-6 hours each day, with stops to feed us and Drew, stops to change and feed Ian, etc. As much as possible we mixed the two, but.... Today we thought we were going to get home in only four hours, but about 30-45 minutes out from home Ian woke up and the best place we could go for a diaper change was a Fred Meyer. At which point I conceded and did some brief grocery shopping, so the house actually contains some fresh vegetables. So I think today would've been only 5 hours had I not done that. Still, it definitely lengthens the trip. And it might have been wise, regarding mood today, to stop at a rest stop or somewhere appropriate and let Drew run for 15-30 minutes. (Pity none was immediately available when Ian woke up.)
Drew periodically complained (usually in the evenings while very tired: I think he was uneasy sleeping in the unfamiliar room, though always having us there with him let him do so) that he wanted to go home, starting Saturday night. We kept telling him when we would, and he was very pleased to head home today. After we did the Fred Meyer stop, as we got back on the freeway, he fell asleep in the car. Ironic: I had been hoping he'd nap after lunch, which is his usual time, but this was several hours later. So we get home and he sleeps as Scott carries him into the couch. Hours later, he wakes up, and asks if we're home. We confirm we are and he says he doesn't *want* to be home, he wants to be there.
...sorry, kiddo. So do I, but the con is over.
From my tweets during the con (and while traveling to/from), which at least capture some moments and moods:
So glad that driver is now in front of us. Tailgating within 1-2 car lengths at 60 while talking on a cell phone. Pity no police saw!
I am grateful for friends, old and new, for songs and shared voices, for friendly laughter, for a comfortable place to sleep.
Ian breastfeeding. (What did you expect to see? Hee. I just lived the way his feet settled around mine!) http://pic.twitter.com/XLdPtDSf
#conflikt5 is making me happy. I wish I were spending less time listening from our room but so glad I can.
Left open filk when I felt I'd pushed as far as limits of baby sleep allowed, arrived to find Ian restless but not yet awake. If only I were that good at predicting his wake/sleep/needs more often. So glad I didn't return to the room any later. :)
I am grateful for hot breakfast with tea, sleeping Ians, strollers, silly toddlers and companionable conversations.
Sitting in the restaurant eating breakfast & discussing how eating pre-reg (had we gone before breakfast) might have been bad.
I was so tired I was nodding off where I sat, so I came up to the room at 11. I am missing most of tonight's filking for sleep...ostensibly. Ian was awake and wanted to eat, Scott handed him to me and laid down by Drew. Ian's awake. I'm awake. They're asleep. [Editor's note: this was, of course, before Ian fell asleep on me. Not by much, if I remember right.]
Also, hopefully I got Drew's two stuffed bears purged of the apple juice. Sigh.
[Editor's note: Drew nailed his two little stuffed bears with apple juice and we didn't notice for a while so it soaked in. They're supposed to be surface wash only. I squeezed it out and scrubbed. We'll see. If that didn't work, they get a bath and we just hope they recover from it. He also later poured a full glass of ice water into his car seat, while occupying it, on the way home. It also got the ancient iPhone that we repurposed as an iPod of sorts for him, but luckily doesn't appear to have done any damage.]
Hotel bed has four pillows. I have one. Scott has one. Drew has two.... And Ian is asleep in his crib, so g'night.
The hotel dining room at 9 am after a con is a sad, sad, empty place.
[Editor's note: after I tweeted that, more of the people staying later Monday - as opposed to the red-eye flight people, who were gone before I was up - filtered in, and I got to sit and chat for a while. So while it was a sad sad empty place at 9 am, a half hour later it was a pretty companionable, con-feeling space. However, during the con the place was *full to the gills* and now it was 1/3 full at most. This meant, among other things, that the pancakes actually sat long enough to harden. Ew. I ambushed the new batch when it came out and was much happier, though. Never happened that way during the con, the pancakes weren't allowed to sit long at all by comparison! Hee. Ravenous hordes and free breakfasts, after all.]
I am grateful for #Conflikt even if I am sad it's over. I'm glad for the music & most of all for friends and time with them.
Bye, #Conflikt - see you next year!
"Drew, Daddy has a pie to share with you." "MY pie." "OUR pie. Well, yours and his. I'm not having the pie." "You're not. *I* am!"
[Editor's note: the last one isn't con-relevant and is after con time. But it's too stinking cute not to share. Also, un-tweeted, getting a pie milkshake at Shari's later for all of us to share. It arrives and Drew proclaims (to the server's visibly intense amusement) "MINE!" Alas for him, ours. But he got to have some, so.]
I didn't take as many photographs as I normally would. Alas. But there were too many other things to be doing and in the end, they were more important and more interesting.
Summary: I had a great time. I pre-registered us for next year. To the con, to the people who put it together and who performed (in concerts or in filking circles), to the sound crew, to Interfilk, to the people who hung out, ran the con suite, listened and chatted, admired my baby or merely tolerated him, to the hotel staff, to *everyone*, THANK YOU. I didn't have a perfect weekend, but I had a wonderful weekend, and it was made brighter and happier by so many things and people, moments big and small.
And now I fall over and go to sleep. ...sigh. As soon as I get Drew back to sleep. He just came in here and told me Daddy is asleep and is talking to me happily. It's almost 11. He's still on con time. Tomorrow's pediatric appointment, complete with immunizations, may be fraught if he's as tired as I think.
