Saturday summary and other notes.

We're meeting the others for breakfast in a little bit. Maybe a game of Apples to Apples, maybe not. Then we scatter. Emily's driving out after, since she has a 7-hour drive. Scott and I may wander or may not, depending on when we scatter. Some of the otehrs may go back to the con, but no one in our group is going to play in a full game today, I don't think.

The Wyn D'mere game (Tales of Wyn D'mere) yesterday was decent, but the "innovative" system didn't seem very innovative to me. Good adventure; just not so interested in the game. Slight variations on familiar mechanics, what seems to be a moderately generic high fantasy setting. Very fun adventure, tho'. Not bad, just not new enough to want to buy a pdf file of it (which is all he sells). Whee.

The same thing with Revelations, as well. I'm really glad I played in both - but I wouldn't buy either. Scott was in the Wyn D'mere game with me and then he just watched anime all evening until the meeting. He enjoyed it, so that's good.

A game of Apples to Apples in the hallway as we met, back to the hotel, another game in the suite, pizza, and then sleep. And, oh yes, yesterday morning and the art show. I got pretties for me and a few gifts. Stephanie Pui-Mun Law was there; I have a small print of hers and some bookmarks for myself. Then I hit the exhibit hall and bought Apples to Apples plus all expansions. I did also end up getting Children of the Sun, after talking to the developer; it really is (from the look and sound of it; I skimmed bits before buying) better than the demo game showed. Besides, it has a bunch of color interior art done by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law.

I'm very glad we came; this was fun. I never did catch up with the third person I was supposed to meet here - and, which I regret way more, didn't talk to therck again. I got too scattered at the times when I could have. Heck, I was too scattered most of the time. (I actually did see her again, yesterday, but she was going into an elevator half a hallway away, so....)

Scott and I are packed and dressed and ready (if not entirely willing) to go. A few more minutes and we can knock on the suite door without being horribly, rudely early. Breakfast is a good thing.

Final Sunday GenCon notes.

No game, but we ate (Kelly had two breakfasts and unnerved the waitress - and me, a little - in doing so) and hung out for a bit. I got pics of people, and used the timer to get two of all seven of us on the couch. Hopefully one or both will still look good at full size.

Many hugs were exchanged; Crow and Isaak and rauros went to Gencon for a bit of last minute wandering & shopping (Crow had $18 of gift certificates to one store), and such. Emily left, Kelly stayed at the hotel (to await the con-group's return), and Scott and I walked for a bit so I could get some of the photos I'd wanted to take of non-con places along the route. (I didn't get one of a church I really liked, but it actually worked out that I got a postcard of it at the airport - handy, that).

Then we headed for the airport. A bit early, we're at the gate now, but we didn't have anything else we wanted to do. I took a number of pictures out the car windows, but of course it's an open question whether any came out or not. I'm fairly sure the building I wanted didn't. There's this huge midair twist of ramps as three freeways interchange, and two of the ramps cross over/under each other, pass one to either side of this building, and then merge into the same freeway - so that they completely encircle it midair.

Also, I have an ingrown toenail. It's puffy, red, and oozy; I don't approve at all. (And it's on my right foot which, until this morning, was not giving me any problems at all - the left was the achy one, but that was just 'can we stop walking now?' aches.) On the other hand, this led me to get three decent post cards (unfortunately, I was looking for, say, antibiotic for it - which the airport stores did not have).

Another eight hours, and we'll be home. Home is a good thing.

I'm back! And tired.

Actually, I've been back for several hours, and just got sidetracked into post-trip things. I had a good time, an ingrown toenail, two or three opportunities to annoy a good friend (who is entertaining when mock-annoyed), etc.

Is all good. I'm home, I'm tired, I'm tryng to catch up on the posts while I was gone. I have way more to say about it that I wrote in moments here and there at the con; I'll post those backdated appropriately.

But not tonight. I'm not sure how much longer I can type coherently for. When I do put them up I'll add a note that's not backdated too.

The Friday Five, rather late.

1. Do you have a car? If so, what kind of car is it? Yes, and a white Ford Taurus. (Actually, we have two white Ford Tauruses. Taurii? Okay, I give up....)

2. Do you drive very often? Yes. I have to drive to work (I could conceivably take buses, using the Smart in Wilsonville to reach Tri-Met - but it would take 2 hours or so each way, cost more, and prevent me from working late or early...). I don't do much driving beyond that.

3. What's your dream car? Not sure. I'm really seriously considering the hybrid cars, but I haven't checked the safety records on those. If they pass? The Prius! If they don't? Back to not sure. I really did like the Volkswagen Rabbit we used to have. No power to speak of, but easy to handle and turned really well. Something in that size/type range would be okay. (My dream car is probably being driven by someone else, has soft seats, air conditioning, and a decent stereo...which is a pretty broad range. The driver is the hard part!)

4. Have you ever received a ticket? No. I have, however, received warnings a couple of times (for headlights out and expired tags). I tend to be a pretty cautious driver (I'm the one everybody honks at), so....

5. Have you ever been in an accident? Where I was the driver of a car? Yes; three. Two were my fault, and both of those were single-car accidents. In both cases I was tired (once after performing in a concert, once because I was sick and it was hot out). I wasn't hurt in either one. The third one was a two-car accident; she rear-ended me while I was stopped in traffic. It was under five miles an hour; she didn't even scratch her paint on the tow thingy, which is what she actually hit. Made a horrific boom and shot my nerves to hell in a handbasket, but that was it.