Wednesday and Thursday, Interlude, Friday, and Saturday.
And now,
Another ridiculously early start. Whenever I'm not in my own bed, it's always much easier to wake up. Headed downstairs to work the regdesk for a few hours.. Sunday morning is a very few emergency badges, one-day passes and the Early-bird special for next year's registration. This was the first time I was working with the new-reg system.. and naturally, there were Interesting Complications.
bigtig steps away to ready for a panel on Macro Schtuff, which puts me in charge, and using the 'boss computer'. I attempt badge printing.. and fail, after a good 5 minutes of thwackity on the system.*crackle* Chiaroscuro to Bennie. *crackle*
Bennie comes in, I briskly explain what's wrong.. whereupon he proceeds to press a button. One button, on the front of the printer. And now.. badges are printing. he chills there for a few minutes to do some further tinkering, and then heads offpanelwards again. In a few minutes, of course, there's another badge to print, so I head back to the Boss computer.. and blink. Okay, the printing program isn't open. No problem, I remember the file name, and I can hunt it down somewhere in Linux.. *type-a, click-a* Ahh, there it is. ... And it's not opening. Why isn't it opening?
*crackle* Chiaroscuro to Bennie. *crackle*
Bennie comes in. This time, he doesn't have to just press a button. He presses a button twice. Escape key, escpae key, and magically Linux vanishes and is replaced by Windows 98, which has the printing program up and ready. Bennie rushes back to the panel, and the rest of registration proceeds pretty apace.
About one-ish I head to the dealer's room, collecting more of the conbadges for co-workers, sketchbooks, and last assorted chances to spend money. Bill Holbrook was very accomodating about some quick final badges. I pay
rcoony (Royce) for the room, which cost more than we expect- eep.. I have to bail my car out, too. I end up owing Royce $30 so I'll have parking money, which I mail him a check for two weeks later. Still, oy, first time I ended up overspending that way.While cleaning up the registration station.. I happen to come across a very early test badge of
points, which has horribly giant font of Points with b/w art of the Anthrocon 2003 badge. Obviously a beta test. Well, it's too good to pass up, so I clip it on below my regular badge. About 10 minutes later, normanrafferty is in the vicinity.. looks at the badge, looks up at me, and goes.. "Wait.. you're not Jonah!". But he was just puzzled enough for a second that I considered it a success. Took the badge off then, anything more would be anticlimactic.Closing ceremonies were entertaining as always. The same questions year after year, though. I was amused that someone wondered if Anthrocon could provide a copying/mailing center. Really? You want us to rent a Fedex/Kinko's and put it in a hotel for a weekend? :P
Car was packed up, and then to the Staff dinner.. which was served by the hotel, and good quality food indeed, I thought. Can't remember whom was at my table except MaggieKitten. ChillyMouse's shirt made its rounds along tables for various artists and signees. From thence, I zoomed out to the car, and started my way back home.. earlier than I wanted to, but work was beckoning on Monday. Made a stop for a late dinner in New Hope, PA with
cygnata, whom it was good to catch up with. Thenceforth, on the long haul back to Connecticut, and made solid time.. still, rolling in at 3:30am to home is no fun, even with good rest stops all along I-95. And that was Anthrocon. This year.
--Chiaroscuro