I attended the usual panel discussions on Lost, Doctor Who, Stargate and the Obligatory Harry Potter Panel. (Yes, that's what it was called.) I missed some of the humorous panels, the year in review for TV and movies, etc. I didn't make it to any with Josepha Sherman speaking or reading. (She's a hoot!) However, doing something completely different, I attended Putting the "Win" in Wine, out by the gazebo. I learned a few things about wine -- not from a Master of wine, but from someone well on her way to becoming one, Brandy Hauman. (Yes, the Wine Lady was named Brandy.) No free samples, but I got a free corkscrew.
I attended one reading by Laura Anne Gilman. She was one of the first people I saw on Friday (and she remembered who I was from last year), and I promised to be at her reading on Sunday morning. Ms. Gilman also provided Saturday's corkscrew's, which were inscribed The Vineart War.
The game room was busier than usual. We had to find someplace else to play Loot. There was a designated overflow area, but it wasn't game for card games. We were looking forward to playing a new game that involved mad cows and unexploded land mines (two birds, one stone?), but the directions couldn't be found, so the demo was postponed. I watched the end of a game of Kill Dr. Lucky, which is sort of like Clue in reverse. Interesting.
I skipped both the Regency Dance, which I usually skip, and the Steampunk Ball, which I attended last year, but wasn't up for this time because of a cold. Instead, we spent some time back in the room watching The IT Crowd. I'd heard of it, but hadn't seen it before.
The Dealers Room hadn't changed, but I guess I had. No T-shirts or buttons for me this year. I picked up a game supplement (Munchkin 6), a pocket watch, which reminded me of one I had back in college, and some accessories for a costume that may or may not ever be put together.
Speaking of costumes, the Masquerade didn't feature all that many and it was sparsely attended. We left before the judging, which usually takes forever, and skipped the previews.
The Con Suite was well run, and I spent quite a bit of time in there talking, relaxing and eating snacks and bagels. We managed to not eat in the hotel restaurant at all, choosing instead to drive to the Coach diner and the Burger and Brew (whatever it's called now).
This year, we came up with two solutions to walking back to the hotel from dinner in the dark while trying not to turn an ankle in a pothole or falling into a ditch. First, I brought small, cheap flashlights for everyone. Second, we decided this year to eat at four in the afternoon.
And that pretty much sums it up. Time to turn out the lights.
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