...we temporarily interrupt the "tales of con" to announce that the writer - who is, as we all know, a bit temporally challenged - needs to check her timeline against other geeks before she proceeds with this post! :)
fear not, i will finish what i started! ;)
in other news, our ken is nearly as excited about The Package to Mr. D. as i am. He called yesterday wanting reference direction and anecdotes, and we're planning to meet next week to discuss the piece he's doing for The Package. this is SO exciting!
ken has always felt like kin (hur!), but the similarities in our bizarre geek makeup is really showing in this project. i feel pretty sure that everyone else just thinks i'm completely demented, but ken is IN! i have commissioned a specific drawing from him and i am delighted that he is approaching this with such fantastic zeal. yay, you!
xoxoxo
more later,
much love,
-sambolina honey pie
Saturday, September 13, 2003
Friday, September 12, 2003
Saturday “morning” (harharhar!) we all rolled out a bit late, oh, more like, after lunch. The boys all had some evil plan, panels to see, people to do, but I’d decided that Saturday was gonna be my “Pro” day. The geeks all dressed in garb – I listened to Jen dish dirt about some folks while I watched her brush and braid her platinum wig. I was reminded of how much I love her and why I took the chance on letting her move in for a while. Being in the room together and being girls at con was like the best of those times.
I dressed in my current favorite outfit, my semi-slinky black&tan linen-weave 80’s shirt, my “rick” jeans (tight, button-fly 501’s with deep cuffs that have a turtle pin stuck in and pretty colors of oil paint at the bottom of the cuff…) and my pink-flower flip-flops. I went down to artists’ alley and made the rounds. Got some signatures and some BEAUTIFUL Andy Lee original art, talked to the gaijin guys a bit – finally saw Adam…
*sigh* He gave me his latest issue of “Are They Big Enough For Ya’ Fanboy?” and said kind words. I mooched around as long as I could stand to, and then I went out into the hall and set up shop.
Jen had given me a nice big grey box with a black top and a handle. I – of course decorated it with various SDO ads and filled it with all my big stuff. She’d also given me this cool desky-art-supply-thingy, so I set my box up with a sign on top that said “Will Art for Food!”, laid my pens out, put out my ‘Harry Potter” tip-jar and started drawing.
Needless to say, sitting against the wall and hunching over drawing was murder on my back, but nothing could sway me (so to speak. hur.). Dearest Tobie came and checked on me about once an hour, bless his little pointy head. He brought me water and soda to take my Vitamin I, he brought me lunch, and he even procured my first paying customers (Thank you, Tobie, I love you. 27Billion Geek Con Points to you. You won, you passed, you're a pro and a Vet'ran!). They were two sweet little ladies (15?) who were wearing some fancy clothes - a fairy princess in lace and velvet, and a red-haired freckle-faced brownie lass in a patchwork skirt made by her best friend. I did a full-figure sketch of the pair for the sum of their available change – 4.25$ and made their day. Their older sibs were coming later with more $$$, so I didn’t feel bad taking their scratch and they said “HA! And THEY said we couldn’t get anything good at con for just a little money!” : )
So, I sat and drew, and enjoyed the feeling of being an artist at con again, albeit a hall-squatting con-rat. Oh, how the fighty are maulen*. A few people sat to watch me draw, I met a lady who knows some of my library patrons, I ran into my dear old friend from the ‘Burg/Coastal days, Clifford and his LOVELY lass. They commissioned a sketch and so I did a “D&D” for her (she raved about my Delirium that my dear old chum and all-time favorite gm Derek has framed on his wall), with a cute me-Delirium and her as Death. They paid me a VERY sweet commission. (Thank you both, you made me feel like a pro again. : ) The bouncy binkies** came and bought my little asian school-girl sketch (it was sweeeeeet) and I did a cho-like Bettie kinda’ gal. Part of me was reeling from the feeling of being out in the hall again, sketchbook in hand, but that was then and this was now, and my overall feeling was “This is ME doing it now, I’m not here because I came with some Bigtime Artists. People are stopping just for MY art.” And that felt good.
At one point, Cully (Hamner, Gaijin Artiste Extraordinare – and SERIOUS sweetie/cutie-pie) and Karl (Storey, Gaijin Artiste as well) came out to go to lunch, or to powder their noses or somethin’, and when Cully saw me sitting there he said “You’re just a JUNKIE, aren’t you?” I just grinned and kept on inkin’…
Later Adam came out in the hall with his lady friend, and they were discussing something very serious in whispers. They went back inside for a minute and when they came back out, Adam stopped to tell me that he had to leave, his mother had a stroke, and he had to catch an emergency flight to Jersey. Pobresito. Those of you who know me well know how dear Adam is to me, his art, yes, but him too, him especially. There is and always will be a very tender spot in my heart for him. I felt so sad for him – he’s a very gentle soul, and so honored that he stopped to tell me what was up. He asked me to let folks know what had happened, and then he headed off to be with his mama.
Adam – if you ever read this, I have a million hugs with your name on them.
The con flowed on around us all, but something in me had changed at that point, it all seemed deeper, more like I was a part of the machine than just a passenger, more real, more like it used to be…
-to be continued…
*this is one of my favorite puns and quotes in the world, to date. Michel Faber, “The Crimson Petal and the White”. READ IT.
**this very cute little multiculti group of succulent wildwomen who were well-costumed and made tobie’s !@#$ CENTURY, and also became my new biggest fans. : )
I dressed in my current favorite outfit, my semi-slinky black&tan linen-weave 80’s shirt, my “rick” jeans (tight, button-fly 501’s with deep cuffs that have a turtle pin stuck in and pretty colors of oil paint at the bottom of the cuff…) and my pink-flower flip-flops. I went down to artists’ alley and made the rounds. Got some signatures and some BEAUTIFUL Andy Lee original art, talked to the gaijin guys a bit – finally saw Adam…
*sigh* He gave me his latest issue of “Are They Big Enough For Ya’ Fanboy?” and said kind words. I mooched around as long as I could stand to, and then I went out into the hall and set up shop.
Jen had given me a nice big grey box with a black top and a handle. I – of course decorated it with various SDO ads and filled it with all my big stuff. She’d also given me this cool desky-art-supply-thingy, so I set my box up with a sign on top that said “Will Art for Food!”, laid my pens out, put out my ‘Harry Potter” tip-jar and started drawing.
Needless to say, sitting against the wall and hunching over drawing was murder on my back, but nothing could sway me (so to speak. hur.). Dearest Tobie came and checked on me about once an hour, bless his little pointy head. He brought me water and soda to take my Vitamin I, he brought me lunch, and he even procured my first paying customers (Thank you, Tobie, I love you. 27Billion Geek Con Points to you. You won, you passed, you're a pro and a Vet'ran!). They were two sweet little ladies (15?) who were wearing some fancy clothes - a fairy princess in lace and velvet, and a red-haired freckle-faced brownie lass in a patchwork skirt made by her best friend. I did a full-figure sketch of the pair for the sum of their available change – 4.25$ and made their day. Their older sibs were coming later with more $$$, so I didn’t feel bad taking their scratch and they said “HA! And THEY said we couldn’t get anything good at con for just a little money!” : )
So, I sat and drew, and enjoyed the feeling of being an artist at con again, albeit a hall-squatting con-rat. Oh, how the fighty are maulen*. A few people sat to watch me draw, I met a lady who knows some of my library patrons, I ran into my dear old friend from the ‘Burg/Coastal days, Clifford and his LOVELY lass. They commissioned a sketch and so I did a “D&D” for her (she raved about my Delirium that my dear old chum and all-time favorite gm Derek has framed on his wall), with a cute me-Delirium and her as Death. They paid me a VERY sweet commission. (Thank you both, you made me feel like a pro again. : ) The bouncy binkies** came and bought my little asian school-girl sketch (it was sweeeeeet) and I did a cho-like Bettie kinda’ gal. Part of me was reeling from the feeling of being out in the hall again, sketchbook in hand, but that was then and this was now, and my overall feeling was “This is ME doing it now, I’m not here because I came with some Bigtime Artists. People are stopping just for MY art.” And that felt good.
At one point, Cully (Hamner, Gaijin Artiste Extraordinare – and SERIOUS sweetie/cutie-pie) and Karl (Storey, Gaijin Artiste as well) came out to go to lunch, or to powder their noses or somethin’, and when Cully saw me sitting there he said “You’re just a JUNKIE, aren’t you?” I just grinned and kept on inkin’…
Later Adam came out in the hall with his lady friend, and they were discussing something very serious in whispers. They went back inside for a minute and when they came back out, Adam stopped to tell me that he had to leave, his mother had a stroke, and he had to catch an emergency flight to Jersey. Pobresito. Those of you who know me well know how dear Adam is to me, his art, yes, but him too, him especially. There is and always will be a very tender spot in my heart for him. I felt so sad for him – he’s a very gentle soul, and so honored that he stopped to tell me what was up. He asked me to let folks know what had happened, and then he headed off to be with his mama.
Adam – if you ever read this, I have a million hugs with your name on them.
The con flowed on around us all, but something in me had changed at that point, it all seemed deeper, more like I was a part of the machine than just a passenger, more real, more like it used to be…
-to be continued…
*this is one of my favorite puns and quotes in the world, to date. Michel Faber, “The Crimson Petal and the White”. READ IT.
**this very cute little multiculti group of succulent wildwomen who were well-costumed and made tobie’s !@#$ CENTURY, and also became my new biggest fans. : )
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
well, in latest news, i am still having some cootie fall-out. i have this deadly cough that will not die, and is causing me worse problems than being loud in the libob. however, i will survive. i have to, because a faithful expatriate member of the geek patrol has procured VIN DIESEL'S home address for me...
don't worry. stalking's not my style. 'sides, i'd want him stalking me. i just want to send him a thank-you-note for representin' so boldly and beautifully for all the gamers of the world, and of course, i'd like him to see all the festive representations of himself in 'sam's day off'. :) he's the REAL king hottie, and we all know it.
what else to tell? well, luna has been staying on her lead while i'm at work. i found a magic combination of harness and collar lead that still allows her access to the whole 50 feet of the run. so, she's on double lock-down, but it makes me feel safer and keeps our new neighbor from yelling and cussing at us. :(
also, my truck and license are all completely renewed and happiy legal. i am SO bad about all that stuff. i let my license lapse for a WHOLE WEEK! and when i went to get my inspection sticker renewed they said "oh, your tag's been expired since JANUARY." !!! !@#$! :O
well, all taken care of now, i can drive in landrum again.
did go to brett and buffy's on sunday - had to cancel day with andi cause'a cooties. no cooties for baby and mama.
buff and girls picked me up on sunday after lunch and brought me to casa de inky. we stopped by the house on the way - it will be done in less than three weeks! we girled around 'til the boys came over, then we geeked the rest of the afternoon away. ken and jason came, wendi showed up, and brett came grumpin' in after his team got creamed. he was NOT in a pretty mood, but it's ok, we love him anyway. buffy made chili (mm!) and we inhaled it, there was cake and pie, too. mm, pie. it was a nice day. good to see wendi, made ken go all mooshy when i gave him his prezzie (he got a crow pin, signed by james o'barr. i love that ken is such an E-normous cheeseball. he has promised to help me get a good package together for vin. i want him to do a pic of vin as a big orc-boy - chuh! - with my magda in tow. :D yay!)
and speaking of geek things, i shall continue the tales of con... now where did i leave off? oh yes, with me stripping...
i went back to the room with mike - who BAILED at that point, and changed into something (MUCH) more comfortable. i ditched the hat and wig, the hot shirt and bodice and opted for a favorite slinky-tight jammie shirt that i left bottoned low and tied at the waist. it was a fetching ensemble. literally. i thought this one guy was going to fall into my cleavage. another bloke buttoned the shirt up because he said he was having a hard time talking to my face. (awww.) this is a noteable thing at a function where the majority of women are wearing "less 'cotton' than you ususally see in an aspirin
bottle" (as my friend meg used to say). i was feeling pretty ... light-hearted at this point, and in the mood for wandering and watching, which pretty much became my prime objective for the weekend. i whizzed around and harassed the gp, but at some point i ended up out in the goth's smoking* area, outside the doors of the hyatt's convention area. i don't remember who i was talking to, prolly d. or tuber, but they left and said they'd be back. i said "i'll wait right here" and struck a dancer's pose as if i would wait like that. it felt kind of good, and certainly no one was paying attention (this was goth-leather-deader-than-you-freako-central) but then this guy came up to me and struck a similar pose. i said "care to dahnce?" and he said "certainly" and we attempted to swoosh off, but then we both simultaneously admitted that we didn't really know how to. (it's nice that you can forget that you don't know how to dance, innit?)
i can shake my bootay quite artfully, in a solo mode, but - like doc savage, slow-dancing is one of the two things that i'm just not very good at. like doc also, cooking is the other. i explained this to the bloke, but then i remembered my brother's quickie lesson at the starlite musical review and i told gabe - that was allegedly his name, gabriel - that i would teach him what joe had taught me. i then proceeded to spend one of the most enjoyable hours i had at con, learning to dance with this guy. we whirled and stumbled amongst the goths, taking turns being the boy and laughing when we forgot or faltered. it was really fun. after that, he offered me a drink and we sallied forth to his room for one of the truly most awful cocktails i have ever experienced - dr. pepper and crown. eeeeeyuuuurrrrrrrrk. it was even worse than jaegermeister, if you can imagine. we talked a bit. i found out that he was every bit as odd as i'd expected, and we had a good talk. i got tired and had reached my nigh-critical mass limit of alcohol and realized that it was time for me to go to bed. so said gentleman walked me to my door and gave me a very nice good night kiss. *gasp* yes, i kissed someone at con. call the newspapers. (no, mike, it wasn't chris reeves.). i went in, crashed hard, and dreamed of dancing in clouds of smoke among leather faeries...
-to be continued
*i saw a bumper sticker in the dealer's room that said "if you're so goth, where were you when we were sacking byzantium?"
don't worry. stalking's not my style. 'sides, i'd want him stalking me. i just want to send him a thank-you-note for representin' so boldly and beautifully for all the gamers of the world, and of course, i'd like him to see all the festive representations of himself in 'sam's day off'. :) he's the REAL king hottie, and we all know it.
what else to tell? well, luna has been staying on her lead while i'm at work. i found a magic combination of harness and collar lead that still allows her access to the whole 50 feet of the run. so, she's on double lock-down, but it makes me feel safer and keeps our new neighbor from yelling and cussing at us. :(
also, my truck and license are all completely renewed and happiy legal. i am SO bad about all that stuff. i let my license lapse for a WHOLE WEEK! and when i went to get my inspection sticker renewed they said "oh, your tag's been expired since JANUARY." !!! !@#$! :O
well, all taken care of now, i can drive in landrum again.
did go to brett and buffy's on sunday - had to cancel day with andi cause'a cooties. no cooties for baby and mama.
buff and girls picked me up on sunday after lunch and brought me to casa de inky. we stopped by the house on the way - it will be done in less than three weeks! we girled around 'til the boys came over, then we geeked the rest of the afternoon away. ken and jason came, wendi showed up, and brett came grumpin' in after his team got creamed. he was NOT in a pretty mood, but it's ok, we love him anyway. buffy made chili (mm!) and we inhaled it, there was cake and pie, too. mm, pie. it was a nice day. good to see wendi, made ken go all mooshy when i gave him his prezzie (he got a crow pin, signed by james o'barr. i love that ken is such an E-normous cheeseball. he has promised to help me get a good package together for vin. i want him to do a pic of vin as a big orc-boy - chuh! - with my magda in tow. :D yay!)
and speaking of geek things, i shall continue the tales of con... now where did i leave off? oh yes, with me stripping...
i went back to the room with mike - who BAILED at that point, and changed into something (MUCH) more comfortable. i ditched the hat and wig, the hot shirt and bodice and opted for a favorite slinky-tight jammie shirt that i left bottoned low and tied at the waist. it was a fetching ensemble. literally. i thought this one guy was going to fall into my cleavage. another bloke buttoned the shirt up because he said he was having a hard time talking to my face. (awww.) this is a noteable thing at a function where the majority of women are wearing "less 'cotton' than you ususally see in an aspirin
bottle" (as my friend meg used to say). i was feeling pretty ... light-hearted at this point, and in the mood for wandering and watching, which pretty much became my prime objective for the weekend. i whizzed around and harassed the gp, but at some point i ended up out in the goth's smoking* area, outside the doors of the hyatt's convention area. i don't remember who i was talking to, prolly d. or tuber, but they left and said they'd be back. i said "i'll wait right here" and struck a dancer's pose as if i would wait like that. it felt kind of good, and certainly no one was paying attention (this was goth-leather-deader-than-you-freako-central) but then this guy came up to me and struck a similar pose. i said "care to dahnce?" and he said "certainly" and we attempted to swoosh off, but then we both simultaneously admitted that we didn't really know how to. (it's nice that you can forget that you don't know how to dance, innit?)
i can shake my bootay quite artfully, in a solo mode, but - like doc savage, slow-dancing is one of the two things that i'm just not very good at. like doc also, cooking is the other. i explained this to the bloke, but then i remembered my brother's quickie lesson at the starlite musical review and i told gabe - that was allegedly his name, gabriel - that i would teach him what joe had taught me. i then proceeded to spend one of the most enjoyable hours i had at con, learning to dance with this guy. we whirled and stumbled amongst the goths, taking turns being the boy and laughing when we forgot or faltered. it was really fun. after that, he offered me a drink and we sallied forth to his room for one of the truly most awful cocktails i have ever experienced - dr. pepper and crown. eeeeeyuuuurrrrrrrrk. it was even worse than jaegermeister, if you can imagine. we talked a bit. i found out that he was every bit as odd as i'd expected, and we had a good talk. i got tired and had reached my nigh-critical mass limit of alcohol and realized that it was time for me to go to bed. so said gentleman walked me to my door and gave me a very nice good night kiss. *gasp* yes, i kissed someone at con. call the newspapers. (no, mike, it wasn't chris reeves.). i went in, crashed hard, and dreamed of dancing in clouds of smoke among leather faeries...
-to be continued
*i saw a bumper sticker in the dealer's room that said "if you're so goth, where were you when we were sacking byzantium?"
