Steampunk Symposium
Apr. 29th, 2018 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessNo writerly ways today (tomorrow maybe) mostly because I'm pretty exhausted (gah, I think I'm getting old). So I did drive to Cincinnati for the symposium (Also there are things in Cinci I need to go and stay a few days to see because there is some cool history and evil_little_dog needs to drive out and join me because she'd like most of it too!)
On the way I saw road signs for Fort Ancient Indian museum (something I do want to see) and the Golden Lamb. That name caught my attention. on the way home I found a flyer and remembered where I heard it before. It's an old stagecoach inn from the earliest days like 1800 and you can still stay there. It's in Lebanon OH I might have to see if it's insanely over priced because I could see spending a night there since it wasn't far from Cinci.
The Ramada plaza I was staying in this time was a new to the symposium hotel and it was in Sharonville...and freaking creepy. It was in an industrial park sort of area. Across the street was the big convention center/hyatt. The Ramada had an indoor water park but just let me say this place is past its prime. I'm still waiting to see if I'll get my 75$ deposit back (none of us were impressed with that one! and I was stupid. I should have taken photos of the damn room as I left.) My door didn't lock so I had to move, just two doors down. The mattress was a broken down slab but fine whatever, I didn't plan to be in it. I did find out that the hotel clashed repeatedly with the convention organizers. It wouldn't allow even water in the conference room areas (even the bedrooms were off limits for food, there was a whole page of rules for parents having kid's birthday parties at the water park, NO cake, cupcakes etc in the room and towels were 35$ a piece if you took one, should have photographed that too) The room panels were so thin you could hear two panel talks at once. SO bad. I can't imagine having any actual professional conference in those conference rooms. Even men (no offense, but they seem to be less picky eaters, or at least the ones I know) were bitching about how shitty the restaurant was so I went to the Italian place down the road (It was good).
So that was the bad. What was the good? Everything BUT that damn hotel. It was a really good day. I was over the moon when a few people actually recognized I was cosplaying a steampunked Death of the Endless. One was a younger man which shocked me since that's from the 90s. I think I'll do her again at Rathacon in a few weeks. Did I overbuy? Naturally. Did I regret a few purchases? Yeah but not entirely so let me go from the beginning.
Luckily I did get there in time for one of the things I really wanted to do. It was iffy because I don't think this new medication is controlling my sugar well. I was very high and that makes me slow. I wanted to get to Maurice Broaddus's reading hour. I'm glad I did because wow, it was so under attended that I felt bad. I heard him talk last year and bought his novella Buffalo Soldier which is an African steampunk. Three of the ten people in the room were publishers. I did ask a question when he asked for them since the room was silent (but he had fun with that question). I liked the reading at any rate and I got him to autograph the novella.
I also got to meet up with Leanna Renee Hieber again and she really wants me to be on a panel next year. Scary but I want to keep that option open. I would love to have it being under my name and not as Jana but I don't think there will be more than one short story in an anthology by then.
I did make it into the group photo. I never get to do that but this time I did but man I didn't stay for all of the photo op because the room was tiny and hot.
As for the vendors, I bought books. Why? I bought books. I also bought an electro-swing cd. Don't know why (one of the partial regrets) He was a good show barker type, sucked me right in. I love electro-swing but this wasn't that good (He was the entertainment friday night) It had good ideas but never really unpacked the music, just carried that one note for 4 minutes each song (I listened in the car). I did get the steampunk chocolate (oh so good). I talked to those are Bards and Bodices which also go to the renn fest. I'm still kicking about the idea of a corset because I would have to get one a size bigger because I can't compress my stomach because of the issues with my stomach (so I might be better off with a more traditional Victorian gown (where a corset would have been hidden under it and of course I'd skip that) than I would with the steampunk corset aesthetic). I did get a leather pencil wrap that I have no real need for but it was cool (I'm working out how I can make it part of my garb) and I got a medical bandolier (well not really) for my costume. I could really use a pouch (maybe at the renn fest) because had I gone to the ball, I wouldn't want my purse and gowns don't have pockets.
The other regret I have is an Egyptian style necklace. I had been eyeing the flourite pendant pieces (which I don't need) when the creator's salesperson/friend said oh you're wearing an ankh how about these egyptain pieces? Look at this one with this beautiful moonstone in it. Well the lights aren't good in this place. I ended up buying that elaborate necklace but it's not a moonstone. Hell it's not even stone so I felt stupid for not looking at it more closely (I was in a hurry to get to the raffle drawing) So I didn't get what I paid for but on the other hand, I didn't pay much over what all those pieces would have cost to buy from a bead place and I do like it so I'm not entirely regretful.
I did buy lottery tickets. I actually won the one I thought I'd be least likely to win, three mini faux bustles. (someone was doing elaborate ones but a) they had fannish material which I didn't want and b) 110$ which okay by the time you add up time and material that isn't excess but c) I could do this if I weren't lazy). I'm not sure what I'll do with the one with lion print on it but the red with blue trim and the blue and white striped one would work easily with my usual outfit. And the money went to NAMI which is a group that works with mental health issues.
I attended panels all night instead of going to the ball. I didn't know the band (though I think Flippy might have liked them V is for Villains) and it's a bit sad to go to the ball alone. I sat in a panel on Victorian insane asylums, Murder most Foul (which gave me a podcast to listen to My Favorite Murder), one on Spiritual photography, one on victorian medicines that are actually poisons and my favorite haunted Cincinnati. Okay the photography one wasn't good but some people were loudly complaining and I felt bad. I know what it's like to mis-time a powerpoint presentation but man she REALLY mistimed it, like by 40 minutes. So yeah she didn't do a good job but I thought people were being a bit mean about it. (I remember one like that in a professional con and the professor was so embarrassed at being so short, she ran off and left us there so I know how bad people can feel when this happens).
The haunted Cinci one made me even more determined to go on the ghost walk there. One of the haunted places was Spring Oak cemetery which I've been to (and know ELD would love it. Franklysilvrethorn needs to join us there.), one was a park that I had never heard of, Eden Park who has the Lady in Black (people in the audience had seen her) and she comes with documentation, i.e. we know who was murdered there,
Imogene Remus (click the link for her full story). The other best story was the Cincinnati Music Hall which you can see has ghost tours. OMG! So in a nutshell, Ohio is a fucked up place but we already knew that. The music hall was originally (well who knows what it was used for when the Native Americans were the stewards of this land) was a potter's field for the cholera and TB epidemics that rampaged the city. No one knows how many were buried there. Then they built an orphan asylum on top of that and at that time children died often and in droves. They too went into the potter's field.
So then they built the music hall. WITHOUT moving the bodies, other than to scootch them over a bit. In the 1980s they rennovated and surprise surprise, dead bodies. They found 11 skulls but almost 30 pounds of bones. That's when the police were called and it was learned oh right, this was once a giant graveyard we were too lazy to move. The bones were trucked off to Spring Oak. Later remodeling uncovered a bunch of kid skeletons. So yeah if any place would be haunted...
I wanted to go the hall of debauchery after midnight for some drinking(and that's where the authors were) but a) my sugar was being a dick b) I was tired and most importantly c) this party was one of the things that had the hotel up in arms even though it was being held according to their rules that they kept trying to change. So I said, go watch Toonami and get some sleep.
Next year it will be a month earlier. OMG that makes me so happy. Okay it'll be dicey weather wise but I won't have to worry about the damn finals. I can get someone to sub my lab and go all weekend. The theme is steamtastic beasts, so Harry Potter for the win.
Yes I took pictures. I'll share them tomorrow as it's nearly 1 AM and I need sleep for tomorrow's final. Also my sugar went up to 400 by the time I got home (poor drink choices for my caffeine fix I think. It seems excessive regardless) I felt hung over and that's why. I've gotten it back down but that takes it out of me.
evil_little_dog needs to drive out and join me because she'd like most of it too!)On the way I saw road signs for Fort Ancient Indian museum (something I do want to see) and the Golden Lamb. That name caught my attention. on the way home I found a flyer and remembered where I heard it before. It's an old stagecoach inn from the earliest days like 1800 and you can still stay there. It's in Lebanon OH I might have to see if it's insanely over priced because I could see spending a night there since it wasn't far from Cinci.
The Ramada plaza I was staying in this time was a new to the symposium hotel and it was in Sharonville...and freaking creepy. It was in an industrial park sort of area. Across the street was the big convention center/hyatt. The Ramada had an indoor water park but just let me say this place is past its prime. I'm still waiting to see if I'll get my 75$ deposit back (none of us were impressed with that one! and I was stupid. I should have taken photos of the damn room as I left.) My door didn't lock so I had to move, just two doors down. The mattress was a broken down slab but fine whatever, I didn't plan to be in it. I did find out that the hotel clashed repeatedly with the convention organizers. It wouldn't allow even water in the conference room areas (even the bedrooms were off limits for food, there was a whole page of rules for parents having kid's birthday parties at the water park, NO cake, cupcakes etc in the room and towels were 35$ a piece if you took one, should have photographed that too) The room panels were so thin you could hear two panel talks at once. SO bad. I can't imagine having any actual professional conference in those conference rooms. Even men (no offense, but they seem to be less picky eaters, or at least the ones I know) were bitching about how shitty the restaurant was so I went to the Italian place down the road (It was good).
So that was the bad. What was the good? Everything BUT that damn hotel. It was a really good day. I was over the moon when a few people actually recognized I was cosplaying a steampunked Death of the Endless. One was a younger man which shocked me since that's from the 90s. I think I'll do her again at Rathacon in a few weeks. Did I overbuy? Naturally. Did I regret a few purchases? Yeah but not entirely so let me go from the beginning.
Luckily I did get there in time for one of the things I really wanted to do. It was iffy because I don't think this new medication is controlling my sugar well. I was very high and that makes me slow. I wanted to get to Maurice Broaddus's reading hour. I'm glad I did because wow, it was so under attended that I felt bad. I heard him talk last year and bought his novella Buffalo Soldier which is an African steampunk. Three of the ten people in the room were publishers. I did ask a question when he asked for them since the room was silent (but he had fun with that question). I liked the reading at any rate and I got him to autograph the novella.
I also got to meet up with Leanna Renee Hieber again and she really wants me to be on a panel next year. Scary but I want to keep that option open. I would love to have it being under my name and not as Jana but I don't think there will be more than one short story in an anthology by then.
I did make it into the group photo. I never get to do that but this time I did but man I didn't stay for all of the photo op because the room was tiny and hot.
As for the vendors, I bought books. Why? I bought books. I also bought an electro-swing cd. Don't know why (one of the partial regrets) He was a good show barker type, sucked me right in. I love electro-swing but this wasn't that good (He was the entertainment friday night) It had good ideas but never really unpacked the music, just carried that one note for 4 minutes each song (I listened in the car). I did get the steampunk chocolate (oh so good). I talked to those are Bards and Bodices which also go to the renn fest. I'm still kicking about the idea of a corset because I would have to get one a size bigger because I can't compress my stomach because of the issues with my stomach (so I might be better off with a more traditional Victorian gown (where a corset would have been hidden under it and of course I'd skip that) than I would with the steampunk corset aesthetic). I did get a leather pencil wrap that I have no real need for but it was cool (I'm working out how I can make it part of my garb) and I got a medical bandolier (well not really) for my costume. I could really use a pouch (maybe at the renn fest) because had I gone to the ball, I wouldn't want my purse and gowns don't have pockets.
The other regret I have is an Egyptian style necklace. I had been eyeing the flourite pendant pieces (which I don't need) when the creator's salesperson/friend said oh you're wearing an ankh how about these egyptain pieces? Look at this one with this beautiful moonstone in it. Well the lights aren't good in this place. I ended up buying that elaborate necklace but it's not a moonstone. Hell it's not even stone so I felt stupid for not looking at it more closely (I was in a hurry to get to the raffle drawing) So I didn't get what I paid for but on the other hand, I didn't pay much over what all those pieces would have cost to buy from a bead place and I do like it so I'm not entirely regretful.
I did buy lottery tickets. I actually won the one I thought I'd be least likely to win, three mini faux bustles. (someone was doing elaborate ones but a) they had fannish material which I didn't want and b) 110$ which okay by the time you add up time and material that isn't excess but c) I could do this if I weren't lazy). I'm not sure what I'll do with the one with lion print on it but the red with blue trim and the blue and white striped one would work easily with my usual outfit. And the money went to NAMI which is a group that works with mental health issues.
I attended panels all night instead of going to the ball. I didn't know the band (though I think Flippy might have liked them V is for Villains) and it's a bit sad to go to the ball alone. I sat in a panel on Victorian insane asylums, Murder most Foul (which gave me a podcast to listen to My Favorite Murder), one on Spiritual photography, one on victorian medicines that are actually poisons and my favorite haunted Cincinnati. Okay the photography one wasn't good but some people were loudly complaining and I felt bad. I know what it's like to mis-time a powerpoint presentation but man she REALLY mistimed it, like by 40 minutes. So yeah she didn't do a good job but I thought people were being a bit mean about it. (I remember one like that in a professional con and the professor was so embarrassed at being so short, she ran off and left us there so I know how bad people can feel when this happens).
The haunted Cinci one made me even more determined to go on the ghost walk there. One of the haunted places was Spring Oak cemetery which I've been to (and know ELD would love it. Frankly
silvrethorn needs to join us there.), one was a park that I had never heard of, Eden Park who has the Lady in Black (people in the audience had seen her) and she comes with documentation, i.e. we know who was murdered there, Imogene Remus (click the link for her full story). The other best story was the Cincinnati Music Hall which you can see has ghost tours. OMG! So in a nutshell, Ohio is a fucked up place but we already knew that. The music hall was originally (well who knows what it was used for when the Native Americans were the stewards of this land) was a potter's field for the cholera and TB epidemics that rampaged the city. No one knows how many were buried there. Then they built an orphan asylum on top of that and at that time children died often and in droves. They too went into the potter's field.
So then they built the music hall. WITHOUT moving the bodies, other than to scootch them over a bit. In the 1980s they rennovated and surprise surprise, dead bodies. They found 11 skulls but almost 30 pounds of bones. That's when the police were called and it was learned oh right, this was once a giant graveyard we were too lazy to move. The bones were trucked off to Spring Oak. Later remodeling uncovered a bunch of kid skeletons. So yeah if any place would be haunted...
I wanted to go the hall of debauchery after midnight for some drinking(and that's where the authors were) but a) my sugar was being a dick b) I was tired and most importantly c) this party was one of the things that had the hotel up in arms even though it was being held according to their rules that they kept trying to change. So I said, go watch Toonami and get some sleep.
Next year it will be a month earlier. OMG that makes me so happy. Okay it'll be dicey weather wise but I won't have to worry about the damn finals. I can get someone to sub my lab and go all weekend. The theme is steamtastic beasts, so Harry Potter for the win.
Yes I took pictures. I'll share them tomorrow as it's nearly 1 AM and I need sleep for tomorrow's final. Also my sugar went up to 400 by the time I got home (poor drink choices for my caffeine fix I think. It seems excessive regardless) I felt hung over and that's why. I've gotten it back down but that takes it out of me.
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