cornerofmadness

Today was only a half day. We used to do two full days of workshop but not only was it a lot so many faculty had to leave half way through the last day to return to work (and some are still taking their suitcases with them on the bus today) so a few years ago we went to this.

Workshop #1 was definitely one I wanted to go to but I'm not sure if my students would go for. It's about scrapbooking your successes in class and/or using it to outline a tricky problem you think you've conquered (also I loved the study tip of quiz yourself, highlight what you know, look over the unhighlighted stuff and self quiz again). I could at least give it a shot (for credits)

Workshop #2 was all about gaming and not only that unlike all the other gaming ones he put links in to make your own game resources AND other games for sale. I'm really gonna need to check that out.

Workshop #3 canceled. AGAIN. I went to my second choice which was to build a brachial plexus from pool noodle vertebra and pipe cleaners. It was fun but I don't go into that level of detail.

It was only 1 when I got back to the hotel. I went to the American Jazz Museum . Didn't think I'd get there because the road to it was closed but I got there. And I got lucky. I'm not sure if they do this all the time or if it's all the time but they had high school bands playing the whole time I was there. Yay! The museum chose depth over breadth. It's 90% about Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker and Ella Fitzgerald. They have it done up well, lots of interactive reading things, plenty of ads and other stuff on display. I knew that KC was big in Jazz but I didn't realize it was more important (or at least AS important) as NYC and Chicago. They had a mocked up Blue Room (that does concerts almost nightly). I didn't know much about Soundies, basically music videos that you could find in the 30s=40s in nicklelodians and things that like and there was a Columbus OH lawyer John H. Baker who gave his collection to this museum. they have literal miles of footage this guy preserved and tons of archives (and i suspect no space to expand the collection)

When I left it was after 3 and since most things close up at 5 I decided now would be the time to go to Elm Wood Cemetery Neat, rather small cemetery with cool stuff. I missed Leannah Loveall's grave (a famous madam) and my phone is crap so I couldn't use find a grave or download the map. (turns out she's not on find a grave but now I've seen the map. I can always go back)

Came back saw one of my compatriots and she told me there's a freaking Hallmark museum at the end of the block. I could have come and did that. Ah well (might still try to go)

Also thought about what someone told me about the roof pool here. From my room I could see no steps, just ladders but she had mentioned a tunnel. I couldn't see a tunnel so I trundle over and there it is a little room with the towels and a tunnel and there are steps doing to the tunnel (I can't do the ladder) I run back, get my suit and put in about 40 minutes of water aerobics. I'm the only one there.

Indulged in Jack Stack BBQ again, turkey and lamb ribs this time. They were amazing. packed everything up. Tomorrow I go to the casino (because the price of this place is going to shoot way up).


What I Just Finished Reading:
The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder - this was pretty good

What I am Currently Reading:

The Faraway Inn - a cozy fantasy (portal) set in Vermont. I'm enjoying it.

Our Sisters Keeper - a very weird own voices black magic setting in the 1920s, has some serious creepy vibes


The Gay Disaster Detective Agency - one of my arcs. I usually like Lev AC Rosen but this isn't working for me.

The Death Card - currently struggling to get into it


The Kindness of Strangers - another arc and I'm not sure this is going to work for me


What I Plan to Read Next: some of my looming arcs

the conference portion of the con is over and now it'll be two days of workshops which are always so invigorating. I almost wish this was the end of July/beginning of August so I could roll into the new semester all fired up.

We had the celebratory cocktails and it's usually appetizers but today it was make your own ramen bowl. Wow. (kimchi and spicy tofu were so in my bowl). Expecting not much, I had already ordered dinner from a BBQ joint (highly recced) it had a menu like none I've seen. So beef burnt ends and beef ribs with a pool of smoked beans it is. Delicious. I mean I don't usually eat meat but when I do go carnivore, it gets ridiculous.

Finally met my mentee who didn't much need me (as expected) as he's a retired family practice doc just moving into teaching. got a mug from holt anatomical. Didn't win a single door prize. Didn't murder any kids but the urge was there (they were screaming in the halls until 130 in the morning and several other Hapsters did complain. I had to turn them in when I went to heat up my lunch. they had trashed the microwave, food and wrappers all over the floor. You know, I've BEEN a kid at a hotel with school functions and I never did this

I did find a few things that no one but me will be interested in but I'm putting them here so I remember. A study contract for students (how long to study, what days, what's in their way), having them do a group eportfolio of their dissections, collaborative testing before exams to build confidence, using the guess who game to do histology quizzing (and others if you build it) and gee I've already forgot a few.


I watched a giant chunk of The Pitt (they had the whole season on) today. It is easily the most accurate medical drama I've ever seen and there was some real ptsd on a few of those scenes for me. Shudders. And then I saw The Bride (part of it) WTF was that? Easily the worst movie I have seen in years. Also thanks for the multiple sexual assault attempts in it.

dinner


new mug


It's music monday 30 weeks of music. This week's prompt is # 27 A song you discovered from a tv show. I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

( There are SO many TV shows that introduced me to so much music )





here's the whole prompt list

( All under here )

So no writerly ways today.

I went to see the blood sirens at the pool today but some of them were late and I had to bug off before they came (and I forgot cameras/phones) I had to run back upstairs to dress for my second talk.

I presented my research into the first ladies doctors. A lot less people today but that's expected on the last day. A lot of people would have been checking out at this time but I had about a half dozen people and it went really well. They were engaged (and a little outraged as you should be listening to this talk) I had a French Canadian helping me with the French last names which I appreciated it really



There weren't many talks today being the last day but I did sneak ELD into the dealer's room for a while and I was hijacked into the nerf dueling. It was fun. I was shot in the chest on the third shot. Alas. I did sneak out soon after because it was already after 1 and I needed lunch and I wanted one last round in the dealers room to buy a few last gifts for me and others. Did I need hand made over priced marshmallow? No but yes I bought them (I swear I'm going to learn to make these. It looks easy) And a witchy wooden tea light luminiere.

Spent some time talking to Leanna before going to the tea cup races. I went upstairs for a bit to drop off the junk and went back down for closing ceremonies and to pick up something from the auction (to help a LGBT/Diversity group) that I had won (well ELD wanted it. I'll drop it off to her in a few weeks when I use her as a waystop to KC) As far as I could tell...there were no closing ceremonies that anyone formally did and my friend PQ was wheeling his stuff out so I just went upstairs, tossed the garb upon which the clothes rack fell apart in the room. Whee.

I sat down and did the remains of my grading for the next three hours. I had to have it down by tomorrow (Turned out thanks to that Hack of Canvas a few days ago I had until Tuesday) Anyhow it's done and I'm free until August. I need the break such as it will be.

I was too tired to go out so I overpaid to Doordash Chinese (one of the highly recced ones but honestly it wasn't that fantastic). I picked the wrong dim sum but the ones I really wanted were basically snack size at entree prices. I found a dish I haven't had in ages. I was just telling ELD I have only seen Hong sue gai in two places well they had it. I can't fault the portion size and it was tasty so I'm happy enough.

Afterwards I wanted a swim myself. I get in. Let me tell you I have polar bear plunged in Wisconsin lakes warmer than this pool. No wonder the mermaids were sitting outside it. It was fucking freezing and I LOVE a cool pool. I turn and see a sign. No more than 5 people in the pool and NO swimming alone or you get 100$ fine. Well then. I splash back out and give up (not going to miss much I suppose)

Tomorrow I have a few things lined up and something for Tuesday morning (I drive home Tuesday)

It was a good con but small. Too small. I overheard the con runners talking about how unexpectedly small it was. Well they moved it from March to Mother's Day which in a survey they found people didn't like that timing But the real reason listed was the fucking gas prices. Shocker. I do hope they move the date again because I cannot be a repeat con goer on this weekend.

So I could have taken the morning to work on my grades. Instead I went to the Kentucky Derby museum. I never planned on that. I was going to do other museums, realized they were all art museums and then decided I could stand to learn some stuff. I thought it was a tad overpriced but it was fun. I liked that they also prioritized the early enslaved riders and the legacy of women within in the derby. I ended up with a keepsake glass after getting an old fashioned.

Ended up late to the opening ceremonies. I tried but it didnt' work out (I was in the building but the line to get my badge was longer than anticipated.)

It's a small vendor's room and I did get to meet up with friends. In the middle of this evil_little_dog arrived as well. I went down at 5 to the blood sirens mermaid talk. I've been interested in this for a while. I'm less interested now but strictly because I don't think I'd be able to do it. It's WAY more athletic than I imagined. And I had no idea there was a mermaid olympics. The guy giving the talk was the gold medal winner (he was a delight). I was no expecting having to basically be scuba trained, PADI (whatever that is) trained and being able to do that much under the water. I'm quite impressed and I want it to be something I revisit later.

I went to my talk. They forgot to put the room on the schedule. no one showed up. I left and just went out to the Irish Rover for dinner with ELD. I planned to go to the dance tonight. I was just too tired. Maybe tomorrow.

I hit Final Boss con today. It's on my university in our sports/gym building. It's nice space to have but so hot. Our a/c system sucks. Met up with a former student now coworker/friend and we went through the vendors rooms (basically two gyms full of vendors) There was a lot of nice stuff but shockingly nothing much for current anime/indie animation other than demon slayer (which is not one of my favorite things)

I did get a tea towel for my SiL with a cat shoving a glass off the table saying I do what I want which is exactly what their youngest cat is like. I was a little disappointed that D.M.Guay wasn't there this year because I would have liked to see her and her books again.

The leather working dungeons and dragons person was there but I bought no dice this time. I might have bought the leather belt purse but it wasn't bigger than the one I have...and could not find. I have NO idea why that's not in the cosplay bag.

There were a couple other authors I've seen before. One I haven't read his book yet and the other I have and didn't like it so now I try to not make eye contact with him (and my companion told me about trying to beta read for him but he won't listen)

I didn't get many gifts this time but I did get some stuff for me. I'll share.

I did go in my steampunk outfit

Got a gyro from the food truck (I had wanted the Indian food but 15$ for sag paneer seemed like a lot I'm not sure they did well being the most expensive truck there)

There were tons of people selling video games but I have no gaming system. I loved the one person doing paper art shadow boxes but when I went back the one I liked was gone so no problems there for my wallet.

As I mentioned above I was surprised that there were no Amazing Digital Circus or Hazbin stuff, okay a wee bit but not much and I did get what was on offer for TADC. There were several TADC cosplayers and someone was dressed up as Abel and Lute (My companion was mamou from the apothecary diaries)

There was a larp group that I might look into I wouldn't mind (so long as I'm not the only woman)

Came home and started collecting info for my medicine power point I'm up to 43 pages of notes copy and pasted from other places (and this is as close to science saturday we're getting)

( pictures under here. I forgot to take one of myself )

in the pouring rain at night at 65 miles per hour all I can hear is Jack Burton saying I never drive faster than I can see...and it's all in the reflexes.

So I had to give two of the bone tests today and it left me leaving later than I wanted to get to Athens for the writers meet up (i.e. me and MKF) and from there on to Marietta so it's about 80 miles of highway from here to there. Ah well I'm here, alive and well and apparently only a handful of doors down from Eddie Munster and several wrestlers who are all guests at the Marietta Monster Mash. It should be fun (and it starts an hour later than I thought so I should find something to do in the morning. I wouldn't mind going to Jeremiah's but the onstreet parking for that coffee shop sucks it hard)

And the lady I talked to last night did me a favor. I have a mini suite with two couches AND at the con rate of 70$ and she introduced me to the con's showrunner (guess she liked me)

Let's do fannish friday

Starting with my review of Hazbin Hotel's 3rd and 4th episodes

( under here because 98% of you aren't into the fandom and it got long because I got excited )

And I wrote a story for spikesgirl58's challenge and yes it IS spoilery for Hazbin S2E3

Title: No Matter How Strong, I'm Gonna Take You Down

Summary: Anthony knows it’s either him or his father and he will do what he has to. The aftermath isn’t all he expected

Notes: Major spoilers for S2 Episode 3 and Angel’s backstory. Definitely watch the episode first.

Written for spikesgirl58’s 6 word challenge. The words were Harmony, Abort, Drug, Muddled, Slippery, & Apathetic

Also written for the allbingo prompt of I didn't want power. All I wanted was control. over my life and the lyrical titles bingo challenge for the prompt an angry song. I chose Dinner at Eight by Rufus Wainright

( Story under here or at the above link )

And all the fandom recs will have to wait maybe til tomorrow. It's quite late.

My knee is in business for itself and the rest of me is thinking WTF are you DOING? I was over at the con by 10 AM to hear the first of my planned panels. (Here's the funny thing THREE of the four panels I picked out today were all Vitamin H panels) This one was not. It was run by a cute nerdy kid who was SO thrilled to see me as I was only the 4th person through the door and the other three were his friends. (more people did come but the con didn't open until 10 so it's like maybe schedule the panels on the half hour?)

It was about all the literature in Bungo Stray Dogs. If you don't know this anime/manga all its characters are named for literary figures and/or references. He had slides for all the references and did a kahoots quiz at the end. It was a lot of fun but damn I need to reread this (and you know finish it. I trailed off midway)

From there I went to a slasher movie panel (all the remaining ones are by Vitamin H) which was just a blast. Hey they put in Suspiria, Italian horror from 77 (I just learned the other day it had been remade about 8 years ago) After that I had a BIG break with nothing much I wanted to see until 3 pm.

Here I go into the vendor's room unsupervised. I'm thirsty and this asshole convention center has NO water fountains so you have to buy from their concessions (this is not Tsu's fault) which is like 8$ a damn glass so I get in line for Wild Bill's boutique pop brewery because he FINALLY has a zero sugar option. I get up there and the cheapest you can do it for (because you HAVE to buy the 'collector's stainless steel mug') was THIRTY-FIVE fucking dollars. FOR POP! He wanted another 15$ for the lid/straw. Thanks. I'll take my fucking chances and the cooler mugs were north of 50 bucks. And the zero sugar blueberry pop SUCKED. It was SO bad. So I said fuck it, this is like Dana at a buffet. I'm consuming 35$ worth of stuff to offset the rip off pricing. I made a choice 'just be gross about it. Consume all you can. You have insulin. Get the full sugar birch or root beer which are the only 2 pops you like outside of gingerale (i don't like pop. I don't like carbonation) I have a full mug in my fridge right now. It was COMING WITH ME. I drank so damn much pop.

Lunch was a shitty pepperoni roll and pop.

I got a few more gifts for friends. Keep me away from dice. I was really annoyed that I wanted to get Loona (helluva boss) for a friend's daughter and every Helluva boss woman I found from bigger vendors were grossly sexualized. You know the type, gravity defying boobs of doom and barely clothed with tongue lolling out just for youuuuuu. Ugh. I did find her a little keychain. I got dice with little purple owls in them for reasons. But my favorite purchase of the whole con was from
Pink Pig studios who had sweet shippy stuff for Cherri/Pen (the one I mentioned last night) Huskerdust (guilty I bought it) and Vaggie/Charlie but also she was a huge Keith David fan and she did one of Husk in Keith's role in John Carpenter's The Thing!!! Yes it's mine. And I'm obsessed. I told her I am absolutely writing fanfic to this. Husk can't wait for me to find time. Too bad none of my spook_me prompts fit it.

I wander to the hotel to rest up for a bit since I'm done shopping and no panels I want. Open my social media to ALL the Hazbin and Glitch news from NY comic con (will share on tuesday's post) and people have been clipping Valentino's beautiful art of Vox he drew in the meeting and now I can't get it out of my head, he drew Angel too back in the love bombing days. Plot bunnies all over the damn place. Found calls from my brother and Mom (I had the phone silenced). Thought maybe someone died. No. My brother go another kitten. Cute bugger too.


I go to my last panels (grabbing pop before, between and after because dammit 35$) one on Studio Ghibli behind the scenes and one on Youkai (the theme this year) both excellent. I had never heard that Kappa will reach up your ass to grab out your soul. Well then. Or that tanuki have balls that can be stretched out for yards to form tents, blankets, whatever it needs. side eyes Japan hard.

Runs for more pop. Attends the great manga swap and fail at it miserably. HAHA. Honestly I didn't want to swap. I had a bunch of manga. Sorted it last night, left about 6 here because I realize I only had half a set for a few so back home they go. Before it started I asked the traveling manga library librarian, if no one wants this ancient manga (all of it was from 2000-2015) can I donate it to you? YES. Great.

I didn't even have it all laid out before someone swooped up 'you have tactics!!' what do you want for them? I look at her offerings. Nothing, they're yours. She danced off. A young girl sweeps up from nowhere, 'Vampire Knight?!?' I want nothing from that disappointment of a series. Take it from my sight (I said it nicer naturally)

I give my single volume one offs to the library for two volumes of Interlocken and now I'm left with 5 volumes of Venus vs Virus and the only thing I really want is the drifting classroom omnibus but the guy is like no, I have that (meanwhile it was HIS girlfriend who scooped up tactics but whatever dude) I find one guy with some BL stuff and I know who he is, a vendor who is trying to get stuff to take to his stand. Give me these Stars of Chaos light novels for this 5 volumes? no? 2? yes.

I'm now done. I get more pop. Leave and look to go to Fazio's. rated best Italian restaurant in WV. I find it. No one is on the street, park out front. Go in and it was as I feared. I was WOEFULLY underdressed. See, my dress shirt? It got trashed by blue crab/goat cheese cream sauce yesterday. And why I didn't think of putting on my Edalyn shirt/skirt until just now...I'm tired yinz. I'm the only one in a t-shirt (thank god it was the dark blue one you can barely make out). I'm shocked I wasn't turned away. There were kids in black tie (Prom? Nah that's spring. Wedding? Probably)

They had both Negronis and Aperol Spritzs on the menu so I am content they at least know Italian cocktails and the place has no windows (comforting, for reasons) and a diverse menu. They bring a salad (body is going what is this, no it has vitamin K but OMG Italian dressing. Face down yummy) and then give me three pieces of garlic bread sopping in garlic butter/cheese yay for scarpettas! (Wait, bread? AGAIN! You had four slices last night. Your diabetes....shut up and eat the bread). I got the baked manicotti. Oooo good. I got the aperol spritz too (see, T-Shirt girl can afford your cocktails). By the time I leave (I got there at like 630) the line was out the door to get in. At least this waitress wasn't a snot like last time.

Roll on home to have like an hour before the online Abney Park Halloween concert I had bought before realizing I'd be sitting in a hotel room listening.

And guess what I'm drinking. That's right POP (and my blood sugar is 130...go figure)

I had my writerly ways nearly done, the browser crashed and for a second time the blog did NOT save a draft. I'll do that another day.

And my title isn't a lie. It is spooky. I went down to microwave something and the whole lobby/halls were empty. Just a few hours ago it had been bustling with all the steampunkers. Now it was like we were never there.

This morning went really well if you can ignore the low energy/half the people already mentally checking out. I went to a make your own tea blend thing. I've always wanted to do this with Adagio (still do) I wouldn't have called this a workshop really. It's like here's the tea, here's the mix-ins, go for it. I'll let you take 1 ounce for the 10$ you paid.... I mixed up whiskey black tea with some lapsang sou chong, added in cacao shells, ginger and cinnamon with a sprinkle of elderflower and called it Husk. I haven't tried it yet.

The next panel was by my friend Leanna on Poe and mesmerism. I very much enjoyed that. I thought I had an hour for lunch but no. The Victorians and the supernatural in literature was next. 15 minutes into it, no one showed and I thought well maybe since all the other talks were at the half hour not the top of the hour maybe the speaker was mistaken (wondering if it was Leanna since this is her forte). Someone went to find staff and next thing we know (it was a packed room) Leanna swoops in. No, this wasn't her panel. That person bugged out without telling anyone (how to get uninvited next year) and like I said it's Leanna's thing. She did well.

I said goodbye after that because the final panels had no interest for me. I headed out to Evergreen Cemetery to find Jennie Wade's grave (the one civilian death in Gettysburg) That was easy. There were other cool graves. and some fun names, can't remember them all but there was Solomon Toot, someone named Zephaniah and a mausoleum bearing the name Ball-Dickson (yes I became 12). Also found one mausoleum entirely in Italian.

From there I rolled down the street (past the hotel I usually stay in with my brother and SiL because it's in walking distance to all the interesting stuff. This con hotel is about 3 miles out) and stop at Mr. G's home made ice cream and texted my chocolate peanut butter to my brother to taunt him ( he loves it) God made the chocolate drip on my shirt in retailation.

Then I went to the battlefield to get pics of some of the monuments. After that it was dinner and I went to GarryOwen's Irish Pub. It was metered parking only (but I found plenty) and it's old fashioned meters, only takes quarters. I forgot about that. Then I remembered in some states handicapped tags can park for free. I google it. In PA I can do that for one hour so up goes my tag and in I go for the crab imperial 'poutine' (fries, cheese and the crab imperial in the place of the gravy) Tasty but SMALL for the price (ended up stopping at Sheetz for a hot dog to round out the meal, really goes together). I also had an Earl Grey Sour, gin, lemon juice and earl grey simple syrup. I think it needed a strong earl grey taste (I need to try making this syrup)

I was going to go ghost hunting but I'm exhausted and there was a writers' meet up on Discord tonight. I did that instead and got a little writing done before Discord fucked up and that was that.

Here's what I would have mentioned on the writerly ways: Always be on the watch for story fodder (Well Gettysburg is good for that) As I pulled into the Sheetz there was a man on the corner holding a nearly full sized cross and he had a microphone/transmitter with him. He started haranging people. As I was pumping gas, he was screaming at two women in a car at the redlight. JEZEBEL! You're whore like your mother. JEZEBEL JEZEBEL. You need to find God. Better hope you don't die tonight or you'll be in hell you diseased JEZEBEL.

Holy shit.




On to Hershey tomorrow.

And sometime this week I WILL catch up with comments (if there is any blog post you think I need to see, send it to me)

I'm too tired to do it justice (and friday's fannish 50 will probably be moved to tuesday). I hit a new museum here in town, Beyond the Battle out of the Adams County Historical Society. It was a nice idea and a small museum (with two enthusiastic older lady docents) It starts with local dinosaur findings, then a wee bit (very wee) on the local natives and then the making of Pennsylvania (and it's skirmishes with Maryland)

There was some on a famous local abolitionist and naturally quite a bit about the battle of Gettysburg and afterward (including Mag Palm who I learned about last year, the woman who beat up the slave catchers who came for her even though she was a freeborn woman)

It also went into the Spanish flu pandemic, WWI and WII I guess the Eisenhowers retired here.

But the really cool thing was 'Caught in the crossfires' It was set up like the sitting area of a typical house in the mid 1800s in disarray. You're sat in there and it's five minutes of what it was like in Gettysburg in those three days. The 'family' is in the basement and you can hear their voices as cannons and guns fire on the house with lights appearing in the 'bulletholes' in the walls, screams of animals and people and the floor shakes. They put effort into it (Not recommended for people with PTSD related to battle)


From there I went to the Shriver House museum and cracked the key as to when to get to downtown historic Gettysburg. Get there by 11 and you can find plenty of on street parking (during the week at least) The house was down up in period pieces and tells the story of the Shrivers. The husband was set off to war (thinking it wouldn't last long) while Hettie takes care of their two daughters and tries to keep the business going, a saloon in the basement and a two lane bowling alley (Shriver had sold off his farm and had a fair bit of money when he built this place.

It doesn't have a happy ending. I got the diary of the neighbor girl plus the one about the Shrivers (and a book on battlefield hospitals) These Shrivers are distantly related to the famous ones, like Arnie's wife.

Since the festivities didn't start until late today I went to the movie theater here on campus and saw Fantastic Four. I loved it with one major exception. I'm biased. I can't remember if FF was my first comic or if it was Justice League but I know Johnny Storm was my first comic book crush so there's that. I adored the mid-Century American feel (with the futuristic tech). What I liked, they reduced the origin story to a news clip since most of us know it and that Sue didn't get sidelined because she was pregnant.

What did annoy me: Reed, the world's smartest man, saying something stupid in a press conference that he could have not said a word about and for what? 10 minutes of drama? We could have done that a different way. Other than that, really liked it

At the con, I got to see my friends and I've already bought a few things. One thing they can do better (and I'll put that in my response if they do a survey) was tell us WHO are doing the panel talks. I went to one and it was Calamity Dawn and her cocktails which I didn't mind. I like her but I didn't even know it WAS her. Drank malort. don't rec.

I did notice that a lot of the usual actors aren't here in the vending room. Hmm, I need to look at them more carefully tomorrow. It's holiday shopping time.

I went dancing and I went to the magic lantern 'castel' presentation. I need to work magic lanterns into a story somewhere.


If I'm slow in answering you, sorry but man I didn't even get back til nearly midnight. I'm getting old for this place.

Still the best name for a con, still tacked onto a tiny con in Athens that fights in a basketball court. Mostly my friends are running it (trying to rope me in but right now I'm quoting my health issues as why not but I will look for vendors for them).

Speaking of health issues, I could hardly move today, I'm so exhausted. I got there an hour later than planned but it worked out. I wanted to enter the raffles and this year...not a lot there that I was interested in anyhow. I didn't win anything this year (last year I won three things so it balances) and one of my friends said, 'watch me win the thing I didn't want but accidentally dropped my ticket into' And she did. She was going to give it to me (a merman illustration) but someone else wanted it more than me so I gave it to him. Karma owes me (and I don't mean the storm it served up, more on that later)

I didn't get to any of the talks because I knew I would never be able to get to them and manage to stay long enough to get to the raffle (in the future I will have to plan my one-day con trips well if I can't get my energy back). I did however get some fun stuff at the vendors.

I picked up A Shade of Winter from Henlo Press a paranormal mystery (some fool forgot her cheaters today. Not mentioning any names....) I've got the first book in several of their series already... which led me to a conclusion (more on that later)

I picked up a couple's earring set of Ozzie and Fizzarolli from Helluva Boss from Unicorn Massacres Designs. It's a cute set. I've bought from them before (artist is trans with a lot of trans rights stuff if you want to take a look).

From Dany Cat Designs I got some soap for me and for gifts. I still have one bar left over from last year. She didn't have any of the dice soap with her this year. I picked up Hades for myself along with Make It So

I said NO more wall art so naturally I bought two postcard sized bits of art from Cocomomo Art because her Hazbin stuff is probably the best I've seen for sale in the past several cons. She also recced a hopepunk queer anime, Promare. I need to find it.

Speaking of wall art, I should have walked past Amanda Scharf Illustration but her water colors were too damn pretty. Did I need a water color of Angel Dust? No. Do I now own one? What do you think? She had so many colors too. If the purple had only been a little richer....I went with dark blue.

There is an artist I get earrings from every con (and other vendors probably hate her) because she sells them for 3$ a pop vs what everyone else does (but I'm also betting she just buys the charms in bulk somewhere) I need to find out if some of my friends wear bigger earrings. Wish evil_little_dog wore earrings because she'd love half of these and sadly the artist doesn't do pins.

I did get some birthday/holiday gifts too. I'll see several of these vendors again in a few weeks at Final Boss con on my university. There was one person selling ITA bags which I need desperately for all my pins but honestly these looked like grocery bags for the same price as much more intricately done backpack styles so I skipped it (and I can make the banners for the pins myself if I take a minute to do it) I was glad I went. Got a few hugs from friends. Yeah I'm not a hugger but on the other hand it's nice to have people who are genuinely happy to see me.

I left the con and went to Kroger for cheese (this one has the fancy cheeses) All was well. I got my cheeses and some absolutely yummy olives that I'm sorry I didn't buy more of. Came out 15 minutes later and it looked cloudy. Five minutes later as I'm getting my Tim Horton's coffee rocket fuel to drive home on, it's even darker. By the time I go 2 miles to Avalanche pizza to pick up my death in a box (otherwise known as the skeletonwitch) it's BLACK. The manager is telling the staff to tell patrons the deliveries will be delayed because of the incoming storm.

I grab my pizza and beat feet. I don't get 5 miles out of town before it let loose. The wind was first, so strong I was literally knocked off the road three times. Then the rain came so hard I thought 'got to stop at the rest stop just up the road and ride this out.' It was raining SO hard I couldn't see the rest stop and missed it. I inched another mile down the highway to the red light where I know there is a gas station. Waited it out there for about 15 minutes. Thankfully my ebook held out because some one forgot to charge it (not mentioning any names) and it was down to 7%.

Luckily after that it was light rain or none all the way home. I'm glad I went. I wish I had energy that 2 hours didn't all but kill me. So that decision I came to at the con...for some damn reason there are a half dozen things I want to do on the 3rd (all in vastly different directions) Ohioana Book festival in Columbus (very late this year), the Gallipolis street steampunk festival, free comic book day, heartwoods mental health festival (in a Chillicothe park), a psychic fair in Logan, the mother's day glass sale in the Hocking Hills.

I decided not to go to the Book festival. My friend isn't going to be there. I haven't read 90% of the books I bought there last year (I'm working on 2 now).I need a new book like I need slapped. Worse, they'll be signed so I won't want to part with them. That doesn't help my space issue. I think I'm better off either doing the steampunk/comic book thing (they're in the same direction) or the glass/mental health fair (also in the same (but different) direction). Decisions Decisions.

Came home and started to watch the newly dropped Gaslight District pilot. Been looking forward to this. I haven't watched more than a few minutes (too tired) and I'm not sure I like the animation style but I'll need to see more.