Conflikt 2: Day 3

Even after going to bed at 4 AM, I was awake at 8 Am. Staying up most of the night seems to acclimate your system to a time zone change! Just in time to go home :( So I got up and I packed everything that I was no longer going to need. Since the dealers' room wasn't slated to open until 11, I went to the lobby to use the hotel's computer and free internet. I needed to check out the UPS site to get labels and schedule a pick up for the unsold stuff. Since they won't let you do that without the weight of each box, I had to wait until after the show was done. No fun. I didn't even know how many boxes I would have at this point. (I started with 5) So instead I hit the facebook site and killed an hour there easy.

By 10 I went for breakfast and was behind my table before 11. It was really slow for most of Sunday. I was able to finish more rag dolls and ended the weekend with 4 Firefly Rag Doll bodies completely finished. And I wasn't even doing any during open filks. That's great considering it took me more than 2 months to do the 6 I already have! I wonder how many I'll be able to get done at FKO! One high point was Mark Bernstein's reaction to my Can't Sleep button. He asked if Tom Smith had seen it. When I informed him they were brand new, he bought one on the spot. He said he lives in the same town as Tom and would give it to him the next time he saw him. That made me happy! I was even more overjoyed when Mark said that he was sure that Tom would think it was great. Things like this make for a happy fangirl!

By 3:30 the Con Chair announced to the attendees that the dealers' room would be closing for the weekend at 4:30. Naturally, 4 PM was the busiest the table was for the whole weekend combined. I can kind of understand it, as people wanted to wait until after the auction to see just how much money they'd have left in their budgets, but it does get pretty frustrating when you've been sitting staring at the walls for 3 days and now at 4:45 everyone wants your attention. It took me 3 hours to pack up the table (going to cons is NOT a one person job for FFCB!)

Fortunately Julesong was patient and waited for me (she offered to help, but that would require me actually knowing what I was doing at the time!). At 7:30 we were on our way to the Wayward Coffee House. If you are a Browncoat and go to Seattle and do not make it to the Wayward well then SHAME ON YOU! The first thing that greets you once you walk in the door is a huge banner with the Serenity logo on it. I had the "Kaylee Ploughman Sandwich" for dinner, so you now what the menu is like. There's Firefly and Serenity stuff all over the place. vixy and Tony play there quite often as do The Bedlam Bards whenever they're in the area. The place has the slogan of "it's better than a plan" so, come on...!

I did notice that they were missing a certain Browncoat Flag in their decor, so when we got back, I put together a little bag of goodies for them- a 3X5 flag and some handouts and freebies. I gave it to Tony Fabris to give to the owner the next time they play there. (and if anyone goes there and gets pictures of the flag up on the walls PLEASE send them to me! earthgirl@kos.net)

On the way back to Renton we drove through the city and I got to see the Space Needle all lit up against the Seattle skyline. Very pretty. I had my video camera at the bottom of my bag, or I would have been able to get the drive by shots. Ah well, next year (I hope!)

I went back to the "Smoked Salmon" filk-until-you-drop session. I think they should call it "Sleepless in Seattle." Or at least "Restless in Renton." It was okay, but the night before was a much better circle. I did get treated to experencing Seanan McGuire tell the stories of Edgar Alan and Lenore, her uncle's ravens. I don't think I laughed that hard since... a long long long time! It was hysterical. I'm fully under the belief that she should get into a studio and make a cd of her telling the stories ala The Vinyl Cafe" It would sell like crazy I'm sure. She could call it "Tales of the Crazy Ravens." So much fun. This incident also brought about the quote of the day IMHO: "Have you ever tried to cary an angry raven?" Seanan McGuire.

People were dropping out of the filk pretty rapidly. It sort of deteriorated at 1:30 with a heated legal discussion. Ah well. I went out to get things ready for the UPS Labels. I will spare you the drama of the following 2 hours. Just be sure that I owe TONS to Halley who found me at 3:30 when my brain was on empty and my emotions were on overflow. My salvation angel! This led to the con suite where Cindy gave me an answer to all my problems. Thank you eternally! tears of despair were not shed due to these two women!

I will once again skip the travel report as they always tend to end up as rants from me. I got here and that's all that matters in the end. I had a fabulous weekend and really hope to get back to next year's Conflikt... with an assistant! Great pictures of the event can be foundhere.

Thank you to all involved with Conflikt for making me feel welcome and putting on a great weekend and exposing me to all the wonderful music, comedy and fellowship. There are many many more people whose company and music I was fortunate enough to enjoy. I could never list all their names here- some of them I never even did get their names! *sigh* I can only hope to see them again at other filk cons.

For, you see, I'm now a filk addict! I am getting help though- I'm enrolled in a 12 string program (yes, that's a design that will be coming into the filk shop soon!)

Thank you all!

Until next time:
"I cried like a baby; a hungry angry baby"