Less than two weeks, baby!!!

[jon_chaisson]

Right. Where was I?

Oh yes. Upon a closer look at the hotel specs where I'll be staying during Worldcon, I realized that though the con starts at noon on Thursday, the hotel doesn't start check-ins until 4pm. THOSE RIGHT BASTARDS! Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do. A few plans:

A) Call the hotel and see if I can store my stuff somewhere until 4pm and make a mad dash in between panels to check in. (most likely)

B) Keep my stuff in the car, figure out a slow time to jump on the T (after checking in, of course) up to Alewife (where I'll be parking) then lug my stuff in. (a possibility but a big pain in the butt)

C) Find lynxreign, see if his hotel has an earlier check in, dump my stuff off with him and pick it up later (doable but a big pain in Lynxie's butt)

D) Park in a nearby lot until 4pm, check in, drive up to Alewife, then take the T back (doable but a big waste of time)

...so yeah, you can see that I really don't want to miss any potentially neato panels, and this hotel thing has really put a damper on that. I know, I know, I should just chill and not let it worry me. Sure, I could park at the hotel lot, but when it costs thirty-seven frikkin' dollars. A night. I don't think so...so the choice is either Alewife (up in Cambridge--4.50 a night!) or Riverside (out in Newton--not sure of price).

BTW, Lynxie/Emmalyon, where y'all gonna be staying? I'll be at the Marriott Copley (the one on Huntington Ave, the one with the Champions bar). Maybe we could get together and trash a few random hotel rooms for old times sake.

More later...

Comments

Spiffariffic!

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I plan on getting there before noon. Against my better judgement I'm going with Moth's advice (you saw that coming, didn't you?) and ask to check in before noon or soon thereafter.

Are you and Lynx taking the commuter train in too, or driving straight in? I'm sure we can finagle something. Parking at Chris' place sounds like a good idea--that's $20 I won't have to worry about. Let me know what you two have planned. My only thing is that I know I'll be bogged down with books from the Dealer's Room by the time Monday rolls around, so I know I'll have more coming home than going in... :)

Oh--and go right ahead and make fun of the laptop I'm bringing in. It's a cheapie no-name my sister gave to me, but it does the job.

I did manage to peruse the programming, and yeah, there's a lot of stuff I want to go to. What I've done during past cons is wake up early enough on each day to peruse the listings, write in a mini notebook what tempting panels I'd like to go to (I always list two or three in case it ends up being boring or annoying). Gods, I'm so organized it's pathetic. I hope to see a few animes as well, though I can't promise anything. I'll have to introduce you to a few of the FMWriters crew. Two of them are writers, Tamara Siler Jones and Wen Spencer, and they're actually participants!

And of course, I will make the foray to Comicopia down the street at some point. And perhaps Newbury Comics, if I can afford it. :p

Okay, enough babbling. I really should have emailed you and/or Lynx about this but I don't have either of your emails. *sigh*

Re: Spiffariffic!

[emmalyon.livejournal.com]

We will be driving in. For people raised in the NYC area, $37/night actually sounds like a pretty darn sweet deal, so we are probably going with that(L. has been assigned(by me)to call and see if we need to reserve a spot for some reason--it can't hurt to check....). So if you can't check in early, you can certainly leave your stuff in the Pathfinder.
I have a confession: this is my VERY FIRST con of this type, so I want to do it The Right Way, as is my usual. Any advice and/or guidance will be welcome!!
I know that Lynxreign's email is currently what the professionals call "hosed" and mine is what they call "full of crap because I haven't checked it since June", but I will attempt a cleanup and see if I can get back to you on that soon. I should also give you our cell phone numbers so that we can track one another down, since I am not entirely sure if you know what I look like. :-)

Re: Spiffariffic!

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Hmm...that depends. Were you at any of head58's weekend gaming events at his abode? At least when I was there? I'm hard to miss--I'm the one incessantly talking about music to head58 and Lynx. I will most likely talk your ear off about music as well if given the chance.

Ooh, cell phones. Now I can repeatedly call Lynx and ask "Can you hear me now?" until he finds me and gives me a world of pain. :p Seriously, though...I actually don't own a cell phone. It's a luxury I don't really need right now (and, admittedly, can't afford). I've told people that I refuse to get a cell phone until I get an agent for my books. ;) However, I might be able to borrow one from one of my sisters if need be. As for my email, if I don't have a link on this page (I thought I did...), I'm at Yahoo.com. Guess what the first part is! heh.

As for advice/guidance: You picked a hell of a con to start with!! This is the grand poobah, the big 'un. And with the fact that Pratchettites are going to be swarming like no tomorrow, it should be a boatload of fun. I don't know if you're going in as a reader or a writer (I'm more the latter than the former), but either way, just go and have fun. And you might learn a few things. My first con was Readercon a few years ago, and I had no clue what would be happening. I remember sitting in the lobby of the hotel thinking "this is soooo cool. All these writers I recognize!" Total fanboy geek mode. It wore off quick though, replaced with a very egoistic "I'm in the same hotel as my peers. That is even cooler." Ha!

Oh--and make time for eating. I made a bad habit of surviving on the soda and pretzels and jelly beans in the Con Suite, which was a very bad move. Pack some nonperishable stuff if you can. Better yet, there's a Star Market just around the corner at the Prudential Mall (and a Walgreens across the street from it) if ever you need foodstuffs or other amenities. Hotels can and often will overcharge you for things like that.

Gods, my replies are getting longer than my posts. Something's wrong here...

Swank!

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Just called the hotel. I can drop my bags off at the front desk at any time. They won't know about the early check-in until day-of, but it definitely won't be before noon, since that's when check-out takes place. More on this later...

Re: Spiffariffic!

[emmalyon.livejournal.com]

You were there at new year's, correct? I think we have run across one another a time or 2 before that as well. And I actually have a BA in music(besides being a fan of many a a genre), so chatter away!!
Plus wasn't one of your icons your picture? :-)

BTW, see my latest post for email and cell phone info.

Old Langue Sign

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Ermm...I believe I was at the last New Years...wasn't I? (checks pocket calendar thingie) Yes, I was. Damn...sad that I don't remember. So yeah, I'm sure we've met. And yeah, I did/do have my pic as an icon. I'm afraid it's not the best one of me, as A)it was 8am on Christmas morning and coffee was nowhere in sight, B)I still had my ponytail (thankfully shorn now) and C)it was one of those annoying "let's take a picture of Jon!" family moments. :p

Re: music chatter--you were warned. :D

Re: latest post--got the info, sent you an email. Thanks!

Re: Old Langue Sign

[emmalyon.livejournal.com]

I REFUSE to let this thread die! It shall live on! ON I say!!!!!

And I thought it was quite a decent pic, especially for someone in an uncaffeinated state. I have basically no decent pictures of myslef, I guess I am just better in person (the one on my work ID badge is a constant source of cringing to me. Urk!)

Just look for the gal with Stefan, I'll be the chick with the shoulder length *black* hair. Maybe I can scare up some kitty ears to complete the look.

Re: Old Langue Sign

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Black hair?? Uh oh... :p

I've been trying to find a better picture, one that doesn't show my honker so prominently (heh, fat chance), but to no avail. Perhaps I'll just use one of those passport picture booths and make goofy faces. Yeah, that'll do.

And for the record, my work ID badge has me looking at the camera in a "I've got better things to do" sort of way...

My hair will match my car! Sweet!

[emmalyon.livejournal.com]

He he. I told my supervisor what I was going to do, and she is now POSITIVE that I am nuts. But she wants pictures.
Maybe I'll get Lynxie to take one of the back of my head and I can post that. :-)

I actually have 2, one for this office and one for the building in Phoenix--THAT one should be burned. I look like a space mutant.

Re: My hair will match my car! Sweet!

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

Don't we all? :p

Re: My hair will match my car! Sweet!

[emmalyon.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes we do.