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collwenFriday- The Drive
Ok, so it may seem insane, but I left about 9:30ish to head down to Philly. In the worst part of the storm. The driving wasn't too bad, since I kept going slow and not having to stop (with so few people I was able to slow down enough to time intersections so I didn't have to stop much). When I got through the toll booth to get onto the Thruway I had to stop to the side of the road and de-ice the windshield wipers... and from the other cars there it was a common occurrence.
Just south of the Harriman exit, it cleared up very very very quickly.
http://pics.livejournal.com/collwen/pic/00071stt/g18
http://pics.livejournal.com/collwen/pic/000722fg/g18
The rest of the drive went quickly. I got gas in NJ, then continued into PA. NJ and PA toll roads systems have things screwed up. In NY, you can use EZ-Pass in any lane (so in case your balance is low you can get a ticket if you need to), but in NJ & PA you can only use it in the EZ-Pass lanes. This seems silly to me.
Friday- A little lost to find good cheese steak, and finding parking just in time
Ok, so based on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
auntiero's suggestion, and armed with directions from the web, I went to find Dalessandro's Steaks. I was paying so much attention to the directions and the mileage on the trip odometer, that I didn't go far enough to find the exit. I took about 20 minutes stopping off, asking for directions from locals, and buying a local map... which gave me the clue that I hadn't gone far enough.
So, I finally found the place and got a cheese steak to go. I went on the waitress's recommendation on what to put on it (peppers, onions, sauce). Here's my cheese steak on the grill. I also took a couple of pictures outside- Outside Dalessandro's
Dalessandro's from the car.
I then headed down to Center City to find the hotel and parking. It took a few times around the blocks to get to the hotel. Now, I've lived in cities with a lot of one-way streets, but Philly is confusing and find parking. Which wasn't free. In fact, not even the hotel had free parking, so I ended up at a parking garage on 12th st. next to the hotel (which was cheaper than the hotel's parking rate).
Wow, it's a pretty hotel. There's also a sushi bar in there now (but with Chinatown a couple of blocks away I didn't bother with it). I got in and checked in. I went to look for a cart to bring up my bags with and ended up with a bell hop and a cart.
I got to the hotel right at 4pm. Now, if I had waited for the storm to pass, I would have had to deal with crappy roads still, so I'm actually a little glad that I left early enough to get there on time. I had a few minutes and ate about half the cheese steak (that's all I could eat it was so huge) while on the phone with Mom letting her know that I got there Ok. I then got dressed into my costume for the 1890s Cuthulu Live game and ran downstairs to check in. I waited in line forever (the three people in front of me all had registration issues) but once they got to me I had no problems and was able to find the gathering area for my game just before 5.
Friday- After all my worries about getting there on time, the 1890s game was canceled
I got to the game for 5, and then ended up waiting for an hour for no one else to show up besides myself and the two game coordinators. 5 people including myself had pre-registered for characters. A guy did pass by (who then joined the game the next day), but he passed by and left after hearing that we weren't close to getting enough people for the night. Before the official "game called on account of lack of bodies" announcement, I was able to get one of the guys to take a picture of me in my costume and with the artifact/prop that was very important in the scenario.
So I had time... I went back to my room to actually settle in the room. I took a couple of pictures of myself in the hotel mirror (Gretchen hotel pic 1 and Gretchen hotel pic 2. While I was there,auntiero's husband Casey got to the hotel and came up to the room. We arranged for him to have a convenient drop off/crash space port in my room if he needed it during the weekend. He then did me a favor of taking two pictures of me (Casey taken pic 1 and Casey taken pic 2).
Friday- But the canceled game let me see David Weber and shop
Casey headed off to his obsession of the weekend (He was working with a group of people that had set up a bunch of RPGA opportunities for people looking to play modules before the end of the year) while I changed. I then stopped in the games room before going to a the panel on the Creation of Honor Harrington. There I saw a Honor Harrington Battle simulation game... Drool. Some pictures from the cell phone are here
the set up for the Die Chocolate Die demo, the box for the game, and two ships from On Basilisk Station- Honor commanded the *smaller* of the ships
The panel speakers were David Weber, the author, and David Mattingly, who's done the artwork for most of the book covers (he came on board on book 5, and has re-done the earlier covers as they get re-printed). It was interesting to me to find out that Honor was supposed to be a series from the beginning (Jim Baen had asked for several proposals for a series and contracted David to do 4 books initially). Something he said at that panel (and others) was that he also made the world and the tech and the politics before making the individual characters, and that he made Honor like an onion (by the end of the 3rd book you have a clear idea of what you think she is, then in the 4th book you start getting into new layers).
Here's some pictures of that panel, Weber's to the right and Mattingly's to the left. Part way through, Mattingly gave Weber a bunch of nice signed prints of various covers he had done.
Creation Panel pic 1, Creation Panel pic 2, Creation Panel pic 3, Creation Panel pic 4, Creation Panel pic 5, Creation Panel Pic 6, Creation Panel pic 7, Creation Panel pic 8, Creation Panel Pic 10, Creation Panel pic 10, Creation Panel Pic 11
I then stopped off in the vendor room and was able to find Galen and get my copy of Gloom replaced (the original one I had a printing issue and couldn't be read). I also picked up a couple of CJ Henderson books for my friend Lissa. I picked up my own copy of Baby's First Mythos. Gods, I was almost on the floor laughing when I saw it.
Friday- Damn you Casey... aka getting sucked into the Camarilla LARP for the night.
After that, I was free for the night. I went back to the gaming room to look around and talk to people. That's where the Cuthulu Live game was meeting, and Casey's RPGA tables were based, and the Camarilla LARP people had their tables, and the card/board gaming tables were. On Saturday there was also a big robot there (not Battle Bots, but something similar) and a several Lego tables. This was just 1 of three sections and it was larger than some other hotel ballrooms I've been in (and this wasn't even the ballroom!).
So I end up saying hi to Casey who was talking to a lovely lady in a red velvet top (a little bouncy lady), who turned out to be in the Cam LARP. And then I got talked into grabbing a pre-generated character to play in the Cam LARP. Casey encouraged the whole thing, so I called over "I hate you" to Casey as I bounced to the back of the room with the lovely lady (Tania, I think I have the spelling right), because it was already after 11 and I figured I was never going to get sleep.
In fact, at 1 am I was nodding off at a table that we were using as a "car". So as soon as the scene was done I packed myself off to my room.
Saturday- get up and start prepping, and visit Reading Terminal Market for breakfast
I woke up early for a weekend. I got showered and called my Mom and Ed while I was working on my nail polish (according to one source on makeup for the 1930s ladies would use pink enamel on their toes and red on their nails. I liked the pink color better but stuck to authenticity for the weekend... I will paint my fingers to match my toes later). I then stopped off in the gaming room and met Rachel (who was sitting with Casey at the RPGA table). They had breakfast on the table and Rachel gave me a bite of her chocolate croissant. Rachel at least had gotten her breakfast at the Reading Terminal Market that was across the street from the hotel and since I still had an hour or so before the panel I was planning on attending, I went over.
Wow.
This is what saw then I went in- Turning left and looking straight. Then wandering around I saw a lot of other shops- one being a Peking Duck place
I then found a new/used book stall. There were a number of hand done signs around the place: Treat a book as you would a Lady, Part One of Eclectic bookshop, Part Two of Eclectic bookshop, Buddha's Girlfriend, and Govern Yourself.
There's one book there that I wanted to get (and they had 2 copies), but I didn't have the $40 for it. It was a copy of a complete Justine and other works for the Marquis de Sade. Granted, it's a bit outdated... but sadism is named after him.
I successfully restrained myself from getting it.
I stopped off at a couple of stalls here and there. I picked up some honey cinnamon almonds and a couple of apples for later at one Amish stand, and a cranelle (I know I have the spelling wrong, but it was a small bunt shaped baked custard) from the bakery Rachel got her croissant from, fresh orange juice from another stand, and an apple dumpling from another Amish stand.
Then I went back to the games room and ate breakfast, with some comment from Casey about having a sweet tooth. Usually I have something healthier than an apple dumpling for breakfast, but they just smelled so good.
Saturday- Morning sessions- Space Opera As Myth, David Weber reading
After my rather decadent breakfast, I went to a double header of David Weber. First was a panel with a few others (including David Mattingly again) on Space Opera as myth, and much of the panel was spent discussing what is Space Opera.
Here's a couple of pics: Space Opera Panel Pic 1, Space Opera Panel Pic 2, Space Opera Panel Pic 3.
We had a choice for the reading between In Fury Born and Off Armageddon Reef which is part of a book deal that he has with Tor (he was sure to stress that he's not leaving Baen, but basically just doing a side project with Tor, who has a good relationship with Baen. Off Armageddon Reef won. I have to get it when it comes out.
Saturday- Finish Prep and the 1930s Game, sneaking off to get books signed
When the reading was done, I ran back up to my room to change and fix my hair (I had brought my curling iron/crimper) for the 2nd Cuthulu Live game. This time, we got enough people for the game. I was playing Penny Person, a reporter from the 1930s. I'll actually post the story that Penny would have written sometime later. Basically, there's a bunch of stuff that happened that she doesn't understand, but enough of it that happened is stuff that she can come up with a logical explanation for. She didn't see the weird shit aspect of it.
But just as the game started David Weber's speech ended, and I ran off to get books signed (one mine, 2 for other people). Which was a successful run. I came back to the game late, but I had the excuse of "Blasted nosy bossy editors..." *grin*
The other girl who played in the game had this Callah Cthulhu shirt on. Too bad the Hebrew isn't clear enough to read.
Saturday- A Walk in Chinatown to get food then alternative sexuality in fandom and card games
The game ended about 8, so it was time to finally grab dinner. I braved the outside again and walked a few blocks to Chinatown. I found a little Vietnamese restaurant and picked up some chicken satay with broccoli and mushrooms. I got a picture of a big gate in Chinatown, and one of the neat sidewalk tiles.
After dinner I went to a panel on alternative sexual lifestyles among Sci-Fi fandom. It was called "Don't go to an Orgy while in Pon-far." Before the panel I ended up breaking one of my Brittany knitting needles (in fact from the set I was using grrrr), while sitting down outside of the room (the one kind of jammed under my arm it and broke as I sat down, and I didn't feel it until it snapped).
It was a very nice discussion, and there were quite a few people at it. One of the threads of discussion was about what was the most stable poly relationship model based on experience. And how there's a lot of cross over between the various alternative lifestyle groups.
After the panel, I ended up talking with Rachel and some others of that crew for a while, finding out that Rachel and I both like international food. There's apparently a sushi place she needs to drag Casey too, and hopefully if that happens before the next time I'm out there I can get the specifics on it from him. (Apparently, they make an incredible spicy tuna appetizer in a martini or margarita glass.)
Soon after that, she brought out a game and got a few people together for Management Material of which there is an IT version and a Matrimonial version (I didn't get a picture of that one).
I came in third and went to collapse in my hotel bed.
Sunday- watching a RPGA game then heading off to Ridgewood for Princess Ida
Sunday morning I woke up, got showered, dressed, packed, and headed downstairs to the gaming room.
Casey was at the RPGA again, this time playing a mod. Too bad there wasn't enough time to find people for an intro mod, otherwise I would have started a game. It was an interesting module that Casey was in, and I watched it for some time. I also picked up a banana nut muffin for breakfast, and got teased even more by Casey for my sweet breakfast tooth (then again, I had also grabbed a packet of honey for some reason and was putting it on the muffin... gods, I still don't know what possessed me to do that).
I then checked out and got my car. It was *expensive* to get out of the garage. I think the next time I'm going to try to find a way to not park in the city.
I then got onto the road and headed off to Ridgewood for the production of Princess Ida that Marnen was playing for. The show was good and funny. I got to see a few of my friends from the company and the production of Iolanthe that I was in, and some didn't know that I was engaged yet, so I got to give them the news.
Sunday Dinner- Lebanese
After the show Marnen and I went to this little Lebanese place in Ridgewood called Tabboule. Gods, the food was good. We had Muhamara (a spicy walnut and pomegranate dip), Cheese Rakakat (feta strips and spices rolled in phyllo and fried), and a chicken Shawerma platter (all the words are how *they* spelled them).
Monday- a day to exercise and clean
I took Monday off, and went into the gym for a long session of working out. I sawgwnievere and ciaranmacleod for a bit at the gym before we all scattered to the winds.
I then got home and started cleaning a bit. I feel accomplished.
Tuesday- back to work
So today I went back to work. It was... work. There was a big event for IBMers in Poughkeepsie that a few of the IBMers on the desk went to. There was food and games (they had rented some video games, a couple of air hockey tables, and a couple of pinball games) and they even had a couple of caricature artists there (I was able to get pictures done by two out of the three artists).
I then went to the gym, partially to work off the desserts that I had there. I tried a new class (the Group Power weight training class) and I'm feeling it. It's a good feeling it, but I'll probably get fairly sore tomorrow.
Wow... that's a long update.
Basically, I had a great time and I want to go back to Philly some weekend when I don't have a con or anything to do, so I can actually go around the city and take my time.
And this time I'd like to seeauntiero as well as Casey. *hint hint*
Ok, so it may seem insane, but I left about 9:30ish to head down to Philly. In the worst part of the storm. The driving wasn't too bad, since I kept going slow and not having to stop (with so few people I was able to slow down enough to time intersections so I didn't have to stop much). When I got through the toll booth to get onto the Thruway I had to stop to the side of the road and de-ice the windshield wipers... and from the other cars there it was a common occurrence.
Just south of the Harriman exit, it cleared up very very very quickly.
http://pics.livejournal.com/collwen/pic/00071stt/g18
http://pics.livejournal.com/collwen/pic/000722fg/g18
The rest of the drive went quickly. I got gas in NJ, then continued into PA. NJ and PA toll roads systems have things screwed up. In NY, you can use EZ-Pass in any lane (so in case your balance is low you can get a ticket if you need to), but in NJ & PA you can only use it in the EZ-Pass lanes. This seems silly to me.
Friday- A little lost to find good cheese steak, and finding parking just in time
Ok, so based on
auntiero's suggestion, and armed with directions from the web, I went to find Dalessandro's Steaks. I was paying so much attention to the directions and the mileage on the trip odometer, that I didn't go far enough to find the exit. I took about 20 minutes stopping off, asking for directions from locals, and buying a local map... which gave me the clue that I hadn't gone far enough.So, I finally found the place and got a cheese steak to go. I went on the waitress's recommendation on what to put on it (peppers, onions, sauce). Here's my cheese steak on the grill. I also took a couple of pictures outside- Outside Dalessandro's
Dalessandro's from the car.
I then headed down to Center City to find the hotel and parking. It took a few times around the blocks to get to the hotel. Now, I've lived in cities with a lot of one-way streets, but Philly is confusing and find parking. Which wasn't free. In fact, not even the hotel had free parking, so I ended up at a parking garage on 12th st. next to the hotel (which was cheaper than the hotel's parking rate).
Wow, it's a pretty hotel. There's also a sushi bar in there now (but with Chinatown a couple of blocks away I didn't bother with it). I got in and checked in. I went to look for a cart to bring up my bags with and ended up with a bell hop and a cart.
I got to the hotel right at 4pm. Now, if I had waited for the storm to pass, I would have had to deal with crappy roads still, so I'm actually a little glad that I left early enough to get there on time. I had a few minutes and ate about half the cheese steak (that's all I could eat it was so huge) while on the phone with Mom letting her know that I got there Ok. I then got dressed into my costume for the 1890s Cuthulu Live game and ran downstairs to check in. I waited in line forever (the three people in front of me all had registration issues) but once they got to me I had no problems and was able to find the gathering area for my game just before 5.
Friday- After all my worries about getting there on time, the 1890s game was canceled
I got to the game for 5, and then ended up waiting for an hour for no one else to show up besides myself and the two game coordinators. 5 people including myself had pre-registered for characters. A guy did pass by (who then joined the game the next day), but he passed by and left after hearing that we weren't close to getting enough people for the night. Before the official "game called on account of lack of bodies" announcement, I was able to get one of the guys to take a picture of me in my costume and with the artifact/prop that was very important in the scenario.
So I had time... I went back to my room to actually settle in the room. I took a couple of pictures of myself in the hotel mirror (Gretchen hotel pic 1 and Gretchen hotel pic 2. While I was there,
auntiero's husband Casey got to the hotel and came up to the room. We arranged for him to have a convenient drop off/crash space port in my room if he needed it during the weekend. He then did me a favor of taking two pictures of me (Casey taken pic 1 and Casey taken pic 2).Friday- But the canceled game let me see David Weber and shop
Casey headed off to his obsession of the weekend (He was working with a group of people that had set up a bunch of RPGA opportunities for people looking to play modules before the end of the year) while I changed. I then stopped in the games room before going to a the panel on the Creation of Honor Harrington. There I saw a Honor Harrington Battle simulation game... Drool. Some pictures from the cell phone are here
the set up for the Die Chocolate Die demo, the box for the game, and two ships from On Basilisk Station- Honor commanded the *smaller* of the ships
The panel speakers were David Weber, the author, and David Mattingly, who's done the artwork for most of the book covers (he came on board on book 5, and has re-done the earlier covers as they get re-printed). It was interesting to me to find out that Honor was supposed to be a series from the beginning (Jim Baen had asked for several proposals for a series and contracted David to do 4 books initially). Something he said at that panel (and others) was that he also made the world and the tech and the politics before making the individual characters, and that he made Honor like an onion (by the end of the 3rd book you have a clear idea of what you think she is, then in the 4th book you start getting into new layers).
Here's some pictures of that panel, Weber's to the right and Mattingly's to the left. Part way through, Mattingly gave Weber a bunch of nice signed prints of various covers he had done.
Creation Panel pic 1, Creation Panel pic 2, Creation Panel pic 3, Creation Panel pic 4, Creation Panel pic 5, Creation Panel Pic 6, Creation Panel pic 7, Creation Panel pic 8, Creation Panel Pic 10, Creation Panel pic 10, Creation Panel Pic 11
I then stopped off in the vendor room and was able to find Galen and get my copy of Gloom replaced (the original one I had a printing issue and couldn't be read). I also picked up a couple of CJ Henderson books for my friend Lissa. I picked up my own copy of Baby's First Mythos. Gods, I was almost on the floor laughing when I saw it.
Friday- Damn you Casey... aka getting sucked into the Camarilla LARP for the night.
After that, I was free for the night. I went back to the gaming room to look around and talk to people. That's where the Cuthulu Live game was meeting, and Casey's RPGA tables were based, and the Camarilla LARP people had their tables, and the card/board gaming tables were. On Saturday there was also a big robot there (not Battle Bots, but something similar) and a several Lego tables. This was just 1 of three sections and it was larger than some other hotel ballrooms I've been in (and this wasn't even the ballroom!).
So I end up saying hi to Casey who was talking to a lovely lady in a red velvet top (a little bouncy lady), who turned out to be in the Cam LARP. And then I got talked into grabbing a pre-generated character to play in the Cam LARP. Casey encouraged the whole thing, so I called over "I hate you" to Casey as I bounced to the back of the room with the lovely lady (Tania, I think I have the spelling right), because it was already after 11 and I figured I was never going to get sleep.
In fact, at 1 am I was nodding off at a table that we were using as a "car". So as soon as the scene was done I packed myself off to my room.
Saturday- get up and start prepping, and visit Reading Terminal Market for breakfast
I woke up early for a weekend. I got showered and called my Mom and Ed while I was working on my nail polish (according to one source on makeup for the 1930s ladies would use pink enamel on their toes and red on their nails. I liked the pink color better but stuck to authenticity for the weekend... I will paint my fingers to match my toes later). I then stopped off in the gaming room and met Rachel (who was sitting with Casey at the RPGA table). They had breakfast on the table and Rachel gave me a bite of her chocolate croissant. Rachel at least had gotten her breakfast at the Reading Terminal Market that was across the street from the hotel and since I still had an hour or so before the panel I was planning on attending, I went over.
Wow.
This is what saw then I went in- Turning left and looking straight. Then wandering around I saw a lot of other shops- one being a Peking Duck place
I then found a new/used book stall. There were a number of hand done signs around the place: Treat a book as you would a Lady, Part One of Eclectic bookshop, Part Two of Eclectic bookshop, Buddha's Girlfriend, and Govern Yourself.
There's one book there that I wanted to get (and they had 2 copies), but I didn't have the $40 for it. It was a copy of a complete Justine and other works for the Marquis de Sade. Granted, it's a bit outdated... but sadism is named after him.
I successfully restrained myself from getting it.
I stopped off at a couple of stalls here and there. I picked up some honey cinnamon almonds and a couple of apples for later at one Amish stand, and a cranelle (I know I have the spelling wrong, but it was a small bunt shaped baked custard) from the bakery Rachel got her croissant from, fresh orange juice from another stand, and an apple dumpling from another Amish stand.
Then I went back to the games room and ate breakfast, with some comment from Casey about having a sweet tooth. Usually I have something healthier than an apple dumpling for breakfast, but they just smelled so good.
Saturday- Morning sessions- Space Opera As Myth, David Weber reading
After my rather decadent breakfast, I went to a double header of David Weber. First was a panel with a few others (including David Mattingly again) on Space Opera as myth, and much of the panel was spent discussing what is Space Opera.
Here's a couple of pics: Space Opera Panel Pic 1, Space Opera Panel Pic 2, Space Opera Panel Pic 3.
We had a choice for the reading between In Fury Born and Off Armageddon Reef which is part of a book deal that he has with Tor (he was sure to stress that he's not leaving Baen, but basically just doing a side project with Tor, who has a good relationship with Baen. Off Armageddon Reef won. I have to get it when it comes out.
Saturday- Finish Prep and the 1930s Game, sneaking off to get books signed
When the reading was done, I ran back up to my room to change and fix my hair (I had brought my curling iron/crimper) for the 2nd Cuthulu Live game. This time, we got enough people for the game. I was playing Penny Person, a reporter from the 1930s. I'll actually post the story that Penny would have written sometime later. Basically, there's a bunch of stuff that happened that she doesn't understand, but enough of it that happened is stuff that she can come up with a logical explanation for. She didn't see the weird shit aspect of it.
But just as the game started David Weber's speech ended, and I ran off to get books signed (one mine, 2 for other people). Which was a successful run. I came back to the game late, but I had the excuse of "Blasted nosy bossy editors..." *grin*
The other girl who played in the game had this Callah Cthulhu shirt on. Too bad the Hebrew isn't clear enough to read.
Saturday- A Walk in Chinatown to get food then alternative sexuality in fandom and card games
The game ended about 8, so it was time to finally grab dinner. I braved the outside again and walked a few blocks to Chinatown. I found a little Vietnamese restaurant and picked up some chicken satay with broccoli and mushrooms. I got a picture of a big gate in Chinatown, and one of the neat sidewalk tiles.
After dinner I went to a panel on alternative sexual lifestyles among Sci-Fi fandom. It was called "Don't go to an Orgy while in Pon-far." Before the panel I ended up breaking one of my Brittany knitting needles (in fact from the set I was using grrrr), while sitting down outside of the room (the one kind of jammed under my arm it and broke as I sat down, and I didn't feel it until it snapped).
It was a very nice discussion, and there were quite a few people at it. One of the threads of discussion was about what was the most stable poly relationship model based on experience. And how there's a lot of cross over between the various alternative lifestyle groups.
After the panel, I ended up talking with Rachel and some others of that crew for a while, finding out that Rachel and I both like international food. There's apparently a sushi place she needs to drag Casey too, and hopefully if that happens before the next time I'm out there I can get the specifics on it from him. (Apparently, they make an incredible spicy tuna appetizer in a martini or margarita glass.)
Soon after that, she brought out a game and got a few people together for Management Material of which there is an IT version and a Matrimonial version (I didn't get a picture of that one).
I came in third and went to collapse in my hotel bed.
Sunday- watching a RPGA game then heading off to Ridgewood for Princess Ida
Sunday morning I woke up, got showered, dressed, packed, and headed downstairs to the gaming room.
Casey was at the RPGA again, this time playing a mod. Too bad there wasn't enough time to find people for an intro mod, otherwise I would have started a game. It was an interesting module that Casey was in, and I watched it for some time. I also picked up a banana nut muffin for breakfast, and got teased even more by Casey for my sweet breakfast tooth (then again, I had also grabbed a packet of honey for some reason and was putting it on the muffin... gods, I still don't know what possessed me to do that).
I then checked out and got my car. It was *expensive* to get out of the garage. I think the next time I'm going to try to find a way to not park in the city.
I then got onto the road and headed off to Ridgewood for the production of Princess Ida that Marnen was playing for. The show was good and funny. I got to see a few of my friends from the company and the production of Iolanthe that I was in, and some didn't know that I was engaged yet, so I got to give them the news.
Sunday Dinner- Lebanese
After the show Marnen and I went to this little Lebanese place in Ridgewood called Tabboule. Gods, the food was good. We had Muhamara (a spicy walnut and pomegranate dip), Cheese Rakakat (feta strips and spices rolled in phyllo and fried), and a chicken Shawerma platter (all the words are how *they* spelled them).
Monday- a day to exercise and clean
I took Monday off, and went into the gym for a long session of working out. I saw
gwnievere and ciaranmacleod for a bit at the gym before we all scattered to the winds.I then got home and started cleaning a bit. I feel accomplished.
Tuesday- back to work
So today I went back to work. It was... work. There was a big event for IBMers in Poughkeepsie that a few of the IBMers on the desk went to. There was food and games (they had rented some video games, a couple of air hockey tables, and a couple of pinball games) and they even had a couple of caricature artists there (I was able to get pictures done by two out of the three artists).
I then went to the gym, partially to work off the desserts that I had there. I tried a new class (the Group Power weight training class) and I'm feeling it. It's a good feeling it, but I'll probably get fairly sore tomorrow.
Wow... that's a long update.
Basically, I had a great time and I want to go back to Philly some weekend when I don't have a con or anything to do, so I can actually go around the city and take my time.
And this time I'd like to see
auntiero as well as Casey. *hint hint*
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Date: 2005-12-13 07:58 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2005-12-14 01:19 pm (UTC)