it began with flight and ends in flight.
Monday after work last week i flew on the trains as fast as i could to Delanco;
there the truck was waiting to be loaded and so after a Home Depot trip and some dinner;
we continued the process already begun. 
we kept loading well into the night
i cannot remember now how late it was that we got to sleep;
but since Origins told us we couldn't have the room until 11:30 wednesday night
we decided to head out after the morning rush instead of before it.
The drive should have been about 8 hours but we took it in 12;
and when we finally got into Columbus we began the long process of unraveling the truth with the event space.

We managed with the help of the convention's LARP staff to get the room about 10 hours earlier (even tho they stole 36 hours of it from us)
and they even wrangled up volunteers to help us set it up.
Set up went well and late into the night, it was about 4:30 or so by the time i was forced/guilted to abandon the efforts to those late comers
still drilling and building-
and thursday awoke zombie-like for the first runs.
i spent most of my con in the event;
i managed to get to see the dealers room (poor pickings, we lost so many vendors!)
and the art show (so small!!!  is Origins dying?)
and i did snag a new t shirt for my pin-up girl collection.  Some stickers and a poster too.

thursday after the event i had dinner with everyone; went back to help work on the set before getting a drink at the Bar and
promptly heading to crash in my bed at the hotel. 
Friday's runs went smoother, but by the end of the day i thought i was going to die. 
i didn't go to dinner and despite several really considerate gestures
((stressmint bought me a sammich. invited me to come drinking))
i remained unconcious. 
i overslept a little for the runs on Saturday morning--
Saturday was the best day in my opinion;
the plot was finally nailed down
the morning crew was efficient and of the runs we had
these were all the most full.
Origins Con staff took over the 3pm run and i got to watch the event play out
and man, it's awesome.  It makes me wish we were running it longer or had had more time to set up
and volunteers come down to Jersey in the build weekends to have made it to a larger scale.

As always, i win at Cthulhu when in the Sweet Haven game i had to save my town by calling the Deep Ones
and a mini Cthulhu to take care of the outsiders who were increasingly causing drama and
suspicion of our happy little cult.
i resurrected all the dead into new worshippers and
got to wrap them in the snuggly snuggly embrace of Cthulhu.  Woot!
Sadly at the game, two girls had their purses stolen
which dampened the night drastically
and we got late to the bar and
i had to leave for my flight home at 5am anyways;
so i went up to the room to pack and
said my goodbyes and
walked down to the airport car.

i got onto my little hampster and rubber-band plane
and woke in the clouds. 
When i woke again, we were landing.
like a zombie i went thru philly and trenton from train to train
until meeting up with my sister Lisa
and continuing on the line to Middletown.
My brother Dan's graduation party was filled
with relatives and friends and family
and so much food---
and i realized that i left my keys in my luggage which was left behind in Ohio
to be taken with the things that were coming back to NJ.
we worked out getting my sister back to long island
and i came in to work this morning on the bus.

i am pooped,
exhausted
and can't wait to sink into bed tonight
watch some tv and
maybe snuggle
some cats and pretend they were mine own.
in the meantime, perhaps i should focus on staying awake at my desk;
ne?


this weekend was a learning experience--
ups and downs and rounds and rounds.
if i recall or am so inspired, i might write more...
once Paris and Birthday pics are up, Origins pics will follow.

*love*