my moral standing is lying down

There's so much to report about, but I can't get into it all right now. Especially since I have packing to do, to check out of the hotel in less than 7 hours (with probably less than 4 hours of sleep).

But I just wanted to gush about how much fun I had tonight because I was finally! able to meet up with GW fandom people from Ycon! Sharon, Artemis, Susan, Leslie, Jana, Devil Kitty, Ponderosa & her husband (whose name I unfortunately have forgotten), and several others were there. We went to go eat dinner, had a wonderful time, then went for ice cream. We meant to go to the Yaoi panel, but the line was insanely long, so we decided to skip it and had our own little panel by the Starbucks cafe area.

I NEED to get to Ycon somehow 'cause I'd really hate to miss out on more of the same.

Some pics to come soon.

It is 4:30am, and I've just caught up on the flist for the past weekend. If the last few weeks have been hectic, this past week has been simply chaotic. Moved Maryann's stuff in on Thursday. Friday, more construction was done to the house (injecting "tripolymer" foam-insulation). Saturday, got started (a bit) on cosplay costumes. BTW, if our costumes are actually finished for Otakon, I will be in a permanent state of amazement! Had to bring the sewing machine for an emergency tune-up, which worked out nicely -- only $50! And I got a new pedal ($25), which is cool 'cause now I won't burn my toes like I have been the last two years.

Sunday, worked at the store with Fay and Maryann to take down summer stock and price/start filling in fall merchandise. Sunday night, I drove over to Maryann's house to pick her and Baby up and bring them back to my house. Baby has to start getting familiar with her new home before we leave her alone over the weekend. She was prerry scared at first, but loosened up a little. And today she stayed somewhat hidden underneath my sink, but later I took a break from sewing and went downstairs and hung out with her for a little while. She was more comfortable, I think, as she kept head-butting me in the most adorable, affectionate, "I-want-to-be-patted" way.

I finished making the "dresses" today. We got pillows for the hats (took stuffing out). Angelica went to the Halloween Store at Union Square and found 3 black cowl-masks, so those are going to come in very handy.

Still left to be done:

• zippers on dress sleeves
  
• wrap pillows to make hats
  
• hem skirt and add skirt hooping wire
  
• sew heartless logos onto "dresses"
  
• attach hats to masks
  
• attach yellow eyes to masks
  
• put zippers in "dress" sleeves
  
  
• possibly buy suitcase
  
• pack for otakon AND nashville
  
  I know there's more, but I'm falling asleep as it is.
  
  Pics to come soon.
  
  Can't wait to get to Otakon!!!

But it's good news. The internet company called me back and wants me to take the job. I said yes. =D I'd start the first Monday of August.

However, I already signed that contract with the UN for the month of August. It shouldn't be a problem considering I'm giving them more than two weeks' notice, but it's going to worry me until it's all cleared up.

The reason I'm not telling them today, though, is:

1. I want to go on my Monday interview first ~ it's the eBay company guy ~ to see what he's offering.
   
2. I need to call back the internet company (GoGoTech) and let them know that I'd planned a trip in late August, and would it be alright for me to be out that Thursday and Friday for Otakon. If they say no, I'll try to wheedle for Friday, at least. If they still say no. I guess I'm going to have to take the job anyway, but I will be heartbroken.

Then I will tell Ove about getting the job and see what happens. I guess if it means ruining my rep, it'll just have to suffer because I need this job more than I need a good rep at the UN, especially since I made it clear that I've been interviewing already. Yeah. So there.

But!!!! OMG! I got the job! Yay, money~! *does a happy money dance* $_$!!!

Oh, wait. Even besides the money -- BENEFITS!!! oH yEAH!

(Does anyone else think I should have made the subject something like, "I GOT THE JOB OMGWTFBBQ!!!!1111"? LOLOL.)

I went to go see the unit's IMA (Information Management Associate -- the computer/tech guy, Joao) to have him install access to the UN's wireless network. He saw my wallpaper (it's still Sora from Kingdom Hearts) and asked if I was into anime. I said yes, and asked if he was; he said no, but that one of his friends is.

I don't know if I asked who, or he volunteered, but he then told me about his friend who's really into it -- Erica Friedman. It felt like some sort of cosmic pause. And then I said, "Actually, I know her." And he sat back in his ergonomically designed chair and said, "You do?"

LOL. I said "Yeah, when she was head of an anime convention a couple of years ago I was doing volunteer work for her." Ha. There was a pause where the weirdness of the situation sank in. Then he said, "Sometimes the world feels -this- small," and held two fingers about a centimeter apart.

It really does. To add to the oddity, Joao's used to be my mom's colleague for several years, and he happened to transfer into GEF when I was temping here in January when the other IMA left.

So then when I went back to my desk, newly installed wireless access in hand, I remembered that I'd wanted to volunteer for Onna! this year (combining the powers of Shoujocon and Yuricon), to help Erica out because she's the Volunteer Coordinator this time around (as well as being co-chair). I had given up on that because it's only 2-3 weeks before Yaoicon and I thought I was going for sure. But now that that's not the case, I felt free to volunteer! I went to the website to see when the con would be (Oct 8-10, in Newark, NJ) and found out about registration ($35 until June 19th) and hotel ($129/night) and I made an online reservation.

But then I had to call Angelica, because she knows about my mild obsession with Erica and would understand just how darn weird this all was. Well, before I could say anything, she started telling me about how she really did want to go to Yaoicon because she missed going to cons, since we only have Otakon scheduled for this year. So I said, why don't we go to Onna!? And she said, oh yeah! Isn't it scheduled for a couple of weeks before Yaoicon? And I said yes, and it worked out perfectly. Then I told her about the previously described weirdness and it was funny. And weird. LOL.

So! That pretty much takes care of our con planning.

Now, if anyone's interested in going, we have space in our room (probably floor space, though).

Working at GCS again today. Back into my regular routine of things, I suppose. Angelica's not picking me up on the way home today, which is kind of a disappointment; I had been looking forward to going home with her today. Ah well. But a friend dropped in out of the blue-- Kirsten, who I had met at Otakon last year, while standing on line waiting for Midorikawa Hikaru autographs. She lives in MD (where Otakon is located), but actually goes to school in NYC, so I saw her once or twice during the month after the con. Haven't spoken to her since 9-11 (her dorm was only a block or two away, poor thing) to find out if she was okay (which she was).

I've thought about getting back in touch with her every so often since then, but it seems like I've been too busy to really set up a date. Well, that and the fact that I'd forget between those times that I remembered. So she dropped in today 'cause she had an appointment somewhere in midtown, but it was cancelled, so she was on her way to Asahiya when she thought to drop by the store! Isn't that thoughtful of her? I was so happy to see her (not out of proportion, though). We talked for a few minutes -- about Otakon 2003, about J-rock & J-pop, manga, and other things -- and then she had to go, but the visit at least brightened my day a bit (and relieved the horrible, oppressing boredom that one cannot seem to escape here in the depths of Hell, uh, I mean, the store).

Sometimes I wish I had a friend to fall back on when Angelica can't (or doesn't want to) do something with me. I know, that sounds quite selfish and calculating, but it's true. Someone to just hang out with and have fun, and not feel like I want to get away from soon because they're either boring me to death, or the uncomfortable silence is pressing conversation into the ground -- which is what happens when I hang out with most other people (aside from my sister, of course). I wouldn't mind hanging out with Louie -- actually I'd like to hang out with her more often, but she's still in high school and therefore has a bit less flexibility in her schedule (and curfew).

I guess I'm just bored today. Maybe cabin fever has caught up with me, or something. I just don't feel like going straight home after work, but there's nothing else to do, really. I guess I'll probably eat out before going home, but I don't even know about that, considering I don't have anything to read and so what will I do -- sit there, eating and listening to music, bored to death and staring out into space? I swear, I feel like banging my head against a brick wall, having it crack open like a melon.... (Okay, I'm getting way too morbid, somebody stop me.)

We got the cosplay costumes (Kozi, Mana & Klaha in their Shiroi hada ni kuruu ai to kanashimi no rondo outfits; pic: Kozi's & Mana's outfits) on Thursday night, I think, but hadn't had a chance to try them on until Sunday night. They're really cool, except that the arms on all three constumes don't fit. So I have to email Dawn (the woman who made the costumes for us) to let her know, and send the costumes back. They look so awesome though! It's really exciting to think that we'll be wearing them for Otakon this year! I'll definitely have to post some pics here when we finally get them right and we've taken photos of us three.

And we've already started planning for Otakon 2002. They've just recently made a deal for con rates with the Days Inn there, which is where we stayed last year. They have pretty good prices, and they're just across the street and down the block, so… they're pretty much the best choice for us. Anyway, this year the rate has gone up by about $10, but that's not enough to get huffy about. (Even if we did get huffy, no one would care anyway.) So with tax, the room per night comes out to $135. If Louie doesn't go, it's $135 per person (me, Liz & Angelica). If Louie goes, it's $101 per person.

There's also the transportation factor. Last year, my parents drove us, but this year it's pretty much out 'cause out minivan is pretty much dying. My father doesn't want to take it anywhere far away just in case. So Maryland is out of the question. If we get a new car, we'll prolly get a sedan, so it wouldn't seat 6 people, plus luggage! Joe (Angelica's step-father) offered to drive two of us, if my parents can take the other two, but I don't think it's going to work out anyway, so I'm not counting on it. In which case, round trip train fare is $76 per person. So far, we're up to $177 for 4 people or $211 for 3.

Then there's the Otakon 3-day registration fee. $35 each if I send in the money before January 26th. Which, of course, I will. Louie said she's giving me the money sometime soon. She said her parents "didn't say no." I hope she can come. I wonder if Otakon gives refunds? Well, we'll see what happens. Now it's $212 for 4 or $246 for 3.

Then there's food. I'd estimate $20 per day, per person. I don't remember how accurate that estimate is 'cause I hardly remember eating during Otakon, but I'm pretty sure that'd cover it, anyway. Which is $60 per person, which is $272 for 4 people or $306 for 3.

That's not too bad, actually.

Then, of course, if you add the $161 for my costume, $161 for Angelica's costume, or the $236 for Liz's costume…. Well, then. That's an average of $186… or $458 if Louie goes, $492 if she doesn't.

ITAI.

And I haven't even started on spending money! I think last year I spent about $150. Uh… I know the actual amount I spent is somewhere in the archives here…. ::goes to check:: …cheesy elevator music plays… ::comes back:: Ah yes, here it is: entry 08.21.01. It was actually $140. So that comes to about $600 with Louie, $634 without.

Sheesh. How'd I end up spending so much anyway? Most of the time it seems like I'm down to my last $20.

O_O

THAT is the question.

The answer is... who knows? Who cares? I don’t need Midorikawa-san to like it in order to revel in it myself, ne? (::cups hands around mouth and yells:: 2x1 RULES!!!! ::stops and clears throat::)

Mochiron.

Anyway… Hikaru-san’s (oh, don’t mind me, I’m going to be switching from last name to first name to -san to -sama at will… no offense intended, just me being lazy… besides it’s MY journal!) panel at Otakon was great. It was awesome hearing him speak in person… that voice straight out of some of my… oddest… dreams, not to mention my favorite anime. =D His sound effects were cool, and it was definitely sugoi to hear him do some of his chara’s voices. It was so exciting.

One of my favorite parts was when someone asked who his closest friend in the seiyuu world was and he answered that it was Okiayu Ryoutarou! (Of course, I knew it all along. I don’t know how it could be anyone else… they have done countless anime together, they were in E.M.U. together…. what more do you need in the way of evidence?) The other part I died over was when someone asked about Koyasu Takehito. (If you’ve been paying attention ::points finger up to LJ user ID:: you’d realize that I *love* Koyasu.) I forget just what the question was, but his answer was that Koyasu was a very odd person. LOL. That’s me, forever destined to fall for ‘odd’ people. Oh yes, I remember the question now… it was… damn, I forgot it again. Whatever. Oh yes! It was about a quote from a magazine! Koyasu had apparently said something about Midorikawa… damn, I lost it again. Maybe if I remember for real, I’ll post it. Anyway, the answer was about Koyasu being a very odd person, thinking that Midorikawa-san’s voice is "cute" (LOL) and always hanging about him… Hikaru said something about how when they’d finish saying their lines, Koyasu would come up behind him and whisper into his ear about how he loved Hikaru’s "cute little voice." God, I died over that. If Koyasu had made an appearance at Otakon I think I would have DIED. I really don’t know how I would have survived the fact that might heart would probably beat right out of my chest. I dunno… I probably would’ve come back to life just to get a glimpse of him. That bastard. But what I meant to say was that having Hikaru talk about him was doing a pretty good job of killing me all by itself. It somehow made Koyasu more real… he really is a person and not just a figment of the collective over-active imaginations of millions of fangirls across the country! My life has been validated! I can die happy now! Oh, except that I haven’t met him yet. I guess then I’ll be able to die happy. With things like that running through my mind at faster-than-light-speed, it’s a wonder I even got past that first mention of Koyasu from Hikaru’s lips…

But I did; I survived to hear that Koyasu is obviously the perverted YAOI hentai I’d always believed him to be! Another round of My life has been validated! ran through my mind. Even now, whenever I think about it, it tickles me to know that he’s even more of a freak than I had originally suspected/hoped. That bastard. Why can’t he live somewhere a little more accessible? Or at least make a visit to the states where I’d be able to see him… have him sign something of mine… you know, one of the five hundred CDs of his that I have because I’m obsessed, but don’t understand more than 5 words of…?

That bastard.

Whoa. When did this become a Koyasu rant? ::drags self back on-topic::

Well, as I wrote to someone over email, this is what happened with the whole Hikaru signing thing (as in, the autograph session?):

It all started a few weeks ago when I was about to bid on a 2x1 doujinshi that was up for auction on ebay. Just before placing my bid I looked at the high-bidder's ID and realized that it was one of my online friends who was high bidder. So I decided not to outbid her... and emailed her to let her know that I couldn't POSSIBLY outbid her knowing that I knew her. Well, Sharon won that particular dj. A week or two later she emailed me back saying that she ended up getting an extra copy of the same dj, so we'd simply HAVE to meet at Otakon so that she could give me the extra copy as a gift. (Isn't that sweet?)

In any case, we met at Otakon, she gifted me with a beautiful 2x1 hentai yaoi doujinshi with Heero in a frilly pink apron/dress with his butt-cheeks sticking out. ^_~ Well, if you were there, you'd know that eventually, the Otakon staff had us down to one item each to be signed by Midorikawa-san. Well, there was someone on line who was just waiting with his friend (fig-chan!), so I asked him if he could get my magazine (Seiyuu Grand Prix) signed by Hikaru and he so kindly agreed, so that was taken care of. What I had left with me to decide between was the hentai dj or a very nice GW/Heero shitajiki (the one with him alone, with the earth in the background).

I really wanted that dj signed, but I was WAAAAY too shy/embarrassed/chicken-shit to ask him to sign it, so my very bold/brave/shameless/Hikaru-worshipping best friend traded items with me. She had my yaoi dj signed and I had her Tamahome cel signed.

So, we finally got up to the table where he was signing and she put the dj down on the table in front of him and he leaned down as if to sign it, then actually SAW what was in front of him, jerked back in reaction, hesitated, giggled a little, said "Sugoi na!" and then leaned down to sign it right on Heero's ass! I was CRACKING UP the whole time! ::snicker:: There was a Japanese woman with him at the table, along with the translator from the panel earlier in the day. I don't know if that was his wife or not, but she was cracking up too. =D

Hikaru-sama’s sig on Heero’s bare ass!
(Once again, right-click & open in new window ‘cause geocities is hidoi!)

((more to come soon? maybe less ranting? want some cosplay photos?))

...on my wallet, that is. ^_~

Actually, all things considered, I don't think I did too badly. I think I spent about $140 not including room, food, and transportation. ::gulp:: Really. That's not so bad. ::sigh:: Whatever.

The most expensive thing I got was at the art auction. If you saw the baka who paid $72 for the BEAUTIFUL framed print of Mana from Malice Mizer, well, that was me. ::raises hand:: Yes, I think I was baka to pay that much for it, but on the other hand, I *really* fell in love with it and I don't regret paying that much for it 'cause I just HAD to have it, so.... everyone's happy. Except, of course, the person that got into the bidding war with me for it. LOL. I'd kind of like to know who that was anyway. I hope it wasn't Awa! I really like her and would hate to be the one who outbid her!

At 10 bids, the work of art goes to auction and I think I remember placing the 2nd bid at $28. Outbid at $38, then I put $50, they put I think $60, I put $63, they put $65, I put $67, they put $71... that was the 9th bid. So I had to decide whether I wanted to outbid them and chance it at auction or just give it up. So I put the 10th bid at $72 and it went to auction. Lucky for me, it was actually the 2nd item up for auction and I was right there. No one bid on it at auction, so I won it for the $72. I couldn't decide at the time if that was a good thing or not. After all, I had to shell out the $72, right? But hey, Mana's worth it. =D

In any case, I also got an original (not a print! yay!) of Malice Mizer chibis! ($12) Done in ink, watercolor and crayon! =D LOL. It's that picture where all 4 of them are standing in front of a staircase, Mana is standing on a step because he's slightly above them... I forget which song/look the outfits are from. They're not the "Saikai no chi to bara" outfits, nor the "Kyoumu" outfits, nor the "Shiroi" outfits. o.O* Nor are they the "Beast of Blood" outfits, nor are they the "Gardenia" outfits. (Helpful, aren't I?) I guess it was just a promo shot. Mana has his blue hair, Kozi has that short, straight, black hair with the one reddish streak in the front. Klaha looks like he usually does. Yu~ki has the short straight haircut, though... oh, and his cane! (Which I find to be just SOOOO adorable!)

Hmm... I also got a really nice ink-marker-and-pencil of Cyprine from Sailor Moon S. ($10) Although the artist labeled it "Puchirol", but it's the one with blue hair, which is Cyprine. The one with red hair is Puchirol.

That was it for the art gallery. Oh, and the $72 for Mana wasn't that bad 'cause my sister split the cost with me! Kakkoii, na?!

At the dealer's room, I did some damage, but not too much. Not like a LOT of people there. I guess I understand how people spend so much at the dealer's room -- a lot of them live in places where getting anime merchandise is hard to find... stuff like J-pop/J-rock CDs, manga, artbooks and the like. I guess I'm lucky 'cause there are a lot of places here in NYC where I can get that stuff... and cheap, too, not like those OUTRAGEOUS prices in the dealer's room and even certain stores here. ($35-40 for a J-rock CD?!) Well, I guess I *have* paid that much for certain J-rock and seiyuu CDs (Buck-Tick, Koyasu & Hayami), but those were all shipped from Japan. So, I understand why it costs so much. And manga... I was passing by a table that had manga & artbooks and this girl was picking up every volume of Gravitation they had! I KNOW Gravitation is hard to find, but you could order it used from Acclimate Solutions or something, or even from Kinokuniya for less than they were charging! And she said something about dropping around $200 in her first 5 minutes in the dealer's room! Itai!!!!

So I didn't get any manga, although those Gravitation volumes *were* tempting. ^_~ The only thing I'm willing to spend a lot on in the dealer's room is shitajiki (pencil boards), doujinshi, and cels. I bought a Kizuna shitajiki for $5.25, which was very reasonable. (I must admit that the shitajiki prices in the dealer's room this year were VERY reasonable.) I know there was one table with shitajiki for $4 each, a deal my sister took great advantage of. If they'd had a better selection I would have bought some too. But I did do some damage in the shitajiki department, buying a Hotohori shitajiki for $30. Last year I never would have paid that much for it, but a year's worth of ebay experience has shown me JUST how much Hotohori ends up selling for, and I'd say $30 was a fair price. It's *sometimes* possible to get a Hotohori shitajiki for less than that, but not by much, and with shipping it comes out to about the same anyway. There *was* an AWESOME Sailor Moon shitajiki that I *loved* -- even before I realized that it was signed by Takeuchi Naoko! It was $75!!! If I hadn't bought Mana for $72, I DEFINITELY would have gone back to buy that SM shitajiki! I *really* loved the image that was on it, which is the first thing that grabbed my attention. Only after I saw how much it cost did I realize it was signed by the mangaka!

Doujiinshi. Last year had a MUCH better selection of dj!!! I *did* find the table that had YAOI doujinshi last year, but this year's selection was nothing compared to last year! It was mostly Kenshin, and while I *do* like Rurouni Kenshin YAOI doujinshi, I am not willing to spend $35 on just about 20 pages. I only go that high for YAOI Gundam Wing (1x2/2x1) dj or hentai Kare Kano dj (YAOI or het), and possibly some exceptional hentai (het or YAOI) Sailor Moon dj. There was some of that too (the SM), but it wasn't anything special; a lot of the usual yuri stuff. So, this year's YAOI selection was lacking, and the other dj was more of the same old-same old. But I *did* find another table that had some hentai dj -- you had to be lucky enough to think to *ask* if they had dj, and then lucky enough to be over 18 (or at least lucky enough to have some good fake ID that says you are). Lucky for me, I *am* over 18. =D So I got to rifle through what they had, which wasn't much, and a lot of them were doubles anyway. There was a lot of the usual – Evangelion (yuck), some Lain, a few unknowns (to me, at least). They had a few Kare Kano. One was a sort of small one (about 20 pages) for $15, but it did come with a nice clear folder. The other one was sort of an anthology doujinshi – a lot of little stories. It was pretty thick, though. That one went for $35. Oddly enough, I had bid on that very dj on ebay back in… January, I think. But I didn’t go over $28 for it then, and I didn’t really want it badly enough to pay $35 for it. So, I passed over that one for the smaller (but very satisfying) $15 dj with the folder. (I think the folder is what sold me on it, LOL.)

Oh, and I got a REALLY kawaii Hotohori pin! Yay! You wouldn’t believe how expensive pins can get on ebay! I mean, it’s just a *pin* folks! But I was very happy to get the really kawaii Hotohori pin where he’s holding his sword for only $3. (Even the *pins* went up from last year! They were $2!) So far, Hotohori’s been very good on my bag. Duo and Heero have not yet tried to make him fall off. (Or maybe they’ve tried, but haven’t yet succeeded. I could see Heero "Bitter-over-his-past-life-as-Tamahome" Yuy trying to pry the heika off, can’t you? Although Duo and Hotohori would be entranced by each other’s hair….)

I also got a Rurouni Kenshin T-shirt. Normally, I don’t really like to buy anime T-shirts that have the American release name on them, but I did want a Kenshin (why Samurai X? blech!!!) shirt and the place I got it from was off of a sale rack. $10. So, I gave in. I’m a sucker for a sale.

Another place I gave in because of a sale: commercial anime videos. Grrr. I am definitely weak-willed. Sunday was the sale day in the dealer’s room. The merchants want to get rid of as much stuff as they can before they pack up and go back to their stores. I’m not sure if they were there last year (if they were, I didn’t see them), but a lot of the companies that buy the copyrights to anime and dub and sub them for the American audience’s viewing pleasure were there this year. U.S. Manga Corps, Viz, Pioneer?, some others I can’t remember at the moment. They had sales too. So I passed the U.S. Manga Corps table and they were having a 3 for $20 sale. Not bad at all, I have to admit. Usually, I won’t buy commercial if there’s ANY POSSIBLE WAY for me to avoid it. I *hate* supporting commercial companies with a passion! They hack the anime to pieces – whether it be dub OR sub! I am a staunch FANSUB SUPPORTER! Please don’t be offended, you know, each is entitled to their own opinion, and all that. I can rant with the best of them for or against fansubs, I know all the arguments and I understand why people buy and support commercial stuff, I just happen to disagree. Well, anyway. The reason I gave in in this instance was because they had RG Veda Part 2. I have RG Veda (Part 1, I think) in the original Japanese form (that is, no subs, and it’s not a copy either) so, although I didn’t understand completely what was going on, I wanted to see more. (And, I admit, hear more from one of my FAVORITE seiyuu, Hayami Sho, who plays Yasha.) So, I had to find two other videos in order to make the deal worth it, so I got Tokyo Babylon 1 and 2. I also don’t mind buying these so much because they’re not available as fansubs. I’ve NEVER seen them fansubbed ANYWHERE. (If anyone reading this HAS, please email me?)

So that just about covers the $140 I spent on anime stuff. ‘Course that doesn’t factor in cameras, developing costs, hotel costs, food costs, transportation costs. Ah well, it’s better not to think of these things.


((more ranting to follow))

...since I've written in my LJ. I feel bad; like I've neglected it. Not that anyone reads this, of course, but...

Anyway, lots of things have been happening lately. Doesn't it always seem that way? I've been packing up to move by the end of August. Moving a few miles away... not out of state or anything. (I think I'd die if I had to move out of state.) I really do. I don't ever want to leave NYC. I mean, permanently. Sure, I'd love to live in Japan for a while, and maybe London. But I think I'd want to come back to NYC in the long run. In fact, I don't even want to move the few miles I *am* moving. o.O* Grrr. It's a little more out of the way than I already am from the city... just add an extra half an hour to forty minutes of travel by (yucky!) bus. (I hate the bus, I much prefer the subway.)

But in any case... there's that. There's also Otakon coming up on August 10th. My costume's only half done. ::glares:: I'm stressing.

Not to mention the money I've been trying to raise/save in order to spend it at Otakon. Isn't that vaguely disturbing? Anyway, I've been putting up things on auction at ebay like there's no tomorrow. (And there isn't, practically.) So far, I've raised some pretty good money, but every little bit helps.

Come, good reader, bid on my auction. Help thyself to something thou probably need not... my ebay auctions.

On the bright side, I've been staying away from Chinatown, and therefore DDR. I have resisted spending money on playing that horrifyingly addicting game! Instead, minna-san will be glad to know that I spent my hard earned money on playing pool. Yes, a worthy recepticle for which money I should be saving has, instead, gone into. I have to admit, though, that you haven't played pool until you play pool with the G-boys. That 2-ball is the most frustrating...! (I won't even go into it.) And the 6--- beware the 6; Zechs apparently doesn't like being shot into the side pockets. He refuses!

And, to add to my list of stressful happenings... my boss has decided to close the store on Sundays. So I will have 6 less hours (of my whopping 17-hour week) with which to make money. Oh joy. And just before Otakon, for which I needed to make MORE money. I hate it when things like this work out so perfectly as to foil all your plans!!!!

::stressed::

Can you see the steam rising from my head? Yes? Hmm... I'll have to find a way to hide that. People will look at me strangely. Well, even more strangely than they already do. x_x

I just found out that Sharon is going to be at Otakon! Yay! She started out writing me feedback for one of my fics (Something I Can Never Have) and we soon became good fic-discussing buddies.

She recently emailed me and I mentioned that I'd be going to Otakon (when she mentioned she'd be going to Shoujocon). Then she wrote back saying that she'd be at Otakon too! So, I'll get to meet her -- I'm really excited; it's fun to meet online friends, ne?!

I think I'm so excited I'm quite speechless...

LOL!