Well. After the whirlwind of activity that was Friday and Saturday, Sunday was looking like a more laid-back, wind-up-the-weekend kind of day. Another quick breakfast in our room (think that was the morning we broke into the apple pies), then down to the Dealers’ Room for me to spend a Morning with Art. I’d yet to place any bids at all on the Art ( Read more... )

So, Saturday.

After a quick breakfast in our room, Soggy and I kicked off the day by doing something we’d long talked about but never actually done: taking a walking tour to check out some of the other hotels used by AC. Just across the street from the Westin was the Drury, a hotel based in a converted bank building. (They even still had the vaults ( Read more... )

Picking up on Friday morning, Soggy and I decided to hit the Courtyard cafe to see what they had on offer for breakfast. And glad were we that we did, because I ended up with an entree I never even knew existed: banana bread French toast. The menu stated the dish weighed in at over 1,000 calories, but who counts calories on vacation? So, I ordered ( Read more... )

This year, I convinced Soggy to delay his arrival in Glen Rock to somewhere in the 8:00-8:30 range, even though we’d be making the outward trip on July Fourth, and the only previous time we did so, my Friendly Neighborhood Otter had us on the road a good hour or more before that out of fear of heavy holiday traffic. Well, none was encountered that ( Read more... )

For years now, I’ve been saying that my “best AC” was probably 2011, when I got to not only meet the inestimable Geo Holms for the first and (sadly) only time so far, but also, for the first and only time, serve as a fursuiter’s spotter and handler. That whole experience upped the enjoyment factor of the con for me that year, and it’s been tough to ( Read more... )

For Day Three, it was out with the Other John and back in with John E, who also picked me up around 9:30 in the morning, which also got us there in plenty of time to spare for the first act. Unlike the previous day, however, we found the doors to the venue still barred at 10:30, in spite of prior announcements that doors opened at 10am. Guess the ( Read more... )

For the first time ever, I attended all three days of ProgStock.

The Other John picked me up right around our agreed-upon time of 9:30 Saturday morning and, after fiddling with his gps for a few moments, he had us on our way to Rahway for a packed day of proggy goodness.

With no weekday rush hour traffic to contend with, we were at the venue by 10: ( Read more... )

Another year, another ProgStock.

Or, at least that’s the way it seems. The festival is only in its second year, but the 2019 edition has already been officially announced, so it’s beginning to look as if this might become as much an annual tradition for me as Anthrocon.

When I went last year on Friday and Sunday, and was blown away by the richness ( Read more... )

I never knew milk could be so expensive.

( Read more... )

And so Soggy and I got a splendid night’s blissful, uninterrupted rest that Sunday, to leave us refreshed and energized to take on the return trip home …

Naw, just kidding.

Sunday night was, if anything, even worse than Saturday, even if no further fire alarms were pulled.

( Read more... )