Go to Dragon*Con 2009

So originally I was not going to be able to go as plans had changed and I was unable to find a room to stay in. But a good and gracious co-worker came to my rescue and offered me space in her room. So viola! Miracles do occur!

It was a lot of fun if somewhat stressful. I’m still adjusting to life as a “professional” at these events. It’s just so hard not to geek out completely and unleash the babbling fangirl.

It was a different convention and can I just tell you how amazing VIP registration is at Dragon*Con? OMG. It was the best experience ever. No lines. No crowds. In and out in five minutes. When does that ever happen!?

10 years in Atlanta and I had never been to Dragon.Con. Now I don’t want to miss another one! It was a great time with a great group of people (about 40,000), and some of the most wild and creative outfits I have ever seen. It was Halloween on a factory scale and I was truly impressed. We wandered around for hours upon hours, checking people out, taking photos, talking with folks, making new friends and even meeting old friends! (Despite the crush of people and our own costumes, we met two young women whom we have crossed paths with at events in Savannah and New Orleans. It was great to see them again and catch up)

We wandered, wondered, shopped, browsed art, talked shop with computer gamers (I totally faked it, they totally knew it), and brushed elbows with celebrities (Malcom McDowell and Bruce Boxleitner are celebrities!). We also decided that next year we are sooooo getting a room downtown. We mixed and socialized until 2 am, only leaving because we just had to get home and let the dog out. We also registered for Frolicon in April. It is a much more adult version of Dragon.Con and also looks to be great fun. It is only in its 5th year (D*C is in its 23rd), and I don’t want to write another entry about how I waited 10 years to do that.

We had so much fun S. wondered aloud how we finally got around to actually doing it. I laid it firmly at the door of “being on my list of 43 Things”.

Costume assembles, such as it is. Really going for the fun of it. Plan to take lots of photos and check out the really creative people who make this event so great every year (or so I hear). Depending on how much fun we have, and how crazy it is getting downtown, parking, walking, all the necessary evils of conventions, we may opt for getting rooms right downtown next year.

Photos of costumes to follow.

I guess I do better under deadline pressure. Now that D*C is only three & a half days away, my final costume plans are coalescing nicely. The list below isn’t final, but it’s getting close to it.

Thursday day: regular street wear

Thursday night: Southern Belle – hoopskirt, parasol, the whole she-bang.

Friday day: Dementor (with two other friends, which will be fun)

Friday night: Evil Inter-galatic Empress

Saturday day: Renfaire attire

Saturday night: Green Dragon

Sunday day: Red Dragon

Sunday night: Mad Scientist (for the ball, doncha know)

Monday day: regular street attire

I’ve finished making one of the three Dementor robes; need to do the other two. If time permits, I will make the Green Dragon back & tail… otherwise, the outfit will morph into a general snake lady.

Ah, yes! The boots I ordered for my costume arrived today and they fit great! A little breaking in needed but very nice. I always hold my breath buying any item of clothing online.

Two weeks to go and I am really looking forward the the fun and festivities. I don’t know how many events or programs we will attend, I suspect we will mostly walk around and enjoy the company of all the other attendees. Planning to gather with some friends from Meetup.com, maybe run across a few 43Thingers, too?...

(Oh, no picture of the boots until the costume is completed. S. can’t know what it is yet, but she’s been known to snoop!)

I have to be very dilligent about things like this. They like to ambush me with last minute events, dashing my plans, when I have them. I made a point to tell them I would be out of town and unavailable the weekend of Dragon.Con.

S. has her costume all planned out, leaving me to scramble for something that looks like it wasn’t put together at the last minute. Which, of course, it probably will be.

So far, I’ve got 50% of a new costume together. Of course I can always re-wear the ones I put together for last year – I’d just prefer to have a different set for at least a few of the days.

Instead of being in costume all day and all night, this year I’d like to don the costumes for evenings only. The temperature management issue (Georgia in the peak heat season) can’t be underestimated! It’s a lot easier to keep cool during the day when not in full costume.

Contemplating costume options…

I had such a wonderful time at DragonCon last year that I vowed to go again this year. I’ve purchased the membership (aka ticket); and scheduled the time off. I’ve got a half a hotel room (sharing with someone else), so I can spend my time at the Con rather than driving back & forth.

Now I want to line up my costumes! Last year, I did 4 days of a single theme: variations on a dragonness. I’d like to be able to figure out something different for this year; using elements I already have to keep the cost down.

Dragon.Con 2009 will be held Labor Day weekend (September 4 – September 7, 2009) in Atlanta, GA.

All of the Dragon.Con host hotels (Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, and Sheraton) are sold out for the 2009 show, so it is a good thing I live in town. Still may look at trying to find a room near the convention.