* The Jen Network *
©Lucky Bast III
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 | No. I didn't actually miss Acen. Unlike last year, I can't really put much detail into this, or even divide it into days. Last year I was trying to remember everything so that I could tell everyone and this year I went with friends and ENJOYED myself without worrying about trying to remember anything. Okay so maybe the days and weeks before ACEN I was all uptight because I kept thinking I'd forgotten something (I had - I'd forgotten my Yugi-oh cards)
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But all went well! I drive from Indy to Schererville on Wednesday afternoon, and get a room at the Plaza. I don't know why I always stay there. I like the fact that it's family owned and RIGHT off the highways, but the locks don't and the towels are threadbare! They CLAIM to have fridges in each room but I don't have one. The bedspreads were nice, but the sheets had holes in them. The room hasn't been cleaned since the last occupant - well, the beds have been made and the towels were fresh (?) but the trashcan is still full. Plus the price is 40$ a night. But it's familiar, they take my debit card as a credit card, they are SUPER nice people that run it and it's right down the street from Ron's apartment, a McDonald's that sells bags of ice, and Strack-N-VanTill's. Plus it's at the corner of two interstates, like I said. Ah well. I guess it's because I've stayed there every trip north that I haven't spent with family. So I get my room and lay down for a second and turn on the TV. I must decide - shop tonight or shop in the morning. I have to take a shower tonight and be at the Union station in Chicago (for the first time in my life) by noon. Hmmm. Oooh! Look! Law and order is on! Now. Fact: Maeyan gets sucked into Law and Order like light get's sucked into a Black Hole. SO... Said fact being a fact, I end up laying on the bed watching the ep like my next breath depends on the ending credits. Which finally roll, but instead of the end music the opening voice-over begins again! Yay another episode! Must be a back-to-back thing! Decision-Time: I'll watch this ep and then go to the store.
Apparently it's not a back to back thing so much as it is a MARATHON! and they are not putting commercial breaks inbetween episodes! Oh the cruelty! About four episodes in, there is a fraction of black between the credits and the opening of the next show and I manage to find the power button on the TV. I then am filled with such an urge to turn the TV back on that I end up tossing the remote to the other bed and actually going outside. Damnit! It's storming. Yay. I can't SEE in the dark AND the rain. But I have to shop, so I manage to get into the car and not kill anyone as I hunch over the steering wheel trying to see the road. It was at this point that I made a desperate phone call to MPoetess, so that if I died she would at least have a frantic dying message from me stating that I was old and would never be able to drive at night again. I think I cried, but I won't admit it if you ask me. So then I spend two hours and 80$ on groceries o_O; at Strack's. MPoetess had warned me that it was more expensive up there, but I didn't care until I got to the check out. But I did the "pleasegothrough" credit card dance and all was well. I had 200$ cash on me in case something went horrible wrong, budget-wise, that is, but I WANTED to spend that at the con. I was also carrying it because that stupid ATM at the Hyatt charges, like, 5$ per transaction. Yeesh. I got the groceries to the motel room and put the meat in cold cold water for the night. The yoghurt pretty much died, so that went into the trash can. But then it was on sale, 2 for a dollar, so it was pretty close to expiring as it was. The rest of the food I packed in the bag I'd borrowed from MPoetess. Man was that now a HEAVY bag! I set my phone to wake me the next morning *hugs new cell phone* and went to take a bath. Well actually I sketched a bit (see above) and THEN went to take a bath. Funny: I used NAIR in the bath - and had forgotten about it, then dipped my head into the bathwater. Whoops! I had not planned on washing my hair that night, but ended up doing so cause I had this lovely image of the nair causing my hair to fall out over night. It didn't. SO maybe not so funny?
Part Two: Is every building in Chicago called Union Station? Part One: See? It all started okay this year.
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