20 September 2013

Friday miscellany

I keep forgetting to write Friday's post. This week I haven't!

I've downloaded the You Are Your Own Gym app for my phone, and I've made it through the first two weeks. I'm calling this Operation "what? dammit, those jeans fit three months ago. I don't want to buy new pants." Not much change as yet, but it's still quite early. Unfortunately, it's also getting into the time of year when pants are a necessity. Hopefully I'll at least be able to put on my jeans and, you know, move around while wearing them before November, when it starts to *actually* get cold here in Carolina.

What else? I got a room in the Hilton for next year's DragonCon. The host hotel land grab is absurd (the Hilton sold out in 20 minutes), but I prefer host hotels, especially if I'm costuming. They've added a bunch of overflow hotels within reasonable walking distance, but walking a mile in costume ... not really fun.

It's just over 3 weeks until Viable Paradise. ACK. I am not prepared. Aside from the fact that it's going to be COLD up there and Yankees apparently don't believe in heat (and I don't own a whole lot of layerable clothes because it just doesn't get that cold here, y'all...I've had Thanksgiving dinner on my deck), I'm nervous about getting the critique and feeling inadequate and getting sick. Apparently everyone feels that way, so I'm not alone, but it's still nerve-wracking.

2 comments:

Philosophidian said...

For Viable Paradise, I bought a new coat and a brand new bag to pack everything in. I researched both the coat and the Eddie Bauer bag for over a month before I bought them. The coat turned out to be the wrong size, and I had to get a different one shipped overnight once it was delivered.

I obsessively packed everything in the bag and made a "dry run" to my mother's house in Alabama with the luggage just to make sure it could hold everything I needed plus a few extras like a medium jacket and some gloves and a warm hat. I took 7 days of clothes and my "winter gear" for a 2-night stay.

I bought enough dry goods (Ramen noodles, cereal, etc.) to last me all six days and had a friend use her superpower to pack it all in the smallest possible box and shipped it to the Inn to myself.

I printed out every possible thing: airline itinerary, bus passes, schedules, a map of the island. And I checked it about every two hours just to make sure it hadn't been sucked into a black hole. On the way up there, that two hours became every fifteen minutes.

Also, I recall having to have the AC running instead of the heat, but then I'm kind of hot natured. There was plenty of both, though, from what I recall.

Just remember to take some comfy 'pajama'-type stuff for . . . I can't remember if it was Thursday night or Friday night. But it was one of those nights.

You've been critiqued before. These will be no different than those, and don't forget, you get to give critiques, as well.

You've got this. :)

CD Covington said...

I don't really have the funding to buy new clothes and luggage. Also I don't check bags, ever, especially now that it costs $25 each. But I fit almost everything I needed for DragonCon (including my costume, except boots and wig) in my carry-on backpack, so. I pack light.

My quasi-dry-run was ReaderCon, which I used my backpack and a rolling carry-on that fits under the seat (for anything that needed to come out for security or that I wanted in transit). The backpack wasn't full (DragonCon let me figure out just how much I can actually fit in a 46L backpack).

The main difference between RC and VP will be the needing of warmer clothes. I have a few long-sleeved t-shirts, and a couple of them even fit under a cardigan. (Which looks like a granny cardigan because it is; thanks, gram.) I'm contemplating picking up a blanket in the airport. They're huge and lightweight but warm.

I'm cold natured, so the Yankee "it's only 50 degrees in here; who needs heat? I have outdoor clothes and blankets" thing ... NO. I heat my house to 68 and still freeze.

I worked out a ride from a Bostonian friend (and VP alum), so the part between Logan and the island is covered. (The way back, I have a ride from a classmate.) I might mail a box to her; idk. I'm happy with raisin bran and grilled cheese for a week.

My itinerary is in my portable brain unit, both in my Delta app and my email. I can cache the google map of the island in the event that the mobile signal is as bad as I hear. (Paper? Who needs paper?)

I'm planning to wear yoga pants on the plane (because they're comfy) with a long shirt. I'll take my sweatpants, and maybe jeans. Unless I get a chance to go to Marshall's or TJ Maxx and find leggings I can wear under skirts. Target only seems to sell gym leggings, which are heavier than I want. I have a fleece hoodie (covered in cat hair, because even washing it doesn't remove it all) and the cardigan. Or an LL Bean chamois shirt; it's warm and less furred.

Also I re-wear clothes, so I'd probably only bring 2-3 changes of shirts (though long/short sleeve may matter, idk).

I just hope it doesn't get cold enough that I need a real coat, because I just don't own one. I have a ski jacket, but it's not super warm on its own; it's designed for layers.

What northerners consider pleasantly cool I consider cold. :/