… that’s what it said on the cake we had to throw away tonight. It was barely touched; only a small slice had been removed from the full sheet that smelled distinctly like cotton candy from where I stood. The three of us put the convention to bed, moving the last of the equipment to their origins or putting them into the storage at the hotel for later pick-up. ConOps seems eerily quiet to me right now, sitting here at my desk and remembering the weekend.
I took a quiet stroll through the park-like block of Buchanan north of Japan Center, looking around and smiling quietly to myself. As the artificially-lit Pagoda came into view, I felt the nostalgic strings of my heart pull tightly against my brain as little bubbles of memory reminded me how for a couple of days in September, this was our Japantown. I will always carry with me the experiences of this weekend; the events that happened, the new friends that were made. I will remember with clarity the party at the DOT, the Karaoke challenge that I’m not sure I won, and the commune that we created here for all the local fans who attended.
It was far from perfect at times, but it was worth it. Though I lament the tasks I accept at times, the fruits of our labors are rewards in themselves. I don’t think I could have asked for a better team of people to work with.
*cough* you want to know what’s funny? That tiny slice was removed from Chris and myself lol. It was about 4am, after the wonderful Karaoke gift, and we were getting our things from the Inn and I noticed the cake and how it was untouched 🙁 So we decided to take a tiny piece of it and it was quite enjoyable. I wish we all could have enjoyed it together though. I’m sorry you had to throw it away 🙁
Thanks for a great weekend though. It was one of the most fun I’ve had in quite awhile and I’m happy to have met and worked with you all!
*chuckle* That is pretty funny. I considered having a slice, myself, but… eh, I guess I just wasn’t that hungry that night.
I’m glad you had fun. 🙂
— ZC