Arisia wrap-up: The moment everyone's been waiting for [citation needed]

If I had the energy or the inclination to go back through the archives (spoiler: I don't), I'm pretty sure I'd find that the past several years of Arisia summaries consist of me going, "I need to do an Arisia summary. Watch this space." And so, with a flourish, I break my unbroken record of torpor and neglect! List format, natch:

• A boatload of thanks to felisdemens, John and Jenny (forgetting LJ handles on both counts, for we have all been away, haven't we?) for sharing their room and their companionship. Y'all know you rock, but I'll point it out again anyway.


• The main highlight of the weekend was getting to hang with cluegirl and make with the music-making. Murder Ballads didn't have an official gig this year, so we winged it, rehearsing in public spaces, hitting the Saturday open mic, and finally on Sunday afternoon doing a surprise ninja gig/lobby-busking session at the top of the escalators, with marnen on fiddle pushing us firmly into Rawk Star territory. We had a blast, nearly sold out of the CDs we'd brought without half trying, and got to trot out our latest, "White Stag," which...yeah, that one's definitely a keeper. (If you wandered past one of our rehearsals at the right moment, you'd have gotten to hear a bit of the other new one, "Spider and Wasp." Should be street-ready by next time.) We need to do this more often.


• A knot of us spent a good amount of time trying to identify a fantastic group cosplay in the lobby put together by at least a dozen women: crisp uniforms, elegant scarves, Middle Eastern styling. Turned out to be a flight crew on shore leave.


• I didn't costume up at all, aside from the Utilikilt. That was a mistake. I know I was one-bagging it because of having to take the T in, but that is no excuse at all. Next year for sure.


• With lbitw and primal_pastry, our room closed out Friday by doing shots of root beer vodka blended with Emergen-C, a concoction lovingly dubbed "Ipecac Splendor." It tasted like a Valentine's conversation heart, if candy were both liquid and capable of dry-cleaning your sinus cavities. On the other hand, I shared sleeping accommodations with someone with early-onset con crud and left with my breathing apparatus intact, so I'll take it.


• On Saturday, I danced. I DANCED. As in got on the dance floor at the dance party with all the dancers dancing and danced. That never happens. ("Military Fashion Show" came on. I had no choice.) I managed a whole song and a half before my ankles reminded me I was wearing stompy boots and suggested I sit the fuck down, but man, it was a Good Thing. I am calling that my personal growth moment of the weekend.


• I was in bed by 1:30 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning, but got up again at 2 with the sense that there was something going on. What was going on was an impromptu jam session in the lobby: cello, melodica, guitar, bongos and doubek, transitioning from a sprawling Middle Eastern groove to a jazzy breakdown of "Scarborough Fair." Sleep be damned.


• Upped my game playing ratio this year by playing two whole games instead of one. That meant I was in the game room when the Patriots won, signaled the room monitor bellowing, "For those who want to know about the game, WE'REGOINGTOTHESUPERBOWL!!" followed by a three-second silence, followed by two whole people going, "Woo!" (I tried for a rousing, "Go, sports team!" but I don't think my efforts were appreciated.)


• I got hijacked to the midnight shadowcast showing of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Sunday night. I still think shadowcasting is kind of pointless a lot of the time, but hey, it's fun shouting at the screen, so it was a net positive experience.

All in all, I'm pleased with how the weekend unfolded. Arisia was something of a difficult proposition, coming off of a long stretch of social avoidance and not having a lot of emotional energy to bring to bear, but I adjusted my expectations and sat when I needed to sit and set limits with the people I needed to set limits with, and ended up returning to work on Tuesday with actual unfeigned pep, rather than the con-crash Eeyore-trudge I've sometimes faced in years past, so I'll take it. To everyone I ran into (I know better than to try and list everyone), it was great to see you, and hopefully I'll be keeping the blinds open a little more.