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slipjig3Something was up. I didn't know what, but something was definitely up. I knew this even days before we left for Cambridge, when ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rafaela grilled me out of the clear blue.
"Hey, Adam," she said, "do you have anything going on at 5 p.m. on Saturday?"
"Ermmm, not to the best of my knowledge. Why do y—"
"NO REASON," she answered, and changed the subject.
Well, then.
Once at Arisia, the time of 5 p.m. on Saturday came up in casual conversation a few other times, usually between people who weren't me. And thenshadesong cornered me, insisting that I absolutely, unquestionably had to come to her "Take Back the Sci-Fi" panel at five, and that this was completely non-optional because she needed me around to help with Idiot Control if any jackasses in the audience started speaking through their nether orifices. It was an awesome panel, to be sure, but there were no mouth-breathers in evidence, and 'Song, asim, cluegirl and aquila_dominus had all kept a good hand on the proceedings. I went up to congratulate 'Song on a job well done when she took me by the arm.
"Come with me," she said.
She led me out to the lobby, to the Niche (which I'll describe later), and standing there were a couple dozen people, all of whom I knew and loved, all looking my way and smiling.
They had a cake for me.
No, not just a cake. So much more than a cake.
See, Arisia for me is all about the people, and always has been. I spend most of my time pinballing around the hotel, running into friends I haven't seen in ages, hanging out and collecting hugs to store up for when I've returned to Glens Falls and they're in short supply. It's my one chance to surround myself with something that's hard to find here, to drink in that comfort and energy—the first words out of my mouth when I stepped into the lobby on Friday were "I'm home." I go in expecting to get close to those who are dear to me, and I do.
This? This was above and beyond. My birthday plans had been a bit of bust through no one's fault, so well before Arisia even started,felisdemens had put the wheels in motion, contacting everyone she could find who knew me, everyone she knew who would want to be there to wish me a happy birthday. Meanwhile, fiddle_dragon, all the way from Minnesota, went about ordering the enormous and utterly delicious cake, and arranging for a local coworker to deliver it to the hotel. And then people did show up there in the lobby to wait for me, and even the ones who couldn't make it continued to stop me for the next day and a half to wish me the best and apologize for not being able to make it.
And it was for one reason,felisdemens told me: to give me the message that I am loved, by people who want to see me happy.
I melted. I melted so hard that I may never become solid again. Three days later, hopeless sap that I am, I still can't think about it without crying a little more; I'm tearing up as I type this, and I've already written and rewritten this post a dozen times in my head. Just...I have no words, except for those in the voice post I left on Saturday night: I have the best friends in the entire universe.
Thank you all. You have my love and my gratitude, always.
(Next: Arisia—The Necessities of Life Part 4: Shelter.)
rafaela grilled me out of the clear blue."Hey, Adam," she said, "do you have anything going on at 5 p.m. on Saturday?"
"Ermmm, not to the best of my knowledge. Why do y—"
"NO REASON," she answered, and changed the subject.
Well, then.
Once at Arisia, the time of 5 p.m. on Saturday came up in casual conversation a few other times, usually between people who weren't me. And then
shadesong cornered me, insisting that I absolutely, unquestionably had to come to her "Take Back the Sci-Fi" panel at five, and that this was completely non-optional because she needed me around to help with Idiot Control if any jackasses in the audience started speaking through their nether orifices. It was an awesome panel, to be sure, but there were no mouth-breathers in evidence, and 'Song, asim, cluegirl and aquila_dominus had all kept a good hand on the proceedings. I went up to congratulate 'Song on a job well done when she took me by the arm."Come with me," she said.
She led me out to the lobby, to the Niche (which I'll describe later), and standing there were a couple dozen people, all of whom I knew and loved, all looking my way and smiling.
They had a cake for me.
No, not just a cake. So much more than a cake.
See, Arisia for me is all about the people, and always has been. I spend most of my time pinballing around the hotel, running into friends I haven't seen in ages, hanging out and collecting hugs to store up for when I've returned to Glens Falls and they're in short supply. It's my one chance to surround myself with something that's hard to find here, to drink in that comfort and energy—the first words out of my mouth when I stepped into the lobby on Friday were "I'm home." I go in expecting to get close to those who are dear to me, and I do.
This? This was above and beyond. My birthday plans had been a bit of bust through no one's fault, so well before Arisia even started,
felisdemens had put the wheels in motion, contacting everyone she could find who knew me, everyone she knew who would want to be there to wish me a happy birthday. Meanwhile, fiddle_dragon, all the way from Minnesota, went about ordering the enormous and utterly delicious cake, and arranging for a local coworker to deliver it to the hotel. And then people did show up there in the lobby to wait for me, and even the ones who couldn't make it continued to stop me for the next day and a half to wish me the best and apologize for not being able to make it.And it was for one reason,
felisdemens told me: to give me the message that I am loved, by people who want to see me happy.I melted. I melted so hard that I may never become solid again. Three days later, hopeless sap that I am, I still can't think about it without crying a little more; I'm tearing up as I type this, and I've already written and rewritten this post a dozen times in my head. Just...I have no words, except for those in the voice post I left on Saturday night: I have the best friends in the entire universe.
Thank you all. You have my love and my gratitude, always.
(Next: Arisia—The Necessities of Life Part 4: Shelter.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 02:15 am (UTC)*mwah* it was a delight to participate in helping to make sure the message was delivered loud and clear :)
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 02:57 am (UTC)Happy Birthday, Adam!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 03:07 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 03:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 03:55 am (UTC)(That could be in a crossword.)
Love,
Your friend
Chris
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 06:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 10:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 12:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 02:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 03:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:37 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 04:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 03:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 06:00 pm (UTC)The word got passed, the love got shared, and YOU GOT SERVED. In the good way.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-20 09:17 pm (UTC)And the cake is so. damn. appropriate. :D I'm elated that you were able to share your "unbirthday" with such wonderful people.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-01-21 03:40 pm (UTC)Next year, we'll get you to Arisia if we have to drive down to PA, hogtie you and drag you there personally.