Sunday began bright and early, the same way that Saturday had ended :-P Like I had every other morning, I stumbled around quietly and tried to become coherent enough to actually get moving. Around 9 a.m. or so I wandered downstairs and started making my way to the NTC. I managed to get there without incident -- well, if you don't count the conversation that I had with one of the streetcar drivers:
HIM (after learning that I wanted to get to the Exhibition grounds): So what's going on at the Ex today?
ME: A Rush convention.
HIM: Huh?
ME: The rock band Rush? It's a convention for them.
HIM: Ohhhh..... Aren't they dead?
ME: Oh no, they've never gone away. In fact they're busy working on their new album right now!
HIM: Ah... hey, who's that Hadley Lee guy? The drummer?
ME: Huh?
HIM: Which one's the drummer?
ME: That would be Neil Peart.
HIM: Oh yeah, Peart.... Who's the guy with the whiny voice?
ME (attempting not to whack the guy over the head with a shoe): Well.... I don't think his voice is whiny, but that would be Geddy Lee.
HIM: Oh yeah...
*sigh* There's no hope for the ignorant... :-)
After arriving at the NTC, I helped set things up for the day, which basically consisted of putting out the auction items. I went with PhredLit to get coffee -- which spilled all over me because we were given a box to put the cups in, not an actual holder (COFFEE TIME SUCKS!) -- and then I met up with Jillian & Co. when I got back. We went and found ourselves a seat for the speakers...
Donna Halper was GREAT. She was SO funny and informative. I choked up a couple of times when she would talk about the guys' loyalty to one another and how they accept people for who they are and not who they want them to be. *sniff* I also enjoyed her jabs at Geddy's platform shoes of back in the day :-) She was really expressive and really held my attention. She was walking around on the floor in front of the stage, making eye contact with everyone, the jokes were flying, it was great!
Terry Brown's talk was also very interesting. He sat up on stage and answered 20 pre-submitted questions that had been gathered the day before. His favourite album to record was A Farewell To Kings, and he told lovely stories about what the guys did to his dog :-) Donna also asked him a question and complemented him on the work he puts into producing bands. 'Twas cool. Terry deserves extra credit for coming out to talk to us even though he had the flu!
When the speakers ended there was a short break, and then we all gathered for the charity auction. The first item up was the set of CD singles that I REALLY REALLY WANTED. I got into a bidding war with someone, but I had to drop out at $80 because, well, I'm unemployed :-( That was the only item I really wanted to bid on, because I knew there was no way in hell I could afford anything else that was up for grabs. The auction was very exciting, and at times the prices got so high, it was nail-biting! The highest selling item was the set of autographed Presto portraits, which was sold for $1100 to.... Dockie!!! All in all, $4000 was raised for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Thank you so much to everyone who purchased an item (or two or three or...)!!!
When the auction wrapped up, the day ended, but a bunch of us hung around and chatted for a while longer. We didn't want to leave! We took a group TRI-NET picture and then the chatting continued. This was also when the infamous chase between Ricky and GeddyRulz occurred, but... you sorta had to be there :-)
My post-Con activities were fairly simple -- I returned to the hotel, vegged, inhaled some food, went to the Orbit Room, came back to the hotel and passed out. Simple, yet satisfying :-)
I actually got some sleep that night, shock of shocks, and on Monday morning I stumbled quietly around the room once more, and then it was time to go home. RushCon weekend was over! *sniff* :-(
So overall, I came away from RushCon with about 16 hours of sleep spread out over four nights, very little food in my system, a poster, magazines, buttons, t-shirts, photographs, memories, and many new friends. I'd say it was a good weekend :-)
Thanks to...
ChainLit, PhredLit and all of the other organizers for making this convention happen.
Everyone who was there, in body or in spirit. I LOVE ALL OF YOU! 8-)
All of my contest volunteers for helping me out: Romy, Ganjagal, Jillian, Mark, BruksT4E, Pipsey, LonelyHiker, Romilly and Ricky. I especially need to thank Romilly and Mark for being my second brain after my first one shut off. You two were life savers.
Spicketeric and PrimeMolly for making those awesome icon badges! Those made it so much easier to find everyone! I just had to stand against one wall at the Mixer, and everyone came to me! :-)
Ricky for upping the fun quotient on my weekend by a couple thousand points :-) Oh yeah, and also for writing a kick-ass parody!
Jillian and ChainLit for giving me a place to crash all weekend.
Everyone else who offered to give me a place to crash all weekend :-)
Jillian and LonelyHiker for being wonderful emcees. Yo, word ;-)
Rosho and Merely Players for making me go deaf in a very lovely way.
Although they probably won't read this, thanks to Donna Halper and Terry Brown for coming out and enlightening the masses and entertaining us on Sunday. You guys were great!
Again, although he probably won't read this, thank you to Andrew MacNaughtan for being really cool, donating those beautiful portraits, and for wearing possibly the coolest t-shirt in the history of mankind :-)
Dockie for winning those beautiful portraits!
Anyone else that I may have forgotten, thank you, thank you, thank you. You all made everything worthwhile! :-)
