RCFM: Sunday & Monday

[vakkotaur]

I had intended to get all of Orvan's deliveries done before Sunday and I almost succeeded in that. Two didn't work out as the recipients weren't at RCFM and I didn't know about one until just before and I didn't know about the other until at least Saturday. I wound up carrying these in the fursuit parade which let them be shown in photos and gave me a reason not to carry an empty Schlitz box around. Orvan is ACME, not Schlitz.

I went to the variety show rehearsal or what was supposed to be such and did so in suit. That was a big mistake. It was too hot and too long for what seemed to be very little. I left to recover and had the impression the show might not happen from how things dragged. Nor do i recall being asked about any participation (not there there seemed to be anything to participate in) and so... well, it was time to recover. Maybe next year I'll try again, but I won't show in suit, and see if something comes of it. Next year's theme does nothing for me, so that's quite a maybe.

The pizza feed worked out rather well this year. There was some issue of about scheduling it in time partly overlapping a 2_gryphon show, but that actually seemed to help things by keeping the crowd from being huge at any given time. Yet I don't know of anyone who didn't get any pizza. The two piece per time through the line limit was well advertised this year, too.

There were a couple deliveries I had not planned on. More than once I had heard the reaction, "Oh, you're the ox?!" It's no secret, but it seems like it was for some. One delivery was a quick bit in the hallway. The other was arranged by Horse's Ghost to interrupt a Sublevel 3 show. Fortunately he's the one who can get away with that and SL03 knew there would be an interruption, they just didn't know what. This was the "unplugged" show and after the first piano piece, they got a delivery of a flower vase and tip jar arrangement. I never saw the items (I do have photos of this, at least) as all I did was pick up the already packed parcel and walk in with it. I don't see very well as Orvan so I could only go by crowd reaction, which sounded quite good. I didn't linger as it was their show.

As at Penguicon, the ACME delivery shtick worked quite well. It got to the point that people would start following Orvan when they saw him carrying a parcel, so they could see what it was when the delivery took place. One person even pretty much threatened to steal the bit, even he didn't do it himself, if Orvan did make it to Oklacon. Hrmmm... Brim gave me, or Orvan, a nice bovine plush toy.

Closing ceremonies were somewhat of a mess for me and Jay though for different reasons. This Jay did find a seat and chose one a bit back from the front to avoid getting his new camera soaked. Unfortunately one of the security folks was standing in such a way that Jay was always having to lean one way or another to try to see around him, or at least this happened during the bit I was peripherally involved in. Someone had the bright idea (Notice the pegged needle on the irony meter?) to have a "mutiny" as the next year's theme is RCFM Deep Six for the the sixth year of RCFM. Okkay, not an entirely bad idea, and the idea was it'd be a short do-it-and-get-out bit. It was. It was short the same way Alan Sheppard's Freedom 7 space flight was short. The bit itself was short, but the wait on the launch pad was interminable. The fursuitters wound up staging outside for a while (in Alabama in late May) and then in the one unairconditioned or at best very poorly air conditioned stairwell of the hotel, for about an hour. Nobody keeled over, but I've taken to calling that the Bataan Death Wait. And all for what was just a walk through, as far as I could see. NOT WORTH IT. I wish I had known, I would have been in the audience or not involved in closing ceremonies even that way. At least one of the instigators did come up to the suiters after that and apologize for the situation.

After the Great Useless Wait I didn't have much energy left for anything. Orvan did pose a bit at the piano, along with another suiter, afterward but that was the extent of things. I would have liked to have spent more time usefully in suit. I wasn't about to try dancing or anything even remotely energetic after that.

When I'd recovered some, I decided it was best not to get back in suit and just went around. Eventually I wound up with jugularjaguar, chakawolf, deyna_otter and jeffgoode and stayed up way too late (or early) discussing various things. I sampled what was an attempted mint julep from substitutes. I didn't have even that while in Kentucky. I'm now curious as to what a proper mint julep is like. Maybe next year.

---

Monday not much happened. A few of us went to Donato's Pizza as it was close and open, while the other place that we had intended to go was close and closed. This was actually the first time I'd been there. And also perhaps the first RCFM visit that did not include at least one trip to an IHoP. After that Jay decided a nap was in order and he at least tried to take one. I'm not sure if he got any rest or not. I went to a surplus store with some folks and picked up a couple things. In the evening was the post-con party at brodycatsmouth's place. As in earlier years, the best place to be was outside as you could didn't have to shout to be heard there. It was the usual good friendly gathering. Having to travel quite a ways the next day, we left while things were still well underway.

Overall I had a fairly good time. The opening (and closing) ceremonies things were the downside. I didn't feel good that Jay wasn't having the good time I had expected he would. At least everything else seemed to work out fairly well. I also learned that if something is to be delivered, it's best I (or Orvan) do it. The stuff I had passed along for kiwihunter8 on Thursday afternoon didn't actually get to her until either late Sunday or maybe even Monday. See what happens when you don't use ACME?

Comments

[chakawolf.livejournal.com]

After the DeathWait (tm) in suit at opening, I begged off of the one at closing. Looks like I made the right choice!

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I didn't know of such a thing at opening as I had my own concerns for that time. What happened there?

[chakawolf.livejournal.com]

Lots of suiters were recruited to do 'something' at opening. We stood around in the hall waiting. The 'something' never happened, and it was just hot and annoying. I hate to sit or stand in one place while suited -- I -HAVE- to be moving. When I was approached to do 'something' in suit at closing, my response was, "No! Please God, NO!"

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

Ouch. At least the walk-through was something, even if precious little. I do wish I had known about the opening ceremonies DeathWait as then I could have avoided the one at closing - and have had a better Sunday evening with energy more usefully or likely much more humorously expended. It sounds like that whenever someone has an idea that involves more than just a few fursuitters at a non-fursuit specific function, the thing to do is run.

Opening

[jugularjaguar.livejournal.com]

That was not me. I do take the blame for CC. I will never do that again unless I am the one organizing it myself. Once again I do so apologize for CC. I really hate missing it and spending it in the hallway.

Oh the Mint Julip was a high light for me. That was really good bourbon too.

I hope you find a well made mint Julip. They are great.

Re: Opening

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I wasn't involved in that bit of opening ceremonies, as I was doing the deliveries, so I didn't even know about it until chakawolf just mentioned it. I do suspect that any large group set up for something not specific for that group (the fursuit parade is a huge thing, but it's for the fursuitters so it works out) is likely best avoided.

I don't know that I could find a properly made mint julep anywhere near where I am. It might be possible, but I wouldn't be able to tell and don't want to form an opinion based on a mistaken idea of one.

The Variety show

[jugularjaguar.livejournal.com]

Sorry bout you showing up in suit and not being used. I see there were some errors there. Normally for rehearsals no one is in suit unless they need to be to learn the stage or practice doing something in suit. When organizing it is hard to address everyone there.

Your music that you sent me earlier in the year really paid off.

I am glad the Pizza event worked out. That was the plan. Yea.

Re: The Variety show

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I didn't know the setup for the variety show, never having done it before - and never having done it before as I had felt I'd be out of place not in suit for anything. I know some do perform "mundane" but since I don't play the guitar or such...

The music worked out, yes. Had I known it would actually happen maybe I'd have stuck it out or done a quick-change so I could join in. I don't know if I have anything for "deep six" that would work. At least I have a year to look or think of something. The theme really doesn't seem to fit with Rocket City Fur Meet, with perhaps the exception of the Polaris missile or splashdown. Well, that and I simply don't get the appeal of pirates and suchlike.

Re: The Variety show

[jugularjaguar.livejournal.com]

Yes, I am not keen on the theme either. But not much I can do about it. I will likely take a break from the con next year and concentrate on other
things. I am still on staff working out where OC and CC should be. That and other con issues are in the works.