Visions of Yesterday!

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of my first "real" convention, which is to say the first convention I attended for an entire weekend, in another city, and stayed in a hotel room. It was Visions 1998, a Doctor Who themed con, back in the days when the only current media Whovians had on tap were audio plays, the FOX TV-movie, and the "Time Lord" RPG.

It was the largest con I'd been to. I roomed with William Luce, a guy from down south who I'd met on a WBS Babylon 5 chatroom. I'd been introduced to him by iamradar, who was also at the con. Indeed, she was the main reason I was there. Meeting her - a short pretty girl in a long leather coat - was the highlight of the con for me. We'd met online about a year earlier. We're still friends, but Visions '98 was the last time I met her in person.

Also with us was Rachel, a girl from WBS that I dimly remember as being "crazy," though in retrospect I can't remember anything to justify that, aside from constant teenage drama in the WBS room. She was fine in person, as far as I recall. I was the oldest person among the WBS group, at the age of 24. Radar was 18 or 19. William was about the same age, and he was barely an inch taller than Radar. I believe Rachel was actually just 17. So, I was taller, fatter, older than anyone of my friends, and the only Canadian.

redeem147 and senexmacdonald were also there, I believe, but I wouldn't know them for another couple of years.

It was a poorly planned con experience in many ways, partly because I had no idea what to expect, and partly because I'd spent an absurd amount of money on a plane ticket from Hamilton to Chicago. Let us just say that, if I'd driven, I'd been less embarassed at check-out on Monday morning, and I'd also have been able to buy groceries when I got home. I just didn't realize you COULD drive to Chicago. It was a sort of fictional fairy-tale city, far off over the horizon, like... Paris... or... or... Muncie.

Still, I met the 7th Doctor, and Leela, and Turlough, and some kid from that ridiculous new Buffy: Hunter of Vampires show, or whatever it was called. (Pfft! I doubt that crap lasted more than a season.) He played someone called Zanta or Zandrew or Xander or something, and he also took part in the Doctor Who/Vampire: The Masquerade LARP.

I also played in that LARP. I was Captain Yates. It was... terribly strange. But fun. I took two rolls of photos of the con, none of which I can find. All I have are a few murky, low-quality scans. And here they are!


William and iamradar, after our first run through the dealer's room. The con was my first exposure to slash fiction, which was being sold in a special room. There was Miami Vice slash, which amused me.


William, Rachel, and iamradar. Golly, they're all short. :)


I can't find the original of this. iamradar took it, after our mile-long trek to find affordable food. Again, if I'd driven, we could have found food much more readily, and I'd have money to spend on it. I don't think I ate in the hotel restaurant once.


iamradar and the guy who played The Master in the LARP.


Rachel, in leather pants, during the LARP.

So... um, yeah. That was my first real con experience. Ten years ago this weekend!

Pyat wins!

It was a good day. The service this morning was engaging, with some good music and an interesting message. In the afternoon we went to a party at the home of doc_mystery and mrs_dm. mar2nee, her husband Daniel, and their daughter Sydney were also in attendance. We arrived to find that doc_mystery had just started Buckaroo Banzai, so while the adults and teen sat about watching the movie, the various little girls had a blast in the playroom.

Buckaroo Banzai was followed up with Mazes & Monsters. I was flabbergasted. Years I've been trying to get other gamers to watch this movie with me! Years! And now, twice in two weeks I've sat around with congenial nerds and watched the whole thing through. The Stars Must be Right.

After the movies, we played a round of a new (to us) card game, Family Business, a mob themed game. I was the Capone Gang, and I launced a vendetta against doc_mystery's Murder Inc. Last round was between me, Daniel, doc_mystery (briefly) and Sydney. doc_mystery was eliminated immediately, Sydney cashed out, and I managed to get Daniel before he got me. It was an interesting game. Fairly monotonous mechanics for the most part, but the last few rounds were fast and furious, and interesting enough.

And now... bed time, and a new week. Snowing rather heavily out. I'm not looking forward to Monday morning at all.