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#1
Old 02-04-2014, 05:39 PM

(Some sort of image of a jar should go here, but I'm not going to worry about it now. Maybe later.)

So I guess I should make one of these threads.

I guess this is supposed to be for a whole year, but nothing really happened in January. Except snow. Man, *bleep!* snow.

So, I guess I'll be putting random thoughts, pictures of stuff, yada yada yada in here -- I'd do it in livejournal, but who uses livejournal anymore?

Okay. Let's get on with it.

Last edited by onsenmark; 02-13-2014 at 08:47 PM..

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#2
Old 02-04-2014, 05:57 PM

So I go to anime conventions. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept... if you've ever heard of a Star Trek convention? Think that, but replace people dressed as Kirk and Spock with people dressed as Sailor Moon and {insert random character here}. And if you still don't know... then I can't help you, because I'm not sure if I could explain what an anime convention is without taking at least a half-hour.

Anyway. I go to anime conventions -- generally, about three a year. My next one is Katsucon, being held in National Harbor, MD from 2/14 - 2/16 this year. So a chunk of my time right now is trying to get ready for this; and believe it or not, something like this does take a lot of preparation for. So that's pretty much what I've been doing for the past month or so -- registering, purchasing bus tickets, making sure cosplay is ready to go, packing, buying supplies... Surprisingly, I'm almost done. There are just a few more items I need to purchase, I don't have too much left to pack. At this point, I should be pretty much almost done by this Thursday(2/6).

After that, is just impatient waiting. I'm almost certain I'm working the entire week up until Wednesday night, but still. I can't wait!

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#3
Old 02-05-2014, 09:26 AM

2/5/2014 -- My apartment is weird. The way in which it is positioned, the back of it doesn't get much sun in the wintertime, if any. That means my bedroom gets cold. I can live with it, though -- even though I have to sit in front of my computer wrapped in an old Star Wars blanket.

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#4
Old 02-05-2014, 07:50 PM

2/5/2014(continued) -- so today is my day to run errands; pay bills, buy groceries, etc. I don't drive/own a car, so I end up walking most everywhere. It's okay, though -- I find it to be good exercise, but I get tired once I get home and I don't really wanna go anyplace else.

I'm thinking I should stop someplace for a late lunch, but I'm not sure where yet. There is a Long John Silver's on the way, and I haven't had food from there in a long while...

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#5
Old 02-08-2014, 05:45 PM

2/6-7/2014 -- So, I get my tax refunds in... and they basically sprout wings and fly away, lol.

Well, granted, I did get some stuff -- I picked up a refurbished computer off of newegg for $250ish. I picked up a copy of Bravely Default yesterday. And I got my brother a PS4 in lieu of owing him a crapton of money. And I still had enough left over to cover my hotel and spending at Katsucon this coming week... I hope, lol.

Speaking of Katsu, I still need to finish packing. Not that I have much to pack, but still.

*sigh* I just hope I can make it through work the next four or five days...

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#6
Old 02-12-2014, 07:05 AM

2/12/14 -- So, I got my computer yesterday.

Unfortunately, it got here just as I was heading off to work. So I had to wait until I got home to do anything with it.

So far, I like it. Haven't really had the chance to play any real games on it yet, though.

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#7
Old 02-13-2014, 08:50 PM

2/13/14 - so, I got affected by the snowstorm that's hitting the East Coast right now -- Greyhound cancelled buses, and I wasn't sure if I could get out of here today AT ALL.

Luckily for me, my friend(the guy I'm staying with at Katsu) is coming down here to grab me. From outside DC.

That's a true friend -- a guy who will drive three or four hours just so you can go to an anime convention. Of course, it helps that I'm paying for three nights(my share).

edit: I love my new computer! I installed a few games and gave the demo for Kerbal Space Program a try... and I have no idea what I'm doing. My brother's going to put the 2TB drive in while I'm gone, so I'll have more space than the entire population of Antarctica knows what to do with.

Last edited by onsenmark; 02-13-2014 at 09:04 PM..

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#8
Old 02-27-2014, 06:07 PM

2/27/14 - So, it's been just about two weeks since Katsucon. And even with the weather-related mishaps and con drama, I had a decent time. I only managed to hit one panel, really(the lolita fashion show panel, only because a friend of mine was apart of it), but that's okay. There wasn't anything that really caught my eye. I picked up a Ranka Lee figurine, the Sailor Mercury SHFiguarts, and volume 1 of RWBY on bluray from the dealers' room.

I'm hoping that next year, I'll be able to get some sort of crash space closer to the con. Of course, Katsucon is over a year away at this point, so we'll see.

Up next, con-wise? That would be Otakon, if I decide to go. If I do, I'm mostly going for friends and buying stuff. I'm still horribly undecided as of yet. But I'm surely hitting Nekocon this year, oh yes.

Still loving this new computer. It's so nice to have something form this decade to use, lol.

I think that's all for now.

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#9
Old 03-02-2014, 06:43 AM

3/2/1014 - I collect figures. Not old-school, Star Wars-type action figures(although I used to own some). Since I started going to conventions, I try and pick up one or two Japanese figures a year, usually at Otakon or Katsucon. One of these days, I'll have to put up a photo of my smallish collection, but for now, here's what I have:

Figma:
- Miku Hatsune

Revoltech:
- Yotsuba
- Asuka Langley Sohryu
- Rei Ayanami(bandaged)
- EVA-01(a small one, seriously)

SHFiguarts:
- Kamen Rider Decade(Violent Emotion version)
- Kamen Rider Double(CycloneJoker form)
- AkibaRed
- Sailor Mercury

I think that I'd like to get the rest of the Inner Senshi at some point. And a couple of Shocker Combatmen, because the good guys always need mooks to fight. And a Kamen Rider Skull figure, because Skull is so... badass! (I know, I prolly shouldn't use that term, but it fits! So don't hurt me for that! )

I also have some X-Men figures, but there's not much to tell there.

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#10
Old 03-22-2014, 05:20 AM

3/22/14 -- So, I picked this up the other day:



Oh, yeah. I have been waiting for this.

Although... hey, Squarenix, how about that HD remaster of FF XII?

Last edited by onsenmark; 03-25-2014 at 04:54 AM..

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#11
Old 03-25-2014, 05:01 AM

3/25/2014 -- So I managed to get The Sims 2 installed on my computer and running on Windows 8.1.

Keep in mind that in addition to the base game, I also have every single expansion and every single stuff pack.

So getting all that took several hours.

But I managed to get it done. I also found one of my old neighborhoods and put it in my TS2 folder. It wasn't the one I really wanted, but a variation on such, so I can live with it, I think.

I even streamed on twitch for the first time last night, although I still have no idea what I'm doing, lol. I'll prolly be streaming either late tonight or sometime tomorrow evening, so if you're ever interested, check me out at Twitch -- I wanted "narutaki", but someone already took it, the jerk.

Now, I wonder if I can get Morgana to run a PS2 emulator...

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#12
Old 03-26-2014, 03:23 AM

Hi onsenmark, I have a question...what do you do that requires a long time to prepare for attending an anime convention?

I went to a local anime convention many years ago and because I didn't want to pay the entry price I volunteered as a staff and my task at that time was to supervise a screening session...volunteers had got together to arrange who was to do what but that was my prep for attending...the rest of the time after the actual supervising/task was done, I'd just enjoy the convention for what it was...merchandise, people dressed up in cosplay and quiz night...

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#13
Old 03-26-2014, 04:45 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ling View Post
Hi onsenmark, I have a question...what do you do that requires a long time to prepare for attending an anime convention?

I went to a local anime convention many years ago and because I didn't want to pay the entry price I volunteered as a staff and my task at that time was to supervise a screening session...volunteers had got together to arrange who was to do what but that was my prep for attending...the rest of the time after the actual supervising/task was done, I'd just enjoy the convention for what it was...merchandise, people dressed up in cosplay and quiz night...
Good question. I usually start about two or three months out, with requesting the time off from work, and maybe pre-registering(not necessarily in that order). In that period between pre-registering and heading to the con, I also arrange hotel space for myself, transport(if it's out of town, I usually take Greyhound), procure any food I might need while I'm away if I don't wanna eat takeout/fast food every day(I like to get things on sale here and there, stuff that has a shelf life). After that, it's just packing -- and that can take a little while, particularly if one doesn't wish to rush around last-minute.

I have friends who staff a local convention where I live, and they keep trying to get me to sign up for staff -- I'm still kind of on the fence about the whole thing.

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#14
Old 04-14-2014, 04:30 PM

4/14/2014 -- So, I think I mentioned that I got a new computer a couple months ago(in grand personal tradition of naming most PCs I own after female AIs from fiction, I named this one after Morgana from the .hack series). Just recently, I started going through my old games to see which ones will install and run under Windows 8.n. So far, most have... with the exception of Taito Legends 2, which is a shame, because it had some decent old-school games on there, IIRC. I've still got a small stack I need to go through, so I'll probably get that done tomorrow, since I have the day off from work.

Also, I finally got Ragnarok II working, so I've been playing that a lot lately. I'd like to see about inquiring into starting a Menewsha guild on that game, at a minimum... but I wouldn't have a clue as to where I would post that thread, lol.

I'm still deciding on whether to go to Otakon this year, now that I've missed the deadline for cheaper pre-registration. They haven't even announced any guests yet, and it's only four months away. One would think that they would have at least announced a few guests by now...

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#15
Old 04-28-2014, 11:44 PM

Oh I see...you're travelling to far away places to attend the anime conventions...so you have to factor in costs of travel, accomodation, living and time at least...

For some reason I was under the impression you were preparing a cosplay outfit.

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#16
Old 04-29-2014, 04:56 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ling View Post
Oh I see...you're travelling to far away places to attend the anime conventions...so you have to factor in costs of travel, accomodation, living and time at least...

For some reason I was under the impression you were preparing a cosplay outfit.
Oh, no. I put together Stein for Katsu back in 2013. That was ENOUGH.

Although, if I were 20 years younger, I'd totally cosplay as Captain Marvelous.

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#17
Old 05-28-2014, 08:06 AM

5/28/14 - It's been a slow month, with little to write about.

I'm still trying to get things squared away for Otakon, and I'm hoping I'll be able to register this coming month. I have a line on pretty cheap crash space in a hotel room... as long as it's not overstuffed. Never ever doing that again. After that, it's arranging transport, and I'll be done with the major stuff.

That's... pretty much it. I can't think of anything else to type right now. I should go to bed, lol.

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#18
Old 05-28-2014, 08:18 AM

a friend got the chance to go to gencon with some coworkers. i think it's in august. they are all crazy excited =3

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#19
Old 06-26-2014, 03:51 PM

6/26/14 - Another slowish month. Not that I'm complaining all that much.

Got further in Final Fantasy X HD, so I guess it's okay or me to start a game in X-2 HD? I haven't gotten that far in it yet, though.

But I guess my big news is that I finally got around to registering for Otakon this week! Now I just have to procure hotel space, arrange transport, and finish a myriad of other things before I actually leave. How tiring!

Anyway, I suppose that this will be all for now.

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#20
Old 06-28-2014, 06:47 PM

yay markie

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#21
Old 06-29-2014, 02:55 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by hummy View Post
yay markie

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#22
Old 07-19-2014, 04:59 PM

7/19/14 - Sorry for not posting in this more; it's been kind of a busy few weeks.

Otakon prep is chugging along; I managed to put a down payment on crash space for myself, and now I just have to pay the rest of that off, and then get my bus tickets. I just have to make sure that my vacation and remaining holiday hours are cashed in, so I'll have that extra money. And then, I'll go ahead and pick up some more trip-related stuff after that.

And maybe I'll pick up a copy of Tomodachi Life, if I have some extra funds.

Oh, and I finally beat FF X HD, but there are still trophies I need to get. Not the blitzball ones, because blitzball sucks.

I think that's pretty much all for the moment.

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#23
Old 07-25-2014, 05:58 AM

7/25/14 -- Well, all the major prep for Otakon is out of the way, that being registration, getting some sort of crash space, and procuring transport.

Now, it's Miller Ti... er, I mean, time to get excited/hyped/whatever.

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#24
Old 08-05-2014, 05:13 PM

8/5/2014 -- OH MY GOD YOU GUISE I LEAVE FOR OTAKON TOMORROW NIGHT.

umm... guess I should finish packing, huh.

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#25
Old 08-20-2014, 04:39 PM

8/20/2014 - I SURVIVED OTAKON.

Here's the run down, day-by-day:

Wednesday/Thursday: Woke up around 6am, ran last-minute errands before heading off to work, worked 12p-5:30, got home, showered, ate, then ran out the door to hop the local bus to the Greyhound station one city over... which I just missed, so I ended up calling a friend to give me a lift. But at least I made it, and I left Norfolk around 11pm.

Said bus trip was fine... until I got on the bus leaving Richmond, which left a half-hour late. And then somewhere between DC and Baltimore, the bus got caught in traffic for about an hour or more. And there was some dude sitting next to me and REALLY getting into my personal space -- I do not like that, but I guess I made do. Still.

Finally, we pull into Baltimore about... 90 minutes late? after eating breakfast, charging electronics, and changing clothes, I made my way to the hotel to drop off my stuff... during which, the handle on my suitcase failed catastrophically. Luckily, I had a feeling I should bring some Krazy Glue, so that came in very handy. Eventually, I made it to the light rail, and go to the general area of the convention center, where I dropped my things off at the hotel. I didn't have much to do for the next six hours(which was when the people with the hotel room were due to arrive), so I more or less bummed around. I did go to a late-morning meetup, and that was okay.

Eventually, roomies showed up, I took a shower, and got dressed and eventually went to pre-reg... which was horrific. I got into line late, and gave up 45 minutes later.

Finally, I decided to just crash around 1am, maybe 1:30... after being up for about 40-plus hours.

Friday: Friday was pretty chill, by and large. I ended up getting my badge late in the morning, and was only in line for two hours(and I saw a homeless guy who was either really passed out or stone DEAD -- I wasn't sure). After that, I basically just putzed around. I managed to hit the lone tokusatsu-related panel on the schedule, which was pretty good. But mostly, I just roamed around and Streetpassed with people.

Saturday: Was pretty much the same. Hit the toku gathering around 10am(it was small this year, because 10 in the freaking morning. Cosplayed Stein very briefly in the afternoon before giving up because OMG ROASTING -- after wich I went back to the room, Febrezed the hell out of Stein, and went back out until I had to throw him back on before the 9PM Soul Eater gathering. (I think this was the day I finally found the Nando's, and delicious avians were consumed.)

Sunday: Same as the others, pretty much. Streetpasses, last-minute dealers' room and artists' alley runs, touching base with people... and then I left my hotel, and the handle on my suitcase catastrophically failed AGAIN. I managed to juryrig something, and made do. The light rail was a pain in the arse, though. The convention center stop only took fare cards, not cash, the one at Camden Yards TOOK cash, but the buttons were stuck, and the one north of the convention center that worked properly... well, I got on there, not knowing that it was the freaking Camden Yards shuttle. Eventually, I managed to hop a bus to the Greyhound station... and the first thing I did was get a bottle of water and crush it. I was that thirsty. Got some last-minute Streetpasses, and then the bus left around 10pm or so.

The trip home was uneventful. Heck, I guess we were making such good time, the driver stopped at a McDonalds between DC and Richmond! Although I just had a couple smokes and a soda before getting back on.

And then I got home, and basically slept off and on all day.

And that was more or less my Otakon experience for 2014.

Will I go back next year? Oh, if I can get another really chill room, I'd like to.

 


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