A-Kon 2013

[Kris@WLP]

I've just reserved WLP's room for A-Kon 2013... a standard room. Sorry, but the suites at the new hotel are just too damn expensive. That, plus the fact that I've missed out on stuff I wanted to do Friday nights the last couple years, means this year WLP will not be hosting a room party.

I may, or may not, invite a few people to play poker on Friday night, depending on what's going on elsewhere in the convention, but that's all.

Also, WLP will be looking for not more than two people to share the rooms. The new hotel is considerably more expensive and less forgiving about room-sharing than the old. A four-way split on the room from Thursday through Monday comes to a bit more than $210 per head, after taxes.

[bar1scorpio]

Thought I should mention, I applied for, and got he weekend off for this one. So screw the business year, I'm going to Texas for some much needed R&R

[Morphy]

So... got room for me to share?

Kinda bummed there's no suite this year but I realize it's getting harder to justify the expense when you can't get enough bodies (and the hotel actively frowns on exceeding the standard capacity)

[bar1scorpio]

Maybe instead, we can focus on doing some panels?

[Kris@WLP]

[Morphy]

Huzzah!

Did you want me to pay up front or wait till the con (pay in person)?
I got my tax refund barely 10 days after filling it (speed record!) so I'm currently "well funded" for large outlays of future bills.

[Kris@WLP]

[Kris@WLP]

We still have that slot or two open in the room share...

[Morphy]

Just had a thought, can I give you a check instead of a pile of cash when we settle up Monday? I'm not terribly certain about the ATM situation at the new location and carrying around half a grand in my pocket for a week is not the smartest thing to do.

[Kris@WLP]

[Morphy]

Oh gods, my aching wallet. I feel like I was bent over and they didn't even buy me dinner afterwards. $800 for a brake job. Tho, apparently the cylinders in the rears were leaking and barfing fluid onto the rotors which would explain the curious sticking issue.

Oh well, at least I got new brakes on both axles for the drive down to TX. Heh, and I was halfway to new A/C, only for the low low price of $1600. Good thing I don't buy much at A-kon, certainly can't afford anything pricey now.

[Morphy]

Kris, remember when you told me how you get internet through the cel phone usb dongle. I got one myself but just couldn't find a usb hotspot so I got the "soapbar" instead (Pretty much a smartphone without the phone part). It's a T-Mobile and according to their maps, I should be able to get 4 and 5 bars of 4G service at A-kon. Haven't stress tested the little blighter yet with five wifi devices but first impressions are looking good so far.

...I'm going on the assumption that this Convention Center will have zero wifi. The hotel part might, but only if you cough up the ridiculous $10 or $20/day fee. I know Registration will have a VPN set up to the internet, but that's strictly for them. And if I were them, I wouldn't give the passkey out to anyone, especially me.

Uh, by the way, which hotel are we staying at?

[Kris@WLP]

[Morphy]

$150 a day? Are the bits hand delivered by personal slaves on a silver platter? Heh. I'm fairly confident that everyone will be using their smartphones (or mobile hotspots like you and me) for their internets. Even at $10/day in the hotel, that could be better spent on the mobile hotspot and get me the 3 or 5gb/30day package. I'm starting out with the 1.5gb/30 plan which might still be more than I need for a week's worth of playing on the laptop at the con (won't have time for movies, the only game is Minecraft really, and I've already got DAYS worth of videos on this thing; pushing 1200 in the MLP folder alone)

...still can't believe it's $17/day for the privilege of letting my car bake in the sun at the hotel. $2 more at the old hotel would at least protect me from the sun and anything else coming out of the sky.

[Morphy]

Settled into a Super 8 about 30min outside A-kon, just beating the storm front by a half hour (lots of thunder going on at the moment). I'll probably still get there at 6am, but at least not stupid early like last year.... although 4am did yield some very choice parking spots in their garage.

[Kris@WLP]

[bar1scorpio]

And my plane lands at 2pm.

[Morphy]

I'm scheduled to work at 12-6pm on Thursday so... I'll be at Reg, my gear stashed in the hotel waiting room I guess. Someone said they could not check in till 3pm but I suspect that was a line from the desk since they can but only if there's a room available (makes sense). Text or call although I might miss replying quickly due to the chaos.