Now the expanded version of the previous entry, now that I have time.
Work has been very spurty. The last few weeks have been very idle, spending most time working on small requests as they come in, waiting for progress to be made on the overreaching projects (there’s two major contracts I have open right now, both with big projects and one that has many little ones). Then, last week, both contracts kick into high gear and I’m working like crazy for three days, before I have to take off for Anime Overdose. Of course, I forgot to tell one of them, and I got a frantic voice mail on Friday trying to get something updated via a conference call with my boss, who was working from home on his vacation day and I had to talk him through the update.
Anime Overdose itself was very busy and very tiring. I ended up being awake for the entirety of ConOps’ operating hours. (I should have slept in on Sunday, but I didn’t.) Being in ConOps, there were two phrases that we grew sick of hearing: “Rob said that…” and “Where’s Rob?”. I got asked today, “so when are you going to kill Rob?” Of course, my answer was “not until I get reimbursed.”
We bought a lot of stuff that we didn’t end up using, and didn’t buy some stuff we should. There was a lot of preparation that should have been made that wasn’t. But our own little stretch of the con managed to get by without any major disasters.
When I got back (incredibly tired, btw) Leon told me my Mom had called. I had meant to call her before I left, but the phone was in use the last night before we left for the con, so I wasn’t able to. I called tonight (to skip ahead) and found out that Shadow, the dog we’d had since I was in Junior High (or High School, I forget which) had passed away. I’m glad she had decided to get a new puppy last year, she even said it herself that it made it easier.
On a completely unrelated but almost as sad note, last night, Sagus (Greg Dean), leader of the Shirt Ninja Linkshell in FFXI that I’m in, said that he was canceling his account, which means that a) we would be without a linkshell, only sackholders and b) it’s a morale drop because our leader is leaving us. Of course, he hasn’t been around for a while anyway, but we were clinging on to the hope that he’d one day return to us. The simple solution was to create a LS named “ShirtNinjas” (where the old one was “ShirtNinja”) and slowly begin handing out new pearls for the eventual switchover.
Then, today, I got a bit of (deserved) flak from work, from both sides, for getting behind on the schedule. In one of the cases, it’s justified, but the other we can easily make it up. So I was all set to work late and get caught up, and the corporate network started acting up… so I had to leave work on time and wasn’t able to work late.
Tell me when you have your money back so I can help you strangle Rob with his own colon.
We now call him “Lemonhead”
oww ;;
Congratulations for surviving the experience that is ConOps. I actually made it (barely) through 6 years of ConOps at Anime Central. If it weren’t for my new-found passion for cosplay and my aspirations to be like my hero Lionel (^_^;), I’d join you guys for next year. ^_^; (Never say never, however…)
I can vouch for getting sick and tired of having to track down department heads, other key staffers, etc., having to obtain info when I didn’t have any. At least now, at one con, I can say I have earned the authority to say to anyone who’s been out of the loop for the last two years words such as, “Have I been on con staff since 2003? Do you see a staff badge on me? Go Ask Someone Who’s On This Year’s Staff, OK?! I’m RETIRED, damnit!”
On the contrary, Ani-Magic 2003, when I was roped into filling a position similar to my highest rank in ConOps for ACen 2003, was a lot less stressful, and as of last year, I still have an open invitation from their ConOps department head to return. I’m still debating over it, but I think I had my time in the spotlight, since I was originally envious of noting that apparently 90% of #anime! in 1995 were AX staff, and I think my 15 minutes of staff fame is over and done for now. I’ll settle for what I can try to achieve on my own for now.
My condolences the passing of Shadow. I had a rough time about a year ago when I had to put one of my cats down, and I shower my remaining kitty with all my love and attention and care. In fact, she’s about due to return to the vet for another checkup, and another round of shots for this year. (In fact, seeing that one YAG animation project by some unknown seiyuu on Sunday afternoon at the Japanese fan film panel – “Cat’s Spirit”, if I recall K.J. Karvonen’s description – watching it just made me feel sad all over again for Lum-sama, but I’m happy I have Smitty, and I couldn’t want to get back to her on Sunday evening.)
Sorry you’re without a leader for your linkshell. It happened to us, but I was with the group that seceeded from our original linkshell, since the people in charge were being jerks, and they had dropped out anyway. A couple of people who were in charge of the new linkshell had dropped out, and now no one’s in the LS any longer. I’m currently back to soloing like Lionel, and I haven’t been back to FFXI since the last update. I’ve got a bit too much on deck currently to get online and play, and updating stuff online, including my web site and LJ, doesn’t help much.
Hey! You could always find me! I was always trapped in the dealers room.^^
who were you?
hehe, I was refering to Acen to R3 there.^^ I was the Acen dealers room director from 2001-2003.