Scuffed Day is Scuffed
Dec. 7th, 2024 08:11 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
the_gneechHello, Dreamwidth, and yes, it has been a long time, sorry. This year has really put the “fun” in “executive disfunction.” But I need somewhere to ramble, so here we are.
Today was a rough day. I’m at MFF, which I was abjectly unprepared for in the first place, but that was true last year and the year before too, so I was hopeful I could pull it out. Yesterday was fairly decent; only one commission, but it was a big one. The commissioner negotiated herself up to double what I was asking (um, thank you?) and in the end felt like she’d very much gotten her money’s worth, so big win/win there. That’s the kind of commission I like!
Today, I sold a moderate number of books, but got no commissions whatsoever. Selling books is fine, I’m always happy to do it, but half of that money goes straight to FurPlanet, as opposed to commissions, which are all me, and even if sales had been amazing (which they weren’t), it would be very difficult for a books-only day to break even, much less make money. So, that was scuffed.
My quest for breakfast kept being thwarted by every place being closed when I wanted to go there; I ended up walking to the Hilton Starbucks (which is not that far, but was out in the freezing Chicago wind), and then when I finished there and went to the Dealer Room I discovered that smoothbrain I am, I left my badge in the hotel room, requiring another hike back… so that was scuffed.
My neighboring table dropped some of their product on me from a high shelf; fortunately, it was a plush tail and mostly resulted in some of my books being knocked over. That was only very minor scuff, but it still counts.
Mid-afternoon, due to the lack of traction at my table (again, nobody to blame but myself), I started falling asleep at my table—which is not a good look. So I went off to get more coffee, which requires leaving my table unattended except for any eyes the FurPlanet guys next to me can spare to watch it. After yesterday’s snafu with the Convention Center Starbucks, I didn’t even mess with it. First I went across to the Crowne Plaza coffee shop/lunch bar… only to discover it was closed between something like 2:00 and 4:00. So, that was scuffed.
Back to the Hilton Starbucks I go; it was probably faster than the Convention Starbucks would have been, and definitely both more pleasant and better at accurately making drinks. It also got me a walk out in the brisk air, which helped me wake up. However, while there, I was informed by my smarter half that our car engine was more severely damaged than we thought by the recent coolant hose explosion and that, basically, we need to get a rebuilt engine or a whole new car.
Super-mega-scuffed. -.-
Anyway, after the Dealer Room closed, I wandered over to the con hotel, where I picked up a rather flabby flatbread and tried to find someplace to sit and people-watch, without much success. I didn’t find anyone I knew, even on the con staff, nor did I find any people who seemed particularly interesting to hang with. Even in the very eclectic furry fandom, finding people with my own tastes and sensibilities can be difficult, and the culture of furry has evolved over time such that for all its diversity, there’s a remarkable sameness to the people hanging in the hotel common areas on Friday night. If you’re not a late teen/early twenties person away from home for the first time and able to cut loose… there’s not a lot for you there.
Scuffed? Eh, I dunno, it’s just life being life. But it also left me with nobody to hang with, no real desire to lurk in the lobby, and with no panels I’m interested in attending. I am now sitting in the “Business Center” section of the hotel so I can have a flat surface to type on, and so that I’m not just paying (mumble)-hundred dollars just to sit alone in a hotel room.
NGL, it’s been a rough con. But I want to get it out of my system here tonight, so I can face tomorrow fresh and hopefully have a good final convention day.
-The Gneech
Today was a rough day. I’m at MFF, which I was abjectly unprepared for in the first place, but that was true last year and the year before too, so I was hopeful I could pull it out. Yesterday was fairly decent; only one commission, but it was a big one. The commissioner negotiated herself up to double what I was asking (um, thank you?) and in the end felt like she’d very much gotten her money’s worth, so big win/win there. That’s the kind of commission I like!
Today, I sold a moderate number of books, but got no commissions whatsoever. Selling books is fine, I’m always happy to do it, but half of that money goes straight to FurPlanet, as opposed to commissions, which are all me, and even if sales had been amazing (which they weren’t), it would be very difficult for a books-only day to break even, much less make money. So, that was scuffed.
My quest for breakfast kept being thwarted by every place being closed when I wanted to go there; I ended up walking to the Hilton Starbucks (which is not that far, but was out in the freezing Chicago wind), and then when I finished there and went to the Dealer Room I discovered that smoothbrain I am, I left my badge in the hotel room, requiring another hike back… so that was scuffed.
My neighboring table dropped some of their product on me from a high shelf; fortunately, it was a plush tail and mostly resulted in some of my books being knocked over. That was only very minor scuff, but it still counts.
Mid-afternoon, due to the lack of traction at my table (again, nobody to blame but myself), I started falling asleep at my table—which is not a good look. So I went off to get more coffee, which requires leaving my table unattended except for any eyes the FurPlanet guys next to me can spare to watch it. After yesterday’s snafu with the Convention Center Starbucks, I didn’t even mess with it. First I went across to the Crowne Plaza coffee shop/lunch bar… only to discover it was closed between something like 2:00 and 4:00. So, that was scuffed.
Back to the Hilton Starbucks I go; it was probably faster than the Convention Starbucks would have been, and definitely both more pleasant and better at accurately making drinks. It also got me a walk out in the brisk air, which helped me wake up. However, while there, I was informed by my smarter half that our car engine was more severely damaged than we thought by the recent coolant hose explosion and that, basically, we need to get a rebuilt engine or a whole new car.
Super-mega-scuffed. -.-
Anyway, after the Dealer Room closed, I wandered over to the con hotel, where I picked up a rather flabby flatbread and tried to find someplace to sit and people-watch, without much success. I didn’t find anyone I knew, even on the con staff, nor did I find any people who seemed particularly interesting to hang with. Even in the very eclectic furry fandom, finding people with my own tastes and sensibilities can be difficult, and the culture of furry has evolved over time such that for all its diversity, there’s a remarkable sameness to the people hanging in the hotel common areas on Friday night. If you’re not a late teen/early twenties person away from home for the first time and able to cut loose… there’s not a lot for you there.
Scuffed? Eh, I dunno, it’s just life being life. But it also left me with nobody to hang with, no real desire to lurk in the lobby, and with no panels I’m interested in attending. I am now sitting in the “Business Center” section of the hotel so I can have a flat surface to type on, and so that I’m not just paying (mumble)-hundred dollars just to sit alone in a hotel room.
NGL, it’s been a rough con. But I want to get it out of my system here tonight, so I can face tomorrow fresh and hopefully have a good final convention day.
-The Gneech
no subject
Date: 2024-12-08 05:04 am (UTC)hughugs
Oog, what a day. Car repairs really add to the sting.
I feel you on the "alone in a crowd" vibe at the end of the day. Cons are great with friends around but they can get so lonely.