Bronycon 2014 Day One · 6:04am Aug 2nd, 2014
Bronycon 2014
Day 1
Plushes Bought: 0
Shirts Purchased: 0
Art Acquired: 0
Other Swag: 5 Pony Badges
Total Money Spent: ~$96
Bronycon Day One. Wow.
Let me first start off by saying this day was awesome. Like, if you took my entire Bronycon experience from last year and crushed it into one day, that was today. I can’t believe I had this great of a time on the first day. Unbelievable.
Began the day by waking up first in my room after 5 hours of sleep. Everyone else was still out cold at 8:30 when I got up and showered. Also, fuck that shower, man. The top of the showerhead is at my god damn chin. Why can’t people just install showerheads at seven foot up? Makes it easier on tall people like myself.
Anyways, once I finished the contortionist event that was getting clean, I made my way down to the con with some other friends (not Loyal, Skeeter, Ruirik, etc. Friends from home). We originally had plans to attend the opening ceremony, but we decided it wasn’t worth it and snuck into line with my other friends who were waiting for the vendor hall to open after getting their badges. We may or may not have cut across a lot of people waiting in line… but there were only three of us, and when the gates opened and the tidal wave unleashed what did it matter then?
So.
I spent the next hour and a half wandering around the vendor hall, seeing everything there was to see before deciding how to allocate the money. I saw some really really really nice plushes that I want so badly but am not willing to shell out that much cash for. When my friend found out that a six inch Scootaloo plush was three-hundred dollars, I took one look at the foot-and-a-half Cadance plush in the back and went “nope.” I don’t even know how much it costs; honestly, I’m frightened to ask. I unfortunately had to leave that behind and instead picked up 5 pony badges for $20 (Rainbow, Rarity, Nightmare Moon, Luna, and Cadance were acquired. You can get a glimpse from that who my top two Mane Six are, as well as the princesses I really like). That was honestly the only expense in pony stuff I made today. And here I thought I’d spend a lot more on the first day, but I was specifically limiting art purchases to tomorrow. That’s where I’m going to lose a lot of money.
That Cadance plush though… mmm… If I had a larger budget and less dignity I’d go for it. Maybe I (or other people) will be able to talk myself into getting it. I’d at least try to knock $100 off the price first. Even then it’d still be ridiculous, but I don’t know…
Anyways, after that I ate lunch at Jimmy John’s with Skeeter, Ruirik, Loyal, Dusk Watch, Web of Hope, and Gary Oak (I think I got everyone right). Food was good, and it was another $6.31 in expenses. After that, we went back to the vendor hall for a bit before meandering over to the Quills & Sofas place to talk with Pen Stroke about various things fic-related. While I was there, I had the good fortune to meet not only Pen Stroke but Wanderer D, Applejinx, and numerous, numerous other people whose names I can’t for the life of me remember. If you were there and sat next to the guy with the Van Dyke and five different badges attached to his actual name badge and I didn’t call your name, here’s to you. You guys were awesome.
I may have left a few notes on the tables around Quills & Sofas. Not sure if they’ll still be there tomorrow; I encourage you to find my little messages and sketches. There may be a spoiler for Summer Lands written here or there, if you can find it…
After that, I went with Ruirik, Loyal, Dusk Watch, and others of our regular posse to the Advanced Writing panel. It was great, even if they went on a long tangent about the Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia about halfway through. There Ruirik and I had the idea that the three of us PoL writers (Loyal, Ruirik, and myself) should host a panel on… something… next year. I’d be so game for that if we could figure out what we wanted to talk about and actually get it organized. I of course would demand that every one of you come and see it, but I know that’s sometimes not possible. At least be with me there in spirit.
After that, we went to this awesome Irish Pub/Tavern/Restaurant place down by Inner Harbor with a ton of other notable writers and editors in the fandom. The people in charge of the event let the restaurant know that there would be around 30 attending. There were actually 58 of us in attendance. We took up four long tables in the back room, and dear lord was it epic. I got to sit and chat with another great group of bronies from the community, with Razed Rainbow, Couch Crusader, Aquaman, and Pen Stroke sitting more or less across from me at the table. Again, there were countless others who went with us (among them Wanderer D, Applejinx, Obsolescence, Dusk Watch, Skeeter the Lurker, and many, many more), and I simply can’t remember the names of everyone I met. Again, if you’re one of the nameless, here’s to you, and you guys are still awesome.
That’s where I spent another $50, by the way. Had to cover for my younger bro. He doesn’t have a debit card to access the ATM like I do so he needs to hang onto what cash he has for food and con stuff.
Afterwards, we took an awesome group picture of all of us by the harbor. I was standing tall in the back row towards the left side (in the picture; my right otherwise). Look for it and me whenever it’s released by whomever. In all likelihood it’s going to be on EqD’s recap of Bronycon when it comes out later next week.
When that was done, the party went its separate ways to drink, go to Bronypalooza, or whatever. I went back to my friends’ hotel room and played D&D briefly (you’ll be pleased to note I, by myself, blue-screened the entire universe not once but twice) and then played Twilight Sparkle’s Secret Shipfic Folder (or whatever it’s called), where I was the champion with a massive come-from-behind victory. Feelsgoodman.
After that, I returned to my room, where I’m writing this thousand word blog post. Hey, I’ve got a lot to say, okay? At least we’re all covered now. Tomorrow I’ll be around the con again, attending all the writing panels and probably blowing at least $50 on various art pieces I want to hang in my college dorm in a month and/or have autographed by the VIPs present. That should be fun to try and get, though; apparently it took my brother two hours to get Tabitha St. Germain’s autograph. At least she entertained them with her Luna voice (“The line shall last forever!!!”). I’m really looking forward to getting her autograph; getting Nicole Oliver’s last year was great fun.
And that’s all there is too it for now, folks! Tune in for tomorrow’s update blog post!
Ante Legionem nihil erat, et nihil erit post Legionem
24
On top of everything, you're getting absurdly nice weather for Baltimore in August. This city should be humid death right now by all rights.
Don't forget to see the sights while you're there, like the scenic Baltimore... uh... stuff. Actually, what do they even do over there?
Anyway, glad you're having a good time!
I read this whole thing, and it was awesome. I'm so glad you are having such a fantastic time, and it makes me happy to see you so damn happy. You're a great, smart, clever, interesting dude. Period. You deserve five times the followers that you have.
Keep on having an awesome time. I wish I was there, but hearing about it from you all makes up for it!
You're so lucky.
Wish I lived in America. You just met almost all the top authors on the site!
Amen, brother, amen.
2337115 Ft McHenry! This year is the 200th anniversary of the British bombardment. The whole city is flying 15-star US flags for it.
Glad to hear you're having a good time. I'm just kind of sad they decided not to livestream this year, since I didn't get to go. Here's hoping they did a reasonable job with filming panels since they said they'd post stuff to the BronyCon youtube after the convention is over.
Plushie prices always seem to be a tad insane, even on Etsy. Some I think are overpriced, others probably are priced based on time spent...
Here's hoping they never, ever have that horrid wait at registration from last year again. I realize that it's a con with 8000+ people, but it still seems a little silly to wait 4+ hours and miss the opening ceremony when you arrive basically on time before the convention started on the first day and paid online several months in advance. It was pretty darn slow and I heard (though it was probably just a rumor) that they were a bit understaffed for some reason. Big Apple Ponycon's (2014) was kinda iffy too (two people manning a line and not efficiently either -- having to print badges for people who paid too late for whatever printing they did before hand made things pretty slow too), but nowhere near as long since they had far fewer attendees. Sadly the fact that cons are run by fans (and not full time professionals of some kind) really shows sometimes...
That's one for the history books.
(why are there no Luna emoticons anyway?!). Pity that it's unlikely that anyone has a recording of that.