An Epic Adventure Over A Decade In The Making (AKA How To Avoid Being Extorted By The Pennsylvania Turnpike) · 7:12am Dec 22nd, 2021
A road trip so incredible it could only be done the same way people did them way back in the Middle Ages the 1970s. In a station wagon, with no cell phone or GPS. The only way it could've been more '70s retro was if there was simulated woodgrain paneling on my Volvo. The destination?
TrotCon!
The shirt (official con table) and buttons (Gleamy Dreams) were purchased in the vendor hall; the badge came with my entry fee. Since the buttons are small, and the picture is grainy, from top left to top right: Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Princess Luna, Surprise, Rainbow Dash (again), Countess Coloratura, Lightning Dust, Vinyl Scratch, Fluttershy, Roseluck, Vapor Trail, Limestone Pie, Marble Pie, Pinkie Pie, Cloudchaser, and Flitter. Note that Maud Pie was sold out or I would've added her with her sisters in place of the second Rainbow Dash.
Everything was go with one glaring exception: a piece of overpriced pavement by the name of "Pennsylvania Turnpike" stood in my way. 
Pennsylvania doesn't charge motorists for the privilege of driving on the Turnpike so much as it extorts them. It's the fastest way to cross the southern part of the state east-to-west, but you'll pay to do so. No, actually, you'll pay a lot to do so. For those coming from northern New Jersey, New York, or New England (or northern PA), there's Interstate 80. But for those coming from southern New Jersey or southern Pennsylvania, my recommendation is always to take Interstate 70 in Maryland, and follow that to Interstate 68 (70 turns north and then runs concurrent to the Turnpike). 68 terminates at Interstate 79 - take 79 north to Washington, Pennsylvania, and then return to Interstate 70, already in progress (and now toll free!). This route will take you from Pennsylvania to Maryland to West Virginia, back into Pennsylvania, and finally back into West Virginia.
Not pictured: My beater Volvo station wagon.
It's hard to believe it's been more than a decade since I developed an interest in MLP. What's harder to believe is that I haven't made my way to a convention in that whole time, despite being within a few hours drive of Baltimore (I think they used to have an event there) and New York City (I think that same event started here...).
If it wasn't completely obvious by the fact that Admiral Biscuit is credited as the photographer of what was supposed to be the cover art of Put A Pegasus In Your Tank (and will be credited for the cover art for Every Breath You Take as soon as that story is published), we met up back in October. The good Biscuit drove straight from Ponyville Ciderfest to my area, which I think may have been a longer drive than if he'd started from his own home to hang out with me for a day. Amazingly, I didn't even have to bribe him or kidnap him - he came willingly!
I didn't realize it at the time, but he visited me the weekend of my nine-year anniversary of joining FimFiction. He also mentioned a little event called TrotCon and urged me to come. So I did.
I don't like talking about myself. I'm shy, awkward in person, and notoriously private. I don't like photos of myself, and I have no desire to be filmed. I'm also not exactly what one would call a people person. The idea of being at a gathering of hundreds (or thousands) of people doesn't exactly hold a lot of appeal to me. Yes, I went to the Daytona 500 last year. It's different when you're just an anonymous face in a crowd of strangers who aren't there to interact with you.
In a way, it worked out perfectly. Thanks to covid-19, the event was smaller and less attended than it normally would've been, and it made it a great place to dip my foot in the pool before plunging in for a swim. I have regrets, mostly that I didn't go to a con sooner.
That, and that nopony had a Cozy Glow plush available to purchase since Hasbro's never going to make one. Sure, she's evil, but she's also adorable. So adorevil.
This cosplayer was standing in front of this booth and it looked like a great photo op. Also, I bought a bunch of ponies off the The New Gray Mare's table shown in the background. I more than tripled my G3 herd.
The highlights of the con are too many to mention all of them. First of all, meeting new people. Sitting in on some panels, and getting to see two of my favorite fandom musicians in concert (I understand it was DusK's first fandom concert)! Sitting in on the awesomely crazy charity auction.
The G5 movie was as awesome as I expected it to be. I liked it far better than the 2017 movie, and I would put it on par with A Very Minty Christmas for my favorite MLP movie. It also easily takes the position of 'best' movie. I like all generations of ponies, and I've watched the G1, G3, and G4 movies. I don't want to dismiss any of them as unworthy, because they all have their strengths and weaknesses. A New Generation is different. These characters work well together, and they do so almost immediately. The script is tight. The film hits the feels and the funny bone. And if you're like me and don't have Netflix, I won't spoil it past saying it's really, really good and was worth waiting three extra months to see. I was hoping I'd get a chance to see the film this past weekend, and I understand it was Elley Ray who put together the screening. Through a combination of the charity auction running late, Biscuit and I deciding to get dinner, and the closing ceremonies being packed, the two of us decided to watch the end of the closing ceremonies in the overflow room. If nothing else, at least we'd have front row seats for the movie.
...I fully expected that the movie screening would be in the main room with us watching a feed, but then Elley Ray sat down. In the front row. Next to me. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! It's hard not to be enthusiastic around her - she brings sunshine (and glitter) everywhere she goes.
I watched A New Generation sitting next to the voice of Proud Heart Cat. This is more ironic when you realize that the second Care Bears movie was also called A New Generation. Elley Ray has done a lot of voiceover work since the '80s, but that was one of her earliest roles. The reason that's important to me will be apparent in a future blog post (I've done an influences map). I've had it prepared and ready to go for a while, but I try not to over-blog (my next blog entry will likely be the rest of the Advent calendar ponies, and then I'll probably post the influences map, unless I post another story in the interim). Suffice it to say that without the Care Bears, I wouldn't be in this fandom. I don't know if it's on YouTube, but check out the Care Bears episode Home Sweet Homeless if it is. It's the only episode that really features Proud Heart, and you'll see Elley Ray in the credits (though not listed as Proud Heart; I'm trusting the IMDB for that). Other Care Bears alumni include Tabitha St. Germain and Tara Strong from the '80s series, and Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Kelly Sheridan, Kathleen Barr, and Tabitha St. Germain (again) from the 2000s revival. You may have heard of them. 
As one can imagine, I spent a lot of money. As mentioned above, I bought a bunch of G3 ponies, including Kimono (she's in the Car Wash series, as well as other stories I've written), Royal Rose (she's in 16 as Ploomette & Star Catcher's mother, and the current Duchess of Cloudsdale), and Morning Monarch (I've used her in a few stories as well - in 16 she's one of the Wonderbolts, while she was a teacher in Flight Of The Fluttershy). The others pictured are Doseydotes, Fluttershy (she came bundled with Doseydotes, but I already had her Basic Fun repop), Wysteria, Tropical Surprise, Dream Blue, Blue Mist, Sparklesnap, Fairy Dust, and Jolly Lolly. They join Minty, and the Basic Fun reissues of Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Applejack. Sixteen ponies in my G3 herd, and one duplicate.
That's not all I picked up. There are more buttons, keychains, and even stickers. Some of the above even feature Cozy Glow.
On a completely unrelated note, I saw an AMC Pacer on my way home. Had it not been moving in a direction I wasn't, I would've tried to get a photo of it.
I had fun. It was my first con, but I sincerely hope it won't be my last. I'm already making plans to be at TrotCon '22.
My final thought: mayonnaise.
I do plan to start hauling my butt out to cons once I have my license and the engine is flushed and refilled on fluids and the car title is switched to me (My first car is gonna my mom's 2010 Escape Limited)
5619393
Awesome! I hope to meet you at TrotCon! I'm guessing that would be the most local con for you.
5619478
Im from Ohio so yep
I'll be at the next one too, this time for the whole weekend. We should really get a group and do something-there are so many party/bars/things to do around here in cbus. Hope to see you again, there!
5619614
Agreed! It was a blast, and I'm already looking forward to July.
Glad it sounds like you had a good time! :)
5619911
Thank you, and definitely!