...Hey, I'm not trying to be nobody. I just want a chance to be myself...

Oh, by the way, photos now online:
Buddy Todd Park, Oceanside (Feb/Mar-2009)
ConDor: Friday Evening (27-Feb-2009) et seq.
Photo of caprine is from Condor, natch.

ConDor Report part 2: Party time and scouting a park. (See also: part 1.)

Why go to a convention and throw a party? One could ask the opposite question, sort of: why would I go to a convention and not do something?

Some people near and dear to me go to conventions and dress up in costumes, or go to all the program items, or spend a great deal of time shopping. Me, my focus is generally either hosting a party or sitting at a table (or both).

I wanted to host a "Confirmation" party. ala_mokita was on board with the idea. (For those who just got here: The Westercon in 2010 will be in Pasadena, and has a name of "Confirmation." Christian's the chair.) I think the theme idea has possibilities - "Come to a Confirmation Party. Shirt and tie, poofy dresses, school uniforms, or come as you are" - but we need to have at least two or three people, preferably more, following the "dress code" for the party, or it's just a goofy guy inexplicably wearing a tie. But there definitely should be flyers for the party with some kind of art explaining the joke. While the chair's named Christian, and the convention's called Confirmation, it's not actually a Christian fandom convention...

And Christian was going to be at Potlatch. selinawoman wasn't coming, library_lynn was working, nitroace had rehearsals. Melissa and summoner_lenne9 couldn't get away -- it was only going to be me. My folks weren't even going to be there. And I didn't have any art for a party sign.

So, I decided I'd host a party, just to have one. A "Chaz party." Last year I celebrated Hazel's Picture Gallery's 10th (11th) birthday party at ConDor, and my room was already booked for the party block. I'd expected to have some kind of party in my room regardless.

( What to serve? Well, a certain portion of my menu tends to be the same every time... )

( Saturday afternoon I went back to my room and started on the cupcakes... )

I learned that from 3:00-4:00 pm, the smell of the baking lemon cupcakes was all over the pool deck area, and wafted into Registration every time the door was opened.

( Snacks I served at the party: Little lemon cupcakes... )

( I brought one set of cubbies along. I opened the party at eight... )

( I have a large variety of small stickers in my party kit, and thought the ''junk food'' ones would be appropriate. By the end of the night I'd used 79 stickers... )

I thanked them all for coming and told them they were welcome to stay but I was turning out the lights and going to sleep. So the party ended for the second time around 2:30 am.

( The Loscon party was right next door... )

Liz gets the ball rolling, ten years of Loscon chairs keep it going, and it's down to this? Hope things improve at baycon, which for California conventions is the big league as far as open parties are concerned.

Sunday I decided it would make more sense to hit the road before I was too tired, rather than wait a few hours and be absolutely exhausted. As it was, I needed a short nap by Carlsbad.

Then I pushed on to check out ( Buddy Todd Park in Oceanside... )

Next: A week in Indianapolis. Chaz sleeps in five different beds over a seven-day period...