This is Never Going to End: LeakyCon 2009

I’ve been back in the “real world” for about 7 days now. It’s surreal, really. The weekend went by so fast, full of wrock and dancing and screaming and little sleep and laughing and hugging and friends. My voice isn’t totally back to normal, it took a few days for my feet to stop hurting, and I was exhausted for days. But it was more than worth it.

For me, LeakyCon started on Friday. I arrived at Logan airport, very exhausted, and met Julia so we could go to the hotel. In the lobby, I met Susie, but got changed in my room before we got me registered. Near the information desk, I ran into Cody and Shoshana. We stood around talking for a while, then I headed off to the vendor room with Susie and Cody, where I asked Frak to draw me and Neville =D Then, Cody and I went to the Darfur and Human Rights HPA simulation, which was incredibly interesting…and I got to meet Andrew Slack, which was great! I also got to talk to Karen, who helped me with some ideas on how to start an HPA chapter at my school. Lunch was provided by Au Bon Pain (woooo…) and eaten in the park with Cody since it was quite nice in the shade.

After lunch, I got my sticker for the Nerdfighter Nosh and then we went to it. There, we met Ellie, who is awesome. Hank and John were hilarious, telling jokes and teasing one another. John ate some toilet paper and Hank sang songs. I got both of them and Maureen (who I snuck up on. Muahahaha) to sign books/CDs for me. We also got to see the trailer for Finding Hogwarts, which looks absolutely phenomenal—Bre is awesome. Once we had our things signed, Cody and I headed over to the Wizard Rock Panel—they announced the winners for the Wizrocklopedia. Congrats to everyone, but especially RiddleTM for getting so many awards and Ariel for being Best New Artist. We then went to listen to Melissa talk about her book. And, that night was Rock Night in the Castle—I was in the 2nd row. All of the sets were absolutely amazing—Gred and Forge was awesome, getting all of the bands on stage! I had a lot of fin dancing and jumping with Dinah and Cody and Shoshana and people. The Harry and the Potters set was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! When we all got in that big circle, and then all went to the middle, jumping and screaming…I just felt so connected to everyone in the room, even the ones I didn’t know. We were together, we were happy, and we were loving being alive. It reminded me so much of why I love the fandom. On our way back to the hotel, we ran into Scott and Kirsten of The Blibbering Humdingers and Ashley and Emma of Bella and LeStrangers, who decided to go into the glass lobby (with no air) and play for us. It started out very mall, but grew to quite the amount of people. They took turns playing until about 3:15, and we went to bed around 4:00

Saturday morning began obnoxiously and loudly with an intercom telling us to “evacuate the building. This is not a test.” We sleepily put on shoes and headed downstairs, where we discovered it was a false alarm, and to go back upstairs. It was annoying, not the best way to start the morning, but hilarious to look back on now. Anyway, after a quick breakfast and shower, I went to Lena’s “Fountain of Fair Fortune” opera, which was…well, it made me quite emotional, and it was interesting to actually see it performed. Then, of course, there was PotterCast, which was mostly John and Sue arguing a lot about house elves (some things never change) and the Ministry of Magic playing—they’re always awesome. Lunch was provided by Shoshana and eaten in the vendor room while we watched a show by The Blibbering Humdingers and Bell and LeStrangers (yes, again). Then, we headed over to the Imperial Ballroom around 1:00 to get in line for the Wrock Afternoon show. It turned out they moved it to the Plaza at 3:00, but we weren’t about to give up our spots in the front of the line, so we waited for over 2 hours. We sang songs, mostly Accio Deathly Hallows, until a hotel employee told us we couldn’t sing in the hallways! =O Towards the end of our waiting time, Hank came up to us and said, “So, I hear you’ve been waiting here a really long time…” Then we started talking to him about random things (cell phones, horses, his song, handcuffing his fingers) for quite a while, and somehow we all managed to not freak out!! It was very exciting, and a lot of fun.

Anyway, it was definitely worth waiting in line for those 2 hours. =) The concert was absolutely amazing. It's kind of hard to put into words...but....it was AWESOME. I'd never seen RiddleTM live, and I love their music. It's beautiful. =) They are incredibly talented, and I was so happy to actually see them play. The Mudbloods were great, as always--I thought it was particularly funny that Adam wasn't wearing shoes, but only green socks. The Moaning Myrtles are awesome. That's all. And, the Remus Lupins!!! Okay, so I'm not quite as obsessed with them as some wrock fans are. Yes, Alex is hot. Yes, their music is awesome. But I'm not obsessed with them. However, ALEX LIT HIS GUITAR ON FIRE AND THEN SMASHED IT ONSTAGE!!!! I'm sure you've seen youtube videos of this, but if not...go look them up! It's fantastic. I also bought a shirt and two Cds. Since the show didn't start until after 3:00, it wasn't over until after 7:00...So I ordered a cheese pizza which Cody, Shoshana, and I ate only 4 slices of while we were getting ready for the ball in Shoshana & Madeleine's room. And we didn't end up getting to the ball until about 8:30, which was actually earlier than a lot of other people. We left the rest of the pizza on a table in the castle...I'm assuming it was eaten by some hungry people happy for free food. =D

The ball was amazing. =) I danced with Olivia, the other Olivia, Cole, Katherine, Anna, and Cody. We taught Melissa our quidditch dances, which she thought were great. I also danced with both Maureen and Hank, which was awesome! Though, we also scared Maureen....Olivia V grabbed her arm to come dance with us and she screamed. But, she still came and danced with us later. Mostly, it was a lot of fun, even though my feet were in pain I danced the whole time....And, it ended once again with "Total Eclipse of the Heart" (epically danced to by Melissa and Alex), an a-capella of "The Weapon" and then "The Leaky Song" We didn't hang around long once it ended at midnight--we ran (okay, not literally) back to our room to change for the 1558 show.

1558 was awesome =) Uh...I don't think I can list all the bands that played....Nope. We did see The Blibbering Humdingers and Bella and LeStrangers again (3 times in about 24 hours!) Umm..."For Jo" by RiddleTM almost made me start crying...because at that moment, in that room, I felt so connected to everyone. And, we were all leaving each other for the most part the next day. =( But with our silent cheers, waving bottles and wands in the air, and just the overall atmosphere, I really felt the love and connection of everyone in that room. By the time the last few bands were playing, I was sort of falling asleep on one of the beds with Madeleine and Kirsten (of the Blibbering Humdingers). It didn't end until about 3:30. On our way back to the room, we ran into Hank (I think he was on our floor. I'm not convinced, but we kept seeing him) and just started talking to him. I think it was something about how late it was that made us totally not fangirly and made us actually able to articulate something. =D

Uh....so I woke up around 7:30 I think on Sunday, but I didn't actually head down to the Departure Breakfast until about 9:00 because I....was too tired at 8:00 (I took a shower and sat around first). I ran into Shoshana first, and got some things to eat. Then we wandered around the ballroom talking to people...At one point I sat down with Olivia and people, and we decided to go thank Melissa/MJ after a while. =) Frak finally gave me my drawing of me and Neville, which is beautiful. Then it started to get to the point where everyone was leaving. =( I sat down with Susie and Michelle, then went to Au Bon Pain to get lunch (again). Basically the entire afternoon, I sat in the lobby talking to people, including Kristina and Alex Day because I couldn't get into Susie's room. I wanted to go to Hank's show, but I wasn't sure how to get there. So...I didn't go. Obviously, I couldn't go to the wrock show that night because you had to be over 21. I'm not really sure what I did that night...I think I sat around hoping someone would talk to me, then went up to the room when no one did and waited for people to come back. We didn't go to bed until about 3:00...

And, I didn't wake up on time on Monday. I woke up at 7:15, but somehow still made it out of the hotel at 7:30 (though I think I woke up Jules, and I'm sorry about that) The subway to the airport took forever to get there, and I thought I was going to be late, but somehow I was still about half an hour early (before the boarding). I fell asleep for about 30 minutes on the plane, but mostly just read and was sad that LeakyCon was over. =(

It's basically been a week now. And I really, really miss it. I miss the community, I miss the love, and I miss the connections. As Cody said, I keep expecting to walk down the hall and give people hugs. There's just so much acceptance and joy and love in the fandom, and I miss not having that around me constantly, especially since I'm so far away from everyone.* I love how sweet everyone is--always happy to meet you, and eager even if you're shy. Hank was pretty right when he said that even JK Rowling didn't deserve the HP fandom. Which is in no way a criticism of Jo. It's a compliment to us--and our awesomeness. I really hope to go to Wrockstock, and Infinitus, and LeakyCon 2011. I just wish there was more in between.

I love you!!!!!!!! I miss you!!!!!!! THIS IS NEVER GONNA END!

Tonight...10 days before

Okay. I have had so many emotions tonight. And, like Cody said, the best place for me to get them out is by writing them down.

Tonight, Melissa had her ustream chat...usually it's her Book Club, but this week there was no book. Instead...it was....amazing. The best one I've been to yet. First, Melissa started by talking about LeakyCon. Which of course brings out so many strong emotions of me. Excitement, but also...I don't know. I'm very bad at putting how I feel into concrete words. But I always get so many strong emotions with Harry Potter conferences. Because it reminds me of the whole fandom, and the whole experience, and just how amazing our fandom is. I feel so welcome, so loved, so....wow. I always cry when I get together with people from the fandom, because it's just so amazing.

Then she started reading poetry...which doesn't really bring emotions about Potter, but brings up emotions in general. She read Frost and Millay...and all of it is so beautiful. I'm a huge poetry/literature nerd, so I loved that. And I always just start thinking way too much when I listen to or read poetry. Especially if it's Frost.

But what really brought out the strong emotions and the tears was when Melissa started reading from her book and her interview with Jo. She read a few portions that just made me laugh, and she also read the beautiful few paragraphs about the release in Israel. That part ALWAYS makes me smile and feel warm inside. THEN she read the final chapter, Deathly Hallows. Again, I'm awful at putting emotions into words. But it just brings out memories of that night and how I felt when I was reading it. I didn't think it was OVER, but I knew it would be...different. I wasn't sure if it would be bad different, or just...different. Whatever it would be, I didn't like to think about it. As Melissa said, "See you on the other side."

My life WAS different after Deathly Hallows came out. But I really think that's when everything started for me. Because that's when I really got to know people in the fandom, rather than just reading TLC. I got really into the reading groups on Leaky Lounge, and I started really talking to people and making good friendships and....I felt like everything was really still the same, except we knew everything. We were still the same fandom, and we were never going to let these books go. It's who I am, who we are, what we...need. It's beautiful, and it's amazing, and there's nothing else I know that's quite like it.

In just 10 days, I get to go to LeakyCon. I can see Melissa, and Sue, and John, and Frak. I can see wrock shows and dance the night away. I get to see Cody, and Shoshana, and Julia, and Susie, and everyone else from the fandom that I haven't seen since August. It's hard to think about, because it's just so...amazing. And I'll cry. I know I will.

I love our fandom. And I love Melissa even more now.

Thank you, everyone!
This is never gonna end!

Like a moth to a light?

So, I haven't written a blog in over a week, and it feels really...weird. Honestly, it does. After a month of blogging every single day, it's strange to not blog for so long! I mean, it's really nice, as well, because I don't have the pressure to finish a blog at a certain time every single day. But I also really miss it. Like I said in my post on the 1st, it was nice to have that one thing I did EVERY SINGLE DAY. A bit of rhythm and regularity. But I also just miss reading other people's blogs and having them comment on mine and commenting on theirs. I mean, I don't blog for the sole reason of getting comments, but it's fun. Very fun. It was a nice community. And I still talk to them on Skype, although school's been getting crazy, so....I don't have as much time anymore. Anyway. I have a few things to share with anyone who might be reading this blog.

Part 1: Epic Moth Story
If you follow me on Twitter, then you heard me ranting about this on Thursday night. The background of this story is that I hate moths. Well, more specifically, I hate moths when they're around the area where I'm sleeping. At camp it's okay because they fly up to the cabin ceiling, which is far, far away from where I'm sleeping. Or, they also tend to just stay on the outside of the cabin walls. Nevertheless, if a moth gets too close to me in the cabins at camp, I get angry. And a little creeped out. One time, this moth the size of a hummingbird got in the cabin, and we were all freaking out. Tinkerbell (one of the counselors) was whacking it with our broom, but even she was freaking out when it flew towards her face. Mostly, though, I get angry and creeped out when they get in my house. Especially in my room or my bathroom. I mean, okay, moths are kind of pretty if you're looking at pictures of them or looking at them outside. But it's the same thing with butterflies. I'm completely certain that if a butterfly got into my room and was flying around my light when I wanted to sleep, I'd freak out then too. The main reason I hate moths is because they're so FUZZY. They more extremely creepily, and...well, it's intruding in my area, when I'm trying to sleep. Go away, little moth, GO AWAY!!!!!! And they are way too attracted to lights.

Anyway, it was about 9:50 Thursday night. I'd brushed my teeth, gotten in my pajamas, gotten everything ready for the next day, turned off my computer....I was standing at my bed about to take out my contacts, when my cat jumped on my bed, all excited and meowing. Literally one second later, in came the moth flying around my light. CRAP. I didn't scream, but I ran out and closed the door to my room, hoping it would fall and my cat would eat it. No such luck. This moth was indestructible and INCREDIBLY obsessed with the light on my ceiling. I tried turning off the light and leaving on the hallway light, but no luck. Instead, it disappeared behind my bed. At that point, I went and got our broom. I got it out from behind my bed, but then it just flew straight up to the light AGAIN. Ugh. I was thoroughly annoyed, and now it's like...10:15. So, I just keep smacking the light...it flies around for a while, then lands back on the light again. This goes on for a while....it lands on the light, I smack the light, it flies around the light, then it lands on the light again. And Repeat. And Repeat. Ugh. Around 10:35, I think I had finally wore it down. It was sitting on the side of the light that I could easily see, so I smacked the broom RIGHT ON IT* and it fell down onto the floor, mostly dead. Then my cat ate it. And there ended the epic moth story of May the 7th. *sigh* Stupid moths!!!! I wanted to sleep, and I'm pretty sure it knew that and was taunting me like, "hahaha, you think you're going to sleep! THINK AGAIN." It was also taunting my cat, because she couldn't get up to the ceiling to catch it. "hahaha, you can't catch me! I shall live!!!!!!!" That was one EVIL moth. I killed it, thankfully, but it was EVIL.

Okay. *deep breath* Further story. So, every year, the Freshmen English classes at my school put on "Shakespeare Festival" in May in which freshmen choose a scene from a Shakespeare play to perform. Now, since it's freshmen, they usually suck. I fully admit it, even though I was a freshmen last year. We're not good actors. But, still. There's a difference between good acting and good preparation. I mean, my group last year did the second scene from As You Like It. None of us were particularly good actors, but we had our costumes and props and our timing and our lines memorized. So, while it wasn't good ACTING, it was a fairly good production. And people liked it, they thought it was funny, because Ian was in a fat suit for his role**

However, this year they've relaxed it so much...now it sucks even more. You no longer have to do a scene from a Shakespeare play. You have to do an adaption of a Shakespeare play. So people try to put on fashion shows or game shows or they try to sing. Or, there was a TEN MINUTE LONG PUPPET SHOW. I wanted to kill myself. We all did. Plus, no one has memorized their lines this year. And they have a month to do this...more than a month, actually. So people have lines written on their arms or are just holding their script on stage!!!!*** Sheesh. And I'm not mad because it's bad acting. Again, I'm mad because it's awful preparation. Extremely painful to watch...especially when they make a big deal and their eyes get all wide when they forget a line. That's like, the first rule of theatre: Don't acknowledge when you mess up. And I just feel bad for poor William! =(

Also, LeakyCon! 11 DAYS, 16 HOURS!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited to see everyone that I haven't seen since August. I'm officially going to Nosh with the Nerdfighters now, and...well, I'm just super excited. It's going to be amazingly awesome! And I seriously can't wait. *antsy*

Hopefully I'll get back to blogging at least every few days, rather than waiting 8 days. Sorry.

Also, look, FUB! It was my math notes...and my teacher didn't even know! Made of awesome!

Cheers! DFTBA!

*Win! I felt so powerful when I hit it and killed it! YES!!!!!!! (okay...sorry...I just really don't like when bugs are in my living space. I do respect them, though)
**He was one of the wrestlers, and he had to somersault in a fat suit. Oh my geez, those rehearsals were HILARIOUS.
***"Let me just discretely unfold my script here and read my line..." *shoots self in head* Really, freshmen? REALLY?!

Different without BEDA

Okay, it just felt incredibly strange not to have to post a blog today.

I mean, okay. I know that I complained about not having any ideas for blogs and I rambled on a lot and I'm sure half of it wasn't even funny. But, nevertheless, I had an incredible amount of fun posting a blog every day. Sometimes it was good to think about what to blog about...instead of other things. Sometimes (some very rare times), I actually had a great blog idea and got really excited about writing it! And, mostly, it was really nice having one thing I did EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Some normality, some rhythm, something to go with all the hectic things in my life to keep me sane and calmed down.

I guess it was nice not to have the pressure or whatever to post a blog today. I mean, okay. There was never REAL pressure. Maureen wasn't standing there with a knife to my throat screaming, Write, damn it, write! You post this blog before midnight today, or you die! Come on!!!!! WRITE! That would be scary. Very scary. And I wouldn't necesarrily put it past Maureen either.

Anyway, it was completely my choice to do BEDA, and to push myself to think of something to blog about EVERY SINGLE DAY. Basically, what I'm trying to say, is that I enjoyed BEDA. It was a very nice part of my life, and it made the month of April a bit more manageable, especially this last week. I've met so many great people, who want to talk to me and think I'm funny* and...are amazing.

So, taking a leaf out of Lindsay's book....A toast!
Here's to:
Seeing if Joe can stay up all night (until 6:00 am BST)
Rubbing
The Count Censored
Hankrolls!!!!
Dr. Who <3
Gay Joe/Lesbian Nena**

EPIC 8-hour Skype calls/chats
"Joe being weird"
Speaking in different accents
Randomly saying RAWR

Avoiding homework to talk to frieds
Jospeh
Typos. EPIC typos.

To Charlee, Nena, Abby, Anna, Dasha, Ellie, Trevor, Tobias, Arka, Reese, Chelsea, Madi, Joe, and Lindsay.
THANK YOU.

I will keep blogging, both here on the ning and on my blogspot. Now that I've gotten into the hang of it, I don't see how I could go back.

Oh, and watch this video of mine, maybe? *nods*



Cheers! DFTBA!
RAWR. =)

*Maybe something fell on their heads, because I'm definitely not funny....
**This argument went on forever on Twitter and Skype. EPIC. EPIC.