Arisia

[dcseain]

The big happies from my trip to Arisia:

• I got to see jbsegal for the first time in WAY too many years
• I got to see happypetefor the first time in WAY too many years
• I got to go to a Tim Horton's and, I wasn't in Canada.
  
  Friday:
  Left lionessprite's house around 11, hit MOM's, and got on the road to Philly to get nancylebov and her business. Got there round 1, left Philly about 2, headed north. In Connecticut i saw a sign indicating that there was a Tim Horton's. I got really excited. nancylebov said we should stop on the way home; i agreed. We arrived at the hotel at about 11:30 PM, mostly due to traffic from The Bronx to central CT. Set-up was finished about 2AM.
  
  Saturday:
  Awoke about 8:30, dressed, ate, opened business about 9:30. At 6, walked to the end of the block, got carryout from PF Chang's, ate in the room we were sleeping in, and by 7 was back in the room with the business, which we closed around Midnight. I then was social for a couple hours, hitting a few parties, and chatting with others in our room, mostly J and her husband.
  
  Sunday:
  Awoke about 9, dressed, ate, opened business about 10:15. Had a lovely lunch around 2 with J&L D at Thai Basil on Newberry St. The food was decent, but very bland compared to spice Thai dishes here in DC. Closed business about 4:30, and moved it to the room we were sleeping in by 6:30, interrupted by a bout of book buying due to a sale down the hall. nancylebov and i went to dinner at Mary Chung's in Cambridge with 5 other people, and had a nice time. Got back to the hotel, found some con people and chatted for a bit, then hit the Dead Dog up in the Con Suite. I went off to bed around 2:30, nancylebov and J arrive at some point after me, and i didn't hear them come in.
  
  Monday:
  Awoke at 08:45, ate a bit of something, and got moving about 09:30. It was a bit after 10 when i checked out and asked for a bellhop with 2 carts to be sent to the room to bring stuff down. Then i went to the Boston Commons Garage to retrieve the car, went to the hotel and loaded the car. We then went to Harnett's at 47 Brattle St in Cambridge to do a spot of shopping. Got lunch at an Indian place across the street on the way back to the car. The food was okay, but as at the Thai place, the food was VERY bland compared to what we get as Indian here in DC. The "very hot" onion chutney was barey perceptable, and the staff looked at me blankly when i requested hot pickle, either mango or lemon. And their sambar was rich, but lacking in complexity and heat.
  
  Anyway, enough food rant. Left the restaurant about 1:15. It took until 3 to hit Mass Pike to head home. Took Mass Pike to 84 to 684 to The Hutch to The Hudson to the GW. No traffic, praise Elvis, as it was a holiday. Got into Philly about 8. Onloaded the car and we were back in it to go to dinner by 08:30. That was impressive, especially since she lives on a littly bitty street, and i had to interrupt unloady 3x to circle the block to allow others to pass. Sadly, the Pastaría at Franco an Luigi's at 13th and Tasker was closed. :( So we got dinner at South and 2nd at another Italian place whose name i forget. i got to my house about 12:45 and crashed.