This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
Right. So. As some of you may have heard, my schedule just got right fucked by FIU, and now the window for possible RoseCons is hilariously slim. These are the date ranges I will have off next spring.
March 16 - 23 (Spring Break)
April 27 - May 4th
These are the only dates I will be able to attend a RoseCon in the original date range, as FIU has a hilariously strict policy concerning attendance at the nursing program. We made this year's RoseCon so much later because some of us were still in class back in early May. The only other possibility is to put RoseCon after my summer term. I do not know when my fall term begins next year, but my summer term ends August 9th, which means RoseCon would be held almost immediately after that date. This year it was August 9th summer classes ended and August 25th that fall began, so of the three, this is my largest window of time thus far, which inclines me to it quite strongly.
But this is the situation. I have the above Spring break dates, after spring dates, and the summer date available to attend RoseCon myself. The first two would be closest to how we did it last year, but I'd be dealing with much smaller windows of time off, and as I recall last year, these dates are both too early in the year for as many people as possible to attend. The August dates seem to me the best bet, since I'll have more time to work with, and I have never heard of a college starting a term earlier than the 20th or so of August. I need everyone's feedback on this.
The two cities that are in the lead here are San Francisco and Seattle. Honestly, if this is done in August, the winner will be whoever has the more accomodating average temperatures, although strangely a quick google has suggested SF is cooler than Seattle in August.
At any rate, people feedback plz! I'm very sorry to basically have to give date ultimatums but these are literally all I have to work with. The other option, is...well...me not going. I won't rule this out, because if my dates just don't work for enough people, that's tough shit, and I will still plan the event for everyone else.
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The March dates would probably count me out, travel gets way pricey. May probably won't work for me either, as Senior grads around here are the first week of May, and -yay, oh yay- my sister will be a grad next year.
August, though, I'm cool with.
Edit: Just read the post over on ExC -god that school is fond of screwing you over! Christ almighty. :hugs: If you ever need a weekend to just decompress, you get your butt up here, or I'll haul mine own there. :hug:
Last edited by MissMocha (07-14-2008 02:03:27 PM)
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I'm confident I can make any of the proposed dates work for me, but Mocha's concern about prices in March is probably well-grounded...
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I think the most logical time for me to go would be August. That way I'm not swamped with Foundations year at art school and that date will be the time before my second year starts. It also gives me more time to save up and plan ahead.
I read your blog post about this yesterday, and I'm so very sorry for you, Gio.
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Giovanna wrote:
Honestly, if this is done in August, the winner will be whoever has the more accomodating average temperatures, although strangely a quick google has suggested SF is cooler than Seattle in August.
Bring a sweater for the night time.
The reason SF is cooler is becuase in the summer is when SF gets all the fog coming in which cools the city off nicely.
I'm not kidding about the sweater either, or at least something with sleeves becuase you never know.
As for dates...I'm gonna be unhelpful and say right now any of those work for me.
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I think August sounds best simply because there will be a bigger window for people to work with, and it will be less likely to interfere with schools. Some high schools start pretty early, but if we stick to the earlier part of the window, it might be more doable.
I personally won't be in school anymore (unless something goes terribly wrong) after December 2008, so technically any of the days would work, but Spring Break time is not one of my preferred times for travel.
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1. First and foremost, GIO IS GOING, NO EXCEPTIONS. THE END.
2. I don't have a problem with any of the dates because I'm not in school.
3. If we pick March, the main issue is that Spring Break doesn't necessarily line up like that for everybody. I'd assume, however, that 90% of those still trapped in academia will be able to attend the first weekend (March 14-15) or the second weekend (March 21-22). The other problem with March is that, as Mocha said, it's Spring Break. Flights and hotels will be more expensive and less available.
4. If we pick late April/early May, then it's most likely going to be a no-go for people still in school and not within driving distance. Late April/early May is off-peak for travel since it's not a holiday.*
5. If we pick August, we'd have a bit more flexibility because there's AT LEAST a 2-week window. Based on the dates Gio gave, the window is most likely August 8-24, 2009. This is also going to be the warmest time of the three. August is also an off-peak period, which is good.
*If New Orleans were truly in the running, then this statement would not apply because of Jazzfest.
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Raven Nightshade wrote:
1. First and foremost, GIO IS GOING, NO EXCEPTIONS. THE END.
I really have to agree with Raven on this one. Half of the point of me wanting to go to the second year of the con is so that I can actually meet you guys... especially the ones that made it possible. If you guys aren't there, I suddenly lose part of my reason for wanting to go. Not that I wouldn't want to meet the rest of you... but I think you all understand my point.
If I can go at all, I don't think I have a preference to any of the dates at this point other than 'oh god August ;_;', which is only a 'I HATE SUMMER' thing. I have no idea how vacation time works with my new job, but I'm certainly going to find out.
Last edited by Lady Chani (07-14-2008 05:15:15 PM)
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I feel a odd commenting on this, since I'm not yet sure I could make it for either date. It's probably "somewhat" more likely that I could make it in August, but take that with a grain of salt. Or five.
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Early August works better for me, if only from the POV that my younger sister wants to go to Canada for her birthday on July 27th, and I was thinking I'd prefer to do some of my travels with her. Which would mean I could travel in July and come back to San Fran for RoseCon, and then catch a flight home from there. (Seattle works as well, though I've no idea of the weather there at that time of year. All I know is that I was in Seattle in September and all it did was rain. Ha ha ha. )
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I have to agree that we all really want Gio to be there, and that August seems the best course of whatsit. That way, college isn't interfered with much, if at all. If RoseCon is, in fact, in San Fran, I may actually be there already, settling in.
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Dammit, I didn't make RoseCon 2008 because of money issues and this year might be more of the same goddamn thing. (I'm saving up for a laptop I can call my own, only it's Alienware and thus hideously expensive.)
At any rate, I doubt highly that timing will be a problem for me. Money shouldn't be THAT big of a problem, considering I live close enough to SF that I could drive there in a day or two. Seattle would need a flight in, however.
To sum it up: if it's SF, I can go, but probably barely. Seattle's right out for me.
And I agree with the others. I hate how FIU fucked you over, O Ends of the Forum.
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Hmm, I don't know if the date will work for me, because I'll probably be in college by then...and I dunno what my breaks will be like... So me attending again is a big maybe. Also, if things go as planned, I'll already have one trip to Cali planned for next year. We're going to try and go to YaoiCon. So...yeah...like I said, big maybe.
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August would be the best option for me too. My personal preference puts Seattle slightly above SF, but I'd be up for either.
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OnionPrince wrote:
August would be the best option for me too. My personal preference puts Seattle slightly above SF, but I'd be up for either.
the same for me, but I WILL make Rose Con next year even if it is earlier than August.
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Not in school + self-employed = free whenever. I'd prefer August, personally, especially if August in San Francisco is cooler than August in Florida. August also means things are just a little less hectic for you, Gio, which is crucial as far as I'm concerned.
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August is best for me too, assuming I can actually make it, and assuming I want to make it.
Early may is when my operatic society performs, and March Break seems like a kind of iffy time to go, but August is all clear.
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Oh geez, I hope you're talking August 2009 and not August 2008. If it's 2008, I'll be stuck at home again...
Edited times because I'm an idiot like that
Last edited by BioKraze (07-15-2008 06:24:28 PM)
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As for cities, is Seattle farther north than San Francisco?
Traveling is a big issue for me, since I've never been out of the country alone before.
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It's about a 3 hour drive from Seattle to the northern border.
It's looking so far like August might be the best option.
Last edited by MissMocha (07-15-2008 03:58:51 PM)
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It's going to be August then. Good, more time to save up. I'm fairly sure it's also going to be SF, since it's cooler at that time than Seattle and I am NOT going anywhere hot. I won't leave my room aside. I'm going to call the college pretty soon here and see if I can get more specific dates for when I'm free.
The absolute briefest scan of the situation indicates two places where the concentration of hotels is highest. Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square. The former is where all the Holiday Inns and shit are, which suggests it's the tourist trappier spot, and Union Square has more independent hotels, but a vast array of prices. It's also where the Hilton is, and if at ALL possible (...wink wink I'm broke...) I'd like to get the Hilton room myself this time, since it's easier to arrange the events that way, and I can get the supplies days beforehand. I know the rooms could be bigger but you're not going to get big rooms without renting conference rooms, which are not places to eat, drink, and rub feet in. This Hilton has 'Sight and Sound' rooms where it's another bigass TV, and apparently all the cables for Lappie hookups, not that I'm taking that risk.
In short, even if we don't end up right in the same hotel, unlike NYC, SF has its hotels more or less grouped in certain areas, so it should be no problem to present several options along the lines of a budget and leave us all within 4 or 5 blocks of each other. I have seen a couple hotels that run in the 130ish a night range, probably more for more people, but I might suggest keeping in mind the hotel stay will probably cost a little more this time, especially if we're trying to avoid something as low end as the Carter. For that matter, count on the overall cost of this trip being slightly higher once you're off the plane, if only because frankly I really do need to charge something in the way of an 'admission' fee, since RoseCon involved a lot of hidden but necessary costs I didn't mind taking on, but probably can't afford to take on my own again. (This is kinda the same situation as last year, I really can't afford to go at all, but I'm gonna fuckin' go since, well shit. )
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Hmm. Say that one would be staying at a nice-but-cheap hotel for X number of days [how many days?], how much money should one bring for this trip? Including bus fare, hotel expenses, food, admissions to various museums, merchandise, etc? Over $1000? More? I'm really really new to this "traveling-out-of-county" thing.
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Well ShatteredMirror and Alithea are both near SF, and Yasha has vacationed there, so I'm going to be trying to get on AIM and do a little digging for stuff like food costs, transportation, etc. I would assume that overall it's going to be about the same as NYC, potentially cheaper, but I wouldn't count too much on that. RoseCon will probably be again officially three days, and I'd say that airfare and hotel paid for, most people will be fine with about 500 to spend if they're thrifty. I do plan to do another Balthazar-style dinner, although I don't know what the Balthazar of SF is going to be. Have to research, but I am guessing it'll be Japanese, sooo. I never cleared this up, I know a few people are not so hot on the raw fish, but if I make sure there are cooked dishes on the menu, would people be too squicked watching it consumed by others? I don't know how that works for everyone.
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As for lodging, should I count on sticking around Union Square? I really need to find a map of the area, and figure out how redneck-girl-friendly it is. ;.;
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