Round Two of visitor season is over, with Bne being safely delivered to the airport (hey, he’s legally a grownup; my responsibility ends there) in plenty of time to catch his flight. Too much, one might say, but I couldn’t take any more time off work. I might have managed to convince him that FAA regulations require you to check in four hours before your flight is supposed to leave… back me up on this if he asks, OK?
It was a great visit. Much wine was consumed, much “Venture Brothers” was watched. On Friday we drove up to an East German restaurant in San Francisco to meet some on-line friends of Bne’s who luckily turned out to be good people, because most of the evening was spent straightening out the web of lies that Bne had woven.*
And on Sunday we went to Maker Faire, which was AWESOMETASTIC and had a Steampunk/Victorian mobile home (my favourite!), and the biggest Diet-Coke/Mentos fountain that I ever did see**, and a hypnotizing auto-Zen garden, and a steampunk motorcycle, and motorized cupcakes, and a bigger-than-life sized robotic giraffe that people rode in, and yarn, and sewing machines, and a room full of books about making things, and music, and a traveling blacksmith, and big robots, and little robots, and just… everything. I didn’t even see Saturday night, which had the “Steampunk Lounge.” Ms. Geekchick took some great pictures here, but I’m not sure if they convey the scope of the event. Attendance was 65,000 people, with 500 exhibitor/vendors/makers. My people. And I got compliments on my apron and goggles.***
I took Monday off, partly to recover from darting around like a caffeinated hummingbird going “EeeeeeEEEEEEEeeeee!” for all of Sunday, and partly so Bne could indulge in an orgy of consumerism in preparation for his new Grownup Job. Thank me, people of Alberta, for now Bne owns decent pants.
(and I also might have bought some clothes myself. From Kenneth Cole and Calvin Klein, even. Eesh.)
On to Round Three!
* A mere sample: I mentioned that I was quite a bit older than Bne and one of the nice friends said “Really? You certainly don’t look it” and I was so pleased until Bne leaned over and said “I told her I was 43.”
** Not a great video, but it gives you the idea. There was about 200L of diet Coke involved. It was awe-inspiring.
*** What, you didn’t think I’d not go in costume, did you?
The Maker's Faire looks awesome!
Chris (Ferlak?), it certainly was. I wish with all my little heart that all my friends could have been there, because there's no-one that wouldn't have liked it (hi, Rilla!)
heh, I think the best was when I told Deborah you were fluent in German.
I told Furlak about when you got goggle envy for the guy with the reticulating monocles.
Thanks again for putting me up (and up with me!) I love you both.
So.
All last week I would spontaneously exclaim, "DAMN IT! WHY AREN'T I IN CALIFORNIA RIGHT NOW." It was a very trying week for the Kaz. Yes, I would have loved Maker's Faire. I would have loved pretty much everything.
Yes, this is Ferlak, posting under a cunning pseudonym. Sadly, I didn't have anything more erudite to say than "OMG shineys."