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CON-ODYSSEY: CopperCon - Thursday, August 28, 2008

CON-ODYSSEY: CopperCon - Thursday, August 28, 2008
The hotel was playing some unfriendly games. I was semi-awakened by a phone call from the hotel staff asking if I knew where to find "Mr. Sweeney", a member of "my party". I should have taken them to task, but I was too sleepy, so I just mumbled that I didn't know any "Mr. Sweeney".

I was then awakened again by a call from the hotel staff telling me that my room and taxes were not paid for. This is a pretty serious thing to tell a guest of the con. And in near-immediate hindsight, I realized it was a ploy on the part of the hotel to try to use me to force the hand of the Convention Staff to pay them for my room (and other guest rooms) in advance as opposed to at the end of the convention (which is typical). Anyway, this statement woke me up pretty quickly. The guy tried to tell me that the hotel needed my credit card number by 1pm. I had been prepared to go downstairs that morning to give them my credit card number for extras like in-room movies and room service, but not for room and tax which is supposed to be covered by the con. I made it clear that if the hotel insisted on this, I would simply check out. I could hear the guy back-pedaling on the phone, as he realized that his ploy might backfire. He'd lose out on five nights of registration, including the one night I had already spent there. He tried to fumfer, telling me I should talk to "Mark" on the constaff to get it straightened out. I told him I didn't know any "Mark" and that this wasn't an issue I was going to "deal" with at all. If the hotel wanted me to leave, I'd leave.

Of course, there was an element of bluff on my part as well. I didn't really want to leave. So I called my guest liason Shane, who told me not to worry about it. Half-an-hour later he called me back and said it was dealt with. But I determined that I wouldn't give my credit card to the hotel for ANYthing including room service. I'd pay cash for those charges at the end of my stay. And I also determined not to have any charges at the end of my stay. It was somewhat petty, but I didn't want to give any money to this hotel.

12:30pm - Jennifer L. Anderson and Patrick Toman (chairpersons of the Gathering 2009) arrived and we hung out for a bit.

1pm - David Hedgecock joined us, and we went to IHOP for lunch. I had the International Passport Breakfast with Eggs overeasy, bacon, sausage, hash browns, Swedish Pancakes and Tomato Juice.

4pm - Jen, Patrick and I went to see Pineapple Express. Not a great movie, but I have to admit I laughed a lot. So I'd give it a thumbs up.

6pm - Dinner at the Macaroni Grill with Jen, Patrick, David and Lanny Fields (multiple Gathering attendee). I had a Caesar Salad, coke and lasagna.

8pm - David and I had our first Gargoyles panel. Middling attendance, but we had fun.

9:30pm - Returned to my room.

11:30pm - A pretty impressive storm with impressive lightning displays, 100mph winds and HAIL! I was watching television, when the entire hotel blacked out. I watched the storm for awhile and then tried to read by the light of my cellphone...

MORE TO COME...