I initially wasn't going to do an aftermath (not "an aftermath w/u", no, "an aftermath": these things are events in themselves), since we left early and thus I felt iffy about covering the entire event. Then I realized that I couldn't possibly cover the entire weekend even had I been continually there. There was SO MUCH and SO MANY and SO MUCH and besides I was good and tipsy on various occasions throughout. So!
On Thursday, wheloc and jmc and I take the sweatiest, hottest, most torturous drive ever down to Columbus, through thousands of cornfields unbroken by any sort of tree. Leather upholstery! Woo! John actually has to change his shirt when we stop for lunch.
On the porch singing with Qeyser, pretending to know the lyrics to "Dancing Queen." Upon looking at the node, I realize I know even less than I thought. Uh, heh. Ysardo requests a little something called "The drinking song" and proceeds to sing it in an unbelievable Irish tenor, with a half-empty bottle of mead in his hand. Quite appropriate to the occasion.
At the park with a loaf of bread, three aerobies, and thou. Mostly aerobies though. At least six occasions of aerobies stuck in trees. We (Jurph in particular) proceed to also get many sticks stuck in various trees, trying to get things down. Much shirtless action in the broiling sun.
I swear, Chii and randir were wearing rollerblades for the entire weekend.
Much sushi, with BAR, metacognizant, discofever, Jurph, Eric(k?)a, birdlace, and many others who currently escape me. The restaurant staff don't question metacognizant's bare feet at all; who knew? I have never had sushi before, and have currently decided I can do without it. I have texture issues. Now, wasabi, on the other hand. I will be eating rice, soy, and wasabi quite often in the future.
Rosie and I sing two verses of the Brunching Shuttlecocks' Bjork song before our memories fail. Everyone else on the porch just sort of Looks at us.
At Chad's, our air mattress slowly deflates, like a flan in a cupboard. In the morning, I do a bunch of yoga in the laundry room, freaking various noders out; later, I do more in the backyard, freaking all the neighbors out, while other people discover the root cellar (people still have root cellars?), through a trapdoor in the porch.
Chad has strawberries growing in his yard! Scattered in the lawn, apparently wild! This is very exciting.
Chad and Jen cook all morning, but refuse help; I drink three cups of coffee instead and get good and jittery. Later, Bart refuses help with his chicken, and czeano with his tvp chili. All the food was fantastic; however, DAMNIT, I WANT TO COOK! I SHALL BE COOKING at future things. I'm just sayin.
I forget our toothbrush. Borgo tries to find me one on a cigarette run, but none are to be found. Several hours later, I get one myself, but return to the apartment only to find that borgo has another one waiting for me. Oh man! Noders are nice! Other evidence of the "noders are nice" phenomenon includes at least two instances of people (dann and mordel) insisting that I take their chairs.
At the thrift store, Rosie picks out a taupe shirt for me. It's almost identical to one of jmc's which I generally try hard not to steal. Eee! Ok ok. Anyway, I don't buy it, such that I can keep, um, not stealing his shirt in the future. Yeah.
Silly bonding moment. Me: "I'm 24." QXZ: "I'm 24!"
I am awkward in social situations, and as such don't get really loosened up until Saturday night, by which point I am also getting pretty damn exhausted. Small problem, especially since various people were only just showing up. I don't go out dancing with various creatively dressed people; jmc and I go back to Chad's relatively early and crash. Hard.
In the morning we are becoming nonfunctional, and overwhelmed with the far too many people everywhere. So we have to leave. Bart looks at us with sad puppy-dog eyes when we say goodbye. Oh man! Leaving!
Souvenirs: many bottlecaps. Evil grey ninja (although I am hesitant to use the adj "evil" as he is only grey) courtesy of Ninjapenguin. Very sore lower back. The Dandy Warhols Come Down. $1.25 toothbrush. Polaroid of discofever looking very confused in the backseat of Void_ptr's car. Shotglass for jmc, which I suppose is technically his souvenir. People. Lots of people.
I had a most excellent weekend, although there are about fifty people with whom I would have liked to spend more time. So. I will come back. I will be around. I will.
Hello. People.