GAFilk 5

Mich's concert continued to be fantastic.

The open filk later was damned good too -- as it turned out, many of the people nrivkis and I wanted to sing with had clustered in one room, so we spent a lot of time there, and after nrivkis went to bed, I returned there and stayed singing until well after 6AM, ending with a bunch of really good cold harmony sings in four part harmony, at which point the four of us (Callie Hills, Ben Newman, Blake Hodgetts, YT), plus some one who's name I didn't get, went out to breakfast (later joined by pola_bear, and, um, I think Crystal and Steve), discovered that Callie and I had probably previously met at Pennsic (in 2001? Something like that), and eventually went to sleep around 8:30 (with no regrets -- I think I'd used up my 3rd wind at that point).

This morning, the checkout time of noon (no late checkout allowed this year) forced me to make the Ecumenifilk, which was an utter delight.

And the piano jam, with, at one point, 5 pianists on 2 pianos using 9 hands, is being a lot of fun to listen to.

Also, purchased copies of the new Echoe's Children songbook (to be delivered later today, if possible), and pre-purchased a copy of their new CD.

Oh, and if it's not obvious, I got to sing a lot this con, though I did spend a lot of time listening, and more harmonizing than leading (but then, I really -like- harmonizing), or even drumming.

GAFilk 6 (final)

The remainder of GAfilk passed in something of a blur, as there was a traditional Closing Ceremonies (ending with a Strangers No More sing by all), followed by nrivkis and I hurridly hugging everyone we could reach prepatory to heading out (fortunately, I'll see some of same, if by -no- means most, at Arisia next weekend). One of these days, I'l make GAFilk's dead dog, but I'm still conserving vacation days.

After that, the trip to the airport was fairly easy, the way through security was uneventrul aside from two pretty lighters I'd picked up at Torcon but not found when looking through my backpack getting refused and (by YT) abandoned (since food was more important at that point than $10 worth of lighters, even if they weren't trivial to replace).

Note: Atlanta's airport is very big, and unified, unlike JFK or La Guardia. Additionally, rather unusually, they have a single security checkpoint regardless of terminal, which tends to make for truly enourmous lines.

The flight was quite pleasant, as they go.

However, picking up my drum bag, I found that while the other things I'd stored in it were intact, that "helpful" AirTran baggage inspectors in Atlanta had ripped my bodhran head open in order to inspect the bag below it (rather than just untying the bag and inspecting the contents) -- this wasn't even a single rip, but a full rip across combined wirh a vertical cut and a tertiary rip, like some ecut the drum across one end and then ripped it in half by hand. I've complained, and given the monetary values in question, don't expect much, but I'm decidedly annoyed. I'd probably be more annoyed if I hadn't been considering replacing the drum, but -still-.

Anywyas, the trip was still a lot of fun (though having a drum for Arisia might be a touch challenging. :(