So its that time of the year; the time where I randomly take off to Nebraska for the weekend, by myself mind you. That's right Anime Nebraskon, or Nebkon for short was this past weekend of Nov 6th- 8th.

So like most cons, Nebkon is a 3 day con but I unfortunately missed Friday because of work and the fact that no one could or would switch with me. But just for the record, I am not bitter, just sad that I missed the first day. It was probably for the best though because I got the pay from Friday and it was payday so I had the money to go in general.

That said means that I got there on Saturday around 11 in the morning. And if you are crazy enough to do the math, means that I left my apartment around 2 in the morning. The squeaky door gave me away in my sneaking out... (Note to self: WD40 the door for next year...) The drive wasn't too bad... Though one day I hope to see that area of Nebraska in the daylight. But I have to say that I never thought I would be SO glad to see the sunrise as I was on Saturday morning... it made the rest of the drive so much easier...

Anyway, I got to the Omaha area and took the correct exit, but got stopped at a light which was probably a good thing since I'm not from there I wasn't sure where the hotel actually was... I know now!! So when I was stopped at the light I was looking around saying "I'm pretty sure I'm in the right area. It should be right around here." Well the light turns green right as I spotted the hotel, the only problem is that I'm in the completely wrong lane... I had to turn around, but that's not the first time I've missed the turn for the hotel that a con is at... Oh well, got there eventually.

Anyway, got to the hotel and found a parking spot... in a corner of the parking lot... one to protect my mom's car and two because it was one of the few spots still open.

Took my stuff for Larxene in and changed in the bathroom because I didn't want to wait any longer. Finally found my way to the registration desk where I was ambused by staff asking if I had any weapons that I needed to get peace bonded... Poor Sucker... never ask a Larxene if they have any weapons... I proceeded to pull 7 kunai out of my bag for peace bonding, the poor boys eyes doubled in size and I am pretty sure that he is the same guy as last year. (and yes I know Larxene has 8 kunai but one decided that it was staying home and is still currently MIA but then again my room emploded on itself... again) So while I was registering for the con, my weapons were being peace bonded. The guys at the registration desk were amused when the kunai were laid on the counter in a pile.

Well after the fun at the registration desk I was asked for pictures... by the power-puff girls. They were so sweet. I have to say that I felt special because people were saying that I was the best Larxene that they had seen. Its not everyday that you get a compliment like that.

But back to Saturday, I was trying to find Marly and Vexen to hang out with them... kinda hard when they are not Marly and Vexen but Batgirl and Harley. I saw them but didn't realize that it was them. But according to them, they were thinking the same about me when I walked in... we even gave each other hugs. Yay for not planning to well and for not getting each others' phone numbers before the con *fail*

Went to the Dealers Room and spent money... Got an Code Geass art book and necklace. Several people at work have asked me what the symbol means and I laugh inside when I explain it and get the confused wide-eyed stare back... The dealers were laughing at me because I couldn't decide which ones I really wanted. I was still looking for Vexen and Marly at this point. I think that I asked every Kingdom Hearts cosplayer I came across and the usual answer was "I saw them earlier" and "I'll let them know that Larxene is looking for them."

Wandered around and went to a couple of panels like Posing 101 and Occult and Mystism in Anime. The posing panel was pretty informative. Pretty much a refresher on things I already knew but there was some stuff I hadn't really thought about like putting my hands above my waist to make more angles. And how a slight shift in my body position and/or where the camera is can change the whole effect and feel of the picture. The occult and mystisim panel was incredibly interesting. It talked about how religious symbols are hidden in several animes and how several more are shown in plain view but more often then not they have different meaning. Like how stars and pentagons are for summoning and how some religions worship them as symbols of God or a higher being.

I also went to Cosplay Chess and Code Geass: Capture the Crown. They were both ok events and games, but seemed like they both could have used some more organization. Cosplay Chess seemed like they were having problems getting players to go where they were told. And maybe it was the fact that I didn't really understand Capture the Crown, but it really just didn't make any sense to me. But I didn't plan or particapate in either of these events, so I don't really have room to complain or criticize them.

I also got the chance to go to the cosplay contest. I have to say that it felt weird to be sitting in the audience rather then being in the greenroom or on stage. This was the first time that I've gotten to just watch the cosplay contest instead of being in it. I'm pretty sure that that will change next year...

So the walk-ons were interesting and the skits were hilarious. I have to say that I have 2 favorite skits from this year. One was the Left for Dead adn the other one was Code Geass: CinderLulu. I was laughing so hard during both of them... I highly suggest that you all go and look them up because they are way too funny to try to discribe. I'm pretty sure that the Code Geass skit won best overall skit and I'm not sure about the Left for Dead skit... so congrats to them if they read this and still congrats even if they don't.

Next was the swimsuit contest... that was werid and odd to say the least. My favorite was Tuba Squall and not for the reason people would think and even it he missed the actual contest, he was the funnest. Speaking of funny, the announcers were awesome. They kept us crazy, easily distracted cosplayers fairly entertained while we waited for the tech guys to sort out the microphone issues they were having and the random closing of the stage curtain that kept happening... At one point the curtain almost took out the microphones that they had spent so much time setting up...

So by the time the cosplay contest was over my phone battery was almost dead. So I went back to the lobby to charge it. Sat in the corner and read xxxHolic while it charged. While I was sitting there, in walked Marly and Vexen... finally... so we sat and hung out for a while (and got each others' numbers) even when we had to move for kariaoke. Kariaoke was good, everyone sounded good, better then I could ever sing. Sat and hung out until I could hardly keep my eyes open, then headed back to my "room" (and for a certain few of you... SHHH...)

So woke up Sunday and got dressed in C.C. from Code Geass. Spent most of the day wandering around and just people watching. Managed to stay out the "One of Us" group. It was pretty much a mob of congoers who were duct-taped together chanting either "One of Us" or "Need More Tape." It was ridiculious because they were blocking the entire hallway.

Went back to the Dealers Room to get Ramune, and Mochi because they are amazing and you can't go to a con without having Ramune, Mochi, or Pocky. I have to say that I wanted 95% of the stuff in the Dealers Room. Well as I was sitting in the lobby R2D2 came around a corner. They are the coolest things ever, mainly because they are hand built. Well I got a very upclose picture of R2D2 and then one with him. But the coolest thing is that when I was walking away he whistled at me and then started playing the imperail march. So we had a little dance party in the lobby... Awesome Sauce on a Stick... and there is video of it too...

Watched part of Anime Idol. I thought that those that I watched sung awesomely, but I wasn't a judge or really trained in music so I only have my opinion. But the awesome thing was as I was watching Anime Idol I was ninja-pic'd by a freelance photographer. He even came over and got my name, character I was cosplaying, and where I was from. It was really cool. I am going to have to look him up and see the pictures he took, and maybe get a copy from him.

Left Anime Idol after a little while because the judges were getting annoying and went to hang out with Marly and Vexen again. We then got ninja-pic'd by the Daily Nebraskan, which is the local newspaper, and they asked for all of our names, characters, and where we were from. I keep checking their website to see if we made it on there. So doing the picture math means that I got ninja-pic'd by two professionals in one night. Something like that has never happened to me before. It was Awesome!!

We then decided that we were hungry so we changed and jumped in the car becuase we were thinking Arby's. Went swimming and chatted and crashed for the night. And that means that the con itself was over... Sadness but so much fun was had... Can't wait for next year.

Yay, Monday! Got packed and said laters to Marly, Vexen, and everyone else and headed to the zoo. Yes, the zoo. Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is alot cooler then the zoo near where I live, even if it is smaller. Some if the exhibits included a desert, a jungle, and a swamp, they were awesome, but scary mainly because it was dark, I was alone, and right as I stepped on the path the crocidiles moved and scared me something fierce.

My favorite exhibits have to be the koi pond and the butterfly pavillion. The koi pond consisted of a bridge over the pond. But the fun thing was that you could feed the koi below you in the pond. The butterfly pavillion was the coolest thing, in my opinion, at the zoo. Butterflies flying everywhere... My inner Yuuko was throughly entertained and pleased and on top of that I got some beautiful and close pictures of some of the butterflies.

Finally got on the road home around 2ish in the afternoon. I was racing the sun... obviously I lost and ended up driving a good portion in the dark. Good thing I had energy drinks to keep me going, even if I was crazy when I got home. The drive home was made more entertaining with the fact that my driving music is bi-polar and I almost hit Foxas... I mean.. a fox. I was screaming as it ran off the highway. Other then that the drive was fairly uneventful.

I did realize somethings that were amusing on the drive home. First of all, Colorado drivers suck (sorry if that insults anyone but I am from Colorado and sometimes I think I suck as a driver too.) All through Wyoming and Nebraska, drivers seemed to know what they were doing, but the minute I entered Colorado again people stopped going the speed limit, started cutting each other off, and were just acting plan stupid. Another example was in Wyoming when a Colorado car refused to pass a semi-truck but preferred to stay in the truck's blind spot for like a half and hour, and he drove under the speed limit in the left lane. I'm sure the truck driver was not happy. The other thing that I realized was that I like Nebraska for only one real reason. No Guardrails! That means that there were no guardrails for me to hit or run over after white-out blizzard conditions... (True Story! And we didn't even pop a tire)

Sidenote: I still hate the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! For those of you who don't know of haven't heard me complaining, my work somehow roped me into making 8 turtle themed costumes for the cashier olympics. Cashier Olympics are basically how they sound. Cashiers from other stores get together and compete to see which store has the best cashiers. But back to the costumes, I had to make the bands and masks for all 4 turtles, the cape for shredder, the straps for the 2 foot soldiers, and the robe for splinter. All of these had to be finished in about a week and a half. The really only cool thing was that I got paid to make costumes and I got to keep the cape that I made for Shredder. According to management, there were 10 store competting this year and my store mopped the floor with all of them. We took 1st in everything including cake and float, which was judges mainly on costumes and decorations that we had on the trailer. We also had the top 4 cashiers in the district. All that being said means that my sanity (or what littly bit I might have had) being lost to the turtles wasn't a complete waste.

So I think that this journal has gone on LONG enough. Sorry to kill you all with my journal this time... But a couple more things before I go... Con season is finally over but no rest for me. Must work on next years cosplays. Not completely sure which ones I'm doing other then 2 new Yuukos... Pictures are slowly being uploaded to here, facebook, and possibly photobucket, if my computer doesn't decide to explode. And I hope that everyone had an awesome Halloween. Halloween: The one day of the year where cosplayers are normal acting to everyone else or just plain a Cosplayers Holiday!

LATERS ALL!

Cons:
Anime Oasis
Nan Desu Kan
Anime Banzai
Anime Nebraskon

Future Cosplays: Don't Ask... Its up in the air...