I'm back, and once again, awake. So its time to do the report. This is my first real report that I can remember, but then again, this is a very memorable Botcon for me. Im in a kind of tizzy, so if any of this is inaccurate, I apologize. But chances are you won't know anyway, so its no biggie.
Prelude
The weeks leading up to the con were spent in a frantic mass of ebay sales. Precious things were sacrificed in the fires of ebay over the past month to get the money to attend. The plan was to drive, and I was peparing for a 12 hour trek in my unairconditioned toaster oven when lo and behold, my buddy Matt got back from a jaunt to Texas. Jetsetter that he is, he agreed to come with me on a road trip, having just gotten from another one, and being about to leave for Europe after we got back. Plans were set and money was gathered. I was going!
Two days before the convention, I find out that Renee, a mutual friend of myself and Matt, also wanted to go for the same reason Matt did: To see Chicago. Mix CDs were prepared, plans made, and packages sent off.
Day 1: Thursday
Its seven in the morning and I'm clamboring into Matt's car. Quick stop for McBreakfast and we're on the road towards Chicago, listening to 80s Mix CDs and generally having a good time. I had parts and prints a plenty. I was ready.
At Joplin, we ate at that the holiest of holies, the Steak n' Shake. Chocolate Malt and Philly Sandwitch. Mmm.
The trip was punctuated by frequent construction, strange gas stations, and what appeared to be a parasailing man in a wheelchair over the highway. We got into Chicago around ten thirty, when I hooked up with Roe Tursi and her cousin, Frank. We were in the convention hotel, and after changing out of my sweatpants and into my "dignity pants" I began mingling with the various people and sorting my TF accessories to sell. A few Wiigii! encounters and a lot of general hangage. Good times. Renee and Matt went to their hotel and there was some parts sales/trading.
Then sleep.
Day 2: Friday
Shortly after waking I'm showered and ready to go.
We all went to Denny's for Breakfast: Me, Matt, Renee, Roe, Ed, Frank, Monzo, Momzo and Ed's Mom. I will hereby refer to it as "Awkward Breakfast Theatre" as we sat and listened to various topics, ranging from how Pogs were killed by ruthless American over-explotation to the wonders of Chicago. I spilled syrup on my shirt and had to change it, but otherwise, it went fine.
Matt & Renee come by to pick me up and we walk to the L station for a trip into Chicago proper. I tried to find others to come with, but everyone was either going to be at the dinner, or was setting up in the dealer room, or, in the case of Walky, Trix and LV, running this way and that as helpers for the 'con. The con would see them becoming more and more frazzled, with Trix losing her voice entirely, Walky walking around with a far-away, zombie-like expression, and LV apparently being too tired to get angry at being mistaken for M Sipher.
If you didn't go to Chicago during the trip. For shame.
Chicago is a blast and a half. We rode the L into town, got out and headded directly for the Art Institute of Chicago. Unfortunately, the website was wrong, and it was closing in 45 minutres. Fortunately, this made it free. A quick buzz through the place afforded a good look at a whole hell of a lot of nice artwork. They had some Dali on display, which had me giddy. And a big collection of impressionist work. Very nice. We were ushered out at 5 past close and made our way along Chicago's streets to the Sears tower. After a few mishaps trying to figure out where to enter, we fought our way through crowds, hidden taxes and a manditory educational film to get to the observation deck.
It was abstract. The humidity of the air made the world fade into an indistinct blur at the edges. All of chicago lay out before us, a disc of city fading into a wispy sky miles away. Incredible view. After a lot of Olympian sightseeing we rode the elevator back down and started looking for someplace to eat. Giordiano's or somesuch was the choice, for deep dish pizza.
The whole mystique of Chicago deep dish? Its earned. Trust me here.
A little more wandering and we were back on the L to the hotel. When we got there, Parts night was just starting up in the lobby. I made some good cash on guns and such, sold some art and got to watch some... ahem... interesting light saber battles in the lobby. I'm surprised no one got bounced. It was a blast, tho, and from there it was off to the bar with Roe, Frank, Sarah, Matt, Renee and some other folks. Frank bought Simon Furman a drink and we got a picture with him. I tell you, Mr. Furman is a class act. Friendly and fun to be around. That, and he waved at us every time he saw us over the course of the weekend. There was hangage of various types for hours after that, and it was about 3 before sleep was had. We encountered the helpers again. Who revealed that wihle they were assured that this wouldn't interfere with their normal con-going activies, they had to be up at 5:30, so apparently Sleep insn't one of those activities. The zombification begins.
Day 3: Saturday
The big day! I managed to get up by 7, and we were all showered and ready to go (except Frank, who seemed to be nursing a slight hangover) I helped Roe carry stuff into the dealer room, and then spent the minutes waiting for the room to open to the public doing pre-shopping. 8 dollar Armada Thrust, MIP? HUZZAH! Ten dollar destructicons!? HUZZAH!
I buzzed the Hasbro booth, saw some nifty stuff, but had no idea what it was until later. The doors opened, we were soon joined by Frank, and the convention began in ernest. I entered my Bludgeon pic in the art contest and went back up to the dealer room. I was thwarted on every side in my attempts to find a Sharkion or Gallion from Webdiver, but I got in line, got my exclusives, and went about my business. 
Then the word came down... Bigbadtoystore had smallest Transformers. Frank and I were on them in an instant. We got a case, no Starscreams, but I got a Skywarp and he got the Prime trailer. Ravage is indeed small enough to be considered a tic-tac.
The day is literally a blur to me. Meeting people, hanging out. Finding the Go-bots video running in the "Mini-con" daycare room (funny stuff). But certain things stand out.
First, is the Hasbro booth. Amazing stuff on display. You've seen pictures by now, so I'm not going to dwell, lets just say that I have a lot of good feelings about this. Especially since three of the repaints aren't going to be powerlinx, they're going to be new characters for Energon. Nice. Jhiaxus! Awsome! Emessary! Awsome!
But what was more awsome was when I was looking at the stuff and one of the guys on the other side of the booth says. "Trent Troop?"
There's a certain sensation one gets when hurled into a bizarre, alternate universe where everything works backwards, I'm certain. Its a sudden bolt of surreal clarity. It was Josh, the guy at hasbro who looks over everything that goes through for liscense approval. He recognized my name on my badge because of the work I did on Cybertronian, and remembered it. Needless to say he got Prints and a tape. Friendly guy too. Aaron Archer is a great guy too, we shot the breeze for awhile, I tried to convince him to use the cyborg beasts in Universe, which led to a discussion with all the Hasbro people there. Apparently, cyborg shark=dumb to everyone except me and Aaron, but I pushed for the use of Dirgegun as a Universe Waspinator, and everyone seemed (reluctantly) amicable to the idea. If you're out there Aaron, I got your back when it comes to the Cyborgs! Skybyte must return!
There was the Hasbro panel. I know there's people "unimpressed" with Universe and Energon. All I've got to say is "Your Loss". I'm all for this. The toys look flip fantastic. Its an entire line of Multiforce autobots, its got Zoids-style animation, and most of all, big honkin' energon weapons. Energon Ghost starscream, the coming of a new Scorponok, and the continued use of Minicons with dead-pegs all made my day. Alternators looks really nice. Too bad its only cars at this moment. But then again, a jet at 1:24th scale would be huge. All hail King Atlas! All hail Battle Ravage! All hail the Armada Video game!
Sorry, this was just concentrated awsomeness.
From there it was more dealer room nuttiness. I got to talk briefly to the Devil's Due guys, then Frank and I entered the pickup line contest. I got a Rook for my trouble. Frank got a Rook AND won, getting a RiD Megatron. From there it was more lines, more talking and more toys. The con started to wind down eventually, but not before we saw the script reading. I got to hang out with Siph and his wife, and dinner was had at Giorandos, again. This time I had a thin pizza. Equally fantastic.
The evening was taken up with a few things. The wiigii! party, the allspark party, and drinking with Dusty and co. The Allspark party was... a flashback. I wait until the line dies down, enter a big room full of people who just want to talk and hang out, and what's playing but techno. It was like a middle school party, everyone wallflowering and no one dancing. The Wiigii! gathering involved story time and a lot of fun conversation. Then it was off to the bar to drink and hang out with Dusty and his girlfriend. Good times were had, and then it was crawling off to bed.
Day 4: Sunday
Matrix Challenge trivia contest
Swag Rundown
Battle Protocol CD
Armada Thrust
Starsabre RP Toy
X-Dimension Land Military Team
Smallest TFs: Sideswipe, Bumblebee, Prime, Skywarp, Soundwave
SD Robotech Alphas: All Colors
Sixwing
Both Destructions
Loose Sea Team
Shadow Striker & Roulette X2
Sideswipe (Universe) X2
Rook X2
Megatron Head Knocker
Super Prime (Micron Legend)
A box of Myclone Series 1
Primal Prime
Laser Rod Optimus
Starscream Bust
MW Prime
Hot Rod Bust
X-9 Ravage
Flash Lioconvoy
Repro Magnus (Japanese)
Repro God Ginrai
All 3 Super Car Brothers (Japanese)
Sunstorm PVC
Seeker Pack PVC (Given to M Sipher)
Black Convoy
Signed Pat Lee Shockwave Litho
Loose Sea Team Minicons
See you all next year!
-Trent
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