Because we're getting so close to the 'Con, I decided I'd share a few memories of conventions past.
The following is a true story. I am not making this up in any way, shape or form.
Back in 2008, BotCon was held in the "lovely" city of Cincinnati. (I use the term loosely, trust me. Because everyone knows just how much Ohio sucks. But I digress.) Anyway, the trip to Cincy was bad enough; poor Scamper lost his front windshield thanks to construction in fucking Illinois (I swear to Primus, they are never going to finish that stretch of highway!) and Prime and I weren't really sure we were going to make it to the convention on time. But poor sweet Scamps, injured as he was, got us there.
Prime and I, along with our friend from Cali were staying at a local Ramada and not the convention hotel that year. It wasn't a huge deal for us; we had Scamps so we could drive wherever.
Later on during our stay, I started thinking that maybe we should have driven to a different damn hotel.
You see, the Ramada was across the street from a gas station that had a White Castle. It turned out that the White Castle was a pretty popular local hangout. That really didn't bother me, until one night at around one o'clock in the morning while Prime and I were trying to sleep.
Now this particular night (I believe it might have been Friday) there was an enormous group of people hanging around the White Castle. A lot of people standing around their cars, a few groups standing near the gas station talking and one guy who happened to be riding a motorcycle. We could hear a few people yelling from time to time, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then all of a sudden, we heard it.
Pop.
Pop. Pop.
I rolled over and looked at Prime. We asked each other if we had heard what the hell we thought we heard. After several seconds, we agreed. It sounded like it might have been a drive-by shooting.
I was freaking out. I have never, in my short and rather sheltered existence, been anywhere near anything like that.
We woke up our friend DA to tell him what the hell was going on. He said we'd be fine and not to worry about it.
He then promptly went back to sleep. No joke.
Me and Prime were more than a little shocked. How the hell could he be so calm about this?! Like I said, my ass has been pretty damned sheltered.
I managed to get to sleep sometime after two in the morning. Nothing else "interesting" happened that night. The incident was also the talk of the convention center; it seems it was the guy on the motorcycle, just showing off. But, according to one 'Con goer, the police had said that drive-bys were pretty common in that area. (Wish to hell I had known that beforehand!)
At the time, it really wasn't funny, but now that I look back on it I can't help but break into giggles. It doesn't matter where I am when I'm thinking of it either; I've started snickering over it while I've been standing at my register, taking people's credit card payments. The story's been told quite a few times to my friends at work and it never fails to get laughs. Especially when I tell everyone "Yeah, my friend just went back to sleep like nothing was happening!" (That's the point where I break into a fit of hysterical laughter.)
Hell, I can't stop laughing right now. It kinda hurts to breathe a little. Here's hoping this BotCon won't be so "eventful".
--Weasel, "Never a dull moment, I tell ya."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
That's pretty sheltered indeed, yehhhsss...
You can chalk it up to the fact that I lived in East LA from '84-'91 & at the time, an area riddled with gangs, drugs, shootings & helicopters flying overhead. The fact that I survived all that still baffles me to this day.
Granted, no child should have to have an environment like that, hence my apathetic response. Interestingly, I visited the same area while at BC '09. Boy has it improved...it has gentrified. I didn't know youse 2 were still awake for another hour!;)
Ironically, what I found more unnerving was during BC '01 in Durham, NC when we say a homicide scene directly down from our hotel suite! That was NOT what I wanted to see while on vacation! It made Durham GHETTO! =) It's highly unlikely we'll say the same about WDW...
~daiAtlas
Where I lived, there were more trees than people. Which was rather odd, considering we were less than ten minutes away from the local mall. The most we had to deal with was the occasional screaming match at the nearby trailer park. Like I said, seriously sheltered. Dad really didn't like being around people much.
The closest I had ever really been around anyone handling a weapon was when I was eight and some freak I had never seen before was shooting a pellet gun into the woods next door. I was in a car when I saw the guy. He turned around and looked at me with these completely empty eyes. Yeah, the thought of that guy still bugs me even now. (Never saw him again after that. Not really upset over that.)
From what I've heard, my old neighborhood has completely changed since I left. The road's been paved (it was dirt, originally), the ditch I played in is gone and most of the trees are gone. I don't think I want to go back and see that. I'm glad I have the memories.
You know, I had been around Raleigh but BC01 was my first trip to Durham and I don't think I ever want to go back there. I'm sure Raleigh had some royally ghetto areas but DAMN!
And dude, write a memoir. Seriously. I'm betting you have some interesting stories to tell. (You've probably lived more than I have. That's why I have to write fiction. My life is freaking boring.)
And yeah, I couldn't exactly go back to sleep immediately. I was the one closest to the window. XD (I can't stop laughing!)
Post a Comment