Tampa, FL August Meeting

Okay folks!!

August meeting will on the 21st. in Tampa at 6:30pm at the Clubhouse Sports Cafe' at 5537 Sheldon Rd. 813-884-1333. This is on the intersecion of Hillsborough and Memorial. Check the website for the Cafe' and the mapquest picture will give you a good idea where it is.

This is the lst neeting before DragonCon and we will also be having a farwell party for Eric and Mindy, as they are relocating back home to Indiana. Yep!! the home of Celebration 2 and also Celebration 3!!!.
So let's have a good turnout!!!!

 

Those attending Dragoncon need to get together to make final plans for travel and accomdations. This is an expensive and intense convention committment. Those attending to make sure they have secured the following:
1) Do you have your tickets? They can still be purchased online for a few more days at a cost of $75.00 per ticket for the entire 4 days. Prepaid tickets have nice keepsake badge and it is required to be worn at all times to enter ANY convention areas other than the Halls of the hotels. All events, ballrooms, exhibits and panels require a badge. There are ways around that, but not recomended because there are so many things to do. Well worth the $75.00.
MAKE SURE you have your confirmation card in a safe place and bring with you, it makes ticket pickup much easier.
2) If you are wearing costumes, do you have all your parts together and in working order? Pack light as possible, but pack completely and be ready to go at least a couple of days before your party is ready to leave. Do NOT wait until the last minute to pack your suit case or check your costumes. In my party, if you ain't ready to go, you may get left behind. Space is limited for transport of gear and personnel so PREPARE wisely!!! This is a major event and your preparation both makes things go smoother and helps your travel mates enjoy the trip that they have invested time in money in.
3) Be sure you have your finances in order. I have secured hotel rooms for my party and have my confirmation numbers on hand. Make sure you have enough money to pay for your hotel room, food and incidental purchases. Though there are consuite eats available, don't count on that as your only source of nurishment because the food goes fast and the fare is not exactly gourmet. Make sure those you are sharing expenses with are equally as prepared as you are, I had to put out over $200 last year I had not planned for when other people in my party came up short. Fortunately I do plan with a buffer zone for those type of incidentals, but usually do not allow those folks to travel in MY party again in the future.
4) Though everyone would expect courtesy out of their travel mates, it still needs to be said...the road is long for those driving up. Bathroom breaks and stretch breaks are neccessary, but complaining over travel is not. WE will make reasonable stops for these, but we will more than likely NOT be doing the big sitdown dinners on the way up or back. We will be driving for at least 2-4 hours at a stretch and when we stop, get your bathroom breaks and stretching done or do without and do not complain. That has been a spoiler on many trips I have done in the past and I no longer travel with those cry babies (except for Alex and damn...even he knows better than to plague me on a trip) Drivers need to switch off when neccessary. Tired drivers cause accidents and I have been making this trip for 10 plus years now and I sleep when I am not driving or navigating. I can do this trip in my sleep, but I don't. Get as much rest as possible the night before and early prep for transport allows for this.
5)DO NOT expect to get much sleep during Dragoncon. There are events, parties and enough general hanging out to keep everyone busy non stop 24/7 during the entire con. Get your program when you first get there and map out about 3 things a day you really want to participate in, an am event, noon and evening events. There are 50 things at any one given time to do so you can't do it all. There are things you do NOT want to miss. Mark your program and be prepared to still be flexible. If you want to get together with the group, set up a lunch date or some other meeting time because after I get to Dragoncon and since I do NOT have a ship in tow this year, I will be a blur on the horizon. I have done a lot of the hurry up and wait for my crew mates, but I am going to have my big vacation and am NOT babysitting for anyone. I am dropping over a grand on this vacation and will not have ANY wet blankets unless I throw them in