I didn't get the best night's sleep on Saturday. Saturday night is of course the traditional night to party, and at least a few rooms on my floor were throwing some pretty enthusiastic ones. Also, they have been recreating the horse race from Ben Hur, by the sounds of it. By 2 AM I have to admit I blearily debated calling the management to complain, but shoot--who wants to be "that guy", you know? Worse still, my circadian rhythm woke me up not long after six, and my rarely active snarky side wished mightily for a mariachi band, or at least a bugle. I suppressed my baser urges, however, and even if I didn't sleep, I at least got some rest. Breakfast in the buffet downstairs (they had FRENCH TOAST AND BACON on Sunday! Why did I LEAVE?) improved my mood greatly, and I was able to pack, get dressed as Umi, and check out of my hotel room before 11 AM.

Man! If I thought Ranma knew a lot of people, Carrie knew even more! Granted, she started out selling in the Artist's Alley, so some of them were almost more.professional colleagues than personal friends, but then again, you *do* tend to make friends out of the people you work with regularly, don't you? She introduced me to absolutely everyone she knew, and they were all SO nice! And so talented! I appreciated the chance to tell the artists just how much I enjoyed their work-I wish I had more money so I could support them all! It was really nice getting to talk to each of them for a little bit, and find out more about them and their art.

I said goodbye to Carrie, and decided to head back towards the lawn to see what I could see. As usual, there were not as many people in costume on Sunday-most people just want to relax-but those that were in costume were stellar. When I got to the front of the hotel, I spotted Ranma and one of his fellow podcasters, Ari, filming a segment with a pair of Panty and Stocking cosplayers. I amused myself by watching the interview-Ranma's so natural on camera!-and even snapped a few pics for posterity. After their interview was over, I asked Ranma and Ari what they were up to. They were just looking to round off their coverage for their show, so they invited me to tag along while they looked for more photo and interview opportunities. I wanted a few more pictures myself, so I followed them.

The boys didn't seem like they'd be done anytime soon, so I asked Cassi if she minded if I joined her and her friends while I got off my feet and visited a while. All of her friends were so nice and funny, by the way, had the greatest stories, and have the CUTEST pets. I don't care who you are, or how little I know you, if you want to show me pictures of your puppy or kitty, I want to see pictures of your puppy or kitty. I will never not be in the mood to look at cute puppy and kitty pictures. Or video. Really, anything. (It makes me sad; I have nothing to share. I only have fish, and I don't have any pictures of them on my cell phone. Although it actually may be even sadder if I did.) I shared the last of my green tea Kit Kats (YAY for not bringing them home, or else I'm sure I would have binge-eaten them all) and we had a good time just resting our feet and chatting.

Ranma wanted to take one last turn through the Dealer's Room, specifically so he could give Carrie something to take home to her husband CHris, so we made our way over there, and I also got the chance to say a quick hi to Aaron AKA The Anime Fanboy, who I hadn't seen in ages, but also, by this point both of us (even me!) were melting in the heat, and the air conditioning of the convention center felt delicious. It's funny; I never think to take the weather into account when I'm planning my costumes. Friday had been the coolest day (although it was still gorgeous), and I had worn my lightest costume. Saturday had been warmer, and though Utena's costume allows me to have mostly bare legs, the long sleeves and black fabric of the jacket made me considerably warmer. Sunday was the warmest day of all, and what was I wearing? A long sleeved shirt buttoned up to my neck, a long sleeved jacket over it, and black tights. I'm a moron.

I had already stashed my bags in my trunk when I checked out of my hotel room, so Ranma walked me back to the parking lot, and drove over to his hotel. He didn't take long to bring his stuff down, so he tossed it in the back, and we started on our way. It was around 5 o'clock by this point, so we decided we'd grab some dinner before we started for home. I pointed my car towards the main drag in Somerset, and we ended up at a diner not far from the convention center. It turned out, we weren't the only one who had that idea, and we ran into Dokudel and a group of her friends outside! I had missed her at the Sakura Matsuri two months before, and had been looking for her all weekend to no avail. It's funny how things work out! I think the cosplayers may have overwhelmed the diner a bit; Ranma pointed out that it looked like all the people in costume were being put in the "dining room" in the back, rather than up front with the locals. That was fine by me; that meant we got an awesome view of Merida, Snow White, Alice, and the Mad Hatter having lunch, among other things.

So, after having skipped AnimeNEXT for five years, and this being my first trip to their new location, what's my verdict? I'll be honest; I was a little nervous going down there. This was my first time flying solo in a long time, and at the time I didn't even know who all was going-I knew Jesse would be there, and I knew PopeCerbus would be there on Saturday only, but I thought it would be difficult to stay busy and entertained all three days. But I had forgotten the way cons really do have a way of working out. People you didn't expect to be able to make it show up. People you hadn't seen in ages reappear. People you've become close to over the years appreciate having a chance to spend time with you. And people you've just met, just might become friends. And really, when you come right down to it, the people are what make or break a convention for you. So to all the people who spent time with me: thank you. I had a ball.