As usual, I was one of the first to awaken, but unusually, I kept one eagle eye on Steph as I got up and started getting ready. As soon as I saw signs of life in her (generally, rolling over and kissing Patti good morning), I climbed on top of her like a kitty and touched my nose to hers.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, STEPHANIE!"

We had planned to wear the miko versions of our characters in the morning, to match one of Patti and Steph's friends who was going to be Honoka. Getting dressed took me approximately ten thousand years (I can never, NEVER tie my hakama correctly), but actually walking in the costumes would prove to be an even bigger challenge: have you ever tried to step on and off an escalator in hakama and geta? Difficult. Nevertheless, we persisted, and were glad we did because we ran into SO many other Love Live cosplayers that day! I don't think I have ever been dressed in an "It" cosplay the year it was popular, and it was an awful lot of fun!

I also got to see some of the "Colorado people" I only get to see these two years or so--Andrew, as I mentioned yesterday, and Kathrynne, who this year was continuing her streak of cosplaying amazing women by being dressed as Anastasia. She has THE most infectious smile, you just can't be around her for more than two seconds without smiling yourself.

We took another leisurely stroll through the convention center, and ended up in the Tower building's lobby again, where the photographer with the really nice setup was hard at work again. We waited in line to get our photos, and he took SUCH a good one of Patti and I that, once again, if anyone reading this knows anything about him, please let me know!  I mean, Patti was dressed as Nozomi--what picture do you THINK we took? The rest is left as an exercise to the audience.

We actually didn't spend very much time in the miko robes, as the lack of mobility was *really* starting to get to us, so after a quick bite to eat at a local Subway--and a quick Pokémon break, because let me tell you, after stagnating in New York City with nothing but Pidgeys and Rattatas, it was like a surprise birthday present to catch Machops, and Mankeys, and Geodudes, and Ponytas! You really realize the geographical element to the game when you get to travel out of your home state and even time zone. Lexi was the only one of us not bitten by the Pokémon Go bug, but she was a good sport about our squealing regardless.

After lunch we headed back up to our hotel rooms for a quick break (those of you who wear wigs know just how overheated you can get after a few hours in them--it's like walking aroung with a hat on inside) and to change into our afternoon costumes. This was an easy change in one regard, because we were keeping to the same characters, so we wouldn't have to change our wigs or our makeup, only our outfits. However, the maid costumes from Mogyutto Love De Sekkin Chuu have a loooot of little tiny pieces ...and I'm pretty dumb. However, once Patti clipped my hair extension in my wig for me, and Steph got my ankle bows turned the right way around, we were in business.

While we were upstairs getting ready, Merlyn and her partner Patti (a different Patti and Patti-and-Steph Patti, obviously) arrive! I had met Merlyn years ago on my first trip to Colorado, but this was my first time meeting Patti in person! I am not at all what you would call a shy person, and since I was the first to be dressed I let Merlyn take some ridiculous pictures of me and the plopped myself on the bed and began brushing Patti's hair. What, is that not how you make friends? It's how I make friends.

Once we were ready, we headed down to the Tower Building lobby again, because a Love Live photoshoot had been scheduled for that afternoon. As we sat to wait, more Love Livers arrived...and more...and more...and more! There were dozens of them! We waited until it had hit 4:30 PM on the dot, and then milled out onto the floor.

There was just one problem; while the photoshoot had been scheduled (by whom? I don't know), no one appeared to be in charge of it. There was no organization. And while this had not been a big problem the night before with the eight of us who showed up in Sailor Moon costumes--"Hey, Usagi, stand with Tuxedo Kamen and let me take a picture!"--this wasn't going to work when there were at least 8 of each character. Not for nothing, however, have I been attending conventions for 2016 fifteen years. And I've learned a lot from the way the Sailor Moon photoshoots at Otakon have been run the past few years. It was time for Photoshoot Drill Seargeant Crissy to emerge.

I SWEAR, I AM GENERALLY A NICE PERSON. At least I like to think so. And I wasn't...not nice at the photoshoot. I was just loud. Very, very loud. And bossy. But it worked! First, we took one giant group shot. Then, I asked all of the Honoka cosplayers to group together, then all the Kotori cosplayers, then the Umi cosplayers, and so on, down the line. Each group did about two or three poses. By far, the best part was getting all of the Nico cosplayers to shout "Nico-nico-ni!" in unison--I hope someone got video of that! Then we did themed groups--there was a full cast for the Cyber costumes, large groups for the White Day and Cheerleader costumes, and our own set of matching maids, as well as a smaller Constellation group. We did groups by year, and then everyone's favorite OTP, all the Nozomis and Elis. Finally, since cosplayers had continued to arrive while we were organizing the shoot, we did one last great group photo, and I got to do my very first dab. And voilà, we were complete. And none too soon--my voice was shot.

After a quick dinner break--I forget where--we derped around the convention a little bit, but we headed back up to our hotel room relatively early, because Saturday night was reserved for Stephanie's Birthday Extravaganza! We changed into our comfy clothes, and one of their friends Lindsey and I made a run to Grimaldi's to pick up a pizza and some soda for the room. We even got a little calzone in lieu of a birthday cake!

Merlyn and her Patti met us once we got back to the room, and I decied it was finally time to open the 23 pound suitcase that Southwest had allowed me to bring. What was in it? Only 22 pounds of vintage jewelry! Way back in 1970something, my father used to sell costume jewelry as a sort of side-hustle; in fact, the jewelry played a role in the story of How He Met My Mother, but that's neither here nor there. He stopped selling jewelry after he got married and became a family man, but the stock he didn't sell--and there was a lot of it--has been sitting in our attic ever since. (This is not unusual. We also have a sequined velvet oversize sombrero, and the back seat of somebody else's car up there. But I digress.) Forty years later, Dad is finally looking to clean out the attic, and he knew that Steph and Patti had gotten into the jewelry business themselves. He was really impressed by their ambition (and took the opportunity to point out my own lack thereof), and he hates to see anything go to waste, so one day in the summer of 2016 he had me sort and photograph all of the pieces to see if they wanted any of it. Well, they wanted all of it. So all of it, they got.

The girls couldn't BELIEVE the amount of jewelry I had hauled into Colorado with me--seeing it in photos is one thing, seeing a bag virtually bursting with old cameos is another. It was like a pirate chest! We figured we might as well party in style, so Patti distributed the Mardi Gras beads to the rest of us to wear for the rest of the night. Not long afterwards, Ranma and Heather arrived with the liquor, and birthday drinking commenced--though I had decided to abstain, following the realization that the bags under my eyes double in volume any time I drink, and I'm vain enough at conventions to care. (During the week, I don't mind looking like a schlub.) This was a source of immense disappointment to Koi and especially Squeak when they arrived soon after; especially Squeak, who had brought a bottle of Jameson along just for me. What can I say, the man knows my weakness. But I stood firm.

Steph, however, was intrigued. "I've never had whiskey before. What does it taste like?"

Well.

One body shot done in the bathroom later, Steph came out with her mouth twisted and her eyes watering. "Burning," I answered her. Whiskey tastes like burning."

The party continued. Ranma had secretly bought Sailor Moon party hats and smuggled them out to Colorado, so we wore those while we dorked around, until I stole Squeak's hat because I liked it (and because I like them both) and wore that for the rest of the night. We gossiped, we caught up on each other's lives, and we toasted absent friends. Nights like these are all the more precious for being so rare.

This entire suitcase was just for jewelry.

Patti is pleased and Steph is astounded.

Bewilderment increases in both girls...

...rebounds back to surprise!

All of the stuff is pretty old--I told them to label it "vintage".

It doesn't matter how old blank price tags are. They're still useful.

We decided to make good use of the Mardi Gras beads right away.

That right there is 23 pounds of jewelry.

All right, let's get this party started!

Um, Merlyn, that's not how...you know what, forget it. You do you.

And Patti will do Steph.

And Steph will twirl her beads.

And the black man will be impossible to photograph.

And he will not at all be amused by my sense of humor.

And Steph will chug a beer.

And this will be the inevitable result.

Which will naturally remind us of Madonna.

Some people party more quietly than others.

And some people arrive already partying.

It's just not a party if you don't have Sailor Moon party hats, Mardi Gras beads, kigurumis, and Cards Against Humanity.

Pizza party!

Some of my favorite people in the world...

...acting like the goofs we are.

Sailor Jupiter

Steampunk Tuxedo Mask, Chibimoon, and Pluto

Sailor Jupiter

Princess Serenity

Sailor Moon

Chibiusa

Haruka

Miko Nozomi and "No brand girl " Nozomi

White Day Maki, Nico, and Eli

"Thanksgiving" Nozomi and Eli

Hikaru and Karou from Ouran High School Host Club

Brushing Patti's hair

It is literally impossible for me to behave.

See?

Birb selfie

Selfie with all the Love Live cosplayers

No, really .

All of them.

I mean like holy crow.

I am not very exciting at parties.

Well, mostly.

I do take the photos though.

And then poop out again.

Shots! Shots! Shots, shots shots!

I actually was not drinking, for once.

Party selfie

If I like you, I steal your hat. (And your fiancée.)

Party people!