The party was the best part of the weekend for me; this isn't a surprise, I haven't been dancing since December (I missed the big music festival in April), and there's something about the experience of being in a hot crowded dance floor surrounded by people having a blast dancing to trance music which makes my soul soar and leaves a happy glow for weeks afterwards. Given the somber nature of the last week and a half, and the fact that I still can't fall asleep for thinking about it, it was a fantastic respite.

Security was basically the tightest i've ever experienced it - 75 mins in line (causing me to miss Boys' Noize, my #3 act for the day), and they even searched my earplugs (!?) looking for drugs. The good news was that the guy in line in front of me - a talkative man in an orange full body jumpsuit with a rainbow tie - was entertaining and amusing to listen to. This made the time pass nicely.

One of the concessionaires had the bright idea to freeze the bottles of water, which was very helpful; the main floor was warm enough and crowded enough that i could feel heat radiating off of people (including myself). I got asked for water more at this event than any other I've gone to before, which was kind of unexpected.

The layout was neat: the DJs were on a rotating stage in the center of the floor, which made it very easy to get to the 'front'; I ended up in the front row after each time I went out for more water, which is very unusual.

Fedde Le Grand and Benny Benassi were pretty good; Armin was somehow disappointing. Infected Mushroom was good, but by then I was really too tired to care.

I had to take the bus back to my friends' hotel room - J had the car - which led to a serious error in planning: I had a 45 minute wait for the bus, which I chose to take outside. In 55 degree temperature. while soaking wet from my sweat and the sweat of 10,000 of my closest friends. (I had extra clothes in my pocket to help keep me warm. They were soaked through, too).

I was shivering by the time I made it to the hotel. Teeth chattering, the whole works. I should have taxid it.

Still, the party was worth it. :)

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The con began and ended with games of Advanced Civilization. The first one, Friday night, was my regularly scheduled game; I run the game every year and as a result, by volunterring to be GM, I get free admission. Last year we had enough people for two games, this year only one; all were experienced players, though, so we blasted through, ending around 4 AM. J won, I came in last, but the overall score range was surprisingly narrow; really, anyone could have won had things gone differently on the last turn. I've never been in a game that close before.

The Monday day game was requested by a friend who wanted to learn it, and it was a friends only game; three of five players were newbies, and we had just barely gotten through the early iron age when the hotel kicked us out (WE WANT OUR TABLE BACK). One of the newbies and one of the experienced players were fighting it out for first place.

Other weekend games included Age of Renaissance (I won after a lucky war turned the tide in my favor), the Scepter of Zavandor, Through the Ages, and Race for the Galaxy. J played two games of Twilight Imperium, one of which lasted fifteen hours. (Horrors).

My sleep schedule is still hosed.

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Apparently someone died at the EDM party, from what looks like dehydration exacerbated by e. This is sad, but not entirely surprising; the environment of such things is inherently a bit dangerous and you really have to take care to not get dehydrated at them.

The political response is annoying. I mean, it's one thing for the police to investigate to see if the promoter could have prevented it (they couldn't); it's another thing for members of the local board of supervisors to be calling on the state to ban such events at that venue (which is state owned). That's a bizarre (if predictable) over-reaction ... can't let the kids have fun if the fun involves risk, can we?

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One of the amusing things about going away for the weekend is finding major news stories have happened while you've been gone.

The big one this weekend: apparently Israel boarded a Turkish-flagged ship in international waters, attempting to enforce its blockade of Gaza. The people on the ship tried to fight them off; the Israeli commandos fought back; people died.
It's a brilliant move by whoever organized the convoy and a terrible own-goal by Israel. Congratulations, Israel: you've just royally enraged your one real ally in the region. And you've hammered a nail into the side of NATO which could easily lead to cracks that undermine the entire organization.
I mean, lets be clear here: by boarding a Turkish-flagged ship in international waters, Israel just conducted an act of war against a member of NATO. A country whom the US is pledged by treaty to defend.

If Turkey wanted to press the issue they could use this to tear NATO asunder, because there's no way the US would attack Israel in retaliation over this.

With friends like this, the US doesn't need enemies.

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I still ... I had fun this weekend. Life is mostly back to normal. I've kind of gotten to the point where I can experience joy at what time I had to know Erik rather than sorrow at the time I won't have.

And yet.

Deep down, I still don't believe. And so every reminder is a knife to my gut.

Another memorial service on Sunday. I both want to go and don't want to go.

And often when falling asleep my mind wanders to his death, and I cannot sleep.