i'm not a big fan of conventions, mostly because i'm not a big fan of comic books. also, i'm averse to crowds and the angling, pushing, and finagling they require. somewhere in the back of my head, i'm always thinking "run to the exit! run to the exit!," but i try to hold it together for the sake of the children.
when we got there on saturday after a quick 2 hour drive, we went straight to discovery place, a wonderful interactive kids museum with an imax theater. we wandered about, trying the exhibits. h's favorite was riding a bike that created the energy to "float" a ball in a tube. s's favorite was the giant walk-through model of a heart. neither had ever seen an imax film, so they were a bit disoriented when "deep sea"-- a film about reefs narrated by johnny depp (sigh) and kate winslet-- started. "it feels like we're MOVING!" said h as he stared at the floor in an attempt to ground himself. soon, they relaxed and enjoyed the show.
that evening we wandered back to the hotel, the country kids enjoying the city streets, and decided to take a swim in the hotel pool that evening. unfortunately, the hotel pool was an actual ymca, and to swim it cost $12 PER PERSON! sorry, but i'm too cheap for that. we rented video games for the unseemly rate of $7/ hour instead, with the promise of a pool trip RIGHT when we got home.
the next day we breakfasted with the guys before the con opened, then wandered the hall, discovering all the wonders of unopened vintage toys and backissue comics. s's favorite purchase is the white stuffed cat shown in the photo, and h's was a cool darth vader. we got to go behind the booth where the artisits hang out, and the kids were impressed at feeling famous by association. it's an odd profession to actually have FANS, and the kids hadn't really realized that dad was famous in a certain realm.
after that, we headed home to the july 4th celebrations. jane was mightily happy to see us!
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