50 Days of Dragon Con Day 3

Arrival

I arrived in Atlanta on Tuesday.  WOO HOO.  I am home with my peeps.  We got to the hotel and checked in and were instantly given a voucher for next year.  YAYYYYYYY  I took my things up to my room and I have to say it was a little weird, my room had a Murphy bed.  It is a great room but still kind of strange. 

Once I settled in a bit (yes, I am an un-packer) I was off to check everything out.  There were some changes but not many.  The first was the concern of many, the change in the Marriott carpeting.  I get the sadness over change.  I was one that was sad to see the pretty swirlies go away.  That being said, when walking into the Marriott, I could see how worn and thread bare the carpet was in very many places.  There were other spots that were bubbling and just nasty.  I think folks will soon come to love the new carpet as much as they did the old.  So far they have only changed it in a few places.  The Atrium level and a few of the smaller conference rooms on other floors. 

The other thing I noticed is that there were so damn con goers here already.  Usually on Tuesday there are a few lone peeps and the rest are there for other conferences.  It was so strange to see my peeps this early.  Totally AWESOME but totally strange.  Off I went to CVS to buy my water bottles for the weekend and a few munchies.  Nothing much had changed.  Everything in the hotels seemed pretty much the same old same old.  One thing I did find that was different was Gus's Fried Chicken in the lower level of Peachtree Center.  OMG it is some good fried chicken.  I totally recommend it.

I have such an odd feeling.  I feel like I have never left.  I am at my home away from home.  It is like the outside con world does not even exist.  This place, and this time is mine.  In some ways time is standing still and in others I can hardly believe I have already been here a day.  I spend 300+ days per year looking forward to this one week.  Now that I am here I am in pure heaven.  This is my place, these are my people, and I am in a world that will not judge me for singing out loud, dancing in my chair, or liking what I like.  I love these people.  All of them-even the ones I do not like.  I feel so free.  Thank you.  Just thank you.

50 Days of Dragon Con Day 28

A Good Place to Eat

When the total debocle of Twenty-Two Stories was over I was famished.  I decided to go to a restaurant that I have walked past for years and have never been in.  I went to Sear.  Sear is a steak place on the Atrium level of the Marriott Marquis.  I have been passng by ther for years and years.  It never looks full and I have often questioned if it is open or not. 

At previous cons I used to always eat at the food court.  RAH not all that, I promise.  You get tired of fast food after 4 days.  I have even tried renting a car and going to the grocery store.  That worked, sort of.  But still, I was limited to fast sandwiches and chips that are not a lot better than the food court food.  Then you add in the cost of the rental car and it was not really worth it.  When CVS went in the mall, that helped a bit but still what they carried was all fast-ish food and not really a step up, just more variety.  Even with the secret food court, still, fastish food.  There are lots of sit-down restaurants.  Most of them are pretty fancy and kind of expensive.  That is unless you leave the host hotels and go out to see what is out in the great wide world.  I usually try to avoid going out because Atlanta is very hot and humid in August.

I decided to try Sear.  I went into a mostly empty restaurant and was instantly sat.  I looked at their menu and decided to order a steak and macaroni.  I have to say this is one of the better steaks I have ever had.  E.V.E.R.   Since this one random decision, I have gone to Sear every year since then.  I have tried many different side dishes and desserts.  All have been exquisite.  If you have some extra cash-Sear is kind of expensive-I whole hartedly recommend making a stop into Sear.