Washingcon: Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Tuesday, July 17

< Monday, July 16 · Wednesday, July 18 >

Breakfast

Jahnavi makes Mr. Saturn pancakes

Mr. Saturn pancakes

The "garbage salad." Reid came by, looked in the bowl, and asked what kind of salad it was. However, it was not a salad at all. Instead, it was simply a holding bowl for leftover rood parts until we could throw them away. Jahnavi told him it was a garbage salad, and he looked disappointed that it wasn't really edible.

Seattle

The plan for the day was a trip into downtown Seattle. We'd originally planned to leave at 9:30 AM, but we didn't end up actually heading out until a bit after 11.

Waiting on the driveway for the drivers of our cars

More waiting. Brian kept moving his (blue) car for some unknown reason.

While waiting, we found an Attack Slug. It did not ever edge closer to us; in fact, it was generally moving away from us very slowly. (Yes, I know, it's technically a snail.)

We finally managed to get going and worked our way down I-5 into Seattle. Brian amazed us with his New Jersey driving skills, piloting his rental Forester through Seattle traffic in maneuvers a car its size shouldn't be able to accomplish.

Our first destination was the Pike Place Market. We found parking in various garages for the five cars we took, and met up in Steinbrueck Park just outside the market so that we could split into groups.

Stephen was thwarted by a robotic toilet in the park. It was unoccupied, but it didn't let him in for nearly five minutes.

The view from the park. The Pike Place Market is the yellowish building in the foreground, and the Seattle skyline is visible in the background.

Pike Place Market

Pike Place

Pike Place Market

Starmen.Net con zombies invade Pike Place Market

Nearly the entire con at Pike Place Market. Pictured from left to right: Stephen, Paul, Brice, Jon, Steve, Dan, Trip, Joe, Martin, Casey, Will, Kevin, Logan, Konan, Chaz, Joe, Matt, Ken, Lindsay, Camille, Brian, Danielle, Jahnavi, and Sabrina. Reid was taking the picture.

The group Paul was in split off and went a few blocks away from the market to find some lunch. We soon came upon a place called The Turf. We were skeptical at first: it looked like a dive, and the cheap prices on the menu and locked bathrooms didn't help. The food, however, turned out to be excellent.

The Turf

Lindsay, Matt, Brian, and Paul at The Turf

Ken, Dan, and Lindsay at The Turf

Matt, Brian, and Casey at The Turf

After lunch, we headed back near the Pike Place Market. Casey noticed a bookstore and we decided to go inside.

The bookstore turned out to be extremely leftist. They seemed to have a big bias against capitalism in general and Starbucks in particular. "Government sucks" was also a very common theme.

The leftist bookstore

They had interesting light switch covers as well

Since the bookstore was so anti-Starbucks, we of course had to go visit the first Starbucks location, which was right down the street.

Starbucks's first location

Paul at the first Starbucks

There were a few singers in front of the Starbucks, who were actually pretty decent

We met back up as a big group, and then split again into two groups: one going to the aquarium, and one going to the Seattle Art Museum.

[Photo provided by Joe]
On the way to the Seattle Art Museum, we saw this guy. On the sign:
My father was killed by ninjas. I need money for karate lessons.

Seattle Art Museum

Jon gets friendly with a totem

The two groups then met back up at Pike Place Market.

The alley by the market

Pike Place Market

Pike Place Fish Market

Stop driving

We left Seattle at about 5:30 PM.

Traffic

An interesting way to attach a license plate to a car

We stopped at a grocery store on the way back.

A gigantic bowl of snacks

Camille, Reid, Konan, Jahnavi, and Joe

Back at the House

We got home to discover that our EB Siege materials had arrived. We waited until the next morning to go through them.

We also found out that Jeff, the owner of the house, had come by. Apparently he was unhappy with us leaving video games out: when Reid called him, he was told that it looked like a "frat house."

Jell-O shots. I suppose we had to fulfill the role Jeff had given us.

Gerritt showed up and visited with us for a while

Casey grilling

People on the deck

The sunset as viewed from our deck

Jon attacks some broccoli

Will and Jahnavi make noodles. This is the origin of Will's Pasta Helper badge.

Noodles

Joe holds some pasta

The end result: chicken alfredo

We watched DVDs from the previous cons as we ate dinner

1000 Blank White Cards

Later that night, we played 1000 Blank White Cards.

For this game, players make a deck of custom cards using 3x5 index cards. Each card has a title, an illustration, and a description. The description can be a point value, an action, or both.

Each player starts with seven cards, and play goes around in a circle. On a player's turn, the player draws a card from the deck, and then plays any card in their hand. The player may choose to play the card on themself (the action or point value applies to themself), any other player, or to the center (the action or point value applies to everybody). When a card is no longer in use, it is discarded.

The initial object of the game is to have the highest sum of point cards when the deck has been depleted. However, since the players can make up any card they choose, the rules of the game can constantly change.

Setting up for the game

I'm too sexy
For my shirt. Too sexy for my shirt, so sexy, it hurts.
(How does he know? He's a stick figure.)
-300 pts. unless you take off your shirt

Steve reacts to the Mother 3 Spoiler card we played on him.

Kevin... we're not quite sure what he's doing

Steve pretends to eat the Eat This Card card

Kevin actually eats the Eat This Card card

We played this combination of cards on Chaz, effectively locking him in the bathroom and forcing him to pass all his cards under the door to describe them to us.

Library Bathroom
Don't talk to me. I... I'm thinking...!
-300 pts.
Affected player has to go lock themselves in the bathroom for their next 2 turns. Cards played on/by this player can be slid under the door.

My Pokeymans... Let Me Show You Them!!
Show everyone your hand. Be sure to point out each and [every] card, pointing out each strength and how long you spent EV training them.

Kevin watches a card being passed under the bathroom door

Will gets the Threed card and has to run around bashing invisible ghosts with a frying pan while shouting "Die, freako belch minions!" He then has to pick up the phone, scream "Who you gonna call?" and slam it down.

We stopped playing at about three in the morning.

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