Topic: Enumeration 2008

[KAHighwind]

Per my post to the hotel thread, I thought it might be prudent to get a preliminary idea of how many people will be in this year's group.  I'm fairly sure I'll be there as the academic year at UGA doesn't start until the following Thursday, and any other excursions on the cards for me this summer (my brother's PhD graduation in Los Angeles in June, a conference in Waterloo, Ontario in July, and possibly a return to Europe for the first time since 2005 in May) will be over and done with by then.

So: who else will be there, guests and all?

-Kain.

[Grey]

I'm kinda 50/50 at the moment.  Possibly 40/60, though I'm not sure which way.  Consider me to be in a state of superposition, and the quantum waveform won't collapse until my finances are more settled (possibly after taking my old landlord to court).

[TheFurryOne]

At this point, count me in as confirmed.  I've no idea on whether or not I'll have any guests to join in, but I don't think so.  Fortunately, finance is not that big of a concern as it has been in the past (barring any significant unforeseen monstrous disasters).  But, six months is a little distant, so this could change...

Also: I'm uncertain if I'm going to fly or drive again.  I do like driving-- keeps me off a timetable, gives me more freedom-- but it's also a ton of stress in terms of navigation, fuel, etc.  It might be easier this year, but I'm not sure yet.  If I do drive, I'll likely be on food and drink detail again, a job I really enjoy. 

[KAHighwind]

First, commiserations to Grey on his evidently very serious landlord difficulties - best of luck getting a decent settlement, whether in or out of court.  Keep us posted, particularly if it ends up making the difference regarding your plans to spend summer Stateside.

Second, John's comment about transport does bring up a point - I'm not altogether certain how I'll be getting there this year either.  I'm not immensely enthusiastic about the idea of driving given that it's 11-12 hours from Athens to Baltimore (it was 9-10 hours to Fairfax, and I know Baltimore is an hour or two beyond that - more if the traffic is bad), but it may depend on what some of the other people in this part of the country who may be attending (i.e., the Florida lot and the other Georgia lot if they're going this year) will be doing.  Finance will likely not really be an issue, so it's not as though I wouldn't be able to afford a flight - very probably out of Atlanta (tempting as it is to fly out of Athens via Charlotte, the timetable is a bit restrictive), where the going rate for a direct flight to BWI on AirTran is around the $200 mark.

More as I know it.

-Kain.

[32_Footsteps]

I will definitely be there.

As for how I'm getting there... well, first things first, I'd like to talk with Crax and see if he's still up for a repeat of last year's setup.  If so, I'll also have to double-check to see if I can get the time off needed to actually do that (shouldn't be a problem, but preparation is key as always).

As for guests... given that we don't have the third room, I don't want to attach my cousins and their friends (likely four in total - two cousins, one boyfriend, and one other friend) in a two-room situation.  I'll talk with Courtney and Ryan and see what they have in mind (being young, they tend to wing it more often).

[Katyanna]

Obviously, looking at Andrew and I being there with a high probability for Barbie as well. Don't know about Chris, at the moment. We also have a friend who was looking to attend this year with us, and when I last spoke to him, he pretty well already had all his finances in order to do so. So yeah, group keeps getting bigger. ^^;;;

So three for us, with a possibility of two others.

[KAHighwind]

The Radisson do not, unfortunately, have a waiting list for bookings, so the only way we're likely to get a third room is if someone (I suppose I should be that someone given that I'm the one whose oblivious nature dropped us in it and left us with just two rooms for a group that could ultimately number nineteen or twenty) keeps checking to see if a room opens up.  Goodness knows what our chances will be, but let's just say for now we shouldn't count on there being a third room.

For whatever it may be worth, as Sean said in the other thread there are other hotels in the Inner Harbour area with rooms available, but they seem to run rather expensive.  Still, Rick, if your cousins and their friends/significant others are only likely to join our group for the entire weekend (as opposed to, one presumes, for major events by day and early evening only) if we have the third room in the Radisson, you may want to pass this information on to them.

I'll keep trying my luck with the Radisson.  There are six months still, who knows, we might be lucky.  Again, though, don't plan on it until something actually happens.

-Kain.

[TheFurryOne]

This would be an excellent time for one of us enterprising souls to develop "Portable Bunk-Beds" of some sort.  Or, hey, I don't recall just how high the beds were-- maybe some of us could sleep under them?  Oooh!  Hammocks slung from the windows!  It'll be just like a treehouse sleepover, but twenty stories up!  Sign me up for that!

I kid, I kid.  I'd love to have a third room available to us, but if it's not to be, it's not to be.  The fact that we have the two is a significant boost, particularly since I thought we didn't even have those!  Please keep an eye on it, yes, but we should probably also think about some alternate, reasonably-priced locations.  As dismal as it was, the Wyndham's probably not an option now, either, huh?

Twenty people...  y'know, that number is just... wow.  "Unbelievable" just isn't cutting it.

[32_Footsteps]

Well, I didn't necessarily count on the whole cousins thing as of last Otakon, that's for sure.  It would have been really interesting if Courtney had gone to Otakon last year like she originally intended (she wasn't able to get a ride).  I can just imagine it...

C: Hey, you look just like my Uncle Ed!
R: Um... my dad is Ed.  Are you one of the O'Keefe's?
C: OMG!  Ricky?!

I'm hoping they either can find their own room or we can scrounge up a third.  I wouldn't feel comfortable turning my cousins away, as you might understand.

[Wildfire Darkstar]

I'm definitely in, and Patrick's probably in, as well, assuming his finances permit it.

Would it be worth booking a third room (at another hotel, obviously) now? Assuming, of course, that we can cancel if it looks like it'll be unnecessary / unaffordable. I've found one or two hotels (like this one) within reasonable (1.0 mile) distance of the convention center for under $200/night. They're not particularly great hotels, from what I gather, but I wouldn't count on them staying available much longer....

[32_Footsteps]

It probably would.  I mean, we can all still hang out at the Radisson, and those in the third room can filter back there when people start turning in.  We can always cancel if we can secure a third room somehow in the Radisson.

Just curious - anyone know if there will be a gym in the Radisson?  I am trying to stay on top of my resolution to lose some pounds.

[KAHighwind]

Sean's probably onto something there - and since he's the local, I'll defer to his suggestion for which hotel would be optimal.  Any volunteers to book the third room there?  Shall I do it?  On a related note, it might be prudent if more than one of us were checking availability at the Radisson, just in case a room happens to become available while the primary searcher (i.e., me) is not looking and then becomes unavailable again.

As for the enumeration, so far we have:

Confirmed:
Kain (who, as ever, appears to refer to himself in the third person.... pretentious snob )
John
Crax
Kathy
Glazer
Barb
Sean
Slip
Kris
Angela
Simon
Wyvern
Lance
Patrick (Friday afternoon onward)

Improbables:
Chris(?)
Rick plus four
Kadie
Grey
Shinryuu
Rahim
Gid

The above will be modified as new information becomes available.  Current maximum group size looks to be 22 18 15 14 13 14, which should fit into two rooms reasonably comfortably.

-Kain.

(Edited multiple times to reflect various changes in status.  Most recent amendment: Patrick moved back to "Confirmed" list for Friday to Sunday only.)

[Lord_Craxton]

I am coming, and yes I do have two rooms booked at the Radisson, and yes I do plan on making the drive this year. Unfortunately my GPS was broken due to the incompetence of myself and my brother a few months ago, so I might be in the market for a new one, else someone will have to be reading directions for me off a MapQuest printout or something.

Sorry for the late response. Silent Hill 2, you see. ^_^;;;;;;

[KAHighwind]

Addendum to last post: I don't know if this is worth looking into, but the Radisson does have rooms available for the Thursday (not the Friday or the Saturday).  I wonder if perhaps it might be prudent to book a room for the Thursday and keep trying our luck to extend it to the Friday and the Saturday - just to get our foot in the door, so to speak, and on the off chance that a room becomes available for the Friday and the Saturday but not the Thursday.  If it doesn't pan out, the cancellation fee is modest.

Worth a try?

-Kain.

[Katyanna]

We're of the opinion that we should probably book one more, if not two more rooms at the other hotel just to make sure we have adequate space. Andrew's trying very hard to ignore the whole situation, though. ^^;;

[KAHighwind]

Hm.  How about this, then: someone book two rooms (we can always cancel one.... or both if enough people ultimately opt out) at the Mount Vernon (which happens to be the name of my birthtown.... that's not a point of pride), and I'll at least get two rooms for the Thursday at the Radisson and keep harassing them to see if it is possible to extend the stay by two days. (I presume my credit card won't actually be charged until we check in and/or out.) Again, I can always cancel those reservations if they can't let us have the two extra rooms for three nights.  I'll ring the Radisson tomorrow - and this time I mean it!

I would say the absolute upper bound on the number of people who could fit into two rooms is fourteen - we managed thirteen in two rooms last year, and to be honest one of the rooms (for reasons which were not clear to me (or indeed anyone in our group) at the time and are less clear to me now) could have accommodated another person or two.  So if, on the list above, we have eight people who ultimately decide they can't make it this year, we can simply stick with the two original rooms at the Radisson.

-Kain.

[KAHighwind]

Right, I phoned the Radisson just a few minutes ago and booked two more rooms for Thursday night.  They said I'd probably have the best luck trying to capitalise on cancellations nearer the time, and to change the reservation to three nights (or to one room for three nights if enough people decide they can't make it this year) does require phoning them (and being placed on hold for an extended period of time, although I did receive a toll-free number in my confirmation e-mail(s), so I don't need to worry about racking up a massive phone bill - thank goodness), which I'd rather not do every day.  That said, if someone else discovers that there are rooms available for Friday and/or Saturday before I do, by all means bring this to my attention so I can phone the Radisson and change the reservation (even if I can only do so for one room at a time) - preferably by phone (landline's your best bet - (706) 850-1291) since that way I'm more likely to get the message immediately.  I, er, wouldn't count on getting the convention rate for the extra rooms, though - more likely $179 per room per night, plus tax.

I apologise again for not getting to this sooner, but hopefully there is a way out.

-Kain.

[Slipgate]

Kain: 11-12 hours is a good estimate, but you "entered" Virginia where you'd like only pass through it if necessary here.

I remember once when tripping down to Florida as a kid that a day's driving took us to Savannah, Georgia, where we stayed the night at either a Days Inn or Comfort Inn (we got to Florida by the second night).

As a possibility, you might drive... to Fairfax.  The previous day or something.

Crax: Two rooms... Crax, do we have the two rooms for ALL four days?  I remember this wasn't super-confirmed at one point yet, is it now?

John: Wyndam isn't a Wyndam anymore, forget who it changed hands to... Sheraton?  Anyway, they WERE good to us the first year, and the second year the only issue was the subdividing.  The fact that they were super-booked up wasn't their fault, it was a cheap hotel so close that it was bound to be (that's why I first gravitated to it the first successful time we used it).

Sean/later posters: Grab a third room, any third room, while you can.  If we luck out later, we luck out later, but at least we HAVE enough rooms.  I've done 9 people in one room, and we shouldn't repeat that if we don't need to.

Rick: Call them?  (about a gym)

More recent posters:

Re: payment, they'll tell you when you can cancel it by... they wouldn't charge you until you check in/out, but they WILL not let you cancel it right on the day of.  Like a week or two before, is the latest bound (ask specifically).

The original problem with the Wyndham was not confirming our intentions repeatedly as we got closer to the date and just trusting the hotel.  Considering the weird status of records this year, I IMPLORE anyone who owns main rooms OR fallback rooms to do such calling as we come closer to the date.  It WILL get weird this year otherwise.

As for my status...

Well, I think this post makes it clear, doesn't it?  (That and my, uh, marital status)

[Slipgate]

Kris is essentially confirmed, barring crises.  (Just phoned him)

[32_Footsteps]

Rick: Call them?  (about a gym)

I will... I just was hoping that someone might know beforehand.  Though given how often any of us hit the gym... yeah, I better just call.

[KAHighwind]

I've been trying my luck with the Radisson on a more or less daily basis - so far, nothing, but I'll keep trying right up until the last day they'll let me cancel the reservation I do have if need be.  Sort of wish I had someone like my dad's secretary to work on this - she's a magician when it comes to getting reservations under seemingly impossible circumstances (it was thanks to her that I was able to go to that conference in Germany three years ago - it looked impossible to get an air miles flight on Lufthansa on the dates I needed, and nothing else was even remotely in my price range).  Well, I'll have to work with what I have available - my own, er, personal resourcefulness. (Don't scoff derisively - I'm doing plenty of that at this idea already, thank you.)

I feel obligated to point out that the Mount Vernon has been booked out for the 8-9 August by now as well, so if we don't already have third and fourth rooms at a hotel somewhere in case things don't pan out at the Radisson, it may be very difficult or even impossible to find them at a nearby hotel by now.  Any word on this? (If this was my responsibility as well, I think I'm just going to jump out of my twelfth-floor hotel window here in Toronto in shame. )

-Kain.

[Wildfire Darkstar]

I've just checked the Mount Vernon's website, and I'm still seeing rooms available. I've gone ahead and made a reservation for Thursday through Sunday, but, in all honesty, I'd really rather we not have to use the room. Particularly since it's early in the month, about the time my health insurance bills are due, I'm not really sure I'll have the money on hand to pay for the room when the time comes around. If we need to, I'm sure I can squeak by, but I'd be more comfortable if we treat it firmly as a last resort.

[KAHighwind]

Hm.  That'll teach me to rely on travel websites, I suppose.  Which, unfortunately, is what I've been doing so far for the other rooms at the Radisson.... they did give me a toll free number if I want to cancel or change the reservations, I suppose I really ought to start using that instead.

As for the Mount Vernon reservation, Sean, if you have serious reservations (arf arf) about your ability to pay for them when the time comes, I can try my luck booking the rooms there in my name, and if I succeed in doing so, I'll make another post here to that effect and you can cancel your reservation.  There's no reason why I can't put both reservations in my name, after all. (This would, though, presumably bind me to the rooms at the Mount Vernon if I can't get two more at the Radisson.  Ah well, again, I'm the one who said he'd book two more rooms at the Radisson but didn't.)

EDIT: Done.  There are now two rooms at the Mount Vernon in my name.  Hopefully I'll be able to turn our reservations for two more rooms at the Radisson for Thursday night only into reservations for all three nights, but at least now, whatever happens, we will have rooms enough for everyone.

-Kain.

[Slipgate]

So we are going to have "four" rooms of some form?

That's good.

Uh, listen, this isn't definite, but there's something I sort of planned (when I figured we'd be going for three rooms, and didn't know just how close we already skewed to overfilling them)... sort of planned as a possibility, and then forgot.

I was talking to my cousin Rahim from California a few weeks ago and we chatted about different things. He has a habit of visiting here for a week every summer, and it's usually a fair margin pre-Otakon. (As it so happens, he happened to time his week here last year to coincide with my wedding, for uh, I hope obvious reasons... you who went heard him speak at the wedding.)

Anyway, he noticed when I got into anime... that is, one year he visited I wasn't into it, and the next year he saw me I was already gung ho. (This would've been when he vsiited in 2002, after my first Otakon/my intro to anime but before my second) This suited him just fine, since he had some exposure himself (not a lot, but it was there, at school and so on) We watched stuff together.

Anyway, I'd told him over the years how awesome Otakon was, but I've been "dreaming up" a lot of trips or a lot of activities lately, and I decided to finally seriously ask him (not just idly)...

See, at one time, there was the school factor for him. That's not true for either of us anymore. It's up to him when he takes his leave. So I seriously asked him if he might try to make his annual summer week here coincide with Otakon, or at least be the week of Otakon so that he can catch it at the tail end. He said he'd have to see (besides my wedding, he hasn't had luck in the past making the trip coincide with anything). He was "interested" but not sure if it could really happen. But anyway, I totally intended to post here about how I'd extended an invitation to him after that phone call, but life's been so busy and it was such an unoficial, "throw the idea out there" conversation that I forgot about it entirely until, well, two days ago... and then elected to post about it this weekend when I had time.

So my cousin Rahim is a POSSIBILITY, but a slim one. Not much point in enumerating him yet, but having that wiggle room of "rooms" helps relax me a bit on this point.

I'll try to talk to him again sometime soon to see if this is a pipe dream or more likely than not.

[Slipgate]

Well, Rahim will certainly aim for it. He's not registering or deciding yet or anything, but he thinks his summer trip could be done in August.

So let's have the wiggle room of him as a "possible but not certain yet" in terms of what capacity we think we need to have.