Gideon (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} gideon_hoss) wrote,@ 2005-07-27 16:22:00 |
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Eurofurence Part I
*note, I am still in Germanz, staying with my kind hosts. So, I am getting used to a German style keyboard. Many familiar keys are in different places, like the Z being where the Y kez is supposed to be...so bear with me!*
Well, EFXI has come and gone. BUT, I gotta first post how it all began, in the Philly Int'l airport. I had booked the same flight with my good friend Uncle Kagemushi. We had a US Airways flight booked, he in the coveted First Class, me in the dreaded Coach. Using his Kage Gold Member Status powers though, he was at least able to get me to join him in the US Airways Gold Lounge. At a perfectly cool and comfy temp unlike the rest of the airport, with all kinda neat snacks, crackers and cheese, drinks, etc. Now, Kage keeps nudging me that he might be able to bump me up to First Class since he chatted with some mysterious US Airways booking agent while at dinner somewhere. Sooo, we ask the rather sour Madam at the lounge if I am on some list or something. Nope, nada. OK, no sweat, I got my PSP with charger, 9 hours battery life, some UMD movies to watch, I'll be fine. We make our way to the gate and board.
Kage of course is in his 3 acre ranch of a seat in Envoy Class as they put it as I shuffle by like cattle back to...yeah, the friggin verrry last row of the plane, seat 30A. At least it's a window, and looks like no one is sitting next to me, not too bad. Of course as they close the door, I see one woman...on a cell phone meandering back my way..."Not this seat, not this sea-" Yeah, now she is yapping away next to me. Eventually we start up the engines, and of course sit there as we wait for God knows how many planes to taxi out of our way. Then the miracle happened.
"Mr. Parsons?" a stewardess asks me.
"Uh...yeah?"
"Your friend in Envoy would like you to join him."
"Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh...to...to stay?" I ask like a stupid child.
"Yes Mr. Parsons, to take seat 4B next to him." Smiling, rays coming directly from Heaven itself forming an aura around her head. "We can't have you go up just yet, but after we are in flight, you may move up."
Now, I have a smile on my face you could not break with a sledge hammer, an Atom bomb could not fry it off. I look at the woman next to me....she had the daggers flying from her eyes directly to my heart! We eventually take off, the plane does the slow ascent then levels off. My butt is like lead, it just cannot move. Another stewardess comes by me, "You can move forward now Mr. Parsons, seat 4B." It wasn't a dream...I friggin skip up to the curtain, that curtain that seperates the mortals from Olympus. There is a smiling Kage looking up at me "Have a seat m'boy." As Kage will atest too, I took a seat next to him and just started giggling, and could not stop no matter how I tried. I took off my shoes, put on the lil booties they give you, then she came over with the menu...A MENU!! Not my choice of Salisbury steak or fish sticks I was used to, but a friggin menu. I overlook it...still giggling like a mental patient and make my choice:
For starters: "Antipasto Roma, Fresh Ciligiene mozezarella combined with roasted red and yellow peppers marinated in extra virgin olive oil (I LOVE PEPPERS...ahem) garlic and fresh basil, served with Lolla Rosa, Frisee lettuce and Kalamata olives, and accompined by roasted garlic vinaigrette." Now that's just the friggin salad...THE SALAD!!!! Oh, they ask what you like to drink with your meal, and dumbstruck Gideon just blurts out "Hyuck, huck, hyuck, a Coke!" My cover is blown, I ain't no Vice President of Anthrocon, their bound to hit a lever and send me via a pneumatic tube back next to dagger eyes lady...she just smiles, "Of course." and gets it for me. OK, well, also gotta order some wine...which comes in a bottomless glass and my old standby comfort food, Bailey's. Happy Hoss.
Now to the main Entree, which was the choice of Eastern Shore Crab Cakes, Texas Cowboy Chili Spiced Filet Mignon, or Mason Dixon Pecan Crusted Chicken. Well, you know me, bring on the steak! It had a cheese enchilada, pinto beans and Anheim chili accompanied by an Ancho chili-guava barbecue (BBQ as we common folk call it) sauce. Now, heh, with all that in my belly, look out!! For dessert we had "a selection of cheeses, a little fresh fruit, and something sweet." That "something sweet" was the best Chocolate Mousse I ever had!
Digesting a meal fit for a King, I laid back, they turned the lights down for a lil slumber. I then remember a serviceman, Army, I talked to fore I got on the plane. He was stationed in Nuremberg and he had a broken leg from training but seemed in good spirits and a really cool guy. Well, I got to see his ticket, I knew his seat. Kage flagged down a stewardess and told her, send him any drink he wants, on us. Well, 20 minutes later he comes peeking through the curtain, huge smile on his face "Thanks guys!! That was awesome, really, Thanks! You guys have a great trip!!" I told him HE is the one who deserves being thanked and he headed back. Now that kinda shit makes ya feel good!
Oh...you figure First Class they gotta have some insane entertainment, like, the leaping lipizzaner horses or strippers who perform JUST for you....nope. This is where they stumbled a lil bit, Queen Latifa in Beauty Shop....uh...uh...no. OK, PSP time. I whip out my headphones and watch the first two eps of Samuria Champlöö (see, German kezboard) and watch them. Damn this show rocks, I am hooked.
We finally begin our descent and touch down. I take a souvenir copy of the menu, just so someone will believe this tale and not think me a madman...anymore than I already am. Now anyone thinking I might be bragging, I am not, trust me, I will never see the likes of this Valhalla again, I just wanted to retell the tale for those like me who will never see that sacred Shamballah called First Class.
Part II coming soon, the actual con!!! *look...€ a Euro! Or how bout this one: µ I don't even know what that is!!!
*note, I am still in Germanz, staying with my kind hosts. So, I am getting used to a German style keyboard. Many familiar keys are in different places, like the Z being where the Y kez is supposed to be...so bear with me!*
Well, EFXI has come and gone. BUT, I gotta first post how it all began, in the Philly Int'l airport. I had booked the same flight with my good friend Uncle Kagemushi. We had a US Airways flight booked, he in the coveted First Class, me in the dreaded Coach. Using his Kage Gold Member Status powers though, he was at least able to get me to join him in the US Airways Gold Lounge. At a perfectly cool and comfy temp unlike the rest of the airport, with all kinda neat snacks, crackers and cheese, drinks, etc. Now, Kage keeps nudging me that he might be able to bump me up to First Class since he chatted with some mysterious US Airways booking agent while at dinner somewhere. Sooo, we ask the rather sour Madam at the lounge if I am on some list or something. Nope, nada. OK, no sweat, I got my PSP with charger, 9 hours battery life, some UMD movies to watch, I'll be fine. We make our way to the gate and board.
Kage of course is in his 3 acre ranch of a seat in Envoy Class as they put it as I shuffle by like cattle back to...yeah, the friggin verrry last row of the plane, seat 30A. At least it's a window, and looks like no one is sitting next to me, not too bad. Of course as they close the door, I see one woman...on a cell phone meandering back my way..."Not this seat, not this sea-" Yeah, now she is yapping away next to me. Eventually we start up the engines, and of course sit there as we wait for God knows how many planes to taxi out of our way. Then the miracle happened.
"Mr. Parsons?" a stewardess asks me.
"Uh...yeah?"
"Your friend in Envoy would like you to join him."
"Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh...to...to stay?" I ask like a stupid child.
"Yes Mr. Parsons, to take seat 4B next to him." Smiling, rays coming directly from Heaven itself forming an aura around her head. "We can't have you go up just yet, but after we are in flight, you may move up."
Now, I have a smile on my face you could not break with a sledge hammer, an Atom bomb could not fry it off. I look at the woman next to me....she had the daggers flying from her eyes directly to my heart! We eventually take off, the plane does the slow ascent then levels off. My butt is like lead, it just cannot move. Another stewardess comes by me, "You can move forward now Mr. Parsons, seat 4B." It wasn't a dream...I friggin skip up to the curtain, that curtain that seperates the mortals from Olympus. There is a smiling Kage looking up at me "Have a seat m'boy." As Kage will atest too, I took a seat next to him and just started giggling, and could not stop no matter how I tried. I took off my shoes, put on the lil booties they give you, then she came over with the menu...A MENU!! Not my choice of Salisbury steak or fish sticks I was used to, but a friggin menu. I overlook it...still giggling like a mental patient and make my choice:
For starters: "Antipasto Roma, Fresh Ciligiene mozezarella combined with roasted red and yellow peppers marinated in extra virgin olive oil (I LOVE PEPPERS...ahem) garlic and fresh basil, served with Lolla Rosa, Frisee lettuce and Kalamata olives, and accompined by roasted garlic vinaigrette." Now that's just the friggin salad...THE SALAD!!!! Oh, they ask what you like to drink with your meal, and dumbstruck Gideon just blurts out "Hyuck, huck, hyuck, a Coke!" My cover is blown, I ain't no Vice President of Anthrocon, their bound to hit a lever and send me via a pneumatic tube back next to dagger eyes lady...she just smiles, "Of course." and gets it for me. OK, well, also gotta order some wine...which comes in a bottomless glass and my old standby comfort food, Bailey's. Happy Hoss.
Now to the main Entree, which was the choice of Eastern Shore Crab Cakes, Texas Cowboy Chili Spiced Filet Mignon, or Mason Dixon Pecan Crusted Chicken. Well, you know me, bring on the steak! It had a cheese enchilada, pinto beans and Anheim chili accompanied by an Ancho chili-guava barbecue (BBQ as we common folk call it) sauce. Now, heh, with all that in my belly, look out!! For dessert we had "a selection of cheeses, a little fresh fruit, and something sweet." That "something sweet" was the best Chocolate Mousse I ever had!
Digesting a meal fit for a King, I laid back, they turned the lights down for a lil slumber. I then remember a serviceman, Army, I talked to fore I got on the plane. He was stationed in Nuremberg and he had a broken leg from training but seemed in good spirits and a really cool guy. Well, I got to see his ticket, I knew his seat. Kage flagged down a stewardess and told her, send him any drink he wants, on us. Well, 20 minutes later he comes peeking through the curtain, huge smile on his face "Thanks guys!! That was awesome, really, Thanks! You guys have a great trip!!" I told him HE is the one who deserves being thanked and he headed back. Now that kinda shit makes ya feel good!
Oh...you figure First Class they gotta have some insane entertainment, like, the leaping lipizzaner horses or strippers who perform JUST for you....nope. This is where they stumbled a lil bit, Queen Latifa in Beauty Shop....uh...uh...no. OK, PSP time. I whip out my headphones and watch the first two eps of Samuria Champlöö (see, German kezboard) and watch them. Damn this show rocks, I am hooked.
We finally begin our descent and touch down. I take a souvenir copy of the menu, just so someone will believe this tale and not think me a madman...anymore than I already am. Now anyone thinking I might be bragging, I am not, trust me, I will never see the likes of this Valhalla again, I just wanted to retell the tale for those like me who will never see that sacred Shamballah called First Class.
Part II coming soon, the actual con!!! *look...€ a Euro! Or how bout this one: µ I don't even know what that is!!!
