MOCHI > The Scrapbook > Convention Memories > Anime Iowa > 2000

Another year, another Anime Iowa! We were eager for the opportunity to try a skit that worked in a few special effects and -- more importantly -- seeing familiar cosplayers in a setting where we could actually pin them down and talk for a while!

Pre-con shennanigans

The con had moved to a new hotel because of major construction work being done at the Collins Plaza. (When we drove past the Collins, we saw a whole new wing being added. ) This year's hotel was attached directly to the Cedar Rapids convention center. A skyway system (glass enclosed walkways usually at the second or third level of a building) linked the hotel and convention center to other parts of town. When it gets cold, miserable, and snowy, you can still make your way downtown without resorting to wearing artic exploration gear.

Making our way to the hotel was a bit of a challenge. MOCHI came down in two contingents. Contingent A (Sugar Bomb, Toasted, and Daifuku) was slated to arrive Thursday evening. Contingent B (Spiky) would be arriving very early Friday morning. Each contingent had printed up directions from Mapquest and the convention itself to guide us along the way.

Let's just say: Mapquest really sucks.

We managed to make it to Cedar Rapids okay, but MapQuest has an annoying habit of giving absurdist directions once you actually get close to your final destination. After going through a twisty maze of city streets that weren't all alike, Contingent A finally reached the hotel. (Admittedly, Contingent A would have found their way to the hotel about fifteen minutes earlier if they had only been looking out of the right side of road after getting off of the highway. But it's hard to concentrate when your brain is filled with bouncy J-POP ....)

With the amount of costuming gear we were lugging along, we decided to get two rooms. We split up the members with the most costuming gear: Sugar Bomb and Spiky got one room, while Daifuku and Toasted got another. This, conveniently enough, also separated us out into the Snoring Room and the Non-Snoring Room. Most of Contingent A left a key for Spiky down at the front desk and went upstairs to unpack. Toasted Mochi, being the nice guy that he is, went to go help out. In an uncharacteristic show of good sense, everyone got to bed at a decent hour.

Fast forward to about 2 AM.

The Non-Snoring Room got a phone call from Spiky. Sugar Bomb had made the hotel reservations, but only one room (the Non-Snoring one) was listed in his name. Toasted Mochi told him that there should be a key for the other room in his name. The Non-Snoring Room went back to bed.

Fast forward about 15 minutes.

The Non-Snoring Room was awakened by someone fumbling at the door and a funny "bonk" noise as the person at the door discovered that the saftey latch was on. It was Spiky Mochi and his gear. He told us that the hotel clerk insisted that there was no key for him and no other room listed for Sugar Bomb, so he was going to crash in the Non-Snoring Room.

Daifuku Mochi began using some very un-lady-like words.

To make a long story short, everything got straightened out. Apparently, the hotel clerk had a difficult time typing things in names correctly, even if they were spelled out for him or printed on a driver's license. Later, it became clear that this incident was something of an omen ....

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