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queen_unicorn_rejectHeading to Pittsburg
Currently, I am on a train from New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in order to attend Anthrocon. We went to Middletown Station first, and got off at Secaucus and transferred to Penn Station, which is where we got on our Amtrak train. It's an 8 hour train ride and it's been roughly 7 hours at the time of me starting to write this entry. It's 7PM and we're probably getting off at 8 or 8:30 PM.
I've been listening to Just Fern albums this past 2 and a half hours, who is of courses, a Pittsburgh native, and mentions Pittsburgh often in her music. Pittsburgh has been sort of a mystical location for me, as a result, throughout my life. I've always imagined myself making the "pilgrimage" so to speak, even though I'm probably one of the only people who has formed a parasocial relationship with a city.
This reminds me of a story Dima (AKA Just Fern) told me, something of a cautionary tale for me, really. She was eating at a diner with someone who happened to know a lot of her music. Dima didn't really like this person but they still had lunch or whatever. In that diner, this person supposedely shouted out "This is the place! It's the diner!" Of course, they were referring to the lyrics in Just Fern's song "My Familiar", from the album Feminology. In this song, she describes herself going to a diner and ordering a "fucking cheeseburger at 9 am all alone", imagining what would happen if she broke up with her partner. It's a very heartbreaking song.
Dima's response to this reaction was "That didn't actually happen. I was making art. I was writing poetry to make my depression sound prettier."
So a lot of this connection I have to Pittsburgh as this mythical city that my favourite songwriter hails from is just that. It's mythical, it's fictional. But hey, I never imagined I'd actually ever get to go there! And Dima is going to be there tomorrow and show me around the city. So to some extent, I will still be making my pilgrimage. I'm just gonna try and not be weird about it.
Anyway. We're going because of Anthrocon. That's tomorrow. Today I will probably head to the hotel and fucking pass out on the bed.
I've been tired and miserable since morning because of reasons I don't really want to divulge, which is rather uncharacteristic of me in theses diaries, but I don't even wanna write about it. I got a little bit of sleep for like... I dunno, 30 minutes earlier? But I haven't really had any sleep. I went to sleep at 3AM and woke up at 7 or 8 I think this morning. Quite similar to the day I flew out to Newark, really. But I will say, this Amtrak train is much more comfortable than that Air Canada Boeing plane. The seat is reasonably comfortable and there's a lot of leg room. And Amtrak was significantly cheaper too!
I've been reading God Bless You Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut in the train. I've read it for 43 minutes and 42 seconds, and got through about 40 pages. I was going to read the whole thing in one sitting, but I got attacked by sleepiness so I had to shut my eyes for like, 30 minutes. Anyway it has already made me laugh out loud twice, so this is a really good book.
I am also very hungry. Earlier Alice bought me a coffee for $3.50 which I paid back on Paypal. (I gave her 50 more cents!) It was hot coffee though and I took the first few sips without putting any sugar in. I am a caffeine addict but I fucking hate hot coffee. I mean, I drank it all, so I can tolerate it, but I'd rather put ice in it. Anyway and I've also had a sandwich and some pringles. That's all I've had today. I am kind of starving. Oh, that might be why I've been miserable this whole time.
I want a burger. Or a pizza. Oh, a furry we met on the same train (who is really cool, I can't remember their name though) told us there's a really good taco place near the convention center.
There is a cafe parlor at the Amtrak which just closed apparently. But that's where we got coffee. And there was a burger that cost $8. Are you fucking kidding me! I am hungry but not that hungry. I might ask to go to a McDonalds or something near the hotel. Seriously I am starving oh my god.
It's 7:21 PM and it seems like we are getting pretty close to the destination. I looked up the map before and there is actually a bus that goes straight from the station to next to our hotel. But we got our friend Duskstrike who will drive us there. Well, that is still useful to know if we ever wanted to go to the con center from the hotel and no one can drive us. The con center is like, right next to the train station.
It's kind of funny how many furries are in this train. The guys sitting behind us are also going to Anthrocon, so we've been chatting it up and becoming friends. And as it happens, the guy right behind us is someone named Veyote, and Alice apparently knows them. They knew Alice played guitar for MIDI Bunny and everything. So that was a cool coincidence.
I'm trying my best to get everyone we meet to come see us perform on Sunday. Apparently, it might not be too unfortunate, because people might come see us because we're right before the closing ceremony and they might wanna see one last thing before they head out.
Oh well. I hope lots of people come. There have been trouble because Bea forgot to pack some stuff and forgot to bring her carrier, but we can have them mailed to the hotel, apparently. All that's left is to practice with Inky and make the best of what we've got.
Alright. It is 7:30 now. I think I'll get some shut eye before we arrive at our destination. Probably will continue to writing this or just finish it here and post it on the hotel. Oh god, I hope there is wi-fi on the hotel. It's a cheap ass hotel that we got so I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't any or if it sucks.
Well, we're at the hotel, and it is cozier than I thought. Dusk and Gwyn bought us chicken sandwiches from Raising Cane's so I had that for dinner. Also stole a chicken nugget from Bea. Now Alice is trying to sleep and freaking out but I think she will be fine. I'm gonna take a shower and I'm gonna try to sleep, but I'm not THAT tired anymore. Might stay up a little bit. But this is the end of my correspondence for now. Tomorrow is the con! Yay!
Currently, I am on a train from New York to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in order to attend Anthrocon. We went to Middletown Station first, and got off at Secaucus and transferred to Penn Station, which is where we got on our Amtrak train. It's an 8 hour train ride and it's been roughly 7 hours at the time of me starting to write this entry. It's 7PM and we're probably getting off at 8 or 8:30 PM.
I've been listening to Just Fern albums this past 2 and a half hours, who is of courses, a Pittsburgh native, and mentions Pittsburgh often in her music. Pittsburgh has been sort of a mystical location for me, as a result, throughout my life. I've always imagined myself making the "pilgrimage" so to speak, even though I'm probably one of the only people who has formed a parasocial relationship with a city.
This reminds me of a story Dima (AKA Just Fern) told me, something of a cautionary tale for me, really. She was eating at a diner with someone who happened to know a lot of her music. Dima didn't really like this person but they still had lunch or whatever. In that diner, this person supposedely shouted out "This is the place! It's the diner!" Of course, they were referring to the lyrics in Just Fern's song "My Familiar", from the album Feminology. In this song, she describes herself going to a diner and ordering a "fucking cheeseburger at 9 am all alone", imagining what would happen if she broke up with her partner. It's a very heartbreaking song.
Dima's response to this reaction was "That didn't actually happen. I was making art. I was writing poetry to make my depression sound prettier."
So a lot of this connection I have to Pittsburgh as this mythical city that my favourite songwriter hails from is just that. It's mythical, it's fictional. But hey, I never imagined I'd actually ever get to go there! And Dima is going to be there tomorrow and show me around the city. So to some extent, I will still be making my pilgrimage. I'm just gonna try and not be weird about it.
Anyway. We're going because of Anthrocon. That's tomorrow. Today I will probably head to the hotel and fucking pass out on the bed.
I've been tired and miserable since morning because of reasons I don't really want to divulge, which is rather uncharacteristic of me in theses diaries, but I don't even wanna write about it. I got a little bit of sleep for like... I dunno, 30 minutes earlier? But I haven't really had any sleep. I went to sleep at 3AM and woke up at 7 or 8 I think this morning. Quite similar to the day I flew out to Newark, really. But I will say, this Amtrak train is much more comfortable than that Air Canada Boeing plane. The seat is reasonably comfortable and there's a lot of leg room. And Amtrak was significantly cheaper too!
I've been reading God Bless You Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut in the train. I've read it for 43 minutes and 42 seconds, and got through about 40 pages. I was going to read the whole thing in one sitting, but I got attacked by sleepiness so I had to shut my eyes for like, 30 minutes. Anyway it has already made me laugh out loud twice, so this is a really good book.
I am also very hungry. Earlier Alice bought me a coffee for $3.50 which I paid back on Paypal. (I gave her 50 more cents!) It was hot coffee though and I took the first few sips without putting any sugar in. I am a caffeine addict but I fucking hate hot coffee. I mean, I drank it all, so I can tolerate it, but I'd rather put ice in it. Anyway and I've also had a sandwich and some pringles. That's all I've had today. I am kind of starving. Oh, that might be why I've been miserable this whole time.
I want a burger. Or a pizza. Oh, a furry we met on the same train (who is really cool, I can't remember their name though) told us there's a really good taco place near the convention center.
There is a cafe parlor at the Amtrak which just closed apparently. But that's where we got coffee. And there was a burger that cost $8. Are you fucking kidding me! I am hungry but not that hungry. I might ask to go to a McDonalds or something near the hotel. Seriously I am starving oh my god.
It's 7:21 PM and it seems like we are getting pretty close to the destination. I looked up the map before and there is actually a bus that goes straight from the station to next to our hotel. But we got our friend Duskstrike who will drive us there. Well, that is still useful to know if we ever wanted to go to the con center from the hotel and no one can drive us. The con center is like, right next to the train station.
It's kind of funny how many furries are in this train. The guys sitting behind us are also going to Anthrocon, so we've been chatting it up and becoming friends. And as it happens, the guy right behind us is someone named Veyote, and Alice apparently knows them. They knew Alice played guitar for MIDI Bunny and everything. So that was a cool coincidence.
I'm trying my best to get everyone we meet to come see us perform on Sunday. Apparently, it might not be too unfortunate, because people might come see us because we're right before the closing ceremony and they might wanna see one last thing before they head out.
Oh well. I hope lots of people come. There have been trouble because Bea forgot to pack some stuff and forgot to bring her carrier, but we can have them mailed to the hotel, apparently. All that's left is to practice with Inky and make the best of what we've got.
Alright. It is 7:30 now. I think I'll get some shut eye before we arrive at our destination. Probably will continue to writing this or just finish it here and post it on the hotel. Oh god, I hope there is wi-fi on the hotel. It's a cheap ass hotel that we got so I wouldn't be surprised if there isn't any or if it sucks.
Well, we're at the hotel, and it is cozier than I thought. Dusk and Gwyn bought us chicken sandwiches from Raising Cane's so I had that for dinner. Also stole a chicken nugget from Bea. Now Alice is trying to sleep and freaking out but I think she will be fine. I'm gonna take a shower and I'm gonna try to sleep, but I'm not THAT tired anymore. Might stay up a little bit. But this is the end of my correspondence for now. Tomorrow is the con! Yay!
