I was disappointed with ESG.

This is not due entirely to the venue, but mostly. Previous ESG's have been in Orlando, and have typically taken up more of a percentage of the hotel in which they were booked. (this is my understanding from others who have attended, this year's was my first.)

Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas is a comparatively small property in Vegas, but it completely swallowed ESG and left barely a trace. As well, the hotel seemingly arbitrarily decided to cut the space allotted for the convention into two halves, each at opposite ends of the hotel. The cohesion of the con was thus... lacking, to say the least.

Also on the downside were the fact that there were at LEAST three other major events going on consecutive to ESG and they all seemed to involve ridiculously loud dubstep and bad remixes being blasted in the pool area until 3am. I was on the 16th floor and was still kept from sleep by the repetitive boomboomwubwub. I didn't have many reasons to like dubstep anyway, now I've even fewer.

I did meet some friendly folks and to those of you watching, well met.

I also for the first time got all three of the principles for Beyond the Veil in one room. That was pretty cool too.

I won't go into the personal experiences (I had a running battle with the hotel that lasted the duration of the con having to do with the ah... conditions of the bathroom) suffice it to say that I will never, EVER, get a room at ANY hard rock property again. I'd rather chew fiberglass.

In other news... I quit my job today.

*sighs* I've been home from Kuwait since April Fools, but until today it was under the guise of leave. I have finally let go the vine and am currently hanging in mid-air, fingers outstretched for the next bit of ropey greenery in this aerial jungle metaphor. I have to take a test the 21st. Assuming I pass, I have to go to Miami for a week for a class that culminates in another test, this one an 8 hour exam, and then I have to teach the next day.

I am not happy at the moment, because the first test is one for a certification I already possess, but because I haven't taken the test RECENTLY I must retest. While I am confident I will pass, there is still an element of risk and if I fail, everything unravels. The second test, the one in Miami, I am actually more confident of despite it's VASTLY more expensive nature and the fact that it will be new ground.

THAT test though, has caused me to miss Confuzzled. I have had to cancel my plans for attendance in order to take advantage of this test, which is only being offered once anytime in the next four months. While I could quite adequately live unemployed until the end of summer and then look to take the class/test at that time, I really don't want to be apart from my girl for that long, and I can't make permanent living arrangements until I have the job secured, which won't happen until I pass this second test and start taking on a schedule.

Assuming it all works out, I'll be making VERY good money which at first will be a bit less than what I was making in the desert but which has the potential to be much more. People in the position I hope to attain can rake in a quarter million a year and more, and I'd be in the states to boot. As well I would have unlimited free training in whatever aspect of tech I care to master, and the more I learn the more I get paid. It's a dream job.

So of course I have to jump through more than a few hoops to get it, and the heights at which I am being asked to make these otherwise simple jumps is dizzying... so if you don't see me around for a few weeks, at least now you know why.