GABIT attendees thread

[ames]

(((Trin))) sorry to hear about the burglary - glad to hear both that the thief had suspect taste in entertainment and that you had a back up of your info for the laptop! Also heart-warming to remember I'm not the only one who can focus on the upside of unfortunate incidents ... you made a new contact for your travels, which is pretty darned cool, that you likely wouldn't have met otherwise!

(((Eh-T))) As llp mentioned above, I do hope you're alright!!! I realise that if you're not, at least you know a few good lawyers but still - definitely hoping everything damaged is fixable! Love that your sense of causality ... I had a friend growing up who managed to convince another mate that the destruction of the dinosaurs was actually his fault. The scary thing was I totally followed her logic - craziness! LOL

Hope everyone else is doing well ... I'm sick, but I'll survive. I just called in for the first time at this job ... am trying to not think about the loss of pay, and concentrate on the healing vibes instead. We're having rather nasty weather atm, which tends to set off my migraines, so on top of having this wonderful cold, turning my head is causing waves of nausea. As mom put it, if I take enough meds to be able to function at work, I probably will have enough in my system to render the use of power tools unwise So yeah, staying home instead. The weather is supposed to be nice again tomorrow so I'm hoping I'll only have to deal with the remnants of the cold by then!

*hugs thread*

[EH-T]

It's not the technology it is the human hands that get into the technology that ruins them!

And please, tell us you are okay....weren't hurt or anything! Right!

(((Trin))) sorry to hear about the burglary - glad to hear both that the thief had suspect taste in entertainment and that you had a back up of your info for the laptop! Also heart-warming to remember I'm not the only one who can focus on the upside of unfortunate incidents ... you made a new contact for your travels, which is pretty darned cool, that you likely wouldn't have met otherwise!

(((Eh-T))) As llp mentioned above, I do hope you're alright!!! I realise that if you're not, at least you know a few good lawyers but still - definitely hoping everything damaged is fixable! Love that your sense of causality ... I had a friend growing up who managed to convince another mate that the destruction of the dinosaurs was actually his fault. The scary thing was I totally followed her logic - craziness! LOL

Hope everyone else is doing well ... I'm sick, but I'll survive. I just called in for the first time at this job ... am trying to not think about the loss of pay, and concentrate on the healing vibes instead. We're having rather nasty weather atm, which tends to set off my migraines, so on top of having this wonderful cold, turning my head is causing waves of nausea. As mom put it, if I take enough meds to be able to function at work, I probably will have enough in my system to render the use of power tools unwise So yeah, staying home instead. The weather is supposed to be nice again tomorrow so I'm hoping I'll only have to deal with the remnants of the cold by then!

*hugs thread*

Thanks for the concern. I'm OK I think. I have had whiplash once before (from an accident 25 years ago) so don't wish for a repeat. Some headaches and my muscles are a bit sore but hoping it is nothing more serious than that and will magically disappear before my holiday. No one was seriously hurt and the car can be fixed so, in the grand scheme of things, not so bad. Still, I blame the computer.

((Ames)) sending healing vibes your way.

[Trindajae]

Still, I blame the computer. .

That reminds me of a t-shirt I saw, "I didn't say it was your fault, I said I'm going to blame you."

[lame moose (mocha)]

(((Trin))) sorry to hear about the burglary - glad to hear both that the thief had suspect taste in entertainment and that you had a back up of your info for the laptop! Also heart-warming to remember I'm not the only one who can focus on the upside of unfortunate incidents ... you made a new contact for your travels, which is pretty darned cool, that you likely wouldn't have met otherwise!

(((Eh-T))) As llp mentioned above, I do hope you're alright!!! I realise that if you're not, at least you know a few good lawyers but still - definitely hoping everything damaged is fixable! Love that your sense of causality ... I had a friend growing up who managed to convince another mate that the destruction of the dinosaurs was actually his fault. The scary thing was I totally followed her logic - craziness! LOL

Hope everyone else is doing well ... I'm sick, but I'll survive. I just called in for the first time at this job ... am trying to not think about the loss of pay, and concentrate on the healing vibes instead. We're having rather nasty weather atm, which tends to set off my migraines, so on top of having this wonderful cold, turning my head is causing waves of nausea. As mom put it, if I take enough meds to be able to function at work, I probably will have enough in my system to render the use of power tools unwise So yeah, staying home instead. The weather is supposed to be nice again tomorrow so I'm hoping I'll only have to deal with the remnants of the cold by then!

*hugs thread*

i had a sliver in my finger yesterday. i think i'll be ok.

[Chelle DB]

Holy buckets...we need to share some good luck vibes with our fellow Gabiteers.

(((Ames, EH-T, & Trin))) I reckon you guys should all buy a lottery ticket...I'm just relieved that you are all ok...especially you EH-T after having been in a car accident. And Ames, get plenty of rest & get better soon. And Trin, so glad that you weren't there when the burgular decided to help him/herself.
Mocha...hope your finger is ok.

[SEREN LWCH (MAL)]

::waves to all::!! Looking forward to AT6 already!!

(((((((hugs)))))))

[SWMBOTGSG]

::waves to all::!! Looking forward to AT6 already!!

(((((((hugs)))))))

Hey Mal! Where you been??

Huggles

Mumsey

[Fresh_Horse]

::waves to all::!! Looking forward to AT6 already!!

(((((((hugs)))))))

Hi Mal! We missed you! ((((((MAL)))))

Hey Mal! Where you been??

Huggles

Mumsey

That's what I have been thinking for a while!? Where's MAL, we need her to do the countdown to AT6!

EH-T, hope you are OK!

Trin, sorry to hear about the burglary.

[lisinit]

For a completely different reason than work, Eh-T, you popped into my head tonight. My house got burgled while I was at work today. Unlike your burglar, though, this one didn't like sci-fi. He (I'm guessing it was a he) looked through my DVDs, rifled through the cupboards and drawers, then only took a couple of small, easily portable things - but none of the DVDs. I don't know if I should feel grateful or slightly insulted. I own some really good DVDs! Catherine Tate Show, Stargate SG-1 & Atlantis, Sanctuary, Doctor Who... all still here.

They did get my portable laptop, though. Happily, my main laptop (beast & old, doesn't travel easily) happened to be in the trunk of my car along with my portable hard drive containing the data backups of everything on my mini laptop, so I didn't lose much in the way of information. Oh! Massive insult, though! While I was in the process of losing the small amount of cheap jewelry I own, the thief apparently thought the box with my little ambulance charm from AT4's cocktail party and the mirror from AT4 were both somehow jewelry because he took them. I thought he also took the wooden puzzle box Mocha made me, but I found it under some stuff while I was cleaning up afterward, so that's a relief. Still miffed about the charm, though, because that won't have any value except to me.

All in all, it wasn't a bad experience. The two officers who came were able to fill me in on what happened with another officer who was in a car crash (I left work shortly after he made it to the hospital, so I didn't hear what his condition was) and one of the two used to run into me while we were both teenagers, so we chatted about that briefly. The forensics guy who came an hour after the officers left was able to fill me in on the rest of what happened with the crash and also chatted with me for an hour about various entertaining topics while he worked. He's originally from Kent (though he's been in Oregon for the better part of three decades, so I think we get to claim him now) and he strongly suggested I go to Portsmouth instead of Coventry or (he shuddered) Huddersfield on the grounds that southern England is better, which led to some entertaining conversations about the respective relationships between England/Wales and California/Oregon. I also got some tips on where to go for pretty scenery in southern England, not to mention his email address in case I think of more questions to ask him about differences I might want to be aware of.

Definite benefit of working so closely around law enforcement, though. Crime happens and I make new friends because of it.

Off to bed now, though. I'm up three hours past bedtime.

So sorry about the break-in. Re the AT4 mirror, my son and I attended AT4 and we have an extra if you'd like it.

[EH-T]

i had a sliver in my finger yesterday. i think i'll be ok.

Glad to hear you'll be OK.

::waves to all::!! Looking forward to AT6 already!!

(((((((hugs)))))))

Hey! Nice to see you back. We really have to meet one of these times.

[lame moose (mocha)]

Glad to hear you'll be OK.

.

it was touch and go for a while, but i'm tough. i pulled thru.

[Trindajae]

Re the AT4 mirror, my son and I attended AT4 and we have an extra if you'd like it.

Happily, the mirror and charm were both found! Either the cat knocked it under the furniture or my charm & mirror decided to hide from the burglar cuz they knew they were more important than the small amount of cheap and unimportant jewelry I had. (I'm going with option two because it makes me giggle.)

[Chelle DB]

::waves to all::!! Looking forward to AT6 already!!(((((((hugs)))))))

Mal!!! Hey!! Where you been???
Here's the countdown thus far...wanna take it up?

110 days til the AT6 tickets go on sale
414 til AT6!!!

[lisinit]

Happily, the mirror and charm were both found! Either the cat knocked it under the furniture or my charm & mirror decided to hide from the burglar cuz they knew they were more important than the small amount of cheap and unimportant jewelry I had. (I'm going with option two because it makes me giggle.)

So glad you found them ! Must be the charm that's magical - my mirror just sits there

[JuliaR]

MY OPINION

Gabit took an idea from Gatecon....fans arranging get togethers for other fans and succeeded where Gatecon failed.

I would just like to pop in and clarify. First, I did like your opinion Sky.

However, do bear in mind that I had never attended a Gatecon when the idea for Gabit was born, and never did attend any of their Canadian endeavours although in later years after Gabit was formed and was underway I did attend a UK one.
I had been to many UK non fan run events and merely decided to find like minded people to form a company to do it "better" than what I'd experienced as a fan. John had also attended a myriad of UK events, and yes Becky and Kay had experienced Gatecon but also had experienced UK events. So the idea was never taken from anyone, because what we wanted to do was so different from anything I'd witnessed and the first one person event to boot.

It was just "hey there has to be a better way than this, I wonder how you go about doing it", quite literally as a random thought one night after a weekend con which was exhausting.

I think that very often there is a totally erroneous idea that when "fans" organise events it equals amateurism. But to our minds, being fans at the outset meant that we brought more to the ethos of the company we formed and to the intention of providing a great experience for attendees because we KNEW what it felt like to be on the other side of a queue or an auto session or waiting in line for hours for a seat in a hall which you lost when a session ended and the whole sorry queueing scenario started again. It didn't help people to make friends when they were in competition for seats at the front or eyeing carefully lest someone let a friend in in front of them. Angst, worry and stress. That is what we felt needed erasing.

And the huge difference with Gabit, as someone pointed out, is that it's all about the fundraising. We started small with thinking we would raise money for a Hearing Dog at the auction and with some raffles at AT1 and it has exceeded our wildest expectations. We've gone from defining ourselves as a Science Fiction Event company to now a Fundraising Event Company. That's how important that is to us. We budget for the Event to pay for itself - period - (and we're lucky usually if it does) and we plough all our energies into the fundraising. At AT6 you will see that our Charity team has increased. Rebecca (my daughter) is taking over as Head of Charity and her stewarding team of Senior Stewards has expanded. We have loads of ideas to bring in more money for S4K and Hearing Dogs.

Gabit is 10 years old at AT6. The company started in 2002. Seems a long time ago now. Much has been done. Much money has been raised. Many roads have been trodden. Oceans crossed. We've come a long way. And to my joy and delight, a great percentage of our attendees have come with us, through the whole thing. It's been quite a journey, from the seed of the idea to now. Not bad for four people who really didn't know one another but who have now produced a wonderful family of staff, stewards and attendees. And not to mention provided an Event for Amanda's fans every eighteen months or so which is so full of love, compassion and caring it blows my mind every time, AND provided a venue for Amanda to meet her fans and only her fans on a regular basis. There's no recipe in the world which could have been put together and predicted that it would be the success which it has. Who knew?....


Julia
G4

Oops I need a new sig...... Tracy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!