KFest 2006 from a newbie perspective

["Stavros Karatsoridis" <skaratso@gmail.com>]

Hi all.

Thought I'd add to the KFest discussion around here.

I used to post on csa2 a long time ago, having found it in 1994 when I
discovered the internet and newsgroups in general, accessing them on a
1200 baud modem from my GS using a shell account provided by my
college. Then I stopped posting around 1999 or so. Last year, once I
finished residency, I pulled my IIgs out of the closet, set it up, and
got back into the world of the Apple II :)

Having read about and wanting to attend KFest since I first found out
about it in 1995, I joined Syndicomm in 2002, and started posting
there. But residency got in the way, and I didn't really start chatting
with the people there until mid-2005 or so. Then I knew I had to go to
KFest and meet the people I had met online.

So I signed up for KFest 2006.

I decided to drive from Defiance, Ohio (where I live) to Kansas City.
Took 12 hours. Not too bad, and gasoline was only about $120, which was
much cheaper than the airfare from Toledo to K.C.

I got to Rockhurst, and it took me a while to figure out where to go,
but once I found the place, it was pretty easy. After bringing in my
stuff and settling in, I met my roommate, Eric Shepherd.

I had a great time. It was fun being around like-minded people and it
was just like living in the dorms when I was in college (which was a
great experience for me). The meals provided by the college weren't
bad. They were actually pretty good. I enjoyed looking at other
people's systems, and helping people out with any problems they were
having. The sessions were fun. I even participated in the HackFest
competition with an entry written in SuperPILOT.

It was great meeting everyone I had met online, and meeting others I'd
never talked to before. Jeri Ellsworth and Paul Zaleski brought an
element of spontaneity not previously present before they arrived.

The weather was unbearably hot the first few days, but the air
conditioning in the rooms worked nicely. Things cooled down
considerably after a storm passed through mid-week.

There was lots of stuff that happened that I don't have time to list
here. Others have already covered it in more detail.

All in all, things were wonderful. I look forward to joining everyone
again next year.

Stavros Karatsoridis