A rough day, and Blizzcon 2011 hasn’t even officially started yet.

This is my second Blizzcon, so I had a strategy in my head before I’d even set foot on the first jet.  But as is often the case, Mr. Murphy (of Murphy’s Law fame) had a strategy of his own.

– Flight to Minneapolis was smooth enough.  I was running on only a few hours of sleep and hoped to get some on the plane, but that wasn’t happening.  So be it.

– Minneapolis / St Paul airport is big.  Big enough that by the time I got to the gate for my L.A. flight, it was time to board.  Fack.

– Landed at LAX, caught my shuttle with no problems.  It was filled with Blizzcon attendees.  I knew this because we were all staying in hotels close to the Anaheim Convention Center, and when the driver asked if there was a convention going on he was answered with an awkward “yes.”  The uncomfortable silence on the way to the hotels was tangible.   I used that time to try and squeeze in a few minutes of sleep.

– After arriving at the hotel, I needed a shower, food, and a nap.  It was almost 4 (local time), I’d been up for over twelve hours, I was tired and hungry, and I felt worn out.  I was going to get my pass later in the evening to avoid the huge lineups I dealt with last year, so I had some time to kill.

– Food was first.  Ran to 7-11, picked up some grub and snacks, took it back to the room, and gorged.  One need taken care of.

– Went to turn on the shower.  No go.  There was no water.  Tried the sink & toilet.  Nothing.  Called the front desk and was told a pipe had burst.  Wonderful.  Decided I might as well go to the Convention Center to get my pass.

– Practically no lineup when I arrived at the Convention Center at around 6pm.  It took me longer to get to the line than it did to go through it.

– On my way out of the Convention Center, I was stopped by a young lady who wanted to buy my Murloc card pet.  Probably should have sold it, but didn’t.  Maybe I’ll use it as a prize on the blog here.  Stay tuned!

– Got back to the room.  Water had returned!  The shower was delightful and much needed.

– Considered a nap, but ended up in more of a vegetative state while I watched Slither.  Curse your awesomeness, Nathan Fillion.

– I was bagged but didn’t dare nap.  I knew that if I closed my eyes, that was going to be it for hours, maybe the evening.  An unacceptable option; I had two meetups that needed to be attended – the WoW Insider meetup, and the AIE Guild Hall.

– Drastic times called for drastic measures.

– Invigorated, I attended the WoW Insider meetup.  I saw Felicia Day and Robin Thorsen, not to mention the WoW Insider crew.  Most of my time was spent in bar lines though – 45 minutes just to get a beer is stupid.  Hopefully I’ll get to visit with more folks tomorrow.

– Didn’t even get to make it to the guild hall.  Stupid beer lines.

– Got back to my room and found out I’d been locked out.  The front desk claimed to have been “trying to get ahold of me” somehow, to tell me they’d put someone else in my room.  I got my keys reactivated, was let back into my room, and found an extra rollaway bed waiting for me.  No roommates for me though!

– My Flatliner creation is still keeping me up, and it’s well after midnight local.  I’ve almost been up for twenty-four hours.  I may throw on some shorts and go for a walk to Denny’s or something.

Despite all of these events, I’m still pretty stoked about Blizzcon 2011.  Can’t wait to see what the big announcement is going to be tomorrow.