day one of Anime Boston yesterday. Erin and I were joined by his friend Dan. at Alewife Station had my 1st experience of the new Charlie system. named for the song by ach I forget the same of the old folk group, about a guy who gets lost in the Boston subway. should mench that yesterday was the 1st sunny and dry day for a week or more. the new system entails buying tickets from machines. I tried and it didn't work. because of the system's newness, a T employee is assigned to explain. she said that that bank of machines doesn't always take credit cards. I moved to the other side. at which point Dan noticed that I was inserting my card upside down. when I did things right, I got my ticket. one step closer to the Jetsons. a group of young women were obviously heading towards the convention. one wore a deep green (green is the new green this year) gown, perhaps Japanese inspired. another looked Carnaby St with a short skirt, black and green striped tights and a kicky short hairstyle. there was also a guy in mini skirt and long blonde wig. he looked cold. in the sun, springtime, but without, not quite. Erin and Dan conversed with several people who were convention bound. one had been to all five of the events, which has grown steadily. Erin had pre-registered him and me months ago but Dan hadn't. we had to separate into different lines. literally lines, tape in the pattern of an oxen-ploughed field (the way the ancient Greeks read back and forth). took about 30 minutes to get thru. for my name tag I said I wanted the words Simple Theory, title of my 1st book and a phrase I like. what came out, omigosh, was Simple Fairy. which works well enough in the circs, I wot. Dan got to wait for more than an hour to get his tag. Erin and I had a quick lunch then stayed with Dan. the convention gall is contiguous and attached to a hotel and a mall, so the dress up of the convention goers was public indeed. I had my camera but didn't take a lot of pix of the dress up, called cosplay. I don't like posed shots, and feel funny surreptitiously clicking. people do ask to take pictures, at which most of the people enact well-practiced poses. it's cute, really. Dan and Erin went off on their own so gramps was able to wander. after a circuit, I went to the manga reading room. it was a ballroom in which a library of graphic novels were loaned out. this was an oddly satisfying pleasure. it was quiet, for one. and just winding yourself around an adventure seemed delicious. there were a few bean bag chairs, one of which I cornered, or you could lay on the floor or sit at a table. I read a decent scifi. according to plan, Erin forgot his cellphone. I periodically went parental and checked in on them via Dan's phone. a beautiful courtyard that I spent considerable time in last year was unavailable to the public as yet. I talked on the phone with Beth outside the foodcourt, doing my best to get pictures of the pigeons who thought that I was a pigeon, e'en tho I had no food with me. we met briefly for some food intake mid afternoon. I read another manga, watched an anime, wandered. when I connected with the boys again, I found that Erin had bought himself a pair of cat's ears and tail, which he wore. frabjous day, all around. no doubt details will assert themselves eventually.