With the tournament over, it was time for the afterparty. It was at a bar where people of all ages were welcome. Food was available at a food truck in front of the bar. I ordered the Brisket sandwich and fries.
Once I got my food, I sat with Jeff and Kim Moore, just like the 2024 CTWC afterparty. I was also sitting with Jonesy and Essavibes. We talked about our jobs and other things that I can’t say, because it’s private information and I don’t remember what was said.
After I was done eating, I explored the bar. There were 2 game stations at one of the tables. Zrobot was playing exhibition games against different players in a 1v1 format.
I chatted with Karin Cox to figure out where Zrobot’s parents were. She pointed out Zro’s father (DukeHogwild), who was filming Zro’s games on his phone.
I got to chat with Duke about how he and Zro discovered the Jonas Cup. Duke told me that he grew up playing on the NES. When the pandemic happened in 2020, Duke pulled out the NES. Zro was hooked on NES Tetris and was getting good at the game. So, Duke searched up Tetris on YouTube and found the 2018 CTWC Finals. Of course, he and his family are here now. I got to take a photo with Zro before he and his family took off for the night.
Towards the front of the bar, I had a chat with Chance and his father, Lou. I talked with Lou about how he was able to solve a Rubik’s Cube without the internet. He mentioned that he had a lot of time back then.
Matt Martin was also there, and I got a photo with him. It was amazing to see him in person because he wasn’t at the 2024 CTWC.
After that, I went to the second level. There were 3 people who were watching anime on a laptop. I kept walking and met up with Diane and Kiernan. Later on, Robokarla showed up with an Instax Printer 3, which prints out Polaroid-style photos. I’m old enough to remember Polaroid cameras.
Later on, the game stations were open. So I played some games of Tetris. I don’t play on a CRT TV at home, so this was my last opportunity before heading back home.
The next morning, I bumped into Ben Mullen and Svavar at Denny’s.
Well, it was time for me to head to the airport. While waiting for my flight, I got to meet Quaid, who was on the same flight.
I made it back home to Los Angeles, which was very hot compared to the cold weather in Portland.
