Paralympics … and DRAGON CON Anxiety

   

So we are now on I think day 5 of the Paralympic Games (nearly at the half way point) and while I haven’t posted a blog about it I’ve definitely been watching it. It hasn’t gotten the love that the Olympics get but the coverage I have been able to watch in my opinion has been BETTER. Instead of the never-ending tape delayed wall to wall coverage …… NBCSN and the Olympic channel are breaking out blocks of LIVE events which has been awesome to watch. Granted most of it takes place after I go to bed (time zones are hard :D) but I have been able to watch some Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Basketball, Triathlon, track and field, swimming events and even some ping pong what has however eluded me is Sitting Volleyball. I love everything about watching that sport. The sportsman ship between the teams, the power that these athletes hit the ball without ever leaving the ground, and just volleyball in general. I had the pleasure of playing this in high school at a fundraising event and let me tell you all …. It’s hard. As an Abled Bodied person you want to jump up, you want to get the lift you need to hit that spike but you… well can’t. That’s against the rules. What I’ve been doing is recording the coverage so I’m not missing anything, but I have yet to catch this but that’s my goal for the next few days. Watching these games has made me really really miss Invictus Games ... but they will be back next year. It's been fun seeing some familiar faces representing their country.  

Why the next few days when there are several days left in the games?! Cause this Wed I pack up the car and head north to Golden’s for our yearly Nerdcation. Dragon Con is gonna be super different this year but I also think way more awesome. For one the crowds will be down with limited attendees which is always a good thing. I remember when Golden and I first started going the crowds were nothing like they were in 2019 which it was just too much. Too many people, too many cosplayers, too many idiots destroying things (sorry Fed Ex display), too much drinking, it was all just too much. We still had fun and enjoyed ourselves but it felt very suffocating at times and the idea of a “smaller” con makes my soul very happy.

For two everyone that comes to the Con this year has to either be vaccinated or show a negative test before they can pick up their badge. After watching people lose their minds over this “rule” I’m glad it is in place. So many who were planning to come have dropped out, but what it really means is that the people that are at Dragon Con really really wanted to be there. That means that everyone there will be in good moods and great spirits even if they are drinking all the spirits. Ha! Photo from above is from several years ago. 

For three ….. for the first time in forever …. We are staying in a HOST hotel. We were scheduled to be in a host hotel back in 2019 when the Sheraton had to close for the Legionnaires Disease outbreak … and we got kicked out of the hotel (I’ll never believe that it wasn’t cause of that but whatever). We scrambled at the last minute and found a room at another hotel we’ve stayed at before and it was fine but we were bummed. Then in 2020 I scrambled and made it happen again and a pandemic threw us to the floor. However the hotel moved our room to this year and I have been checking it daily in fear that it may happen again. I have called them several times to make sure that we are good. I’m sure when we check in they will give me that look like oh it’s her. I don’t care how they look at me as long as they give me a room. Ha!

 And most important Golden and I really really really really need 4 days of laughter, fun, doing nothing unless we wanna, and food. It’s 4 days of doing literally whatever we want, when we want, and how we want. Being in a host hotel will cut down on travel back to the hotel so I’m hoping it will also allow us to do more. We usually head out in the morning walk to the hotels or get on the bus and frolic until late in the afternoon. Sometimes we go back to the room to rest up for night activities but sometimes that kills us for the day. We end up taking naps and getting settled and often talk ourselves of going back out. This also allows Golden to head our at night when I’m snoring away and her Medical Marvel Team No Sleep member can’t sleep. We will have to come up with a system for that tho so I’ll know she’s ok. I’m also hoping that by being where we are we can run up to the room and chill then come back out when things start to become too much.

I am planning to attempt to give blood again. Mostly cause I know that blood is super important right now but also cause the T-shirt they are giving away is worth possibly passing out again. See several years ago I gave blood then I don’t know what happened. We were waiting on the buss to take us back to the room and I was kind of our of it. I stood up thinking the buss was coming and looked around …. I guess I stood up to fast and …. I passed out. I woke up a few minutes later with full on road rash all over my face, my glasses somewhere on the sidewalk and Golden telling me to stay down. See we were at the top of a really steep hill and her fear was that if I started rolling she wasn’t going to be able to stop me and I’d Indian Jones the City of Atlanta.

The best part of that story is that Golden, Maribel, and I kept tweeting each other about the incident. Earlier in the day Maribel had falling and hurt herself and Golden had just taken her injection so we were all complaining about our ailments. When I got back into town I immediately went to the eye glass place cause my glasses were really jacked up and scratched beyond use. I was hoping to get new glasses before I had to go back to work. However, it didn’t work out for me. So I went back to the office and the road rash was still on my face but my lip was not as swollen. My boss sits down in my office and he is just smiling and said so…did you have fun. I said of course. he said …really ? and he has this cat ate the canary grin on his face. I said well there was one thing and I started telling him about the BP thing … at the time he was super concerned about my BP cause our office used to do blood drives every quarter and the quarter before they wouldn’t do mine cause it was far too high. The whole time I’m telling the story he’s just sitting there smiling. I finished the story knowing it would only make him worry more and he said “you forgot I followed you on Twitter huh?!” so he already knew what had happened he just wanted to see if I’d tell him or not. Well played sir.

I’m hoping giving blood this year won’t be quite as interesting. I’m schedule to give it on Friday morning so I can get up get some breakfast head over and give blood then if I start feeling weird head to the room for a bit before going back down. I have a plan :D

I’m a little geeked out about going to the Con during a pandemic but I really feel like the organizers are making every effort to keep everyone safe. Vaccinations/Negative tests, masks mandatory for all, and they are having multiple “cleaning” events during the day and night. Granted the risk is still there but I feel like this is going to be the cleanest con I’ve ever attended. I feel like I did back when I went to my nephew’s state championship … if I’m going to go I’m going to make the best of it. 

I have a hotel reserved for if I get anything I can stay there and mom and dad will stay safe. I have also learned over the last year or so that you can justify in your head anything that you really want to do. I also bought 2 over the counter tests that I can take so I’ll know if I have it or not. I’m packing hand sanitizer like it’s free and doing all the precautions that I have been told will “keep me safe” and I’m just going to pray that it does. I’ve been very lucky during this pandemic …. And I’d like to keep that streak going. That being said if I make it though it without catching anything … I’m totes going to start licking doorknobs. Just kidding that’s a horrible idea …. Almost as bad as this milk crate thing and also where are you all getting so many milk crates!?

Marcy (who is procrastinating packing by writing this up)

Dragon Con Love Note

You guys know that on Holiday’s I tend to Blog more. Not really sure why if it’s the unscheduled time that I have on my hands, if it’s the ability to think about something other than work, or if it’s just cause I’m reminded that the blog while neglected still exists and a holiday is a good time to post cause people are on their devices. It might also be that subconsciously knowing that if I blog on holidays that will give me some decent content on this thing scattered throughout the year if nothing else. 

However today is more than just a holiday post, I know you guys know it’s Independence Day which is way more than just a movie starring Will Smith and some Aliens. I know fireworks and BBQs are in the air literally and so I’m not going to bore you with that since everyone else will be. I will say if you go out, if you are in a group, please be careful, wear a mask even if others are not. Be vigilant. But nope today’s not about that. Today is a post to Dragon Con specifically, I mean the rest of you feel free to read on. 

Dragon Con incase you don’t know is a Geeky little convention, founded in 1987, that features science fiction, fantasy, gaming, comics, TV/Movies, literature, Cosplay, art, music, and for some weird reason wrestling that starts the Thursday (Wed for some) before Labor Day every year in Atlanta, Georgia. Loyal readersof this blog know that Golden and I have been attending Dragon Con with various crew members in tow since 2014. Dragon Con brings in over 80 thousand people to an already packed Atlanta on a holiday weekend and takes over 5 “host” hotels as well as other “overflow” hotels throughout downtown Atlanta. It’s owned and operated by a private for profit corporation and wouldn’t be able to do any of it without a huge staff of volunteers who deserve way more credit than they get. Also … it’s in trouble. Damn Covid-19 and damn people not doing what they should have done back in March/April/May and now July/August/September are in jeopardy. 

This year’s guest list so far features voice actors from Steven Universe, actors from Resident Evil and Star Trek Enterprise, as well as a host of comic book artist, writers, animators, and vendors from all over the US and sometimes across the pond as well. With I’m sure more to come as we get closer to the convention. Much like the ap the guest list isn’t fully announced until about a week or two out from the convention. I’ve always been fascinated by the people that Dragon Con can bring to the table since most of the actors/actresses/writers etc., are back at work on their various projects by that time of the year. However the convention being in ATL which is a stones throw from one of the busiest airports in the country might help with that. 

If you follow Dragon Con on Facebook or any of their other social media, Twitter, Instagram etc., they have recently announced the ability to roll over your 2020 membership (that’s right it’s not a ticket it’s a membership) to 2021 if you are concerned about your health and safety. There has been an increase of people saying they are taking Dragon Con up on that. Several of the hotels are also offering this as an option, tho I’m not sure I trust that cause the Dragon Con Hunger Games to get a hotel are fascinating and a huge money maker for these establishments. Then again everything is different this year, so why not this too. I want Dragon Con to know that many are also holding out hope that this years convention will move forward as anticipated. Not to mention that all of this fun is surrounded by a lot of good, there's a Dragon Con Blood Drive and they choose a charity that each panel takes up money for and at the end of the convention give money to that charity. My fear is that the people not going are louder than those that are and Dragon Con might see that and think no one is willing to show up. those of being quiet and waiting for the decision by the powers that be before making decisions are silently saying we aren't coming. That's not the case at least for me and my crew. 

I really want Dragon Con to happen this year. I NEED it to happen this year. I travel with an already comprised partner in crime Golden who has an auto immune disorder so I better than anyone else on the planet know in my brain the struggle a convention like this, right now, has to be for the powers that be at Dragon Con to make. I know what’s at stake likely more than most. That said we are both still willing to jump into the fire. If they hold the convention we’ll wear masks take the extra precautions and show up with our geek flag waving high. 

The truth is if they decide to go forward they make a lot of people angry should everyone get sick on the back end of this thing. As if we weren’t all going to get the Dragon Con Crud anyway. If they decide to bail on it they make a lot of people mad who will see it as another thing the “establishment” is taking from them during this insane year. They can’t postpone it and say try again in January. That’s now how it will work. It’s either do it this year or wait until next year. They are in a literal lose lose situation. I pray for them daily as I know the decision, they are going to have to make, will not be an easy one. 

However with all that said I repeat that I still really really really really want to go to Dragon Con this year. I’m also not saying all of this cause for the first time Golden and I are gonna be in a host hotel, and not any host hotel the mega hotel that houses 90% of the fun … the Marriott. I’m a little devastated that trumpets and angels didn’t ascend when I typed that.  It’s the holy grail of Dragon Con staying. It’s the ability to Con all night and get in bed sleep and get back out there without waiting on a buss or getting an uber. It’s the ability to attend more panels and possibly find the all elusive members only room with snacks and fun stuff in it …. We will find you one day and we will partake in your goodness. It’s the ability to be all in on the convention while also providing Golden with the ability to relax and recover when she needs to. We’ve often stayed at Overflow hotels in the past and they were awesome and the shuttles were great (when they run) but guys A HOST HOTEL with Dragon Con TV and just being in the thick of the 24-7 party come on! That’s the dream! I’m also kind of excited about the idea of a pared down con, with fewer members, fewer drunks, awesome Cosplay and to be surrounded by people who really really want to be there. 

The truth is that the convention is second to me. I cherish those 4-5 days hanging out with Golden. There’s no obligations like family dinners, no gotta rush home to let the dog out and pee, no work responsibilities (ok an occasional phone call or text but for the most part no work responsibilities) it’s 4-5 days of her, me, food, laughter, and walking … lots and lots of walking.  We always show up ready to roll and by about day 3 start dwindling down. By the time I’m back in my car heading home I’m exhausted but also elated to have spent 4-5 days with the person whom I love most in this world. That’s what it is all about for me. Sure that time we got to meet and talk with Nathan Fillion was really cool, watching Alton Brown walk by cause for some reason he chose Dragon Con to announce that Good Eats was coming by was fun, and that time we got to party with the cast of Wynona Earp and all their fans was pretty bad ass, oh and giving freaking Big Bird a hug as he walked to his car as grand marshall of the parade was something I’ll always cherish (RIP Caroll Spinney). 

So I hope the convention holds steady but I’m also preparing for it to not. I hope the organizers do what they know is right for the members, the various hotel staff members, the City and for all those that still want this event to happen. I also hope that should it not the disappointed be just that disappointed, but shift focus to 2021. I know this decision won’t be an easy one to make, matters of the wallet rarely are but I know that no matter what decision is made I’ll be back in 2021 lord willing. 


Marcy 

DRAGON CON 2017

IT’S TIME!!!!!!

We have made the trek to Atlanta, we had minimal drama on the road, and have our badges in hand, and have checked into our A-MAZ-ING room, which happens to be within view of last year’s Dragon Con hotel, awkward. What this means for you dear reader is that DRAGON CON IS IN EFFECT. This is not a drill people, we have trained for this, we are ready….well after a nap. Once the nap is done we will be ready to roll.

On the way here we were immediately halted by a tractor driving down a 2-lane roadway in front of us. We couldn’t get around him so being the awesome person she is Golden yelled out the window for him to pull over which he did the first chance he got. So mad props to you sir. Then we were stuck behind some jerkoff in a Dodge, I have some previous PTSD trauma from a Dodge which I won’t bore you with here … I’m on vacay and don’t want to think about it. Once we got out from behind him it was smooth sailing until about an hour out of ATL when I-20 ground to a halt. Mad props to the CRV with DRAGON CON OR BUST written on their windows. I hope you got here safely.

First stop once we hit Atlanta was the parking garage near the Sheraton to stash the Hyundai while we went to get our badges. The line for the badges was smooth and awesome as always. For the last 4 years that’s been the easiest part of the Con. I can’t even imagine the amount of time and effort the volunteers put in for this event and I appreciate every single one of them. Give them a high five this weekend and remember most of the time they only hear the negative so throw some positivity their way too!

Our hotel is stupid big. Like for reals. The last member of our crew will be here this weekend and once she does she can bring like 40 people and we’d still have room for all the things. OK 40 might be a stretch but at least 3 or 4.

We are getting ready to head down to the Marriot for the Dragon Con countdown for those of you already here, come join us, it’s quite exciting when the countdown stars. If you are still traveling may you be safe.

Let’s have a great time this weekend !

Happy Con

Marcy  & Golden

#SayWhatMG

Nearly time for Dragon Con !!!!

It’s officially two weeks away from Dragon Con which starts Friday Sep. 1^st and runs through Monday Sep. 4th (AKA Labor Day Weekend).

Two weeks from now I’ll be wandering around downtown Atlanta looking for a place to put my awesome chair that Golden got me for Christmas/Birthday and people watch that is in the shade or better yet downwind from a very powerful air conditioner after watching the DragonCon parade lead Stan Lee, the 2017 Grand Marshall, through the hot and humid streets of well…downtown Atlanta.

Those of you not new to this Blog know of Golden and I traveling to Atlanta for the last few years to people watch, cosplay, and see all the pretty things and people that Dragon Con has to offer. Actually Dragon Con was the first thing featured after we started this blog so long ago. This is year 4 for us, tho I honestly don’t remember when we were not going. Golden is better at Cosplay than me, I like to blend into the wall and look at all the pretty. I can’t imagine people wanting to take my picture and also the aforementioned humid/hot weather makes a costume feel … well …… like a lot of freaking effort. See we are never lucky enough to be in a host hotel, no matter how hard we try, which means we either rely on Uber or the Dragon Con Shuttle buses and costumes just aren’t practical. That’s not to say Golden hasn’t made a good show of it over the years, but yeah I’ll just wear my jeans and nerdy shirts instead.

  

This year the forecast is showing 40% chance of rain but here in the south that could mean that it’s raining at the front of the hotel but not the back, or that it will not rain at all … really it’s a guessing game so put your jacket in your backpack and be prepared for anything. That’s the best advice I have for DragonCon. The first year we went, Golden had a plan, and written out schedules of things to do and we quickly became overwhelmed and did very little on the list. Do all the things, quickly changed to … well we can do that next year I guess. If you come with a plan it will quickly be destroyed, have a vague idea of what you’d like to do but remain flexible. That’s the best way to enjoy the Con with minimal stress … well except for in the tunnels between host hotels on a Saturday. On that day take extra anxiety meds and be prepared to be claustrophic, but know it will only be temporary. That’s not to say Panic Attacks aren’t a thing, and I’ve had more than my share at Dragon Con but find a corner, find a chair, get some water, breathe it out and then … get back out there. You only live once right?

So many fun things to do …. Just a few options are listed below:

·       Dragon Con Blood Drive: I encourage all my fellow Dragon Con members to give blood this year. I myself won’t be giving after passing out last year and face planting on the sidewalk (due in part to high blood pressure which hopefully is now in check after several doctor appointments and the insane heat that is Atlanta in late Aug/Sep) resulting in new glasses, a busted and bloody face, and a massive headache that lasted for days. Golden has insisted that I not give this year, as has my boss, the rest of our Con group, and well my family. I guess I’ll listen, but only cause I know others will step up in my absence … right?! Please and thank you. Give Blood… Save a life.

·       The Dragon Con Parade is a MUST view .. it’s a great way to see all the pretty in one place. It will take place Saturday Sep. 2^nd and start rolling at 10am. So either be in place by then or just stay your respective hotel and watch on TV (that’s what our lazy bones did last year – it wasn’t too bad). I had to admit being out there with everyone watching it all walk by just gives you a feeling of community like nothing else.

The parade begins at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Linden Avenue, then heads south on Peachtree, east (left) on Andrew Young International Boulevard and north (left) on Peachtree Center Avenue. It will end on Peachtree Center Avenue between John Portman Boulevard and Baker Street, in front of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Then everyone heads to the food court, like for reals the food court becomes as crowded as the crosswalk between hotels so be prepared to stand in line. There’s a lot of line standing but it’s typically worth it.

·       Fan Tracks: Check out the Dragon Con website for a list of fan tracks because they most definitely leave no one out. There’s a track for everyone. The Britttrack is celebrating 20 years of fun which includes a ton of “British” themed panels (Dr. Who, Sherlock, Harry Potter, music etc.,) each year we have attended the Yule Ball, which is always a good time. The first year of DragonCon we stumbled upon a Dr. Who panel discussion which was really interesting. Their schedule is tentatively posted here, cause everything is subject to change even as you start the last day of the Con. Another panel about cussing the British way is happening this year. It always makes for a fun time.  

·       The Hall of Fame is a great place to people watch. It’s located in the Marriott hotel in a bank of ballrooms and is the place for meet and greets (tho note that often they will have you line up else where and then march through the con with a guide to get your meet and greet on). That keeps the lines from blocking walkways and makes for interesting conversation as you wait in line. Ask Golden about the overzealous Pop Art guy we met while waiting to meet Felicia Day. The end result was that I’m not allowed to talk to people anymore. Ha! The times for the Hall of Fame are crazy weird …. And by that I mean the first year we went to Dragon Con it always seemed to be closed. Typically it’s open from about 10am – 5pm, sometimes later, sometimes earlier. It’s posted people look it up it’s definitely a must walk through area. Plus air condition. I tell you that air condition and chairs will become your new best friend at the Con. Trust me on that. For the entire list of featured guest click here.

People that I’m interested in seeing this year include (in no real order) Melanie Scrofano, Zachary Levi, Nathan Fillion, John Barrowman, Julie Benz, Jewel Staite, Matt Smith, Frank Conniff, William Shatner, Bill Corbett, Alton Brown, Don Rosa, Sean Gunn, Wallace Shawn, Tad Stones, John Cusack, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Nick Blood, Elizabeth Henstridge, Casper Van Dien. That’s just to name a few and Dragon Con is still announcing guests. My favorite part of the walk of fame is how artist, actors, actresses, writers, gamers, Puppetters just hanging out and they are all in one room just being awesome!!! I really love when voice actors are sitting there and bust into the characters on the poster behind them and I’m instantly 9 years old again in front of my TV reliving my childhood. It’s a fun feeling one I can’t wait to feel again. Also if any of the above have Social Media -- let's be real they all do -- follow them cause it's fun to see the Con through their eyes.

·       Good Eats Panel - This year … for some reason … Alton Brown is coming, which is totally cool and I’m thrilled about it but confused as well. I mean ok … he is a culinary geek and so he’ll fit in, plus he used to (may still) live in Atlanta so it makes sense but yeah weird too (which might be the very definition of Dragon Con now that I think about it). He’s doing a Panel in the Marriott Atrium Ballroom on Sunday at 4 (which means Golden and I might have to split off as she heads to the Wynonna Earp panel also happening Sunday afternoon). Alton is getting ready to do a Good Eats Reboot which makes this culinary fan so excited. I do hope he gets “W” to join him but Itchy or Twitchy, or his “neighbor chuck” would be fun too. Wonder what Elton is up too … and of course his mom (ABs sister whose name escapes me at the moment .. MARSHA! … so many possibilities I just hope the more recent version of Mr. Brown (Angry Alton from Cutthroat Kitchen) stays away tho BA might be fun.  

·       The Dragon Con Comics and Pop Art Alley is always fun and located near the Vendor Hall. Among the Con goers there are artist of plenty that show up to display their illustrations, sculptures, paintings and it’s fun to see these artist and their points of view on the world around us. Look for it it’s worth the effort to find.

·       If all that were not enough there’s a freaking arcade guys ….. like old school arcade games we all grew up with wishing we had one more quarter, as well as board games and other gaming rooms to enjoy!!!!

I haven’t started packing yet, well mentally I’m making the list of the things I’ll need, chargers for all the electronic things, hotel reservation printouts, my Dragon Con post card, a jacket, a hat, the lap top, headphones, MP3 player (for night time when I NEED sleep but can’t shut off the Con goers in the hallways) bathroom stuff, geek t-shirts, my Dragon Con post card, my camera, cards for the camera, flash drives, my dragon con post card, power strips for the hotel, comfortable shoes, money, and of course my Dragon Con post card, but haven't put a single thing in a bag yet. Seriously don’t forget the post card, I can’t STRESS that enough.

I should start napping now to prepare my body for the Con, tho every year long about Sunday the Dragon Con Coma hits me and hits me hard, it never fails. I am ok with that as long as the Con Crud stays well away from my crew this year, but it never does. Ha!

How about a Dragon Con roll call ... if you will be in Atlanta hit us up so if we should see you we can give you a high five. I might even let you borrow my chair ... insert your laugh here ... get your own chair!

Stay safe out there and let’s have fun and not add to the death toll tally that GDOT seems to think needs to be across the interstate - no that's not stressful at all GDOT ... really it's not ... totes is. 

Marcy @beaslma

Golden @theonlygolden

#SayWhatMG

Dragon Con Day 1

At Midnight last night the entire crowd counted down to the start of the Con, this is our second year witnessing that and have to admit it’s fun to be a part of something that so many get involved in. To be around so many people but feel like a unit of one is one of the main reasons we come to this Con. We got back to our hotel after 1am, and the rest of the night was a blur. We slept some, watched TV some, slept some more and I finally fell asleep around 3am. I understand from Golden a really bad storm came through around 4 and then the clock on the side table went off at 6am. Damn that business person who set it in the first place. I mean why isn’t that part of the hotel clean-up of the room after someone checks out? I know it was a business person cause let’s face it normal people don’t get up at that hour unless they have to do so. After we beat down the clock I went back to bed, next thing I know it’s 10 am. Then we had a movie on and the next thing I know it’s noon. Sometime around 4 we got up and went across the street to the Aquarium. It was nice and relaxing even if the place was set up a little bizarre. We saw a whale crap in the water, weedy sea dragons, sea otters, jelly fishes, and all kinds of other sea life. Good times.

Afterwards we got some lunch/dinner technically breakfast too before heading back down to the Con. By far the best way to travel at the Con is to use the shuttle busses, I swear if i had to drive in Atlanta i'd just kill myself and be done with it. I tell you all of this because usually by Sunday I’m in the middle of a Dragon Con coma. Apparently it hit me harder than in years past. I spent most of the day in a dizzy haze and didn’t have a drop of alcohol. I don’t know if it’s cause real life has been beating me down since the last Con or if I’m just getting older but I was a lazy slug today. By the time we got to the Con drinking and crazy was in full effect. WE saw a few who had taken the Con too far and a few who were heading that way. I hope they all made it home safely.

The best part of the night was when the “Trump Buss” drove through the crowded street and everyone in unison started booing. It kind of restored my faith in this nation. Talk about not knowing your audience I guess.

Tomorrow is the annual Dragon Con parade which starts early. Here’s hoping the early night will help us get there. Marible should be here tomorrow afternoon, that always makes for a good time.

For now … night night nerds, sleep well and safe travels to your respective beds.

Marcy

Nerdcation is in effect!!!!!

So yesterday I drove to the meca that is Golden’s house and today we drove to the meca that is the Sheraton Hotel in Atlanta to pick up our Dragon Con badges, from there to the Hilton where we will call home for the next few days.

This is our third straight year to attend Dragon Con which turns 30 this year. That’s a milestone birthday and we are here to celebrate. Here’s watermelon vodka in the fridge, a Wonder Woman cup with my name on it and most important my best friend sitting on the other side of the room. This weekend is gonna be awesome.

We are chilling in the hotel, calming down our hearts from the drive here, I tell you driving in Atlanta is INSANE tho I admit I think it’s a combination of too many freaking exists and too many people not really knowing where they are going and then all of the sudden their exit is there and they have to get over causing a giant cluster*uck on the interstates of Georgia which apparently has had 954 people die, as of a few hours ago. This is something Georgia feels the need to advertise, I’m not sure why I guess they think we’ll see that number and think I need to be careful? We saw that number and thought what is wrong with you Georgia so they might want to rethink that campaign. It also did make me wonder if I get in a wreck on the interstate but then die at the hospital would I count?

Soon we will venture out into the world to find food and share in the awesomeness that is DragonCon fun we hope to be at the Marriott when midnight hits for the Dragon Con midnight countdown cause that was fun last year. Kind of a we made it to the Con celebration.

Once again Atlanta has all the things this weekend, football, business conventions, book festivals, hot air balloon festivals, a sound circus, all the things. Spread it out some Atlanta!!! The third member of our crew, Maribel will be her Saturday afternoon then our crew will be in full effect.   

If you are at Dragon Con hit us up …. @beaslma     @theonlygolden           Maribel

See yall soon!!!

Marcy

Day 2 recap -Friday funday ‏

Friday was the day! Most people have checked in and gotten dressed. Time to turn up! There are a lot of celebrities at DragonCon and in the city of Atlanta this weekend. There are celebrities here that carry a very impressive body of work and are worth standing in line for. But so far there has been nothing more impressive than the level of Cosplay!

It ranges from people who tinkered around on their old sewing machine at home to people who have fully involved electronics. But at whatever level, beginner to professional, everybody has worked hard and is proud of their artwork!

 

  

Somebody asked how you decide who or what you want to be. I think the answer is that you pick what calls to you. Whatever you find that has a little part of itself worked into who you are, and when you create your vision, you end up putting yourself into your character. It's a full circle of beauty and everyone is beautiful!

I am just one out of four of our group. I was concerned that Maribel would be the least interested of us. Prior to coming she showed no interest in costuming. The only costume we could talk her into wasn't even picked out by her. Alex and I put it together, she was just going to endure it. Her only prerequisite was that we didn't make her look stupid or stand out. She sings a different tune now. I wish I could have captured the look on her face when she saw a fully mechanical, musical Optimas Prime. Halfway thru the day she was begging for us to create a costume for her to look amazing and stand out. Ah what 24hours can do to a person.

DragonCon is great about bringing celebrities and well known persons to this city but so far it's been worth coming just for the Cosplay alone. If all I do all weekend long is party and watch Cosplayers preform, it will have been money well spent. Seeing some of my favorite tv and movie personalities is just icing on the cake!

-Golden @theonlygolden

Pre-Con Madness

Hello all! Me and my crew are officially at DragonCon in Atlanta. The con doesn't actually begin until Friday but you wouldn't know that. Most people are not only checking in on Thursday but checking out the location. A lot of the programs are offering newbie educational tracks, meet & greet tracks, and parties. Lots of partying to be had by all.

We were able to get our badges/ memberships pretty easily. It took longer to walk the "cattle chute" line set up than it did to get it. We pre-ordered so it was a simple set up of following the blue line into the Sheraton, we only had a 5-10 min wait.

Checking into our hotel taught me that yes, we did bring all the things. All. The. Fucking. Things.

  

We checked out some locations, met anybody that was willing to talk and thought I was briefly going to die when Bane kept trying to grab my arm. There are WAY more people here already in full cosplay and/or party mode than I thought there would be for it to be pre-con. But we wouldn't have it any other way.

We celebrated, danced, laughed and were merry. I made it to the hotel in time to see Defiance replay. Everybody is trying to get a few hours of sleep before the beginning of the Con madness but I am still up. Not unusual. I will say even though I am having a blast, I am very much missing my crackbaby LuLu. I tried to call here earlier to check on her but she had a few friends over to play poker, as Canine-Americans do and she said she couldn't talk. Hopefully she is ok but I doubt she is missing me.

Tomorrow DragonCon officially kicks off, Friday, in Atlanta. Hope to see some of you out and about!

I'm gonna need a bigger suitcase...

How in God’s name do you pack for any and every potential outcome?! I am trying very hard to prepare for an upcoming trip over Labor Day weekend to Atlanta for the sci-fi/fantasy convention known as DragonCon. I know it's just in Atlanta, I'm not having to travel to the ends of the world, but I have never traveled to a Sci-Fi convention before. What if I get there and realize that I have forgotten the most important thing ever in all of human history?! What if it comes down to me being able to produce the most mundane of items to an invading species in order to save mankind?! What if I forget my cell phone charger?!

We will be there Thursday-Monday. I have to pack normally for those days, like any other normal person would. Then I also have to pack con gear, outfits, costumes, extra makeup, funky footwear, wigs, wigs and more wigs! Plus since I also carry the special title of 'Medical Marvel' I must pack routine meds, prn meds, ointments, creams, heating pads, ice packs and injections. Then on top of that it's the 21st birthday of one of my crew. So I have to pack ALL the alcohols and party gear. Add the fact that I plan on doing a Geek drop so I need those prizes (More on this later) to be in the car as well. It's enough to make anybody cry out like Charlie Brown!

So yes even though it's not until the end of the month I am already trying to pack. Marcy can attest to my insane need to plan, organize and list, but I'm finding that those just are not possibilities when you go to a con. If you have figured out how, please contact me with any helpful tips. Because even though Atlanta is just a few hours and a single time zone away, It may as well be on another planet for all that I am packing. But maybe that is part of magic of a Con, letting it all go and just enjoying the experience.

Also if you are going to DragonCon hit us up and say hi, it may be our first time but we plan to do it big!   @theonlygolden   @beaslma