Happy 2016!

Hello all! Happy 2016!
So far my 2016 is going much like my 2015.
Work, sleep, be sick, repeat.

It's the worst recycling program EVER! A rut I tend to get myself stuck into far too often. I can tell you there has been a pretty big lifestyle change that's already taken place in the beginning of this year. A change that I'm not sure I should admit out loud, but I guess I will. Any of you that follow me on twitter know of my dedication and leadership in the "no pants" lifestyle. It is one of my founding principles. However, this year I have been introduced to the world of the fuzzy onesie and must admit that I, Golden "Pants free" Dean, am a fan. I know...I know...Hear me out...Please don't revolt yet. I still support the utopia of a pants free society as passionately as ever. I've always said, you No Pants at your own level of comfort, and I stand by this. But when the temperature is reaching a high of below freezing, having an ass of fuzzy angelic style warmth, well that's just tops! But fear not! I'm still living a healthy 90-92% pants free life. So I guess a couple of weeks in to this new year has brought at least that one change.

Like everyone else, I have been asked REPEATEDLY, "What are your New Years resolutions?" So far the only answer I have given anyone was "To not die" followed by an awkward amount of silence in order to not be asked again. Setting resolutions is totally fucking worthless. I think this year I will set some goals.

What's the difference in 'Resolutions' and 'Goals'?

Nothing other than a mental block. To me a goal is something I aim for, but to call it a resolution seems...well pretty resolute. It becomes a mandate or a chore. And nothing triggers my childish 'fuck you, I don't give a damn' attitude like a chore. (Trust me, deep down I'm an obstinate disobedient temper tantrum throwing child in a slightly taller package.) 

So please to enjoy some of my 2016 goals...

~See more movies in the theater- there was a time that I saw everything the week it came out, even if no one else cared to see it and I had to go alone. But for a few different reasons I haven't been as dedicated, and I miss the big screen experience. Plus 2016 has some amazing must see movies for a weirdo like myself... Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts, Assassins Creed, Star Trek 3, and on and on ...

~Read- I go through phases with reading. As long as its for fun I can't read fast enough. But make it a chore and well....obstinate child. But even when I'm in a phase of not reading I'm still buying as though I'm reading a book a day, which leads me to the situation I'm in now. Huge stacks of books piling up everywhere longing to be read. So it's time to knock that stack down a bit.

~Do more- It can be extremely hard to plan activities when you live with a chronic illness. It's getting harder and harder to travel and having a compromised immune system makes it hard to be around large crowds. Plus when I'm "up" and feeling good I make all the plans, but then the date of the event comes around and it seems that the pain sets in and I just have to forgo my plans. I've got to get better at taking advantage of when my body is in a healthy phase and also take advantage of local adventures.

~Look up- This isn't some spiritual or metaphorical realization but a literal one. I spend so much time looking down when I walk, at work, when I'm out and about, that I miss so much of the world around me and it can become a self imposed isolation. So just by looking up more often maybe I can find ways to engage with the world around me.

~Cook more- I like to cook and I'm not too bad at it but I just don't do it. Instead I exist on mostly heat up frozen or fast food. So not healthy.

So there we have it, 5 goals for me to aim for in 2016. What about you guys? How are you handling your New Year? Join in and let us know. If your goal is cool, I'll probably steal it and do it myself!

-golden (@theonlygolden)

DragonCon Coma

I write this sitting on Golden’s couch, shout out to Lulu who won’t walk through a half closed gate cause she’s a cracked out baby, with Golden sleeping off the Con through a showing of Sherlock Season 1. Since we are back in the world of Lulu that means we have officially left the Con behind. We packed up, dusted ourselves off, and got out of our Hotel before the maid service showed up cussing. Golden did leave them one little present …

 

Not gonna lie … kinda wish I could have seen their face for that one, then again they might have just rolled their eyes and said awwww hell and proceeded to strip the rest of the bed and clean the room to turn it around for the next guest.

Overall the weekend was a success, however the goals I set for myself a few post back just didn’t pan out. I had two really great opportunities to literally let my hair down and dance the night away and the best I could do was sway back and forth. At the Arthur Dent PJ party I even had a guy try to dance with me as I was walking around looking for my friends and I politely ran away like a scared little girl. Sigh… I guess I just didn’t want to waste his time. He looked like he was really enjoying the party and dancing with me seemed well beneath him. Like I wasn’t worthy of his skills. During the Yule Ball, which we crashed after Dumbledore had sent all the kiddos to their respective common rooms, the only one not in our crew to talk to me was a guy who wanted me to watch his bag while his cell phone charged in a nearby plug. Bottom line .... techno music, and dancing just aren't my thing and my expectations are much larger than my bravery.

 

That being said DragonCon was not a total loss. I got to high five Darkwing Duck, saw Oscar the Grouch, hung out with three really fantastic ladies, got to see Maribel's face when she saw Optimus Prime, and got my picture made with Bender and that was all in a single day.

 

 

There’s talk of going back next year, I’m still worn out from this year, I don’t even want to think about next year right now. However it’s my understanding that to get good rooms for 2015 we needed to have book them last year or even better in 2010. If we return, when we return, we'd like to be in one of the host hotels. We think the noise and people will make up for the travel back and forth to and from the Con, which honestly was made easier by use of Uber. Seriously NPH is right, with the exception of one driver, it's a fantastic car service for the "everyman."

We also think it will help us in making more of the lovely DragonCon panels and best of all when everyone else is wanting to continue to walk around and I was completely spent I could have said guys I’m out and took to the room to crash. As it was I waited for the group, sitting on the floor or in a chair I found and thus have spent the last two days in a semi-permanent state of exhaustion. This does not bode well for traveling by car 4+ hours. This is why I’m spending the night with Golden instead of heading south. Well that and the fact that I miss the hell out of this woman when I’m not with her and I wanted to delay that a bit. I'm not done laughing with her, and most important I'm not ready for my vacation to be over, I'm not ready to get back to the real world, sigh .... I guess I need a vacay for my vacay.

So DragonCon it was real and yes it’s very likely we’ll see you again next year so well played DragonCon we are now hooked – which I guess was your goal so at least one of us can say we accomplished something this week. Expectations met and Mischief Managed.