Welcome To The Convention

Artists at Katsucon creating a chalk mural of Legend of Zelda.

I know, it's not Sunday. It's Monday. Happy Presidents day from the US. I like this holiday better than Valentines Day because I get the day off. Yahoo! Three day weekend!

Which was really helpful since I went to an anime convention this weekend. I was at Katsucon. It was a lot of fun. One of my friends told me a ton of things that I had to do and what to expect and how awesome the whole weekend would be. He was right. He was also right about how much food and parking were going to be.

I had to work on Friday, so I got to the convention in the mid evening. It was crazy crowded. I initially stood in line to get my badge for twenty minutes before my friend told me to get food first. The line would die down. He was again right. I was also glad I registered for the conference instead of buying my ticket there. The line was huge for people just walking in.

That first night I was too tired to really do anything. I made up for that on Saturday and Sunday. I basically passed out on Sunday after everything was finished. I think my two favorite panels I went to were the "Attack on Titan" voice actors panel and the Samurai sword demonstration. My friend and I got to the Samurai sword too late to participate, but it was still cool to see.

So after all of the craziness, my next question is will I go again next year?

Answer: it depends.

It's not that I don't want to go next year. If things were different I would 100% say yes, I will go again next year. As it stands, I'm not sure how easy it will be for me to go. I'm currently in the process of moving and travel might be hard and expensive.

However if I am able to go back at least I'll be a little smarter about going than I was this year. Yeah, I made a few errors while attending that probably cost me a lot more than they needed to be.

1) Parking - parking was very expensive at the hotel where the convention was, like over 50% higher than it was across the street (and that was with a small discount). Next year I am either going to carpool or remember to park across the street. I wasn't too upset though, since the wind was terrible and it was incredibly cold.

2) Lodging - I stayed at my parent's house. It was about 20 miles away from the convention center. It was less expensive than staying at the hotel. However there were benefits to staying at the hotel the convention was at. Mainly that I could take a nap in the middle of the afternoon and go to some of the later events instead of going home so I wasn't driving when I was super tired. Also the wind was scary bad while driving and it was supposed to snow (thankfully it didn't), so it might have been hard to drive. Next year I might get a hotel room. The trick will be to find some friends to stay with me and getting a room before the hotel is overbooked.

3) Food - it was expensive and the wait to eat in one of the restaurants in the hotel was forever. Next year I might try to bring my own food or at least an empty water bottle.

4) Meeting up with people - the convention was huge. I somehow managed to find two of my friends (one had my phone number, the other I had to find). Next year I get everyone's phone number and make sure they have mine. That way we will definitely see each other.

5) Cosplay (or dressing up as a favorite character for those who don't know what cosplay is) - I didn't really cosplay this year. I did dress up and I could "claim" to be cosplaying, but I didn't do anything special. My biggest challenge is my hair. I don't own any wigs so it's difficult to style my hair to be similar to a character. Next year I might plan a little better and buy a wig and work on getting the right set up for a cosplay. I just have to decide who I want to be.

6) Crowds - There is no way around them. Getting there early got me around some of the mass of people, but to get into some of the more popular events there were lines. I almost didn't get into two panels because the rooms were too small for the number of people who wanted to attend. Next year I'll get to the events in the smaller rooms earlier. The events in larger rooms didn't really have this problem.

And those are the things I learned from attending my first big convention. I say big because compared to Bronycon this was huge (though Comic con is still the largest I know about).  I had a lot of fun and would love to attend again next year.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Let me know if you guys have any ideas for a post. After all, I'm still wandering around Wonderland.

Welcome To Doubt

Sometimes, despite how confident I might feel, I keep thinking that what I am doing or about to do is the wrong thing. It whispers at the back of my mind. It keeps me tossing and turning at night. It will leave me paralyzed to the point where I will miss out on whatever it is I'm making a decision on.

It kind of sounds like when I'm worrying about something. In fact I would say that doubt and worry are very similar feelings under the right circumstances.

It's a times like these I need to talk to someone. I have a few people I talk to (and a few people who talk to me). Sometimes these people will say things I don't want to hear. They are most likely right, but that doesn't mean I want to hear it. Sometimes I say things they don't want to hear. It's a vicious (and quite possibly necessary) cycle.

The best way to beat doubt is to weigh the pros and cons (and hope the pros win). I tend to look at the worst case scenario and build a plan to counter act it. If I can't come up with a counter plan, then I walk away. If the worst case scenario doesn't seem that bad, I throw caution to the wind and jump right in (hopefully feet first).

From my own personal experience, they only way to beat doubt is to not dwell on it. I find something else to focus on (like writing a blog about all the crazy things that happen to me) or work on minimizing any damages that could result in a worst case scenario. Anyway you slice it, I'm doing something productive with my time.

So here are my top five ways to stop doubting myself:

1) Write - doesn't really matter what. It could just be what has me doubting myself or something else completely unrelated. Just write it out and maybe I'll solve one of my problems.

2) Talk it out - doesn't matter with who. Heck I don't care if someone talks to their lamp (though that might raise a few eyebrows). Talking helps...and so does listening.

3) Exercise - Wanna know what makes me feel good (other than eating my weight in mac and cheese)? Running around like a maniac! It helps clear my head and let me think. It also helps with the long office days where I'm stuck in an office chair for eight hours straight.

4) Go out with friends/family/significant others - humans are social creatures and even introverts need to get out once in a blue moon. Going out with a group of people can help relieve stress which will also help stop me from worrying and doubting myself. So turn off Netflix and go out on the town

5) Do something unexpected - I often doubt my abilities. I'd say everyone does, but I can't speak for everyone. One of my favorite ways to get myself out of a self doubting funk is to spontaneously do something. If I can tell myself that I did something unexpected then I can tell myself that I can do anything.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Until next week.

Welcome To Sudden Change

It's never when you expect it...

I have heard the saying that "change is good". I don't know how true it is, but I've always thought of change as something that was different. Not necessarily good, not necessarily bad, just different. And, though I hate admitting it, I also don't like really like change. It throws me off.

Don't get me wrong. I think change is fun every once and a while. Small changes allow for new experiences and  great memories (most of the time). It's when there are a lot of big changes that things start to make my eye twitch.

Over the past few weeks there have been some major changes at my office. Major changes as in my company is closing this office location and wants to move me to a several hours north into a new state completely. This is like running at full speed and then suddenly hitting a brick wall. It's a shock to your systems that forces you to suddenly stop and take a look at what's around you.

Technically I knew this was coming. It had been likely to happen for a while. Thankfully I'm not loosing my job. I'd be freaking out right now if I was, but it's still a very big change. And this is a lot different then when I first moved to start this job.

It's a big change. There are a lot of things I have to think about. How will I move all of my stuff? Where will I live? How / Will I have to find a new roommate? Will I fit in at this new office? I have a lot of questions that need to be answered and some of them won't be until I go up there.

I'm taking all of this one step at a time. Hopefully I'll have more answers when it does come time to pack up my stuff. Until then I'm going back to doing research on my future home. Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me as well. If you guys have questions let me know. Thank you for reading.

Welcome To Exhaustion

It's winter. Once again snow is in the forecast and it's still cold (obviously if snow is on the way). All I want to do is hibernate until spring. Unfortunately I am obligated to get my sorry self up and work tomorrow. How I wish I was still in school and could enjoy a snow day.

It's not uncommon for me to suddenly become a complete sloth in winter. It's not "cabin fever" where I'm restless and need to get out of my home (though if I'm stuck in my home long enough I start longing for an excuse to see the world).

I remember coming back from rugby practice one weekend, passing out and sleeping for 12 hours. I vaguely recall one of my roommates asking if they should wake me up to go see a show and another saying to just let me sleep. I woke up the next morning feeling great and ready for another all day practice. I hurt all over Monday morning, but it was worth it.

So my first question is, how do I beat the urge to sleep my weekend away? Perhaps I should try to get enough sleep during the week (haha like that will ever happen). It might work. Perhaps I should drink more coffee (I probably drink way more than I should already).

Then there are the days I'm so tired I can't sleep. I think those days are the worst. I am ready to drop off into dream land and I can't.

Why?

Usually I'm stressed or obsessing about something (never a good thing). It's been a tough couple of months and I think the stress is finally catching up with me. I sometimes just wish that the world would stop and let me catch up with it. Most of the time I feel like I'm being dragged by my ankles behind the unstoppable flow of time.

Other times I don't know why I can't fall asleep, so I drink some tea and curl up under a blanket. It usually works a little faster than staring at my ceiling. I think I'll do that after the Simpsons tonight. If only the fan in my heater wouldn't stop squeaking (supposedly that's getting fixed tomorrow).

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome To Long Weekends

Tomorrow is Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the US? That means I have an extra day free to do whatever I want. I think I'm going to spend it relaxing and pretending the outside world doesn't exist. These days don't come very often, so it's nice when they do.

However, if I stay at my place and don't do anything for the three days, I can occasionally get a little bored and restless. There are a lot of things you can do on a long weekend. Here is a list of my top five things to do on a long weekend.

5) Do nothing but sleep for an entire day. It might not be the most productive thing to do, but it can be very rewarding.

4) Go on a cleaning spree. It's hard to clean during the week because once I get home that's it I'm done. I'm making dinner and relaxing. That's it.

3) Go into the city. I get to explore the area and see some of the sights. Also food!

2) Have a mini vacation. It's fun to get away and go exploring. Having an extra day to not rush back to real life is what makes it the best time to go over a long weekend.

1) Having friends and/or family come visit. They can go exploring with you or help you with a video game binge.

Long weekends are fun, yet rare. I try to enjoy them when I can and hopefully you guys do to. Some of my friends have the option to trade the day off for a different day later. I sometimes wishi had this option, but I dont.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day everyone. Maybe we can all celebrate by seeing Selma. U til next week.

If you enjoyed this post, or it pissed you off, please like, share or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome To The Ice And Snow

It got cold really fast. Of course that meant that we had our first snow fall of the year. Of course my old school district messed that up and had school anyway, (smooth).We also have a high chance for ice tomorrow. Hibernation keeps sounding better and better this winter. Shame that suggestion won't fly at work.

It really wouldn't be so badif I didn't have to dig out my car every morning. It adds 20 minutes to my morning routine. I also have to be extra careful because even though I have experience driving in the snow, not everyone else does.

So how should someone out in the cold cruel world prepare for snowy days and chilly wind? Well if you can, work from home. Use up your weekend supply of hot chocolate and popcorn to keep yourself warm. It also helps to have a nice comfy blanket to huddle under while you work. 

If you have to go into the office and you live anywhere south of Philadelphea, don't go. It's not worth your life. Call in sick of you have to. Trust me, the roads will not be pretty.

If you choose to disregard my warnings (or you live in a state that is less likely to panic over a few flurries), plan to give yourself an extra hour of wiggle room. This is especially true if you live somewhere without a covered garage (though shoveling a driveway can take up to an hour). Digging out a car under a few inches of snow is a pain., anything more than six inches should be made into an Olympic sport.

Don't forget to dress warm and invest in good snow boots. I realized I needed a new pair when I put my foot into a snow pile and my toes took an ice bath. Also have a plastic bag for when the snow accidently falls on to your seat. 

I hope everyone is enjoying the cold. I wish I still lived somewhere with a fireplace, but until I do I'll just huddle under a blanket with a hot beverage and prey for an early spring. Hopefully the subzero temperatures don't stick around (unless you live in the Chicago region, I hear that's a nice balmy temperature for you guys).

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post, or it really pissed you off, please like, share or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys are staying warm.

Welcome To Dust Bunnies

Well the New Year has come and gone along with Christmas. We have a few weeks until the next big holiday that I get an extra day off. Hopefully everyone is well rested (and sober) to start working again. I guess this means I can't sleep for 10 hours a day anymore. Though I do look forward to not having to go anywhere for the foreseeable future.

It was a busy holiday. I saw "Into The Woods". It's really good if you like fairy tales and musicals. I was very surprised by some of the things that happen.

So now I have to take down all my holiday decorations and clean some of my presents (I got kitchen stuff this year, I'm excited to test them out). I get a little sad when I do because I love the decorations and now I have to wait a whole year to see them again. I could always leave them up, but then anyone who visits might think I'm lazy (that might not be too far from the truth).

Well since I have to clean anyway, I might as well just clean the rest of the apartment. It's sort of like a New Years cleaning spree. I've been at it since I got home today.

How do I motivate myself to "winter clean"?

Step 1: Clean in small doses, but don't just shove one pile of stuff to a different corner of the room and then shove it back into the original spot a few hours later.

Step 2: Make sure I have all the cleaning supplies that I need. It tends to ruin the flow if I have to run out for stuff.

Step 3: Make a list. It helps to remember what you have already done and still need to do.

Of course, this is me I'm writing about.

In this case, ignore all of the steps listed, find a spot in the closet, shove everything there and hope no one notices when they come to visit. Sure I still have to vacuum and dust, but at least the floor is clear.

I hope you guys have fun taking down your decorations. Maybe instead of cleaning your entire apartment (or dorm or house) you could throw a de-decorating party. At least someone is there to help you finish the Christmas cookies.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share and/or leave a comment. Thank you again for reading and let's start 2015 off to a good start. Good luck everyone!