Tuesday 28 May 2013

Phoenix Comicon!

The word of the week is COMICON - yeehah!!!

Note: There's a LOT written in this week's blog, so best to take it in stages. Scroll down to the entries starting on the 23rd to see why I'm so happy I went to AZ!!!

May 20 - Fantastic Feedback

Despite working a full day, I was still fairly energized when I got home to host the critique group tonight.

I don't know if I've said it before, but I'm very grateful to have found such fantastic people to share my work with and give feedback for in return. Usually we have four different sets of chapters, one set submitted from each person, each of which takes at least an hour to go through, minimum. So getting started on time is critical if we want to finish at a decent hour.

Tonight however, we only had two sets of chapters to review: my own and another person's, as one of our members couldn't attend and other hadn't completed their next rather large chapter in time for submission, which happens. So it was a very relaxed and detailed session of feedback tonight.

It's that feedback that's critical to turning a draft into good writing and good writing into the best you can make of your work. Now that we've each preceded at least a third of the way through our novels, the feedback has become very detailed at the same time as involving from noting simple errors to where we now encompass complex concepts regarding plot, character, theme, setting and all the other myriad parts that make up a well-written novel. It's extremely exciting to be going through this process with people I consider my peers and to see my own feedback of their work informing the creation of their revised chapters; it's like building a house and seeing everything come together one brick at a time to form a fantastic whole.

I'm definitely a better writer now because of them. From what I now know of the writing process, having a critique group like this one that is so supportive as well as so thorough in their feedback is critical to success and something that not a lot of writers have access to. 

For which I'm very grateful.

May 21 - Copy Challenges!

Today didn't turn out quite as I'd thought, as I got a call from work to cover a shift if I wanted it; of course I did, as I'm not getting full-time hours at the present time.

When I got to work though, the store manager asked me aside to have a talk. He said that I'd been doing a great job and wanted to know if I'd like to go full-time in the Copy Centre, as that's where he felt that I'd be able to make the best contribution to the store given my skills and experience. He also said that he wanted somebody there long-term and I'd said several times that I was interested in working on a regular basis so that I didn't have to look elsewhere for employment, which appeared to worry him - obviously he hasn't looked for a job recently, which I found funny but didn't say. I of course said yes and we talked briefly about the position before I had to head downstairs to the floor to get my day going. It turned out to be a very busy day and I was rather tired by the time I was done, though I was elated that things set themselves up the way they had; the one area I've not worked in office retail is a copy center and I should find it challenging as well is interesting to learn what I need to.

The evening was a pleasant training session for my CompTIA+ certification, learning with my friend. I find that it's much easier to learn something new along with someone else, as you can discuss things back and forth. Plus, it's like being back in school again in some ways in that you're not learning in a solitary manner but instead studying with someone who will keep you motivated and vice versa.

May 22 - One day to go!

My morning was spent meeting with the copy center manager to discuss my training next week, which went very well and I think the both of us are pleased with the decision to move me into that area.

The rest of my day was spent getting ready for my trip, ensuring I packed just what I needed as well as not forgetting anything critical. I spent a fair deal of time assembling the ideal mix of electronics to accompany me and provide the most flexible options to take pictures or record video.

As the day progressed, I could feel my excitement building as my subconscious mind assimilated the fact that I'd be on a plane tomorrow heading towards a convention filled with g33ks just like me. As well, I was still trying to get my brain around that I was actually GOING, a possibility which had been in doubt for most of the last year given my sparse resources. This was the calm before the storm and I was anything but, as I sat that evening on the computer planning out my itinerary on the Phoenix Comiccon website. There, one could sign up to attend various panels and events ahead of time, simultaneously creating an itinerary for yourself as well as letting convention organizers know how popular each individual session would be based on the number of signups.

I went to bed that night early, which was a good thing as I didn't fall asleep until well past 11 PM, excited thoughts and imagined events flitting through my brain like sprites in an Elven forest.

May 23 - Phoenix Comicon 2013!!!!

With the arrival of the dawn I was up and out the door today. I was on my way to Phoenix, Arizona to attend the Phoenix 2013 Comicon - wahoo!

To be honest, I didn't think this day would come, as it was not cheap to go. But I had to; I'll tell you all about that later - read on.

The two stages of airline flights were uneventful, from Victoria to Seattle to Phoenix. I arrived in the desert city at 1:30 PM and was on my way via the light rail to my hotel soon after, arriving before 3 PM - only to find out that they had misplaced my reservation. Fortunately I was able to convince them to give me the room rate advertised on the convention website, which was all I had budgeted, so that worked out. The Hilton Suites was an impressive place, with a huge open central lobby and a restaurant taking up most of the space:

I was on the 8th floor - not too far from the smell of food, really.

But I wasn't there to check out the hotel; I wanted to go G33k Out at the convention! So a little after 4pm I trotted out to the convenient light rail station next the hotel and was on my way downtown just like that! Phoenix, for those of you who don't know the city, is very spread out and VERY hot; the average daytime temperature around this time of year is approaching 40°C which although it is a dry heat, still means you have to be VERY careful if you're not used to it - I'd find that out later first-hand.


An example of the temperature - from the future!

Back to the convention: I joined throngs of people converging on the huge complex of the Phoenix Convention Center, heading towards the main area of the Comicon which occupied the North and West Buildings as well as sections the Hyatt Regency and Renaissance  Phoenix downtown hotels - this was a BIG convention, with upwards of 100,000 people expected to attend over the course of the weekend!

There wasn't a whole lot on the schedule for today, as the Comicon didn't 'officially' start until tomorrow. I checked out the main buildings, picking up a Comicon Programming Guide that perfectly illustrates the reason why I was here in the first place:


At 6pm, I attended "Books and Authors" Phoenix Comicon Kickoff, which was a panel of authors including Peter Orullian, BrandonSanderson, Cherie Priest, Terry Brooks and Timothy Zahn. It was a great way to start off the convention, as it spoke directly to my own ambition to become a published author - what better than to hear the words of five of the same, some of which I'm a big fan of?

At 7:30pm, I hopped over to "The World Of Froud" which was an exploration of the world of Brian Froud, famed for his work on Labryinth and The Dark Crystal. It was a fascinating panel, with a lot of great visuals and I made a few friends right there who also shared a deep interest in Froud's work. I found that it was quite easy to just up and talk subjects like this I was passionate about, with no nervousness or hesitation as I'm usually wont to experience when speaking in public. Huzzah!

One thing to note: unlike the last convention I attended in Toronto in 2003, the Phoenix Comicon has wisely decided to insert a half hour in between each panel to allow time for people to move from building to building easily, given the not–insubstantial distances and the huge crowds involved. Most of all, it gives everyone a chance to eat in between panels, though with the giant lineups at all the places inside the convention buildings, you needed twice that amount of time.

By the time the panel ended, I was quite tired and decided to head back to my hotel room. First, I grabbed some pizza at a little place nearby whose name I didn't catch, despite going there a few times over the next few days. The evenings in Phoenix were still pretty warm but without the intense blazon of the sun, it was more than bearable. I headed back to the hotel on the rail along with a fair number of convention-goers, enjoying the easy interplay and relaxed attitude every seemed to have adopted; everyone seemed so happy to be here, just like me!

May 24 - The first Big Day of Comicon!

Up early today, I was, with good reason, yes!

I really, really love this picture - like I'm being welcomed to a home I never knew!

Planning is key to enjoying a convention; there's so much to do that you just won't be able to see everything and if you don't plan then you'll see all too little of what you really want to - which kind of defeats the purpose of being there in the first place. So, like last night to an extent, I laid out the programming guide to the Comicon and marked out everything that I wanted to see, giving each a higher low priority. I did have an advantage however: I'd brought with me several video recording devices, including my phone, so that if I found myself torn between attending two panels that took place at the same time, I could record one and attend the other. Smart, eh? As it turns out though, the batteries I'd brought with me would only power the Flip Video-cam for an hour at a time, so I had to juggle swapping out batteries and charging them in between panels. Not the easiest thing.



The very first panel of the day I attended was with Walter Koenig, who had some fantastic stories to tell and was rather genuine in person. I did sense that he'd done all this before and that he was tired, but he was still game enough to give back to his fans, which I highly respected.

The next panel of the day took place in the same room at 12 PM, with Claudia Christian! She is one of my favorite actresses and people in general, whose book Babylon Confidential is an uncompromising look at how she overcame alcohol's influence in her life to find balance again; it's a gripping read. In person, Claudia is bright, energetic and extremely entertaining as well as being quite honest about life in general while bringing her own humor and wit to the forefront of all she does. I thoroughly enjoyed the hour that she gave us and I hope to meet her in person sometime in the future.




I'm glad I stayed for the next panel, as I had a choice of instead attending one entitled "So you want to be a writer" that I thought would be extremely helpful to me. However, the panel I stayed for in the same room again was entitled "J. Michael Straczinsky; a special Babylon 5 panel" which woke a voice inside me, telling me to stay put. So I did.

JMS came in and answered questions for the first half-hour, which was very entertaining. However, at the halfway point, he called an end to the questions and instead told us that he was there to keep a promise he made 20 years ago to a friend: Michael O'Hare, the actor who played Cmdr. Sinclair in the first season of Babylon 5. JMS then told us the secret that he'd kept all this time, one that he promised not to divulge until Michael had passed on, which he sadly did several years ago. As it turns out, Michael had been suffering from dementia and was unable to continue in his role on the show. JMS quietly assisted the actor to make it through the first season and brought him back later in the show, which was extraordinarily generous of him to do in both instances. Hearing this story today, I was again reminded of how different Babylon 5 was from any other show I'd seen or heard of: the human heart was at center and hearing JMS's words today only emphasized the deep currents of caring that ran through everyone involved in it.

After a very interesting and informative panel presentation about editors and editing( at which I took copious notes as well as a recording ), I took a break and decided to go down to the Exhibition Hall to get a look at the vendors as well as some of the stars that were there for photos and signings.

Boy, was I in for a shock!


This is about 20% of the floor. If that.

The Exhibition Hall was HUGE, easily five or more times the size of the one I'd seen way back in Baltimore in 1998 and FAR  larger than the one at TorCon in 2003. I literally stopped to one side at the entrance and had to take a minute to try to take it all in, it was that overwhelming in scale. I picked a direction and wandered down a few aisles, looking at all the wonderfully geeky stuff that was for sale: toys, costumes, T-shirts, art and a myriad of other things that all meant something to someone somewhere - all they had to do was pony up the price to take such treasures home with them.

For me, this trip WAS a treasure: a gift I'd not thought to receive. I didn't have a budget for anything like souvenirs, just an emergency fund in case I was stuck somehow and needed funds quickly. I wandered the aisles, realizing as I went that withholding from the purchase of physical things didn't mean that my memories were any less valuable or meaningful. Having divested myself of so much over the years, I didn't feel the need to try to surround myself with symbols of nostalgia anymore. I walked out of the hall and went to get some pizza, not feeling the least bit jealous of those I passed whose bags were quite full of stuff; I already carried all that I needed inside of me.



At 6 PM, I was excitedly anticipating the first big event of the day: Star Trek Continues!

Star Trek Continues is a fan-made series that seamlessly takes up where the old series left off. Its production values are second to none, with sets lovingly constructed using the blueprints of the old, input from the original set designer and has many other aspects that set it apart from what you would think a 'fan production' would look like.

The screening of their first episode "Pilgrim to Eternity" took place in the North Ballroom, a huge space that was packed to capacity with 4000 people, all of them eager to see the presentation! When the lights went down, there was a huge cheer and then total silence as the screens lit up.

It was mind-blowing.

Words cannot express how well the episode so perfectly matched every aspect of the original series. Tone, lighting, pacing, acting, sets… it had all been assembled with such care and skill that it took one's breath away. See for yourself:


When the lights came up again, the applause was thunderous. I was awestruck by how I felt; it was like I'd just finished sitting in front of the TV as a kid again to see an episode of Star Trek as it hit the airwaves for the first time. The episode stars actor Michael Forest, who is reprising his role of Apollo that she played in one of the original episodes back in the 1960s. He was supported by a fantastic new casting of the old series crew, all of whom fit their roles incredibly well. I have to say that it was like seeing the first truly new episode of Star Trek in 40 years and I was very grateful to be there to see it first!. 

The cast and crew answered questions briefly afterwards and then pulled a surprise on everyone: it was announced that they would be handing out FREE posters signed by the entire cast to everyone who had attended the screening! There was a organized rush to the doors, which I caught the tail end of as I was on the opposite side of the ballroom, unfortunately. I found myself waiting in a massively long line with quite a few other people in the main hallway outside.

I got to know the people standing on either side of me: Sarah, a local Arizona native, Mark and his daughter Elsie, also natives, and Mauricio who is here from out of state. We all chatted on and off about various things as the line slowly progressed and I fretted that I wouldn't be able to see the next major thing on my list tonight: Awesome Hour with Wil Wheaton! However, I didn't have to worry as my linemates and I worked out a plan whereas I could attend a later portion of the Awesome Hour which began at 8:30 PM while they held my place in the signing line - Mark and his daughter would go in for the first half-hour and thus we wouldn't cheese off anyone by ignoring the sacred line-waiting karma totally.

When my turn came to go into the ballroom, I was quite excited; Wil Wheaton is a huge 
geek icon and generally all-around nice guy who is quite fond of sharing his passions about being a g33k. I'd set up my video recorder at the start of the hour and then went back outside again to wait in line, but all the same I knew I really wanted to be there to experience things firsthand. And I wasn't disappointed! Check it out below( and ignore the silly security guard who purposefully blocked my view for the first little bit, darn it! ):



When I headed back out into the hallway, the line had moved substantially and it was only a matter of minutes until I was standing in front of the cast of Star Trek Continues. I got the opportunity to thank a fair number of them despite the speed that the line was moving at in order to process everybody. I could tell that they were incredibly energized by the response that they've received tonight, one which they heartily deserved for their hard work and dedication in bringing the new series to life. I handed my camera to Elsie, who kindly took video while the rest of us had our posters signed; that's me in the grey-ish shirt and backpack, Sarah's in the green with glasses and Mark's the guy in the yellow shirt: 


My amazing day wasn't done yet, though!

I headed over to the Renaissance Downtown hotel, to attend a costume party. Called the Captain's Cantina: The Zocolo at Babylon 5, it was being hosted by Garrett Wang, who played Ensign Kim on Star Trek: Voyager and who incidentally is a HUGE fan of… fans! He was an energetic host, playing his role with aplomb and generally getting everybody to have fun; he even had Babylon 5 actor Jerry Doyle on the stage to say a few words... apparently they hang out a lot, which was neat to discover. Afterwards, I wandered over to see if I could have a few words with Mr. Wang, as I've admired his work on Voyager as the 'steady guy' who doesn't usually get the glory - a role I can relate to personally.


To my utter surprise and delight, Garrett invited me and another fan to sit down to have drinks with him, right then at the middle part of the party as people were coming and going all around! I was surprised to discover that he was just a regular guy in many respects, who simply enjoy talking to people about things that we all shared passions about, like television shows and music. As it turns out, he and I had a lengthy conversation about a show we both loved called Space: Above And Beyond, which we both felt had been given short shrift with only one season aired. The inevitable Star Trek points came up in conversation but I did my best to steer things away when possible, as I could tell that Garrett had heard many of them before. I should note that he had mixed feelings on Star Trek: Into Darkness, especially regarding the role of Khan, for which he thought Benedict Cumberbach was not the right choice by a long stretch. In fact, Garrett had a dozen pages of text notes he'd taken during the movie that he scrolled through as we talked, many of which made excellent points.

After a couple of hours had passed in blissful conversation, we had to leave as they were closing down the room. I had already taken the time to genuinely thank Garrett for generously sharing evening with us and I thanked him again before we parted ways, specifically NOT shilling for a picture with him 'just to prove I was there' - I know I had a great time and was extremely fortunate to have lucked into an incredible evening like this. How many people can say that they've had drinks with the actor who played Ensign Kim?

Not a lot, I'd say, and certainly not many will have spent hours just talking about g33ky things with him!

I made it back to my hotel on the last train of the night and collapsed into bed with a happy grin on my face despite my exhaustion. 

Who wouldn't, given the events of the day?

May 25 - Babylon 5 Reunion!

Despite being rather knackered from my late night, I tucked into the breakfast buffet at the hotel with gusto to fuel myself up; it was going to be another big day at the convention.

First up was a spotlight on Jewel Staite in the main ballroom, but unfortunately she was running quite late. I ducked out to attend instead a panel on writing with a female voice, which I found very informative, especially as my main character in my novel is female. I took a break from everything to grab some lunch downstairs, enjoying a chicken caesar salad from a kiosk tucked away in a corner which meant that there was no lineup like there was at every other food outlet in all the buildings.

I should note that I was quite surprised by how few places there were to eat at in the immediate area around the convention center; less than a dozen altogether. Since I had extremely limited Internet access, I couldn't easily check out live maps from Google to see what was nearby, which I found frustrating but I did my best. As it turns out, I discovered an open wireless network near the North side of the Grand Ballroom, which was hosted by a church of all things. Although I felt somewhat hypocritical, I didn't have the resources to pay for access through the convention centers network, which was overloaded anyway by the data demands of the massive crowd of techno-geeks. Next time I'll be sure to do a more thorough scout of the area and not assume that a city's downtown core will be well-sprinkled with places to eat around where I am going.



After another workshop on self-editing for writers, I was back in the North Ballroom again, this time for a Farscape spotlight! Though there were only two of the actors attending the convention, one of them was a favorite of mine: Gigi Edgley, who played Chiana on the series. Her physical mannerisms really made her alien character a standout during her performances on screen and in some ways shares some some aspects of my own main character in my novel. Both Gigi and actor David Franklin where a delight on stage, running through funny stories while answering questions from the crowd. If you've never seen Farscape, then you've done yourself a grave disservice as the series was as much a departure from traditional science fiction as The Dark Crystal was a departure from traditional world-building in movies. I walked out feeling like I'd been given a fresh look at the series, a feeling that stayed with me as I grabbed an early dinner in anticipation of…

-- The Babylon 5 20th Anniversary Reunion! --

This was the reason why I came to Arizona in the first place, to spend the weekend in Phoenix among tens of thousands of my fellow g33ks. I found a spot on the far left wall of the grand ballroom and set up my phone's camera to record, an extra battery pack at the ready to be plugged in. I was all set.

Rather than tell you what happened, I'll simply let you watch for yourself, courtesy of a dedicated fan's recordings that are much better than my own. It's two hours of a wonderful experience that I was incredibly lucky to have been present at and that I'll never forget:





By the end of the two hours, I was an emotional mess; feelings I'd been dealing with for many years bubble to the surface and found an outlet in the catharsis of the event. My coming here, to this place and this specific event for Babylon 5 was the end of a very long journey for me that started 20 years ago, at the same time that this fabulous show first aired on television. Being present here tonight brought closure to many of the people who attended the reunion, not the least of which were many of the cast members whose friendships still remain strong even all these decades later.

The reunion event so affected me that I had to sit down at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and write about it, the words flowing from within me continuously for almost an hour as I sat among my fellow g33ks and let my passion pour out. When I was done, I had something that I treasure forever: the knowledge that I'd completed my journey begun so far in the painful past and fully come into the person I was meant to be in the present.


Sitting in the exact same seat as JMS had, after the crowd had all left. Very emotional for me.

I'd made it here. I'd survived, and I could now go forward. At last.


This is the tri-branching Tree Of Meaning I sat near that night, with a beer. Ask me about it; it was the only one I saw like it in Phoenix.

Afterwards, I remember going down the street to the little pizza place that I've been several times before. I felt more at peace than I've ever felt in my entire life that night, as though imagined and departed spirits both were resting their hands gently on my shoulders to tell me that there were no longer any more burdens to bear, that I was free. I remember ordering two slices and beer at the counter and the girl who had served me several times before looked at me as though seeing me for the first time; perhaps the peaceful feeling that filled me was so evident that it radiated for all to see. I know that as I sat outside, enjoying the night air and watching people pass by, I felt as though I was seeing the world through new eyes with a balance that I'd never had before. I was content to just be in the moment and enjoy feeling no burdens, no cares, just a vast calm fulfillment that I'd finally finished a very long night and was now waiting to see the dawn.

I slept very well that night, probably the best sleep I've had in 20 years.

May 26 - Last Day of Comicon!

Sunday dawned bright and hot. I was in a fantastic mood, not so much bubbling with energy but feeling as though I had a vast reservoir of emotion that now rested within me, ready to rise at my command instead of waiting to engulf me in on certain ways.

The first panel I attended today was a workshop held by Michael A. Stackpole, author of books like I, Jedi and several of the X-Wing series. The workshop was entitled "21 Days to your First Novel" and cost $20, which was a steal given how useful the advice was! I took copious notes and will be referring to them later this summer as I work to revise my novels third draft. One point that Mr. Stackpole said that particularly stands out is that most writers don't know how their own process works and so can't improve it analytically; they just write and hope that it comes out as good as the last time or better if they're really lucky. 

I was very impressed that Michael had put such effort into analyzing his own work habits and was willing to share them with budding authors like myself in such a way that was easy to understand as well is extremely helpful. I'd later talk to him down in the exhibition hall for a little while, asking him questions about the writing craft which he was gracious enough to answer to the best of his ability. It's authors like Mr. Stackpole who make me want to try to get into the business, as they may get less mysterious as well as emphasizing that hard work WILL pay off if you just keep at it - he also cite the '10,000 Hour Rule' which simply states that dedicated practice towards improving yourself in your field will show results that are measurable.

After that to our workshop, grab some lunch from a nearby Subway that I'd discovered at a plaza one block to the North and then I went back down to the exhibition hall in search of people I'd like to talk to. Unfortunately, lineups were still very long for almost all the famous folks and I didn't get to do more than look at most of them from a distance. I'm not a fanboy; signatures and photos don't mean much to me, I just like to 



The one person I did get to see was Patricia Tallman, who played Lyta Alexander, a powerful telepath on Babylon 5. There was no lineup for her, which I found disappointing as I believe she's a fantastic actress. I went out and pulled the last $20 from my wallet to purchase a signed photo and then realized that the photos were $30 each. I spoke with her briefly, but heard that her voice had gone and felt doubly bad that I was standing there like an idiot trying to cheap out on a purchase. Graciously, Ms. Tallman whispered that I could have any photo signed for $20 and I immediately chose the one of her that was most recent, showing a confident beautiful woman who wasn't wearing the guise of any of her roles. She signed the photo and handed it to me, after which I beat a swift retreat to hide my shame; I'll be writing her a letter of apology this week and including the missing $10. I can do no less, given how much she gives of herself to her fans all the time.

The last panel of the convention that I attended was "World-building" for writers, a fitting choice as the very first panel I attended here at the convention was also on writing. The panelists were Brandon Sanderson, Michael A. Stackpole, Peter Orullian, Terry Brooks and Timothy Zahn - again, great authors. It was a lively panel, with many good questions being asked and answered; again I took copious notes. Speaking of which: the panel ended on a loud note as the emergency alarm in the building went off in the last 3 minutes, sounding almost exactly like the red alert siren from the old NCC-1701 Enterprise:


Everyone evacuated in an orderly manner, tens of thousands of us heading out into the oven-like temperatures of the late afternoon and quickly filling up every available spot of shade around. I struck out towards what I thought was the other part of the convention center but I had been turned around by where I had exited and instead wandered into parts unknown of the local university campus. I spent about half an hour walking before I got my bearings, unable to use my phone due to the data restrictions and all the time the sun was beating down on my head; I'd neglected to bring my hat on this last day as I hadn't needed it the last three days in a row. When I finally got back to where I should be, I had spent about 45 mins out in the sun with various interludes of shade, which wasn't a good thing.

Due to the alarm, the convention's hours were extended so that everyone could finish shopping or doing other business in the Exhibition Hall. I went back in to cool down out of the sun, not realizing exactly how much exposure I had got in at that point. After chatting with several authors( Peter David, Timothy Zahn and Michael Stackpole )to various degrees I left about dinnertime to head back to my hotel, as I was feeling hungry and slightly woozy. I sat down to a lovely chicken ceasar salad, which I enjoyed very much, then headed up to my room to pack up my things in preparation for my flight at 6 AM… which meant I'd have to be up at 2 AM to catch a taxi there, as the light rail didn't run that late on a Sunday.

I couldn't sleep; I felt rather nauseous and headachy from the intense sun I'd gotten in that brief time today and soon realized I had mild heat exhaustion - thankfully NOT sunstroke or even a sunburn, for that matter. I took a cool shower and spent the rest of the evening( and well past midnight )laying down with a cool cloth on my face that I changed every so often. That all seemed to help, as I was feeling somewhat better and had managed a couple of hour's sleep by the time my wakeup call came. I checked out and took the taxi to the airport, where I chatted with a local security guard about heat exhaustion, which he had had many times apparently and he told me I had done all the right things… though he was prepared to call the paramedics if I felt I needed them, which I didn’t feel I did: I was tired and nauseous, nothing more, by that point.


Phoenix SkyHarbor Airport: it's BIG, it's flat, and it's HOT.

My flights home were uneventful; I sipped juice, water and Gatorade, napped as I could on the crowded main flight and arrived home in Victoria to fog and rain, which was great as it wasn't hot - I'd had enough of Arizona's bakery-level temperatures for a while after today. I got home well before noon, unpacked what I could and took several long naps, after which I felt a LOT better. I think part of my sleeplessness the previous night was due to my processing of all I'd been through on the weekend; overload meant I just couldn't close my eyes, despite my exhaustion and that was compounded by the sun exposure.

So it was a tiring end to a fantastic weekend, which doesn't detract from all the wonderful things that happened to me. I'm extraordinarily grateful for being given the opportunity to go and for all that I experienced, much of which I've been busy storing mentally so I don't forget the details.

Everything else that was important, I've already written down. :-) :-)


It's hard to fathom, but the picture doesn't lie... lines have vanished!

Update: I look younger now... it's shocking! When I looked in the mirror today, the lines around my mouth have vanished; the tension that had kept them there for so many years was gone. I still have forehead lines, but those were graven by thought and wisdom, so they're there to stay... and I don't mind. :-)

That's the longest blog entry I've made in a long while, TRIPLE my usual length! I spent most of Monday and Tuesday evenings typing it all up and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the Phoenix Comicon… have a great week!