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