So backup to last night’s entry, I never mentioned the story of “he who will not be named”. Once upon a time, in a world far, far away I totally fell into the “f***able category of women; I also had a syndicated column; and well good Geek Cred (like I could tell you the episode number of a Trek show and knew my away around D-20’s AND D-10’s.) So during this time I used to roll a few dice with a would be  writer who was a pretty nice guy, we were what I would even call friends, or at least I thought he was and we were. A decade plus of years,  two long moves, and a wee bit of illness and stresses later I had totally graduated into the UNf***able category of women and he had made it onto the NYT Bestseller list. He was appearing at a medium size convention in my city and I bumped into him at a local gaming store. I said, “Hello!,” excited to bump into this now very successful D&D buddy. He heard my voice, turned, started about 7 inches below my eyes and scanned down. The guy never really met my eyes, and turned on the “professional author” voice to politely tell me to leave him alone, he would be signing at the con. He NEVER even recognized me, because women in his world really belong in two categories and those in the second are invisible and not valuable.

All this back story to say all this training for the Tough Mudder is either paying off and I looked hot yesterday, or the more likely scenario, the guy is finally growing up and getting over himself, because yesterday, he remembered me. I am returning to the floor to get some autographs this afternoon in my cloak of invisibility (least complimentary T-Shirt and jeans). Let us see if he knows me now!

More later……

Today was, how shall I say it, AWESOME!

To play it in rewind, I just returned to the hotel room after eating dinner at the Tilted Kilt and listening to Phoenix Firefighters Pipe and Drum Corps. The Kiltlifter is great with the garlic fries. Sadly all my first, second and third choices off the menu were out by the time we hit the restaurant at 10 pm. I had a salad in Balsamic and fries. It was vegan and tasty, and well, men in kilts wiped down tables all around us.

We got to the restaurant so late because we were at “Wil Wheaton’s Awesome Hour” in which we learned to wash our hands before as well as after using the restroom if capscaisin(? sp) is involved to avoid wasting good milk; that the women in Wil’s life are patient; nerd is not genetic and most importantly, that Wil can deliver more than an hour of the best stand of comedy time, after time, after time. It was also just before this event that I learned for the second time today that Phoenix Comicon is growing bigger with some pains to show for it but leadership whose own improv skills keep everyone happy and satisfied.

The premier of the “REAL” Star Trek reboot was incredible and if the series premiere is any indicator, I will be thoroughly addicted. It has distilled the essence of the original series and delivers it in a dashingly original ode to all things Roddenberry/Shatner/Nimoy/etc.

Nichelle Nichols (or Grace as her family knew her) is beautiful, charming, intelligent and able to make her significant hearing loss a part of her charming schtick. And boy can she still sing.

My morning was all about the work portion of my being here and few things can make a convention as fun as actually being of use to someone. I was. Even cleaning the trash off the floors of rooms between panels was enjoyable (yes, someone has to do it, cuz the participants seem to believe we have already perfected the trash eating carpet.) It was during my useful part of the day that I might the three charming young men who designed “Bake Shop Drop”, my new favorite app to addictively make sweets disappear without gaining a pound. Can’t wait for their new word find app or their next game which promises to do for number play what “Bake Shop Drop” does for donuts.  Go try their app, it is on FaceBook and phones and fun.

That is about all of my second day I can remember at the moment, it is well into day three and tomorrow is my day to play. I will finally meet John Scalzi Author of online blog “Whatever” as well as my 2012 favorite scifi novel “Redshirts”; and maybe meet Jewel Staite. So time to sleep and dream of tomorrow. Hope others time at con was better narrated and at least as enjoyable.

Namaste my Geek Friends!

It is 0855 and I am waiting for my roommate to leave so I can use the bathroom, shower and get on with my day, but mostly so I can have some time “my by self”. This is how I know I am an introvert. The woman is a fellow staffer on the Science Track and as absolutely as perfect a room mate as I could ask for in a hotel room. She is clean, courteous, and even more introverted than I am, also a wee bit more negative, but no loud snoring or wild parties. However I am sharing a room with someone else and my batteries charge in solitude.  Anyway I though I would blog a bit while she showers and uses the bathroom to become beautiful.

This is actually my first year as a volunteer at Phoenix Comicon. It is not my first rodeo as a “behind the scene”-er at a Con as I have volunteered, been payed staff, and even been a featured guest at other Geek Conventions in the days of yore. However, it is my first working PHXCC as well as my first on-site stay from end to end; and I am oh so favourably impressed.  Biggest Kudos so far go to Joe Boudrie, whose “yes, and” style of leadership trickles down to even wee minions such as I in enough force to create a fun and respectful environment, but also to Lee Whiteside and his crew who integrates panels with the well known and well spoken lesser known writers to create funny and informative panels for both the fanboys and the would be authors.

Roommate out the door to get food and I have about 20 minute to get ready and get to my panel. So more later!

So, I am totally and happily exhausted and that in itself makes for a successful first day of PHXCC. So my first entry really looks like this…..zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

This Slow Old Fat Try-athlete is gonna be a Tough Mudder or die trying! I am preregistered for 2014, this is a cut and paste from my very own in-box!  “We’ve received your preregistration for a Tough Mudder challenge in 2014. Good work. You’ve taken the first step towards becoming a Mudder.”

I am a little scared. But very motivated. And the current state of my broken heart means that the endorphins are needed. I have a 5K and a sprint triathlon under my belt but know I need a few more events between now and then, preferably triathlons. I need to be able to lift my own body weight with my arms multiple times, endure temperature and medium (mud, water, etc) changes and of course be able to actually run an obstacle course.

My current state of affairs are age 50+, Height 5’5″,  weight 213 lbs. I broke the 200 barrier in January, bought new clothes, got rid of all size 20 or greater clothing. Then I injured myself,  and then one of the two most important smiles I got up to see each morning, died.  Then the other was taken out of my life. (If you are new to my blog, I take care of fragile pediatric patients in their own homes and had these two boys as patients for over two years).  Its amazing how with minimal exercise and carbed up grief eating those 20 lbs just reappeared. Unfortunately due to the cortisol load from the stress most of it went on my middle, a place I never usually gain fat.  Not that my thighs aren’t also a little gloopier, as evidenced by my reflection when I am lifting weights.

But that is enough about the composition, how is my performance these days. In general I am better than at my initial foray into being SOFT when I was a 50+yo, 250+lb couch potato who was afraid to put my face in the water, couldn’t run a block, and never in my life rode a bike. I can currently run a mile and swim a half mile. Biking I still suck at, but I do know how to ride and own two bikes (beach cruiser and mountain bike). I like weights, due a couple preseated squats whenever I sit down, can pop out 50 pushups on a waist level counter and love to walk, walk, walk.

I also have multiple phone apps working for me, like Endomondo, My Fitness Works, and the Nike Run Video Game, which gives me power ups for any running I do. These help me keep track and keep me motivated. To gear back up on the distance and endurance I have the official C25K app on my phone as well, which then will become a 10k app in 8 weeks.

On a side note, I am always flabbergasted when I hear a young mind slam shut so very hard and fast, a woman was talking about how dairy bothers her, and well I mentioned trying organic, then she said she was on a juice fast now (how dairy figures in that, she does smoothies), and I said organic is still preferable.   She said the usual about it being too expensive, I mentioned Bountifulbaskets.org; she mentioned Ranchers Market and Walmart. Long story short we hit the topic of GMO and infant mortality and she said we were the “best in the world, anyway” and I said actually we are barely  in the top third. I didn’t even get the sentence completely out and the clang of her mind closing resounded a city block wide. (If you are reading this and do still hold to the myth that the US is somehow at the top of the human food chain, check out the CIA list of worldwide infant mortality rates, or literacy rates. Although they do rate the US higher than WHO or the United Nations we are still 34th in the world).  I am shocked. Her defense. “I just know we are the best, and you’re losing me now, with that statement, and I am sorry if that upsets you but that’s how I feel with you democrats.”

FTR: Telling her that I am worse than a democrat did not seem like the best option at that moment.