10. I still make a pretty good perfomer (panelist). As much as I was terrified before stepping on the stage, the combination of much preparation and the spotlight, switched on something I can’t yet tap any other way. The panel was almost at capacity and multiple strangers stopped me throughout the Con to complement me on Thursdays panel.

9. I am a HUGE fan of, and in awe of the pop culture icons who can meet and greet, autograph and photo-op for 3 days straight, do their real job of writing, acting, drawing, etc for a couple weeks and then do it all again, and still genuinely smile, smoulder and care about their audience. My hat is off to them, all of them.

8. I really do love comic books, if the art and the story speak to me. Found a series that although new to me, already has 4 graphic compilations, which means I can feast awhile before beginning that constant wait for the next issue.  If you haven’t read “Archer and Armstrong”, I cannot recommend it enough! It is as if the talents of Mike Grell, Stan Lee and Naom Chomsky got thrown into a molecular blender and the team of Van Lente, Henry and Milla were manifested on the transporter pad.

7. I love it all, but I really am a Trekkie, civilian scientist, avid reader, lego lover, puppet enthusiast, Browncoat and then DC Superhero fan in that order, and then everything else, with Star Wars, and older anime leading the “everything else” pack. The abundant programming and need to make choices clarified my pop culture value matrix.

6. Knitting is the absolute best way for me to cope with my social anxiety and panic attacks, being in costume and self medication (think teas or prescribed anti-anxiety meds, to yes, a beer if I am not working or driving) are also effective. I only had one real panic attack, and one bout of dizziness the whole four days!!!!!!!!!!!

5. I miss writing, but it is not yet a priority again, except maybe minding this blog a bit better.

4. I have a total fan-girl crush on a Barrowman, and its not the one who plays Captain Harkness. Not only are her books perfect read-aloud chapter books, equal in quality to Madeliene L’Engle’s “Wrinkle in Time”, but she is beautiful, intelligent, well spoken and funny. If I could go back in time and clone myself, I would attend her every panel!

3. Brains do it for me every time, and a gift with words doesn’t hurt!

2. As a member of the Phoenix Comicon Staff and as a nurse with MGA in my real job, I work with the best, and I do mean BEST people you can even imagine. Every interaction is just one more time for me to set my own goals and personal standards of courtesy, dedication and professionalism a little higher. I love my life!

1. I am one lucky lady.  Sometimes, as I try to deal with the economics of continued existence like making rent, buying gas, buying food, AND paying my tuition and medical copays, I get really, really discouraged. Sometimes I even get irresponsible. I actually just spent a total of 145$ at comicon between food, travel, photo-op and a couple books. It is $145 more than I should have spent, but I don’t actually regret it. When I see others spend freely, I get jealous of two income families, or people whose lives continuing aren’t forever dependent on large outlays of medical costs. I was feeling that stupid self pity just a bit. And then someone whose voice resonates so deeply with my heart died, and I suddenly remembered
that my precarious position in the universe is one of still living, still being heard, and still doing what I was meant to do to make a difference in the universe. I will miss your voice Mr. Jay Lake, and I am sure you were there yesterday listening, Hawaiian shirt and all. I only met you as a fan, as a reader who could not ingest enough of your unique prose, but I look forward to a time in the not too distant future when we can sit together and chat (unless of course I still just am just as tongue tied post-mortem as I as when you looked so warmly and quizzically at unspeaking me and signed my book.)

Namaste friends.