My First Con

This weekend marked a new milestone in my life: I attended my first gaming convention.

It was so much fun and filled with nerdy bliss; I was in awe. We arrived in Indianapolis Thursday afternoon, August 16th for GenCon Indy 2012. In February we had purchased our four-day badges and booked our hotel for three nights. A month or so ago, we signed up for all of our events. Never having been to a convention before, we kept it minimal so as not to be overwhelmed. We had two or three scheduled games a day.

I learned a great deal about gaming during these days. Board games, dice games, card games, tabletop games, role playing games, video games, virtual reality games, True Dungeon games, puzzles, hunts, quests, crafts, etc. Steampunk galore. Belly dancers. Game designers. Crafters. Merchants. There were thousands and thousands of people in attendance, some dressed up in full cosplay, others just hanging out. At one point, I saw Captain America pushing a baby stroller with his giant shield resting in the seat. Darth Vader was in attendance as well as several Stormtroopers. We toured a True Dungeon experience (which was theme park/haunted house-like); we listened to live bands playing in the halls; and we giggled at some of the... "classy" outfits we encountered, e.g. a barely-there Pikachu outfit. There was a Zombie walk and a Cosplay parade and contest. 

We made a list of all the games we wanted to purchase when we got back home, either due to being sold out or cheaper prices online; we picked out a mug of random dice and the husband was fitted for a kilt. We decided to wait on the kilt though; shelling out a few hundred bucks for an (awesome) Utilikilt was more than we wanted to part with at the time. We toured the outskirts of the Magic the Gathering World Cup tournament that was held throughout the event. That was pretty intense. There were teams of people from literally all over the world. 

We watched groups play Warmachine and other tabletop games. We demoed new games and learned how to play others.

There were dozens of panels and symposiums, but we didn't attend any. There were several celebrities in attendance as well, such as Wil Wheaton, Nichelle Nichols, Wes Bentley, and Brandon Sanderson who autographed photos and answered questions. We ended up decided not to wait in line for any.

The showroom was gargantuan. There were hundreds upon hundreds of vendor booths; we didn't know where to begin! There was a very large artist's section as well. We were able to demo some games while we perused the selections. There was a giant "tower of t-shirts" that were way overpriced (which is to be expected) and many large sculptures, too. We watched a few minis being painted (for tabletop gaming) and checked out some shiny armor.

After our first day, I was already making plans for next year's GenCon, what to bring, what not to bring, packing coolers, where to go for lodging, the cost differences from staying next door as opposed to staying out of town and driving, making plans for the baby, etc. Yeah, the little one will be about 7 months old, but I saw plenty of little ones there during the entire event. Start 'em young, I say!

Sunday was the Family Day pass and children were everywhere. We were even talking about what we could do for cosplay next year, including the baby. It just ended and I can't wait for next year. Yeah, there was a LOT of walking, food prices were high (of course), and there were plenty of fart-clouds and BO-clouds to kill an elephant, but it was one of the best times I've had in a long time. I learned how to play the World of Warcraft trading card game and Magic the Gathering. We discovered that we really love Dragon Dice and we were thoroughly unimpressed with the overly-hyped Mage Wars. We absolutely loved the card game Goblins Drool, Fairies Rule and will be pre-ordering it for pick-up in December. Not only is it a fun game, it's good for children, too. It boosts their cognitive skills with rhyming and matching as well as learning a bit about strategy, all the while being very simple and fun.

The best highlight of our experience was finally meeting some good friends of ours who also made the trip. We've known them online for years, the husband knowing them much longer than I have. It worked in our favor that she has family in Ohio and they were planning on attending GenCon Indy as well! We met them at a restaurant Thursday night and laughed together for a few hours. It was like second nature and felt so natural. There wasn't any awkward-first-meeting-silent-moments and the conversation was never forced. We met up again Saturday for lunch out by the food trucks where I had my first taste of hummus. YUM! I've already pinned a recipe or two for it on Pinterest, ha. We watched them play Warmachine and walked around together later when one of our games was cancelled. We grabbed some Starbucks and played a game or two together before our next event that evening. Sunday was the last day of GenCon and after our final events, we met in the afternoon to say our goodbyes. After a few days of hanging out together, parting on the final day was bittersweet. I can't wait to hang out with them again. When you find good, authentic company, you can just feel it. 

With the advantage of living only two hours north of Indy, the drive home was a breeze. We arrived Sunday evening, unpacked everything, and settled into our normal routines. I took a three hour nap -oops- and Brandin played LoL online. We watched the rest of the Colts game as he taught me how to play MTG. Now I'm hooked and can't wait for more! He informed me this afternoon that he picked up one of the card games we played, Heap by Privateer Press. It was sold out at the convention and luckily he found it in one of the gaming stores back home. I guess I know what we'll be doing this evening!

Here are some more photos from the weekend.

Watching our friends play Warmachine

A friendly game of Ninja Burger!

Card building, the first day

Hmrr

MTG and chainmaille

Respect the Tardis

Just so you know.

One small section of the gaming tables

WoW tcg at the hotel Saturday night

Our first night at GenCon

Baby-ness

My 12 week appointment was Friday. It was scheduled for 4pm but got bumped up to 1:30 because my midwife had injured her knee and wanted to leave early. I can't complain about getting in earlier than anticipated, after all. As I showered and got ready, I couldn't stop thinking about my dear friend who lost her baby recently; I'm so heartbroken for her. We were only one week apart in due dates. I had been pretty calm until the morning of until I was standing under the hot water. Then reality hit me; tears began to well in my eyes and I couldn't help but think that maybe something bad had happened. Needless to say, I was beyond nervous.

It has been years since I have had insurance and years since I have had any annual exams done, so she started with that. It was a lot faster than the last time I had it done, thankfully. She then put the Doppler on my abdomen to search for the heartbeat. We couldn't find anything. She said that two weeks makes a whole world of difference when using the Doppler. She also said that if my uterus had happened to turn to the back, it would make finding the heartbeat even more difficult. She stood above me for at least five minutes listening, only to hear static. I could feel my breathing increase as I started to panic. I tried to hold my breath so I didn't miss hearing it. Julie (my midwife) didn't seem concerned and neither did Brandin. (He's always so calm and laid back about everything that it was beginning to frustrate me.) After giving up on the Doppler, she decided to send me down the hall to have an ultrasound to find the heartbeat. I was to come back for blood work once I was finished. 

Timing managed to work out perfectly for me that day as she had an opening right then. I only had to wait five minutes for her to prep everything. I ended up having a transvaginal ultrasound. As I lay on my back in a cold room with an unbelievably friendly technician, I saw the baby on the large monitor they had secured to the wall. (It was at least 27".) So, it was finally real. It was official. Sure, I've been nearly constantly nauseated and experienced more exhaustion than I ever thought possible. Sure, I've had several positive tests and the pregnancy was confirmed by Julie, but it still didn't seem real to me, not until I saw it on the big screen. My fears weren't quelled just yet though as it was laying there, motionless, staring up at the screen. Then all of a sudden, Stephanie (my technician) pointed out the heartbeat and then s/he started moving around very actively. As soon as I saw the rapid little heartbeat, I couldn't hold back the tears. It was like an invisible wall had came crumbling down.

We were in there for what seemed like at least a half hour. She took over 250 images as she documented everything in my uterus, checked out the baby, and charted measurements. She was astonished at just how active s/he was. She and Brandin were making jokes that the baby was doing gymnastics. She had said she'd never had a baby be so active before, especially this early on. It was beyond heartwarming. Brandin kept commenting on just how detailed the scan was; we could see fingers and femurs and arms waving around. I didn't want to stop watching. I was awestruck. 

I ended up measuring at 13 weeks instead of 12w4d. I was a little surprised when my midwife's assistant told me. Hopefully the blood work comes back fine as well as my annual results. 

My next appointment is at the end of the month and I can't wait. I'm hoping we'll have another ultrasound and we'll be able to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler next time. A couple years ago, one of my friends had ordered her own Doppler for her first child. I thought it was sweet, but now I'm considering doing the same! It's just a little more reassurance and another way of bonding - at any time of day, anywhere I want.

Recipe: Sugar Cream Cake

It's no secret that I love to cook and bake, I just don't get to do it that often. I had picked up some items at the grocery last night for dinner (for yesterday and today). I realized I had forgotten a key item, so on my way to the store this afternoon, I decided I wanted to make my favorite cake: sugar cream cake.  It has been a while since I've had it, so I jumped on the opportunity. It's my grandma's recipe. I can remember being a little girl and eating a piece of this cake at grandma's.

I've had a few people ask for the recipe, so here it is.

Ingredients - Part I:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 egg

1 stick melted butter

Part II:

1 - 8oz package cream cheese, softened

1 - 1lb box powdered sugar

2 eggs

Directions:

1. Mix first 3 ingredients with wooden spoon; mix well. Pat into greased 9x13" pan. Spread mixture up onto sides about 1 inch.

2. Beat last 3 ingredients until smooth. Pour onto patted mixture, spreading evenly to edges.

3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

ENJOY!

She's Crafty, Part I

I was introduced to Pinterest more than a year ago, but it hasn't been until the last couple months that I've really gotten into it. On any given day, I can be found perusing the site at random hours, for unhealthy lengths of time. This site has also encouraged the craft-o-holic in me. I have completed about 7 craft projects so far and have dozens more on the waiting list. Unfortunately they will probably stay there for a while since classes have started back up.

Here are a couple of the things I have made thus far:

This is probably my favorite. It is our wedding vows and Scrabble tiles; I also decided to hand-antique the paper. It is very simple. Print your verse (or whatever it is), crumple paper and smooth out. Pour enough fresh black coffee to cover paper; sprinkle with instant coffee grounds (I skipped this step), and bake at 200 degrees F for 5 minutes or until paper is dry/edges curl. I still had a lot of coffee left, so after baking, I dumped some of it until there was just a tiny layer covering the paper. I think I ended up baking mine for a total of 15 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on this!

I had left over tiles from the coaster craft. The original blogger of this idea spelled out "ALWAYS" but I was missing a few tiles. I did have enough to spell out "AMOUR" (French for love, if you didn't know). This frame is 8x10 and was on clearance for $3.00 at Wal-Mart. Place the tiles wherever you want. I super-glued mine in the middle. Frame as a regular photo. I used black Duct Tape to secure the backing since the tiles make it pop out a little.

Note: Be sure to have something underneath your paper if you are using super glue. I adhered my tiles to the counter without realizing it, HAHA. Luckily it was salvageable (and so was the counter).

This craft is so incredibly simple, I can't wait to make another. All you need is canvas, crayons, a hot glue gun, and a hair dryer. Adhere the crayons with the hot glue gun to the canvas, in any design you'd like. I started with a rainbow for my first piece. Once crayons are adhered, now you may begin the long process of melting the crayons. I propped my canvas against the wall and laid newspaper underneath, above, and on the sides to save the area from wax splashing. Melt the crayons until you have the look you desire. Voila!

Stay tuned for more crafts and a few recipes!

To Be Resolute

An excerpt from a private blog, written January 1, 2012.

I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions, nor do I make them, but I do believe in myself. I do believe in the things stirring within me as of late. I believe in my hands and whatever power I may hold and my ability to use it for something worthwhile.

The new year is upon us already. These are not resolutions that I have made in haste, but rather, things that I will do... things that I am already doing... things I will continue to do.

...to be kind

...to be healthy

...to forgive

...to let go

...to grow

Happiness is earned, not granted. It is a fight every-single-day. I have to make the conscious decision to choose my reactions. The more aware I become, the more I set myself free... the more I grow and learn and live. I have recently realized that I have been wrong all along; happiness is not a grand destination. It isn't nirvana. It comes in little segments, from the mundane and trivial moments of glee to supreme life events. It is everything. I have missed so much because I dismissed it and forced myself to believe that happiness is everlasting. If it was only momentary, then it wasn't true happiness. I couldn't have been more wrong.

I would say that it is time to change some things, but.. I had already begun; I just didn't realize it until now.

Psst. Is This Thing On?

Well, well, well. What have we here?

A while back, I lost track of this blog and my photography blog. So many things were happening in 2011, I didn't have time to focus on either. I then grew tired of the archaic layouts and my general lack of web design knowledge. I wanted to revamp this blog in particular, but I knew it was going to be a hefty undertaking. I also grew dismayed at my lack of things to blog about, so I privatized it for a while. Then one day I decided to delete it all together. If I wanted to blog again, I would blog anew. 

I set out to do that this morning. While I was going through all the settings and re-familiarizing myself with everything, I noticed that while this blog (and my photography blog) had been deleted, there was the option to "Undelete". As you may have noticed, that is what I decided to do. I haven't changed anything except the typeface of the tab selection at the top. I even left prior entries intact. I feel a little more accomplished that way, ha.

I will though. I will change some things around and organize a bit. I do have topics of interest I want to delve into and crafty/cooking things I want to blog about as well.

So, as my coffee turns cold and one of my dog sits at my chair waiting to be fed breakfast, I'll leave you with this for now. A welcome home party for myself and time to get reacquainted.

Stay tuned.

P.S. I have an unhealthy addiction to Pinterest and that will be documented quite well here. 

"Break..." Ha Ha!

It has been almost two weeks since I last posted. I was first confronted with Spring Break... haha, "break", that's funny! And now I've been sick this entire week. My hearing has been reduced to about 25% as well because of it. All I can do is hope that it doesn't become as severe as Brandin's, thus sending me to the ENT.

I met last week with a long list of things I wanted to get done since I was on "break." While I did accomplish quite a bit, it still wasn't everything I had hoped. The week was over before I knew it and it felt like I hadn't even relaxed at all. Saturday night we went over to our friends' house for a cookout. After the night was over and we were readying ourselves for bed, I could feel a weird pressure in the back of my throat and my inner ears. I woke up Sunday morning sick. It's progressed every day since then. As of yesterday, my hearing was drastically affected. This week I had created a long list of things I had to get done and I've completed all but two of them, and those two being the least important. The week is not over though, I plan on editing these two sessions tonight when I get home from work.

I had several photo shoots last week! It was very exciting and busy, busy, busy. After I clock out tonight, I'll be dropping off the disc to one of my clients. Submissions begin next week for Student Show, plus the rest of the end-of-the-semester projects are beginning. I know I shouldn't be taking on clients right now, but I'm still in the hunt!

We watched Jackass 3 two times over Spring Break. We had already seen it in theatres when it first came out. It's something I grew up with. It brings back such memories watching those boys. I remember being 15 or 16 when Jackass first debuted on MTV. These guys were a big part of my youth, it's like they were my friends as well. With reminiscence comes old memories that one perhaps doesn't want to remember, i.e. my ex. Life was all about him during that time and anything associated with it spurs those memories. It's not all bad though. Life moves on just as we all do. It's okay to let go. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. Everyone makes mistakes. It's how we learn.