A Retrospective…

I’m a horrible blog mother. I realized recently that November marked the one year anniversary of The Evolution of Me and I completely missed it (much in the same way that I missed my 100th post, my 30,000th visitor, etc…). That’s right: I’m out of diapers and well on my way to teenage angst, first loves, and sneaking out of the house to make out with my boyfriend in his car. It’s been quite a year, and it really hit me last night as I was watching the ball drop with my family (my mother and I both more than a little tipsy on the box wine) that a lot has gone down in the past 12 months! To say that I’ve learned a lot this past year would be a gross understatement.

So seeing as how it’s New Years day, I thought I would jump on the bandwagon and use the old blog to reflect back on everything 2008 had to teach me:

1. Being surrounded by hundreds of thousands of fellow freaks & geeks at Comic-Con for 5 days served as my baptism into the Covenant of Nerddom, and I am proud to be amongst its ranks. If any of you care to join, let me know and I’ll make sure your decoder ring gets in the mail asap.
2. For the level of education—and sheer fabulousness—that I’ve achieved, I had been selling my professional self short my entire adult life. I deserve to work someplace that values the contribution that I make…and pays me accordingly. Thus, Fabulous New Job was found.
3. While I value the experiences that I had doing high school theatre—they don’t define me. They weren’t the pinnacle of my success, and I no longer need approval from my high school drama teacher. *Note to said drama teacher: stop sending me nasty emails and get over yourself…I have.
4. There is a time in your life for living with roommates. Any time over the age of 25 is NOT THAT TIME.
5. Pippin looks HILARIOUS without fur. Nuff said.
6. I’m NOT fat (despite a lifetime of thinking I was).
7. 2008 taught me exactly how many glasses of wine, shots of tequila, and mixed drinks it takes to get me certifiably fucked up (and very very hung over the next day)…
8. …and that the VERBAL VOMIT that comes as a result of said hangover is one million times worse and more regretful than any literal vomit that a person could spew.
9. Getting to use the firm’s Mariners tickets whenever there’s extra is a pretty awesome perk…even if they were the worst team in baseball last year. Plus, it is super fun to call your dad from your seats in the Diamond Club behind home plate and then wave at the TV cameras.
10. Economic downturns suck and they do affect everyone. I will always freak out until the storm has passed, no matter how “secure” my job may be.

So to those of you who have stuck it out from the beginning–you know who you are: Kristiane, Will, Sco, Dead Charming–thanks for joining me on the ride. I hope it hasn’t made you barf.

Here’s to another year!!

…but next time, WITH COSTUMES!

San Diego Comic-Con 2008 was my first con…and I think it is safe to say, it will NOT be my last. I had so much fun, it’s hard to put into words. Sure, I was by myself, the lines were long, the fans were crazy, the food was ridiculously expensive ($3 for WATER!), the AC was cranked to high heaven, and the crowds were a bit oppressive at times–but that isn’t stopping me for next year! A fellow blogger put out there that we blog friends should make a point to rally in San Diego for SDCC 2009, and I wholeheartedly agree! So, put it on your calendar now, folks: July 23-26, 2009 San Diego Comic-Con 40th Anniversary! (And might I suggest making your hotel reservation NOW…buddy up to keep the rates low and book a room at the Marriott.)

Now that we’ve all agreed on that point, I suppose I should mention that in ‘09, we’re going all out: COSTUMES! Now that I’ve witnessed first hand the absolute absurdity hilarity AWESOMENESS of grown men and women dressing up as their favorite anime/sci-fi/comic book/television/cartoon characters, I think it would be SUPER FUN to join their ranks and dress up too. So start thinking up your costume…here’s a few more pics, to get those creative juices flowing:

There were a LOT of Boba Fetts roaming the pavillion…

Spartans (if only there had been 300 of THESE guys…)

Green Lantern (Billy, I nominate this costume for YOU!)

Bumblebee–yes, there’s a PERSON in that thing!

GROWN MEN, I say!

I got dibbs on this one…

TMNT…cowabunga!

If you’re shy, remember: No one has to see your face!!

Even if you aren’t that creative/daring, just get a good skull mask.

Absolutely Nothing…

Today I had the day off, so what did I do? You guessed it! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! Here’s a little run-down on how “Absolutely Nothing” went, for those of you just dying to live vicariously through me:

6 AM: The alarm that I forgot to turn off wakes me from a dead sleep. I curse.

8 AM: Awaken from a dream about work. Strange. Discover the cat is asleep and snoring in the laundry basket…not just asleep, but rather BURIED under all the laundry. Perhaps he was cold–wonder why. Roll over and go back to sleep.

10 AM: Drag my butt out of bed after having spent the last 45 minutes staring at the ceiling and daydreaming. Cat still in the laundry basket.

NOON: Showered and dressed, internet sufficiently surfed for the morning, I decide to get some coffee.

12:30: Arrive at Pete’s Coffee by Greenlake. Order my Cuppa Joe, and settle into one of the vacant leather chairs with my Kindle. The thing I like about Pete’s is that they don’t have obnoxiously loud music blaring over their speakers, the CD’s of which they are also trying to shove down your throat by the register. (Uh, can someone say “Starbucks”?) I read in peace for an hour.

2 PM: Back to the condo, after having sufficiently drained my wallet at the pump. Settle down for some grilled cheese (I feel 5 years old again) and a couple of episodes of the X-Files.

4 PM: Consider watching Oprah. Consider also stabbing out my eyes and ears with a sharp object. Opt for some more Internet surfing instead. Updated Facebook page, did some cyber stalking, and read the remainder of the latest Scientific American that I bought last weekend. (No I DON’T understand what they are talking about half the time. Yes, reading it DOES make me feel smarter. Sure, I’m half convinced it boosts my ‘geek cred’…but whatever.)

5:30 PM: Here I am. Writing this whilst nursing a caffeine headache and wondering where the day went. And what to read next. Hmmm…..any suggestions?

I want to be a good blogger…

Honestly, I do! But lately, the only blog-worthy things that have happened to me are as follows:

1) A sister who is buying a GREAT DANE, despite the fact that she already has a 3 year old and a 5 year old, they are living on credit, and her medium-sized house is torn to pieces by remodeling projects in various stages of incompleteness (with no end in sight because her husband just can’t find the time to finish something that he’s started)

2) The discovery that, due to the fact that the floor I sit on is deserted because the consultants that occupy it spend 4 out of 5 days of the week out at client sites, the women’s restroom is the place where yesterday’s dinners go to DIE (read: stinky stinky, pew!) UPDATED–Please note, this is not where MY dinner’s go to die; after all, as I’ve mentioned on a previous occasion, I am a lady and I don’t poop.

3) I’m currently working alongside the strangest woman I’ve ever met. She wears the most obnoxious fake eyelashes and makeup every day, which makes me wonder where she thinks she is going when she gets ready for work in the morning. My second day working w/ her, she advised me that she has a second full-time job outside of this one. My immediate thought was: “Does it involve a pole?”. Turns out she’s a youth pastor. WTF? Equally as interesting.

4) My journey into the vortex that is Sci-Fi Geekdom continues this week as I’ve discovered that Seattle has a Sci-Fi Museum! I am planning my first trip this weekend and will purchase at least one thing from the gift shop. Because, as I advised Roomie, a commemorative Light Saber pen isn’t so much a want as it is a need.

All that being said, I promise to be a better blogger now that I’m settled back in the PNW. I’ve been perusing many a blog these past few weeks and am feeling more inspired. Your Cyber Whore Leader will be back in full force…let’s rally the troops people!