As you may know, when summer hits, Your Sister likes to indulge by planning things. Parties, mostly. Sometimes travel. She's talked before of becoming an event planner when she retires, and she gets in her practice when she can. She digs it, it's her thing, and I won't begrudge her.
However, the weekend before I man a table for the first time at HeroesCon is a lousy window to plan Big Things on consecutive days. Because Your Parents will visit her and the deputy while I'm gone, Your Sister wanted to give My Mom equal time on Saturday. Heavy sighs for lots of reasons. Mom is coming up here in just two weekends when your family assembles. I put on a good face. I did not grumble, and when asked outright about the weekend scheduling, I tried to be subtle. I think I said "I'm a little anxious about the time to prepare for convention." What I wanted to say was "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!"
But I was able to burrow into the workshop to make my price displays and gather up some sketches to sell. I also mailed out thank-you copies to Danielle and Rebecca, my high-school friends who helped me with the comic's kickboxing scene.I also mailed out a 5-card row of robots to a customer in Seattle. (Trivia: He's closer to you than to me by 60 miles. I Googled.) I also played with color sketches, and I decided to also offer color face cards for $2 more. I'm working up a larger piece of art for the annual convention charity auction. I might color that too. Maybe.
The visit with Mom was fine, if short. We warned her that we would probably be able to only do lunch because the boy would nap immediately after. We ate at McDonald's because the food was ready quicker than at a real restaurant. He ate well and played on the smallest slide in the playground. He's becoming quite the climber. He can scale his changing table in both directions. As long as one of us is within arm's reach, I have no problem with this. He's building muscle and balance.
Mom balked initially at buying the comic 4-pack. She hasn't bought a comic in decades, and the prices are closer to $3 an issue than the 60 cents she may have paid when I was a kid. I sweetened the deal by offering two eclairs, and she denied that she initially balked. Oh, she balked. There was balkage.
She gave us a little Wal-Mart truck Pez dispenser for the boy. She said it was from her friend Ricky, and she once again declared they were only friends and would be only friends. When I mentioned this to Your Sister on the way home, she said that Mom would talk about him at the beach house when I left the room, and she was convinced that I didn't like the guy. I haven't met him. (Mom mentioned meeting him Saturday, but I said the window with the deputy was too small to be fair to either of them.) And I've told her repeatedly that whatever relationships she enters into now are entirely her business. As long as she seems a) happy; and b) treated well, I have no qualms. I'd much rather she be out and about than living as a hermit. When we left, I told her to thank the guy for the truck.
We picked up a glider bike (a toddler bike with no pedals) that morning, and Your Sister put it together that afternoon while I took him into town. He has to learn how to balance on the bike, and he moves very slowly on it. We fidget with the seat height constantly to make him comfortable. We ended the night by eating on the deck with the firepit all lit up. I engineered a new alfredo recipe that went over well, and I'll probably put it on the Doom blog today. We also ate on the deck Sunday night because why not? We only have to move the table 15 feet.
The second event she planned was a Father's Day/deputy birthday party with the neighbors. We picnicked and rode bikes or walked on the town trail. He wanted to ride the big slide, and I followed as he climbed the stairs. That was maybe ten feet up, and he did it repeatedly. No fear at all. He got a toy school bus from the neighbors, and he won't let it go. I'm not surprised. He had a cupcake. I have Father's Day Krispy Kremes that somehow have lasted since Saturday afternoon.
I think what I'm really feeling about convention is a reflexive panic. But I've done virtually everything already. I can relax. Maybe a little.
Picture of the Day
This is Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut. She went into space this weekend.
However, the weekend before I man a table for the first time at HeroesCon is a lousy window to plan Big Things on consecutive days. Because Your Parents will visit her and the deputy while I'm gone, Your Sister wanted to give My Mom equal time on Saturday. Heavy sighs for lots of reasons. Mom is coming up here in just two weekends when your family assembles. I put on a good face. I did not grumble, and when asked outright about the weekend scheduling, I tried to be subtle. I think I said "I'm a little anxious about the time to prepare for convention." What I wanted to say was "HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?!"
But I was able to burrow into the workshop to make my price displays and gather up some sketches to sell. I also mailed out thank-you copies to Danielle and Rebecca, my high-school friends who helped me with the comic's kickboxing scene.I also mailed out a 5-card row of robots to a customer in Seattle. (Trivia: He's closer to you than to me by 60 miles. I Googled.) I also played with color sketches, and I decided to also offer color face cards for $2 more. I'm working up a larger piece of art for the annual convention charity auction. I might color that too. Maybe.
The visit with Mom was fine, if short. We warned her that we would probably be able to only do lunch because the boy would nap immediately after. We ate at McDonald's because the food was ready quicker than at a real restaurant. He ate well and played on the smallest slide in the playground. He's becoming quite the climber. He can scale his changing table in both directions. As long as one of us is within arm's reach, I have no problem with this. He's building muscle and balance.
Mom balked initially at buying the comic 4-pack. She hasn't bought a comic in decades, and the prices are closer to $3 an issue than the 60 cents she may have paid when I was a kid. I sweetened the deal by offering two eclairs, and she denied that she initially balked. Oh, she balked. There was balkage.
She gave us a little Wal-Mart truck Pez dispenser for the boy. She said it was from her friend Ricky, and she once again declared they were only friends and would be only friends. When I mentioned this to Your Sister on the way home, she said that Mom would talk about him at the beach house when I left the room, and she was convinced that I didn't like the guy. I haven't met him. (Mom mentioned meeting him Saturday, but I said the window with the deputy was too small to be fair to either of them.) And I've told her repeatedly that whatever relationships she enters into now are entirely her business. As long as she seems a) happy; and b) treated well, I have no qualms. I'd much rather she be out and about than living as a hermit. When we left, I told her to thank the guy for the truck.
We picked up a glider bike (a toddler bike with no pedals) that morning, and Your Sister put it together that afternoon while I took him into town. He has to learn how to balance on the bike, and he moves very slowly on it. We fidget with the seat height constantly to make him comfortable. We ended the night by eating on the deck with the firepit all lit up. I engineered a new alfredo recipe that went over well, and I'll probably put it on the Doom blog today. We also ate on the deck Sunday night because why not? We only have to move the table 15 feet.
The second event she planned was a Father's Day/deputy birthday party with the neighbors. We picnicked and rode bikes or walked on the town trail. He wanted to ride the big slide, and I followed as he climbed the stairs. That was maybe ten feet up, and he did it repeatedly. No fear at all. He got a toy school bus from the neighbors, and he won't let it go. I'm not surprised. He had a cupcake. I have Father's Day Krispy Kremes that somehow have lasted since Saturday afternoon.
I think what I'm really feeling about convention is a reflexive panic. But I've done virtually everything already. I can relax. Maybe a little.
Picture of the Day
This is Liu Yang, China's first female astronaut. She went into space this weekend.
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