My First Comic-Con: Dallas 2013

When I present an education workshop, I break the ice by having my teacher participants share something about themselves that no one in the room would ever guess about them. I go first, and tell them what is engraved inside my wedding ring: "Live Long and Prosper." They are shocked. I take it a step further and confess, "I have Star Trek costumes, y'all. I go to conventions." "NOOOO," they say.

Taken 20 years ago at Universal Studios. Brent and LeVar got a kick out of it. "Nice working with you," LeVar said.

Yep. In fact, last month my husband Creed and I checked out the Dallas Comic-con. It was our first Comic-con, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. We had talked about going to the huge Con in San Diego someday, and thought this might be a good trainer Con for us, since it would be small. Wrong. This Con was huge. We arrived early on the first day and people were already parking in the grassy fields across from the convention center and hiking in.

Even the droids had to park in the grass

We had been advised by a friend with Con experience to get the VIP tickets, which we did, but they didn't help with the parking situation. We had to hike in from the field with everybody else. The pricey tickets also didn't prevent us from having to stand in line packed like sardines in the swelteringly-hot parking garage, either. But once the bell rang for opening, our VIP bracelets did get us in faster. Score.

We were the oldest people in line!

I was actually tempted by these

There was a t-shirt for everyone

My husband w/one of many Tardises we saw

Me w/one of many Doctors

Comic-cons originally were all about comics, so comic books and artists were a huge part of this one, but the con seemed to also be about every other geeky thing anybody might be into, from anime to vampires to Big Bang Theory to Doctor Who, to, of course, Star Trek and Star Wars. We started in the vendors' room in the exhibit hall, where we bought a cowboy hat and a sonic screwdriver to complete Creed's Doctor Who get-up and a "Bow Ties Are Cool" t-shirt for me so I could be a more legit sidekick. We also did quite a lot of ogling and picture-taking of other people's costumes as they milled about. We didn't recognize half of them, but we found that everybody was willing to talk about who they were and how they made their costume, and everybody was happy to pose for photos. Didn't have to ask "Do you mind if I post this on Facebook?" once. The whole goal was to be seen. My husband was quite liking having his photo taken himself.

Chatting with LeVar Burton

In the back of the vendors' hall, behind skirted tables, sat some of the stars of Star Trek, calmly signing photos of themselves. Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, and William Shatner! More ogling ensued. You could just stand there and ogle to your heart's content, but it cost money to get the autograph, and nobody was allowed to take photos of William Shatner at the table. I quickly googled, "What should you say to Shatner when you ask for his autograph?" because I was tongue-tied, and got a website written by a very disgruntled ex-fan who now uses Shatner as a curse word, as in "My car is a piece of Shatner." I googled again. The next site said to invite them home for dinner. I was surprised at how nervous I was, but I found them all to be absolutely delightful, and our VIP ticket allowed us to jump to the front of every line. Mr. Shatner definitely had no time for extras, in spite of my efforts to interest him in my life story, but was quite gracious. Brent and LeVar both signed not only their names but added "To Captain Sue" when I asked them to, and engaged in lengthy conversations with me. I told Brent about the google search and he asked, "Hmmm, well, what are you having for dinner?"

Not taking a pic of Shatner, but he's behind me!

The next day, we attended the William Shatner panel. Thanks to our VIP tickets (which were by now bedraggled VIP bracelets), we were able to saunter in at the last minute and didn't have to wait in line, because we had reserved seats in the first few rows. We took photos. We laughed. We cried (seriously, my husband got tears in his eyes over seeing Captain Kirk). We gloried in our geekiness and the geekiness of our fellow geeks in the convention hall. We told each other how charming Mr. Shatner was and how we would never use his name as a curse word, and we said over and over again, "Those VIP tickets were worth every penny."

Mr. William Shatner discusses Mr. William Shatner ("Who else do you want me to talk about?" he said

Daughter of Shrek???

The Doctor with Rory and Amy!

But the VIP tickets didn't help us when it was time to line up to have our photos taken with Shatner. We were in the same gigantic queue with the huge crowd that furbled around a million stanchions and looked hours long. This is when we discovered two really fun Con activities, Making Friends In Line, and Name That Character. The people-watching really was amazing.

Absolutely adorable Dalek

Everybody wanted a picture of her!

And we made new friends, two attorneys from Dallas who were in line in front of us and had left their kids at home with a sitter, who gave us their phone number in case we wanted to meet them at another Con. When we parted, they said, "Have a great Con!"

The really really amazing part of the long long line was that it moved at lightning speed. The whole picture-taking experience was so expertly choreographed (each person got 7 seconds in the room with the seated star), that I barely remember how it happened. I do remember turning to Mr. Shatner, the idol of my teenaged years, and saying, "Thank-you for coming to Dallas to see us, Mr. Shatner." And he turned to me and looked me in the eyes and replied with a warm smile, "The pleasure was all mine, Captain Sue."

I could go on and on about how much we enjoyed the STTNG panel, all of the Nathan Fillion jokes (call in sick for an eye infection, Nathan, and jokes will be made about you), the many creative costumes and new friends, and just hanging out together with people who were comfortable being themselves, or I could gripe about the food (bring your own next time) or the one measly escalator in the entire convention hall, but instead I'll just say Live Long and Prosper and hope to see you at the next Dallas Comic-con. Who needs San Diego?

Part 3 of my Letter about Disneyland to my Niece and Nephew: My Favorite FOOD

When I go to Disney World, I have to have my Dole Whip, my cinnamon-glazed almonds, a churro at some point, and maybe a Casey's hot dog or a cream cheese-filled pretzel as the day goes by. Disneyland has its own specialties.

New Orleans Square is home to a bunch of good eats, starting with the delicious clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. If you like clam chowder and sourdough bread, you will love this rich, creamy soup. You can get it at Harbour Galley or Royal Street Veranda, and I think they also have gumbo or chili. But I got the clam chowder all three times I went to Disneyland and I'm getting it again when I go back.

The other goodies to get in New Orleans are the Mickey beignets and the Mint Julep (it's non-alcoholic), which you can get at the Mint Julep Bar. I know you've had Mickey beignets before at that New Orleans-y resort at WDW, so you know they're like doughnuts but denser, but they make special ones at Disneyland for certain occasions. I was there at Halloween, so they had pumpkin ones. And the Mint Julep is so refreshing! Wait until you're really thirsty and it will just hit the spot, I promise.

I only made reservations at one restaurant--the Blue Bayou--because everybody who I asked about Disneyland said it was a must. They were right. Again, it's in New Orleans, but the really cool part is that it's inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. So it's kind of like when you're eating at the restaurant inside the Mexico pyramid at Epcot, except it's all the Pirates boats that are sailing around you (a fun angle for a photo is to snap a pic of it from a Pirates boat). It's a starry evening setting with crickets and fireflies and little flickery lanterns. Very romantic if you were with a significant other and very expensive for dinner, so try to get lunch reservations. Their famous dish is the Monte Cristo sandwich, which I got, and which was great, but if you get it, plan to share it with someone, and ask them to go easy on the powdered sugar and not to drizzle any sauce on it (just too messy).

One unique and tasty collection of items that I discovered at Disneyland was right across from my favorite ride, Indiana Jones, at a little stand-up quick service place called Bengal BBQ, where you can get marinated chicken, beef, or vegetable kabobs on a stick, as well as a yummy grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus, which for my money was the winning ticket. I heard people around me whining about the prices and the portion size, but just look at it as a little snack to get you through the Indiana Jones line.

The last thing I ever ate at Disneyland, on my way out, was their famous corn dog. There are legends about this corn dog and they don't have them at Disney World (ask your tour guide to tell you the story of the corn dog batter). It's greasy and it's fattening and if you have acid reflux it will mess with you for the rest of the day, but it's worth it. Enjoy your corn dog at the little corn dog cart and then be prepared to deal with Disneyland corn dog cravings for months afterward!

Have fun at Disneyland, C & K! I'm so excited for you! I can't wait to hear about your adventures when you get back! Love, Aunt Sue

Part 2 of my Letter to my Niece and Nephew Who Don't Want to Go toDisneyland

One of the things I enjoyed doing at Disneyland was taking the Walk in Walt's Footsteps Tour. The tour took us all over the Magic Kingdom and covered the historical background of the park (and let us see the inside of Club 33 and Walt's apartment!) It really brought home the fact that while Disney World was completed by Roy Disney, Disneyland was WALT's park. I even had my photo taken like a dork in the exact same spot that Walt had his taken under the castle to commemorate my visit. I would encourage you to take one of the Disneyland tours that are offered, but most importantly, to be appreciative of the place Disneyland holds in Disney history. It's where it all started, y'all.

Taking a walk in Walt's footsteps

Storybook Land Canal Boats

On my first visit to the park, I wanted to experience everything that Disneyland had that was DIFFERENT from Disney World. I circled all of the unfamiliar attractions on my map (I really did. I actually brought a Sharpie with me for just that purpose) and made a plan to get around to all of them, taking a photo of each. I started in Fantasyland, rode the boats at Story Book Land, considered the Matterhorn Bob Sleds (but ruled them out when a new acquaintance told me they "wrenched her neck"), was the only single adult in line for Alice in Wonderland and Pinocchio, and then headed to Tomorrowland where I rode the monorail around the park and chatted with the monorail conductor, who let me sit in the front. I asked her what was different about the monorail in each park, and she said that at Disneyland, it was an attraction, while at Disney World, it was considered transportation. She also pointed out that you can't sit in the front cab of the monorail at Disney World any more!

As I walked around and visited each of the lands, I learned that there are two extra lands (New Orleans Square and Critter Country) at Disneyland, and that some of the attractions that were also at Disney World are in different lands at Disneyland. Walt Disney must have loved New Orleans, because it's a huge section of Disneyland and it's where his apartment and Club 33 are located. It's where Haunted Mansion is located! In fact, we found out on the tour that the Haunted Mansion is located in a different land in every single Disney park (there are many fun factoids like this to be learned in abundance on those tours). I could go on and on about the unique Disneyland attractions, but suffice it to say that there is plenty to see and do that is different from Disney World, including an Indiana Jones ride that is probably one of my favorite rides ever anywhere.

My mission on my next trip to Disneyland, of course, was to compare the things that were the same at both parks. The biggest similarity is that there is a castle in the middle of both Magic Kingdoms. The biggest difference between the two parks is also the castles. You will have yourself a good laugh when you first see Sleeping Beauty Castle, and you might even find yourself saying things like, "Where IS the castle, I can't see it," and "WHAT castle?" It's that small. But after a very short while, it will seem as magical to you as Cinderella Castle. The characters and the parades are all the same. You can still go up to Minnie and kiss her and she will cover her face in embarrassment. And there are fireworks at the end of the day that are very similar to the Wishes fireworks with a little additional bit of magic that is so magical your mom will cry big elephant tears when she sees it, and I'm getting a little choked up just thinking about it. Have camera ready. And do not google "Difference between WDW and DL fireworks." Spoilers abound. Be surprised. At least let your mom be surprised.

Haunted Mansion

One thing I found out about the attractions that were the same in both parks is that they are NOT the same! Haunted Mansion was probably the most similar inside to its WDW counterpart, but the outside was a southern mansion. Pirates was a longer ride with more details up front, Small World was also longer and had a way-cool clock that came to life with the little dolls on the hour, and Winnie-the-Pooh's ride was actually located in a real-life woods, not a concrete jungle. Even the teacups had a completely different venue (outside under a canopy of vines and twinkly lights). The great thing about this was that they were similar enough to feel familiar and traditional, but just different enough to feel like a new experience!

Mad Tea Party

It's a Small World

A Letter to my Niece and Nephew Who Don't Want to Go to Disneyland,Part 1

Every summer when my kids were little, and my niece and nephew (C & K) were really little, we would make the trek from Houston to Orlando to visit family and play with the Mouse. Disney World started to feel like our home away from home and we only visited once a year. My niece and nephew, who lived in Orlando, and whose mom (my sister) worked at Epcot, really felt attached to the place. And then last year they moved to Texas.

This is a long way of saying, those kids (C & K) love Disney World. A lot. But now that they live in Texas, in the middle of the country, their mom, my sister, has planned a family vacation for them to Disneyland. And they are not really that thrilled about it. They're wondering why not go back to Disney World? But they've never been to Disneyland, and that's part of the reason for the plan. They just don't know what they don't know. 

I'm no expert, but after a few trips to Disneyland while on business in the Santa Ana area during the past few years, I've been converted to it. Disney is truly Disney, and Disneyland has the magic, too. I want to share a few of the magical things I enjoyed there that I think they (C & K) will enjoy, too. 

Magical Thing #1: THE WEATHER

Southern California weather is the reason everybody and their dog wants to move to southern California. It's sublime. It doesn't beat you down like Florida heat, or rain on you every afternoon or sap the energy from you after a half-day of walking in it. It is warm but not humid during the day, often breezy, cooler in the shade, and even cooler as the sun goes down. It energizes you and lifts your spirits. You actually need to wear a jacket/hoodie/cardigan there in the summer in the early mornings and at night and you don't sweat through all your clothes.

Magical Thing #2 THE PARK SIZE

The park size is SMALL. So small that you can walk from here to there and back again all in the same day and without saying dumb things constantly like "My dogs are barkin'," or "I'm never coming back here again until I have grandchildren." Everything is RIGHT THERE. It's all attached! You can walk from your hotel to Downtown Disney to Magic Kingdom to California Adventure without breaking the afore-mentioned sweat.

These two Magical Things alone make Disneyland worth the trip, but there is even more in Part 2.
TO BE CONTINUED...

I Am a Terrible Blogger

Let's see, where do I begin after having forgotten I had a blog since last January?

It's Christmastime again, and the same decorations that I had a hard time boxing up and putting away in last year's last blog entry are up again. Except for a tree. We don't have a tree yet. We're going to let the kids decide when they get home whether they want a fake tree that's-already-perfectly-strung-with-lights, or a REAL tree, maybe from the Christmas Tree Farm, that sheds needles and dies within days but smells like Christmas.

Last year, we had Sara and Grant and Eddie and Dane and Skyler here and we all voted for the Christmas Tree Farm.

 We went on the hay ride and drank hot chocolate and took
pictures of each other taking pictures. It was perfect.

Little Grant loved it most of all.

Putting Christmas Away

Hello, blog, I'm back! I've been feeling guilty about neglecting you, but mostly I'm writing today because I'm procrastinating putting away all the Christmas stuff. Oh, I took it all down and vacuumed up all the needles from the Christmas tree farm tree. All the nutcrackers and stockings and Santas are on the dining room table waiting for me. I just hate boxing it up. In Battlestar Galactica vernacular that means something pretty terminal.

We had a Christmas for the memory books--and the checkbooks--this year. With Dane in NYC, Skyler in Houston, Hannah at Disney World (and going back to BYU in Utah right after Christmas), and Scott getting off his mission in California (right around Christmas), there were quite a few airline tickets to buy:

1. Dec 18 IAH-TXK Skyler
2. Dec 21 DFW-PSP [Palm Springs, CA] Creed
3. Dec 22 NYC-MCO Dane
4. Dec 22 TXK-MCO Sue and Skyler
5. Dec 24 PSP-DFW Creed
6. Dec 24 PSP-SLC-DSM-TXK Scott
7. Dec 26 MCO-TXK Sue, Dane, and Skyler
8. Jan 3 MCO-SLC Hannah
9. Jan 7 TXK-NYC Dane
10. Jan 7 TXK-IAH Skyler
11. Jan 7 TXK-BUR [Burbank] Sue (back to work!)

It was worth every pretty penny of Christmas money spent on tickets. We flew on planes together, went to amusement parks together (Creed went on so many roller coasters in one day with Scott that even he got dizzy), watched movies together, ate too much food together, played stupid board games together (new favorite: Bubble Talk), watched fireworks together, set off fireworks together, and lit the backyard grass on fire with fireworks together. We got to know Scott and learned that he loves airplanes, Alaska, steak, and the afore-mentioned fireworks. We had so much fun together.

P.S. By the way, don't believe your husband if he says, "Why are you planning to come back from Florida on Christmas Eve? Just because that's when I'm coming back from California? Don't do that--stay with Hannah through Christmas, I'll just be working double shifts that day, I'm not even going to be home. I don't really care about Christmas anyway--my favorite holiday is Thanksgiving." Right.

Falling in Love Again

When I moved to Texarkana, I inherited somebody else's house and furniture and dishes and giant stereo speakers. I also inherited Frankie. A three-year-old Boston Terrier who had belonged to my stepson Eddie before he moved to Iowa, Frankie lived outdoors most of the time on our screened-in back porch. And, even though I am not a dog person, and even though he had a habit of throwing up at the drop of a hat, and was not to be trusted indoors on account of his penchant for chewing things into bits, I felt sorry for him. He was so lonely.

I wanted to find him, as my mother put it, a "good home." Before we got married, my husband had indicated that he would be fine with that. Before we got married, my husband said a lot of things. But when I brought up the possibility of giving The Frank away to a family ("a family WITH KIDS, kids who would play with him" I would promote), the story changed.

"I can't give him away," my husband agonized, "I love him. He's like my grandson." What?! GREAT.

So I'm stuck all day with a dog I never wanted while hubby works like a workaholic. I am a CAT person. I did not know what to do with a dog. I don't like the way they smell. I have to wash my hands (twice) every time I pet one and then put on lots of Purell.

I tried some experiments on the dog. First, I decided to find out what he would eat. He ate peanut butter sandwiches and chicken salad and even Portuguese Bean Soup. He ate restaurant leftovers of eggs and grits and hamburgers and fries. OK, so he would eat anything.

Next, I wanted to see what he would do for the above food. I found out that he would do ANYTHING. He would sit, he would come, he would jump as high as he possibly could, over and over and over again. I had some fun with that. But then I suffered through the clean-up of dog vomit often enough to stop feeding him random human food and making him perform like a trained seal to get it.

So I started playing with him. First I got him a rope and tried to play Go Fetch. Nope. He would run and fetch it, all right, and then bury it and come back with a muddy nose that he'd wipe all over my crotch. I got him a ball, which he seemed kind of interested in for a little while, but which he ripped into shreds as soon as I left him alone with it. He seemed most interested of all in playing his own games: Mudlap, Slapdog, and Slippery Pig. Let me explain the rules. In Mudlap, a muddy dog runs into the house as fast as his little legs will carry him and does a solo lap around the furniture, grinding the mud into the carpet, and possibly throwing up for good measure, all without slowing down for a second. Slapdog is a fun little game of jumping and biting at flailing human arms that are pretending to get close enough to slap. But the favorite game of all--by far--is Slippery Pig. In this game, the players chase each other around and around and around the living room furniture, with the humans (there can be 1 to 4 humans) desperately trying to catch the "slippery pig" before they pee their pants from laughter. Everybody loves a good game of Slippery Pig. I started to like it as much as Frankie did.

Finally, I decided to costume the beast. My own children had enjoyed costume play so much in their youth that I was a huge proponent of make-believe. I bought Frankie a doggie pilgrim hat for Thanksgiving. He wore it. And looking at him in that stupid hat, standing there so happy to be inside and willing to do anything to stay, my heart kind of melted a little. The game we played after that, and are still playing, is Housedog. Housedog comes in during the day, off and on, and hangs out with me, in the dog bed next to the table, while I'm on my laptop. We go for a walk together every day, and watch a little TV together at night. We play Slippery Pig at least once a day. And we love each other. I am still not a dog person. But I AM a Frankie person.