I'm back!(?)
Well, last post was May 14, 2017 - an update to the movies & TV listings
Last cosplay update was February 8, 2015 - a post about the Ithorian costume.
Last Upcoming Event was for the 2016 WonderCon in May.
What happened? Where have I been?
Busy? Sure. Procrastinator? Yup. Hard staying focused on any one thing? Absolutely. Giving up on geek culture? Not on your life!
Which brings me back to this little website of mine. Its intent was to serve as a diary of sorts. A place to record what I’d been up to, note significant events, organize my thoughts around geek stuff, and as a focus for my writing so I could (hopefully) get better at it.
So, what’s changed? Why am I starting to dust off the surfaces and knock off the cobwebs after a 2 to 4 year hiatus?
Well, I AM RETIRED, BABY!
After 40 years as a software engineer and expert in testing IR and Electro-Optical systems (big fish in a small but lucrative pond), I quite my most recent place of employment (25 years) in January. I’ve been extremely fortunate and am able to fully retire and focus on a lot of other activities that I’ve only been able to dabble in.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned it on this site, but I’m the founder and partner of an improv school in Santa Barbara (sbimprov.com) Even before retiring it has grown rapidly and seems to be limited only by the amount of time I give it.
I’m also a woodworker, cheese maker, slide-rule collector, and roboticist, in addition to all my geek related activities. As my wife puts it, my hobby is hobbies. Oh yeah, and I’m a husband, uncle, son, brother, friend…all those social things that pretty much make everything else worth it.
Why am I back and writing this particular post? Because the original motivations are still there, and I’ve been using my retirement to finally organize my office, clean out my workshop, dust off and take inventory on projects that were never finished (are any of them finished?), and now update this site. Although I don’t expect anyone else to read this, I need to say these things for my own sake. And to document how I’m feeling and thinking right now as I write this.
Also, I was recently contacted by someone who wanted to know if I’d gotten any further on the Ithorian costume. I was embarrassed to say that I hadn’t but that I do plan on getting back to it with some changes I’ve been thinking about. That made me think about how much I’ve learned from others who’ve posted techniques, tips, and progress on their builds. Time to pay it back!
I don’t plan on posting all the things I’ve been doing since my last posts. If that comes up while documenting current progress, so be it. I don’t want to get bored looking back. Suffice it to say I’ve continued going to cons, wearing cosplay, watching TV and movies, creating things, and listening to podcasts (so many podcasts). This will continue!
Okay, way too much for now. Let’s see what I actually DO.