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.

2015: Some plans for the new year

I'm back, and just in time for the start of a new year. Here are a few thoughts and plans for the upcoming year.

Conventions

I'd like to try a few new conventions this year. Part of my interest may be due to the fact that I wasn't able to get a ticket to San Diego Comic-Con at the pre-registration sale. That sale is set aside for folks who had tickets to last year's Comic-Con, but I was in Africa at the time and my internet connection may have had problems. I'll try again when the general sale happens. I did apply to be a volunteer at the convention, but that's also a tough gig to get.

In the mean time, I've got tickets to one new event, and that's the 2015 Star Wars Celebration in April. That's a new convention for me and I'm looking forward to checking it out.

I plan on attending WonderCon this year, but tickets have yet to go on sale. It shouldn't be a problems, but that convention has been getting a lot more popular lately.

I'd like to try the Denver ComicCon, but haven't made firm plans, yet. I've heard great things, and I've got a niece in the area that attended last year. I think it'd be a blast to attend it with her.

I'll attend the Central Coast Comic Con (C4) in Ventura. It's my local convention, and although it's small, I like going. The last two years I guided/chaperoned some teens who'd been intrigued with my stories from San Diego Comic-Con, and I had a great time seeing the convention through their eyes. 

Long Beach is another local convention I've been meaning to attend, and I plan on putting it in the mix. There's only so many conventions I can attend in a year, so this one may depend on whether I get to all of the others. Still, I've heard great things.

Cosplay

I've been taking a break from my cosplay projects as I've had other life activities getting in the way. But, I'm ready to get back to it, and the Ithorian costume has been calling to me. I've also been planning some changes to the Headless Horseman costume, and Darth Malgus needs some serious upgrades/repairs.

I have some new costumes in mind as well. General Kang from Star Trek 6: The Undiscovered Country has been on my radar for awhile. I've got some preliminary plans and designs in place, and I've already bought some material.

A cosplaying friend pointed me to an image of Tenzin from Legend of Korra. I enjoyed the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, so I've been watching the new series and really love it! I'm pretty excited to become Tenzin, and think I can pull it off. It'd also be an easy cosplay to wear around a convention.

Comics

I'm a rather out-of-control comic collector, and I've decided to use this blog to organize my collection and my thoughts about collecting. I'd like to discuss what I'm reading, especially the indie comics I'm discovering. I'm also on a mission to develop my manga/anime cred, so I'll use this site to monitor my progress.

Gaming

Video gaming is a secret pleasure that consumes a LOT of my time (and is one of the reasons I was neglecting this blog recently). So, I think I'll try to redirect some of that obsession into documenting the games I find and play. Especially from the perspective of an older gaming enthusiast.

Miscellaneous Geekery

I just finished my annual Lord of the Rings marathon, and for the last two years it's incorporated a major food component. In May I'll be participating in another Star Wars Improv show. I plan on getting This Day in Geek History posts back on schedule. And there are a lot of other geek activities that need documenting. 

Facebook

I have an Elder Geeksman Facebook account. I'm using it to post announcements I come across, things like comic or genre movie news. I'll also post links to articles I publish here. I may add a scrolling feed of announcements to this site if the volume calls for it. We'll see.

Brief Hiatus

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Hi folks. I know I haven't posted in a while, but that's mainly due to some priorities that have come up. Right now Harriet and I are on our way to Rwanda. We'll be back around Thanksgiving, and I'll get back to the geeky goodness at that time.

And just because the question keeps coming up, no - we are not at risk for Ebola. Africa is HUGE, and Rwanda is farther away from the outbreak countries than we are from Dallas, or even New York (the Ebola outbreaks currently in the US). So have no fears, we are safe (from Ebola anyway).