July 22, 2017
8:50 p.m.

It is really amazing how tired you can get just sitting on your butt all day.

I've come to know the hospital a little better than I'd care to, since I don't work there.

But more about that later. We're still at the beginning of the month, now, with Denver Comic Con, day two on July 1st.

Here we are, with my Cosplaying granddaughter in makeup. We took the bus on day two, and my younger grandson got to take his first big city bus ride. It's very cool that the route we took landed us right where we needed to be to join the line into the building.

The Denver Convention Center is huge, and even in three days of convention time, there's really no way to manage to see everything you might want to see, so it's always a pick-and-choose situation. 

We started off in the celebrity area because I wanted to get a book autographed by the author, James Marsters. What a nice guy. We talked about writing, and he said it was fun to talk to a fellow writer about the process. (It was fun for me, too!) 

My granddaughter, in the meantime, was in another line, and met Jon Heder of Napoleon Dynamite.

She gets pretty geeky-giggly when she meets her favorite celebrities. It's cute.

The boys played a game while they waited, and then we were off to the vender area, where they got more cool stuff. They like plushy toys, and they found some really cute ones to buy.

We went to a panel and then had some lunch. Too much lunch. Who knew an order of nachos could be so BIG?

We spent a bit more time wandering the vendor areas and watching the Cosplayers.

 Oh, such fun it is! 

We didn't stay too late this time, and went back on the bus after taking a few detours around the convention center trying to figure out where we were.

Upon arriving at home, we had to say goodbye to the youngest of our crew, because he and his family were off to Oklahoma for a mini 4th of July vacation. They miss all their family and friends there.

Denver Comic Con, day three, July 2nd.

Sunday. Always a calmer Con day, with Saturday being the busiest and most crowded. My son and his good friend had gotten tickets for this day, and they didn't want to deal with bus rides so we took Lyft on down. That was nice!

My son is a veteran Con attendant, but our good friend was a first-timer. He had fun!

We started with a panel with Nathan Fillian (Castle). He was being interviewed by Clare Kramer, but at some point Garrett Wang snuck onstage and scared Nathan, then joked about how no matter how many Cons they end up doing at the same time, he never gets chosen to do the interview. What a hoot. 

Sadly, I didn't get any pictures of Nathan Fillian. We were in the nosebleed section where even the big screen looks tiny. But we still loved the interview.

Afterward, the men took the grandchildren and I went to attend a Buffy the Vampire Slayer Villains panel all by myself.

I have probably mentioned in the past that I came upon Buffy a bit late in the game, but it's campy good fun, and even years later it hasn't lost its appeal. 

After the panel I spent a good deal of time trying to track down my family. (Did I mention that the convention center is HUGE?) Thank goodness for cell phones! 

I decided I just had to meet Garrett Wang and get him to tell me the story of how and why he decided to sneak onstage and spook Nathan Fillian. This guy is friendly and talkative and I spent a good time talking with him. By the way, I'm covering part of his shirt; it says "Keep calm and Klingon". Haha!

My granddaughter and I had gotten separated from my son, grandson and friend when we noticed that the line to meet Felicia Day was not too long. My son is a huge long-time fan of hers so we got in line and started calling and texting that we were holding a place for him to come and meet her. We'd let several people go ahead of us before he finally showed up, huffing and puffing. (Big place.)

Does this guy look happy, or what? We started loving Felicia back in the day when she was doing a YouTube series called The Guild. Since then she's done quite a lot, but I'm particularly fond of the character "Charlie" on Supernatural. 

My daughter-in-law also attended the Con with her girlfriends, and we all met up and checked out the goodies they'd nabbed in their shopping spree.

We also ran into a few other characters:

 

Naturally, we all had to get separated again before leaving. My daughter-in-law and her friends took my granddaughter with them to hit the Asian market for drinks before heading home. My son, grandson and friend just had to hit the vendor area one more time and I went to see if I might get a last minute glimpse of any more celebrities after checking out the authors' aisles. 

No one can ever say I don't get any exercise.

I found them! We made it home. We collapsed in heaps and watched some television.

Thus endeth 2017 Comic Con, and tomorrow we'll march into July 4th madness--minus the fireworks rant. (You already got to deal with that. I cry your pardon!)

By the way, I just saw that Salt Lake City Comic Con includes guest Dick Van Dyke!!! 

(How can I manage this? How? I would love to go to that one! Dick Van Dyke!!!)

Anyway...good night to you all! 

July 21, 2017
7:37 p.m.

Oh my gosh, this has been the busiest month ever. I haven't posted much anywhere, I haven't blogged, and I've been going non-stop. I have so much to catch up on, and all I can do now is promise to try.

Many things have happened since the end of June, many of them cool and a couple so not cool that I can barely think about them, but I'm thinking the best way to play catch up is to start with June 30th through July 2nd.

(I know you may have seen my last post, AKA "The July 4th Rant". It was just one day of the month, and not indicative of the rest of the past few weeks.)

June 30th--Day one of Denver Comic Con!!

I've been doing the Con for several years now, and it is fun, fun, fun. It also wears me out. I can walk and walk forever, but standing in lines--ouch, my feet! Ouch, my knees! Ouch, my back! Still worth it.

This year I added one more grandchild to my entourage.

This was his first Con experience. The other two are old pros. We've trekked the halls and stood in lines and generally made our way hither and yon through the huge square footage of the Convention Center. 

Now, these poor kiddos had to wait in line for their old grandma to get her picture taken with "Spike"--James Marsters of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I saved up for the Con, and I saved some more for a photo op, which I have never done before. God only knows why I wanted to do this so much, but it was worth it. He's very nice. And good looking. I spent some time talking to him the next day about writing and his new venture, a series called "Vidiots". Take a look at it. So funny. http://www.vidiotsonline.com/

The kids were great, I got my precious photo. and we moved on to see a panel with James and Oliver Phelps, who played Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter series. Yep, another line. A LONG one. 

Now, here's how smart my grandson is--he brought games. The boys played while they waited, and the girls--my granddaughter and I--goofed around with our phones. We chowed down on snacks we'd brought, and then we waited some more.

Those lads grew up handsome and funny. They are now aged thirty-three years! Are you stunned?

Me, too! The place was packed and we were so far away. Thank goodness for the big screens! The kids enjoyed seeing people they grew up watching. Grandma was pretty happy to see them, too.

The boys had a blast checking out all the LEGO creations while we girls rested our feet and took pictures. 

Okay, side track a little bit. When I was a kid I loved LEGOS. I'd build things for hours. I thought I was quite the architect.

Then, when my kids were little I hated them--no matter how many times I nagged, one always got left on the floor to be discovered by my bare foot! Also, my youngest once flushed a bunch of them and the bill for the plumber made me wish I'd gone to plumbing school, because--DANG!!

Then those little monsters grew up and I love LEGOS all over again.

That said. the LEGO thing these days--WOW! How do they make all those fantastically cool creations? I made little houses with windows and doors, but this stuff? Amazing!

No Con would be complete without Cosplayers. Check out these fantastic costumes: 

 

I did a costume of sorts last year, but it gets hot. My granddaughter did a bit of cosplaying this year, and she looked great. I don't know how some of these people make it through the day. It takes a lot of dedication and talent.

 We were all so pooped by the time it was time to go home. But it's so much fun to spend a day with the kids and just have fun. Naturally, we all spent too much money and ate too much junk, but what can I say? It's three days once a year, man.

I'm pretty tired out, so I will share days 2 and 3 with you tomorrow. 

Have a great night! 

July 4, 2017
12:41 a.m.

Wow, I just realized that I haven't written a thing since Father's Day! Bad, Paula. Bad girl.

In my defense, not a lot has been going on. Or else too much has been going on. I've been trying to get through the last leg of editing my book before making a few trips, and not getting enough done.
I have had a little helper, you see.

My two-year-old granddaughter is a fan of sitting in my lap and drawing pictures with me. She draws for awhile and then demands that I do the work. Doggie, kittie, rabbit and the ghost family. Boo! Mama Ghost. Daddy Ghost. I don't know where she got the ghost thing....

We write her name a lot, and I always recite the spelling as we write the letters together, so she's now starting to tell me what letter comes next. She's so smart.

She left Saturday night with her mommy (my daughter) and daddy and brother for a visit to Oklahoma. suddenly I have my seat to myself. I miss her.

They took one of the dogs with them, and left his mother doggie here. She's not taking it well; she's a sad little old dog. My daughter, her husband and children and the younger dog, all away for awhile, and this poor little girl is stuck here. Poor thing.

Having said that much, I am not missing the boy doggie right now. He's very upset by fireworks, and this neighborhood has been noisy the last couple of weeks. I can't understand why the police haven't done a better job of enforcing the illegal fireworks ban here. The neighborhood dogs are probably a total wreck. Trixie doesn't care for firecrackers blasting, but unlike music, which often sets her to howling, she just sits on my feet when it gets noisy. Rex barks. And barks. Then he paces back and forth, growling, with all his fur standing on end. And then he barks some more. So, nice vacation from that for me.

I'm not entirely truthful, though--I do miss him. But Trixie, I think, misses him more.

And now, I am going to rant about the stupidity of fireworks in city limits.  I hate the 4th of July. Hate it. Not because I'm unpatriotic--go, freedom!--but because I think fireworks are stupid. Why on earth would anyone stand about in a neighborhood full of houses and set off fireworks on a hot summer night during peak fire season? That is not smart.

Why would people go out into the wilderness in the peak of fire season and light bottle rockets? It makes no sense to me!

And in my neighborhood--which is mobile homes, by the way, many of them older homes--the firecrackers start a couple of weeks in advance of the 4th. Why? I have no idea. Maybe they're determined to drive every neighborhood dog completely bonkers and burn down a few houses.

Stupid. Not to mention inconsiderate.

I'm not even a fan of professional fireworks, but at least they are done in a controlled area with supervision and fire safety professionals on hand. The potential catastrophe is at least semi under control.

In my neighborhood not even the cops are showing up to put a stop to the nonsense. That stray spark or poorly launched bottle rocket is just a disaster waiting to happen.

I find that I am very sympathetic toward those dogs and anyone with issues with noise and wish that people would just enjoy a good barbeque and the company of family and friends and leave the fireworks to the professionals.

This comes from a person who flinches during thunderstorms, so maybe I'm biased. but I stand by my assertion that people shooting off fireworks in residential areas should be fined a great deal of money and possibly kicked in the shins.

I spend the two weeks leading up to today in a state of irritation and semi-dread. Tonight it will be complete annoyance and semi-panic. I'm always more than half convinced that my house will be burnt to the ground. That may be because I have already lost a home to a fire (albeit not a fireworks-induced conflagration, but still).

We've been invited to my other daughter's home about an hour away for barbecue and fireworks, and while I am down for a nice dinner, I want to be back here before dark, because I don't think Trixie will do well all alone when the real noise and lightshow gets going. I'd like to just take her with, but she weighs about seven pounds and my daughter has two Staffordshire terriers. (aka pit bulls) They are big cuddly babies, but I don't know how they might behave with a little tiny dog.

Besides, that will get me home and hiding out--with the dog, you know (of course)--before the whole mess gets going.

Yeah, yeah, they are pretty. I get it. So very pretty.

But not in the street in front of my house.

Where's a cop when you need one?

There are signs posted all over this place that say "NO FIREWORKS!" So. where are the cops??

Ugh.

Happy Independence Day. Because...you know...Freedom. Yeah.

June 18, 2017
1:53 a.m.

Happy Father's Day to the world's best Dad!

There aren't many people who I can claim to have known my entire life; this wonderful guy is one of the two.

I was one of the most lucky and blessed daughters ever. I was raised by a man who never told me that the only thing I could do was grow up, get married and be a housewife. He told me that I was smart enough and strong enough to do anything I wanted to do as long as I worked my hardest and tried my best.

All young women deserve a father who supports them and encourages them, and I got all that from my Dad. In my family, we all did. and still do, because we are fortunate enough to still have him in out lives.

I thank God for the blessing of a great father every day.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you so much!!

June 14, 2017
9:18 p.m.

I finally went to bed around 8:00 this morning, and did manage a couple of hours of snooze time, but we are talking, at this point, about 10-12 hours of sleep in the last five days. That's not each day, that's total hours. in the past 120 hours. I've done a couple of doze-fades while editing yesterday and today, but I don't think that really counts, do you?

I'm grouchy, man.

My stomach is upset, too, and my joints ache, and my feet are cold and they hurt.

No sleep in seriously not good for you. I don't recommend it. I recommend getting lots of sleep--LOTS!

I hid out in my room until after noon, doing sudoku puzzles in an effort to bore myself to sleep. I tried reading, but the book I am currently reading was too enjoyable to put me to sleep. Finally, I came out and took a shower, then logged onto my computer to start editing, and saw all the news stories this day has managed to stack up.

Maybe all the negative vibes this past week are keeping me up!

Seriously, I was off line for maybe six hours, and that's all the time it took to have three different shooting incidents?! What in the literal HELL is this?

UPS worker goes postal--terrific. Four people dead, including the shooter. Baseball is now a dangerous sport--terrific. Police shot and killed the gunman, who shot several people including  Republican Steve Scalise. A New York shooter is still at large--terrific. At least there were no fatalities in that last one.

I am not against Americans having the right to bear arms. Hell, I grew up in a hunting family. But it is high time that our right to bear arms gets some sensible regulations attached to it. This is ridiculous. Do I have any suggestions as to how to make that work? Of course not; I never said I was smart enough to have all the answers. But I am smart enough to propose asking more questions and getting together to find the answers, and that has to count for something,

This should have been a nice, quiet, uneventful day. Instead, people are wounded or dead, and for no reasonably discernible purpose. Political infighting has led to a divided nation and has brought out the crazies.

Sorry, but--yeah, crazies. Crazies with easy access to guns.

Already the Democrats have pointed their fingers at the Republicans, and vice versa. And while actual party members are speaking about standing together--and good for them--their constituents are taking up the finger-pointing.

You know, when my kids were growing up, I was not above taking two fighting kids and locking them into the bedroom with orders that they not come out until they settled their differences. No hitting allowed. (Although it sometimes happened and then I got to settle the differences. No one appreciated my solutions--no television, no playing with friends, no treats, no telephone.) Generally there ensued a great deal of yelling argument, and then they'd figure it out.

Can we put Congress and Senate into a locked room and let them figure it out? Not just gun regulations, but the whole shebang. Tax reform. Healthcare. Environmental Protection. Everything.

Here are the rules:

Republicans and Democrats will remain in the same room at all times.

No huddling in corners. No whispering. No secrets.

There will be moderators, and they will not be members of House or Senate. I suggest Moms. We get seriously sick of nonsense and won't put up with it for long.

Time outs will be called, and you will look ridiculous with your nose in the corner.

NO hitting!! Anyone who throws a punch goes to jail for assault. Charges will be pressed, absolutely.

Everyone gets a chance to talk and no one gets to interrupt. You will take turns, or you will be invited to put your nose in the corner for the duration of the next three speakers' turns.

You will not call anyone offensive names, disparage anyone's race, religion or gender, or the official in charge of washing your mouths out with soap will step in and insert the Lifebouy.

(In the words of Ralphie: "Yuck!")

Medical needs such as medication, breathing apparatus, insulin will be attended to by a medical professional that you will pay for. Not the taxpayers--you.

Someone will deliver meals and drinks. Non-alcoholic drinks. You will all eat and drink what is served to you without complaint. Allowances for special needs--either for medical or cultural reasons--will be considered. But "I don't like broccoli" is not a valid need and will be ignored. Eat it or go hungry.

No cookies until you get it right.

Since it seems money is an all-important thing to politicians, failure to settle things within a week will result in a fine of $10,000. for each member for each day over seven days the deliberation takes. The money will be used to fund food banks and school lunch programs. Hungry children are more important than your bickering, anyway.

I'm so tired of all this. Time to Mom Up, America, and make these babies tow the line.

Rant over.

Good night.

June 14, 2017
12:00 a.m.

Happy Birthday to my Baby, Tabitha!!

On this day some undisclosed number of years ago, you made your appearance just in time to not be born when your father said you would be, and cheered me up considerably knowing I wouldn't have to hear any "I told you sos." Plus you were a girl, further proving me right. Good job!

Not everything went as planned or hoped for in these past few years, but I am so very proud of the woman and the mother you have become.

I hope I get to see you soon!

You're my baby, then, now and forever. I love you so much!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday!
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If you read my latest blog, you know that I failed to get to bed my midnight. Well, I also failed to sneak to my room without the dogs! Haha!

Since they were there, I attempted to employ them as foot-warmers, but they didn't cooperate. I soon found myself sandwiched between them. So my back and tummy were warm, and my feet were cold. Useless pups!

Lucky for them I couldn't sleep and watched some Downton Abbey and some Buffy the Vampire Slayer and completed several sudoku puzzles, while pushing and shoving for some space. I never win that fight.

By the way, Trixie doesn't care for opera. A scene with a guest opera singer in Downton Abbey set her off on a howling fir yesterday and nearly scared me right out of my skin. I thought the singer was THAT BAD at first. Then I couldn't stop giggling while I tried to comfort the poor little doggie.

I'm a meanie. Clearly the dog was distressed, and I was laughing at her. Also, it's really hard to turn down the volume and comfort a dog at the same time.

Can't say as I blame her, though. I'm not crazy about opera myself.
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I would like to announce an astounding accomplishment that will almost certainly never be repeated:
in the past 24 hours I have only had one cup of coffee!!

I'm still awake, you'll notice.

So much for that nonsense.
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Hmm. My diction improves the more I watch Downton Abbey. Just sayin'.

I'm signing off for now.

Good night!

June 12,2017
3:56 p.m.

Goal tonight: in bed by midnight. No guarantee that it'll lead to sleep, but at least I'll be laying down.

Insomnia sucks.

On the plus side, I'm catching up on Downton Abbey. If you haven't seen it yet, I suggest you get on it; it's great. Of course, after binge-watching a few episodes, I can't talk anymore. That old-style English is catching, I must say. Ha ha! Dame Maggie Smith is a treasure. No one could ever out-haughty her!

I haven't been bothered too much by any weird existential thoughts in the past 24 hours, at least. I was born in a good time for not getting killed by Mother Nature, at least as far as allergies, asthma and poor eyesight are concerned.

As for floods, earthquakes, tornadoes and other freaky Mother Nature phenomenon, it has and will never matter when I was born; if it's gonna get me, it's gonna get me.

Tonight I may worry more about getting hit by a nuclear weapon. Because it's a crazy world, as you well know.

But hey, I'll never know, so "What, me worry?"

I'm going to watch television shows and hope for sleep and think about winning the lottery or something. Yes, I know that's less likely than getting hit by a bomb, but--hey, it could happen! (Well, it could if I ever bothered to buy a ticket.)
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10:58 p.m.

I have spent the afternoon and evening with my manuscript and editing is going pretty well. I did a lot of research while I was writing the first draft, so you think I would trust myself on some of the details, but, no. There I was, rechecking maps and dates and driving myself nuts all over again.

It's fiction, but that's no reason to put Albuquerque in California. (No, I didn't!!)
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I think I'm going to have to haul these dogs to the groomer and have them shaved down to the skin. It sure was hot today! At least, it was hot here in Metro Denver. I see that some places got snow today. Or hail the size of baseballs. Also, tornadoes!

So, other than speculating on puppy-shaving, I think I shall keep any gripes I might have had to myself.
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June 13, 2017
12:09 a.m.

Um...oops! It's past midnight, and I am not in bed. so much for goals...
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I'm bummed. I missed Alice Cooper tonight. Where's the money when you really need it? Sigh. I'll bet it was a hell of a show...

God only knows when I'll get another chance to see him live.

Yep. Bummed.
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I'm going to try sneaking to my room without dogs. It's too hot to have them all cuddled up with me. Haha!

Good night! (I hope!)