Besides being an avid coffee drinker, I enjoy a good pint of beer. Breweries are one of my favorite places to hang out on a Friday night. Bring a couple of board games, meet up with friends, and possibly play Pinball or Shuffleboard, depending on the brewery. My friends invited me to the 11th Annual Winter Beer Dabbler that occurred this past Saturday, February 22nd. Outdoor events can be risky in Minnesota, but I couldn’t have asked for a more gorgeous winter day.

Walking into the Beer Dabbler, many brewery tents were lining the grounds. We were given these smaller glasses, which we could bring to the brewery tents for unlimited beer. I tasted an Oreo-flavored stout, which wasn’t half bad, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. I also tried the “Winona Rider” beer from Winona, MN. I was disappointed because I didn’t love the taste. My favorite breweries include Back Channel, Castle Danger, and Modist. There were also plenty of photo opportunities, including in front of the Beer Dabbler Ice Sculpture.

I was slightly nervous with the event being outdoors and there being only porta-potties. I consider myself to be a bathroom snob, so if I can avoid porta-potties or bathroom lines, that would be ideal. However, I was surprised by how many there were, and there were indoor bathrooms in one of the other indoor buildings for the event. There is a special kind of hell in which you have to pee, but you cannot find a bathroom.

I genuinely felt I got my money’s worth in this event. I paid $57 to drink unlimited beer from my favorite breweries. I was able to keep my souvenir glass, and live music was playing the whole time. Next year, I want to come prepared in a special Beer Dabbler outfit with a food necklace. If you’re a beer drinker, I’d highly recommend doing an event like this. I’m all about supporting local breweries, and this is one way to do that. I was able to drink beer, take pictures with friends, and have a fun night outside in the Minnesota winter.

I was at a work sponsored happy hour, drinking beer and mingling with my coworkers. The conversation turned into this guessing game of “Which high school superlative would you be?” We went around the circle coming up with which superlative represented each person in the group. My turn came and within fifteen seconds, someone shouted “the loudest.” Everyone started laughing. I was nervously giggling. I recognize that I’m a loud person, but it’s a deep insecurity of mine.

When I was younger, I was soft spoken. My teachers were concerned because throughout elementary school, I had one close friend. In 3rd grade, I started meeting other friends, but I didn’t approach anyone I didn’t know. This behavior continued into middle school and high school. I stuck with my closest friends and didn’t socialize with anyone else. This all changed when I went off to college. My mom and brother came to visit me within my first month of being at school. My mom made a comment I will never forget. She said, “You’re a different person in the short month you left. You’re flourishing here.”

There was a shift in college. I became more open, less insecure, and more comfortable meeting new people. This contributed to my so-called “loud voice”. Since graduating from college, I have worked two different jobs. In my first job, I was shushed when my voice increased in volume. When I say shush, I mean one of my managers put her finger to her mouth and shushed me in front of co-workers. I felt disrespected and ashamed. This is the start of my insecurity in my loud voice.

Another reason I feel insecure about how my voice carries is that people can hear me. If I’m heard, it allows anyone to judge me. If people hear me, they may debate me on certain political discussions or gossip behind my back. I believe this is a huge reason why I’m insecure about the volume of my voice.

I believe there are pros and cons to having a loud voice. I don’t want to change who I am, but I have to match the person I’m with. This is called mirroring. If I’m with someone quieter, I attempt to lower the volume of my voice. I wouldn’t say I’m changing who I am, instead, I aim to be respectful of the world I live in and who I’m socializing with.

Happy 2020! This year marks the beginning of a new decade. The 2010s were a decade of personal growth. I developed a sense of self and became comfortable with who I am as a person. I’m excited to see what the next ten years will bring for me. I wanted to recap everything I did in 2019.

Movies I saw in Theaters:

• Bohemian Rhapsody
• Shazam 
• Captain Marvel 
• Avengers Endgame 
• Spider-Man: Far From Home 
• It Chapter #2 
• Joker 
• Rise of Skywalker 

My favorite movie of 2019 was Shazam. This is a biased answer as I lean more toward DC Comics. DC Comics is not known for making great movies, and Shazam was funny, not too depressingly dark, and worth re-watching.

TV Shows I Watched:

• Ted Bundy Interview Tapes 
• Queer Eye Season #2 
• Shrill 
• Hot Date 
• Lucifer 
• New Girl 

My favorite TV show in 2019 was a toss-up between Shrill and Lucifer. I believe Shrill’s second season will release sometime this year. Lucifer is a fun show too, because it’s a Los Angeles, Law & Order-style show with demons flying around and wreaking havoc. Lucifer’s final season premieres sometime in 2020 on Netflix.

The two shows I watched in 2019 that I couldn’t get into were Castle Rock and Homeland. Castle Rock has potential, but I couldn’t follow the story. Homeland had a strong start, but I lost interest halfway through the first season. Life is too short to waste time watching shows you’re not interested in.

Video Games I Played:

• The Order 1886
• Until Dawn 
• Heavy Rain 

This was a light gaming year for me. I’m looking forward to gaming more in 2020. I’m currently playing Kingdom Hearts III, and I plan on purchasing Jedi: Fallen Order sometime in the future. My favorite video game of 2019 was Until Dawn. This game got me through the polar vortex in Minneapolis. By Polar Vortex, I mean the weather was -32 degrees. -32 degrees!?!?!?!?!? I stayed inside, so I wouldn’t freeze to death, and played Until Dawn. 

Gaming in 2019

• War of the Spark Pre-Release in April of 2019 
• Modern Horizons Pre-Release in June of 2019 
• Cultists & Cthulhu 
• Star Trek Ascension 
• Throne of Eldraine Pre-Release 

My favorite game I played in 2019 was the War of the Spark pre-release. I did really well. I didn’t win a match, but I won a total of three individual games. This set was wild. There were a bunch of planeswalkers wreaking havoc in everyone’s games. I’m looking forward to the next Magic: sets in 2020.

Graphic Novels + Comics I Read this Year (probably not everything I read, I may be forgetting some)

• My Giant Nerd Boyfriend (web comic on webtoons) 
• Hush: Batman Graphic Novel 
• Batman Knightfall series (series I received at CONvergence in 2018)
• Watchmen
• Midnight Task Force (Mad Cave Comics)
• Battlecats Vol #1 Hunt for the Direbeast
• Runaways: Find Your Way Home
• Knights of the Golden Sun Issues #1-#4
• Hellboy Volume #1
• Afterglow
• Paper Girls Volume #4
• Badass Girl 3 issues 
• Prometheite 
• Riri Williams #1 

My favorite graphic novel and/or comic I read in 2019 was either Watchmen or Midnight Task Force. When I first started reading Watchmen, I thought that this series wasn’t going to be for me. When I finished the graphic novel, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. With Midnight Task Force, I loved the gritty environment of futuristic Detroit. The series left on a cliffhanger, and I’m hoping the second trade paperback will be released sometime in 2020.

2019 Pop Culture Moments

• Rami Malek winning the Best Actor at the Oscars
• Jussie Smollett’s “fake” hate crime

I truly believe Rami deserved the Oscar for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury. Many people were upset because they felt Bradley Cooper was snubbed for A Star is Born. This is the 4th? remake of this movie, unlike a biopic of Freddie Mercury, who meant so much to so many people. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I’m sticking with it.

Podcast I Couldn’t Stop Listening To:

• This Podcast Will Kill You 
• Babes at the Table 
• Science Rules: Bill Nye’s Podcast 
• Not Another DnD Podcast 
• Generation Bond 
• 4 The Love of Comics 

Last year, I picked Anna Faris’s Unqualified podcast as my favorite podcast of 2018. Sadly, I don’t listen to this podcast anymore. Apparently, there was drama between Sim and An, who were the co-hosts. Sim isn’t on Ana’s podcast anymore, which destroyed the vibe I originally liked.

My favorite podcast of 2019 has to be Not Another DnD Podcast because it got me through the extremely long drive from Minneapolis to Indianapolis for Gen Con. My brother enjoyed this podcast too.

Catchiest Song in 2019:

This is a toss-up between any song by Lizzo and Bad Guy by Billie Eilish.

Conventions I attended in 2019:

I attended six conventions: Con of the North, C2E2, MSP Spring Con, CONvergence, Gen Con, and Fallcon. This increased by two conventions from 2018.

Personal Memories

Top Three Memories from 2019:

Getting Engaged! 🙂

He popped the question on May 4th, which happened to be Free Comic Book Day and National Star Wars Day. This is something I will never let him forget.

Getting a New Job

Working in downtown Minneapolis has been a blessing. I get to take the bus to work on most days, which has saved me money on gas. I like my new coworkers. This job has better benefits and pay. This wasn’t something I was predicting to happen in 2019, but I’m glad it did.

Orlando Trip

SO COOLLL!!!

My Resolution for 2020?

I have no specific resolution. I wish for a safe and happy 2020.

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we are all thankful for. I’m thankful for having a family that respects me and encourages me to be my best every day. However, it’s crucial to be sensitive to how we talk about this holiday. Sometimes this holiday gives an impression of how our family is by blood, but there’s also chosen family.

Last weekend, I celebrated Friendsgiving with a group of us. All of us sipped on our glasses of wine, played party games, and talked amongst the group. It puts into perspective how beneficial my friends are to my well-being. They allow me to vent while still giving me advice I need to hear. I’m fortunate to say my friends accept me for who I am and allow me to grow as a person.

My purpose for writing this post is to promote being sensitive around the holidays. This includes not assuming everyone you meet has the best family/home life. Offer to host a Friendsgiving for those friends who are struggling. There’s no reason we can’t make someone’s day by being kind and inclusive.

 

 

 

I’m excited to announce I will be attending Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle from March 12th through the 15th of 2020 on a press badge. I have never been to Seattle, but I have always wanted to go to the Pacific Northwest. I’m planning on flying in on Wednesday and flying out on Sunday. I want to explore Seattle in addition to attending the convention. I’m beginning to do my research as to celebrity guests to meet, comics to purchase and how much I need to budget for this convention.

Emerald City Comic Con hosted 98,000 fans in their 2019 show. That’s so many people! Reedpop has been hosting this showing for years and they also put on C2E2 which I attended this year in Chicago. Emerald City Comic Con does have a harassment policy which is super important. I have been harassed at conventions before and it’s an unpleasant experience to say the least. Attending a convention with a dedicated harassment policy makes me feel safer as a fan.

Seattle is a great city to host a convention for a variety of reasons. It’s important to point out that Funko is based in Everett, WA. Additionally, both Image & Dark Horse are based out of Oregon which is only a state away. I’m going to be on the prowl for graphic novels to add to my collection and I may pick up a Funko pop along the way.

To say I’m excited would be an understatement. I wanted to shout out Reedpop for giving me a press badge. As the convention gets closer, I will plan out what I intend to write about. It’s nice because when the show gets closer, I will start getting press emails which will allow me to plan out my days. I already booked my hotel which is 0.4 mile walk to the convention center. 2020 is already starting off with a bang.

Two weeks ago I took a solo road trip to Colorado driving approximately fourteen hours one way. Colorado was beautiful with the Rocky Mountains extending throughout most of the state. I have seen the Appalachians in Georgia, but the Rockies are extraordinary. I wanted to share more about my trip.

One of my childhood friends recently moved out to Federal Heights which is halfway between Denver and Boulder. As soon as I found out about his recent move, I knew I wanted to go and see him. I left on a Wednesday and made stops in Sioux Falls and Mitchell, South Dakota. Sioux Falls has Falls Park, which is rather pretty. In Mitchell, South Dakota, there’s the Corn Palace. The Corn Palace is a gigantic castle with a history of corn inside. It’s very midwestern which is part of the reason I stopped there. It’s corny, (see what I did there) but I had a fun time exploring the castle. Eventually, I reached Denver by 9:30 PM. I stayed in Colorado for three full days before heading back to Minneapolis on Sunday.

While in Colorado, we did a lot of hiking. I’m surprised at how much the altitude impacted me. I consider myself mostly in shape, but I found I was out of breath faster. The hike was a lot tougher than I thought it was going to be. I wish while I was in Colorado I drank more water. I had a tension headache throughout most of the trip which was probably due to dehydration and lack of oxygen. Despite the headache, the hike was breathtaking (I have got to stop with these puns).

The last hike we did was the Garden of the Gods. Garden of the Gods is located in Colorado Springs which is two hours south of Denver. Unlike the first hike in the Rockies, these rocks are bright red in color. This hike was less difficult than the one in the Rockies, but again with a mounting tension headache, I started to lose steam towards the end.

Towards the end of my three days, I didn’t want to leave. I had friends from college who had moved to Colorado as soon as they graduated. I can see why. My friend said I’m welcome back anytime and I might take him up on that except I wouldn’t do the drive again. Colorado was one of my favorite trips I have ever taken and I can’t wait to go back.

As a side note, Colorado is a geeky place. My friend took me to numerous amount of game stores, comic shops, etc. My favorite game store I went to was in Boulder titled Gamer’s Guild. We were able to sit down with the owner and his cute puppy. We even did a Throne of Eldraine draft on Friday night. I didn’t do so well in the draft, but it was still fun to experience the geeky culture in Colorado.

My favorite way to shop is to go to an independent or small business. It’s the best way to get to know people in the community, while also being able to use my limited disposable income to show which businesses I want to support. One of my favorite businesses to support is Cream & Amber which recently opened in Hopkins. I went to the launch with my friend and her husband where we were able to have a pint and chit chat.

It’s really convenient for me to order books. There’s an email form on their website if you want specific books ordered. They take care of the rest and send you an email when you can pick them up. I’m sure they would ship the order to you, but I like being able to stop in and have a coffee to take with me. I follow Cream and Amber on Instagram and they post good deals on used books.

Cream and Amber is not only a small business, but it’s owned by women! It’s not a requirement for me to support businesses owned by women, but it certainly is a plus. It’s also LGBTQIA+ friendly as well. Cream and Amber also has a book club, but I haven’t been following it enough to know what their October book is.

Cream and Amber is a book store I can’t recommend enough. Their customer service is fantastic and they make buying books easy. If I wasn’t going to Colorado this week, you better believe I would be sending them an email of all the books I need.

In two and a half weeks, I will be taking a road trip to see a friend in Colorado. The exciting part is viewing autumn colors, but also seeing a new state. Colorado has been a bucket list trip because of the scenery and the hiking trails. I have known college friends who have moved out to Colorado and don’t have anything negative to say. If anyone has ever been to Colorado and have suggestions for me of places to see, please comment below. 

With this trip, I have actively chosen to drive versus fly. The drive time will be thirteen hours one way. For some, this would be dreadful, but for me, I enjoy driving. I put on my favorite podcast and I have control of making stops along the way. It will be an achievement to say that I drove twenty six hours all by myself. I will say if I do make a return trip to Colorado, I will fly, but because I have never been, I want to drive the distance.

The current trip itinerary includes:

• Boulder, Colorado
• Casa Bonita from South Park
• Rocky Mountain National Park

In between my trip, I have been checking out Atlas Obscura for unique things to do while I’m in Colorado. I would love geeky ideas including escape rooms, comic book stores etc. while I’m there. 

This will be my last trip of 2019. This will allow me to save for future traveling in 2020. I’m counting down the days until I see the Rockies in person.

This past weekend, I attended Gen Con for the first time. Gen Con is a four-day gaming convention located in downtown Indianapolis. This convention encompasses several facets of gaming including board games, PC gaming, trading card games, RPGs, LARP (Live Action Role Play), and more. Detailing my experience attending Gen Con is difficult. It’s challenging to put into words how much this convention meant to me as a gaming geek. For those who are looking to attend Gen Con, I would highly recommend it. 

My journey to Gen Con started in February of this year. I applied for a press badge on a whim because why not? I was approved for a press badge for C2E2 in Chicago, so why not try it for Gen Con. My press badge was approved within a couple of weeks. Within a month before the convention, my email was flooded with board game developers wanting to set up a time for demos and interviews. I settled on two demos with Goliath Games and Games by Bicycle. To prevent this post from being incredibly long, I will write a separate post on the games I did “demo” from both developers.

After realizing I was going to Gen Con, I recruited my brother to come with me. I was already planning on driving to Indianapolis, but I didn’t want to go alone. Having my brother with me throughout the drive made it more bearable. We listened to NADDPOD as we drove to get hyped up for the convention.

Me and my brother chose to stay in an Air BnB versus a hotel downtown. Part of this decision resulted because I couldn’t find any hotel on Gen Con’s website with a room available. As soon as passes go on sale in January, hotel rooms are reserved. By the time I was looking for a room, I was coming up with nothing. Our Air BnB was about 25-30 minutes away from Downtown Indianapolis. One of my regrets was not staying right in the heart of downtown. I wanted the full Gen Con experience, but I felt that was stunted because we knew we needed to take a Lyft. We also had to bring almost everything we needed for the day because we didn’t have anywhere to store our stuff. This didn’t take away from the convention, but it made me realize what I want to do for next year.

When I first approached the Indianapolis Convention Center on Thursday, I was in awe of how big the vendor hall is. There are 30 ROWS OF VENDORS. 30 ROWS!? I was overwhelmed. How could I look at all the games where there are that many developers who appear at Gen Con? It wasn’t until after the third day of attending that I felt I had seen every vendor. I brought $300 of spending cash with me and even though it was enough for me, I could have easily saved more.

As far as the gaming, it’s extremely organized. On Gen Con’s website, I signed up for a couple game demos before the convention began. However, I discovered I could also buy generic gaming tickets if I found a game I wanted to demo, but didn’t have it in my schedule. I demoed an intergalactic strategy game, Lander which doesn’t launch on Kickstarter until March of 2020. I will write a separate post about game testing Lander. I plan on “kicking” the game once it launches because I enjoy the strategy of what the game has to offer.

Another reason I loved Gen Con was I felt I was at the center of board game news. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I played Lander which hasn’t even been released yet. It felt like I was getting a “sneak peek” of a game that hadn’t launched.

To end my post, I wanted to sum up the turnout of Gen Con 2019. Gen Con had a record-breaking year with 70,000 attendees. There were 19,600 ticketed gaming events, over 2,000 of these tickets were electronic tickets found on the Gen Con app. Finally, Gen Con took measures to cut down on waste that the convention produces. For their efforts, they prevented 24,000 cups from ending up in Indiana’s landfills.

Gen Con was a life-changing experience for me. I never felt more proud to be a gamer and to be in a place where I fit in. This convention is one I hope to attend again in 2020. Hopefully, I will see some of you there.

This was a tiring work week. I was working extremely long days which led to me coming home and passing out on my couch. The break from writing was much needed. I wanted to recap my sixth CONvergence. This year was different because CONvergence moved hotels from the DoubleTree in Bloomington to the Downtown Minneapolis Hyatt. This CONvergence was one of my favorite years I attended due to the change in the hotel.

The Downtown Minneapolis Hyatt Hotel was a perfect location for CONvergence. Since the hotel is located in the heart of Minneapolis, it’s easier to drive to. I ended up staying with a friend who lives slightly south of the cities, but we ended up taking an Uber each way which was convenient. It’s freeing to not have to worry about the status of my vehicle and whether or not I’m parked in an illegal space. This was the first CONvergence where I didn’t have my car on site and it was worth it.

One of the highlights of CONvergence besides the hotel was the accessibility to the gaming floor. In the DoubleTree hotel, the gaming floor was on the 22nd floor. To play a game, you had to leave the festivities on the main level and wait for an elevator only to get to the 22nd floor with all gaming slots being filled. Instead, this year, there were more empty tables to play games with friends. Additionally, since the gaming room was on the fifth floor, it was easier to play a game here and there while being able to return to the con at any given moment.

Finally, being in Downtown Minneapolis meant there was access to great food. There were many restaurants, breweries, and taverns located within walking distance. We visited the local brewery, Lakes and Legends, quite a few times. I may have been the only one in cosplay at the brewery, but I had no shame.

This CONvergence was one to remember. Severe con depression sank in the Monday I returned to work because of how great my weekend was. CONvergence is always a highlight of my summer and I always count down the days till next year.