Dragon Con 2017 - Thursday

Image: http://atlantafashionpolice.com

For the first time in several years, we opted to take Emily out of school for Thursday. Todd really wanted to go to Dragon Con Wrestling because they were having some big name wrestlers as guests. I was fine with that because going on Thursday gives me a chance to give blood without any other con stuff really going on.

We drove down that morning and spent a little bit at my aunt and uncle's house before I put on my American McGee Alice costume and we headed on down to the con. After a short MARTA trip and a shorter line to get our badges we had several hours to kill.

A couple of people stopped me to get my picture, including the Atlanta Fashion Police which was shiny. I love it when people want to take pictures of me cosplaying!

I decided that I wanted to give blood. This was right after the hurricane had hit Texas and right before Irma was going to storm on up. The blood drive was in the basement of the Hyatt and the line to even get registered was super long.

Todd left me to get blood and I waited and waited. It was moving from line to line. First to get registered, next to do the tests / forms with the nurses so see if I could give blood and then finally to a chair for the actual blood letting.

They were giving away 1st edition copies of Battlefield Earth to everyone who was in line to donate. I opted not to take one because they were massive and I didn't want to haul it around. I did take the snacky food they kept offering since I knew I needed it. I had eaten lunch before I went to give blood but extra snacks are good.

Finally after nearly 4 hours of waiting, I was in a chair and the nurse / blood collector person couldn't find a good vein. This is pretty typical for me because my veins suck. A supervisor had to come over and she found one, but ended up having another person come over and she got me hooked up really fast.

In total, it took me less than 10 minutes to actually give the blood. One of the fastest times for me, usually my blood doesn't flow as well as it did that day. I got more snacks after plus my t-shirt and pin.

Since it took so long, Dragon Con Wrestling had already started and the room was full. I tried to get Todd to answer his phone to come to the door and get me but in the end I just wanted until they let more people in.

We watched a little more of the wrestling and then decided to head back to my aunt and uncle's house.

Up Next - Dragon Con 2017 Friday!

Michigan Trip - The Long Journey Home

Image: cre8tivecookie.blogspot.com

This is the last post in my Michigan trip report! To start from the beginning, click here!

Todd and I got up bright and early to pack up the car. My mother in law was a bit afraid that Emily would have a hard time with us leaving. I snuggled her a little before we left but honestly it was probably harder for me than it was with her. She knew her cousins would be over to play later and of course, cousins are more fun than mom and dad.

After we said our good-byes, we got in the car. Todd started driving because he knows the fastest ways to get out of the Thumb. We stopped at the mall in Bay City. They had an FYE that was having a really great sale on geeky stuff. We got a few things and then headed back on the road.

Todd took the back way into Saginaw and we stopped by 7-11 to get slurpees. Because I was still very tired and because usually Coke in slurpee form didn't bother me as much, I got a Coke slurpee. This ended up being a very bad idea.

It was my turn to drive and I drove aways before the pain levels got super high again. I managed to drive a while longer until it got too bad and I had to have Todd take over. I felt bad but he said he felt fine and preferred to drive anyway.

I slept a little and then I stayed awake the rest of the way home. The rest of the drive was pretty uneventful and we were both very happy to get home.

It was a good trip to Michigan to see family even though it was utterly exhausting. Hopefully next year, it won't be so tiring!

Michigan Trip - Independence Day!

This is the 4th post in my Michigan trip report! To start from the beginning, click here!

After sleeping in, we plied into my in-laws's truck because it was big enough to hold us all. We had Todd, Emily and I, my mother in law and father in law, plus Todd's brother, Scott, and his son, Austin.

Our first stop was an ice cream shop. Now, the thumb of Michigan is a strange place. There can be nothing but farms and wind machines for miles. Every once in a while, you'll come across a place like this ice cream shop which has nothing around it.

But when we got there, it was packed. This place specialized giant scoops of ice cream. I made the mistake of getting two scoops (like I usually do at our local ice cream shop) and I couldn't finish it. Emily couldn't finish her one scoop. But it was yummy!

After we finished our ice cream we got back in the truck and headed off to Caseville.  Emily and Austin had a couple of activities to choose from, and they picked mini golf. We all got balls and clubs and started playing.

We kept score for a while, but because there was so many of  us we just stopped. Emily and Austin

had a blast and Emily even got one hole in one. After we were done, we let the kids play a little in the arcade.

At this point, I was starting to not feel so well. I had been drinking a ton of caffeine in the form of Coke all week and it hit me like a ton of bricks. By the time we got back to my in-laws house, I had a raging migraine. I went directly into the guest room and took a long nap.

By the time I woke up, it was dinner time. Todd's brother had made steaks on the grill. I was feeling a little better and was able to eat dinner. Afterwards, Todd and I got our things mostly packed up and Emily's stuff into her suitcase since she was staying for another week.

I headed to bed because my head was still hurting and I needed to drive some on the way home the next day.

Up Next - The Long Journey Home