24 Years Of Makin' It Weird

Listening to John talk to an A/C repairman outside my office door:


John: "You ever see Charlie & the Chocolate Factory?"

Me, looking up: Oh no.

Repair Guy: "Uhh, yeah."

John: "You know Augustus Gloop, the German kid?"

Me: Where are you going with this, John...

Repair Guy: "I... think so?"

Me: ::abandoning all pretense at work and turning wide-eyed toward the door::

John: "That's what I look like when I shave this off."

Repair Guy: ::silence::

Me: ::horror::

John, cheerfully: "Yep, I'm 47, but I turn into a chubby little German boy without the beard."

 

This has been Life With An Oversharing Extrovert, vol. 12.


Also I think this photo series is worth a re-share:

:D

In other John-related news, yesterday was our 24th wedding anniversary!

(This was from last week, I can math, honest.)

In true Yates fashion, we stayed home and worked on DIY projects: give-away pins and stickers for Dragon Con this weekend. Tonight we pack, and tomorrow we leave for Atlanta! Dragon Con is always the best anniversary celebration, can't wait.

If you're also headed to Dragon Con this week, I hope you'll join us at one of the Epbot meetups! We'll give you a sticker or pin, a hearty fist-bump, the secret to laughing at trees together... it'll be good times. The first meetup is Thursday night in the Marriott at 6:30pm, watch my Stories or the FoEs Go To Dragon Con Facebook group for updates.

And everyone else, stay tuned for alllll the fun Dragon Con coverage. We hope to upload daily videos on the Epbot YouTube Channel, so be sure to subscribe there to see them as soon as they drop, plus I'll be uploading silliness along the way in my IG/FB stories.

See you on the other side!

The 2022 Dragon Con Survival Guide: New & Improved!

It's Fri-Yay, y'all!

And even better, after a too-long pandemic-y hiatus, John and I are heading back to Atlanta this Wednesday for the one, the only, Dragon Con.

Eeeeee I'm so excited.

We've been going to this con every year since 2009(!!), and Dragon Con was the only cancelled event I truly missed the last two years. Take the rest, but gimmie my dragony chaos crew. DC fuels me up all year, and feels like home in a way you just have to experience to understand - which is why I tell everyone to try it at least once.

Baby Jen's first Dragon Con, 2009. This was pre-Epbot! Also my first time asking for a photo with cosplayers, because Ghostbusters 4evahhhh.

And while I'm feeling nostalgic, here's my favorite photo from that first year:

Sparkly Edward Cullen & Mighty Mugs Chewie. Yep. That' about sums it up.

Anyhoo, so today we're revisiting my Dragon Con Survival Guide. These are helpful tips for newbies and veterans alike, plus it gives me an excuse to post some of my favorite photos from last time (2019), which always hypes me up.

PORGEOUS

To keep this entertaining you'll be getting a mix of crappy cellphone pics and my dramatic black-out portraits:

So if nothing else, I hope you enjoy the eye candy. :)

First, the Dragon Con basics:

What is it?

Dragon Con is an internationally known pop culture, sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming convention held in Atlanta, Georgia. It spans 5 days over Labor Day weekend, and prior to 2020 had grown to an attendance of over 80,000 people.


That's by no means the largest convention in the U.S., but Dragon Con *feels* the largest because instead of a convention center, it's held in 5 large "host hotels" and two shopping center buildings, all of which span several blocks in downtown Atlanta.

Because the con is spread out over such a large area, it's easily the most confusing and potentially stressful event you'll ever attend. Don't worry, though, I got you.