Attendees of GGC 2019, harken to me! For the brave, adventurous, and those who liketh to win free stuff, we have a fun side quest to be undertaken. Shalst thou accept the challenge?
Description: A young man wearing a headset and seated before a laptop proclaims, “this is my quest; this is my destiny.” Image courtesy of Giphy
Whilst thou art journeying through GGC, we charge thee to seek out Agents of GGC and earn their seal for completing various tasks.
The rules of this quest are simple–complete the tasks, find nearby GGC Agents, and have them stamp thine GeekGirlCon QUEST page in the GGC program. Each stamp will gain thee one entry into a prize drawing. If thou completeth all six tasks, thou shalt be rewarded with a GGC avatar pin! Present thy collected stamps to the good people at the GGC QUEST Table (located next to the Info Booth on level Yakima) to redeem them for drawing entries.
Description: a cat hovers protectively over a stack of carpets. A caption reads, “Khajiit has wares if you have coin.” Image courtesy of Know Your Meme
Though tasks may be completed in any order, they are laid out for explanation thus:
A seal can be earned by attending any panel at GGC 2019.
A journey to the Game Floor to play a game of thoust choosing shall be rewarded with a seal.
Attending any workshop or meetup shall reveal another seal.
A post on social media with #GGC19 wilst earn thee another seal from the good people of the GGC QUEST Table once shown.
For the adventurous and inquisitive, a seal can be found by conducting an experiment in the DIY Science Zone.
A last seal can be uncovered at the GGC QUEST table by completing the Con survey, for we sincerely appreciate any feedback thou hast to give. This task comes with the added reward of a GGC avatar pin!
It is prophesied that the drawings shalst be held at the SassyBlack Concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday, and at the Cosplay Contest at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Thou must be present to win!
Now, I implore thee! Go forth and quest! Fun, adventure, and prizes await!
Description: An animated Thor enthusiastically hoists his hammer, Mjolnir, and says, “let us go forth to VICTORY!” Image courtesy of Giphy
There are so many ways to start your GeekGirlCon ’19 weekend off right: double-checking your schedule for the weekend, making space on your walls for your inevitable Exhibitor Hall purchases, planning your look for each day. The list goes on and on.
The most important way to start the convention off right? Coming to the annual Kick Off Party, of course!
Get all the details below, and mark your calendars for an event you won’t want to miss.
Image Description: A gif of a person dancing in front of a light pink background. Source: Giphy
Where: Pacific Science Center
When: Friday, November 15th from 7:00 – 10:00pm
What: food, a cash bar, crafts, games, music, geeky madlibs, and so much more!
Why: fun, friends (new and old!), and general merriment! Let’s get the #GGC19 party started!
P.S. If you have already received your badge, please bring it with you to the party. If you don’t have your badge, you can pick it up at the party!
Description: An animated technicolor wizard plays with magic in his workshop Image Courtesy of Giphy
Ahh… fall is in the air! Which means that GeekGirlCon 2019 is rapidly approaching. With that knowledge, I have the distinct pleasure of unveiling to you the first peeks at our amazing lineup of workshops! Here is a sample of what we will be offering at this years Con:
Wellness for Geeks Who Sit by GeekGirlStrong
In our daily lives we often pursue activities in which we have to sit a lot ━ working at a desk, bending over a sketchbook, or getting lost in a video game. All that time sitting can take a toll on your body. Our workshop ‘Wellness for Geeks Who Sit’ is geared towards improving the health and well-being of geeks of all ability levels. Pick up a few techniques to take to your next RPG day and become the wellness hero you were born to be!
Foulplay Presents: A Murder Mystery Pop-Up Party
There’s a mystery afoot and we need your help to solve it! Come and enjoy an evening of deception and deduction to solve the who-done-it murder mystery of The Curios Carnival! This workshop is recommended for ages 15 and up.
Description: A group of well dressed men and women scoff at the idea of murder Image Courtesy of Giphy
Adult Lightsaber Choreography Class with Saber Guild: Kamino Temple
In this workshop presented by the masters of the Kamino Temple, you can realize your dreams of becoming a true Jedi (or Sith). Here you will learn the skills to wield a lightsaber in capable and elegant movie-quality combat. While this particular workshop is for adults and teens with parent or guardian supervision, there is also a special class for the younglings!
Description: A cat attacks a dog while dual-wielding a pair of red lightsabers Image Courtesy of Giphy
Space-Travel Puppet Performance on Interactive Stage
Let your child’s creativity reach for the stars in this workshop that combines the ideas of interactive storytelling and engineering! Make learning fun while using recycled materials to create a unique space adventure and a lifetime of memories.
Mini Battle Bots Workshop by Reign Robotics
We have all had daydreams about building our own battling robots (Anyone? No? Just me?). In this special workshop hosted by Reign Robotics, participants will get to build actual mini battling robots from mini-motors and toothbrush heads. At the end, participants can have a chance to show off their new little mechanized creations in an obstacle course or in a mini sumo ring! Whose mini-robot will reign supreme?
Description: Bender proclaims that something is “Neat” while snapping a picture of it. Image Courtesy of Giphy
Mystery-Box Game-Design Challenge
In this workshop, teams will be given boxes of mystery items with which to create a game! Working with tabletop gaming industry experts, you must use your ingenuity and creativity to make the best game you can. The best game will win a special prize!
Yes, yes we do! Description: A young man wearing a microphone headset and a sweatshirt featuring a cat asks “We’re gonnavdo some cool stuff. Want to be in? Image courtesy of Giphy
For those of you who love to play all kinds of games when attending a Con, I have some great news for you! This year the game floor at GeekGirlCon will be expanding! We will be featuring both video games and tabletop games on the third floor of the convention center.
It’s time to grab your squad and brush up on your trivia skills to win fabulous prizes! Join us this Saturday at Mox Boarding House in Bellevue for some ultra-fun trivia that has the added bonus of supporting GeekGirlCon! It’s not too late to get a sweet deal on advanced tickets.
Description: Buffy sarcastically apologizes for a pop culture reference. Image courtesy of Gihpy
Here are the important details:
Where: Mox Boarding House in Bellevue
When: This Saturday, August 24th from 2-4 pm
Tickets: $7 per person for trivia if you order in advance or $10 at the door; kids under 12 play for free
Prizes: First place: VIP passes to GeekGirlCon 2019, Second place: weekend passes to GeekGirlCon 2019, Third place: Super awesome mystery prize!
There can be up to six players to a team. No worries if you are a solo player; we can help you find a team to play with or you can be a team of one. Kids are welcome to come and play, and we will have special activities for kids who don’t want to participate in trivia.
Come show off your mad pop culture knowledge and trivia skills! We can’t wait to see you there.
Description: A masked character informs us that the correct answer was “Beef” Image courtesy of Giphy
Ready to volunteer? All volunteer staff positions are posted here.Need more convincing? Read on…
Are you counting down the days until GeekGirlCon? Do you want more GeekGirlCon in your life, perhaps all year round? If so, consider joining the volunteer staff at GeekGirlCon!
Image courtesy of Giphy [Image description: A gif from the movie Air Bud. A close-up shot of six boys stacking one of their hands on top of the other in a group huddle. At the last second, a dog’s paw joins the top of the stack.]
So, I have this cat. If I showed you a picture of him, you might think he is just a long haired black cat, albeit an exceptionally beautiful one, but you would be wrong. A picture isn’t enough to convey the silky softness of his fur with its subtle tones of red that shine in the sunlight and the few stray strands of white on his chest. Nor would it convey to you the depth of his absinthe eyes, dilated with playful excitement. No, a photo would never do him justice.
We called him Sophistikitty after this. Description: A black kitten lounging on a coffee table with a glass of white wine and a kindle while a fire smolders in the background.
His name is Loki, but he goes by many other nicknames in our house: Bub, Bublin, Mister Baby, Brother, and many, many others. Loki is the best cat ever! But Loki also has this weird habit—Loki sucks. Loki sucks on shirts, like a baby sucking on a bottle. He has from the minute we brought him home as a kitten.
At first, I was beyond confused by this behavior. I’ve had cats all my life but had never encountered this behavior before. After a few months, I grew worried and did a little research into the matter. What Loki does is called “wool sucking,” even though he almost exclusively chooses my cotton shirts.
There are several reasons why Loki might wool suck. The most likely reason, I found, was that Loki was weaned from his mother too early. This makes a lot of sense. When we adopted him, he was barely eight weeks old. I will always remember the day he joined our little family. It was the middle of July and it was stupid hot outside. We went to a local no-kill shelter in the height of kitten season. This shelter had kittens coming out the wazoo! Everywhere you looked there were dozens of baby cats ranging from 6 weeks to 6 months old. They had so many that they had to put up temporary kennels in the lobby to hold them all. I am a cat lady, so this was my idea of heaven and I wanted to take them all! I had gone into a few rooms to play with some kitties, but none of them felt like they were mine. Then I stepped out into the lobby and I saw him: a black ball of fluff with greenish-yellow eyes in a kennel all alone. I was done. Dazzled by cuteness and the instant cosmic connection, I told my boyfriend that that was the one. The shelter attendant asked if we wanted to play with him a bit to make sure we were a good match. Nope, I didn’t. I was completely certain.
Business cat is open for business! Description: A back cat, wearing a red and green plaid tie.
The people at the shelter gave us a temporary cardboard carrier and we put him in it. I left the top open while we did the paperwork, because it seemed mean to shut him in for longer than I needed to. He was so fearless. He kept popping his head out of the box to stare at my boyfriend and me. His shelter name was Jeff… It didn’t suit him at all. Then the shelter lady began to give us a rundown of his (brief) history. Jeff (Loki) had been separated from his mother at four weeks because of a bad upper respiratory infection, which is common in cats. Though he had gotten better, he had been kept in isolation so he didn’t infect other cats. He had only been placed in the kennel for adoption that day.
Can you imagine? This poor, adorable kitten had been taken from his mother before he could even eat solid food. He must have been so scared… sick and alone, with no other cats to comfort him or teach him how to be a cat. This separation and isolation may be a big factor in Loki’s sucky behavior. Not only did he still want to nurse on his mom, but it also provided him a sense of comfort in a new, scary situation.
Description: A black kitten sitting in a bathroom sink, looking at the camera expectantly.
I may have made a mistake by indulging his behavior. But how could I not? It was the only time I could get him to purr! And, this is going to sound weird, but it was like a bonding time for us. It let us get to know each other. And we needed each other—he needed a home, and I needed a friend. My house was often empty because my boyfriend was spending the majority of his time at work and school. I was also suffering from terrible anxiety at the time and, now I realize, Loki was too. So really, when Loki would suck on the shoulder of my shirt it was comforting to us both. The sucking gave him a new nickname—Oedi-puss.
I took Loki for a checkup at the vet a while later to get some flea meds and vaccines. I mentioned the sucking to the vet, and she assured me that he would eventually grow out of it. He did not grow out of it. It’s been five years and he still sucks all the time.
He doesn’t even notice… Description: a Black cat with cat litter coating its nose.
I can always tell when Loki wants to suck. As is with many males, when a mood overtakes him…he will not be denied. His eyes get very round, until there is almost no green left. His tail gets puffed up and he swishes it back and forth vigorously. He is already purring as he approaches me. This is a special purr—it has a trilling undertone to it that is meant to tell me that he needs attention now. It doesn’t matter to him what I’m doing at the time, it simply can’t be more important than snuggling. He will walk over whatever I have in my lap and hug me. He presses into my chest and nuzzles at me with his velvety muzzle. And then comes the noise. When Loki sucks he is loud! The insistent snuck snuck snuck fills the room and tells everyone what he is doing. His tail whips back and forth as drool spreads over my shoulder and his claws knead my chest and tummy.
For a long time we tried to discourage Loki from sucking. We tried to play with him, we pushed him away, we closed the bedroom at night. But no matter what we tried, and we really consistently tried, he would force his way up to suck. Recently my boyfriend and I decided it was time to give up the fight. So now when Loki wants to suck I let him. It isn’t hurting him to do it, though his claws sometimes hurt me. But I grin and bear it. I will wrap my arms around him and hold him close as his cat spit permeates my clothing. When I get right down to it, it isn’t only soothing for him, but for me too. Loki needs me like nothing else on this planet needs me. Loki may suck, but he is my fur baby.
Stealthy… Description: A cat attempting to hide under a bed, thought his back legs and tail are clearly visible sticking out from the dust ruffle.
Love pop culture? Love trivia? Love competition? Then you’re not going to want to miss GeekGirlCon’s Pop Culture Trivia Night at Mox Boarding House! Here’s everything you need to know:
Where? Mox Boarding House Bellevue.
When? Saturday, August 24 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Well, folks… it’s that time of year again! Time for planning barbeques, buying fireworks, and trying not to be maimed or seriously injured by said fireworks. That’s right y’all! It’s Independence Day!
Best Fourth of July movie ever! Image courtesy of Giphy
For many people, and in latter years I think particularly, the Fourth of July is a mixed bag of emotions. Everyone loves an excuse to have friends and family gather around to gorge themselves on Costco hot dogs, vats of potato salad, and luscious summer watermelon. The weather is (generally) pretty good in most places of the US, and it is a day off work for many to celebrate the bravery of the founding fathers.
Founding Father BFFs! Image courtesy of Giphy
But with the good can also come the bad… Political tensions are running high. Fireworks can often be seen as a nuisance. Perhaps you are a person suffering from PTSD, a small child scared of loud noises, or a pet fearing the apocalypse. Or maybe you are just a person who enjoys peace and quiet, which is okay too. No one likes being taken off-guard by the random whims of the neighbor down the street who only get the kind of fireworks that are so loud they rattle your windows. Beyond that, fireworks are expensive and are also a safety hazard when handled improperly.
Yeah, no. Image courtesy of Giphy
When asked, most people will proclaim Thanksgiving or Halloween as their favorite holiday, but I would have to say that the Fourth of July is one of mine for a very special reason.
When I was little, we were pretty poor. My dad worked a crummy construction job for a slum lord and my mom was a bookkeeper for a few small businesses. While my parents always made sure that we always had everything we needed, with three kids there wasn’t a lot of room in the budget for luxuries.
As an adult, I now kind of see fireworks as a symbol of literally burning money, so it is surprising to me that my father would insist that we buy fireworks every year, even if it was just a few. My town was small and there wasn’t a community fireworks show until I was older, so if you wanted fireworks you had to buy them yourself. I remember getting positively giddy when I would see the small Lion’s Club stand being erected in the grocery store parking lot at the end of every June. I would scour the couch for coins, saving up to buy my favorite firework, The Climbing Panda. As the calendar flipped from June to July, I could barely contain my enthusiasm, and sure enough, the time came to purchase our fireworks to celebrate America’s birthday.
I was the middle child of three. My older sister was a strong willed wild-child, and my younger brother always needed more attention as the baby. With young kids and working full time, it is hard to find one-on-one time with any of your children, but my dad made it happen for me every Fourth of July. A few days before the big day, my dad would scoop me up and whisk me away to the store to pick out the fireworks, just the two of us.
I would hold his hand as we walked up to the red shack, savoring the scent of gunpowder. It was so unlike any smells that I would encounter normally and it acted like a stimulant to my excitable mind. I would stand on the little wooden steps that the proprietors placed before the stand so that the smaller patrons (ie, me) could see over the counter. I remember emptying the coins from my pocket, carefully counting them out, and asking politely for a Climbing Panda. Looking back on it now, it is slightly laughable that the Lion’s Club would sell a small explosive to a six-year-old, even if I was accompanied by an adult.
My dad and I would look over the wares of the stand carefully, calculating out how many sparklers we would need. Ten in a box, three kids (plus some of the neighborhood kids), two adults, and at least one box of each color. We would pick up a few Roman Candles, some smoke bombs and ground flowers. Then my dad would point to a twenty dollar pack of bigger fireworks, and I would goggle at the fortune he was spending on something that would only last for a night. Twenty dollars seemed like quite a lot compared to my ninety-nine cent panda.
Once the sun went down on the evening of the Fourth, we would get to show off our selections to my family and the neighbors. We would pretend to be fairy queens with sparklers, and army commandos with the multi-colored smoke bombs. Pop-its littered the sidewalk as ground flowers glowed in their short, whirlwind blooms. Dad would be the lead technician, always stressing safety when enjoying fireworks. I would snuggle in a blanket near my mom as we watched the glow and pop of the mostly fountain-style fireworks, and most of all, my Climbing Panda. And in a whiff of sulfur, it was over and it was time for bed.
Now I am an adult, and my dad and I aren’t on speaking terms. Life happens, and the years go by, and all that other cliche stuff. Oddly though, even after all these years and everything that went down with my dad, I still get excited about the Fourth of July. I will walk into a fireworks tent, smell the gunpowder, and I am instantly transported back to being a little girl counting out sticky pennies to buy a tiny firework. And I remember how much fun I had with my dad.
Fireworks are kinda like life, yeah? An expensive and inconvenient nuisance that might burn you, but beautiful to behold, best shared with friends and family, and over far too quickly. So, things might not be great now–like my relationship with my dad, or the state of our country–but that doesn’t stop me from looking forward to better times. And when those better times come, I will appreciate them all the more for knowing that the moment is fleeting.
That is why I love the Fourth of July.
That’s America’s ass! Don’t let it get blown off by unsafe use of fireworks. Image courtesy of Giphy
Happy Independence Day everyone! If you are planning on enjoying fireworks, always practice proper fireworks safety! And please remember to be courteous to your neighbors.
Hey, are you going to ACE Comic Con? What a coincidence! We will be there too!
While there are many, many, many super guests that we are sure you are eager to see (Chris Evans, anyone?), we would love for you to stop by our booth and see what GeekGirlCon is all about.
Cap knows that real heroes respect and include others! Image courtesy of Giphy
You can learn about our mission, buy passes to GeekGirlCon 2019, and just have a good time talking to our delightfully dedicated staff.
ACE Comic Con is happening June 28-30 at WAMU Theater and CenturyLink Field and Event Center. See you there!
