Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008

PAX is coming!

The 2008 Benton Franklin Fair & Rodeo is over...and good grief!

I enjoy the Fair, don't get me wrong. But how many people actually go more than five days each year? I think people go a couple times, if that, and call it good.

In actuality, it wasn't a bad time. I got to eat tons of Fair food, which does bad things to a womanly figure. I ate Piggly Wiggly onion rings/deep-fried zuccini, around four elephant ears, two buttered ears of corn, one giant turkey leg...and probably some other stuff that I can't remember due to food coma. Gluttony...only good for special occassions.

The Battle of the Bands drew in a great crowd, which make Sara, the director, very happy. I felt bad when I arrived Friday afternoon and this chick in a golf cart asked me if I needed a ride over to the Fiesta Stage.

"Are you Sara?" I asked.

"Yeah. We've met three times."

Ouch.

This week I'm getting psyched for the Penny-Arcade Expo at the Seattle Convention Center. Penny-Arcade is my favorite web comic of all time - they are consistent and rarely ever late updating on mon-wed-friday. I've met the creators once before and can't wait to see them again.

The Penny-Arcade Expo (PAX) is basically an orgy of video games, table top games, and computer games. The creators of Penny-Arcade (Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik) were fed up with E3, a once booming game Expo (but now limited to 'invite only') and created their own. This is their fifth one and each year attendance has doubled.

I'll be following Beefy up there Thursday night, since he'll be performing at the High Dive bar in Seattle downtown. Then, it's video games, nerds and plenty of picture-taking at the convention.

My goals out of this trip are:

1) See/touch/smell Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik. Possibly get them to sketch me the Fruit F----- 2000
2) Play a really rad new up and coming video game
3) Get some awesome free loot from booth vendors
4) Buy a new gadget for my PS3
5) Get a humbow from Pike's Market.

I'm also going to interview some local Nerdcore artists - something they are more excited about than I am. It's cute.

Trips to Seattle are few and far between, so it's always nice to have something to look forward to - especially when there's a big convention going on as well. Last time I was in Seattle was for the Nerdcore For Life movie release, and that was a fun day trip that had me back in the TC by 5 a.m. Thankfully, this time will be extended so I'm not a zombie the next morning.