Raise Your Hand If You Have Been Taking Yourself Too Seriously

Behold me as I return triumphant from my most recent excursion: a trip to San Francisco for the WonderCon with Joey Moore, Brian Young, and Nick Gordenski. I had many a good time and learned many a lesson.

I have finally fulfilled my life-long dream of getting drunk in a comic-book store while sampling fine cheeses. The owner of the store was throwing a party for the comic artists that were in town for the WonderCon (a comic-book convention) and Josh Hagler had been invited. I believe that we were serving as his entourage, a role I embraced. No, Josh (who had gone to Mountain Pointe) was working on a comic for Vertigo and was friends with the owner. So we were in.
Actually, I had to sneak in since I was the only one under 21. It wasn't too much of a James Bond operation; Josh went in and talked to the owner, the owner came out and told the bouncer, "Hey, sneak this guy in." and I was in. There was an open bar, but I had brought a couple of forties (Mickey's, of course) so I was good to go. I don't remember when we left, but I do remember finishing my last forty while stumbling down the streets of San Fran back to Josh's apartment (another life-long dream of mine.)

Oh, more proof that I have no idea what goes on in my head when I am asleep: The four of us slept in the living room of Josh's apartment, usually wherever we fell. I have been told that I snore and had warned my traveling companions ahead of time. "If I am snoring," I advised, "It means I'm on my back so just wake me up and make me turn over." Joey Moore had been paying attention when I said this.
Apparently that night I was snoring mightily. Joey wakes up, takes off one of his socks, and from across the room throws it at me. He told us all that upon being hit by the sock, I immediately sat up, looked at him, and said, "See? It's that easy." Then I laid down on my stomach and went right back to sleep. Well, at least I didn't try to kiss anybody.

I learned that a lot of places in San Francisco don't care if you're not quite 21, like the Sasquatch Bar, or the Italian restaurant where Joey and I had a couple pitchers of beer.

I also learned that the world is a small place, since I ran into Merik Woodmansee (a Mountain Pointe Theatre Co. Alumni) on the bus. That was groovy. He says he is doing well, and I believe him.

Again, it was very cool to be around people just doing what they do. Even the odder ones, like the two kids shouting insults at each other on the bus. One got off, and then the insults continued until the doors closed, at which point the kid on the outside began punching the door and broke the glass. There was also the bum we kept running into on the bus who must have thought our conversations were pretty entertaining since he would move and come sit closer to us once we got on. Erik Larson, creator of The Savage Dragon, humoring me while I drunkenly tried to tell him how much I had loved to his comics when I was little (I had prefaced our conversation with, "Against the advice of my friends and my better judgment, I thought I would come over and say hello.") Mistaking men for women and vice versa enough times to make me very wary when drunk and in dimly lit rooms. The guy in the kilt crossing the street. Heh, and being a minority again was nice. In Phoenix, one tends to forget.

Overall, a great time. I look forward to the next one in San Diego this summer. If you happen to be interested...