Wednesday ended one month off from work for me. A month filled with Geeky Goodness. I went to the Galapagos Islands with the JREF, visited The Bad Astronomer in Boulder, went to Dragon*Con and got to hang with my Skepchick sisters (among others) and last night wrapped things up with the first ever San Diego Geek Bonfire.
Photos at my Flickr page, more after the jump.
Dragon*Con:
As MasalaSkeptic and Carr2d2 have already said, D*C was sublime.  The Skepchick pre-con meet-up was great, and I learned a joke I might actually be able to retell. The next night, Evo_Terra from Podiobooks & Soupbone hosted what might be the best party I’ve ever attended. The night after THAT I wore, in public, a corset, a kitty bell, and hooker boots…all at one time.
At the con itself I attended panels in SkepTrack, BritTrack, Space, Science, and Podcasting. The SkepTrack is what made me go in the first place, but adding the Podcasting Track to that made me fall in love.
I’m a dirty junkie for podcasts, I’ll tell you what. I subscribe to more hours of podcasts than there are in each week to listen to them. I was totally tweaked that I got to hang with some of the exceptional people who create the critical-thinking-oriented podcasts I love: Soccergirl, Inc., Geologic Podcast, AstronomyCast, BloodCast, Skeptics Guide to the Universe,  Point of Inquiry, The Skeptic Zone (formerly The TANK), & Skepticality. (If you dig this site, you’ll dig those sounds.  Some straight up science and skepticism, and some critical thinking that sneaks up on you as art in comedy form, or long-form fiction, or… well… Soccergirl. She’s a force of nature that one, and you just have to see for yourself.)  Add all that win to meeting Peter Sagal at TAM 5 and Kiki Sanford and Brian Dunning during the Skeptologists shoot this past April, and I only have Ira Glass left on my list. Made. of. OMFSM.  (And, since I loves me some linkage, now you have a handy primer if you’re not yet into podcasts.)
San Diego Geek Bonfire: This was the coolest thing. Gina Trapani over at Lifehacker (which you already read, I’m sure, and if not…dude, srsly?) put this together with Mitch Wagner from InformationWeek. I have only met Gina a few times, but I think she’s just the coolest chick. So smart, funny, friendly, and a person who actually gets stuff done (except maybe for starting fires with great frequency.)
Last night she threw a party for 50 or so geeks of any stripe: gamers, tech geeks, science geeks (that’s me), codemonkeys, Web 2.0 geeks (that’s me),  Sci-Fi geeks (that’s me), social media geeks (that’s me.) It was a great time, and there were even a sub-set of geeks who went for karaoke afterwards (me included. I’m a ham, people. A HAM.) I can’t wait for the next one.
Since summer’s over then, it’s finally time for… Drinking Skepchickally in San Diego!  Come on, locals, who’s in? I was thinking maybe September 24th, starting at 7:00pm, location TBD. I’ll be there, as will some of my new pals from last night. Let me know if you’re interested and where you think we should meet by leaving a note in the comments, or sending e-mail direct to me at [email protected].
Hope you had a swell summer too.
I love the name “Drinking Skepchickally”! I’m stealing it for Chicago meet-ups.
My only regret is that I won’t be in SD on the 24th.
so, by now, one of our genius readers has to have figured out how to rewind time so we can do it all again…and again…
i don’t think i’ve ever had a summer quite this good. thanks for being a part of it, a. i’ve really enjoyed hanging out with you.
I demand pics wherein you are wearing said corset, bell, and boots. Nothing else.
So let it be written. So let it be done.
I am the keeper of the best party ever. Too sweet.
@Rystefn:
I believe we’re expecting pics from you first! You show us yours…
Be careful what you ask for, Elyse… Outdoors in the nude is illegal here, but I can point at the ceiling just fine. ;)
Darn it, I wish I’d known about the bonfire.
@Rystefn: Hey, it’s only illegal if’n you get caught.
@MarlowePI: Yeah… I’m 1.9m and so pale I practically glow. Someone would notice, I think.
Yes, it is sad that we won’t see each other for a little while (working with carr2d2 to get us all together as soon as we can). You’re so made of winning awesomeness, and all I can do is thank you that I got to end my summer with you. ~Tim3P0
Hurray, I now know what three of my favorite skepchicks look like for real. Rystefn, are you sure that being naked outside is illegal in Texas. I know of a few nudist places. I’m hoping to run the bare as you dare 5k in Denton soon.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/arealgirl/2786105665/
Oh my FSM what in sam hell is going on here? HAHA!
Roflcopter.
Best picture I’ve seen in a while haha
@Gabrielbrawley: When I say “here” in this sense, I’m being rather more specific than the entire state of Texas. I’m a profoundly lazy person a lot of the time.
Rystefn,
Okay, I didn’t think of that. I thought you were talking about Texas as a whole.
Okay, so do skepchicks enjoy sex more than the female population as a whole?
Texas is a big enough place, there aren’t many laws that could apply to the whole if it, even if they tried.
It is a perfectly understandable mistake, though, since I tend to refer to my location as Texas without elaboration most of the time.
Only a thorough and complete test could possibly even begin to answer that question, and I’d like to sign up right away.
@MetalOperaChick: All I can tell you is there was a lot of meats and good food, some wine (although not for these three, I’ll admit) and, well, that’s all I’ve got, really.
Droids, you know I love, love, love you. The coolest people evar. And hawt.
Rystefn Oh, dear. As authoritative as that sounds, I’m not yet so under your spell as to submit to any demand you make.
And my sweet Evo, you might just be beat at next year’s D*C– now that I have a whole year to plan my costume. Oh, wait. That will be you and Mr. Bone too. Right.
Rystefn,
Ha, I think you know I wasn’t asking for a test. I was just noticing that it seems that most of the skepchicks don’t seem to be ashmed of their bodies or of the fact that sex is enjoyable. It seems that many men and women are ashmed that sex feel good and that the human body is a pleasant place to play.
I’m not asking to you to submit to just any old demand, A – This is important. You can tell by the way I ended it “So let it be written. So let it be done.”
<blockquote<I think you know I wasn’t asking for a test.
Of course I knew that. Why else would I ask for one?
Sorry, bit drunk, getting drunker.
Uhmm, that was directed at Rstefrn.an
I must say, that;s about the most creative misspelling of “Rystefn” I’ve seen so far.
ah fuck it
typo
Really drunk, shutting off computer, going to sleep. Really hoping for monster sunday. Come on writerdd
You all are so pretty, your smiles are so beautiful but eh omst beustiful bits ar your brains. Inteligence is teh sexirs part of any houme.
Soryy, drinking and watching john oicver.
And maybe in the repeat time, as far as d*c is concerned, I’ll attempt to join in on the fun as opposed to thinking definitely next year I’ll try, not that I had a bad time or anything of the sort.
@Gabrielbrawley, apart from the drinking bit, that was rather coincidental, I too am watching John Oliver, at least I assume that is what you meant by oicver. You should probably consider getting to bed.
Hurray for John Oliver, skeptic bunny commedian.
gabriel, you’ll probably be horribly embarrassed by it later, but i have thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments as you get increasingly smashed. lol
Carr2d2,
Actually I’m only a little embarrased. I’m laughing at what I wrote when I was drinking. At the time it made so much sense. Now I can’t quite remember what I was trying to say. Oh well.