Hangin’ With My People

It's been just over a week since my last entry – which is both uncharacteristic and miss timed. Following my appearance on Skeptically Speaking a week ago with a week-plus of blog silence is probably not the best way to build audience. (Thanks to those who had complimentary things to say about the interview – they ranged from complimentary to glowing... which was surprising and cool. Still waiting for a dissenting opinion. No doubt it'll come so long as I keep baldly calling myself an 'asshole skeptic.')

I've been preparing for a commercial shoot tomorrow. I don't really feel ready, but I also know that at this point the only thing I can do (and must do) to feel more ready is pack my kit wisely. Whatever creative prep work isn't done isn't going to get done and I'm better off clearing my mind of distractions like I haven't written in any of my blogs in over a week! My personal blog is probably feeling neglected but I haven't got a lot to say in it. The film's blog won't have news until tomorrow or the next day anyhow, and my TAM diary... well I really need to finish it, I'm just stuck.

So, a quick note here is going to be the trick to relieve my fidgety mind...

I'm sitting in the restaurant where my post-touring theatre career began. Cafe Deux Soliels in Vancouver. I did a weekly show here for about six months which in a roundabout way led to Beast of Bottomless Lake. And now – 13 years on – I live less than a block away. It's a pretty hippy neighbourhood – The Drive. I love it though. It has always felt like home – even when I didn't live here.

I'm was once far more earthy than I am now, but I always dodged the flakiest of the clichés. Today I like the friendly lovin' atmosphere – but I'm just not the granola-eater my neighbours are. That said, the 'hood isn't as granola anymore either. But this place has hardly changed. I don't come here often anymore, but I still have a fondness for it. It used to be a place where I felt at home. But as I sat here half an hour ago reading Skeptical Inquirer I got the distinct feeling that if I were to utter the words "Homeopathy can only cure thirst!" that they'd chase me down the street to my windmill with torches and pitchforks.

And here's the part where I bring it all together...

Back in July, those four days of TAM was really something special. I really couldn't fully appreciate until I was there that for four days the only mention of 9/11 Truth would be to laugh at its ridiculousness. Or that any conversation I had about skeptical subjects I engaged in would skip all of the varsity-level thought. Damn, that was precious.

Last weekend was Skeptrack at DragonCon. This weekend is the NECSS. It those are going to be our three big skeptical gatherings on this continent, I wish they'd be better spread out. (NECSS – you are the late one to the party, it's your responsibility to get some balance into the equation.) I missed them both. I tried to watch Skeptrack on-line but the stream was (sigh – I hate to say it) a disaster. TAM London has been sold out since the first five hours, so I can't get to it in the winter.

To make matters worse, Vancouver Skeptics in the Pub is delayed this month. Ugh.

I can't imagine affording to go to each of Skeptrack and NECSS in addition to TAM (let alone TAM London) but I guess it's time to start saving so I can get to at least TAM and DragonCon.

Damn... can't believe I'm making plans to go to DragonCon. It's been on my radar since highschool, when I played D&D. But back then I always thought there's no way I'd be caught dead there. That conference is clearly for major geeks! But it appears now that that is where I find 'my people.'