See you guys at PAX!

It's about 2:00am EST and we're about to leave for the airport. Grandma is ridiculously excited for this trip. Excited, and perhaps a bit nervous. PAX has sold out. We got our pre-reg packet in the mail as promised so we're good, but it's going to be a hell of a lot of people this year it seems. That's not the problem- the more the merrier of course; Long Live Penny Arcade! But I wonder how many apologies we'll have to dish out for constantly plowing through crowds of people with one of these.

First, she's going to get to see the Pacific Northwest for the first time in her life. I have been unable to describe it to her in a way that isn't hyperbolic or vague. She's got to see it for herself. You guys in Tacoma might think you live in a rather boring part of the world, but we're in motherfucking Ohio. One week in Youngstown and you'll thank god you a) don't know who James Traficant is and b) didn't grow up in a place where James Traficant is referred to as "an okay guy."

Or to put it another way, the woman who played Mrs. Brisby in The Secret of NIHM is from Boardman, Ohio. She's buried there. She killed herself. Will Wheaton was also in that movie and he's a guest speaker at PAX.

It's like really depressing code where a;Ohio="false"

Second, (yet most important), she gets to see a lot of awesome people. Annie is on a panel. (Hi Annie!) Tim Schafer is on a panel. Tim Schafer made Grandma cry tears of joy. After Psychonauts, I mean. We have to find a way to say thank you for what DoubleFine did for Grandma when she was in the hospital. It is a mission.

Blair Herter used to work for MTV, and did that first segment with Grandma that introduced damn near everybody to what she was about. He's cool as shit. Last time I saw him I drunkenly puked all over myself outside the Mondrian hotel on Sunset Blvd. Hopefully he's forgotten that. But he'll be there too! Not to mention a few people from TotalFark I know; some working as Enforcers, some experiencing the convention like us, and some who just love to get together.

If I'm not mistaken, I think Grandma said Vic is going to be there too.

This could be the reunion.

And all in the celebration of Penny Arcade.

In February, I really, honestly thought this trip would never happen. It was too far away, too expensive to get there, Grandma was too weak, it was too good to happen this year.

I also really need to stop posting now before I jinx the shit out of it for her.

Also! There were some fantastic comments in the last post we weren't able to answer quickly- but I swear I will when we return. As long as I can cram a Panasonic DVX-100b into this carry-on luggage sitting next to me, there will be a video too!

I'm probably forgetting something. If it's a toothbrush, I apologize in advance when you see us.

And if you see us, come say hey! Grandma wants to meet you! That's the whole point of these conventions, man. We all love the same stuff. Grandma is an equal there instead of a freak.

I need to find a toothbrush, now.

Game on!