Monday, May 07, 2007

weekend

FCBD

How was your Free Comic Book Day weekend?

What? FCBD isn't treated as a Holiday in your home? You're an anti-comic-bookite.

Saturday we rose around 9:30, Jamie made some breakfast and we puttered around for a while.

Finally about 1:00ish we left the house and headed to Southside Comics where Ty pointed us toward the FCBD offerings, and then said "back issues are by the game tables. Oh, and if you want to look for more, they're in that room behind the yellow door."

So poor Jamie had to stand there for somewhere near 45 minutes while I rifled through the backstock Ty had put out, and then passed through the yellow door where many, many more boxes remained.

I found some interesting back-issues of The Flash, Green Lantern, and some copies of Kirby's "Eternals". All in all, I had quite a stack, and noted that none of the issues were actually priced. My plan was to have Ty put them somewhere safe, and I would buy the issues up slowly (this is how I got my run of Mister Miracle, some of Kirby's Forever People and an issue of "The Demon" featuring the first appearance of Klarion the Witchboy). Instead, Ty decided to give me the stack at a deeply discounted flat price, as he said, "I want to get rid of that stock and knock down that wall". Well, Ty's impatience was my gain. I paid literally a fraction of the value of those comics.

Next we headed to campus/Lamar for lunch, then picked up Pat Sanchez, and headed down to Austin Books to see their offerings. Austin Books had set aside a separate area for local comic creators to set up and hawk their wares. I bought two comics from a local artist whose stuff I found sort of dreamy and pretty. I'll be reviewing her stuff either here or at Comic Fodder at some point.

Pat picked up some stuff from two guys whose spiel was kind of annoying me, but he liked it, so... you know... they made a sale.

Inside Austin Books I picked up Adventure Comics 364, which features one of my favorite covers in all of comicdom. I think it may end up framed in my reading room.

Plus a handful of MORE free comics.

Typical of Southside, they had not ordered any FCBD copies of Steve Rude's "Nexus", which is slated to make a comeback. (editor's note: I DID find a copy at Austin Books!*). I missed Nexus the first time around, so I'm hoping they begin releasing the old issues in a format I can afford and not just the $50 HB editions (come on, Steve Rude!).

All in all, a fun FCBD.




COOK OUT!

And Juan Diaz hosted a cookout! It was very nice. Matt was back from Colorado, but is holding up pretty well, I think. I played fetch with Levi, met Juan Diaz's lady-friend, talked a bit about work with Pat and Matt, and generally had a good time.

Well done, Juan Diaz.

We shall host the next. Levi will be welcome.




Getting healthy, '07

Among many other tasks, today Jamie and I joined Gold's Gym. After having a less than satisfactory experience with Fort Fitness (aka: Lifetime Fitness), we've opted for the straightforward, more economical model of Gold's Gym. Plus, their equipment has the TV built right in. That's cool.

I've gotten really out of shape, which has led to an increasingly odd body shape which is beginning to resemble a ham perched atop sausage legs with floppy sauasage arms. I don't think it's readily apparent unless you're me seeing me in the mirror en route to the shower, but... man...

So, okay. I was assigned a standard chair at work in Day 1. A week and a half ago, I heard the chair's plastic arms (and back support) make a loud "POP", as the plastic gave away in one location, making the chair uncomfortable but mostly okay.

Wednesday my co-worker was in a phoen conference and I was quietly working on a schedule when a second loud "POP" occured, and the whole left side of the chair gave away and I yelled "WOHOOOOOOAAAHHH!!!" into her conference call as I listed severely to the left.

So Thursday afternoon I bit the bullet and asked for a "big boy chair". "This chair must sipport more weight than the average chair," I explained. "My girth is trememndous and must receive support or I will break the next chair."

Working with the office-runner, I found a chair in the "Big and Tall" section of the Office Depot website. "I'll have to check with Anne," Cassie told me. "We can't just buy a chair this expensive."

"We can either pay the money now," I warned, "Or go through two or three more chairs, and then end up buying my Big Boy Chair."

So it went to Anne, who runs Internal Relations. Anne looked a bit nervous. "It's over $100," she explained. "I need it approved by (The VP)."

"Fine," I sighed. "They saw my girth when they hired me. They had to know this was coming." Nothing like the cumulative effects of your fat ass drawing the attention of the VP. But such is the fate of The League.

Bear in mind, I share an office with two people, who welcome a constant stream of co-workers. So, yeah, any hopes of doing this quietly or on the sly were long gone as I had to explain to a great number of people (a) what the conversation was about, and (b) why i was sitting on the floor.

The good news: The new chair will be here this week. The bad news: Week three and already I'm breaking furniture.

Grande Ryan strikes again.

So, yes. I joined a gym today. Shut up.




*Editor's Note: Apparently Austin Books is concerned with customer satisfaction. Brad from Austin Books somehow found the post, contacted me and promised to set aside a copy of the Nexus FCBD book. THAT is customer service, Leaguers. I already picked up the copy on Saturday, and my poor grammar is to blame for the miscommunication. It was my usual shop that had no copies of Nexus.

I just want to point out what a class act they are at Austin Books. Three huzzahs for Brad and his shiny new sign!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had every intention of heading over to the comic shop around the corner from work on Friday for FCBD, but Maximilian had other plans for me!

Ah, next year.

Steven said...

Strangely in a parallel universe called North Austin I *also* wound up re-committing to the fitter life.

It's my opinion that the only reason the League is having this issue is due to a severe lack of Raiding, Pillaging, and, later, Russian Resistance in his life that was the primary exercise for his ancestors.

Nothing is quite as slimming hopping out of a longboat with a heavy two handed axe looking for something to pillage, ransom, or cleave twain while wearing the height of Scandinavian fashion: furs.

In the past I've tried to manhandle fitness with overpowerful discipline, this time I'm doing it out of a place of patience and evolution, I hope you do the same!

See you round,

Steven

The League said...

I have often bemoaned the fact that my build would have served me well if I had been born during an era more appropriate to my body's natural gifts. Yes, I think I would have made a phenomenal wielder of a twenty pound head-lopping axe, and looked good in a bowl shaped pewter helmet adorned with little dragons. But disappointment at my degenerating body is the fate of the big man in this era of technology rather than looting.

I recall during one of my post-graduation moments when my career prospects were looking especially dim complaining that a man could no longer merely throw a mace and a broadsword into a bundle and seek his fortune. This was man's option for centuries, and only recently has this option been cruelly ripped from our hands.

We shall see if I am still round when next you see me after my trips to the gym.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of zany annual events which everyone loves, where the eff are the Mellies?

Steven said...

Well your natualy League-ish shape was certainly beneficial when moving heavy effing cabinet lo these months ago, so I'm glad you didn't go this Richard Simmons route before then.


Eh, well I said I would build up an app to help with that and I did draft one. Regrettably a lot of real life has intervened for me. I want to get back to it shortly, but it'll have to wait until i finish my finals this week.

And as for seeing you round, that was a cunning misuse of a non-slight to become so. Well played.

Although i must ask, will your sphereonym be upset should you become super svelte: "ModestlyRotundBall" doesn't have quite the ring to it.

Anonymous said...

I a noticing a trend here: Make critical observations of a local business = receive offer of free stuff from said business.

Might I beg the League to craft a post severely ripping Mack Brown for the lack of affordable 50 yard line football seats for members of the U.T. liberal arts class of 1997 ? I will live for a year in a house built of Pez if Mack Brown comes through with that offer.

Peabo

The League said...

It would be awkward to see me stopping by everyday and then chewing on the banisters...

I will see what I can do.

I am fascinated by the blogger/Google ranking connection that is leading to these sorts of hits.

honestly, the way Austin Books is run, I'm not at all surprised that they were willing to do a customer a solid. It's a unique comic shopping experience as far as what I've seen.