Sew It Goes

On Sunday I did something I've never done before: I sewed a button on a shirt.

Yes, it's pretty mundane, but in a weird way it was a big deal for me: I successfully did something that was both practical and had intimidated me for a long time. For some reason, I never learned it back in Home Ec in junior high (or if I did, I had long since forgotten it). And it wasn't something I learned in Boy Scouts either -- you'd think we'd have learned at least basic sewing, considering it could potentially have useful application in both the outdoors and day-to-day life, but I guess obscure knots you'll never use are more important.

Anyway, I had a dress shirt that was missing a button on the front, and since I have to wear dress shirts most days for work, I wanted it to be back in the rotation, so to speak. I thought about taking it to a tailor and having it fixed, but then I thought "This isn't something major like having a suit taken in; I should be able to do this rather than pay someone to do it." Plus, I already had the necessary materials in a storage box in the closet. With a button, black thread, a needle, and a helpful tutorial from eHow, I was set to go. It took a little while, and it wasn't the most elegant sewing in the world, but it got the job done.

I think it's a good metaphor for a lot of things in life: it's something that seems hard at first, and maybe even impossible. But a little bit of preparation and research go a really long way, and before you know it, you'll wonder why something like this ever intimidated you. And the nice thing about confidence is that it builds on itself -- if you can manage to do one thing, you can do the next, and so on and so on (or is that sew on)?

Bonus Post: Scheduling

I've decided on a posting frequency schedule for my two blogs in order to establish some regularity and encourage myself to post consistently. As of today, this blog will be updated on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Hired Minds, my other blog (there's a link over there on the right; this is a fast post and I'm being lazy) will get new content on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. There may be occasional "bonus posts" like this one where I post on a non-scheduled day or multiple times in one day for a special reason. But otherwise, I will do my very best to keep to that schedule, and to that end I've already written the next post for both this blog and HM. So now I just need to think of something for Wednesday and Thursday...

Con-templation

Today is the last day of GenCon in Indianapolis, which is the largest convention dedicated to gaming in the country ("gaming", in this case, referring to board games, card games, RPGs, miniatures, etc). I went each year from 2000 through 2005, went to Otakon instead in 2006, and then back to GenCon in 2007, but haven't returned since then.

There's a few reasons for why I haven't been back yet -- we didn't have the best experience in 2007, so we weren't much interested in returning in 2008, plus we had taken a two-week trip to Japan earlier in the year anyway so we weren't itching for a vacation. In 2009, we still weren't quite up for it, plus our employment situations around the time when we would have needed to decide if we were going pretty much precluded any possibility of attending anyway. This year, I actually considered going back in late April, but the need to make the logistical arrangements so far in advance (due to the massive attendance and limited number of hotel rooms) meant that I had waited too long to be able to do it.

But now I am very seriously considering going back in 2011, even if I end up deciding (again) that it's the last time I go. I have a lot of great memories of GenCon, as it's where I've not only discovered games that I love to play and have introduced to other people (such as Apples to Apples), but it's also where I've met a lot of cool people and made new friends. As such, I feel I need to see if it is something I want to keep doing, or something I want to leave behind, but on a good note.

The Happiest Days of Our Lives

I just finished Wil Wheaton's book The Happiest Days of Our Lives, tonight after dinner. It's a quick read, considering I started on Sunday after my last post, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It consists of a selection of stories he's told on his blog, ranging from growing up in 70's and 80's California as a geek in the making, to anecdotes about his stepchildren as an adult. I think it's hard to do it justice in a short description, but if you're a fan of his blog, it's definitely worth a read. My only real criticism is that it doesn't work well as a stand-alone work in the same way that Just a Geek did (which I discuss here), so somebody who didn't know much about him already (or only knew him from his film and TV work) probably wouldn't get as much out of it. It works best as a follow-up to Just a Geek or a companion to the blog, and I think someone who reads it with that intent will find it very entertaining. Wheaton definitely has a gift for writing and mood, whether it be touching, introspective, humorous, or just plain crazy.

One of these days, I need to read his first book, Dancing Barefoot, which I haven't gotten to yet. If it as good as the two of his that I have read, though, I'm sure I'll love it.

What I'm Reading

I've had a lot going on recently that has distracted me from the blog, but I figured it was time to share what I've been reading over the past few weeks, since the first time I did that was a couple of years ago. So, here you go:

Get Capone, by Jonathan Eig. A nonfiction book about Al Capone's rise to power in 1920's and 30's Chicago, and the attempts by the government to take him down. I found the depictions of the Chicago of that era to be very interesting, and the next time I'm there, I'd like to visit more of the major landmarks and establishments from that time period. A little slow in parts, but quite thoroughly researched and documented, and a book I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in the subject matter.

Mysteries of the Middle Ages, by Thomas Cahill. I'm only partway through this, but I'm not sure where the "mysteries" in this book are, as it mostly discusses important personalities of the time period and how certain institutions and concepts (universities, courtly love, the emergence of reason, etc.) came to be. But even though I don't think the title is all that accurate, it is still a well-written and highly entertaining book. I haven't read anything by Cahill before and don't know much about him as a result, but if his other history works are as clever and engrossing as this one, I will certainly give them a try.

The Dogs of War, by Frederick Forsyth. I've been on a nonfiction kick lately, but I did get a chance to read this novel about mercenaries in Africa as well. Drawing heavily (very, very heavily) on his experiences in Nigeria during the Biafra conflict, Forsyth's novel is unique in how much detail he puts into it, separating it from novels with similar subject matter. The characterization isn't always very strong, and the major characters can be borderline cliched, but it was still a highly entertaining novel and made me want to check out some of his others, such as The Day of the Jackal.

I have other books "on deck" as well, the first of which is The Happiest Days of Our Lives, the most recent one from Wil Wheaton.

Weekend Update

As I mentioned in my last post, I was out of town for part of the holiday weekend at a friend's cabin. It was a lot of fun, and I've changed my mind from my earlier post where I wasn't sure of the appeal of cabins. Having experienced it, at least for a little while, I can see why people have them and like spending time at them. Sitting on the dock in the evening, relaxing and chatting with friends, ad hoc games of volleyball and ladderball, smores -- I totally get it now. Even the downsides like hot weather and bugs aren't enough to negate all the fun and good times.

This weekend has been spent watching the conclusion of the World Cup, spending quality time with my pets, and doing some cleaning and organizing around the house while listening to DVDs in the background (so far, Jonathan Coulton's Best. Concert. Ever. and the commentary tracks to Ocean's Eleven). I have a short week at work due to taking Friday off, so I expect to be quite busy for the next several days, especially when combined with a couple of other commitments in the evenings. So maybe I shouldn't work too hard after all.

The 4th of July

I'm heading out to a friend's cabin soon (ironic, I know, given my earlier post) to hang out, shoot off fireworks, and enjoy being outside. I've been looking forward to it all week. I don't get out of town very often, so I like to take advantage of these opportunities when I get them.

Have a fun, safe, and relaxing Fourth of July!