moosh in indy.

August 16, 2009

Oh sweet sweet Gen Con. A time when boys (and girls) of all ages come from the depths of their parents basements to spend fleeting moments in the August sunshine if only to travel from their hotel to the Indianapolis Convention center.

Gen Con is for gamers. World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, Heroscape.

Gen Con also smells of body odor and feet.

There’s not much I can say about Gen Con that the pictures don’t convey except that every August since moving here Gen Con has given me a sweet calm assurance that no matter how geeky I get on the Internet there will always be those who outgeek me. And outstink me.

Are you amazed? Think I’m a little mean saying these boys don’t get out much?

Well check this.

OH HAI? DUDE? CAMERA IS UP HERE! HELLLOOO??? THOSE AREN’T YOOOURRSS!!!

HELLO?

THIS CAMERA TAKES PEEEEKCHUUUUREEESSSS!!! FROZEN IN TIIIIME!!!

*ahem* Gen Con rocks. Hard.

(And thanks to everyone who went with me. I’m so glad I was able to share such a marvel with you.)

Comments off.

And you’re NOT a geek?

Casey Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:41 pm

@Neil, Do you see me in a gold bikini and big side buns?

Avitable Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:51 pm

@Casey, and now I have a mental image that will never ever ever go away.

Oh wow. yeah, i know I don’t feel so geeky anymore.

Casey Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:42 pm

@Kellie, These guys make those drum line guys with their plumes look really normal.

You know what I love most about these pictures? How you just rocked your Casey-ness and dressed like your normal everyday self amdist all the cartoony-ness of it all! You go geek girl!

Casey Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:42 pm

@Jill, I stood out, that’s for sure. We all did. But thankfully everyone was pretty focused on their GAMES!

Oh, wow! That is the greatest picture of the entire weekend. Hands down!

Casey Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:43 pm

@Heather, I think you mean eyeballs down.

You’re as adorable as always, but I would be more convinced of your geekdom if you shared any breaking or shocking gaming news released at the con!

If you’ll be going back, be sure to stop by the Out of the Box company stall (they’re the people who created the now-famous Apples to Apples, among other things). Those guys rock. Also, their game Basari rocks.

Also, especially interested in any squee-ing about the new Star Wars MMO that is replacing Galaxies. Or any news from Turbine about LOTRO.

Casey Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:43 pm

@Della, Oh dear. I just go to people watch. Srsly.

PS, the DnD mmo sucks.

Casey Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:44 pm

@Della, People watching Della. PEOPLE WATCHING.
Heh.

And Gen Con stands for? Sorry, totally ignorant of any gathering that includes R2D2.

Casey Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 10:45 pm

@thegypsymama, I dunno? Geek maybe? Never bothered to ask.

Heather Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 11:20 pm

@Casey, I just realized I also have no idea what the Gen part stands for. Whew! Not as geeky as I had feared after all that squeeing over R2 and the Stormtroopers.

Al_Pal Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 9:32 pm

I’m assuming Gen is General, as in a General Convention, as opposed to one specific fandom or genre.

Ok, so I totally had to call the husband over to see this and he was able to name most of who these people were suppose to be, lol.
Yes, I know WOW language in this household, lol

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:05 pm

@Midwest Mommy, Plz edukate. I only know Storm Trooper.

I don’t quite understand what joy you get out of going? Is it the costumes? Because even I can’t stand cons – the odor and the glare off of sweaty acne-ridden nerd faces makes me retch just thinking about it.

Have I mentioned that I hate people?

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:06 pm

@Avitable, And yet you had no problem at BlogHer.
Does that mean you do not think of women as people?
HUH? AVITABLE?

oh just laughing and laughing…someone I know was tagged on Facebook as being there (and not in our little group)–I’ll have to ask him if he noticed a group of civilans walking through Saturday afternoon. Great photo expose, Casey!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:07 pm

@Michelle, I’m finding out there were A LOT of people there. I have a feeling they hid when they saw me and my camera coming.

I really don’t need to go to GenCon as it is mini GenCon everyday at my house. *sigh* Thank goodness the last baby was a girl. Now I can have a little pink to offset all the lightsaber gray and warcraft cloak brown that dominates my environment.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:08 pm

@Lizz B, Until she discovers the pirate wench costume. There were way too many to count.

That last picture is priceless.

p.s. love your hair!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:08 pm

@Overflowing Brain (Katie), Aww, that’s like laziest hairstyle ever in my world! Thanks!

Oh dear. I scrolled down with my breath held, because MY HUSBAND was at GenCon this weekend and I feared seeing him in some embarrassing regalia.

What do you call a gamer dork’s wife? I don’t know, I might be the first one.

Della Reply:
August 16th, 2009 at 11:59 pm

@all things BD, first one, HA. WoW Widow is the most common of the terms that comes to mind…

What do you call a gamer dork’s gamer dork wife? Thaaaaat would be me.

My husband and I first met “in” the Star Wars online game world. (Back before they nerfed it.) (which means “made it be a weenie.”) One of our first dates was to attend the Star Wars IV convention there in Indy (we each flew in from out of town and met up there).

Long story short, we dated long distance for several months, then I moved to TX to date IRL to see if it would work out, and yep! ~6mo later he proposed… on the 1 year anniversary of the day our characters “got married” in the star wars game. awww. We had a normal wedding, don’t worry, although the pastor was relaxed enough to allow us to use … http://blip.fm/~bty4e … as our recessional music.

Someday I guess I’ll have to blog about it.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

@Della, Hi. Leaving your geek all over my post again?

Della Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 10:25 pm

@Casey,

…. you started it!

(ps… you inspired me. http://daily-della.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-suppose-you-really-ought-to-know.html)

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:09 pm

@all things BD, I’m keeping the picture of your husband as blackmail. *ahem*

That is awesome! Guy totally checking out your rack! Niiiiice.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:09 pm

@michelle, He has good taste, what can I say?

I’m just wondering how I would explain that type of conference to my girlfriends and neighbors if I called BlogHer a writing conference. Heh.

You look lovely, as always, and look to be having loads of fun.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:10 pm

@OHmommy, Yeah, there’s no intelligent word for such a conference.
Really, not at all.

Looks like you made a good impression, I’ll be looking for a likeness of you in upcoming fantasy games.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:11 pm

@Rick, Apparently there already is. Hobbits, they’re all the rage.

Had I known ya’ll were going (and i tried to get word to Heather when I saw she was there), I could have gotten you a behind the scenes tour of True Dungeon- the “live action” Dungeons and Dragons game. My husband is a Dungeon Director. Yep. I live in Geekville. Sah-weet!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:11 pm

@Eternal Lizdom, OMG, you MUST get me in next year! OH PLEASE OH PLEASE!

And to show how my life has been touched by geekiness…

GenCon started at Lake Geneva, WI. Hence the “Gen.” And Con is just for conference.

“THIS CAMERA TAKES PEEEEKCHUUUUREEESSSS!!! FROZEN IN TIIIIME!!!”
And the LADY in the PEEEEKCHUUUURE is going to POST it on TEH INTERWEBZ for THOUSANDS of people to see. Way to go, dude.

I had a blast hanging out with you, even if I did let it slip that, yes, I understood perfectly everything that was going on at GenCon. I’m a huge dork.

Great pictures!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:22 pm

@joanna, Going with geeks makes the other geek so much more enjoyable. Which is why the whole weekend pretty much rocked.

I can’t decide which photo is my favourite: tranny Zena or letchy wizard dork.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:12 pm

@SciFi Dad, Tranny Xena was by far my favorite.
I didn’t get a single element of her (him? it?)

doh. Xena. damn typos.

These are the funniest pictures I have ever seen. It looks like you had a great time. Thanks for the laugh.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:13 pm

@Sarah, Just wait until next year! I get better and better every year at my stealth.

Maybe he’s just eyeing your necklace?

/nah

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:13 pm

@whall, See, I could say something about pearl necklaces here, but really? That wouldn’t help my cause AT ALL.

HILARIOUS.

I think my husband just got a bit cooler.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:14 pm

@Must Be Motherhood, My husband is the manliest man I know after such an afternoon of gallavanting.

Yay for that post! I could not stop laughing after I took that picture. I’m going to pretend he was actually admiring the beautiful person you are within rather than um, gazing at your lady-ness. Did the Storm Trooper ask you to touch his hose, too?

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:14 pm

@Cherie, He told me to “excuse his hose” OH THE HUMOR THESE FELLOWS HAVE!

Maybe he was just checking out your necklace.. Maybe? Yeah, probably not. heh

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:15 pm

@C @ Kid Things, It does get lots of compliments! Yeah. Not.

We had the pleasure of smelling some of the Gen-Con conventioneers at Circle Center mall on Friday. Having attended the State Fair earlier that day, I can assure you that the Gen-Consters smell WORSE than the Carnies, God Bless ‘em. And that’s saying something.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

@Lizzy, The pigs beat out gen con in smell, and tact apparently judging by the last pictures.

Thanks for dragging me along with you! It was an experience I will never forget!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:16 pm

@Briana, I’m all about the bargain life experiences, and this? Is one of the best.

I was jealous last year. Still jealous this year…apart from smelling feet. EGH.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:17 pm

@Em, Yeah, you have to do some serious mouth breathing in some hallways.

I am deeply saddened that you didn’t let me know you were there. I spent three days there wadding through the BO and Feet smell to play some fun games. Yeah GEN CON!!!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:17 pm

@Jamison Hemmert, Oh Jamison. To think, I could have married you.
Good thing I can still make endless amounts of fun of you despite the fact.

Jamison Hemmert Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:20 pm

@Casey,
Hilarious!!

I naively headed down town to run a few “quick” errands on Friday… you are so much braver than me!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:18 pm

@Erika, Do you think geek rubbed off on your belleh?

Wow. WOW.

I’ve never been to Gen Con, but I’ve gone several times to DragonCon. I had a blast, I even dressed up (sort of) one year. I can’t wait for a chance to go back again.

Wookies and Storm Troopers are the BEST!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:18 pm

@Lesha, I feel cheated that I was denied the presence of a wookie.

We hit Origins every year in Columbus. It would be my husband’s wet dream to live in Indy and be able to attend GenCon…I’m sure we’ll end up there in the next few years!

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:19 pm

@Kelley, I love this city. I love even more that there are geek conventions all over the nation.

[...] hanging with people I adore, great bloggers I’d never met in real life and all new friends, documented much more efficiently by fabulous people who are not [...]

ZOMG! I love nerds! It always amazes me how there are nerds of all shapes, sizes, and ages. For instance, who would look at that older biker-looking fellow and think, “that guy is totally going to a Con this weekend dressed as a Gamorrean.”

PS. You should totally submit that last photo to http://pwnedoncamera.com.

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

@Grizzly Kitteh, teh kitteh speeks teh geeks!

So, not a good place to get a date? At least he would be grateful

Casey Reply:
August 17th, 2009 at 8:21 pm

@indyfashbash, Oh honey. Any one with a pulse could probably find a date at Gen Con. You know, for after it was over of course. Unless you wanted to play cards together.

That last one is PRICELESS! And Xena? Scared. of. her. I love people watching too. I could just bring a bag of popcorn and stay the day for that kind of show. Getting your rack ogled would just be icing on the cake.

*grin*
Geeks are awesome.

Casey – it is so hilarious that you posted this because not ten minutes ago I saw this news story here in Utah about gamers gone wrong: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=7580362

This is awesome. That would be the best people watching event EVER. You’re lucky, and I’m jealous.

Oh my stars. Casey, how could I have neglected blog reading for so long? THIS is what I’m missing!!!! Thank you dear, for the smile. P.S. Thought of you yesterday…. dancing for my attention last year at the State Fair. My girls asked me if I remembered “the little girl with curly hair” that we went with last year. Yep. I do. ;-D

I’m so SAD I missed out on seeing you! Camp Grandma had an early closing policy, so we had to be back in Columbus by 6pm.

The people watching was fun, though. Looks like you missed seeing the blue girl from some sci-fi game I’ve never heard of.

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