Runs with Geex

Some people run with the cool kids…I run with geeks. That’s right, I hang with the dorky crowd and I am mighty proud of it. I am a geek, my husband is a geek, and most of my favorite people are geeks.

The dude wearing this homemade stormtrooper outfit was more than willing to take a picture with me and Jacob. Since Jacob is a
The dude wearing this awesome homemade stormtrooper outfit was more than willing to take a picture with me and Jacob. Since Jacob is a hardcore Star Wars freak I think he eyed this guy's costume rather lustfully.

Because the currents of nerdery run deep within our group, it should surprise no one to discover that some of us found ourselves at the Geex Expo, a gaming and electronics show, recently. Jacob, Jeremy Rowley, and my brother Drew were eager to check it out so we all headed up there for a Saturday of geekery.

This cosplay contest participant had one of the coolest costumes I saw at the show but unfortunately I am
This cosplay contest participant had one of the coolest costumes I saw at the show but unfortunately I am not nerdy enough to know what game the character is from.

The Geex Expo has videogame demos, DDR competitions, LAN gaming, and cosplay contests. It also has vendor booths for everything from anime societies to clubs that make their own armor. While we had a lot of fun staring at the geeks in their costumes, perusing the nerdy merchandise, and playing some old school StarCraft, our greatest source of entertainment turned out to be Jeremy.

I
I'm not sure why Jeremy resisted renting a wheelchair at first. He got to be pushed around, ram people's heals, and win pity prizes. Isn't that every dirty old man's dream?

A few weeks ago Jeremy tore his calve muscle playing soccer. This injury was mostly a result of him having weak unexercised muscles according to the doctor, which sounds about right. Jeremy was directed to take it easy on his leg for about a month but because he keeps getting too tempted to participate in activities he’s not supposed to do, like volleyball at Jason’s birthday party, his calve is not healing the way it should. Consequently, that boy’s been hobbling around slower than an 80 year old who just had hip replacement surgery. Jacob and I therefore insisted that he rent a wheelchair at the show for our sanity as well as his comfort. He protested at first but soon he was grateful he didn’t have to walk. I’m not entirely certain we did him a service though by making him get that chair. Having the wheelchair gave him the strength to play DDR at the expo more than a few times, which was definitely not something he was supposed to be doing. He felt more than a little putout that his injury would not allow him to participate in the show’s DDR competition and he consoled himself by getting his dance on before the contest began. He would dance a song and then hobble back to his wheelchair and complain about his throbbing calve but then a few minutes later we would find him drifting back to the DDR station like a moronic moth to the flame. I’m not sure why he felt so compelled to play DDR at this event given he has his own exquisite homemade DDR pads, which he himself claims are better than the ones they had at the show. Whatever the ill-devised reason, and despite mine and Jacob’s protests, Jeremy wound up playing DDR a number of times until his leg hurt so bad he could barely even stumble back to his wheelchair. While the thought of Jeremy’s idiocy makes me shake my head and roll my eyes even now, it did prove quite amusing and I’m sure it will continue to entertain as we make fun of him for it through the years.

DDR beckoned to Jeremy like a
DDR beckoned to Jeremy like a siren's call. For its sweet song and sexy arrows he happily hurt himself over and over again.

There may have been many snicker-worthy nerds at the Geex Expo either parading around in their World of Warcraft costumes or skipping meals and showers to play LAN games nonstop until their eyes were ready to riot but, in my opinion, nothing quite compares to the nerdiness of one Mr. Jeremy Rowley who completely disregarded explicit doctor’s orders because he just couldn’t handle watching other people do DDR without doing it himself. Jeremy’s actions may seem only borderline eccentric until you once again remember that he owns a perfectly good DDR pad that he can play with at home at anytime. Yes, it is that last bit of information that reminds us that Jeremy is not just your run-of-the-mill mildly-unstable geek but an uber geek. Feel free to nod your head in disbelief or snicker right now-whatever you feel is necessary and befitting-I feel it necessary to do both.

La Fiesta de Jason

Jason is a pretty fantastic man and as such he deserves to have a super fantastic birthday celebration so I always aim to make his special day as memorable as possible.

Jason got to open all his present while breakfast was cooking except his iPad
Jason got to open all his present while breakfast was cooking except his iPad- that silly thing came a few days late.

This year we both took work off on his birthday so we could spend a nice relaxing day together. We slept in and I made him Upside-Down Apple French Toast with Cranberries and Pecans for breakfast, which was pretty good but next time I make it I’m going to alter the recipe a tad.

This was Jason
This was Jason's birthday breakfast. It was pretty tasty but I have a few ideas on how I can make it even better.

After our leisurely morning we caught a matinee of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and then went to a sushi place in Salt Lake City called Takashi for dinner. This restaurant is consistently rated as one of the best in the city and I now see why. Yum. They serve a lot of unique fusion style rolls there that are loaded with spice and flavor. The best roll I tried was a vegetarian one called the Shiva; it was packed with jalapenos, shishito peppers, avocados, and cilantro and then dipped in a yuzu balsamic sauce. Try to contain your drool; I may not be able to contain mine.

Jas was ready for some fiesta style volleyball in his fashionable sombrero.
Jas was ready for some fiesta style volleyball in his fashionable sombrero.
Sombreros
Sabreros

The following day Jason’s birthday may have technically been over but the partying continued. I planned a little birthday outing with our friends in the park. I dubbed this event “La Fiesta de Jason” and ordered Mexican catering from Café Rio to feed the partiers: salad with creamy tomatillo dressing, fresh chips and salsa, pork enchiladas, black beans, lime cilantro rice, key lime pie, and tres leches cake. Muy delicioso! We ate a lot and chatted while we gobbled even more. No fiesta is complete without a piñata so after dinner we hung one from the playground monkey bars and let the kids go at it. After the piñata was successfully torn down and disemboweled, the adults gathered at the net for a couple games of volleyball. We played until it was too dark to see and then sang happy birthday to Jason so he could blow out the candles on his key lime birthday pie. It was a pleasant summer evening spent with great company and more food than you could shake a stick at. I must admit that when it comes to party planning I do alright for myself.

After all the kids had a swing at the pinata, we let the adults give it a try. It was actually my uber powerful (no snickering) hit that
After all the kids had a swing at the pinata, we let the adults give it a try. It was actually my uber powerful hit (no snickering) that brought that baby down.
The boys were living la vida loca at the party...
The boys were living la vida loca at the party. I think they needed to lay off the loca a little.

Although Jason, as always, had a bigger deal made out of his birthday than most people ever do, I’m not sure the festivities adequately paid homage to such a spectacular husband and friend…but I did also buy him an iPad so that should help make up some of the difference.

Jason only managed to blow out a small grouping of his candles on his first attempt. Pathetic.
Jason only managed to blow out a small grouping of his candles on his first attempt. Pathetic.

Sir Paul is Supreme

We went to see Paul McCartney in concert last week with Jason’s parents. This was his first time performing in Utah. I anticipated that this would be a cool show but it blew away all my expectations.

There was a nice open area by the porta potties that was a pretty sweet
There was a nice open area by the porta potties that was a pretty sweet place to hang out and enjoy the concert without having to worry about the giant sized man in front of you blocking your view.

Paul, though nearly 70, was just as energetic as he was in his younger days and definitely just as talented. His band played flawlessly together. They mostly performed Beatles songs but they threw in a few classics from his solo career as well. Paul also relayed some fascinating stories from his extraordinary life and sang heartfelt tributes to both George and John.

The performance of Live and Let Die, a song
The performance of Live and Let Die, a song featured on the Bond flick with the same title, was accompanied with fireworks. Pretty dang cool!

Sir McCartney was a great performer and really connected with his audience but what impressed me most about him was his graciousness. Although this man is a legend and an idol he was the most obliging musician I have ever seen in concert. Someone in the audience had made a sign requesting a song and even though it wasn’t on the band’s playlist Paul said that since they took the time to make that poster the least he could do is take the time to play their request. I’ve never witnessed a performer accommodating a request from their audience in a large stadium like that before. Paul also autographed some items that people threw up on stage for him to sign without complaint. He genuinely seemed to appreciate his fans.

At the conclusion of the concert red, white, and blue confetti rained down on the audience. It
At the conclusion of the concert red, white, and blue confetti rained down on the audience. It was a festive ending to an outstanding evening.
Paul was a cute, funny, quirky, and brilliant performer.
Paul was a cute, funny, quirky, and brilliant performer. His clothes almost looked like something he might have worn back in his Beatles days and he was so lively you could practically imagine yourself there.

Being in the presence of such a music icon was a privilege and it was very rewarding to see that he wasn’t just a superstar, he was actually a nice guy. The concert was fantastic and the man was fantastic. It was definitely one of the most memorable concerts I have ever been to and if he comes back to town I will gladly shell out the money to see him again.