Get Out There and Live

Boy the month of October has been a busy one for me.  Every weekend has been booked and planned far in advance.  October 5^th and 6^th I competed in an SCCA Solo event.  For those of you who do not know, the SCCA is the Sports Car Club of America and one of the major sponsoring organizations in Auto Racing.  And solo is a type of racing where you compete one at time on a road course laid out with cones, usually in a large parking lot.  Cars are classified as per engine size and modifications made to the car so as to make things fair.  Then the cars are timed and awards given out at the end of the day.  This is a great way to get into motorsports which is both relatively safe and cheap!

On October 10^th through the 13^th, New York Was host to the NYC Comicon.  A great event if you are into Comic books, Cartoons, Video Games or any other type of pop culture.  I was there for 3 of the 4 days and had a blast.  I purchased some books I needed to complete sets and had a chance to meet some very interesting people.

 On the 20^th, I returned from one of my favorite places to visit in October.  Salem, Massachusetts.   They bill themselves as the “Witch City”.  We were there with some friends to enjoy the sights, sounds and of course the libations for the weekend.  If you have never been to Salem around Halloween, then you don’t know what you are missing.  The costumes are unbelievable.  If you can be there for Halloween night you will see some costumes that will leave you amazed.  Every year I see costumes better than the year before.  Unfortunately this year I could not make it for Halloween but the weekend before was loads of fun too.

On October 26 I will be attending the Photoplus Expo at the Javits Center in New York City.  This is one of the major Photography Shows on the East Coast.  My daughter and I attend every year and love seeing what’s new in the world of photography. 

What do these four (4) events have in common?  Actually very little but they do give me a wealth of ideas and experiences to use in my fiction.  Write what you know about, how many times have you heard that refrain?  It does make sense, and besides it’s fun to experience things in life.  So get out there and live, and don’t forget to write about it after!

NYC Comicon

One of my major interests and a hobby that I have been involved in since High School is the Collecting and Reading nay Appreciation of the Art form commonly referred to as Comic Books.  Beginning with that first issue I collected back in 1973 (Fantasy Masterpieces # 2) which by the way was given to me by a friend and which I still have to Swamp Thing # 23.1 which I just bought last Wednesday, I love my comic books.

The big event each year for me is the New York City Comicon which is held at the Javits Center in Manhattan each year in October.  This year it runs from October 10-13.  This sold out event has become so large that it is second only to the San Diego show in size and content.  Luckily I have had my ticket for months.  It’s an opportunity for me to fill some holes in my ever growing collection.  I collect some fairly obscure old titles that my local dealers just don’t have and I’m one of those “dinosaurs” that like to see and hold the book before I buy it.  In addition the prices at the show are usually good; in fact they are VERY GOOD!

It is also an opportunity to pick up items on the periphery such as statues, models, games, posters, etc.   I will certainly use the opportunity to stock up on bags and boards.  The Con is also a chance to reconnect with friends I’ve made in the hobby and hopefully make some new ones.  Part of the allure in any hobby is the people you meet.  Certainly this is as true here as in any.

The show goes for 4 days, opens on a Thursday (Industry Only day) and runs through Sunday afternoon.  I will be there on at least three of the days.  I usually stay away on Saturday as that is “Kids day” and there always seems to be a larger number of kids and strollers on that day then any of the others.  I will try to post some pictures after the show; there are always some great costumes and interesting Authors and Artists. 

Hope to see you soon.