Weirdly Frugal – 6 Strategies for Frugal Living

I am fascinated by shopping habits, financial spending, and basic consumer behavior.  I discuss this with friends, family, co-workers, and strangers.  And I have learned that I am weird, and my spending habits are a bit of an outlier.  Basically, I am frugal, but in weird ways that separate me from the coupon cutters and other stereotypical groups depicted on TV.6-ways-to-frugal-livingpractical-advice-for-debt-free-living

What I “give up” by being frugal:

We moved out of and sold our larger home with pool, hot tub, large back yard, and “extra” rooms.  We now live in a much smaller home that perfectly fits our household.  Our small home requires less furniture, less electricity to heat & cool, and less time cleaning it.  The smaller back yard has less patio furniture and a smaller water bill due to desert landscaping and less grass, and we do not pay landscaper or pool maintenance.  The smaller house is the most cost saving change and makes the most impact to monthly budget and unplanned expenses. Continue reading “Weirdly Frugal – 6 Strategies for Frugal Living”

That Time I Went to Phoenix Comicon and Stood in Line

I am a sci-fi fan, an IT geek, and I like to play dress up at Halloween.  I have never been to Comicon, or any con for that matter.  For the last several years many of my friends attend and cannot understand why I am not there.  So, this year I bought tickets for Comicon.  Actually, they do not sell tickets, you have to buy a Membership to gain entrance for one or more days. Fine, I paid for my membership and I am ready to explore everything “Con”, specifically Phoenix Comicon 2015, has to offer.

My guidelines and basic strategy:

I do not pay for autographs or for photo ops with anyone.  I do not care who you are, not gonna happen.

I do not wait in long lines for very many things.  Even Space Mountain has Fast Pass – totally worth it.

I really do not like crowds.  I love to people watch, but I prize my personal space more.

Authors Wesley Chu (middle) and Myke Cole (black Brooklyn shirt)
Authors Wesley Chu (middle) and Myke Cole (black Brooklyn shirt)

I attended a few hours Thursday afternoon and all day Friday.  Thursday I attended in regular clothes, then several friends told me that I would have more fun in costume.  It was not possible for me to have less fun, so Friday I wore a Steampunk outfit.  I attended several panels including science, costuming, and a couple SciFi/Fantasy author panels (the author panels were by far the best that I attended, and can be seen at BOOK events).

Star Wars photo ops
Star Wars photo ops

I walked around Mos Eisley (Star Wars area) and Lego displays, along with many other themed areas for photos. I waited almost an hour for the over-hyped 5 minute Zombie walk Friday evening (where there was little walking, Zombie security yelling “hold the line”, and play fighting).  I walked the entire exhibition hall, which is a very large shopping area full of comics, dust collectors, costume stuff, and other over priced items that I do not need to clutter my house. I ended up buying a few items for Renaissance Festival (2 vendors that do not attend AZ Ren Faire, but 1 that I actively stalk on Etsy).

Lego display
Lego display

Basically, I learned the most important/popular things to do at Comicon are:

# 1 Photos – People take lots of photos.  Pay to have their photo taken with celebrities, pose for photos in front of decorative backdrop, group photos with similarly dresses people, photos with SciFi themed props, and more photos.

# 2 Celebrities – Pay for photo taken with celebrity (#1 above), Pay (separate transaction, complete with separate line to stand in) for celebrity autograph, listen to celebrity in a panel lecture or discussion.

# 3 Panels – Watch celebrity panels (#2 above), attend various themed panels on a wide range of topics (most of which you can watch similar or better on YouTube/Netflix), run a panel (the criteria to run a panel is a pulse and ability to verbalize sounds).

# 4 Costumes – People dress up as everything.  I saw Harry Potter characters, Steampunk, Dr. Who, Super Heroes, Game of Thrones, Furries, and a crap ton of other outfits that I have no idea what they are.

Comic books and collectibles at Phoenix Comicon
Comic books and collectibles

# 5 Shopping  – Comic books, art, t-shirts, costumes, collectibles, and so much more to buy.

Action figures and stuff for purchase
Action figures and stuff for purchase

More Comic books
More Comic books
Long lines for an event that was overdue to start
Long lines for an event that was overdue to start

The panels and events were poorly managed resulting in long lines, and late starts for scheduled events.

This is my first, last, and only time that I ever will attend Comicon, and most likely any time of con in the future. Some people had fun.  Many of my friends look forward to this all year and have a great time.  Not for me.

Revive Spa JW Marriott Desert Ridge | Spa Review and Tour

Just like reading, the more your spa the more you know.  So, if I had little less spa experience, I would probably like the Revive spa at JW Marriott Desert Ridge in north Phoenix more.  Perhaps ignorance is bliss.

Marriott spa10

Continue reading “Revive Spa JW Marriott Desert Ridge | Spa Review and Tour”

Chicago at Gammage

Jack and I attended a performance of Chicago at ASU’s Gammage Theatre last week.  I have seen the performance a few times and this was Jack’s first.

Jack’s view:

Regardless of the production, I have mixed feelings about Chicago as a narrative.  This is a story bereft of a clear protagonist, or really any arguably positive, likeable, heroic character.  Should I be cheering for Billy Flynn, the sleazy lawyer who defends guilty, murderous women using “Razzle Dazzle?”  There’s a message here that’s intended to be communicated in all sorts of artsy glory by this lack of positive characters — something about how we’re all lying, cheating, self-serving sociopaths. Screw that.  The last thing I want to be reminded by 2 hours of escapist theatre is that I’m a terrible person.  I go to plays to forget that for a short time.

Fortunately, the unsavory lot of characters is redeemed by a wardrobe of skimpy, sexy costumes, hot bodies, and slutty dancing. Message:  it’s okay to be bad if you’re hot.  Damn right.  If there’s one thing that an audience full of miscreants and sociopaths enjoys, it’s some cheesecake T&A.

This production was enjoyable.  The chorus, costumes, and choreography were fantastic, and the orchestra impressive.  Roxie was cast well. Amos stole the show (as he should) with Mr. Cellophane.  The apparently famous person playing Billy Flynn owned the character, and the unique inclusion of the orchestra conductor as a character with comic lines proved a pleasant addition. Continue reading “Chicago at Gammage”

ASU Gammage Theatre

ASU’s Gammage Theatre hosts Broadway Across America productions, Awards ceremonies, Dance Troupes, and Musicians.

Inside ASU Gammage Theater

Gammage has a seating capacity of over 3,000 spread over lower level Orchestra and two balconies, referred to as Grand Tier (lower balcony) and Balcony (bring binoculars, it is nosebleed).

Seating is Continental style, with no center aisle.  Lower seat numbers are closer to center, and the higher the number the more people will climb over you to get to their seats.  There are very few seats that can clearly see the stage and hear the show thanks to poor acoustics.

Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the exterior resembles a fancy decorated cake from the side, and toilet bowl from overhead. Next time you fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) airport, look for the toilet bowl shape near the Giant A near ASU campus.

Continue reading “ASU Gammage Theatre”
%d bloggers like this: