Hey guys, what a crazy week this has been! One thing that really stood out to me this week was the...
What It’s Like to Get Ready for Dragon Con… Again
You know those weeks where it feels like everything’s happening all at once—school starting, travel plans looming, pets doing their best to give you a heart attack, and of course, car problems that just won’t quit? That’s been our week.
As we count down to Dragon Con, here’s a peek at the chaos, comedy, and cuddles going on in our world.
This week marked the official start of the school year for both of our boys. It’s a little bittersweet, but mostly just sweet. There’s a tradition they’ve kept for years now—they take a first-day photo and send it to Holly. I don’t know if it’s their favorite part of the year, but they do it happily (or at least willingly), and that’s what counts.
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Noah is heading into his second year of law school.
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Sam is starting his senior year of undergrad.
They’re both at High Point University, which we’ve been extremely happy with. It's been the right fit academically and socially—just one of those decisions that worked out well. And while they’re both enjoying school, I can tell they’re starting to feel that itch most college students get toward the end—ready to graduate, get to work, and start making some money.
You can almost hear it in their voices when they talk about classes: "It’s great, but I’m ready to be done."
Meanwhile, back at home, Luna has been on a kick.
Our sweet little pup has decided that a narrow mulch-covered ledge along the edge of the pool is now her personal racetrack. To be clear, this ledge is just a few feet wide and sits right before a retaining wall that drops off to our lower yard.
Now, I don’t know how she decided that was the place to run laps, but she’s made up her mind. She sprints back and forth like she’s training for some kind of backyard Olympics. And every time she does, I find myself holding my breath because one wrong step and she’s over the edge.
Funny enough—or scary enough, depending on how you look at it—our house sitter got a front-row seat to this new habit while we were out of town. She called Luna from the bottom of the yard, and without hesitation, Luna just jumped. Off the ledge. Right down to her. Like a superhero.
She landed just fine—no limp, no bruise, no scratch. But it scared the daylights out of our sitter. And when Holly and I heard about it? We were just as rattled.
Luna, of course, was completely unbothered. She trotted away like, “What’s the big deal?”
Now, let’s talk about Sam’s car. If you’ve been following along, you might remember that it got wrecked back in May or June. After what felt like an eternity, we finally got it back from the shop. But since then, it’s been one thing after another.
First, the battery died. Okay, no big deal. It happens.
Then came a manifold issue, which was more serious. And just when we thought that was resolved, we got another repair estimate this week for even more problems. I opened that email and audibly said, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
I know this happens to other people too—when one car repair spirals into a whole series. It’s like the car waits until you're relaxed and then throws up another surprise bill.
Honestly, at this point, it feels like the car has cost more in repairs than it's worth. But of course, Sam needs it to get around, so what are you going to do? Keep fixing it and sigh deeply every time the phone rings from the mechanic, I guess.
For those who don’t know, Dragon Con is our big annual trip—it takes place over Labor Day weekend in downtown Atlanta, and it’s Holly’s vacation of the year. It's like Atlanta’s version of Comic-Con, complete with costumes, panels, and people-watching for days.
Last year, I think attendance was around 85,000 people. Before COVID, it could hit over 110,000, though I suspect some of that number came from the Saturday parade—which is worth checking out on YouTube, by the way. Just search “Dragon Con parade” and you’ll see what I mean.
Anyway, Holly’s been deep in packing mode. Several tubs worth of costumes, accessories, shoes, you name it. That’s her process, and she sticks to it.
Me? Let’s just say I’m more of a “throw stuff in a bag 24 hours before we leave” kind of guy.
We’ve figured out how to make our differences work over the years. She packs early, I scramble at the last minute, and somehow we both end up at the same destination with everything we need.
This year I’m pulling out my 300 Spartan costume again, which I love. But in a dress rehearsal earlier this week, one of the brooches that pins the cape broke off. Of course, it’s not a costume emergency unless something breaks the week before you leave. So we’re on a mission now to superglue it back—or tap one of our friends who’s good with cosplay repairs if it doesn’t hold.
In a completely unrelated but funny moment—while we were out, I spotted a golf cart painted in black and red. My immediate thought was: “Wow, someone really went all in on a Deadpool theme.”
But nope—it was just a big-time Arkansas Razorbacks fan.
I guess after watching the Deadpool movies, I’ve trained my brain to associate black and red with comic book mischief, not SEC football.
In between all the family and pet drama, I also flew up to Charlotte for a quick shoot—just some video content. Landed, shot, flew back. Fast and efficient. Not much to report, other than the fact that I packed that morning and still managed to forget zero things, so I’m calling that a win.
I mentioned it before, but it still makes me laugh—the difference in how Holly and I pack.
She’s pulling out tubs and prepping a week in advance. I’m mentally starting the list about three days before the trip, and physically packing the day before. Sometimes even the morning of (though I try not to push it that close anymore).
But here’s the funny thing—almost every couple I talk to says they’re the same way. One partner packs early. The other... doesn't. It’s a universal truth of travel.
So yeah, that’s our week.
Two kids back in college. Luna doing acrobatics. Sam’s car breaking down—again. Costumes being packed. A brooch on life support. Deadpool confusion. And one giant convention on the horizon.
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