So, starting tomorrow, my Google calendar looks like a blocky cross section of the Funtime Mountains or the EEG readout of the Busytown heartbeat. Lots going on. Planned soirées and the like. It resembles a social person’s schedule, as opposed to a Netflix hermit.

Tomorrow night is the STAPLE pre-party at Austin Books and Comics. I’m going to roll in there like I know what is going on. But I don’t know what to say to a room full of indie comic writers. I’ll hang out there until I feel awkward and then bounce over to Reed and Laura Lee’s housewarming party.

Saturday is all about STAPLE. Got to get up early, drag some products over to the convention center, check in, find my table and act like I know what I am doing. My plan is to set up House of Whack and invite people to play. Also, I will trick people into paying $1 for The Stork when it is actually worth $1.45! Ha ha! No idea what to expect. I’ve never done an expo for reals and I don’t know if I can deal with sitting at a booth all day.

After that, there are several events that I will attempt to hit, depending on my energy level. My friend Jonathan is having a birthday party, there is the STAPLE BBQ dinner and the STAPLE after party. It will be at a club with a DJ, so I don’t know.

Sunday evening brings Fiction Circus. It’s a thing.

Monday = take a breath.

Tuesday is Boards ‘N Brews. That night’s double feature is Dungeon Lords and Cosmic Encounter.

Wednesday = dork around online.

Thursday promises an interesting mixer for the Austin Geocachers Meetup, followed by my friend Reed’s band, World Racketeering Squad at Headhunters.

Friday = video games.

Come Saturday and SXSW will start to ramp up. While I am not attending the insane industry fame fest proper, I will be checking out peripheral parties and events, like the one put on by io9 and Gawker media. MC Frontalot and Stormtroopers!

Sunday finds me hanging out with friends.

Monday there is a Meetup for all the Meetup organizers hosted by the Meetup bigwigs in town for SXSW. Supposedly we will be discussing strategies. My meetup is awesome, so I’m not sure what I will take home from it except maybe some beers in my belly.

The rest of the week is a question mark. Chances are I will check out a few SXSW things, but more likely stay at home.

Then there is a big lull the following week right before PAX East. I’m really looking forward to it. By all accounts, this looks like it will be the geek convention suited for me. I probably won’t do GenCon again and I’m not sure I’ll ever do a ComiCon or E3. But PAX seems like the perfect blend of those things.