A bag of sugar on my chest

A couple of years ago I was lying in bed discussing with my husband if I needed to go to the urgent care near us. I was in my late 20's and I was having chest pain. Nothing severe. I told him it felt like someone had taken a 2 lbs bag of sugar and placed it on my chest. It's a bit bothersome but it wasn't alarming. I did some googling and thinking and decided that it was probably just an esophageal spasm (I have acid reflux) so it was best to just let it pass. Eventually it did pass and it took me a while to realize that my diagnosis was completely wrong. Apparently I get this pain in my chest when my anxiety is higher than usual and doesn't go back down. Lately I've had that pain in my chest for days at a time. I've made a super fancy graph for you to better understand what I'm talking about.

The green line is what I imagine a normal person's anxiety over the course of a day. The purple line is what my anxiety is going through the same events. The orange line is my base line anxiety currently. 

There is a silver lining here. I have found that doing video chats with my friends and watching really entertaining tv shows/movies make the pain in my chest go away for just a little while. I really hope that all of you have found things that keep that bag of sugar from taking residence on your chest.

This past week was interesting to say the least. A dear family friend has COVID-19 and I'm very worried for them because they are in their 70's. Their spouse is showing symptoms as well. I am hopeful for them because they have access to medical care and are not in a city that is currently overwhelmed by cases.

I "went back to work" as well last week. Since I'm an essential employee I was required to be on campus Tuesday and Thursday. The biggest part of my job now is enrolling students and getting paper packets of homework ready. All of our high school students have school-issued Chromebooks but many of our students do not have access to wifi at home. The school made a Google form that the parent could fill out requesting a paper packet. If they couldn't fill it out on their phone, they could call the school office and we would fill it out for them. Well, apparently we did not get the word out well enough because we had about 40 parents request packets but over 100 came to pick them up. We explained the system when they picked up the packet so hopefully next week will be easier. We gave families 3 pick-up times: 1.5 hours on Monday and a total of 7.5 hours on Tuesday. During that time the parent gave us the student's name and we handed them a packet. On Thursday last week the district announced that we have too much contact with the public; we are no longer allowed to physically pass the packet to people. Instead, we will have a table with the packets on it. The packets are clearly labeled with the students name. The parents will have to, one at a time, find their student's packet and take it home. Of course this solution is not perfect but I'm glad that I will be able to stay much farther away from people. During the packet pick-up I was careful to wear gloves and sanitize my hands before and after putting on the gloves so that I at least knew it was unlikely I would catch anything from the public.

I hope that you all are taking care of yourselves! Please remember that your new "normal" might not look like other people's "normal". During this time, different people need different things: a schedule helps me but maybe it overwhelms you, starting a project around the house increases my anxiety significantly but it really helps my husband during uncertain times, I don't care if what I'm eating is healthy or not because trying to plan a grocery run is overwhelming but it might give you a sense of peace to know that you are well nourished. You do you, boo.

-Clare G. S.

My Personal Time Line

Follow me here for a moment. . .
Someone online once pointed out that historians LOVE really boring people because they answer history's little questions. Of course I can't find the source right now but it pointed out that by reading diaries historians learn so much. I'm not talking about the diary of famous people but the person who writes about their quarrels with the neighbor is also the person who explains in excruciating detail what they do to get ready in the morning. Well, without that written down how would we know about it and be able to explain clothing that we have found and why it was made in such a manner? So for my own ego, for future historians, and for any great grandnieces/nephews I'm writing down my timeline from the past two weeks or so. Feel free to skip this post because it is loooooooooooooong. This post is mostly so that I can look back and remember what it was like.
------------------------------------
Dear historian,
First of all, you are welcome. This is your view into how an average person living in central Texas feels about COVID-19 (or whatever name has stuck with it). I will do my best to be honest but time does corrode memory. Take this with a grain of salt . . . and maybe a shot of tequila too. (The future has tequila, right? Please tell me that we still have vodka!) I wish the rest of this was tongue-in-cheek but I'm not a good enough writer to create humor.

Monday, March 2 - Around this time (maybe the week before) people are talking about the novel coronavirus or COVID-19. It has hit China hard. I'm being told to cover my cough/sneeze with my elbow (like Dracula covering his face with his cloak), avoid touching my face, and to wash my hands thoroughly (for 20 seconds with soap and warm water).  I am now way too conscious of how often I touch my face. I start rubbing my nose against my shoulder when it itches. I figure no one is going to be touching my shoulder . . . I hope.

Friday, March 6 - Last day of work before Spring Break! Everyone at the high school where I work is looking forward to the break. We host a luncheon to thank the teachers who have been working so hard. It's basically a sandwich bar. We lay out bread, meats, cheeses, cookies, and lemonade. We use basic food safety (using gloves and/or tongs to get food and such). Lots of people show up, so much that we have to make a run to the grocery store for more food. Everyone is in good spirits.

Tuesday, March 10 - Now everyone is suggesting different songs that you can sing for 20 seconds while washing your hands. The original suggestion was singing Happy Birthday twice but that gets old fast. It's pretty fun and lighthearted. My source for news is mostly social media (Facebook and Twitter). It sounds like things are really bad outside of the US and there are certain areas where it's bad in the US (the state of Washington sounds terrible). Some people are posting that this is going to be terrible, some people are saying this is like the flu. I'm a little concerned about a friend who just started on a cruise as it seems there are some breakouts on cruises. I read a lot about people not being able to find toilet paper in stores. Who the heck is stockpiling toilet paper? This isn't cholera!

An example of a song to sing while washing your hands.

Wednesday, March 11 - Scrolling through Facebook is getting my anxiety up. I read up about "flattening the curve". This is the idea that if we avoid getting within 6 feet of each other, called "social distancing", that we can prevent a rapid spread of the virus. I post asking people to do this. I read about Italy's hospitals being overwhelmed and now I'm starting to panic that the same thing will happen in the US. I thank my lucky stars that I am not super social so this won't require much of a change for me.

Thursday, March 12 - I go to brunch with some of my friends from work. I don't worry about social distancing because there are no cases anywhere near me. All everyone at the restaurant is talking about is the coronavirus. We are all very glad that there are no cases in our county and I don't think of any of us hesitated to go to brunch. I talk to my husband about getting some food in case one of us gets sick and we therefore will not be leaving the house. I say that I'll go today or tomorrow. My husband suggests I go today. I grab about 8 cans of soup and a few frozen meals like lasagna; I don't want to take too much. I'm surprised to find that there is no toilet paper and no paper towels at the store. I find a 24 pack of toilet paper at Target. That will last us quite a while. 

In the evening I have a small group meeting for church at a friend's house. There are about 12 of us and most of the members are 50 years old or older. Again, I don't think anyone hesitated to come to our meeting. My husband and I start to wonder if the school district will extend Spring Break as others (in North Texas, for example) have already done.

The toitlet paper and paper towel aisle at our grocery store on 3/12/20

Friday, March 13 -  This is when I really feel the panic settling in for the long haul.

8:30 am - Our Episcopal church announces that we will not pass an offering plate. Instead, there will be a plate at each entrance when we first come into church. We are to avoid physical contact; they suggest a bow during the exchanging of peace.

Noon - Our county has our first presumed positive case of COVID-19 (Tests are difficult to get in the US so we treat "presumed positive" to be just like "positive"). Our church announces that we will stand for communion (no kneeling) and there will be no wine offered. Our service at 10:30am will be streamed live via Facebook.

6pm - The bishop of our diocese has asked the entire diocese to worship from home for the next two Sundays. Our church will have only one service at 9:30am and it will be streamed live on Facebook. The only people physically in attendance will be clergy and alter servers. Our school district announces that Spring Break will continue through the next week. 

At this point I'm a ball of anxiety. I can't stop worrying about my family: my parents are older and therefore more at risk. My brother is an ER doctor and therefore is likely to be exposed. My oldest sister works in a prison which means she is in contact with many people on a daily basis and, in my brain, is more likely to be exposed. My sister is pregnant and therefore more at risk. My brother-in-law is diabetic which means he is also more at risk. I don't worry about my physical health or that of my husband because we are both in our early 30's and are in good health . . . but what about everyone else? What if our hospitals become overwhelmed? The spiral of anxious thoughts in my head won't stop. I'm no longer sleeping well at night. I won't have another night of decent sleep for nearly a week.

The official letter sent by our district's superintendent.

Saturday, March 14 - I decide that I need to focus on my mental health. I resolve to delete Facebook from my phone after my church's Eucharist on Sunday. I read about Italy and cry; their hospitals are overwhelmed and they are begging us in the US to not do what they did. They are begging us to practice social distancing NOW before it is too late. What I read shows that the US is about 7-10 days behind Italy. Everything I see points to us going down the same road or worse because we are testing a smaller percent of our population. I am panicking that we might have a much larger number of people who have COVID-19 but we don't know because they aren't being tested. I'm now mentally slapping myself for going to brunch and my small group meeting just two days ago. Why did I take the risk?! I decide that I will firmly stick to social distancing and will find creative ways to stay in contact with my family and friends.

Sunday, March 15 - I attend my church's Eucharist service via the streaming video. I cry so much during the first half of the service that I can barely sing. I miss everyone at church so much; I miss singing, I miss the laughter, I miss the fellowship. Shortly after the service I post to my blog and delete Facebook from my phone. By the end of the day I can tell a huge difference in how I'm feeling. I'm now spending a lot of time on Instagram which is great because I get to see photos and videos of my friends and their families.

Monday, March 16 - I go to the grocery store to get our usual weekly groceries. I didn't make much of a list because I figured that they would be out of some things. I was so wrong. I would estimate that nearly half of everything is sold out. The only pasta left is lasagna noodles. There are no canned soups, no eggs, no toilet paper, no paper towels, no caster sugar, no powdered sugar. I grab what I think will help us but keep in mind that others need food too. I count myself blessed to buy 2 packages of chicken breasts (8 breasts in total) and plan to put them in the freezer because it seems like the world has gone crazy. I go home and cry because my anxiety is out of control again. I decide to make a schedule for myself for this week to try to bring some sense of normalcy to life.

Tuesday, March 17 - My church's vestry (it's like a church council who take care of finances and other things regarding the physical church and it's congregation) decides to meet virtually via a video conferencing program called Zoom. It was wonderful to see everyone and interact with them! I realize the importance of actually seeing people and not just photos/videos of them. I spend a lot of today working on my schedule for this week. Even if I don't stick to the schedule, it really helps me from becoming depressed. There's something about simply knowing that there are things to do and having a purpose that makes me feel better.

Wednesday, March 18- I try (and fail) to follow my schedule but I get a few things done like start practicing French on Duolingo (it's a free app). I have my yearly check-up at the large hospital in town. Everything I see gives me anxiety because it feels so different. They have closed many of the entrances. When I get to an open entrance, there is a person there with a hospital mask and gloves on. She asks me the following: Have you traveled out of the country in the past 14 days? Do you have fever or cough? Have you been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19? Are you here for an appointment? Once I answer her questions I am allowed through. It's not until I leave that I notice the security guard a few feet from her. The hospital feels empty. Sure, there are a few people in the halls but not nearly the usual number; they have severely limited the number of visitors allowed. The waiting room for my doctor is nearly empty. I have never seen it with fewer than 20 people but today there are about 5 of us. Everyone sits as far from each other as possible. Thank GOD my nurse practitioner is friendly and generally a wonderful person. She calms my fears about everything and I go home feeling much better than I when I arrived.

I get a call from my church's interim rector (who, by the way, is so freaking awesome. I love her). She wants to pick my brain about how we can keep the congregation connected and we discuss how great the vestry meeting was. She suggests a virtual movie event and asks me to head it. I gladly accept since I have some free time, I love movies, and I'm good with technology.

Next thing I know our school has announced that we will start remote learning next week. My husband is already meeting with his fellow chemistry teachers via Google Hangout (video conference program) to discuss what this will look like. They will need both online resources and paper packets for our students who do not have reliable internet access. Various people in our district are sending emails detailing what this will look like. I am given a schedule showing that I will be on campus two days next week. They are rotating out office staff so that the campus is "open". This means that we will be able to enroll/withdraw students, request student records, send student records, etc. We will be keeping with CDC recommendations and there will be fewer than 10 people in the office at a time. We will keep at least 6 feet away from each other. I have lots of questions but I am still receiving emails so I refrain from asking anyone further questions.

Thursday, March 19  - Honestly, I was expecting the US to be more or less locked-down like Italy at this point. I go to the grocery store at 8am because I use their pharmacy and I have a prescription I need to pick up. When I get there there is a line to enter (they are now open 8am-8pm). Most people are keeping a shopping cart in front of them and the person in front of them in line so that they aren't too close together. Since I only wanted to pick up my medicine and some eggs, I wait in my car for a while. At 8:15 people are no longer spaced but there is still a line to enter the store. Since there is an entrance next the to pharmacy, I walk over to it. A manager of the store stops me and explains that it is an exit only. I tell him that I only needed to go to the pharmacy and he allows me to enter. While waiting at the pharmacy counter I see that already people are filling up their carts to overflowing. The shelves seem stocked! I decide that it's best to get my medicine and try to get eggs another day.

Most of today was spent reading for my small group meeting, arranging things for the church's virtual movie afternoon, and reading work emails. I posted a live video of my thoughts from the Lent devotional my church made. I plan on doing that every day of Lent. A friend surprised me with a video chat around lunchtime. It was so good to hear from her! After some technology trouble my small group was able to meet this evening thanks go Google Hangouts. Again, it was really nice to see people while talking to them. That gets me to here!

My motivation to chronicle this comes from my experience with 9/11. I was 13 years old and I have have a couple of distinct memories from that day and the weeks after. I wish that I had written down somewhere what the changes were like for me. The biggest change was how quiet the skies became. I lived close to DFW airport and it was eerily quiet when they grounded all air travel. I had never noticed the noise the planes made until suddenly it was gone. I don't want to forget all of this. Also, I'm very curious if I will look back and think "My goodness! How did I not know that x would happen? Why didn't I do z?" Well, future Clare, I am confident in this moment that I am doing the best I can with the information I have. That's all I can do for now.

-Clare G. S.

Why I'm Taking a Break from Social Media

I have decided to back off my social media use. If I'm going to be perfectly honest, I waste a lot of time just scrolling through Facebook and occasionally Twitter as well. Nowadays the only things people are posting are COVID-19 related. I completely understand why people are posting these things, especially those who are trying to ask everyone to work together (social distancing, check-in on friends/neighbors/the elderly via phone/internet, basic hygiene, etc). Unfortunately it has caused my anxiety to get out of control. For the first time I can remember, my curiosity and desire to learn more is making my mental health so much worse. Since I have General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) I am always a little anxious. Now that I am spending most of my day just goofing on the internet and reading articles (I'm on Spring Break), my anxiety is overwhelming me. For my mental health I'm going to take these steps:

• Delete the Facebook app from my phone - It's how I usually browse Facebook. I'm counting on my laziness here because the only other way I get on Facebook is on my slow laptop. I hate waiting for it to boot so hopefully that will deter me from checking it very often.
• Only use Twitter to search for conversations with good hashtags - I don't use Twitter a lot so I don't think I need to delete the app. Instead, I will log onto Twitter and search for tweets with hashtags like #floofs, #thankful, etc.
• Go outside and take a walk for at least 10 minutes everyday - Fresh air is so important for mental health!
• Ask myself the following questions:
• Are you doing what you can to help flatten the curve? Yes, I'm washing my hands thoroughly and frequently (and using lotion to prevent dry skin), I am being conscious of when I touch my face, I am staying home as much as possible, I am not hoarding so as to make sure my neighbors can buy what they need.
• Have you done something today that makes you happy? Yes, I attended church online and sang every hymn even though I felt a little silly at first.
• Are you drinking water and eating well? Yes, I'm drinking plenty of water and I'm doing my best to eat enough that I am full but not "eating my emotions" constantly.

It's going to get tougher but we can do this. First of all, I beg you to practice social distancing. That means only leaving the house when necessary, avoid going to the grocery store/pharmacy during peak times, no large gatherings of people (that includes going to the mall or movies), and be mindful of others. It is making me anxious when I see friends post that they are at a bar, eating at a restaurant, at a concert, etc. You are taking unnecessary risks. Then the question is, what do we do with all this time at home? Below is a list of things you can do to help keep your spirits up. Also, if you or someone you know does not have home internet, contact the internet provider in your area. I have heard of multiple companies that will be giving basic internet for free to people over the next month or two.

Things to do when stuck at home

• Do a watch party with your friends. Choose a movie that everyone can access (Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, etc) and choose a time to start the movie. As you watch you can text each other or create a Facebook post with your comments. 
• Watch an opera from The Met - This is happening at 7:30pm (I assume EDT) March 16 - 22. Click here for more information.
• See awesome animals at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens - Every weekday at 3pm EDT they will have a Home Safari live on their Facebook page. I'm really excited for March 16 because it will feature my favorite hippo, Fiona! Click here to go to their Facebook page.
• Play online board games - I have heard great things about Ticket to Ride ($7 in the Google or Apple App store). You can get more information on Ticket to Ride here. Search for your favorite game and you'll probably find it (ex: search "Risk Online" and there are lots of options!)
• Spring cleaning
• Read! See if your local library has OverDrive or other electronic resources.
• Enjoy cuddling with your family/pets (I highly recommend watching The Office or Parks & Rec while doing this)
• Cook/bake something new
• Play PokemonGo or Wizards Unite - both games are making it easier to play without leaving home. If you decide to go out to play, please make sure you are staying at least 6 ft away from others and avoid touching things (railings and such).
• Adult coloring books (I mean, it doesn't have to be made for adults ;) ) Click here for some free downloads!
• Drive-through zoo
• Crafts - knitting, sewing, tie-dye, whatever you have the tools for!
• Learn a new language or brush up on one. I highly suggest the free app/site Duolingo (click here)
• Go to a museum online - Click here to see over 150,000 pieces from Paris museums

Please comment on this post with any other ideas you have and I'll update this list! Please take a deep breath (literally), be smart, and stay safe. There is no need to hoard toilet paper and canned goods or to take unnecessary risks. Be good to yourself and to each other!
-Clare G. S.

Assistant Registrar

Yesterday I woke up with an incredibly sore throat. Today I felt much the same so I didn't go in to work.

Yup, that's my sexy voice right there. I told my husband that I was really grateful that I'm no longer a teacher. I didn't have to make sub plans, worry about the sub actually doing what I ask, and then cleaning up whatever mess happened while I was away. I do feel a bit bad because my coworkers will have to work extra hard today since I'm out and so is one other person in the front office.

It got me thinking. I don't think many of you know what I do during a typical day. I know I definitely didn't know what the assistant registrar did when I was a teacher. Here are the things I do with various levels of frequency:

• Answer my phone - usually it's a parent asking about enrolling/withdrawing their student or how to change their address with us. It can also be other schools who need records for a student.
• Enrolling students - this can be a complicated affair
• First, the student does an online application (at home)
• If they are from out of the state, we have to have their shot records before they can enroll. Getting those records, having them checked by the nurse, communicating back to the parent what shots are still needed, and receiving proof of those new shots can take days.
• Then, they come in and I photocopy all of their papers (birth certificate, social security card, parent's ID, transcript, and proof of residency)
• I then give them a few more papers that we have to have hard copies of. While they are doing that, I check their enrollment information. Does the name match the name on the birth certificate? Is their address in our district? Are they ESL (English as a Second Language)? 
• If the student has not special programs (I'll explain that next), I send them to the counselor to get their schedule and start classes.
• If they have special programs, there's more paperwork. A student with a 504 (a disability that affects learning such as ADHD, dyslexia, or even health issues such as anxiety) has a different counselor. A Sped student (special education) will have a diagnostician who needs to be notified that they are enrolled. An ESL student has extra papers to fill out and I have to notify the Bilingual Department of the district. A student with a severe allergy has extra paperwork that gets sent to the nurse. The student then goes to the counselor to receive their schedule and start classes.
• After the student leaves, I log into a spreadsheet that the student was enrolled. I then request official records from their previous school. For students coming from out-of-state, that means a fax. For in-state students, Texas has an online program through which we can request records. It's pretty nice . . . when it works.
• Withdrawing students - this process has a lot fewer "if this, then that" going on.
• The parent or guardian fills out a paper explaining why they are withdrawing and where the student will next be enrolled (since schooling is required by law)
• I print out a lot of papers: current schedule, transcript, shot record, attendance, etc. I give a copy to the parent to help them when they enroll in the new school. 
• The other copy of those papers I keep. It is signed by me and by our associate principal.
• I also collect anything the student needs to turn-in: library books, JROTC uniforms, Chromebook. etc.
• The new school then requests records from us. We send those records along with a proof of enrollment form so that we can prove the student is not a drop-out. Unfortunately, some schools take their sweet time to request records or the parents take their time enrolling their child in the new school. Waiting for that request can take weeks or months.
• The paperwork then goes back into the student's perm folder (permanent folder) and we keep it in a room specifically for student records. We hold on to that folder until the student is 21 years old (state law).
• Requesting/Sending records - Requesting records is fast. Sending records takes time because I sometimes have to wait to receive specific records. I don't always have copies of the student's special education, ESL, or 504 records. I then ask for them from our special education department, bilingual department, or the 504 counselor. Once I have them, I have to scan them and send those documents along with the transcript, attendance, etc.Our fax machine isn't very reliable so sometimes I have to send it four or five times for it to go through.
• Hunting down where I student is enrolled - On the first day of school, if a student does not show up to school they are automatically withdrawn. Many show up in the next few days. Those who do not come in are counted as drop-outs unless we can prove otherwise. We have until the end of September to find out where these students are enrolled. That means calling parents and sometimes having to remind the parents that they are legally obligated to enroll their student in a school. A few cases I had to report to our truancy officers who then might file charges against the parent and/or student.
• Working with registrars from other schools - it can take a lot of time to figure out a student's educational history. Sometimes I receive records for a student and it notes that the student is ESL. Well, the student didn't tell me that when they enrolled so now I have to get in contact with the parent and have them do additional papers. Or I might receive records stating a student is in special education but the school did not send any special education papers. I have to contact the school to find out how I can get the records. Often a student has gone to many schools for high school so I get little pieces of the puzzle each time one of the schools send records or requests records. It's fairly common for me to call a registrar to ask them more information about a student. They can tell me that the student came from school X in October of last year and then left in February for school Y. Well school Y has no record of them. It's my job to find out if the student enrolled in any school at all and if they did, to find that school.
• Reading legal documents and understanding them - if a parent comes in with a divorce decree I have to read through it and see how the decree affects the student's education. It may say that only dad can make educational decisions. That means that I need to note that mom cannot withdraw the student. It may say that mom has sole custody and dad can only visit if mom is present. We need to know that information. This is honestly the most heartbreaking part of my job. Already I have had to read a lot of paperwork for divorces and restraining orders. It has really opened my eyes to what some of our students go home to.
• Gradebooks - I'm in charge of making sure teachers print out and submit their gradebook at the end of every grading period. For us, that's the end of this week so I hope that I'm feeling better soon!

Dang! This post got wordy. I think that explains at least 90% of what I do. Some of these duties are my responsibility alone but a lot of it is shared with the registrar and the data clerk. That's why I'm SO glad that I get along with my coworkers; I have to work with them directly every single day. If y'all have any questions about my job, just ask in the comments! Thanks for reading and I'll catch ya'll later!

-Clare G. S.

BCCC 2019!

It's time to go back in time, y'all! I want to go back one month to Bell County Comic Con.

Bell County Comic Con (BCCC) has become our summer tradition. My husband and I are on staff so we finish the school year and immediately get ready for BCCC. It can be incredibly stressful but I love it so much. The best part is all of the wonderful people who work as staff and as volunteers.

This year was a little difficult because I am in charge of registration but I had to work during pre-registration. I really wish that there could have been a way for me to be in two places at once. However, again, I have wonderful people that I work with and they were able to work pre-registration. I thought that things were going to be as smooth as last year when the doors opened on Saturday but boy was I wrong! I had about 6 people volunteering at registration and we had over 20,000 people enter the event in the first hour! Now, not all of them came through registration but it sure felt like they did! It was odd how it was just a trickle at first but then we were SLAMMED.

Doors opened at 10am and by 11am I had a full-blown panic attack. (This photo was taken after doors opened but before the deluge of attendees) I had a few saving graces: almost all of the staff showed up to help out. They left their jobs to help me and I cannot thank them enough. (Extra thanks to Johnny and Pedro who gave me much needed hugs) Also, my volunteers totally took everything in stride. They were working as a team and helping each other out. Finally, my new friend Stephanie literally held my hand through it. I told her what was happening and she got me to go over to the first aid area (which was just a few yards away from me) so that I could gather myself. The wonderful medics got me water and went back to registration to get me my medicine. It was really helpful to have an area with much fewer people. It was still noisy but I wasn't feeling like I was being trampled. Stephanie then went the extra mile and bought me a mini-cheesecake. She had to basically force me to eat it but I'm very grateful she did. I was being stubborn and I needed someone just as stubborn to tell me to take care of myself.

By 1pm, the crowd had died down quite a bit and my volunteers were able to take a lunch break. The rest of the day went pretty smoothly. I didn't have time to enjoy the convention but that's ok. I'm really proud that I was able to help some people who started their conversation with me irate but left me excited to enter the convention. My trick? Use psychology. The problem I met with the most was people who had not bought enough tickets. They were upset that they now needed to buy more and it would be at full price instead of at the discount they got by buying early. So I pulled up the cost of a full-price ticket and told them it but I knew of some discounts so I then applied the discount and told them their new total. Everyone feels good getting a discount, even if it's not as big of a discount as what they wanted.

The best part of my Saturday was meeting Bumblebee! I had asked her weeks before the con to stop by registration if she had the chance. Sure enough, she remembered my request and took time out of her day to say hi to ME. It made a very crappy day about one million times better.

Sunday is always a much easier day for registration since a majority of our attendees buy weekend passes. They pick up their badge on Saturday so Sunday they don't stop by registration; they just walk in. I was able to walk the whole convention with my friend, Brianna and I even got to chat with my bestie, Jo. It is such an awesome feeling to see what we all worked so hard to complete come together. I also loved that near the end of the day I got to meet a member of an online community I cherish, the FoEs (Fans of Epbot). Side note: if you don't read Epbot, you really should check it out.

You want to know the best part of the whole dang thing? At the end, staff decided to have "closing ceremonies" which was emceed by my spouse. He started his speech by thanking everyone. I missed the very beginning but it went like this:

My husband told a huge crowd that he loves me. ❤️ It was followed by a video recap of the convention. Unfortunately I cannot embed the video but you can find it on the Bell County Comic Con Facebook page.

Sunday evening breakdown started and I hope a new tradition started: everyone told the best part of the con and the weirdest part. It was a great time to tell stories of people paying celebrities to hit them with a metal folding chair, finding underwear and no owner, and having a dance-off with a celebrity.