Welcome to Comic-con!! Part 1

If I said once, I said it 10,000 times... I am back from my journey to San Diego and Comic-Con...What is Comic-Con? Originally showcasing comic books, science fiction/fantasy and film/television (as was evident by the three circled figures appearing in Comic-Con's original logo), and related popular arts, the convention has expanded over the years to include a larger range of elements and genres such as anime, manga, animation, toys, collectible card games, video games, webcomics, and fantasy novels... (thank you Wikipedia). Set in downtown San Diego at the Convention Center it attracted (like a bug-zapper attracts flies) over 100,000 "visitors" and fans during its five day run. As you all know, I got a call out of the blue from the other security company I have worked for a couple of times (once) asking me if I wanted to make the journey to San Diego and work the convention. Since the summer is slow for security work, I welcomed the chance for a road trip and a chance to escape the heat in the valley for the cool temperatures near the ocean in San Diego.

I arrived at the downtown office around 8 am on Tuesday of last week and was immediately recruited to go to the rental office and drive one of three minivans back to load up the 22 employees that were making the trip. The gig included transportation, hotel stay and a per diem food allowance, plus guaranteed hours every day... (how many hours was up in the air). If I have learned one thing in my "career" as Security Man it's that the only thing that remains the same is that everything changes all the time... We loaded up the vans and the boss asked me if I wanted to go with one of the guys who was driving his own car... (let's see--cram in a minivan with 6 other people or ride in a car as the only passenger? tough one). So we set out and after a couple of pit stops for the obvious reasons we arrived in Carlsbad, California and the Motel 6 that would be our home for the next week... (no, I didn't meet Tom Boudette but he did leave the light on for us). We were all paired up with a roommate and after unpacking we were told by the boss that he was taking us to dinner at a Chinese Buffet... So we piled in the van and headed over to dinner. Carlsbad was about a 35-40 minute drive north of San Diego (depending on traffic). Anything closer was completely sold out for the convention... After dinner, everyone lined up and the boss gave out the schedules for the week... (he told myself and 3 others that we would be supervisors for the event--congratulations of my promotion). For my schedule he said, "you start tomorrow at 2pm." What time is the shift over? "You start tomorrow at 2pm." End of conversation.

I went back to the room and talked with my roommate (a man who rivals and even surpasses my ability to chatter--hard as it is to believe). He even continued to yammer when I put a book in front of my face in an obvious attempt to stem the flood of conversation... (subtle wasn't working). But he was going through some very tough times and obviously needed to unburden some things and I eventually provided a sympathetic ear... (I don't know what it is, but people just seem to want to tell me their life stories and problems... if I wasn't a recovering alcoholic I would have made an excellent bartender... that's not a bad idea!). Then it was off to bed. Up at around 7am, I took a long walk and explored my surroundings... found a 7-11 (coffee is always a necessity on these gigs) some restaurants and a outlet mall within walking distance... then it was back to the hotel and into my working clothes (black pants, shoes and socks and a white t-shirt). They provided the uniform shirt at sign in. The 4 supervisors went in the car and had to be there for a 2pm call...the rest of the crew was scheduled for 4pm.

Another constant in the security biz is that the first day of an event is usually the equivalent of a chicken running around with its head cut off...the work gets done but the directions and re-directions and who's in charge and where do we reports gets a little confusing as everyone gets used to the surroundings... (plus the fact that the company only had about 2 weeks to plan and staff the event... and they did one hell of a job, despite the first day jitters). We were told to meet at the wrong hotel (Hyatt instead of Marriott), the shuttle to the parking lot and back got caught in horrible downtown traffic, we had trouble finding the command center to sign in, but we got there and were ready to start our shift... once they decided where they wanted to use us, that is...

Not staying in touch....

Holy crap! Has it really been 17 days since my last blog? Well, as you can see, I am still alive but not remaining in contact... Summer is in full bloom here (read boiling hot) as it is in your parts of the country... (I see you have hit the 100+ mark a few times in the East. With that delicious humidity, it must be a joy to be outside). Here, we are on our way to a record setting summer of days over 110 degrees... (the record is 18 consecutive days and 32 for the season and I believe we have 12 already with the rest of July, August and September to come). So, besides the pre-dawn golf games (tee times between 5:30 and 6 am) so that I can get in the a/c before the real heat comes (still in the 90's at dawn), not much has been happening in the Arizona desert. Work has been at a stand still since my last Mission Impossible gig at ASU.

No incidents occurred during my clandestine gig (of which I am very pleased) although I almost got caught returning a key when I finished my shift. The head guy asked me to return a key to the secretary's desk in the offices. I retrieved the key from the other guard and sneaked back into the building, returned the key, and was on my way out when my partner called saying someone just entered the building the same way I did... I changed my escape route, vaulted (okay, I walked fast) down a different set of stairs and emerged from the building unseen and uncaught... (Mr. Phelps completes the mission with no losses). After a well-deserved nap I was done with that gig. But the following morning, when I returned the rest of the keys, the key I left on the desk was missing. I showed them where I had left it and they said thanks and I left the building. An hour later, my boss calls asking where the key is.... several hours and numerous phone calls later it was discovered that the secretary had removed the key and forgot to inform anyone...so Mr. Phelps's (that's me by the way) reputation was unscathed and will result in more gigs down the road. I just took some courses (first aid, heat stress, hypothermia) at work as well as the kick-off meeting for the football season (ASU and Cardinals), but the work schedule is non-existent til August.

That is, until I received a recorded phone call from the other security company I work for (a whole once). The message said to call the office for a possible gig in San Diego. So I called them and I'm in... Comic-Con 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center. It is a sold out event and is the largest comic book convention in the Western Hemisphere and second in the world to the convention in France (useless trivia for the day). We are leaving tomorrow the 20th and will return on Monday the 26th... there are no restrictions on hours and the hotel and meals are taken care of... there are a few other details to find out, but I'll do that today. San Diego's average temp these days is around 75 during the day and the 60's at night...(better pack some sweatshirts) so I'll be out of the heat for a week. Don't get me wrong. I love it here but a break is a break and a paid vacation/work gig is something I'm not passing up. And then I found out that Cardinal's camp is still a possibility... Hopefully, my bosses can work out living arrangements for me in Flagstaff and I can spend the month at football camp... (the director of security for the Cardinals also asked for me to attend)... So keep your fingers crossed... this could be an exciting time for the security dude...

Hot, hotter, hottest....

Sorry for the glitch...for those of you who just received the title to this rant (I mean blog) all I can say is "oops, fat fingers" (maybe I should have used my pointy elbows , eh, Ms. Vee?--inside joke). As you can tell by the title we here in Arizona have moved into the summer months of "How much hotter can it get?" And from all indications we are just getting started. The ten day forecast ahead calls for every day in the 100+ degree heat... (I still believe that an Arizona weather forecaster has to be the easiest job on earth). But the great news is that scattered thunderstorms are predicted for July 10... (woo hoo). I haven't seen rain in so long... I am really looking forward to it. I can sit on my new balcony, fire up a cigar and enjoy the show. Thunderstorms are really violent here with lightening strikes beyond belief... (may have to ride "the" 10 and view the fireworks!!!). Speaking of fireworks, there are several displays planned in the new hood. Saturday night there are fireworks in Ahwatukee (yes, the spelling is correct) which is the area across the 10 from here... being held at the local golf course (yes, I have played there) and then Sunday they are having them at Tempe Town Lake... (I worked the event last year, but another company won the bid this year). But the good news is that I can ride my bike to both events so parking will not be an issue...

What is happening is that I am involved in another "covert" operation for ASU this weekend. That means three days of midnight to 7am (sound familiar, Craig?). I can't go into detail but rest assured, it is not dangerous or life threatening... (you know me--I am not going to put myself in harm's way). I like the fact that the head honcho of ASU asked for me personally... the more I can network with clients the better chance to get more "greens fees". Especially with this being the slow season. The bad news is that it will mess up my sleep cycle for a few days next week. More bad news is that I won't be able to go to Flagstaff and work the Cardinals training camp...(could not work out a place to stay for the month). Oh well... football season for the Cardinals starts in August and ASU starts in September and I plan to work as many games as I can... Plans are under way for vacation in the fall... Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend my cousin's daughters wedding in August. Just can't swing the expense with a trip to Aruba and a visit to Virginia coming up this fall. I am sorry because I haven't seen the cousins in the middle of the country in quite a long time. A future visit will be a priority for sure...

The golf game continues to be in the good zone... (and isn't that what this is all about?) and knock wood, I am relatively healthy (besides the normal bumps and bruises and sore muscles that an old man experiences). The new apartment and neighborhood are great and I can't believe I am here a month already... (no, I'm still not completely moved in) but it is close. I'm off for a bike ride now... have a great day.