Geekydactyl’s Feline Sidekick: Introducing the Marvellous Adventures of Buffy

A very mini post for you all today, because I simply have to put this in writing to believe it.  I have a kitten!  Pretty much been waiting 26 years for this, and I couldn’t be happier.  I’ve always been an ailurophile, and now I have the very best little kitten that anyone could wish for!

So, my fellow geeks, I’m pleased to introduce to you: Buffy.

It did take us some time to figure out a name, both myself and Boyfriend Geekydactyl had a pretty long list to go through.  All geeky names, of course!  We were originally going to go for her brother (she was from a litter of three – the only female), a little black kitten with white socks, and we were going to call him Sherlock (you might have noticed my banner change from ‘Sherlock’ to ‘Buffy’). When I went up to meet them for the first time, they were all so cute, but Buffy totally stole the show.  Simply put, I fell in love with her face. 

So yesterday we went to pick her up from my best friend’s sister (this was all clearly meant to be), and brought her back home with no problems at all.  I was literally crying with happiness for the entire journey.  She’s settled in ridiculously well (scampering about the place as I type), eating, playing, chilling, not a single ‘toilet issue’.  But the best thing of all is that last night she spent pretty much the entire night sleeping next to me.  Definitely a dream come true (well worth me being awake at 4:30am – not her fault, I just couldn’t sleep).

As an added bonus, she loves watching Buffy – so happy to sit and chill (she’s actually purring like a maniac right now).  So that’s it from the Geekydactyl clan for now, but stay tuned for more geek next week – now with added kitten!

Stay purrfect (sorrynotsorry)!

Geekydactyl & Buffy 

Geekydactyl’s Top 15 Animated Disney Films

It’s no secret, I loooove Disney films – mainly the animated ones, and going to Storybrooke a few weeks ago reminded me how much I love them.  They really make me feel nostalgic and when I put one on, all my worries just disappear and I’m transported to a time when adult-y things didn’t weigh me down.  I probably do watch them too often (as my partner always says), but meh – they’re awesome!

I was going to do a list of my top 10, but that was simply impossible, so you get an extra 5 on the house!

So, here’s my a list of Geekydactyl’s top 15 Disney films – let me know what you think!

15) Finding Nemo

I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I first came across this film.  Since it was released in 2003, I was 13 when it came out – going through the grungy stage of thinking I was way too old for Disney films (what would 13 year-old me say now?) – so I didn’t watch it right away at the cinema.  I happened across it when my mum rented the DVD for me at Blockbusters (yes, I know…) and brought it back home.  I rolled my eyes like a typical teen, but decided to watch it anyway.  I loved it.  The animation was insane for its time (the effect of the water still amazes me), the storyline was simple but sweet and the voice acting was brilliant.  And I loved Ellen and Willem Dafoe beforehand, so it was über-awesome!

The reason it’s at the bottom of my list is literally just because of that gross thing we’ve all heard about clownfish.  Y’know, the whole ‘changes gender’ thing.  Ew.

Maybe when Finding Dory comes out, that’ll be higher on my list…

14) Toy Story Trilogy

I couldn’t have a top 15 Disney films list without including Toy Story!  I also couldn’t give them all places in my top 15, there’s just not enough spaces!  So I’m cheating and putting them all together.  I wish I could remember seeing this film when it first came out, but I was only 5.  Still, I remember watching the first film throughout my childhood.  It was my older brother’s favourite film, so we watched it tonnes. 

While I thoroughly enjoyed the first film, I’m not a huge fan of the sequels.  Sequels don’t often work, and for me, these didn’t.  I felt as though the sequels were made to make those of us who were around for the first film get all emotional – and I’m not keen on films that intentionally make me cry.  So Toy Story lands in at number 14.

13) Beauty and the Beast

I still get goosebumps whenever I hear the opening music to Beauty and the Beast.  As soon as that camera pans in and we hear the words “For who could ever learn to love a beast?”, I have to stop myself from screaming like a schoolgirl.  I also totally relate to Belle as an avid reader.  And as a bonus point, it taught me what ‘provincial’ meant!

I honestly can’t wait for the live-action version with Emma Watson (serious girl-crush!), so I’ll do a review when that’s out and compare the two.

12) The Sword in the Stone

So underrated!  This was one of the few Disney films that my dad watched with me when I was a kid, but even he loved it!  I was known as ‘Mad Madam Mim’ for years afterwards, but it was worth it.   The animation is also absolutely stunning, and I dream for days after watching it each time what it would be like if I could transform into a different animal…  A girl can dream.

I still can’t get over how old this film is!  At the time of writing this post, The Sword in the Stone is 53 years old.  And still awesome!!

11) The Emperor’s New Groove

“Wrong lever!”  This is one of the most quotable Disney films ever.  So funny, it’s definitely one for the kids and the parents.  And me. 

The star-studded cast is one of the reasons why it’s even more awesome, along with it’s really weird interpretation of the story of ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’.   

10) Monsters, Inc.

I loved this film so much, when I was a kid I used it for an English assignment.  I found it the other day, and it was about a dragon that looked strangely similar to Randall and had the same chameleon power.  I got an A.  Just saying.

The flip-reversal of the subject of kids’ monsters was brilliant – while I didn’t have a closet, I was curious as to what my monster would be.  Probably some sort of clown thing.  Ugh.

The animation was also something else.  The first time we saw Sully’s hair in the snow – amazing!

9) The Aristocats

Come on, I’m an ailuromaniac!  I love cats, of course I love The Aristocats!  My parents probably hated this film as much as I loved it, because from the first time I watched it, I finally had a song that I could relate to entirely.  “Everybody wants to be a cat!” yes.  Yes they do.

Whilst doing my wee bit of research for this post, I’ve just found out that Scatman Crothers was Scat Cat!  The Shining was one of my favourite movies of all time!  Okay, it’s getting bumped up the list even further thanks to that little tidbit!

8) Lilo and Stitch

Now this was a totally powerful film. By the time this film came out, I was getting a bit bored of the same story – girl is in a horrible situation, finds man, girl falls in love with man, another situation, situation solved, live happily every after – so this was refreshing.  I also loved how bad-ass Stitch was.  And yes, I still cry every time the Bubbles comes over to tell Nani she has to give Lilo up.  Uh.  Spoiler alert.

7) Mulan

So this is my second-most empowering Disney animated film ever.   I like to think that, if I was in the same situation, I would make the same sacrifice that Mulan made for her father.  Fingers crossed I won’t ever have to!

One question though – where the hell did Mulan get her amazing make-up remover sleeves from?!

6) Basil The Great Mouse Detective

Another underrated Disney classic.  Of course, I love Sherlock too, but this was way before Sherlock.  Plus, Barry Ingham, the actor who played the voice of Basil, has a simply remarkable voice!  If I were a guy, that’s what I’d want to sound like.  That or Chris Cornell.

This would be one of our Christmas movies in the Geekydactyl residence, and I’m keen to keep up with that tradition, even though this film really isn’t all that Christmassy.

5) WALL-E

I was utterly gobsmacked at the animation when I first saw this movie.  I still am now.  I just don’t get how it’s possible.  And how can we fall in love with a character with such minimal dialogue?  This movie defies everything. 

One thing I’d love to see is the rest of the world being impacted by this apocalyptic wasteland.  I get how America can be a big influence, but did everyone have to speak with the same accent?

Bonus points for the kinda Fallout vibe.  And that it could possibly happen.  On that happy note, moving on to…

4) Big Hero 6

I cried so much!  Man, this isn’t happy, either…  This film was amazing with the way it tackled loss.  For me, it really struck home, because when my Grandma passed away in 2008, I kept setting up new projects and distracting myself.  While that was possibly a good idea when it first happened, because I was just starting my A Level exams, it did do me some serious mental damage later on, and two years after, what with repression and all, I was diagnosed with depression.  But I’m fine now 🙂

Still, this was/is an amazing film, and totally out of the norm for animated Disney.  If you’ve seen this film, you will almost definitely have used the ‘badada-da-da’ in real life.  Amirite?

3) Pocahontas

My top-most empowering Disney animated film ever!  I loved this film so much that, for my 7th birthday in 1997 (2 years after the film was released), I had the most bitchin’ party ever – all with Pocahontas as a theme.  All my friends came round dressed up and we had Meekos, Flits and countless Pocahontases (Pocahonti?  Pocahontee?).  It was awesome.

The best thing about this film is that she doesn’t follow Disney law – she doesn’t leave her people for her man.  She stays to help them grow, because she’s a bad-ass and an amazing role model.  And no, I haven’t seen the sequels.  I simply refuse to.

2) Inside Out

Woah.   Where do I begin?  Disney/Pixar do some seriously ground-breaking collaborations.  Even though I was ‘all grown up’ when this film came out last year, this actually helped me deal with my emotions.  While it’s a simple idea, it’s actually very relevant.  You simply can’t be joyful all the time, it’s not possible.  You have to allow your sadness, anger, disgust and fear take control sometimes.

One thing I will ask – why was Riley’s mum controlled mainly by her sadness?  That makes me… kinda sad…

Bonus points for the cat emotions – amazing!

1. The Lion King

Yup.  This has always been my favourite Disney film ever, and quite possibly my favourite film in general (I’ve never really sat down to think about it).  It doesn’t get any more visually spectacular and stunning than this, and while there have been some excellent contenders, I’ve not seen a film with voice acting that holds a candle to this classic.  Just look at the cast – Jeremy Irons (no denying it, Scar sounds sexy), Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder ftw!), Whoopi Goldberd, and Cheech!  Dude!

It’s pretty weird to think that Young Simba is the same age as Tom Hiddleston, so I won’t think about that.

It’s also true that I do cry at ‘that moment’ every single time I watch this.  And I’ve watched ‘The Lion King’ more times than I can count.  Probably over 100.  #noregrets

Bonus points for being loosely based on Hamlet – aka the greatest play ever written.

Didn’t make the cut – soz.

The Little Mermaid

Unpopular opinion: Ariel really pisses me off (sorry, Kaz).  “Betcha on land, they understand.  Bet they don’t reprimand their daughters…” – what?!  Of course they do, because they love their daughters!  Every parent should reprimand their child once in a while!   Especially when they’re doing something that’s really dangerous.

And don’t get me started on the whole ‘falling in love with someone before even talking to them’ thing.  Grr.  Otherwise, an amazing film. 

Hercules

Another character thing – I don’t like Meg.  She’s totally rude to people she’s not met before, which is totally unnecessary.  I don’t think she’s much of a feminist either, she doesn’t really do anything to help herself at all.  Asking for help doesn’t make you any less of a feminist, people!

Up

I didn’t watch this film when it first came out, it took me a couple of years.  The premise just didn’t speak to me, really.  When I finally watched it, it was because I’d heard all this talk of how it’s ‘one of the best films ever’ blah blah blah.  But when I watched it, I just couldn’t get into it.  Sure, I shed a few tears when… uh… his wife (honestly can’t remember her name) dies, but I do really cry at anything.  And that’s not necessarily the mark of a good film.  The villain just seemed to be a jerk for no decent reason, and the kid and the bird were super annoying.

Snow White

Okay, so I did really like this film.  Except for the singing.  I just can’t stand her singing. 

There it is – my top Disney films of all time.  What do you think?  I’d love to hear if you agree or if you’d have any other suggestions.  Or is there anything that you think that I’ve missed?  Holler at me, yo!

Mic drop

Geekydactyl

x

Convention Advice!

As some of you may know by now, I’m a regular con-goer.  So regular that I’ve been working with Rogue Events as a volunteer since 2011, on and off.  I love it!

I started off finding a random post on Facebook about a Supernatural con.  Me being an avid SPN fan, I had to go.  None of my friends at the time wanted to, but that wasn’t going to stop me.  I ended up going to my first con in 2011 – Asylum 7.  There, I met so many amazing friends, including my bf Kaz, pictured (I ended up being her bridesmaid after this one weekend of knowing each other!).

Yeah, so yellow might not be my colour, but it’s totally worth it!

Being someone who has struggled with some social anxiety, the prospect of initially going to a con with so many people all by my lonesome was incredibly daunting.  However, a random spur of courage struck me, and I bought a ticket and swiftly booked my hotel and arranged my transport.  There was no backing out.  I understand how difficult it can be to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and from personal experience, I know that a con can be one of the most stressful places to be, especially for those prone to mental illnesses.

But fret not, young geeklings – Geekydactyl is here to help.  I’ll happily sneak you all the tips, hints and secrets of the con world.  Some, I’m sure you will have heard of.  Others will be all me.  So…  here we go…

Geekydactyl’s Top 19 Tips for Conventions!

1. Wear comfy shoes!   I know the temptation is to wear something über-sexy to impress an equally-as-sexy celeb, or some specific shoes to go with an awesome cosplay, but if they hurt, you’ll end up doing yourself some permanent damage.  And you’ll be a pain to hang out with if you’re either complaining the whole day or taking off your shoes and killing your newfound friends with your apocalyptically smelly feet.  Totally not speaking from experience *shifty eyes*
2. Bring a bottle/drink!   Staying hydrated is imperative.  I’ve been there, I’ve lost track of time and nearly passed out from not drinking enough.  If where your con is based has a bar, you can always ask them to re-fill your water bottle up for you and they should do it.
3. Research the venue beforehand.  Especially for food – you don’t want to find that either you’re in the middle of nowhere or that the only food nearby is crazy-expensive caviar or something.  It’s worth bringing up food with you if you’re on a budget.  Pot Noodle-esque foodstuffs have provided some much-needed sustenance to me over the years – all you need is a kettle, which is available in most hotels.  But it might be worth bringing your own fork, unless the hotel has a restaurant, in which case, just ask the concierge.
4. Bring a bag!  Rucksacks are a sensible option, but tote bags can also be v useful.  If you’re having loads of photo ops, it’s a great idea to keep them safe and all together.  I’d recommend getting a rucksack with separate sections, so if your water bottle leaks, there’s less chance of your (likely expensive) photo ops being drowned.
5. Get cash out before the con.  The cash machine is probably about 75% likely to run out of cash, so grab yours either before the hoard arrives or elsewhere before you get there.  Some cons don’t accept cards, so this will ensure you don’t get heartbroken because you haven’t got the cash to get your Meet ‘n’ Greet.
6. Schedule!  I always take time to schedule what I want to do with my friends when we check in, we get a timetable (when we can), and highlight everything we want to go, then write out where we need to be and when.  Bonus tip here: bring a highlighter.
7. Budget!  This is imperative, unless you’re a millionaire.  I’d recommend planning out what you want to buy (photo ops, autos, food, drink, etc) and then adding on about £20-£100 (depending on your initial budget).  It’s good to have some leftover for emergencies, or if you come across a stall that has something that totally speaks to you (yes, I have impulse-bought a batarang before).
8. Follow the con organiser on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram and set push notifications on.  This way you can get up-to-date news about the con.   You don’t want to be queueing in the wrong line after finding out later that the original line had moved (this has happened to me far too often).
9. Bring your phone charger with you at all times.  It’s worthwhile investing in two for the con – one to keep in your bag on you at all times in case your phone runs out of juice (you don’t want to miss those con tweets!), and one in your room, just in case you lose the one in your bag.  Trust me, it’s happened.
10. Print out every confirmation for the con beforehand.  While it’s not likely that you’ll get denied entry from the get-go if you haven’t printed out your ticket (they can usually find it there), it’s much easier and quicker for everyone if you have everything printed out, just in case. 
11. Bring tissues.  They’re just generally useful, really.  If you’re the sort who can be prone to crying with overwhelm-ment (yeah, that’s not a word), then you definitely bring them – I know how you feel, and there’s nothing worse than meeting someone you’ve been waiting for months (maybe even years) to meet and having an eyeliner situation.  Well, there are worse things, but at the time, there really isn’t.
12. Bring your own booze!  Obviously only if you’re legally allowed to drink, but this one’s a no-brainer – drinks at hotels/convention centres tend to be mega-expensive, so this is a simple money-saving alternative.  Just try to be a little bit subtle when you’re bringing them into your hotel.   It’s also not a good idea to walk around the con with a glass bottle of booze, so if you need a little Dutch courage, then bring a plastic bottle and decant it.  Or just find me – I’ve usually got some sort of tipple!
13. Don’t follow the celebs to the loo!  This really pisses me off – I’ve even had to step in as extra security for some guests before, which is ridiculous, because I’m one of the least threatening-looking people in the world.  Some attendees genuinely follow celebs to the toilet.  I honestly don’t know why.  Everybody poops, but no one wants to be heard pooping (unless you’re into that sort of thing…  I’m not judging.  I totally am.), especially by the people who idolise them.   Just think: how would you feel if you were busting for a pee, and you had to be chaperoned because a hoard of people would follow you and know that you were peeing?  #Justsaying.  #Rantover
14. Don’t bite the celebs.  Yeah, this happened – more than once.  And it doesn’t really need explaining.
15. Don’t get absolutely ratted!  I did this on my first con, and I felt like absolute arse the second day into the con.  Soooooo not worth it.  Just think about the early mornings.  Getting tiddly is fine, but know your limits, y’all.
16. Get your beauty sleep!  Not for beauty, really, but so you can function.  Sleep-deprivation can affect you straightaway, with symptoms including irritation and forgetfulness.  So you’ll be pissing off your new friends and forgetting what to do next, or forgetting all your awesome con memories.  Not good.  At least 5 hours is something to aim for at a con.  I’m realistic – 7 hours isn’t always possible.
17. Talk to people!  I know this can be hard, particularly when you’re by yourself, but nothing’s impossible.  If I can do it, you can too!  Don’t feel weird about just talking to some random person (as long as you’re not insulting them – duh), because at the con, we’re all in it together.  You already have at least one thing in common, and can probably easily think of tonnes of conversation starters.  Even if it’s “Your hair is awesome!”, because, let’s face it, who doesn’t want to hear that?  And share information with everyone – if you find out some venue has changed, or a guest is running late/starting early, tell people!  We’re all in this togetheeerrrr!!!
18. Breathe.  Take a break when you need to.  Staying indoors all day is never a good idea (unless there are zombies outside or something), your eyes need something far away to focus on, otherwise you’ll feel crappy.  If you feel yourself getting anxious or flustered, take five.  If you can’t get outside (queueing!), just close your eyes and breathe deeply and slowly.  Focus on your breathing, and you’ll find yourself a bit calmer.  You can do it – I believe in you!
19. Volunteer!  Okay, so this is a bit selfish of me, since recently I’ve been Head Steward for Rogue cons, so I’ve been looking after Stewards (the on-the-day volunteers at Rogue cons).  However, I strongly recommend it, because you really do get to meet so many more people, and you get a few secret perks as well 😉

So there they are: my top 19 tips for conventions!  They’re not extensive, and I’m sure I’ll think of more, but stay tuned and I’ll tell you more about cons.

If you’re planning on attending a Rogue con, feel free to ask me any questions!  Or look me up when you get there – both Kaz and I will be wearing our trademark cat ears!

Peace and pterosaurs,

Geekydactyl

x

Introduction

Hello, fellow people!  I’m starting this blog to provide some hints and tips, stories and news, and general weirdness to you, the folks of the interweb.  And because I love to write 😀

First and foremost, I am a geek (in case you didn’t cotton onto that already).  I have many geeky loves: words, comics, TV, films, music, food, make-up… the list is near-infinite.  Colour, quirkiness and confidence.  That’s what you’ll find here – all things geek.

A few things you might need to know about me:

• I have always been a cat lady, although I’ve never really owned a cat.  Buuuuut on the 30th May, I’ll be collecting my very first fur baby!  Couldn’t be more excited!
• I work in Marketing/PR after trying it out as an actor.  However, I do still act in my spare time, and I love it!
• I’ve lived in a fair few places – born and raised near Portsmouth, went to uni in Bath (Bath Spa ftw!), moved to London (to give the whole professional acting thing a try), then Bristol, and now back to Bath.  Living here with my boyfriend (pictured) and absolutely loving it!
• I’m also trying to lose weight, so I’ll be posting up my journey and any useful tips I find along the way.  I’m not a fitness freak by any stretch of the imagination, but I do believe that we have to look after ourselves, since this is our one shot, and if we don’t look after ourselves, no-one else will.
• I’m a feminist.  I believe in equality, in every sense, but not just between genders, between all people, regardless of race, sexuality or whether they prefer Marvel/DC. 
• I have triphalangeal thumbs.  It’s not too weird, just means that my thumbs have the same sort of look as fingers, with the three joints.  While I get a bit hurt by some peoples’ reactions to them, I wouldn’t change them for the world – they’re part of me and my many quirks and eccentricities.
• My thumbs are also the reason for my name, Geekydactyl.  When I found out what my finger-thumbs were actually called, I told my friend, who misheard and said ‘pterodactyllian?’.  History was made.
• I go to conventions as often as I can.  Currently, I work with Rogue Events.  Been going to Rogue cons since 2011.  Met my best friends there, and I’ve never looked back.
• I love lists.  As is obvious by this point.
• I’m generally awesome.  No explanation necessary.

So there it is, that’s me, and this is my blog.  Live long, and be excellent to each other.  PARTY ON, DUDES!

Geekydactyl x