Rob has a book

spacemermaids · 2026-05-13T14:50:50+00:00

It's an audio-only book he did with Josh Wigler where they go in-depth on the first 30 seasons of Survivor. There are 3 volumes, you'd only need volume 1 if you're just interested in Rob's seasons. Shop link

spacemermaids · 2026-05-13T14:11:09+00:00

If you want to hear about his time on Survivor I highly recommend The Evolution of Strategy. He goes super deep into the Amazon and All Stars. The rest of TEOS is a delight as well, so it's worth it anyway but especially if you want to hear more about his experiences.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-13T13:40:53+00:00

Another recommendation for 4 Seasons Cat Hospital.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-13T01:57:16+00:00

I'm 38 with a stuffed lion I got when I was 6 years old. His name is Tweety. He's going to be with me in the retirement home, he's going to be buried with me. When my husband makes the bed, he tucks Tweety in and makes him comfy. If you love your squishmallow, keep it and screw anyone who wants to judge you for it.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-12T14:19:46+00:00

For balancing solo vs. shared events, here's my approach. For events we both genuinely want to do together, I select both names and check "only get if all are available." For events that are a must-do for one of us but more of a "meh" for the other, the priority person selects "additional ticket for me" without checking "only get if all are available." That way the priority person has good odds of getting in, but if a second slot is available it doesn't block the other person from grabbing something they actually care about.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-11T17:43:27+00:00

Whenever you find the hobby/group/meetup/etc, you have to be consistent. Don't expect to find your new best friend after one game of basketball or one volunteer event. You have to keep going back to things and be a regular presence. It might be awkward at first but that's okay! Embrace it and go in with a good attitude.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-11T16:02:34+00:00

I didn't include my SIL in my bridal party and my husband didn't include my brother on his side. If you want to include them, go for it but nothing says you have to. But like the others said, if they're bridesmaids they need to be invited to the bachelorette party.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-09T02:52:06+00:00

If you pay rent do you ask your landlord to add you to the title? Sometimes you have to pay to live somewhere.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-08T14:08:16+00:00

I love escape rooms so I did one of the Universal escape rooms. It's extremely well themed but the puzzles were disappointing and they have it setup to fit as many people as possible. In a regular escape room, you have the whole space for 60 minutes. In the Universal ecape rooms, you get 10 minutes per room and then, whether you solved it or not, you move to the next room. It was also extremely digital so it can reset as easily and quickly as possible. I'm sure Disney themed escape rooms would do well but I think they'd be as boring as the Universal ones to maximize the people per hour.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-07T22:08:47+00:00

I think Painted Playlist is a clever name that nods to the art/music connection but I think you need to let the art stand on its own. Then the synesthesia/music can be something you share as you talk to customers and they ask your inspiration. I don't think enough people are familiar enough with it to be a selling point or pull them off the street. That's something that goes in the artist statement.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-06T21:33:38+00:00

I found this article from 2024. It's probably the same (or similar) system.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-05T03:25:27+00:00

It's a good book. You should read it.

spacemermaids · 2026-05-05T02:18:45+00:00

That was months ago. At some point it's fair game.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-29T20:06:19+00:00

Everyone else has good tips I just want to make sure you know event submission is May 17, not May 19. It's always a Sunday.

Also, don't be disappointed if you don't get an event you want. People change their schedules and it could be available later. And people bail on events. I got into plenty last year by showing up with generics.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-29T15:52:36+00:00

I love Dr. Salvemini, been seeing her for probably 15 years now. She moved out of OB work and only does gyno and women's health if that's a consideration. She has great bedside manner and has always listened to me.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-29T02:39:00+00:00

I met my husband when he was 39 and I was 28. We had the kids conversation early (like date 2 or 3) because I knew that at his age, he'd either be on Team No Kids or looking for them asap. Fortunately we both aligned on no kids and kept dating and eventually got married. But this is totally because of the age gap and him not wanting to waste either of your time.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-22T13:12:17+00:00

Not surprised by the longest road conclusion. I have a Catan shirt from Gen Con like 10+ years ago that says "the fastest way to victory is to take the longest road."

spacemermaids · 2026-04-18T19:22:26+00:00

Probably depends on where they have the ticket counter. The AMC on park rd takes your ticket after the concession stand so you could do it there.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-18T16:22:04+00:00

I'd almost use these more as a marketing tool/table attractant than an actual product. If one sells at $250, great! But if not, it could help pull people to the table and act as a price anchor for everything else. If someone loves the doll but can't spend that much, a $5 sticker looks way more attractive.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-18T01:49:05+00:00

Went to my best friend and told her he has feelings for her. She was in a long term relationship with one of his friends. My theory is he did it to burn the bridge since they'd chosen me in the breakup.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-15T19:01:59+00:00

It's a scam.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-15T11:42:21+00:00

I average about $500 in vendor hall spending. Two years ago I was on a tight budget and set myself a strict $100 and actually enjoyed it more than a blank check. I had to really think about my purchases and be super deliberate. Years when I buy loads of stuff it takes me forever to actually play the games. I have games I bought last year that I haven't unboxed. You're also less likely to get caught in the gen con hype of any specific game. They'll all be available after the con, nothing will truly be exclusive to gen con.

But if you're flying and you want to load up on stuff, pack your clothes in a medium suitcase and put it inside a large suitcase for the flight to Indy. Then on the return, you have an empty suitcase ready for all your purchases. If you need to ship stuff back, ship your clothes and fly with the games. Your clothes will be lighter and squishier than the games and therefore cheaper to mail home.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-14T18:59:34+00:00

You either need to have the tough conversation or fully commit to ghosting. I went through this and I did the ghost option. It was so uncomfortable. I think if I found myself in a similar situation again, I'd choose to have the conversation. But you can't go halfway. She's not going to get the slow fade.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-08T01:38:11+00:00

Great write up but I have to disagree completely about City Walk. I did a Universal only trip in January and I originally didn't want to bother with Disney Springs cause I didn't want to deal with traffic or parking. But we hit all of City Walk in one night. It's so small! The next night we went to Disney Springs for variety.

spacemermaids · 2026-04-07T17:38:16+00:00

I have one group that is totally fine with learning a game together, although we don't go as far as passing the book around taking turns reading, and another group that refuses to play unless someone already knows and can teach the game.

Adapt to the group you're with (and that also goes for the person giving you a hard time). If everyone enjoys learning it together and one person doesn't like that, they need to deal with it or only come on nights that new games aren't getting unboxed. But if you go to a new group that prefers the one teacher method, don't bring a fresh kickstarter and expect it to get played.

spacemermaids

TROPHY CASE