Post PAX Pin Pal Depression

Qumaden

So, it's that time again. The latest PAX is over, all the attendees are coming off of that emotional weekend high; we're all sharing our best and worst memories of the weekend. This PAX was pretty special to me; it is in my back yard, it was an inaugural PAX and likely the LAST inaugural pax, 3/4 of my Pinglorious Basterds were all in one place(my pin trading group), and I was much more involved socially with the pin community this time. All this positivity and energy from my fellow man(and women) just gets me so, for a lack of a better term, high. An exuberant joyousness flows over us all, things like sleep and food all fall lower on our priorities and we push our bodies harder to keep riding that train until soon afterwards we begin to crash.

I've never considered myself an emotional person, or hell even a person all that capable of true emotional connections at the human level; this weekend reminded me that this is not true. Last night and today I've crashed pretty hard. This morning, on top of this crushing emotional downslope we've all been hit with, I lost a patient. I don't much care to go into details, but I'm in a pretty rough place now all of a sudden.

PAX East is right around the corner, and I can't wait to get there, but this is the hardest I've ever crashed after a PAX and I just wanna know...how are you guys doing? Any fun coping mechanisms or things you do for your PPD? I'm going to mail out a ton of pins to pin pals after work today, but I don't know what to do to ease the brunt. Anything non-pin related that you guys do after pax to manage?

rentfn

Stay strong man. Sorry about your loss. It was great to meet you and trade with you at the dinner.

I missed all of Sunday because I was freaking out about flying and the snow storm. So I changed my flight to Sunday night. By the time I changed it all the buses to Houston had already left, so I went to rent a car and three different car rental places refused my debt card because earlier in the weekend it got a fraud detection, from buying so many pins So I had to search the web to find a car rental service I could pre pay for. Ended up getting a car and getting to the airport and through security with about ten minutes before the flight took off. So my post-pax blues started before the show even ended.

I hope everyone got how ok and I hope to see everyone in Boston, I hope we can get a dinner together again Thursday night...if it ever stops snowing.

Hingo

@Qumaden at least you have a sweet-ass heart pin now. That has to count for something.

spool32

Louis CK released a new special today for $5 on his website.

Watch that and laugh a bunch this evening!

zeale

I'm totally buying that Louis CK special. I really like his choice of distribution and I feel compelled to support it. Plus he's hilarious.

PAX_Skeletor

After PAX Aus last year I binge watched the PA DVDs I bought during the show, and caught up on panels I had missed via Twitch. Took the edge off a little...

PedroAsani

I'm going to be watching the panels I missed, and planning for East.

TheAggroCraig

East is so soon that the moment I get home I can start the PAX East hype train thread.

Diffusion

This is helping me get past the depression now that I'm back home. =D

Qumaden

Diffusion wrote: »

This is helping me get past the depression now that I'm back home. =D

Ok, that got a laugh out of me. Thanks man, I needed that.

kainz0r

Qumaden wrote: »

but this is the hardest I've ever crashed after a PAX and I just wanna know...how are you guys doing?

That post-PAX depression is for real though. It hasn't hit me for this PAX yet, I'm still rolling on that PAX high. I know it's coming though. Gonna buy a few pints of Ben & Jerry's and get ready to eat my way to happiness.

spool32

TheAggroCraig wrote: »

East is so soon that the moment I get home I can start the PAX East hype train thread.

My hype train consists of month long Greek-style austerity measures to afford the flights and not be stressed about cash...

orthancstone

spool32 wrote: »

My hype train consists of month long Greek-style austerity measures to afford the flights and not be stressed about cash...

Also known as "Pallet of Ramen"

dchoy

Post PAX depression is worse when you only go to one PAX. After Prime me and my friends are like whelp... time to wait another year.

dmosinee

orthancstone wrote: »

Also known as "Pallet of Ramen"

Please don't pin pals! Ramen noodles are awful for you, and not meant as a means of primary sustenance despite what everyone says about college etc. Seasoned red beans and rice tastes better, is just as cheap, and won't give you heart problems at age 35.

Make sure you're around long enough to pass your pins on to your grandkids!

Hitchhiker Dent

dchoy wrote: »

Post PAX depression is worse when you only go to one PAX. After Prime me and my friends are like whelp... time to wait another year.

Knowing that I'll be going to Prime makes it much easier. However I ended up catching PAX Pox, and have taken a few days off while I've been down with the sickness. It's a good excuse to feed my depression with binging on panel videos and Netflix.

orthancstone

dmosinee wrote: »

Seasoned red beans and rice tastes better, is just as cheap, and won't give you heart problems at age 35.

Red beans and rice...mmm...

Senno

I'm from Aus, and am just 100 miles or so north of Melbourne, where PAX Aus is held. I've been to both, and plan to go again this year. I can attest to the post-Pax blues, it caused the wife to question me for several days. But it gets better - I assure you.

Beker

PPD is a thing. Here's a list of things that can help:

Watch PA TV, PAX DVD's and the un-official PAX community dvd's
Arrange\attend meet ups if possible, even if you have to drive a bit its worth it
Stay active in the forums
Chat via skype, irc, whatsap, etc.
Watch the recorded panels you missed, or re-watch the ones you saw again.
Plan meetups and panels and community stuff for your next PAX.

PPD is a real thing, but you are not alone, and thats what makes it ok.

PedroAsani

Do stuff to keep busy. Bug Trevor Kidd about taking Acq Inc to Aus this year. Talk bollocks on the forums. Watch videos of stuff you missed.

Nope

I started a routine to combat PPD a little, basically after the con is over, I walk around the city by myself and listen to some mellow music and maybe take pictures along the way.

It seems like doing these walks would create more depressed feelings but they are kinda like one giant sigh that helps me personally unload, there is just something about exploring down Seattle, Boston, San Antonio by yourself that is calming, at least for me.

Hope things get easier.

pureval

Does anyone else suffer from Pre-PAX depression at all? Every year just before PAX I start hearing about bands that won't be playing (Protomen again ) or companies that won't be attending (Renegade Kid) or panels I love that aren't happening (NWR) and start feeling like I don't really want to go this year, that I will have a terrible time and hate it. By the time it actually rolls around I usually end up having a good time, but I end up stressed out for a good month before hand.

misskass

I usually end up so excited about PAXes (and other Aus cons) that I crash right before them. Guests pulling out tends to exacerbate that. In those cases I tend to focus on my friends - I never con alone - and try to fill back up on their excitement rather than dwelling on what I'll miss out on. There's always something at the con to be excited about, like friends, or other panels, or pin collecting ehhehhhehEEHEHEHEHEH and even if I don't reach PEAK EXCITEMENT I can generally convince myself it'll be a good time no matter what's missing this year.

Cowpuppy

I've got weird anxiety stemming from a worry that I'm going to spend my entire PAX hunting pins for my pals and won't have time to enjoy myself. Though I spent pretty much my whole PAX pin-hunting last year and I still had a blast. And this year I'm much better prepared. But anxiety isn't rational, sadly.

I've also got anxiety that something is going to trigger my sensory issues again and I'm going to have to go crash in one of the walkways above the main floor. (The ventilation hum and cold glass are very soothing.) But as long as I don't get caught in a conversation with a close-talking Sony rep right next to a speaker again, I should be all right.

So it's more pre-PAX anxiety than pre-PAX depression, but still a brain being dumb about things that haven't even happened yet.

PedroAsani

The fear that you spend all PAX doing nothing but Pins is understandable, but I was able to go to every Mike and Jerry panel at every PAX since '13. I slept in several times, made sure I ate and still finished getting enough for 4 people way ahead of Omegathon Final Round.

What I think will help this year is that the Community is far more connected than before. It has really become a large-scale effort, to the point that at South whilst queuing for the State of Decay Pin, I jumped out of line to buy Sentinels Pins for everyone in line who didn't have them yet. So it's going to be less taxing on everyone because we can all work together and cut down on the queuing.

Pro Tips: WhatsApp (to be co-ordinated shortly. We have the channel, just need numbers.)
Cash rather than plastic, because it's quicker for the stores and quicker when settling up with other people.
Organise your bag
Pinny Wise app

dmosinee

PedroAsani wrote: »

Organise your bag

So we've seen lots of awesome home pin display/organization setups in the other thread -- but I'd love to hear more about these supposedly organized bags. At south (particularly in the pin trading line) we spent a ton of time digging through pinbank sack looking for this or that -- always paranoid about them spilling out of the bag and getting lost.

I have my display case sash to keep the good stuff front and center, but I want 12 Top Tips for keeping your bag of trade stock maintained.

TheAggroCraig

Zip lock bag with various pins. Pedro's put mine to shame in terms of how messy it was.

PedroAsani

TheAggroCraig wrote: »

Zip lock bag with various pins. Pedro's put mine to shame in terms of how messy it was.

I am the Worst.

Hingo

I only have around 12 fodder pins, but if I had more, I'd just sort them alphabetically by name and location (i.e. South: Core Set, Baron Blade, DD2 Cannon Tower, Giddy Up, Iris, LE, Ugin). It's how my DVDs, BluRays, and video games are organized, and that's the way I likes it. I would use @agentcooper 's method from here http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/31837197/#Comment_31837197 and then use colored paper or card sleeves that tie in with the background colors used at http://www.pinnypals.com/pins to signify which PAX the pins came from. Until that time comes when I need sorting for more pins, I will stick with my cardboard taped to cardboard and call it good enough.

00Fayt00

@silrn turned me to Iris Photo box's at PAX Aus, and that is what I used at South. Highly organized, can it up to twelve pins, on the backings, in each one. As long as you keep pins organized in a manner that makes sense to you, you will be able to easily pull out the pins and find what you need.

http://www.joann.com/iris-photo-keeper/9531211.html

Fitzchivalry

I had a zippable A4 folder with the ultra pro 9 slot pockets in it. Each pin slides nicely into a pocket, and you can easily flick between pages.

I'll post a pic tonight