So this afternoon I’m actually on a mini-roll of writing when the door buzzer goes off. “Bloody hell” I mutter (ok, so maybe I said “huh?” but ‘bloody hell’ sounds more interesting). I’m not expecting anyone so it’s either someone at the wrong building or, y’know, some other irritant. How the hell am I supposed to earn my Recluse Merit Badge when people come buzzing the damned buzzer?

But it’s the UPS guy, which is weird because I haven’t ordered anything. And he’s got a big, heavy box.

Flashback to last December. I was so jazzed at the end of my first NaNo that I decided I was going to really work at this writing idea. And in that flush of enthusiasm I registered for the World Fantasy Convention 2006, which was held Nov. 2-6 in Austin, TX. I went to work and put in for the vacation time…11 months in advance. I was pumped!

I never anticipated being unemployed though. So I couldn’t go to the convention; between airfare and hotel accomodations, I just didn’t have the money. I didn’t bother asking for a refund of my fee or anything. I just…well, it was pretty depressing, the whole thing. (We won’t go into the fact that from Dec 2005-Oct. 31 2006 I didn’t write a word of fiction.)

So where was I? Yeah ok, so it’s the UPS guy with this big box. I sign for it and look at the label and it says “World Fantasy Convention 2006.”

“What the hell?” I say to the cat. She gives me ‘that look’ and goes back to licking her bottom.

So I open it and its full of goodies from the con! There’s a bookbag stuffed full of novels, plus a program and a few magazines. They even sent my badge. So now I have ten new novels to read, and not a single one is a duplicate of something I already had.

What a cool treat!!! It made my day. It made my day so much that I registered for World Fantasy Convention 2007, in fact. That one’s in Saratoga Springs, NY, so I can drive there… I know I can go if I can drive there.