BRAINPAN LEAKAGE

No, not what’serface’s ex hubby. I mean the dude in the white truck with the logo on the side…You know, the company made even more famous by Tom Hanks and a volleyball named Wilson… The one that set up shop with Kinkys, er, I mean Kinkos…

Yeah, that FedEx.

And, yeah, it was a dude and not a dudette. I know because I saw him out my office window when he was heading back out to his truck.

So, what’s so special about the FedEx dude dropping by. Well, now that you ask, nothing really. However, the contents of the package he left on my porch are kind of cool.

Wanna know what it is?

Of course, since you are being so uppity, asking me what’s so special and stuff like that, maybe you don’t want to know.

What’s that?

Uh-huh…thought so.

Well I guess you should have thought about that before you said what you did. Maybe I’ll just keep it all to myself and you’ll just have to go around wondering what it is.

Nope. Won’t bother me a bit. Remember me? The guy who leaves cliffhangers at the ends of his books?…

Yeah. I kinda figured as much.

Uh-huh…Well…Okay…Apology accepted. Just don’t let it happen again…

So, anyway, now that we have all THAT settled, the contents of the nifty front porch box were none other than a bunch of promotional bookmarks!

Yeah? Well, I kinda think they’re cool.

Fine. Be that way.

For those of you who are still interested below is a scan. The bookmarks are 2 x 7 and two sided. (I know, it would be kind of hard to be one sided in a three+ dimensional universe, but what I mean is that they are imprinted on both sides…Sheesh! Why is everyone being so difficult today?)

Well, there you go. Bookmarks. I’m hoping the next package has an ipod, or something cool like that in it, but for now, I’m all good with the bookmarks.

From what I understand a lot of these will be going out to various Sci-Fi/Fantasy type conventions around the US, along with the official RGI Chapter Sampler booklets, for distribution on the “freebie/literature tables.”

A goodly portion of my newly delivered stash will travel around with me so I can give them away at booksignings, etc…

Of course, I suppose if anyone wants one and they aren’t going to be attending a convention or signing we will have to work something out. Maybe one of those send me an SASE kind of deals…Guess we’ll have to see if there is a demand.

Okay. Got a bucket of words next to the desk and it’s time for me to splash them against the paper.

Later all!

MR

Okay, so this blog isn’t going to be about Firefly or Serenity, but I am a fan and I love that line…Plus, Wacky Fun was definitely had…

Yesterday (Sat. 1/27/07) I drove out to Columbia, Missouri. For those of you not familiar with this Midwestern parcel of dirt, Columbia is right around the middle of the “show me” state. It is a college town, built up around the University of Missouri, Columbia. (One of the finest Journalism schools in the country, among other subjects)…Anyhow, it is also home to a thriving pagan community and an annual wintertime gathering known as “Magickal Hibernation” sponsored, put together, organized, and otherwise presented by Ozark Avalon. This was my third year as a guest speaker at this event, and as always it was a great time. While the gathering isn’t huge by any means, there is a respectable attendance. They set up at a local hotel where a ballroom is set aside for vendors and conference rooms are set aside for workshops and a hospitality suite. Registration is positioned in the lobby, and everyone from the con staff right down to the attendees are wonderful, friendly, and a joy to hang out with.

This year, Author Ellen Dugan, Artist Mickie Mueller, and Author Mike Nichols were headlining the event as well, so we all presented workshops on everything ranging from Wicca’s Wonder Years (a witchcraft and pop culture seminar by Mike) to Spells for Love (Ellen), as well as  Magical Body Art (Mickie) to Magick in the Trenches: No Fluff, No Sparkle, Just Results (yours truly)… But, enough about them…this is all about me! (Just kidding…sort of…It IS all about ME, but believe me, the above listed are all good friends, colleagues, and wonderful folks; each of them. And, I love them all dearly.)

But, back to me …

I presented two workshops, the above listed as well as the Unconscious Magick workshop which has now been made available on Youtube (watch it via the link above). Both were well attended, but the Magick in the Trenches seminar definitely ended up being a full house. I wasn’t sure what to expect because this particular workshop is somewhat controversial, and when Dorothy Morrison and I have done it in tandem we have actually upset a few individuals with our view on “no fluff, no sparkle”…However, I was met with a wonderfully open minded and curious crowd. We discussed various aspects of magick, and I even enlightened the group on a few things. (Something tells me a few folks are probably going to be visiting cemeteries and asking ancestors to borrow a bit of dirt in the near future…If you don’t know what I mean by that you need to see the workshop!)

So, anyway, in addition to getting to hang out with great folks, wear my voice out trying to talk over a band that was playing next to the workshop area, and getting my picture taken with THE Smokin’ Hottie Babe of the Pagan Art World (Mickie), I also had another bizarre and wonderful experience…What was that you ask? Well, I’ll tell you.

Two long time fans, one of whom I had met at a past booksigning, and another with whom I had only corresponded via email, were in attendance. Now, these two folks are insane, I have to tell you. But, they are insane in a good way (read: same kind of general insanity from which I also suffer…) They had warned me that they would be there and that they had a surprise in store. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect out of these two, as I had yet to discover just exactly how wacky they really are. Fortunately for me, the surprise didn’t involve the plot of Stephen King’s Misery.

However, these two wingnuts DID come dressed as stalkers…How did they do that, you ask? Well, just check out the picture below….

Left to right: Johnny “Force Majeure”, me, and Tasialue

So, as you can see, not only did these two nutcases come dressed as stalkers, but they also presented me with my own sweatshirt which readily identified me as the object of their stalking…

Like I said… Wacky Fun!

Now, I have to get back to writing, so till the next time!

MR