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Two years ago I was a workaholic who tried to make everything pretty damned serious. This attitude had helped me build an enviable career as a novelist, and hit #1 on the New York Times list more than once. I’d been to Dragon Con twice before, and didn’t have fond memories of it. It was crowded, noisy, and the elevators broke down early in the con and were never repaired. The second time my husband, Jonathon, and I went there was something in the air vents that we were allergic to, and the schedule for panels one year when I was on my own didn’t schedule time for food between appearances. It was just not fun.

Then 2008 Dragon Con rolled around and Jonathon and I were back at it. It was still noisy, still terribly crowded and the elevator dance of doom was still in place. (really hope that’s better this year) But our friend, Charles, who is one of those people that is to fun what I am to writing, which means he’s as good at finding happy adventures as I am at finding ideas for novels, was with us. He turned to us at the end of a long day of panels, and a quick dash through the dealers rooms, and art show, and said, “No wonder you hate cons. You never do anything fun.”

Now, Jonathon and I were tired, completely beat, but we’d known Charles for a few years and we’d watched him be able to find something exciting and fun anywhere, everywhere. He is literally the kind of guy who can step into a strange city for business, find that his favorite band is playing down the street and he knows someone who works the door at the club. True story. So, in the interest of trying to let his talent work for us, I said, “Okay, what would you do for fun right now.”

He looked at me surprised and said, “Really?”

“Really, what would you do.”

Without hesitation he said, “Kilt blowing.”

“Take us there.”

He gave me wide eyes, and repeated, “Really?”

“Really.”

He gave that grin of his, and off we went, to the kilt blowing, which is run/thrown by Jennie Breeden of “The Devil’s Panties” on-line comic. It is Jennie, a leaf blower, and men in kilts, you do the math from there. It was silly, and fun, and totally not work. We’d met Jennie the year before at San Diego Comic Con, but seeing her again was great, and meeting HappyGoth, DragonConGoddess, and DragonConGod, also known as the latter’s husband/and actually goes by Daven, but he really needs his own nickname, just haven’t come up with the right one, yet. Nicknames are tricky things, they either work, or they don’t.

By the next night, we’d gone to my first con party that had a risque theme. I won’t say a sex theme, because it was one of the most boring parties I’d ever been to, and nothing falls flatter than when you’re trying to be racy and failing. But the point is that I was willing to go and see what it was like. Then it was time for another kilt blowing, and off we went. The kilt blowing was much more risque, but in that tongue in cheek, more fun and frolic way. It was fun, even more fun than the first night because Charles and Jon wore their kilts and got blown. *grin* In fact, Jonathon was Mr. April of the next year’s calender. I continued to visit with DragonConGoddess and Daven, and we all watched Jennie stalk her prey with an impish smile and an industrial strength leaf blower. *laughs* Some men played it for laughs, some were sexy, some were endearingly awkward and didn’t know quite what to do. It was charming, and 3:00 AM rolled around while we were still talking, laughing, and getting to know each other. It was the beginning of Jonathon and myself making some very good friends.

Watching Charles have fun while I slaved away like the proverbial ant and grasshopper had begun my desire to want to have more fun. Dragon Con showed me I had to try new things to have that fun. On-going friendships with DragonConGoddess and Daven, Jennie, and HappyGoth helped me realize there was more to me than just work. That Jonathon who had brought lightness to my life couldn’t keep shoring up the gloom in me all by himself. We needed help, and we found that at Dragon Con. I now need a calender and some hard thinking to know how many times we’ve visited Daven and DragonConGoddess, and they’ve gotten to use our guest room, too. I’ve learned how to flirt, how to enjoy my life and my success, and to own myself, all of me. Dear friends, important life lessons, sanity saving visits, and it all began with this cute red-head, named Jennie, a leaf blower, and men, lots of men, in kilts.