Geeky Pilgrimmage

Ok, so a while back I mentioned my jumping on the Jonathan Coulton bandwagon (jonathancoulton.com), mainly as a side outlet from my obsession with John Hodgman (Hodgmania, to borrow a phrase). Never mind that I have yet to read any of "The Areas of My Expertise" and have not technically given any monetary support of Mr. Coulton's Thing-a-Week (sorry, I'll get on that eventually), I have, however, read quite a few of Hodgman's magazine articles on the net and think he's just nifty. Anyone who has Sarah Vowell (whom I have not read either, but mean to) describe their artistic adventures as "Mondo Pithy Entertainments," has to have some sort of merit. Well, that and it makes me giggle while not feeling like my brain is turning to mush (not that there's anything wrong with that every now and then). Being solidly in the midwest and not inclined to roam eastward, it is unlikely that I will ever be a part of the Hodgman literary salon. I feel like an outsider cyber-spying on a great dinner party, with the foggy restaurant glass replaced by several hundred miles and the internet.

So, upon hearing that Hodgman and Coulton would be touring to support the paperback edition of AoME, I have been planning what I can only call a geeky pilgrimmage to finally buy the book, take a few photos and hopefully, get a signature. I am thinking of printing off an actual e-mail exchange I had with Mr. Hodgman where I was called, "an admirable researcher." We'll have to see. I have a few weeks to think about it. I suppose I could also take a photo of the Hobo sunray somewhere on campus and bring a print of that for signing.

After practicing fandom at a few Star Wars conventions, I think I am ready. And, due to an odd quirk of scheduling, I am taking a Thursday off from work and going to Ann Arbor solo. Now, before you fling any mud at my wonderful husband for not taking the day off to make this trek with me, may I remind you all that I am an adult, with a cel phone. The trip will only require one hour of driving each way (if that, really) and I will be surrounded by numerous coffee shops. Believe me, I feel very fortunate to have such a great and indulgent partner who is willing to tolerate my odd, goofy literarly "crushes," He has Darth Vader and Gojira (that's Godzilla, to you Gaikokujin), I have BNL, some figure skaters, the Algonquin Table authors, and Hodgmania. Not that there isn't some overlap, there more certainly is!

Speaking of which, I am off to feed my Utada (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utada) addiction, which was fueled by G's Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts connection. Later!

^_^