So, how about that report? Well, X and I spent six days in Arizona. Part of it was spent at the fabulous Mission Palms in Tempe and I wish the World Fantasy Convention was there every year. I heard grumbles about programming, organization and planning, but one must agree that was one fabulous hotel. The open courtyard was great, night or day, and the hotel was in a great area for restaurants. I've been to four previous WFCs and this year had the best setting.

It's almost a shame we didn't sleep in the hotel. That, I suppose, would bring about a different experience, both personally and financially.

We stayed at my mom's place in Mesa, about thirty minutes away from the hotel. I had rented a car which Enterprise was kind enough to drive to the hotel and do all the paper work right there. Thursday was arrival day so we didn't spend much time at the convention. We did cruise the dealer's room after getting my registration. We talked to Patrick Swenson, Alan Clark, Ted Chiang, Mary Mohanraj, and Deb Layne. I spotted a familiar name from online. That was Jon Hansen and I said hello.

In the hotel lobby we talked to and hung out with Jay lake, Diana Sherman, and Laurel Winter. We got to say hello to Ellen Datlow and Joe and Gay Haldeman.

We left the hotel after that to go to my mom's. We never returned that day. It had been six years since I had seen my mom. Phone calls can mask the passing of time and they can fool you, and I have phoned my mom less in the last year or two. It was good to see her again and meet her "friend" Curtis. And I introduced them to Ximena.

On Thursday we ventured back to the hotel, but on the way I developed a headache. Even after lunch at the brew pub across the street with Bruce Holland Rogers, Michael Arnazen, and Sarah and Dan Hoyt, the headache would not go away. I picked up some advil at the hotel gift shop and then we hung around the lovely courtyard talking to Jenn, Greg; and talking yet again with Ted Chiang, Dianna Sherman, and Jon Hansen.

After awhile, we drove back to my mom's to take a siesta. By the time we got there, the drugs had taken affect and my headache was gone, but a nap still sounded good.

There was a sort of family reunion at my mom's. My older brother flew in from Minneapolis and my fraternal twin brother also lives in the Tempe/Mesa area. We only missed my sister, so it fell short of complete.

We went back to the convention later in the evening for the Zeppelin anthology release party. The anthology looks great and I have yet to pick up a copy, since Deb suggested we could pick buy a copy at the Wordos in the future. Jay lake, Deb Layne, and David Moles looked great in their white uniforms. The napkins had neat logos for All-Star Zeppelin Stories. We talked to artists Paul Gondes and Frank Wu. I also chatted more with Greg van Eekhout, this time about young adult novels.

X and I were the last ones to leave that party, along with Ruth Nestvold and Jay Lake, who had to lock up the suite.

Saturday, we went to the small press party where we bought a hardcover book on the art of Alan Clark and we signed it for us. Alan lives in the same town as we do and we realy do need to see him more often. We also bought a Fundamentally Challened CD edited from Jeffrey Turner. That anthology CD has a story by writer friend and fellow Wordo, Leon West. Artwork by Frank Wu, who signed the inside cover.

We also attended the Strange Horizons tea party. We heard some stories read outloud. We talked some more with Greg, jenn, Jon Hansen, and David Moles.

Saturday night we had dinner with my two brothers at the Irish pub next door to the hotel. We met Richard's (that's my fraternal twin) girlfriend, Heidi. We sat at a table outside where we saw many convention goers leaving the hotel to eat at other restaurants. I was glad to see some Eugene folk so that I could introduce my brother, Richard, to say "Look, my fraternal twin, don't we look a lot alike?" Alan Roberts took pictures of all three Vagle brothers and he gave me copies the next day. Nina Hoffman and Bruce Holland Rogers also got to meet my brothers.

The Irish pub had good food. I ate the lamb stew and had the bread pudding for dessert. I drank a guinnes.

After dinner, my brothers and Heidi went home. X and I went to the art show reception. We chatted with Alan Clark and Paul Grondes again.

Sunday was the day of the banquet and awards ceremony. We attend the banquet, but we stood outside the open doors, listenting to the speakers and the awards being presented. We made eye contact with Bruce Holland Rogers and gave him the thumbs up sign. He came out to us saying something about wishing someone good luck should be more than gesticulations across a crowded room, so there were some good luck hugs Bruce went back to his table.

X and I were starving so we made our way back to the bar across the courtyard where we could get something to heat. In the lobby, we saw Greg, Jenn, Jon, and the others we've seen throughout the convention. We managed to say hello and wave before going into the bar claiming starvation.

The service in the bar was slow, but we did get back to the awards before the end. We saw an award on Bruce's table. In fact, the award was right in front of him. We were disappointed that Wheatland Press didn't get the best semi-pro award. Bruce told Ximena and I our hugs worked. We were happy he won the award for best short story.

That was it for the convention. We said goodbye to some people on the way out and missed saying goodbye to others. We didn't spend much time at the convention the whole weekend and I didn't go to a single panel. But I did talk to people when I had a chance and I felt like I spent quality time with people when I did. In other words, I don't think I was as much of a quiet introvert this convention. Maybe if I was at the convention almost every hour of each day, I would have had quiet moments. Less meant more for me this time around.

Sunday night there was a barbecue at my uncle Ted's, who also lives in Mesa. He's a retired fireman and his wife (my aunt) Ann still works in baggage handling at America West. My aunt Barb was also there, along with cousins and my brothers. My mom's brother and sister moved to Arizona more than twenty-five years ago. With my mom and brother living down there (for a little over a decade) it seems like Arizona is as much home as Minnesota. And I'm talking the "home" from which one's family is from.

On Monday it was time for the James Bond exhibit at the Arizona Science Center. I had stumbled upon a web page about the James Bond exhibit a couple of weeks before this trip. And since Ximena and I have been currently watching the Bond movies (on special edition DVDs) in order of release date, we knew we couldn't pass this chance up.

My uncle Ted and brother Paul came along. The exhibit was cool and had many things to look at. We got issued agent cards at the door and answered Bond trivia questions at interactive terminals throughout the exhibit. We got th see the mini-jet from Octopussy. Ximena and I even touched its wing. Oddjob's bowler hat was under glass. There were screens showing scenes from Bond movies. We got to hang from the Golden Gate Bridge, just like Bond in A view To A Kill. The Aston Martin from Goldeneye was there with a bottle of champagne between the driver and passenger seat. There were storyboards of action sequences on the walls and sketches from the production designers. We walked through M's office of the sixties, the early years of Bond. The trivia questions were generally easy.

In the gift shop, there were tons of Bond merchandise. Oh, only if I had thousands of dollars to spend. I settled on getting two coffee mugs. One was a large, black mug with a James Bond 007 logo. The other mug I bought as suggested by Ximena, and I'm glad I listened. It's a brown mug that responds to hot liquid. Pour hot coffee inside the mug and the outside reveals four different silhouettes of Bond and the 007 logo against a white background. It's a cool secret agent mug!

On the way home we had a late lunch at the My Big Fat Greek Restaurant. Great food. We had the flaming baklava for dessert.

On Tuesday we flew back to Eugene, leaving behind sunny and warm temperatures for rainy and gray Oregon. I had an extra bag to carry--the handbag of free books from the convention. In my suitcase I had mom's bananna bread and cookies. It was good to fly into Eugene instead of Portland, because with Portland there would still be a two hour drive ahead of us before we could get home.

Now I'm back home, all set for seasonal layoff, aka The Writing Season. Ximena flew off to Cleveland on Wednesday to help her friend Kat. She'll be back on Tuesday and I have some writing to do . . .