A Christmas Gift for me from me?

Be honest now. Have you ever while hunting for gifts for others, bought one for yourself? I have been tempted to do this many times, especially with books I see while shopping online and crave. Right now I am debating ordering the Patrick Melrose collection. So far I have resisted but my library doesn't own it and no one knows I want it so its not likely to turn up under the tree.

Or a CD sometimes. I may do it this year. Or I can pretend to order it for someone and just keep it.

I did it. I ordered a Charlotte Armstrong omnibus. Her name came up one time too many for my self-control.  How about you?

What the Internet Has Brought to Me.

We just spent some lovely time with Rob Kitchin and his wife, Cora, in Maynooth, Ireland, home of the National University of Ireland. Phil was the keynote speaker at a conference Rob arranged on the American election and the high point for me was spending two lovely evenings talking most crime fiction with Rob and Cora. 

I have been rather aggressive about trying to meet people I know via the blog community and this meeting worked out well for Phil as well since Rob is a university professor with many common interests. I have met many, many people at crime fiction conferences that I exchanged a few words with, but I especially treasure the people I have been able to spend more than a few minutes with.

Friends like Terrie Moran who made us so welcome in Florida when we were considering spending a winter there a few years back. Terrie is a person we struck an immediate rapport with-who wouldn't?

Or Sandra Scoppettone who traveled for hours to meet me for lunch in New York a few years ago. She has continued to give me advice and succor ever since.

People like Naomi Johnson who took an afternoon off to show me Columbus and take me to lunch. The same goes for Margot Kinberg and Barrie Summy out in San Diego.

Or Bonnie Lawson who shared coffee and book talk with me in D.C. 

George Kelley and his wife, Diane, have met us at Niagara on the Lake for a play and bookstore visits and had dinner with us twice. Jeff and Jackie Meyerson have done that too as well as being our companions on trips to New York. A great tour of Brooklyn was part of the fun.

Cullen Gallagher has met up with us in New York and Philadelphia and is as charming as he seems online. Kieran Shea has exchanged Ocean City, New Jersey memories with me on more than one occasion.

Bryon and Becky Quertermous had us as guests at their lovely wedding and went to a play at the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea with us. Vicki Hendricks shared a trip to the infamous Mutter Museum in Philadelphia as well as a dinner at the Mummer Museum at the last NoirCon. It was there we also met Scott Cupp.

We met Brian Busby last summer in Stratford and got a tour of his lovely B &; B in a neighboring town.

Megan's events in Michigan have introduced us to Heath and Kim Lowrance, Tribe and Carrie Roca, Mike White and a few others who names are eluding me now.

It is not my intention here to mention everyone I have met at every conference (or hunted down at other times) but just to point out the strange function the Internet has served. I would have met none of these wonderful people in the years predating the Internet. I would never have attended a conference if I didn't think I had a few friends there to spent time with.

Beware Internet friends. I may show up at your door next.