Gigantic clogs! (And other adventures!)

I am pleased to announce that I OFFICIALLY met someone whose writing I admire AND I DID NOT FREAK THE HELL OUT.

Well, maybe inside, a little, but I didn’t do what I did when I met Kevin Smith and act like a HUGE GOOBER and I didn’t run away like I did when I saw David Sedaris that time, either. I totally soldiered on. I was a brave little toaster.

So yesterday was meet Kat and Chris day. In case you haven’t been paying attention to my life (and if you haven’t, good grief, people, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU) Chris is Chris F. Holm, who is one of my most favorite authors and just an all-around kickass person, and Kat is his amazing wife, who is one of my most beloved Twitter people and humans.

Somehow, because September and October ended up being months crammed with amazing things, Kat and Chris ended up coming to town this weekend for Bouchercon, which is this GIGANTIC convention for people who create, and people who love, mystery and detective fiction. This is a huge thing. All the people come to these things. SOMEHOW, this year, it is being held HERE. In my town! I mean, *I* know we’re awesome, but the world often doesn’t. So this was quite a coup for us. And even BETTER, Kat and Chris were coming to the con! And to my TOWN! And wanted to MEET me!

Well, my first thought was YAY and my second thought was ZOMG SCARY BECAUSE I AM SCARED OF SOCIAL INTERACTION and my third thought was SHUT UP, AMY’S BRAIN, YOU NEED TO STOP BEING SCARED OF THINGS SO MUCH. I am actively attempting to be more brave. Like the sassy redhead in the Pixar cartoon, yo. Or that shouty Sara Bareilles song.

So Kat and I worked out a plan, and I helped her with a list of local restaurants (because listen! I love my area, and I wanted her to have the best time, and what if she got here and ate somewhere TERRIBLE?) and we worked out a time that worked for us between my job and their con schedule (because Chris and Kat are big deals, yo!)

So after work yesterday I zipped on over to downtown Albany and texted Kat all “I AM HERE!” and then THERE THEY WERE! And luckily, I didn’t have TIME to be all “ZOMG I AM MEETING KAT AND CHRIS!” because they were so happy and adorable and there was much hugging and we were immediately on our way to the restaurant (which, let’s be honest, was the same place I took Laura last weekend, because it is one of my favorites, and I try to go as often as I can, and ESPECIALLY when I’m bringing people who’ve never been before!)

And Chris brought me one of his books, and I felt like such a dork, because I was TOTALLY going to bring one of his books for him to sign, but then I talked myself out of it because I was like “that is so rude. Poor guy’s been signing books for days. and you want to bring one to DINNER? That’s just the rudest. You’d look like a crazy fangirl.” And I wouldn’t even have looked like one. Stupid second-guessy brain.

So we had dinner, which was delicious, and talked and talked and talked, and here are some things you should know.

They are lovely. Like, sincerely lovely humans. They are just about the most well-matched couple you could ever imagine. Are people SUPPOSED to be like a million times more attractive than they are in their photos online when they already WERE attractive in their photos? I mean, sincerely. It seems somehow unfair. But since I love them, it’s ok. I forgive the people I love ALL the things.

They know ALL the stories and they are super-fun and well-spoken and intelligent and witty and warm. I’m totally the most awkward and I didn’t feel at ALL awkward with them. They are kind of fantastic.

So then it was time to go, because they had a panel to go to and also the restaurant wanted us to leave because all the people wanted our table. It’s a very good restaurant.

So back to the hotel we went! And the GPS did NOT get me lost this time, so that was less embarrassing.

But before it was time to go, we took MANY photos. To prove to the internet it actually happened. The internet is often skeptical, you see.

We are lovely humans and don’t at all look like we’re about to rob a bank in a heist film or anything.

This is us looking murdery. Chris and Kat look murdery; I look like I was stunned by a surprise birthday party of some sort. (Don’t you ever do that. I hate surprises, and will totally make this terrifying face.)

More murdery. I feel like maybe Kat and Chris are better at being murdery than I am. Mostly I just look deranged.

Then we found a clog. We have all these artsy clogs around Albany. Because we’re Dutch. We decided not to GET in the clog (because we didn’t know who might have peed in the clog) but Kat totally got BEHIND the clog and then she got the giggles and she is just the best.

Then she HID behind the clog, which is VERY murdery.

I’m not sure what’s happening here, but it makes me grin.

This one’s totally for Dad because she’s being a one-armed truck driver. ONE-ARMED TRUCK DRIVER! Oh, Dad totally warned me about those.

It is now very late and I have to go to bed because I have work tomorrow and then am meeting ANOTHER person for dinner who is NOT an internet person but a real LIFE person but one I have not seen in a very long time so it’s like a whole different type of adventure.

Meeting famous internet people and they are now friends: WIN.

(Thank you, Kat and Chris. I had a great time. I hope the rest of the con is great, and you have a safe trip home, and I hope we get to do it again someday!)