Yes, in my world, these two actually go together!
First, I’ve been gone for quite a while because my computer died on me and for several weeks I had nothing to write on. No blogging, no writing, nothing. This was me the entire time:
Then, when I found someone who could fix it without demanding my first born child in return–literally the day I took it to the shop–I came down with bronchitis.
After being nebulized and medicated to within an inch of my life and completely losing my voice along the way, I have emerged this week firmly on the tail end of this thing and getting stronger every day.
That’s when the world got awesome.
First off, while I was caught up in ‘no computer’ land, I found out that I had been invited to be a panelist at the Bocas Lit Festival, the premiere literary festival of Trinidad and Tobago. This is, by itself, a dream come through. But add to that I would be participating in several panels, over several days, and I was beyond jazzed.
It’s okay. I’m much better now. It hardly even hurt, I promise. Anyway, I’m over the shock. But the awesome of it all just keeps growing, you know?
It’s also my birthday during the week of the Bocas Lit Festival, so I’d taken to thinking of my participation as my early birthday present. That was before I got the invitation from the Chilean Embassy for the cocktail reception in honour of the Lit Festival.
No biggie. I totally have a dress for that.
But then I got a phone call from my cable company yesterday. Normally, that is a phrase that would strike fear in the hearts of cable customers, but in my case, it was just the universe giving me a better birthday present.
I won a competition for two tickets to the advance screening of the premiere episode of season 5 of Game of Thrones.
That’s right. My awesome sister and I are going to see the new Game of Thrones season begin on a big screen on Saturday night–a day before most of the rest of the world.
So you see, I have a lot to be thankful for.
And I think you will have a lot to read about here in the weeks to come as things get really exciting. If you so desire and all.
Nalo Hopkinson, people. Nalo Hopkinson.
And here I come, Saturday night!
Stay thirsty, my friends!
R.S.A. Garcia 