Today started off badly.

After getting into Denver very late from Seattle, I woke late to the sound of my cell phone. It's distinctive ring tone, the theme from the horror film "Halloween" set the tone for the morning. On the other end, a worried customer. A huge rush order for a high profile event had yet to be delivered. Crack the trusty laptop to check the order and see what USPS had to tell us and I'm greeted by the dreaded blue screen of death. Not good. Oh and did I mention that this was also the first day of vending at Thunder in the Mountains and we were supposed to be unloading and setup in... less than an hour?

Shower, dress, call the Abbey to check on the missing order and we are ready to setup for vending. Forgoing food and coffee we make our way to the vending space to check in, only to find that in our absence not only has the table we requested been taken by another vendor. Our allotted booth space has also been annexed by an over zealous neighbor as well. Doors open in 30 minutes and we don't even have a place to show our wares. Tambo and I divide up and take no prisoners. She marshals food and coffee for us while I reclaim our space and twist arms till we have the tables, chairs, etc needed to do our job. This whole time I am on and off my cell phone as we try and track the wayward order and calm the anxious costumer. When the doors do finally open we are mostly setup and ready for the world.

Not the best start to a 3 day conference.

A few hours, and a bit more coffee later, Matisse tells me that there is someone here who wants to meet me. This was their first ever kink event and they came all the way from the east cost, just to meet me.

Me?!

Sure I often get folks who are local to the event I am working who come out to say hello and buy from me, but this one just floored me. Someone actually spent money to buy a plane ticket, paid money register for an event, took time off from work, sloughed through airport security and traveled across the country to meet me. I'm not a presenter nor am I'm not a featured guest, no I'm just some guy in the vendor area selling his wares and they came all this way to meet me. Me, a goofball from Seattle who makes rope and likes to blog

Talk about humbling.

Standing before me were the sweetest couple you could meet, beaming smiles at me and eager to thank me for my blog.

No, it was I who must thank them.

The day that had started out bady was no more.

There is more to this tale and I am not doing it near the justice it deserves. The customer got thier order, the day's sales were good and we met so many wonderful people today. However I must crash now, tomorrow is but a few hours away and it will be the long push, 13 hours on our feet rigging and selling. Oh and I just found out that another reader is bringing me brownies tomorrow too. Damn you are all wonderful, you know that?