First quick post-Winkies report

I'm in a motel room in the wilds of northern California, to spend the night before a very long drive to Seattle tomorrow. Fortunately, Laura was driving and picked a place with wi-fi, so I can actually get online and do a quick post for you before I go to bed! Woo-hoo! (Someday soon, this will be available in every place of lodging.) The short of it is, it was the best Winkie Convention we've had in years. There were over 120 attendees (the last few years have hovered around fifty or sixty), and it showed in the full meeting hall, the packed-to-the-gills dining room (and we had enough to get the big one back this time around), and the general enthusiasm, joy, and energy that buzzed around all weekend. Not only that, there were kids! Oz is, first and foremost, for children, and it was great having about a dozen kids around having a good time and reminding us what Oz is really about. We also had a lot of attendees who have never been to Winkies before, such as Club founder Justin Schiller and charter member David Greene. Also appearing for the first time in years were Michael Patrick Hearn and Lynn McGraw. I really enjoyed myself, and I know Laura did, too. I'm all excited about next year already!