OK, I superstitiously didn't want to post about this until all the paperwork was in and I was in the system at MDC, but I guess now, I've got my faculty ID card and everything so, even by those standards, I finally can:

I'm going to WorldCon, baby!

I've been thinking for a long time about how much I'd like to do that, but it just seemed absurdly unlikely that it was actually going to happen. Not, mind you, that this stopped me from constantly pouring over flight discounts, package deals, etc. All of which meant I had a pretty fair idea what it would cost. (And yes, being aware that apples cost hundreds of dollars and that my diet for that week will likely consist of several packages of skittles purchased in advance from vending machines in the States.) Fast forward to late last month.

One of the professors in my department sends out an e-mail to the grad students mentioning a part-time position that's opened up later in the semester, teaching one night class ("Critical Thinking/Ethics") at Miami-Dade College, the local community college in these parts. My eyes are pulled like guided missiles to the bottom of the e-mail, which mentioned that it paid....

....just about exactly enough.

I got the job...

...and, while I'm well aware that getting a second job and re-arranging my entire schedule for the whole semester for the sole purpose of five days of parties, readings, panels and sight-seeing might seem, um, crazy, from a certain point of view, the extra teaching experience isn't a bad idea in a long-term career sense either. If it'll pay for Japan, and look good on the CV, then so much the better.

Mostly, though, I get to go to Japan.