As you may know, I was at CONvergence last week, which is one of my favorite conventions, enjoying the vast array of nerdery, geekery, enthusiasm, and awesome made available there.

I was attending as a former CONvergence Guest of Honor.

Current Guests of Honor at CONvergence tend to be heavily scheduled, so one of their practices is to assign each GoH a liaison/minion/handler– someone to make sure that you eat, sleep, hydrate, get where you’re going when you need to be there, and generally don’t implode during your GoH gig.

One of my panels (about mentoring the next generation of creative geeks) was with one of this year’s GoHs, Daren Dochterman, and another former GoH, Kelly McCullough. Daren’s assigned handler, Anton Pedersen, was checking in on him, and, because this is how things happen at CVG, Anton kindly also asked both Kelly and I if we needed anything (water, a snack?).

Now, keep in mind that Anton and I are acquainted, and Kelly and Anton have known each other for years, and Kelly and I are very good friends who troll each other A LOT. Kelly demurred, and I quipped “I’d like a pony.” An approximation of the conversation that followed is appended; these may not be the fully correct words, but the sense is there.

Kelly: I don’t think they’ll let a live pony in here

Lynne: I didn’t say it had to be a LIVE pony

Kelly: that could be messy; I think the hotel would frown more on a dead pony

Lynne: It never needed to be alive! Health code violations are bad!

…I’m easy! a My Little Pony would totally do!

At which point, we all laughed, Anton went off to his duties, and the panel began in earnest.

… halfway through the panel, Anton returned, and quietly placed a pony savings bank on the panelist podium while I gawped.

He got me a pony.

Not only did he get me a pony, he found TWILIGHT SPARKLE, the closest thing to a librarian pony you get in the My Little Pony universe. In the dealer room! Which means an attending dealer/artist at CVG also made a sale!

Behold, dear reader, the evidence. I offered to return it to him, acknowledging that I was joking and that I didn’t really need a pony, but he insisted that I keep it. My understanding is that this is considered part of their guest services suite, and that he will be reimbursed by the convention if he submits a receipt. 🙂

CONvergence bought me a pony, y’all. 

:ded of awesome:

Picture of Lynne, holding a Twilight Sparkle Bank. Photo credit: Kelly McCullough