Nope, I’m not dead. Just…absent.

It’s been a busy and fairly stressful couple of weeks, which is technically no excuse for not posting. Lots of people – for example, my chronically ill daughter – are busy and stressed, yet they still manage to blog at least a couple of times a week.

However, the past couple of weeks included far too many occasions of writing all day and well into the evening. After a dozen or more hours at the keyboard the last thing I want to do is write, even though I love it.

Put another way: I used to love doughnuts. When I got a job at a bakery, working with crullers and long johns – and smelling 120 dozen of them frying – changed my opinion. We were permitted to take home half a dozen doughnuts each shift. I’d walk into the house, toss the bakery bag at my brother and head straight for the shower to (try and) wash off the greasy, glazed smell.

But that’s not what I came here to write about. I came here to write about .

 

Orlando is where will take place this year, from Sept. 26 to 29. If any of you folks live in the area and would like to have a late-afternoon or early-evening meet-up on one of those days, please e-mail me at SurvivingAndThriving (at) live (dot) com and let me know which days/times are best.

Sept. 26 is completely booked, but I’m semi-hemi-demi-flexible on the others.

 

 

You, too, can be a FinConner

 

Also on the subject of the conference: Last year there was a half-day program that was open to the public. Civilians had a chance to attend a couple of presentations, visit the Expo Hall (hint: lots of swag!), and meet writers whose sites they follow.

At least one regular reader of this site participated. She comments under the name of “FrugalStrong” and, along with her husband, inspired the writing of a post called “Why aren’t more people frugal?” Abby and I met up with FS early on and then, later in the day, I saw her near the Expo Hall and learned she had been hobnobbing with J.D. Roth of Get Rich Slowly.

She had a very good time. And like me, she got some very good swag because by then the Expo Hall folks were saying, “Take it! Take all of it! We don’t wanna carry it home!”

This year, the deal is even better: The FinCon organizers have created something called the “,” which gets you into the entire conference. For $99, you can attend any program you want.

The lineup hasn’t yet been posted, but I expect it will be a lot like those of previous years: presenters talking about writing, side hustles, early retirement, passive income and other things that make personal finance nerds happy.

You’ll also hear speakers including but not limited to Jean Chatzky, alaat and Tai McNeely, Mr. Money Mustache, Rachel Cruze, Liz Weston, Kathy Kristof and Melanie Lockert.

And me: I’ve been chosen to present a program again. The streak is still alive! I’ve spoken at every FinCon since the beginning.

I hope to see some of you in Orlando, either at the conference or at a meet-up to be arranged later.

P.S. These days I really like doughnuts. But it took a while.