FogCon is very local to me; the con hotel is a half hour drive from my house, which in California terms is practically next door. And though it draws people from other places, at heart it's a regional con, so most of the attendees are from the SF Bay Area. I have been thinking about whether I want to engage with the local fandom community more. My circle of friends, despite sharing many of my fannish interests, is for the most part not really into the con scene, and there are surprisingly few SF/F cons in Northern California. But there are definitely opportunities to connect with folks, and I should take more advantage of them. I'm going to a reading at the local sf/f bookstore on Friday, and this year's BayCon (the largest local con, which I've never managed to get to) has a promising line-up. So maybe that's the ticket.

I've thought about volunteering, and that remains an option, depending on whether I get a real job in the near future.

I caved and bought the Goblin Emperor as an ebook rather than waiting for paperback, and I'm really glad I did. :) If that helps influence your decision at all...