Of Sporrans and a Merkin

Ask her about her merkin.  I dare you.

So, you are most likely wondering, where has Cookie been.

If I told you Salt Lake City, Utah, would you believe me?

There are three things that you can do Salt Lake City this time of the year.  One of them is ski.  The other is attend the world's largest genealogy conference, RootTech.   The third involves having body parts anointed with oils in the LDS Temple.

I can assure you that I do not ski, and I have not been anointed with oil, or anything else.

So yes, I have been at the largest genealogy conference on the face of the earth, along with an estimated 29,999 other hobbyists and professionals.   And I am not making that number up.  The Salt Palace Convention Center is one of the largest convention centers in the United States, and it was packed.

And if any of you has ever been to a large national convention, then you know that there are never enough places to sit and hide from the maddening crowds.

I found such a place in a booth operated by by some friends on Facebook and plopped down.  While I was eating a sandwich people popped in and others walked by.

At one point, a handsome Laddie from the tour Scotland Booth stopped by in his kilt and tweeds, looking rather natty.  Another friend of the people in the booth stopped by.

"That," says I, "is an impressive sporran he has there."

The man standing next to me said "That?  That is a merkin."

Now, Cookie knows that regular readers know what a sporran is, and I damn well know for certain that all y'all know what a merkin is.   And forty lashes with a limp noodle if you don't know.   Still, Cookie was a bit caught off guard.

So this handsome man and I banter back and forth a bit, much like "Sporran!"  "No, it's a merkin!"

Finally, Cookie whispers into his ear what it is.

And he was a bit gobsmacked.

"Don't believe me, look it up."

He did.

"They come in heart shapes, and look!  A shamrock!" says the handsome young man, a bit of shock peppered with wonderment.

Aye, brings to meaning to "Lucky Charms".

"And look at that one," I pointed out.  It was shaped like an asteroidea.  "Now you and the misses can both have delicate starfishes of your own to play with."

That went over his head.

This encounter included, Cookie has to admit that it was a wonderful experience.  The education was top notch and the people at the conference were wonderful.  The speakers were especially so.   But laughing with friends, new and old, is worth the adventure.

Tomorrow we fly home and can kick out the house sitter and bask in the love of our dogs, our shower, and our own beds.

Just remember, a sporran is worn on the outside, and the merkin is not a sporran.