Tomorrow I'm taking the day off work and heading to Macworld at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Yup, that's right, I'm taking the day off work. So you get the hint that I:

1. Like going to Macworld
2. Enjoy surprises

I really look forward to "the new thing" being introduced and gawked at by the geek masses. That is one of the best parts of Macworld, the surprise. I'm too old to believe in Santa Claus, birthday party magicians, or unicorns (although part of me holds out hope). But I can count on a cool new gadget from Apple every January and whether I ever purchase said new gadget, the surprise is always worth it.

I must be in the minority however, because everywhere you go on the web, people are telling everyone rumors about what Steve Jobs will deliver tomorrow morning at the "Stevenote". Yes, I know it happens every year. Yes, I know that the rumor game is just as fun as the surprise for some people. However, I believe breaking the secret of what will be revealed is akin to telling the kids there is no Santa Claus, that party magicians are fake, or that there are no unicorns (NOOOOOOO!!!). It sucks the wonder out of the event and the surprise. We should be thankful that Uncle Steve still comes to Christmas with something new. The fact that Apple has been able to maintain this kind of hype and surprise for the last several years is amazing. We should enjoy it and live inside of the wonder, not kill ourselves trying to spoil it for everyone.

Surprises are special gifts. Whether you actually get something tangible or not usually doesn't matter. It is a moment when -- despite your expectations -- life catches you off-guard in a joyous way. You smile bigger than normal and usually a piece of your true self is revealed for everyone around you. I love surprises.

Uncle Steve's coming to town tomorrow and he's got a few surprises. I'll be offline until then.