Thursday, August 03, 2006

RWA--Wednesday/Current Home Stuff

Good lord, it's tough coming back to reality after having been gone a week!!!! All that stuff I didn't do the week before RWA? It's come back to bite me with a vengeance. Anyway, I'm ticking stuff off my To Do list, and this morning am heading halfway to Arkansas to pick up Mom and Dad's dachshunds. Combined with our two--yes, that makes for FOUR wieners for the next four days!!! ARGH!!!! :-O Fortunately for us, M & D's dogs are better behaved than ours!!! LOL!!!

In other current news . . . Daughter got 4 of her 6 cheerleading uniforms!! CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!!!!! I told Hubby that it'd be much cheaper if we just bought her the fun costumes from the start, then skipped coaching fees, tumbling fees, pep club fees, etc.!! I can't wait for the first game. Since she's on varsity, even Hubby's excited about watching *real* football. I just watch my baby!!

Okay, back to RWA . . .

Wednesday, while Margaret chased around at the crack of dawn, getting ready for her mini-conference, I lounged in bed, reading the latest Janet E. (LOVED IT!!!), then got ready for the big trek to IKEA.

I met Dream/Danica in the lobby, where we waited for her friend who had the car. CJ Lyons is a doctor and just sold her first book to Tor ( I think). We stood outside the store that I'm pretty sure occupies an entire city block, waiting for the cafe to open. While waiting, a cute redhead runs over--Staci Wallace. Danica, CJ, and Staci are all part of an online critique group and had plenty to talk about. I kind of felt like I'd crashed their party for a while, but once we started chomping on our yummy .99 cent breakfast, I began feeling like more of the gang. After eating, everyone exchanged biz cards. Staci had cellophane-wrapped cookie panties attached to her card!!!!!! She had them professionally made, and I was seriously jealous!!!

(**Secret Confession Time*** I'm still not all the way unpacked, and while pilfering through my stuff, looking for candy, Daughter came across the panties. She thought they were cute, too, then set them on top of the suitcase. That night, I hear rustling beside the bedroom door, only to find the panties in Cocoa's mouth!!!!!! Apparently, she also liked them??!!! We rescued them in time for them to only be partially mutilated!!)

Back to IKEA . . .

CJ and Staci are IKEA regulars, so this was no biggee for them. Danica and I, on the other hand, were virgins, so we wandered around oohing and gaping. TONS of cute things for kids!!! I could've filled a whole suitcase, but since the mean, airplane people only let me take two, and they were already full of shoes and purses, I had to show restraint!!! I ended up getting a few cheap organizer-type-thingees for my office and cookies. What more could a girl need??

Got back to the room, intent on napping, only to find the maid there. Ugh. Dumped my stuff, then headed to deliver my Bookseller Tea goodies. Denied. Some woman not from RWA--can you imagine???? LOL!!!--stopped me and said in a very grumpity tone that the room was her company's till 3:00 on the nose. O-kay.

Went back to the room. The maid was gone, but Margaret was home!! Yay!!! We swapped stories about our day, then got ready for the tea and big booksigning to be held that night.

Just after 3, we went to the bookseller thing, but it was seriously crowded and hot and we found no booksellers!!! I ended up heading to the goody room and handing out sunglasses in person to anyone who wanted a pair under the condition they had to wear them and have fun!!! LOL!!!

The big event of the night was the literacy booksigning. I loooove hosting yard sales because of all the fun folks you get to talk to, and this is like the granddaddy of all yard sales, only everyone stopping by your *sale* is a friend!!! VERY cool, only every year, the As are stuck staring at a wall. Just once, I'd like the As to be in the middle. I know it makes no sense alphabetically, but it would be more fun!!

After the signing, a huge gang of us tried to go out to eat, but everything was packed. We ended up buying sandwiches in the lobby, then taking them back to our room. I know--boring, but as it was already pushing ten, what're you going to do???

3 comments:

Christa said...

All the books I have read are alphabatical and the ones that I haven't read are by line like all my American, all SSE, Super, Historical etc.. I was moving them all today because the bookshelf in the living room is deeper and they were 4 deep so I couldn't see the labels (these are the ones I have not read) the book shelf in my bedroom isn't as deep and I can see all the labels. I have nine of your books.
Where ever did you come up with a pom squad trying to raise money.

Laura Marie Altom said...

pChrista--if awards were given for SUPER Harlequin/Silhouette readers, I'm thinking you win!! Your collection sounds awesome!! And I'm pretty sure you've read more of my books than my mother has!!!

LOL!!! I'd forgotten about the Pom squad bit!! I'm assuming you've already gotten your September books?? When I was writing Daddy Daycare, 8th Grade Pom was in full swing, then Daughter broke her toe and sat out the rest of the season. Sad, sad, but what're you gonna do?

Christa said...

I got my Sept. books in the middle of July. I've read 2 of them but then I got my Sept Desires. Plus the mini-challenge for August in the 100 book challenge at harlequin is one thing lead to another. Any word from the title or either the authors first or last name, like right now I am reading Found: One Wife by Judith Arnold, then it's going to be The Perfect Wife by Judy Duarte.