Home for a Moment

I'm home from ArmadilloCon, but not for long. Late Thursday, as I was wrapping up that day's work, I got an e-mail asking if I was available to speak at a conference in New York a week from then -- and they'd pay my airfare and hotel. Hmm, let me think .. Yeah, I'm a little tired of travel right now, and it's been a long time since I spent an entire week at home, but it was hard to pass up the opportunity to speak at a Writers Digest conference in New York (and get to attend the conference) without having to pay the airfare/hotel. It'll be a whirlwind trip, though, flying up Thursday morning (with just enough time to meet with my editor that afternoon), the conference on Friday, and then leaving soon after I speak to fly home. It's too short a trip to even use my new "weekender" tote bag. I've got a knit dress that rolls up into a small package that will fit nicely in my businesslike tote bag. Since there is a time crunch and my flights leave early in the morning and return late at night, I'm going to splurge and park at the airport -- not at the terminal since I'm flying on two different airlines and that would actually be more of a hassle, but at the express parking where the van picks you up at your car and takes you straight to your terminal.

I may, however, try something new for getting back to the airport in New York. Since it will be late on a Friday in the summer, a cab can be really slow because it has to use roads at the same time as everyone else. But there is a way to catch the subway to Queens and then take a special bus from there to the airport, and it looks like it cuts the travel time in half. I may actually try that on the way into the city because it looks like it's faster than being on the roads and the train from Queens goes straight to my publisher's office (well, actually I'd want to take the express, then change at Herald Square to the local that goes straight there). Car is not a fast way to travel in Manhattan.

My other splurge is going to be a new black purse. My standard black purse is more of a handbag, not great for hands-free operation. Then I have a huge messenger bag that gets heavy and that's starting to look its age or a small clutch-sized bag I usually stick into my tote bag to get past that "personal item" limit, but that only holds my wallet and phone. So I need to find a nice medium-sized shoulder bag that will hold my wallet, phone, sunglasses and reading glasses.

I'm going to try to have lunch with my editor on Thursday, if my flight's on time and things work out. Then I may do some research/sightseeing. I'll have had a very early morning and will have to get up early for the conference the next day, so I doubt I'll be doing any nightlife or trying to hit a show. I have a feeling I'll be out cold by about ten.

As for ArmadilloCon, I had a really good weekend. I feel like all my panels were well-attended, and I heard a lot of stuff that got my creative juices flowing. I also got to revisit some familiar places from my college days and see a few college friends. I don't know if it's a sign of age or maturity or what, but I found that I could revisit that stuff and acknowledge the good times I had at that point in my life without having a strong urge to go back there and relive it all.

But before the next trip, I need to get the copyedits shipped off, I have to review some e-book files and cover copy, and I probably need to do laundry.