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RWA: Cold Weather, Warm Greetings
July 29, 2008

Linda Winstead Jones, Beverly Barton and Linda Howard holding the real reason they love conferences.

I totally packed wrong for this trip.  I'm at the RWA (Romance Writers of America) Conference in San Francisco.  Foolish me, thinking since it was July, that it would be nice and warm here, I'd get by with capris and flip flops. I should have packed flannel and heavy wool socks.  When the temp doesn't even hit sixty in the summer, I tend to get cranky.  

But I'll spent the day hanging at the Marriott doing a meet and greet with everyone checking in.  I absolutely love this part of any conference.  There's squeals of delight as friends who haven't seen each other since last year (or longer) finally get together.  Or they've only been online buds and are meeting face to face for the first time.  Lots of authors work at home with little outside contact for great lengths of time and get to let loose here.

Liz Kreger (right) and friends relaxing at RWA

I can't wait until check in on Tuesday because there's nothing worse than having someone run up to you smiling and saying how great it is to see you and you have no clue who they are.  My memory is mashed potatoes when it comes to that, but after registration everyone will have there name tags on and you just have to glace at their chest to see who they are.  It's weird, but you get used to it.  Until then, I just smile and apologize and ask who the heck they are.  Faking it doesn't work well with me.


Saw Linda Howard, Beverly Barton and Linda Winstead Jones.  These three always seem to travel together and were all dressed in red, white and black.  No, they didn't plan it, but admit that it happens often.  Although Linda Howard told me her top was cherry and Beverly's was red (look the same to me, but who am I to argue with LH?).

Lori Handeland stopped to say hi, but I didn't recognize her with her new do.  She always had a little pixie cut, but now it's long and curly.  I had to do a double take (batteries in camera dead, but I'll post a picture later).

Everyone is talking about an earthquake in Los Angeles, but I didn't feel it this far away (thank goodness).

Golden Gate bridge and reason it's so cold...no sun!!

I took the day off Monday because Andrew's friends, Tonia and Chris live here while he is on a fellowship and they picked me up to take me on a very private tour of San Francisco.  It was such fun hanging with them and this is the first time I've had a chance to see the city of a conference since I usually spend my time in the hotel.  Then we went to a Mexican restaurant, drank a Margarita and ate very spicy food (yummy, but a volcano in your mouth).  Of course, we needed an ice cream to cool off with, so Ghiradelli Chocolates it was.  Covering this conference stuff is tough.

Wednesday is the official start and Librarian Day, which I love.  So I have to hustle over there by 7 a.m.   Let the RWA fun and festivities begin!

Bottom Line:  Pack warm outfit no matter the season or bring unlimited credit card to do major clothes shopping.
        

Posted by Barbara Vey on July 29, 2008 | Comments (17)