Excuse me while I Snoopy-Dance in the kitchen

Okay--

So you probably all fathomed that I got home okay (YAY!) and then that I promptly dropped off the map.

Well, see, I sort of did.

Getting home was, well, long.  I left at the equivalent of 2:30 a.m., California time, after two hours of sleep, and got to California around 11:15.  Mate picked me up, we went to lunch, I took a nap, and Mate woke me up to go get the kids.

That's when I realized how truly I had beaten myself the fucketh up.

I could barely wake up enough to walk to the car, and once there, I fell asleep on the way to the school, and on the way back.  I had to wake up to go have dinner with Mate's delightfully chatty Aunt, and then I got home, and crashed, and tried to get up and crashed again.

Boom.  Bang.  KABLOOEY!

And all of this sleeping would have been just swell, really, except for two things.

One was that I missed some REALLY GREAT details on the blog about Kansas City, and I need to put them down or people will be hurt, because they'll think I don't appreciate the holy hell out of them when I do, and the other was that I had a deadline to meet.

I know, I know-- what the hell was I thinking, right?  Well, I was actually thinking that my dedication to Rusty and Oliver, and the  Christmas novel that was supposed to be a novella had put me way behind on my usual queue, and I needed to get my next project done stat.  It was a good plan, especially because this one really was a novella, and I managed to get it done on time--but, well, I had to pretend I was a dead turtle in order to do that.

But I really am alive.

So let's start out by my HUGE thanks to B.A. Tortuga and Julia Talbot, who love me.  They must.  These two lovely ladies, the founders of Torquere Press and friends who still want me to write this Green's Hill Novella that I've been dyeing to put down, gave me yarn.  And not just any yarn-- Mongolian Yak Yarn.  I shit you not.  They're LYS owner actually goes to Mongolia.  And I have the proof!  I'm going to knit me a basic sherpa hat, and then send it back to them with scads and scads of love, because seriously-- Mongolian Yak Yarn.  It's too delicious, too amazing, too... FUCKING AWESOME not to reward with knitting.  Love you ladies!  *big smishy schwacking kisses*

And then let's move on to a celebration of something sort of magical that happened that I forgot to mention.  Ms. December Rain (also known as Historical Lie) who helped me edit Rampant a few years back e-mailed me and asked if I could get a cup of coffee with her while I was at RT.  I said sure, and she was coming for the signing on Thursday, and that was great.  And then I realized I was sort of double booked--I the event was at 2:45 pm, and I was supposed to meet December at 3 pm.  So I did what any mother would do-- I consolidated my activities.  This means, I ran out into the lobby at 3, grabbed poor December by the scruff of the neck and said, "Great to meet you!  Come with me!"  And she did, and was promptly rewarded by a zillion free books, a free T-shirt, lots of writers she recognized and got to talk to and a little bit of conversation with me, which I treasured.  Now I know it cost a lot to go to this convention, and parking was outstanding, so I felt pretty good about that.  I got to meet December, and she got lots and lots of free stuff, and, well, she gave me a mug with my Little Goddess people on it, and I love her.  I hope she had a good time--I really love that she got to do something sort of amazing because I grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and said, "Come here--it'll be great!"

Oh-- and did I mention the soundtracks?

I need to mention the soundtracks!  Bibliojunkies  Bel and Nat are amazing fans--and they're trying to convert Shel, the third person in their trio, into an Amy Lane fan too, which is sweet of them, but Shel is by no means obligated.  Anyway-- Bel put together some soundtracks (and I'm pretty sure Nat helped!) for Chase in Shadow and Keeping Promise Rock-- and I'm so excited!  I can't wait to listen to them-- I'm like, saving them, for sometime when I'm not writing hell for leather-- but I have them right next to my computer, and every time I look at them I tear up.  I love that-- you all know I love that--I love music and books and the seamless way they fit together sometimes.  *sniffle*  Thanks, Bel.  Meeting you and Nat and Shel was an awesome experience, and I really needed to get that out there and tell the world.  You ladies are just a triangle of loveliness and I'm honored.

So that was what I'd forgotten to say about Kansas City.  *whew*

And now I get to go spend some more quiet moments with my kids.  Mother's Day is Sunday-- it's going to be busy, since I haven't seen Alexa in some time, but my kids are going to take me to a nice place with red meat (my one requirement in a restaurant actually) and I'm going to relax a little, and maybe not take the whole thing so seriously for a day.

And I'm also going to pet all the animals all the time-- after my absences of the last month, they seem to think they have that coming!

Oh-- and about the pictures--

Zoomboy's gift from Kansas City was the Chewbacca Angry Bird-- he thought it was awesome, and wore his Chewie Outfit in celebration.  (Although I don't think quite so much of Chewie's underwear was showing.

And as for the Warrior Hamster?  So, see, Chicken sent me that as part of her homework, and I sort of adored it.  Since I'm the hamster on her tumblr page, I loved that it was for me.  When I told her I was going to by golly finish this novella by today, she said, "Go little warrior hamster, go!"

So I brandished my little sword and jumped into the fray screaming "AIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

Which, sometimes, is how you get shit done!

ETA: Tina, #21 in comments, you are our winner!  Please, either contact me on twitter or through my website to get your free copy of Dex in Blue, Bolt-Hole, or Under the Rushes!  Congratulations!