Not dead yet!!

Heya all--

Good morning to you--or night?

I DO get pretty turned around while I'm here.

Anyway--DSP Weekend is one of my favorite times of the year-- I get to say hi to my fellow authors and to Gloria Lakritz who drives here to Orlando to see US--and to the people who work for DSP.

I know throughout the years I've been complimentary of Dreamspinner Press, but I don't know if I can emphasize how wonderful the people here are. We ARE family. When there is an event where we gather, I know I will have had a one on one conversation with pretty much 3/4 of the people there--and I have adored them all.

So while part of me is freaking out over my class tomorrow (btw--I posted new materials on my website for it!) a part of me is just so happy to be here.

And tonight, I got to give cocktail advice to a lovely pair of young men who were looking a little baffled with all of the noise and the hubbub. "We love to talk to people," they said, "but we don't want to impose."

"It's easy," I said. "You walk up behind me, put your arm around my waist, kiss my cheek and say, 'Hello!'  And I'll step back and like that, you'll be part of the group."

And when I was a kid, I never thought it would be that easy.  Ears and elbows and insecurity--I didn't think anybody could ever look at me at a cocktail party and think "Oh, this person belongs."

But these guys, they nodded, and we chatted, and I made them feel more comfortable, and I thought, "Oh, hey! See? Grew out of the ears and elbows, and some of the insecurity--I'm reasonably impressed."

So I'm learning a lot and talking a lot (are we surprised? I don't think we are...)  And generally delighted to be here.

And speaking of delighted... Mate took Zoomboy and Squish to go perform for the Reno Bighorns again tonight.

I think they're having a grand time :- )