RT Day 1: In Which We Spend Half The Morning...

...in my car attempting to follow J.C. Wilder's possessed Magellan to the nearest Walmart in pursuit of A) a REAL coffee-maker and B) a mini-fridge.

I figure if I use both only for conferences, I can write it off. Right? Right? Anyone?

This alleged 6 mile jaunt took a total of 45 minutes to accomplish. Then the three of us (one of our editors was along with us) scattered across the store in different directions.

Somehow we all ended up in the shoe section. Go figure.

I came away with an adorable pair of red high-top sneakers that will go perfectly with my red and black blazer and pants outfit for tomorrow.

Let's see, what else...

Lisa Jackson has some of the best promo stuff. I never pass up a free t-shirt, ever. This one is cool.

I walked by a doorway on the Ballroom level and somehow got sucked into the rollicking vortex that was the Intergalactic Bar and Grill. Somehow I came out wearing a screaming purple sequined tiara. The best part? I forgot I had it on. I wandered around the ebook expo wondering why everyone was smiling and bowing in my direction. Wow! My fame as an author must be spreading!

Uh, no.

It was the screaming purple tiara.

Oh well, it was a great conversation starter, and at RT it's all about attracting attention to oneself.

Saw S.J. Willing and his lovely partner Theresa at the ebook expo. It was good to see him looking so well.

I cannot BELIEVE I did this... a camera crew walked up to me when they saw my pubbed author badge and offered to interview me for their documentary. I promptly stuttered and steered them in the direction of the lovely, statuesque, and beautifully pregnant Isabo Kelly, who was decked out all in black, her hair in a princess Leia braid, and sporting a sword across her back.

Me? Pass up a chance for free promo? I should turn in my promo ho card forthwith. [hanging head in shame]

Luckily Isabo was gracious enough to mention my name for the anthology we did together.

Am busy kicking my own butt now...

I adore Linnea Sinclair. She's a kind and generous person, not just a fantastic author.

Stacy Klemstein. She's darling. Especially after three martinis. ;)

My table at the Intergalactic Bar and Grill came THIS CLOSE to winning a big prize basket. We did very well on the trivia questions, though. Best part - watching the lawyer at our table get into a laser-gun death ray match with a doctor. Oh, yes, there will be a photo posted of this!

We had a nicely attended pizza party in our room this evening.

J.C. and I have come to the conclusion that we've reach An Age where some kind of a suite will be required at every con from now on. Doing the whole sharing-the-college-dorm-sized rooms are fun when you're young and don't mind climbing over everyone's stuff and each other. But ya know, we just don't climb all that well any more.

Tomorrow is going to be busy...I start off with a stint in Club RT at 10:30 a.m., then moderating the "Psychic Fact or Fiction" panel at 11:30. I'm free to panel-hop until 2:30, when I'm doing another stint in Club RT. My biggest scheduling blunder? Signing up for Christine Feehan's Speakeasy poker tourney. At mignight tomorrow.

Not that I'm not looking forward to it - even though I have NO idea how to play poker - but let's face it, after a full day I'm going to be wanting to snooze at midnight. Oh well. How often do I get to do stuff like this? It'll be fun. And I'll probably be out of chips in 15 seconds anyway. LOL

I have my REAL coffee maker set up for tomorrow, loaded with my freshly ground Kona coffee. None of this "pod" coffee stuff for me. I made some pod coffee this morning and it wasn't bad, honestly, but after 2 cups I wasn't feelin' it. I still needed a can of diet Coke to open my eyes.

Ok, I'm off to bed. :)