Back from Saratoga Springs

Got back from the World Fantasy Convention on Tuesday morning, and it was a wild ride! Met authors and artists and editors, went to good and not so good panels, tried to keep up with the professionals re parties and such (I couldn't) and generally had a pretty good time. Didn't come home with the big prize (that would be that six figure multi book deal ha ha) but did see how it's done. And that was good.

My daughter went to London before I went to the States, and as I was flying into Toronto, she was getting ready to take the train to Paris. I couldn't help but keep thinking of her, off on her own, taking the first (I hope) of many trips like that. She loved Paris, even though she got lost (really lost. One of those scary lost situations which could easily have thrown me over the edge.) and had to rely on her rusty French to get her back on track. However, it all worked out, and she's got tons of pictures and neat little trinkets to remind her of her trip.

She's much better at the trinket buying than I am. I think about picking a few things up, but get involved in whatever the heck I'm doing, and don't remember to head back out until I'm at the airport. Took a lot of flack for picking up chocolate at the airport for my family units the last time out. Apparently the chocolate is made quite close to us. I didn't need to go to TO to get it. Sigh.

My husband is great at buying, too. When I got home, there was a new washing machine in my house. I didn't think I needed one, because the one we had was OK -- a few quirks, but nothing I couldn't handle -- but this new beauty is fantastic! Lots of bells and buzzers, and when it spins, it actually gets the water out! Apparently that was what my old machine was missing. Who knew? Apparently, my husband. (all of us are now mesmerized by the spin cycle. Dog cat, me -- I need sleep, I think. I don't know about the other two.)

I had planned on taking many many pictures down there, but it was not to be. I did all the right things -- charged my rechargeable batteries, remembered the darned camera, the whole works, but when I got to the hotel and turned it on, it turned on for about a minute, then shut itself off. Batteries, dead. So, I thought I'd pick up some batteries when I went out to buy trinkets. (You see where this is going, don't you?) No pictures.

My dog didn't give a good rat's ass whether I brought back trinkets or not, thank goodness. He was just happy to have me home. (Actually so were the rest of them, though I think they wouldn't have minded a treat or two) I should consider getting him on meds when I'm out of town. It's not so much fun, have a dog with depressive tendencies.

Now I'm trying to return to life, but it's hard. I was so geared up for this trip -- and then having one of the agents I contacted asking me for my full novel 10 days before we went -- well you can see why I'd start the "multi book contract, holy crap this is actually going to happen" thing. The fall was short but brutal. (I didn't hear back from her, and didn't even see her anywhere, and I looked.) So it's back to paper and electronic submissions, getting back into the groove again.

People that I talked to shook their heads and said she probably hadn't read the book yet. I'd like to believe that. In fact, I might just try to hang on to that, as I dive back into the morass that is getting my first book published.

Or it could have been the driving. Shudder. Not ready to talk about that yet. Might never be ready to talk about that. Check out the mileage for a Saratoga Springs, London, Toronto jaunt. That's what we did. Will tell you that story when, as I said, I feel up to it. But not now.