Travel Day

I'm back! Portland was wonderful. I want to go back for a visit when I have time to hike and explore. But even driving down the highway with Mount Hood in the distance was just stunning.  And I got lucky. From what I heard, it's been raining there non-stop for almost 3 months but I had two full days of sunshine during my visit. It was beautiful.

The trip was quick but productive. I have a much stronger sense of the company and I got to meet with the cartoonist who I'll be working with to come up with material for and he's talented and a lot of fun. (And a former professional Paintball player which I think is kinda cool).  My editor is fun and smart and I'm going to enjoy my assignments for this group.

Yesterday coming home was a loooong day.  I got up at 3:45 AM to arrive for my 6:30 AM flight. But around 5:30 they announced the plane was oversold and they were looking for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for a $400 voucher for future travel. I have a lot of travel coming up this year - Columbus in September for my cousin's wedding, San Francisco in November for Cat Writers conference, I want to go to Cincinnati to visit my best friend...

So I took the voucher and delayed my departure for 5 hours. It wasn't so bad. I stretched out on some chairs and slept (I can fall asleep anywhere) and bought The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell which is an absolutely riveting book and really saved my day.  So I left Portland at 11:30, arrived in Cincy at 6:15 PM and was lucky that Trisha & Max (best friend and her son) could meet me for an hour, then raced to catch my flight at 8:20 which was boarding by the time I got there. In to GSO airport at 9:40 and home by 10:30.

I am SWAMPED today. 111 e-mails to pour through, I'm teaching 2 classes tomorrow which I have yet to prepare for (handouts, etc.) and I'm doing a last-minute book signing tomorrow morning from 10-12. Not to mention actual work that's due.  Lots of that too.

But it's good to be home. I love sleeping in my own bed and being surrounded by my stuff.  I am a homebody at heart. And of course, married to the man of any woman's dreams. Came home once again to a spotless house, gleaming countertops, and when I got up this morning he had carried my suitcase into the bedroom for me to unpack and recharged my phone.  Life is good.