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ICRS Friday

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.06.2007

My flight left San Jose at 6:50 AM, which meant I had to get to the airport at 5:30 AM, which meant we had to leave the house at 5:00 AM, which means I got up at FOUR THIRTY A.M. Camy was not a pretty sight. That also might explain why I went to the wrong gate at first, but luckily I was only off by a number and got to the correct gate before they called my boarding group.

I sat next to this tall college kid and felt old. I don’t fly well, so I put on my earphones and watched a movie on my video iPod for most of the flight. Near the end of the four+ hour trip, the kid and I chatted a little, and I found out he’s Christian, and he’s a volleyball player! He was coach for a high school boys’ team going to Atlanta for a tournament.

We chatted about volleyball injuries for a while. I gave him my bookmark and he said his mom might like my book.

I didn’t check beforehand if Omni Hotel had free shuttles to and from the airport, so I wandered to the hotel shuttle area and came up with nil. Luckily I found signs to other shuttles, but they were pretty slow and since I was the only one, I had to wait.

After waiting a while, the driver directed me to another shuttle service near the Baggage Claim (Atlanta has no SuperShuttle, they have this similar company called Link, but I wouldn’t have known they were like SuperShuttle if the guy hadn’t told me). The timing was actually incredible because the time I spent waiting enabled me to ride with a car full of ICRS people.

I met the Marketing Director for NavPress (but forgot to ask his name) and one of his marketing people, I think her name was Jessica but I can’t remember. She was SO nice. We were talking about NavPress and speculative fiction, and she gave me her copy of Tosca Lee’s Demon! Cool, huh?

I also met Patty and Wendy, who own Sonshine Christian Book Store (I think it’s in New Jersey). They’re affiliated with Parables.

I also met another woman whose name I forgot to ask for, who’s a nonfiction book author with Howard.

It was a fun trip to downtown. I enjoyed talking with them. And if I’d been early, I wouldn’t have sat with them in the shuttle at all.

Here’s a picture of my room:



And here’s the view from my balcony:



Cool, huh? I’m right across from the park.

I don’t often have a room all to myself. I considered getting a roommate, but I thought about it too late, and I also think I might have had a hard time finding someone who was staying at the show as long as I am. I have to pay for the extra nights anyway, so I might as well enjoy my privacy.

I get to use up the ENTIRE BATHROOM COUNTER. I can leave all my stuff out. I can take up all the hangers in the closet. I can use up all the cups and the towels. I have a huge king-size bed to myself:



(Captain Caffeine is now green with envy—I typically don’t move much when I sleep, whereas he rolls around the entire bed.)

I was a little at loose ends, so I left a message on Wendy’s phone to see if she’d gotten into Atlanta yet, but I ended up falling asleep until 11:00 PM, when Wendy called me. They had just gotten in. We chatted for a while, then I ordered room service since I was STARVING—vegetable pizza.



$20, after I added tip. But having hot pizza at 11:30 PM—priceless.

I intend to sleep in tomorrow since I don’t have anything to do until lunchtime, when I’m meeting a local Korean American blogger and his wife for lunch!

Update: OH MY GOSH THE OMNI SHOWER IS FANTASTIC! High shower head, just the right water pressure, hot and soothing. I could have stayed in there another hour. The fan in the bathroom is pretty good, too.

Continued: ICRS Saturday

Comments

I just read the first chapter of DEMON last night on Tosca's website. Wow, what a gutsy, intriguing way to tell a story. You are LUCKY! :-)
Awww, so glad you go there okay, girl. Very cool meeting the Christian volley ball player.

Enjoy that room and have a great time. I'll be praying for ya! :-)
Deborah said…
veggie pizza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yum!!! (did you take a bite and then stick the slice back to take a pic? lol)

wish i could have gone. hope you enjoy the trip!
Tosca said…
Come say "hi" at ICRS! :)

Tosca Lee
Alyson and Ford said…
Enjoy Atlanta! (hope the heat isn't too bad)
Angi said…
How cool - I was in town too - my son was playing in the Boy's Junior Olympics Volleyball tournament. Everyday when we walked in the GWCC we saw the enterance to the ICRS convention. I had no idea all my favorite authors were in there! If I had, maybe I would of tried to sneak in! (Yeah, I know - security is tight!)
Hope you had a good time, I'm jealous of all the free books you got - but hey! when I got home, I had a free book waiting for me - the Yada Yada book I won from you! Thank You!
Mary Connealy said…
Hi, Camy, I came here from your newsletter. I was slow opening that because I've had a crazy week. I saw the picture of Brandilyn strangling you at ICRS. Guess you escaped with your life, huh? Cute picture. Congratulations on the book signing.
Mary Connealy said…
Also, it's noon here at work and your veggie pizza has pressed all the wrong buttons. I'm now going on a food hunt. Bet I don't come uup with anything as good.

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