...I'm watching TV right now, which I don't usually do when I write anything because it distracts me. And it is distracting me today because I found I couldn't really compose this profound post about how once you put yourself out in the public eye, you sort of lose some of your humanity and become an object. But, that's kind of a dense thing to do while watching last week's episode of American Idol. So, I think I'm going to have to do something a little simpler.

Like a contest.

I got my first Storm Born review yesterday (it was good! I'll link it to you once it's public), and it occurred to me that I'm only three months away from its release. And the three month mark is hardcore promotion time, particularly when you've got ARCs sitting around that need homes. So, let's give one of those away. And we're going to do a Truth/Lie thing again because those can be objectively scored, and I know the non-creative peeps like the mostly random guessing element of this. :)

As a recap, there are seven statements listed below. Four are true, and three are not true. Your task is to identify the three that are NOT true and list them in the comments here. This contest'll be open until this Saturday at 11:59pm, Pacific Time. Winner gets a Storm Born ARC and maybe some other swag.

Here we go:

1. I like pink clothing.
2. I am superstitious.
3. I was part of the Grunge scene in high school.
4. I like gardening.
5. I have a B.A. in English and Medieval Studies.
6. I was a brunette in college.
7. I was raised Catholic.

Good luck!

Addendum: people posting anonymously, make sure I have a way to find you if you win. Or at least make sure you check back next week!

Yesterday I drove down to beautiful Portland, Oregon with pals Caitlin Kittredge and Mark Henry. Caitlin and I read and signed at the Powell's store in Beaverton. The Powell's staff was funny and nice as always, and I got to meet Colleen from Penguin Books. The crowd was very enthusiastic but quiet! We had to keep coaxing questions out of them. But everyone was great, and then I got to talk to people more once the signing part started--and that's what I love the most.

It's funny, I feel like I read a boring excerpt. For those who have read Frostbite, it's where Rose meets Adrian. This is only the second time I've read aloud from the VA series, and I have a terrible time with it. I don't think I sound right, and I've been trying to figure out why. I think it's because while I am not her (take that you Mary Sue conspiracy people!), my voice and humor are more like Georgina's. So, it's very easy for me to read from the succubus books. I also think those scenes lend themselves better to reading. I love Rose and connect with her when I write her, but at the end of the day, she's 17 and I'm 31. Reading her feels a little unnatural. So, I'm a bit bummed about that from last night, but hopefully most people there had read the book and know that it all works when you read it on your own.

After that, it was drinks and pool with my oldest college friend. I didn't drink that excessively, but combined with the highway driving, I got motion sickness--not good for a 3 hour car ride. So, I curled up in the backseat while Caitlin and Mark chatted about fictitious bands, inappropriate methods of weight loss, and Mark's skillz as a former psychotherapist. Good times. Kind of.

Today gives me a slight break, but I still feel like I'm drowning in email, both from readers and other publishing/promo tasks, as well as my own household chores. I've also been a bit down this week, so weird things and people are upsetting me.

Anyway, this is a boring update. Hopefully the weekend and more sleep will spark some wit!

Good news! Vampire Academy has just sold Russian rights. This is its first foreign language translation, so I'm pretty excited. It will join Succubus Blues in my secret plan to influence the hearts and minds of the Russian people. Might also provide more incentive for my fantasy vacation to Russia someday.

Tonight is the signing at Powell's in Beaverton, Oregon with Caitlin. 7pm. Be there!!

Yes, that's right. When I have deadlines, you get pictures. Sorry, guys.

Check out this shot my friend and chief beta reader David snapped in India. It's taken inside a train station, and as you can see, window 769 serves a very diverse and specific group:





I'm guessing(?) a freedom fighter is someone in the military, but I honestly have no clue. I just like the idea of these guys coming up to that window, along with the senior citizens and foreign tourists:





Now you know.

I was given this security check while looking up tickets for Avenue Q:






Huh. A bit troubling considering the rest of the combinations I pulled up while perusing dates and seats were things like 'potatoes confront' and 'it's shovel.'

Heads up! Caitlin Kittredge and I will be reading and signing at the Powell's in Beaverton, Oregon this Thursday, May 8, at 7pm. Both of us. One location. I mean, seriously, if you live in a 2 hour radius, can you really miss this? Awesomeness will ensue! Here's the address: 3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd. Please come see us!

Also, good news for you UK fans. My pal Kat Richardson will be going abroad this week. You can see her and get your Greywalker books signed on May 15, from 5-6pm, at Murder One in London. A taste of Team Seattle, straight to you!

And speaking of the UK...Succubus Nights releases there this week. Yay! Note well, though: Succubus Nights is the same as Succubus on Top. There was a title change for the UK edition. So, while I'd love for you to buy everything with my name on it, I want to make sure people know that they're not getting book 3 or anything like that. Confusing, I know...but hey, even if you've read SoT, it might be worth it to get the dead body cover! I know I'll be getting one. Kat's on a mission to bring one back.

Friends, I'm no stranger to weird stuff. I mean, I have a career based on the love lives of supernatural characters. I've ridden in an airplane shaped like a salmon. I have a plastic narwhal on my desk holding a Post-It that says "w00t." I like brussels sprouts. And I haven't even started in about my formative years.

So, you'd think all of that would have prepared me for this:




But it didn't.

Those of you who know about this movie can probably already see where this post is going. For those not familiar with this [literal] cult flick, let me enlighten you. Incubus is a 1965 tour de force of a movie starring none other than my Priceline pal William Shatner. WS plays a good-souled soldier who becomes the target of a succubus bent on seducing him and stealing his soul. (Yeah. I know. Stay with me here). Only, she didn't count on love! Frightened and outraged by her new feelings, said succubus summons up her overlord to take revenge. That would be the titular incubus. Wacky and highly disturbing mishaps ensue.

Now, aside from the fact that this movie has completely shattered any hopes I harbored about having an original idea, there was one thing that really blew me away. I probably should have mentioned it sooner: the entire film is shot in Esperanto.

For those not in the know, Esperanto is a language that was created in the late 19th century in the hopes that it would become an uber-language through which all people could communicate. It's influenced by the Romance languages and is supposed to be easy to learn. Esperanto did not become the uber-language, however, and usually, people laugh at it today as a dead language. Not so. Wikipedia's crack team of researchers have pinpointed the number of Esperanto speakers as "100,000 to 2 million." Hmm, ok. Thanks for the precision, guys. They also add that the number of native speakers is "200 to 2000." And while that range is equally as broad, it's still 200 more than I would have thought. Someone, somewhere, is raising their children on Esperanto.

Anyway, if you're fascinated by camp, William Shatner, or succubi in macrame, you should go check this out. While nothing is explicitly shown, there are a couple of disturbing implications, so be advised. And if you don't like goats, you should go nowhere near this movie. If you have no interest in any of the above (and aren't bothered by goats) but are curious to hear what Esperanto sounds like, this is probably also worth perusing. Stalin apparently excecuted Esperantists (thanks, Wikipedia), so this is your chance to hear "the language of spies."

In closing, I think we should learn a few Esperanto words. I run an educational blog, after all.

English: succubus
Esperanto: sukubo

English: LOL (laugh out loud)
Esperanto: RL (ridi laŭxte)

English: coffee
Esperanto: kafo

English: I love you
Esperanto: Mi amas vin

English: killer bee
Esperanto: pereiga abelo

Sadly, I could not find the word for narwhal. If you'd like to look up words of your own or check up on my possibly dubious compound translations, this is a good dictionary. You can learn more fun facts about Incubus over at Wikipedia--whom I mock yet inexplicably rely on for half of my information.

Bonan nokton!

Today is Day #1 of a long ordeal in which I'm not allowed to wear contacts. It has already escalated to Condition: Sucks. I'm doing this because in two weeks, I'm going to get evaluated for Lasik (or as the kids are calling it these days, lazor eye treatment). What's kind of annoying is that I was already evaluated once--and those people didn't make me go contactless for 2 weeks. I later found out that my insurance would comp a chunk of the procedure cost if I went through another provider, which is why I'm doing this again.

Now, I've gone days in the past when I've worn glasses all day. But those are usually days I'm just staying home and not doing much fancy grooming. Today, I actually had to get ready and go out in the world, and it's a whole different ball game. Putting on makeup was a bitch. I had to have my 5x mirror two inches from my face to apply stuff, and even then, the overall result was a surprise when I popped the glasses back on and looked at myself in the big mirror. I also learned that my contacts protect my eyes from things like, say, hair spray. A lot. By the time I left the house today, my poor unprotected eyes were burning from myriad products and could barely stay open in the sun. But of course I couldn't wear sunglasses--the ones I normally wear are non-prescription.

I realize I'd have to face a lot of the same eye irritants if I had Lasik done and no longer had contacts. But, right now, my eyes are so dry that my contacts are filming up half-way through the day--and I put in a brand new pair every morning. They get so mucked that my eyes itch and I squint all the time, no doubt assisting those fine lines. In my last eye exam, my contacts were so bad that my vision was better with glasses. So, that leaves me with a lesser of evils decision, and I think I'm going to give Lasik a try if these people say it's ago. Being able to see without glasses or mucky contacts seems pretty cool.

Amusingly (or sadly?), while the hair spray and sun were the biggest problems today, my vanity is also taking a big hit. I'm embarrassed to admit that, but there it is. The only time I think I look good in glasses is when I'm in pajamas and have unbrushed hair because the whole look usually elicits an "Aw, cute" rating by some people. For the rest of the time, I hate it. I feel like they make my cheeks look fat and ruin the lines of my face. My normally tendrily hair style gets tangled in the frames. Irrationally, I feel like glasses counteract anything nice I wear. I'm bummed too that I'll be all glasses-ed up for my Powell's signing next week, but it was either there or Book Expo, and I made the call.

I have tons of friends who wear glasses, and I don't even think about it with them at all. But me? It drives me crazy. It's weird too because the older I get, the more comfortable I am with my appearance and will often run errands without being fully dolled up--something I wouldn't have done 10 years ago. But for whatever reason, the girl who got contacts in 8th grade still has a knee-jerk reaction against glasses.

Presumably, this will get easier as I adjust, and who knows? It might be good for me as far as character and all that other deep stuff goes. I talk a lot in my books about inner beauty and self-confidence, so I guess it's time to live what I get paid for.

Okay, I started this really profound post about dieting and our society's perceptions about weight loss...but then I just started getting sleepy.

So, instead, I'm going to punk out of a real post and just give you some gems from icanhascheezburger.com, which was having an exceptionally good day today. I know, I know. Posting lolcats is a cheap and overused tactic on a lot of blogs, but...well. I'm tired. And these are pretty funny (if you're into the lol scene). Today's been unproductive in general, so here's hoping I'm back on my game tomorrow.













I think non-comformist bird is asking to be made into an icon.

I have no wit or wisdom for you today, but I thought I'd give a shout-out to The Bookworm's Attic, an independent bookstore in West Virginia. I met Sara Loftus of Bookworm's Attic at RT and was surprised to hear how well my books and others of that genre sold. And of course, I always love indies because they tend to be so good to writers. I sent her an ARC of Storm Born, and she says it's good stuff, so take note.

What's particularly cool about BA is that they have a bunch of signed books from authors at RT, so you can check to see if your favorite is there. AND, perhaps most exciting of all, they're running a contest through June in which you can win a tote bag signed by a bunch of authors, like Jeanne Stein and Barry Eisler. That's a prize you can't put a price on. Check it out!

And while we're on the topic of things that Richelle thinks are cool, I just have one more comment. Trader Joe's? Overrated.

Yesterday's flights, aside from a boring layover in Chicago, went pretty smoothly, and I'm now happily settled back home, drinking kona and working in my pajamas.

I must say, though, that the Chicago-->Seattle flight was quite possibly the wackiest I've ever experienced. I know, I know--you don't think of flying as wacky. Things started off good when the pilots were referred to by first name only: Captain Larry and First Officer Wade. From then on, things just got better. One guy--whom I suspect was the true source of the wackiness--proceeded to do the safety presentation by pointing at emergency exits Fonz style. You know--how on Happy Days the Fonz used to point and say "Heyyyy."

Then, just as we were about to accelerate down the runway and take off, this raspy, ghostly voice whispered across the speakers: "Alaska Airlines is number onnnnnnnnne. Fly Alaskaaaaaaaaaaaa..." Everyone giggled. Things might have been funny during the flight too, but by that point, my two Xanaxes kicked in and I slept the rest of the way.

But, when we landed, we were cheerfully told, "On behalf of your four friendly, hard-working, courteous, and extremely good-looking flight attendants, we'd like to welcome you to the beautiful Emerald City of Seattle." Everyone clapped.

Afterward, I made it back home, had conversations with Kat Richardson and lolcatz that I don't remember very well, and was given an almost annoyingly zealous welcome by the cats. Now, it's time to get working!

Oh, and I hope you'll all fly Alaska Airlines for your next trip. Because I hear they're Number One.

There's really no clever way to lead into today's topic, so I'll just get right to it.

Today, I visited my old middle school:





My 8th grade English teacher found out I was in town and asked if I'd come speak to her students about writing. That's me up there in front of her class, telling them about how they too can join the world of publishing. I talked about the good and the bad of the industry. I reined myself in from describing all the fascinating tax implications of self-employment. I explained why they should study hard. I handed out color-changing richellemead.com pencils.

They were a really good class, and I hope I wasn't too boring. Coincidentally, my nephew (the one who takes awesome pictures) is in this class, which is how our teacher got tipped off to me being in town. My nephew claims that I didn't embarrass him and that someone in his class said that I was "hot," which I find both flattering and disturbing.

All in all, it was good fun. My 8th grade teacher was as wonderful as I remembered, and she suggested that I get in touch with my 9th grade English teacher over at the high school. Now, my 9th grade English teacher was my very favorite teacher in the world. Like, you know when people ask about teachers who inspired you and set you on the road you're on? Well, he was definitely the one (though all of my English teachers were awesome). The notice was so short, however, that I didn't really expect to get a hold of him. But, I called the high school anyway to find out when his planning period was...





HOLY CRAP!

They told me his planning period was right now. I hopped into the Sweet Ride and made the 5 minute drive over to the high school and got to spend about ten minutes chatting it up with him before he jetted off to baseball practice. I can't even explain my giddiness over this. Like, I don't think I could have been more fan girlish in the presence of Joe Flanigan. This was the teacher who seriously made me think I could be a writer, and it was so exciting to hear him say he liked my books. I'm kicking myself now that I didn't offer to buy him coffee or food or something. It seems like the least I could do to pay back influencing my entire life. I guess I'll save that for the next trip.

My action-packed day wound up with me visiting my childhood best friend, the one I used to play She-Ra and Jem with. I think that had a pretty profound effect on my creative mind too, so I guess you could say this was a day of exploring the roots of my career. Good times.

I haven't talked much about the family stuff that brought me here, but I'm happy to say that my Dad is doing well, which is great news. Also great is that my Dad is finally able to 'read' one of my books. He's blind, and Vampire Academy's recent debut at Audible had us all pretty excited. Because Audible is digital only, it did involve me having to introduce my parents to an mp3 player, so here's hoping things go smoothly.

Tomorrow I head back to beautiful Seattle, which I'm excited for. My pre-flight anxiety hasn't kicked in yet, but I'm sure it will soon. Nonetheless, between this and RT, I'm looking forward to being back with the cats, the condo, the guy, the Seattle friends, and Team Seattle. And of course, as soon as I'm home, I'll start doing that writing thing, which I suspect will make some of you happy.

See you in the Pacific Northwest!

This weekend, I took a break from the 'zoo and headed off to other parts of Michigan for signings and general merriment. Now, despite my continual posting of Michigan images via road maps and Doppler radar shots, I get the feeling that some of you still aren't really learning your Michigan geography. So, I decided a friendlier map might help you as we recap my journey this weekend. Settle back, and follow along with the red arrow!






I assure you, if you're not from Michigan and still find this map funny, then it's ten times funnier to someone who is from the Great Lakes State. It really does make the U.P. look like the land that time forgot, doesn't it? And what's with the animal friends along the side?

Anyway. My adventures kicked off yesterday when I hit US-131 up to Grand Rapids, going to Schuler Books. SB is a great store. They had a nice little signing area set up and even brought me coffee. Mmm. They also made a cool sign that I forgot to take a picture of.






During this signing, I met some new people and was able to convince them to give the books a try. So, if you're out there: thanks, guys! I also got to connect with some more familiar folk, such as lolcatz's family and kehazen who is seen above (and who suggested Schulers as a good signing place).






After the signing, I went and hung out with lolcatz's sister who let me invite myself over and then introduced me to this fun-filled animal gang. She lives in a part of Michigan that makes Kalamazoo look downright cosmopolitan and assured me there would be lots of funny, podunk shots for my blog. But, when a dinner outing yielded no mullets whatsoever, I began to wonder if she was leading me down the same path of outrageous promises her brother often takes me on. Fortunately, this was not the case, and she soon delivered...






Holy cow! This shot is for Michigan residents and expatriates alike. The birthplace of Meijer. It's like visiting the birthplace of our country in Philadelphia or something. I've often talked up Meijer on this blog. It's the best store in the world. Walmart will never even be half the man that Meijer is. There is no other place that you can go to at 3am and come away with vodka, lumber, a bra, patio furniture, a loaf of bread, and a parakeet. And this, this is where it all began.






And, oh, hey. Look what's right outside this Meijer. It makes sense, really. Where else are you going to tie up your horses in these days of expensive gas prices? But remember, guys. Horses only. This means no goats, VW Bugs, or small children.






I have no evidence for this, but I strongly suspect that many of the horses who come to Meijer travel there via this road. See? When chrysk95 promises podunk stuff, she isn't messing around.






This joke is lost due to the fact that I took it from a considerable distance and therefore have to read it for you, but it says 'Cutlery Barn.' I don't think that really needs any further explanation anyway...though I have to wonder, what is the AND MORE?






So, after a fun-filled night, I got up this morning (feeling only slightly worse for wear from vanilla vodka) and hit I-96 to my old stomping grounds, Ann Arbor. It's home to the absolutely fabuluous University of Michigan, my very very very favorite of my three alma maters.






My signing was at Nicola's Books, and oh man, it might go down as my very very very favorite signing. The normal signing area was in use, so the staff gave me a little alcove with some chairs. As people came in to get the books signed, they pulled up a chair and just hung out in a big ol' circle. Friends from Ann Arbor came, LJ readers came, and new people I'd never met came. We all lounged around, chatted, and had a great time. Every one of my books that the store stocked got sold, except for one lone copy of Vampire Academy.






Here's a shot of some of the people that were still hanging out at the end of the signing. In no particular order (i.e., not left to right or anything): Jenny, Laci, Kristi, Hayden, Julie, Sara, Jess, Dave, Lisa, Dan, Kim, and Anjanette. And me, of course. Hope I got all the names right! Thanks for coming, guys. And thanks to those who were there but didn't make the picture. People came from as close as the next street over, and some drove anywhere from one to two-and-a-half hours away! Good times.






After the signing, my old Ann Arbor pals and I went out for Chinese food and catching up. Then, it was back on I-94 and home to Kalamazoo! Oh, how I've missed the 70mph speeds and people who understand that there's a difference between right and left lanes.


Thanks very much to Schuler Books, Nicola's Books, and chrysk95 for their hospitality this weekend!

So, it appears Michigan's weather is toying with me. Some of you may recall that in the Truth/Lie Contest, I said I liked humidity. It's true. And I really like hot humid days that turn into thunderstorms. We don't get thunderstorms in Seattle. We have 6 months of rain, but no thunder or lightning.

Anyway, yesterday's Kalamazoo forecast called for thunderstorms, and there were none. I was highly disappointed. Today's forecast also called for them this evening, and after a high of 80 degrees and 50% humidity (paltry compared to the 90% stuff that'll come in high summer), tonight seemed promising. So, I went and checked over at WWMT, Kalamazoo's CBS station, and found this:




Three things about this intrigue me. First, the storms seem to be everywhere in Western Michigan except Kalamazoo. Second, I always associate red with bad and dangerous things. So, you'd think red would be the worst, right? Well, apparently not. Look at that color scale. Pink and gray are the heaviest? Seriously? Pink doesn't make me want to run to my basement, but hey, I'm no meteorologist.

Anyway, the third thing that catches my eye is that Grand Rapids--where I'll be signing at and staying overnight tomorrow--appears to be in the thick of things. Naturally, there will be no storms there tomorrow. Most likely it'll just be heavy blah rain that messes with my drive to Grand Rapids and makes the 131 S-Curves (the most feared section of highway in the entire world for all Kalamazoo residents) that much scarier. Of course, after driving in Seattle, I'm suddenly wondering if those S-Curves are as scary as they were in my youth.

Anyway, it's a sad day when I talk about the weather on my blog. Come see me if you're in the big GR tomorrow.

Oh, and John W...for the record? Those are Lake Effect Storms, and you know it.

Okay, there's actually nothing else I can compare this too.

But, I feel pretty confident that no other state has either the audacity or the roads to even attempt a contest like this:





Be certain that I'll be on the lookout. Cancun is mine.

So, this may come as a surprise to some of you, but I often exaggerate things on this blog for comedic effect. Honestly, if you knew how mundane some of the things are in my life, you probably wouldn't read this anymore. For example, the RT Convention was not a non-stop hedonistic par-tay, but really, who here wants to hear about the business-side of it? So, I played it up because there was plenty of par-tay material to post about.

Likewise, Western Michigan isn't quite as boring as I often make it out to be. But, yesterday, I thought it'd be funny to do a comparison between Pittsburgh and Kalamazoo that was kind of over-the-top. I found my RT party pics and then went out of my way to take pictures of barns and grass in Kalamazoo--like, seriously, I pulled over on the road to take them. When I was compiling the pictures, though, I noticed that there was too much "nothing" in the Michigan set, and I thought having a picture of me in there would balance that montage with the RT one. So, I grabbed my 14-year-old nephew and said, "Hey, take a picture of me outside looking bored." And he did.

So, I find it funny that my hilarious attempt at compare/contrast failed yesterday because all of the comments I got were compliments about the picture he took and not about the bliss of Michigan's barns and mailboxes. Don't get me wrong--I totally dig that. Thanks for the ego-stoking! My hair always appreciates the praise. But, it just goes to show that I'm not nearly as funny as I think I am sometimes--and that I apparently need to get my nephew to take all my pictures from now on!

Okay, here's a quick update on my Michigan signings. Remember, these are stock signings, which means I'm not reading or anything. I'm signing the bookstore's supply. But, you can definitely come by while I'm hanging out, and I'll personalize books for you. The bookstores will let you bring in your own books, but if you haven't bought them yet, it would be great if you got them from these stores instead of others since they're being so kind about hosting me.

April 26

2:30pm-3:30pm

Schuler Books
2660 28th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
(616) 942 2561


April 27

2:30pm-3:30pm

Nicola’s Books
2513 Jackson Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 662-0600


So, please come see me if you're near Western or Southeastern Michigan! I love meeting people, and it'll make my time there that much more fun.

My second day in Michigan finds Frostbite still holding on to the #7 spot on the New York Times List. I'm pretty excited by this, and again, let me thank everyone who has gone out and bought it. I couldn't do any of this without you and am so, so grateful for your support. It's kind of funny that I keep getting all this good news while I'm out of town. I hope awesome things keep happening when I return to Seattle!


And speaking of travels, I think it's time for a quick recap of my adventures. Let's take a look, shall we?


Romantic Times Convention in Pittsburgh:





Western Michigan:




I think that sums it up. Discuss amongst yourselves.

So, I had a beautiful flight into Michigan. My Seattle>Chicago flight arrived 40 minutes early (win), and then the Chicago>Kalamazoo took only 25 minutes (double win).

I set out for travel today with barely brushed hair, an octopus t-shirt, and glasses. I therefore didn't expected any TSA officials to tell me I was "looking all good and shit." And they didn't. Things were different, though, when I reached the rental car counter at the Kalamazoo Airport. This can best be conveyed in dialogue form.

Rental Car Guy: What brings you here?
Me: My dad is sick, although he's actually doing a lot better.
RCG: Daddy's girl, huh?
Me: Something like that.
RCG: What do you do in Seattle?
Me: I'm a writer.
RCG: Do you have anything published? Like that I could find at Barnes and Noble?
Me: Yup. A few different things. Here's my card.
RCG: Wow, thanks. I'll look you up. Ok. Here we are.
[He opens a drawer with two sets of keys and hands me one, declaring it's for a type of car I've never heard of].
Me: Is that an SUV?
RCG: A small one.
Me: I've never driven anything that big.
RCG: We don't have anything smaller.
Me: Oh.
[I must look really sad because he grows troubled. He looks into the drawer, at the other set of keys. He takes them out and shows them to his co-worker].
Co-worker: Oh, man.
RCG: She can't drive an SUV.
Co-worker: You're going to get in trouble.
RCG: I'll deal with it.
[He hands me the second set of keys.]
Me: I don't want to cause a problem...
RCG: This is for a Sebring Convertible.
Me: Whoa. I've never driven anything that nice.
RCG: Well, you're first class to me.*
Me: Thanks!

And off I went in the nicest car I've ever driven, rented at a compact car price. Its awesomeness was totally verified when I got to my brother's house, and my nephews told me, "That's a sweet ride, Aunt Richelle." I'm not sure if it was the octopus shirt or the published part that got me the perks, but thus far, the ol' hometown is treating me right.


*It's a damn shame he didn't deliver this line TSA style and say, "You're all first class and shit."

I'm about to head to the airport for my trip to Western Michigan. In planning, I discovered this:





Huh. Unexpected.

Talk to you from the Midwest!

First off, if you haven't seen the pics from RT that took me 2 hours to post, you need to go look at them right now.

Ok. Now that that's out of the way...

Today is my one day off between Pittsburgh and Michigan. Oh, it's so sweet. I've gotten to see the cats, the guy, and my completely messy condo. I also get to stay in my pajamas all day if I choose and eat Strawberry Special K instead of over-priced hotel breakfasts. And while I'm not exactly on Eastern Time anymore, I am on 'normal' Pacific Time and managed to get up at 8:30am, which I think will help a lot with my transition to Michigan.

There's not too much else to tell today. I'm still excited over the list news (thanks again, everybody) and all the great people I met at RT. The flight back to Seattle had a few more kinks than the one to Pittsburgh, but it all worked out, which is the important thing.

Here's your story for the day. While going through the first security check-point at the Pittsburgh Airport, the TSA guy checked my ID against my boarding past. I'm not joking, here's what he said: "Wow, red hair. I like that. Look at you, looking all good and shit." Then he gave me my stuff back and sent me through to the next phase. I have mixed feelings about this. Admittedly, after hardly being carded in Pittsburgh, I'm very flattered at the compliment. On the other hand...it makes me ponder their level of security. Of course, I still suppose it's possible for TSA to be friendly and still efficient. Security at Seattle tends not to smile very much, which always kind of scares me. Pittsburgh's airport was also a gazillion times more efficient in many ways, so I leave you to make of this what you will.