Wednesday, November 16, 2011

A Quick Hello!

Silly me for thinking I'd be all bored and lonely while Mr. A is busy at his conference.  I've got WIFI and an entire city to myself!

Well, not an entire city.  I'm just proud of myself for navigating the nearby streets of San Francisco ALONE this morning.  Without getting lost.

This is no small feat.  (Really.  I'm the type who needs to hold up her left thumb and forefinger to make the letter "L" so I know which way is left, remember?)

So, yeah. I don't mind being a tagalong-to-the-conference wife.  It's a wonderful break from routine and an opportunity to get some solid, uninterrupted writing-and-other-work done.

Like the rest of the slush.  Fewer than 50 to go!  The trickiest part is that there is now a 3-hour difference between Jodi and me.  I keep forgetting that her day is ahead of mine.

(My body also seems to have forgotten that I'm in Pacific time zone now, as I woke up at 4:00 this morning raring to go.)

I'm also pleased to report that my darling Mr. A has put his Authoress-is-afraid-to-touch-it camera in moron mode for me.  As in, I can push a button and it takes a picture.  (Imagine that.)  Funny the things we stress about before a trip.  Especially when we're not especially fond of traveling.

So I'm in good shape!  My Most Beloved Agent is going to be sending more edit notes at the end of the day to keep me busy, and Jodi and I will soon be making our final decisions on the YA/MG entries.  (Have I mentioned I couldn't do this without her?)  Same stuff, different location.

AMAZING how a different location gives us fresh perspective!

Hope your week brings you some fresh perspective, too, wherever you are.

*hugs*

20 comments:

  1. Enjoy beautiful SF. Try the See's chocolate...I'm ready for a pound from the mail-in mode.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've done the tagalong-to-the-conference wife thing twice now. It is a nice break from the routine for sure. Especially when the conference is in Bermuda :)

    Don't work too hard, enjoy yourself. And yay for fresh perspectives.

    ReplyDelete
  3. geewiz -- The food choices here are AMAZING! Chocolate AND non-chocolate. ;)

    ilima -- Bermuda!! Okay, you win! LOL Honestly, this is the only way we could afford to "get away," so I'm thankful to be ANYWHERE with him for a few days. And the free WIFI is a definite perk!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Okay, so I don't know what kind of time you have (or how familiar you are with SF), but I've spent a lot of time in there and I have some recomendations for you (if you're interested, i.e. just ignore me if you already have your plans and what not, but I'd love to be there right now, so I'm sort of living vicariously).

    The Japanese tea garden is superb. Seriously, if you like looking at beautiful gardens, the tea garden is not to be missed (also, since it's warmer in SF than places like Vermont, the ornamental maples will all just be turning).

    And my second is a free spot, that you can upgrade for just a couple dollars: Hyde Pier. To get there, just take Hyde street all the way down to water where it becomes a pier. They have a few vintage boats with some neat displays, and as an added bonus, you'll get to see all the hubub at the yacht club (which is hosting the next America's cup, so they might have some pretty impressive boats). If time's an issue, wednesdays are when they do their boat races, and it's pretty neat to watch (if you like boats that is).

    Otherwise, Christie fields is just right there, and it's lovely too.

    Ah the City, I can almost feel the fog from here... (see me living vicariously). Have fun no matter what you do.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks, Rena! Yes, I've actually ended up with more time than I'd originally thought, as we've cancelled our day trip to Napa. I will pass along your suggestions to my dear hubby, who is supposed to be taking a break soon to come find his poor, lonely wife! (Well, not really. I'm having a great time on my own. ;D)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I thought I was the only adult who had to use my thumb and forefinger to tell left from right. Glad to know I'm not alone on that one. ;)

    Enjoy SF!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Welcome to the bay area, Authoress. I can feel your creative energies already. . . oh oh, better go write now!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hubbykins and I were just in SF a couple weeks ago. Beautiful city, but my goodness, HOW do people afford to live there? Enjoy your break from normal!

    If you're looking for a great place to eat (though a bit pricey), 2223 is the best restaurant we've eaten at all year. And for a jaw-dropping view, you could check out Cliff House, especially yummy breakfasts. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I never knew about using the thumb and forefinger to make an L - genius! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. San Francisco is a lovely city. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yeah, I totally couldn't survive without making an "L" with my left hand. Scary part? Sometimes I'll make an "L", point to the left, and say, "right." o.o

    Karen -- seriously! But hubby and I always share entrees when we go out, anyway, and his meals are a business expense...so except for alcoholic beverages, we're eating for free! Another perk of conference-going. :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. This is such a happy and relaxed post. Enjoy the fresh perspective, I'm jealous.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ooh, enjoy! SF is such a great city. I recommend the dim sum!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'll be in SF soon and you can bet I'll be scouting the scenery for anyone wearing a cool red hat!

    I just may end up embarrassing my daughter and scaring some unwitting, red hat wearing, strangers by running up to them yelling, "Authoress! Authoress!"

    Oh well, it will be worth it if one of them is you. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Enjoy San Francisco! I lived in Sacramento for 3.5 years and completely treasured my trips to the Bay area. Get over to Sausalito if you get the chance. Such a neat little town :) And say hello to Fisherman's Wharf and the fabulous view from twin peaks!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm glad you're enjoying San Francisco!

    Rena had great suggestions. An added bonus is if you go to the Japanese Tea Garden, you can visit the de Jong museum right next door. They have a wonderful collection from ancient to modern (my favorite is the Impressionists Gallery.) There's a museum cafe for a casual lunch and a latte, and if it's sunny you can sit at the outside tables and enjoy the statue garden. An elevator at the back of the museum takes you to an all glass panoramic viewing room at the top.

    Another great view is from the top of the Fairmont Hotel (Nob Hill.) There's a glass elevator that goes all the way up the outside of the building (freaks me out a little, it's VERY high.) There's a bar at the top, usually some kind of music, and a good restaurant on the bottom floor, "The Tonga Room." It's pricey, but the food is yummy and it's a fun and interesting experience.

    I'm missing my one time home! (I lived there for twelve years.) May all your days be filled with happy adventures -- and lots of r and r too! :) :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. It was our fifth time to SF and we still got lost a few times. Darn No Left Turn streets. Congrats, Authoress, on doing a better job than my hubby.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks, skywriter -- I tell ya, I'm having enough trouble with the elevator in this hotel, and it's INSIDE! :D Cool stuff, though, and awesome views from high places. That sounds amazing!

    Stina -- To be fair, I was on foot. No "no left turns" to hang me up. :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi Authoress,

    You're bringing back such amazing memories for me. A few years ago my hubby won a sales trip to Pebble Beach Golf Club in Monteray! We stayed in SF for only one day but it was like nothing I have seen! The trolly cars, Fishermans Wharf, the houses up on the hills, the fog...loved it all! I'm happy you get to enjoy such an amazing city and a different perspective. :)

    After all you have done for so many, you desserve it. Have fun and do tell us about your adventures!

    ReplyDelete
  20. ugg for jimmy choo ugg store locations in nyc ugg sheepskin cuff black http://www.fdidboots.co.uk [url=http://www.fdidboots.co.uk][img]http://www.fdidboots.co.uk/images/ugg-boots.jpg alt="ugg boots" title="ugg cheap"[/img][/url]
    [url=http://www.vtallboots.org.uk/#a0h61k34m][b]http://www.vtallboots.org.uk[/b][/url]
    [url=http://www.bootssecher.co.uk/#x4e09i64s][b]www.bootssecher.co.uk[/b][/url]
    [url=http://www.ukgetboots.co.uk/#n5c95w90g][b]ukgetboots.co.uk[/b][/url]

    ReplyDelete