Miles Ahead

I've registered for the Romantic Times Booklovers Convention which will be held in Los Angeles this year from Ap. 6-10.  Here is the list of authors attending RT.   I've met so many of my blog readers at this convention and this year, I have new friends from Facebook with whom to hook up.

Who's going to RT?  Would love for us to say hi over a drink or a bite to eat!

I'm 75 percent sure I'm going to New York this year for the RWA (Romance Writers of America) Convention which will taking place in New York from June 28-July 1.  Yes, with July 4 weekend right round the corner! 

Why 75 percent chance, you ask?  Well, I love New York but the convention is very expensive and NYC isn't cheap either.  What with my having to get a new central air system this past Christmas, I've to really watch my budget.

But for now, I plan on going.  It's the conference where I catch up on publishers and publishing news from both editors and writer friends.  Besides, I've been going every year since 1998...it would feel weird not being there.  And New York!  Sigh. Chinatown beckons.

Here is the Conference Events/Schedule link if you live near NYC and wish to attend.  The Signing event is a must because the proceeds go to Literacy.  Some of the biggest names will be there--Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, J.R. Ward, just to name a few.

Anyone plan on going to RWA?  Please let me know!

One thing on my mind is my current disenchantment with the airline industry.  Many of you have read about my famous traveling adventures, especially at the Atlanta Hub ;-), but the last few years have been relatively quiet because I've driving.  It was my protest against all the new charges the airlines were adding to the ticket price, as well as my growing impatience with the really long lines and late planes.

Driving has been okay and I enjoyed most of it, but those locations were on the east coast.  This time, RT is in L.A., so driving there would be a long trip, unless I can find a few driving partners, and in that case, we could make it there in 3 days, if we drove non-stop.  And that's barring any delays from traffic jams or car problems.

So yeah, I'll have to break down and fly this time.  But driving to NYC is still on the agenda, or at least, to my sister's near DC where I could park for free ;-).  I just feel that need to try not to use the airlines if possible, you know?  We'll see how I feel.  Maybe they'll have perfected the teleporting device by then and there's that option available.

Are you, like me, finding air travel more and more tedious these days?  That, unless you're super-rich and can afford first-class accommodations and check-in, everything is just a big hassle?  I mean, it even feels as if the flight attendants hate their job when I'm on board.  All that tension, and you might not even save that much time if you add in the 5 hours at the various airports, and that's with NO delays as well as the 2-plus hours on the road to the big airport, if I were to take a direct flight (which I won't be because there's no way I want to drive to Orlando International unless neccessary).

Yes, I used to fly everywhere all over the world.  Easy peazy. I always had a suitcase already packed.  London, Rome, even Asia.  Sigh.  It's old age setting in, isn't it?

Sniff.

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