Sue the T-Rex on display at the Field Museum…notice the Chicago Blackhawks jersey on the statue in the background. That was a total quirk that I caught it. I saw it, but didn’t realize I got it on film. I had texted this to a DJ friend in NY with the caption “Run!” Completely took him off guard. LOL!

A very blurry picture of Annmarie (blondie) and I with Publisher Weekly’s Barbara Vey. This was taken at the book signing during the Spring Fling conference. You can’t tell, but I was ill. Seriously, I was sick that entire day. Not nerves either. I had nothing to be nervous about. Just sick.

As you walk through the pyramid/tomb at the Field Museum, we came across this phallic carving on a bench. Okay, is it just our dirty minds, or do you think it looks phallic too? And on a bench…wow.

Doesn’t that look like a postcard? I took this on Monday before we went into the museum. Absolutely gorgeous. And yes, very windy. At one point I thought the wind was going to knock me over. (Yes, “Windy City” refers to politics, but this day, it was the literal sense of the phrase.)

One of the Egyptian displays at the Field Museum–canoptic jars. During mummification, the organs were removed and placed in jars like these. You know, one for the heart, one for the stomach, etc.

One of the numerous displays of mummies and coffins at the Egyptian exhibit in the Field Museum. Notice the small coffin of a child in the middle and the x-ray to the side. Cool, huh? Yeah, I’m morbid.

Annmarie and I after breakfast the day I was leaving (yesterday). I was sad to leave, but we are talking about getting together in October for the Georgia RWA conference in Atlanta/Norcross. And a weekend in Amelia Island with the kids with Michelle, aka Misia, a very cool chick I met in Chicago and Annmarie’s other partner in crime.

I still can’t believe we didn’t get arrested. LOL

Wooohooo! Finally here. You know, it hasn’t really sunk in yet that I’m going today. I am so excited. (I keep saying that, I know.) Yes, definitely there will be some tears.

Annmarie is my best friend. We just connected. When I met her at RT in Daytona in 2006, we instantly got on together. We were introduced by Andrei Claude, Mr. Romance 2005. It was right after the 2006 Mr. Romance “competition”. (I spotted Annmarie’s blond hair. It is hard to miss.) I had emailed a little with her prior, so I knew who she was–newbie author.

The thing that knocks me about her is she is so vivacious. No really. Her energy just pops. She’s a beautiful woman and that lively laughing makes her very magnetic. (Judging by the male attention she gets, I’d say the men agree.) I liked her immediately. Anyone who has that great of a sense of humor is an instant hit with me. There is nothing more appealing than a sense of humor. (I like that in a man too. It is sexier than anything…er…second only to a beard. LOL! Beards make me weak in the knees.)

The last time I saw Annmarie was in Pittsburgh in 2008. We hung out with several of the models and laughed so much. This is when we asked Andrei to do a “Andrei sandwich” and he thought we wanted to feed him. (Think him sandwiched between the two of us.) Geez. Brooks Johnson was the only one who “got” what we were saying without thinking about it–and cheered. Know why? Dude has his mind in the gutter…just like us. LOL Anyway Annmarie mentioned yesterday we should send a picture of us together. I said we needed to send one with us holding a sandwich.

I think one of the most fun times in Pittsburgh was when we partied up in the exec suite with Kayla Perrin and Sharon Page. OMG they are so funny. (Kayla is one of the most beautiful black women I’ve ever seen. Again, her humor only adds to her beauty.) We were drinking and laughing for a few hours up there…with our own private server who mixed our drinks.

Okay, I’m off to make final preparations before leaving.

I’m so EXCITED!

One day. Yeah! Damn, I am so ready. Annmarie were laughing last night (late last night) that she planned on parking the car and coming in the airport to greet me instead of meeting me outside at the curb. Isn’t that nice? I have a feeling I may cry in happiness. My best friend that I hadn’t seen in two years. Tears may be involved.

Too bad this time we don’t have a private publisher party to crash. LOL!! (Yes, we did.)

I think my subconscious made the Chicago and sex store connection before I consciously did. I’m just sayin’

Started reading Cassandra’s Conflict and not very thrilled with it. A lot of sex partners involved in the story line, and the girl Cassandra unknowingly walks into a sexual game of perversion with the couple who hires her to be governess to his two small children. I was really turned off by the hero’s fiancee. When she tries to seduce Cassandra in front of the two kids, it turned my stomach. So…I’m not reading it anymore. Makes me ill that I actually spent money on the book. Sad.

So, I’m taking Enslave with me. I like the idea of the power struggle between the hero and heroine better than between the heroine and several other characters–all in the attempt to keep the sex different in every scene. Please, I know exactly why there are several characters involved in the plot in Cassandra’s Conflict.

I’m a wee bit jazzed at the moment. Working on about 2 hours sleep. No I couldn’t sleep, damn it. There will be no banking sleep before leaving tomorrow.

TOMORROW.

I finally did get my download on iTunes to finish yesterday. Bought some Joan Jett. I do not know why I waited so long to get the albums, I Love Rock N Roll and Bad Reputation. Had the songs on my iPod but not the rest of the albums. Er, yeah, while not able to sleep, I did go into the kitchen and rock out with some Joan. Too bad I couldn’t scream the words.

And counting.

Annmarie has the trip mapped out. Tuesday night she’s taking me on a night tour of the city. Wednesday we are doing a photo shoot with her friend Kate. Thursday is shopping…*wink*. Friday I meet her mom and more shopping. Friday night we’re going out to Saddle Up which should prove to be interesting. I am the only one in the group not inviting dudes along. LOL Saturday is the conference. Sunday is touring the city, including the museum, and Monday is pedicure day. Full week ahead. LOL OMG if the week is anything like the conversation I had with Annmarie this morning on the phone, we will surely be causing trouble. I laughed so hard I teared up, and I’m still giggling.

Didn’t feel well last night. Went to bed early to read a bit. I finished Exit to Eden this morning. Eh. It was okay. Not shocking. I thought the latter half of the book, they whined too much. I’ll probably stick it in the raffle basket for the conference next week. Maybe someone else will like it more.

I have 2 books I’m taking with me to Chicago–Enslave (which I talked about already) and Cassandra’s Conflict by Fredrica Alleyn.

In searching for Cassandra’s Conflict, I realized an author I met back in 2000 is writing for Kensington Aphrodisia. I actually bought 1-2 of her books not knowing. It’s Melissa MacNeal. I remember meeting her at an RT when I was an aspiring author and I got one of her Black Lace books. I met her again a few years later at another RT and she was writing under another name, getting away from erotica. Guess she changed her mind. No point to this, just amazed I remembered this author from 10 years ago, years before I even started writing seriously.

Oh, I posted on DZA today. Go check it out.

No real point to today’s post. I’m so excited about my trip, I am ready to explode. I’m starting to pack my suitcase today. Whoohoo!

I’m pretty much done with taxes. Just have to look up a few expenses to add in for the schedule C, then I’m e-filing. No big. It wasn’t too bad. I just hate doing it.

I’m planning the wardrobe for the trip to Chicago, particularly what to wear when we go out, which will be often, I believe. Friday night will be the big night out to Saddle Up. Girls night out. I’m not even planning on drinking. I got to be able to get out of bed the next day and present a workshop at a writers conference.

(Watch my blog and The Writer Chicks next week as we post pictures and tell about our adventures.)

I can’t believe it has been 2 years since I’ve seen Annmarie. It seems so insane. We wanted to get together last year, but I got sick and had my insides sliced, which pretty much fucked up my year right there. Now, a year later I feel great and I get to see my best friend for an entire week. It will be like a pajama party every night. I may be persuaded to go to Taco Joe’s late at night in jammies…just to try their chips. Er…okay, maybe not in jammies.

I think by the following Tuesday when I fly back, I will be a zombie.

But a happy zombie.

That brief weekend away a few weeks ago was hardly what I needed. I so wish it was the 19th of April, ’cause the next day I’d be flyin’ out to Chicago. I can’t believe I haven’t seen Annmarie in 2 years–since The Pit (that Pittsburgh hotel for RT). She’s got a ton of stuff for us to do from getting our eyebrows shaped (I kid you not) to a photo shoot including a few boudoir shots of me (never did that before, so that should be fun) to exercising at her gym and partying at Saddle Up one night. One of the days is her birthday, so you know it is going to be crazy. Oh, and of course we have to make a chip run to Taco Joe’s. I hear about these chips all the time. I have to try them.

While there we will be going to the Spring Fling RWA conference. There’s a book signing, and I will definitely have books: Medeival Menage, Men After Midnight and Even Naughtier Nuptials. I learned a lesson–don’t count on books being there. Bring them yourself. I ordered books and having them sent ahead of me. It will be nice to finally see Even Naughtier Nuptials. I haven’t seen it for real yet. That and Medieval Menage. All three of us in MM will be there signing.

I’m not having a good evening so thinking of my trip helps make me feel better. Sometimes, life just sucks.

Booked my flight to Chicago for next month. I can hardly wait! Spending a week in Chicago with Annmarie. She’s making a list with her friend Misia of things to do, places to go, and where to eat. LOL Don’t worry, I bought a new camera so there will be lots of pictures.

Oh yeah, I need to go over that handout. We are doing a workshop for the Spring Fling conference, and Kim (AM’s cousin) made up a handout. I started adding a lot to it…I need to finish that.

Before Chicago I have Pensacola Beach. The weekend after next I’ll be driving buds Dana and Tracy across Florida to the Silken Sands conference. I’m not pitching but I plan on networking. I am planning on talking to an editor there about my ghost hunters.

Speaking of which, I’m working on rewrites, of course. Cracking myself up as I go along. Its close to when I wrote Beast in My Bed, funny moments that develop characterization. Okay, moments that make me laugh with evil delight. Hey, got to get those moments in amid the grammar tediousness.

Don’t worry, it is all going well.

Oh and the depression… I’m fine with that too. The medication I’m taking has really helped. I’m laughing more and I feel good. Of course getting on the treadmill to work out my frustrations through activity helps too. I have more energy. I mean, I was up at midnight the other night dancing in the kitchen to tunes on my iPod because I couldn’t sleep.

The only real complaint I have with the med is that I am not sleeping well at night. I don’t stay asleep. Tired but not sleepy, know what I mean?