Wednesday, January 30, 2008

My bags are packed. . .



And I'm ready to go.

I'll be at "A Night of Literary Feasts," in beautiful (but chilly) Lexington, Ky. until Sunday. Y'all be good while I'm gone, and if you can't be good, be interesting. (Never a challenge for this crowd!) The coffee shop will remain open, so make yourselves at home.

62 comments:

Anonymous said...

(whispering) Andi must be out walking the pack...it's kind of lonely in here, being the first one up.

I'll put on a pot of coffee for you caffeine folks, and maybe make some muffins, since the kitchen is empty...

Or maybe I'll just go back to bed.

Safe travels, Nancy! We'll miss you. Have fun!

AndiF said...

Beth, I'm delighted to have you here first because I went back to sleep after letting the dogs out and in between 3:15 and 3:30. And I slept all the the way to 5:15!

Have a safe and enjoyable trip, Nancy.

AndiF said...

Oh, I just realized I should do some sort of sendoff image for Nancy. I don't have any horses or bluegrass so this one is in honor of Beth's being first:

May your trip, Nancy, be as welcoming and enlightening as a Florida Sunrise

Anonymous said...

Hi Andi! Thanks for the picture...reminds me that I need to get down to the beach and take some again...I've been slacking.

Yay for sleeping "late!"

Nancy P said...

Well, that'll teach me to go to bed early. I woke up at 3 and never got back to sleep.

Thanks for the coffee, Beth!

Wish I were going to THAT sunrise, Andi.

Nancy P said...

Okay, now I'm really going. Really. Waving! Oops, sloshed Beth's coffee.

If anybody new shows up, make 'em feel welcome!

Anonymous said...

Bon voyage!!

AndiF said...

Bye-bye Nancy. Don't forget to keep flapping your arms. :)

Maria Lima said...

Safe travels to Nancy, who's off already.

Beth & Andi, I feel like such a slacker and slugabed compared to you two. ::g::

Our wind seems to have died down a little and this morning the temps are more in line with winter, a brisk 29 F.

Wish I could stay at home, snugged up warm and write, but alas, it's another busy day at the job front.

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

Larry Kollar said...

I opt for "interesting."

Woohoo, muffins! and coffee! and sunrises! and babes! (minus one, we miss you Nancy!) Lemme start some black beans & rice for lunch…

Looks like rain today and Monday, sandwiching a really nice Saturday in between. Wow, tomorrow's February already.

Argh, gotta get moving. I'll be back a little later to check on things & stir the crockpot.

katiebird said...

(dangerously speaking before drinking coffee)

Good Morning. That's a lovely ocean Andi.

katiebird said...

(lurking, mostly)

Anonymous said...

even before i pull down the black bag Fluffy knows i am going he would shred it but he fears it

the black suitcase masters me

a neighborly wave i am gone wishin i had time for one more cup of joe one more cinnimon roll one more warm embrace one more walk around the place but the cold air smacks me awake and the crossroads of america beckon

i waved at someone on another bus opposite heading

could we switch rides for the joys of coming home

i unpack black bag and a hard rubber chew bone drops out guess he figured an offering to the black bag might keep me home

i owe that dog a bone

-cormac mccarthy

Anonymous said...

Will you marry me, cormac? :-)

katiebird said...

Hmmm. Email didn't take....

Kelly McCullough said...

Morning all,

Crazed weasel today. Getting close to the end of the new book and can feel the frenzy phase coming on. Also just remembered that I'm doing a library presentation in a week and a half because WPR called and asked me to go do an interview beforehand. Good, urg, but good. Anyway, off to be manic to little effect.

Oh, and HI EVERYBODY!

More green tea today, Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearl.

Family Man said...

Afternoon everyone.

I had a busy morning today. Just about as soon as I woke up, I had to get moving. I hate days like that.

Nancy I hope you have a fun and safe trip. Of course we'll all be going through Nancy withdrawal for the next few days. So hurry back soon.

Take care.

Kimberly Frost said...

Story has jumped the tracks. Am dangling from side of train. Please send Vin Diesel to rescue me.

katiebird said...

aaK! Do I watch LOST or The Great Debate? Can I record one?

I'm LOST!

Anonymous said...

Can you tape two shows? Otherwise you're going to miss North Carolina playing Boston College!

Go Blue!

:-)

katiebird said...

(giggle) Hi Beth, Luckily for me that isn't an issue for me.

Anonymous said...

Hi kb! Good luck making your decision - I'd say definitely tape one. Me, I woke up at 3:48 today, so I think I won't make it much past this game. Duke and Indiana will have to play their games without me tonight.

Good thing your decision isn't compounded by college bb! :-)

katiebird said...

We're taping it...

And eating dinner.

boran2 said...

Have a great trip, Nancy! BTW, you'd better put a nametag on that bag. ;-)

Anonymous said...

hi everyone - bye Nancy!

It's snowing here and we're supposed to get 10 inches! I was supposed to go do a career day presentation tomorrow at a high school and school is cancelled. I feel like a kid again.

Hope everyone is doing well.

katiebird said...

Hi Mary, I think you're getting the storm that missed us.

Will you have to work?

AndiF said...

Well, I'm bummed Mary. That storm was supposed to get us 5-7 inches of snow and instead it was mostly rain and then (and now) freezing rain. No snow. And I hate freezing rain :(

Grumble, grumble morning to all.

GhostFolk.com said...

cormac :

Farm kids ride the bus home from prison. The prison is named Factory.

katiebird said...

Hi Andi & Ghost!

I'm sorry about the freezing rain, Andi -- that stinks.

Anonymous said...

Morning andi, ghost and kb! Freezing rain - yuck. Hope you don't have to try and drive in it!

Be safe and warm today, everyone...and I hope you have fun plans for the weekend. Ones that don't involve shoveling snow, but watching the commercials during the Super Bowl instead. Oh yeah, and a football play or two. :-)

katiebird said...

Hey Beth! Hi. I'm thinking about going to the gym. But it's still dark and that makes it seem unlikely.

Rick Bylina said...

Yawn, wet and dreary here, but we need the rain. As long as it is sunny and mild tomorrow as I man the 8/32 mile checkpoint in a 40 mile race in the middle of the woods, that's all I ask for.

Who knows, maybe a runner will pass on a good story.

Anonymous said...

You are SO good, kb. I can't talk myself into walking around the block. It's sad. I don't blame you - it's hard to get motivated when it's cold and dark. It's neither here, and I'm STILL on the couch! Maybe it'll be light soon...

katiebird said...

(waving at Rick)

Or I might stay home all day and read reactions to LOST. Just Kidding.

AndiF said...

Hi KB, Beth, GF, Rick.

KB, there's an upside -- Jim is off because the schools are closed so I decided to take a 1/2 day off. So I'll have a semi-long weekend.

katiebird said...

!! Andi that's Great. Has the rain stopped? Or is it still bad?

AndiF said...

It's changed to snow flurries. And it was warm enough that not much ice stuck to the trees so I don't think there was much damage, just bad roads.

Well I gotta go put in my time until my half-day of vacation. Ta.

Maria Lima said...

Morning, all and welcome to February. :)

Dreary, rainy day here and a bit chilly. But hey, at least it's Friday!!

Larry Kollar said...

Hey all! Cinnamon rolls are in the kitchen. You latecomers know where I stash yours.

Maryb, I did one of those when Daughter Dearest was in middle school. One advantage of being a tech writer, you can bring samples of your work & pass them around. The kids actually asked intelligent questions, I was impressed. Here's hoping you'll get an audience as engaged as mine was.

Andi, I'm with you on the freezing rain. On this planet, that's when trees and pieces of trees fall on power lines (already struggling to bear their own ice) and the power goes out for days. Thank God we haven't had one of those lately.

Beth, tomorrow is Insert the Insert Day. And the girls are off to a weekend "check us out" at a nearby college. w00t!

KB, I haven't forgotten the post.

Maria, I see you got my email… Will respond shortly.

For those who haven't popped in yet this morning… hey, I've already told you where to find the goodies. :-)

Anonymous said...

Good luck with the insert this weekend, far! I know you'll love it - or at least I hope you will. You should see a BIG difference in heat output and wood use from the fireplace...

I think Kelly grabbed my cinnamon roll and snuck out without saying anything... :-)

I'm celebrating finishing the second draft of my current work today. Godiva chocolate all around!! Now I have folks read it, and it sits for a bit, and I start the next one...

Anonymous said...

Well we got 10 inches. I could probably have gone to work but why screw up a 10 inch snow day. So I'm working from home - not too hard so far cuz first I had to shovel my walk.

And my career day performance was cancelled. ah well.

Kelly McCullough said...

Would I really steal a cinnamon roll with someone else's name on it? (wipes crumbs away) Of course not. Now, if the roll just happened to fall on the floor such that the name was erased, then, and only then, might I consider eating it to keep it from being wasted. (urp) BTW, did anyone see the scones around?

TTFN, I'm going to go try to get back into my real work routine--head's still at least partially on vacation.

Larry Kollar said...

Beth, I'm looking forward to the installation, for sure — of course, now that it's February, it's going to start warming up & we won't need it as much. ;-) Here's you a cinnamon roll, I hid a couple (the other one's for Boran!).

Congrats on finishing the draft! {{{Beth}}} Have a decaf; you get the mug that says "Celebrate" on it. If you drop a Godiva in your coffee, I didn't see it!

Kelly, my head's *always* on vacation unless I drag it back, shaking no vigorously, into the real world.

I sat down at lunch & wrote out the story I thought of this morning, guesstimating 1200 words. My pen hand was cramping but it's getting better now.

Kelly McCullough said...

Beth, Major Congrats! Should have said it earlier, but as I mentioned above, my head's still half on vacation.

katiebird said...

How did I miss that, Beth -- I'm sorry! Congratulations on your draft -- you must be flying!!

I LOVE chocolate!

katiebird said...

(cough) Oh, and FAR.....?

Larry Kollar said...

Hey KB. Here's my excuse — I didn't get the reminder.

katiebird said...

Wow -- So, how are you blogging?

Larry Kollar said...

Oh, Internet works OK, but I have reminders sent to my cellphone. WHEN IT'S WORKING, then I don't have to be around the computer and remember to open Gmail.

Anyway, I took care of it. Thanks for the nudge.

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much far, Kelly and kb! I went out and had a beer to celebrate, but this is much more rewarding. Although I kind of feel at loose ends...guess I'd better get busy writing the next one, huh?

{{{far, kelly, kb}}}

You can steal my cinnamon roll any time, Kelly - just keep your hands off the chocolate! :-)

Well, that's a pain, far...hope it gets resolved soon...

AndiF said...

Well Nancy may be gone but my chummy deer is back and if it gets any closer, it'll be surfing the web on my 'puter.

close

closer

umm, whose does you hair?


Morning all and happy Saturday.

Anonymous said...

Morning, andi! Looks like she knows a safe haven when she's found one. Until the pack wakes up from their winter nap and catches a whiff of her!

Ditto on the Saturday wishes...

Hey, speaking of 'puters, anyone have an opinion on switching from a PC to a Mac? Learning curve, etc.? I'm thinking about it...thanks!

AndiF said...

Beth,

Actually, two of the dogs were outside when I took those. Neither they nor the deer seem to take each other seriously.

My husband is a long time mac user but also uses PC's at school. He doesn't have any trouble going back and forth but certainly prefers the Mac because it's more straight-forward and keeps a lot of the underlying detail hidden from users (which can be a bit of an issue when you have problems but not too much of one).

I have a PC but I do use the Mac on occasion. I don't have any problems using it. I'd say that the interface is much slicker and nicer to use and there's more useful stuff built in.

Gotta go -- we're heading out for the day but if you've got some more questions, either leave 'em here or email me and I'll try to answer them when we get back.

Maria Lima said...

Morning Beth & Andi! Great deer pics. :)

Beth, I switched to Mac several years ago and love them. At work, we're PC people, but I don't find any issues with being bi-operational systems. :)

If I could, I'd switch at work, too. As for transitioning, no problems, they have some great tutorials and user support for first time Mac users.

Now, I'm off to work on le book. Catch you all later!

Anonymous said...

Thanks so much, Maria and andi - that really helps. Have a good day, ladies...

Larry Kollar said...

Beth, you have to know I'm a big-time Mac head. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

katiebird said...

(YAWN)

I'm waking up slowly. I'd love to get a Mac, but we're an entrenched PC family. We've had 'em since the 80's

mister just laughs if I ask about changing. Plus they cost more, don't they?

olivia said...

Hello All.

Add me to the list of wanting to switch over to mac. Right now cost is what is holding me back (I want to upgrade my camera, so that takes priority on the list ... :).

katieb, they are more money than PC - at least the laptops were, which is what I use. But they're so slick looking ... aesthetically appealing before you even get to the 'guts' ... :)

maryb said...

G'mornin everyone. Happy Saturday.

It's Marmot's Day a/k/a Groundhog's day. So... take a marmot to lunch today.

I'm hanging out cleaning and waiting for a new mattress to be delivered. Hope your day is more exciting than mine.

Anonymous said...

I just returned from spending an hour drooling over MacBooks and AirBooks. Seems the added cost is worth it, if they truly last as long as they say, and work as well as they do. I came home to my ^%$# Toshiba that took 10 min to boot up, and is balanced on thick paperbacks to make sure the fan cools it enough that it doesn't turn itself off, and cried. :-) And started counting my pennies...

Larry Kollar said...

The Mac laptops are actually pretty price-competitive when you compare them against PCs with similar specs. Even the MacBook Air is competitive against the ultra-light ultra-thin PC laptops.

I don't know what the differences are between iMacs and similar PC desktops… if there is such a thing. That iMac comes with a nice big LED screen, and if you get a Bluetooth keyboard & mouse you only have one cable to deal with (power).

Enough computer talk — the fireplace insert is installed! I've put up pix at TFM.

olivia said...

FAR - I've got a 17" screen, and there's no way I could afford to have similar in a Mac ... which is priced at $3,099.00. And even the specs listed are only slightly better than what I'm running now (e.g., 2.0GHz vs 2.4GHz). Am I looking in the wrong place ... lol. I didn't spend anywhere close to that much on my PC ... :-)