Ohio part deux

Well, it's actually a day three but what the hell. Yesterday we sat around the living room, hashing out plot points for Dogs and Goddesses and I had an epiphany about Abby, my heroine. We ate cookies and went shopping and came back and worked up a podcast on Lani's Will Write for Wine podcast series (available for free on iTunes). Today we dragged out butts out of bed, ate at Red Robin and then went to a mass booksigning at a wonderful Barnes and Noble, where the three of us bought more books than we sold (or close to it). Fortunately a portion of the profit was going to a needy school so we were encouraged to spend freely, and we rose to the challenge.
Back home where we ate sandwiches and foolishly thought we had enough brain power to finally play the Mesopotamia board game. Lani and Jenny and I looked at each other and said "let's watch tv."
Lani's making mittens for my daughter, Jenny's working on scarves to felt, and I relearned how to crochet with Jenny's help, while we watched episodes of Burn Notice and cuddled with the dogs. Tomorrow morning we wake up early and write.
Gotta pay for having such a good time. And actually I'm psyched. I can't wait to redo Abby.
Tomorrow there'll be pictures and a link to the podcast.
In the meantime I'm going to bed.
Tomorrow, when our work is done, we'll watch either Ruthless People or Head Office. Anyone got an opinion?

Ohio

Finally made it here. For those of you who read Jenny Crusie's blog, you know that she and Lani and I have been daydreaming about our perfect writing and living commune, know as Clitoris. I was expecting them to greet me at the airport with a large sign saying Welcome to Clitoris and shocking the hell out of the businessmen but they were well-behaved and whisked me off to IHop, land of pancakes, then back to Jenny's magic house in the woods where we sat around and brainstormed the first act of DOGS AND GODDESSES (we finally have a name for the infamous punch). I reinstalled Itunes while Lani knitted socks and Jenny crocheted an afghan and the dogs took turns cuddling with each of us (except for Veronica, who disapproves of our presence.)
Veronica is a long hair dachsund diva, Wolfie is the neurotic daschsund and star of Dogs and Goddesses, Milton is a mini dachsund and adorable (he's not sure if he loves me or Lani better) and then there's Lucy who's blind and deaf and sweet. We watched an old episode of Burn Notice, Project Runway (we're divided on Christian, united on not liking Sweet P and all of us devoted to Chris) and then enjoyed some eye candy with Oceans Thirteen, which got by on charm. But as Jenny said, we all get by on charm some times.
Tomorrow we work some more. In the meantime, Lani's gone up to bed, Jenny's writing in her bedroom and I'm blogging. Back home in Vermont the snow's so deep the tombstones are covered. Here it's gray and cold but snowless, and the river rolls on by.
Next stop, Target and the quilt store!

Detour at O'Hare

So the best laid plans of divas oft go aglay (or whatever). I'm sitting in a hotel 6 miles from O'Hare while Jenny and Lani get to have fun without me. Not fair. I thought I was so clever getting out of Burlington in the midst of a heavy snow storm. I didn't stop to consider that Chicago would be even worse.
Grumble.
No meds, no clean clothes, just my trusty computer and me. At least they do takeout.
In the meantime I've got a new idea. A truly wonderful, mesmerizing idea, one that's so good that I no longer have the career blues.
So I'll get cozy (maybe take a shower and wrap myself in a sheet like a toga). I'll do Chinese take out (delivery) in honor of the Lunar New Year (coz I'm certainly not traipsing out in the slop outside).
No pictures -- my camera's in the suitcase along with the Lake Champlain chocolates and the clean clothes.
I think I'll just hunker down and enjoy myself. Maybe even write some stuff for the fabulous new book.
And my girls' week out will just have to wait a day.

Off to Ohio

Not quite as cool as off to see the Wizard (of OZ = Australia) but still cool, because I get to go spend time with Jenny Cruisie and Lani Diane Rich in the magic house by the river. We'll work our butts off on Dogs and Goddesses, eat at IHop, go to Hobby Lobby almost every single day (interspersed with great quilt and fabric stores) and generally have a fabulous time. And I absolutely can't wait.

I'm bringing my camera so I can keep you guys updated in our travels. We're going to finish on Valentine's Day, having a fabulous book and a wonderful vacation. I promise not to sing (the photo is of me as Kate Smith with my poor little godson looking on while I serenaded the masses). Unless asked.

But basically I get an eight day vacation with the girls, and life couldn't be sweeter. So, anyone out there have some fabulous suggestions for us? Great movies we can't miss (on DVD or in the theatre)? Great places to eat in the Cincinnati area? Quilt stores, Asian stores, quirky little places? Maybe we'll all go to a spa and be made beautiful.

Naaah -- we're gorgeous enough.

In the meantime, check out the fabric store we're going to:
http://www.sttheresatextile.com

Doesn't that just look delicious? And I'll have RITA books to read (if they ever get here) and wonderful to write and the company of two of the very best people in the world.

Life doesn't get much better.

Do you ever get to have a girls' escape/holiday? What do you do and where do you go? Any suggestions for our Merry Trio?