Tuesday, April 12, 2011

RT Recap (Tuesday) - Arriving in Tinseltown


"We'll have the Happy Hour Chardonnay."

This is how I celebrated my arrival in Tinseltown.  Perhaps I should back up for a moment with a few details.  I left Honolulu at 8 am and sat next to Flo - an Air Force brat, retired Air Force spouse, retired Air Force civil service, and grandmother to Army and Air Force families.   Her wonderful stories from a  life well lived kept me laughing through our five hour flight.


In fact, Flo serves as the Family Readiness Group (FRG) leader for her daughter's unit (she is the commander, single mom, and currently deployed).  So Flo stepped forward to care for both her teenage grandson and the FRG group.   Thankfully, Flo has been rewarded for selfless act - two years ago, her daughter nominated her for Regis and Kelly's annual program, "Mom's Dream Come True".   She and her husband won a trip to Miami for the show's taping, where their daughter surprised them in person. Flo and her husband also won a trip to Greece plus $25,000 from KMart.  Lesson learned - good things happen to good people.


From LAX, I hopped into the Super Shuttle with Darynda Jones and her sister plus some South African businessmen, destination:  Westin Bonaventure Hotel (featured in TRUE LIES with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis). 


After settling into my room, I joined Anne Elizabeth, Renee Bernard, Elizabeth Hoyt, and Jade Lee/Kathy Lyons for sushi.   When our waitress asked if we wanted house Chardonnay or Happy Hour Chardonnay, Jade Lee responded, "We'll have the Happy Hour Chardonnay."


There is a saying in the military, "What goes TDY, stays TDY."  The same applies to RT.  Anne Elizabeth, Renee, Elizabeth, and Jade are awesome ... but I can't tell you why!   Actually, they're awesome because they write excellent books!


After dinner, Anne Elizabeth and I visited Kathryn Falk, Lady of Barrow and founder of RT, in her penthouse suite.  We met her new puppy, General Patton, an Australian Shepperd.  We also chatted about the convention schedule that was about to unfold.  

Anne Elizabeth and I then wandered downstairs to the lobby bar where we shared drinks with Jennifer St. Giles plus Dayna and Annette from Between Your Sheets.


I fell into bed about midnight ... where was my roommate, Cathy Maxwell


To celebrate RT, one randomly selected commenter can choose a book from my incoming stash.   To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment - how do you pass time when you are traveling on airplance, boat, train, or car?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, April 16, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I will post the winner's name on Sunday, April 17 as part of the Weekly Winners Announcement.  I will also send an email to the winner if I have an email address (if I don't have your email address, send it to sos.aloha@yahoo.com).

Mahalo,

Kim

Join me later today for an interview with Andrea Penrose as we celebrate the release of her "debut" mystery SWEET REVENGE.  (I use quotes because her alter ego is Andrea Pickens/Cara Elliott).

38 comments:

  1. Sounds like you had a great time. I wish I could have attended. Maybe next year. When I travel I like to read and listen to music.

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  2. Sounds like you had a blast!

    I only go places by car and if not driving I navigate my sister has the worse sense of direction I've ever seen. Would love to read, but can't while in a moving vehicle - results not pleasant.

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  3. We mostly travel by car and I just enjoy looking at the scenery and listening to the radio. I like peace and quiet in the car.
    Any great mysteries in that stash?
    cenya2 at hotmail dot com

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  4. That sounds like a fabulous time! :-)
    Well, I get car sick, so I usually just listen to music.

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  5. All I know is, my voice is gone from talking so much and laughing so hard and I can't stop smiling after such a great RT! Thank you again, Kim, for making it so special!!

    Music and if I'm lucky enough just to be a passenger, apps on my iPhone keep me very, very happy....between movies, videos and ridiculous games like Bejeweled, time flies!!!

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  6. I too like peace and quite in the car. When driving, or as a passanger, I don't have music playing or anything. I like to just observe the scenery.

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  7. I read when I travel, but when I'm on the plane I usually do crosswords until we can start using the electronic equipment to watch all the movies and TV shows being offered.

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  8. I listen to music in a car and read on the other modes of transportation.

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  9. I get car sick if I read in the car so I usually just look out the window and listen to music.

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  10. I WILL be going next year. All the RT posts were painful to read. Sniff.

    Read, definitely.

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  11. RT was a blast! Kim always makes it a rocking adventure! :) HOOYAH!!!

    As to driving in the car, I crank the tunes and sing along, or if I'm on a plane, I listen to a book tape or write. Also, I'm a huge Garrison Keillor fan!

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  12. Just gotta say that Kim is awesome! Had a fabulous time with her throughout the convention. HUGS KIM!

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  13. Hi Kim, Good to have you home, Glad you had a wonderful time I am sure you have many stories that can't be told ((beg)).
    When I travel I am the driver Navigator Guaranteed to get you lost once on the way there and on the way back....
    when Flying which I will be doing very soon I will read have to decide what book to take I have a few that I am taking to my Mom at 90 she is an avid reader, I hope they have a good movie & watch Dh sleep, I can never sleep on planes it's the drone of the engine & excitement....
    So Kim you can tell me what went on behind the scenes really I wont tell a sole Promise.lol.
    Have a good one Ann/alba

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  14. I'm so jealous -- it sounds like you had a great time.

    I read when I travel.

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  15. Wow...what a wonderful trip.

    When I'm driving on a trip, I listen to CDs and sing. If I'm being driven or am flying, I read, work crossword puzzles, nap or chat with family members.

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  16. This is the first RT I've missed in years but I read the blogs and looked a lot of pictures. It looked great especially Bollywood. I read when a travel and if I get tired I voice enabkle the kindle

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  17. Hi Kim,
    It was great to meet you (and Anne Elizabeth and Jade Lee/Kathy Lyons,who rocks!, and all of the other great people at RT). Sadly, I get carsick now so can't easily read while riding but since I got my iPad I spend most of my time playing Word with friends (the free Scrabble alternative)! If I remember to bring my fancy motion sickness bracelets, I read until I start getting nauseated.

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  18. I've only ever traveled by car (never on boat, plane or etc)... When it is NOT with my husband (I traveled last year to SC with my mom and stepdad) I enjoy reading and listening to music.

    However, when I am with the hubby I can not do such. I have to keep up a mundane chatter to keep him awake.

    Raonaid (at) gmail (dot) com

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  19. Sounds like a good time was had by all. I looked at all the photos posted by the authors I follow on Facebook.

    I usually fly since I'm always going out of state so I like to read (Kindle, paperback, magazine) to pass the time. If the person next to me seems like a friendly person, I'll strike up a conversation with them. I also like to talk to the flight attendants. I always fly Southwest and they have the friendliest attendants. :) When road tripping around the state, I like to make a mix on my iPod and play that.

    Thanks for the great giveaway.

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  20. I usually listen to a book when I'm travelling by car.

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  21. I listen to a lot of books on CD or read. Sometimes I play games while on airplanes.

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  22. I enjoyed the quick RT recap! I do hope you post more recaps on the blog! I love going around to the blogs of those who attended to see their post and pictures on the convention since I couldn't attend myself.

    As for how I pass time when I travel. I usually travel by car and just like to listen to the radio or music. If I do get to travel on a plane for a rare vacation, then I actually just like to sit back and watch movies that they offer. If there's nothing interesting to watch, then I would probably read a book or flip through magazines :)

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  23. I read =)

    I just read First Grave on the Right the other day and absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVED it!!!! I'm sooo jealous you got to meet Darynda Jones!!

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  24. Kim it sounds like your having a wonderful time in the states. Hopefully Cathy finally showed up! How wonderful it must be to be able to meet all the authors that you have read for years!

    When traveling books are always my traveling companion. I think that may be why my husband bought me a Kindle for Xmas! The extra suitcase filled with books was driving him crazy!

    Have a wonderful time and a safe trip home.

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  25. I will have a recap for every day ...

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  26. Sounds that you had a great time Kim :)

    How do i pass my time when i'm traveling ? enjoy the ride and the scenery from my window. I intend to 'capture' all the things that I found when traveling in my memory and sometimes i take some pictures.

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  27. What an adventure, Kim!

    Aside from music, there's always audiobooks for long car trips (I travel mostly by car). As for trains and planes, there's always snoozing or watching the scenery, if any, go by.

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  28. Hi Kim,

    Thank you so much for bringing RT home to us ~ I just simply adored the post and wow I am so jealous that you got to mingle with all the fabulous people but at the same time I am so very happy that you enjoyed yourself !

    Thank you for sharing your news with us and thank you for allowing international entries.

    My pass time when traveling is reading a book as I can get completely lost for hours while reading and forget about all the not so nice things that traveling sometimes entails! All I need is a good book !

    Take Care,
    Desere

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  29. Reading of course. Sometimes i get carsick so i just listen to music or sleep.

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  30. Thank you for sharing your RT experiences!
    I can't read in a car or bus, it makes me sick, so I have to stick to listening to music or conversation with my fellow passengers. ;) But I can read on a plane and train, so I will always do that. No better way to pass the time!

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  31. I always bring at least one book and tons of magazines.

    marieimy (at) gmail (dot) com

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  32. As a kid, I used to bring along coloring books and other reading material, but now I get carsick when I concentrate too hard on stuff like that. I usually sleep or if I'm driving, listen to music. If someone else is in the car (like a roadtrip!) we always talk and have fun so it never gets boring

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  33. Such a name dropper roflmao!! I never go anywhere without a book(s) but I also enjoy meeting new people and will strike up a conversation if they are interested - if they have their head in a book I leave them alone lol.

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  34. Watching out the window is one I never get boredd with!! Reading in a car makes me restless...but then again, so does eating, sleeping, ect, lol.

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  35. Thanks Kim for the recap. Sounds like you had an awesome time. I usually do cross word puzzles and/or read. It actually depends who I'd be traveling with.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750@aol.com

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  36. I want to go to the RT convention next year! And while traveling there....I'll read a book on my KINDLE!

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  37. I spent my time reading and my best friend is my ipod, helps me to relax on the 10 hours flights (I hate to fly)

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  38. I always read because I fortunately don't get carsick. Sleeping always makes me cramp up -- but I guess long carrides make me prone to that anyway!

    Stephanie

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