Wrapping up GRL, The Weekend and Beyond

With my sweetheart Rick Reed before dinner Friday night, photo courtesy of Rick. :)

It's Saturday at GRL (not today, but in this post). So if you missed the first few days, you can go relive them here (Pre-GRL and Day One) and here (Day Two). Okay, everyone caught up? Here we go!

I have a confession to make. I know I did something on Saturday morning. I really did. But for the life of me I can't remember what (and my roommate TA, aka my conjoined twin for the conference is in a time zone that really shouldn't be texted at this time of the night). So let's skip ahead, shall we, to the Book Signing.

We went in and set up and it was only after we'd had lunch and settled in to get ready that I looked around me at the rarified neighborhood I found myself in. Directly across from Damon.

 

Kitty corner across from Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton.

Directly behind us were Carol Lynne and JP Bowie (TA and I photobombed a few pics taken by readers but I haven't seen any of those yet). And kitty corner to the rear was Ethan Day and Geoff Knight.

Of course, I had my lovely partner in crime, TA Chase, sitting next to me.

It was at least a couple of hours long, but could have been way longer! We had a blast talking to people and signing things and giving stuff away. I wish I could have had time to wander around myself and visit some of the elusive authors I hadn't connected with yet.

Immediately afterwards, I headed out to the Spa Jar to help set up for the Total-E-Bound event, which included a Native American family of dancers. I was out front greeting people and handing out tickets when who should come strolling up hand-in-hand but Jason and Jared. Yep, they'd finally met. 

 

When my hosting duties were over, I got a chance to watch the dancers and spend some time with friends I love like Jackie Nacht.

And, of course, Jason and Jared.

 

Then after a detour up to our room for a quick change, we headed to Dreamspinner's Cabaret Night. I ran into Julianne Bentley, who was dressed the part for the event.

And spent some quality time (again)...where else?...out on the patio. I'll telling you, the weather was so nice I just had to get outside as often as I could at night. :) Plus the company was amazing! Here I'm in a sandwich I wish I could keep wrapped around me forever, with two of my fave people on earth, Marie Sexton and Ethan Day.

We had a fabulous group that chatted for hours, with the piano man inside providing ambiance.

After things wound down, we found our way back to Fusion, which was the fullest we'd seen it (of course, it was Saturday night!), but we GRL'ers represented well, taking over the dance floor and most of the rest of the place. True to the course of the evening, the rest of my pics from that night are blurry as heck, but this last one makes me smile because we were just so joyous (and buzzed) and having fun right before last call. A good one to close on. :)

The next morning was tough. Oh not because we were all hung over (which we were), but because we had to say goodbye...over and over...and over again, to people we'd come to care so much about. That was the atmosphere. I know I'm not alone in wishing that we all could just take over a small town somewhere and stay together forever. It was that closely bound of a feeling for everyone around us. I won't get into all the goodbyes, and I had a lot of them since my flight wasn't until 6pm or so. No pictures either since they were all rather bittersweet.

Anne Tenino and I found a bar right across from our gate and toasted to GRL and all of our friends, new and old. Then it was the flight home and back to reality.

And now? The countdown has begun. See you all in Atlanta next October. I'll be there with bells on!! Will you?