Doing Dallas - Day II continued

I'm not sure whether this should be Doing Dallas or Done Dallas since I'm home now. I'll probably have a shit load of posts so keep scrolling.
Since I've been wanting to blog about Day II I'll finish that one and then ramble about all kinds of other thoughts and stuff.

Before I begin settle down for a bit of back story - I'm going to ramble so grab a coffee or a drink - I myself have a been while I do this.

On Monday - getting ready before I left day, I procastinated with the best of 'em and didn't start packing until 3:30 at which point I noticed I had a problem. My big piece of luggage has a screw in handle instead of one of those ones that just pulls out of the top. I went to pack and noticed the handle was missing. I hadn't used it fpr a few years and it would have been like looking for a needle in a haystack. The basement is a mess with lots of the boys things. I could have spent hours looking for it instead of packing. After discussing the problem with sister Lisa she suggested I just go out and buy another cheap piece of big luggage. She'd been urging me to take a smaller piece but I knew I'd have books to bring back so I didn't want to do that. So I headed out in a huge thunderstorm to get the luggage. I got home packed, puttered around and headed to bed early as I had an early flight. I couldn't sleep though so I got up and gave one last look inside the first piece of luggage for the handle. And there is was *sigh*, the handle.

Now back to Day II
After the wonderful, special, Moment in Time, never to be forgotten lunch with author Lisa (and even that isn't enough to say - Jane, Sybil and I spent the rest of the conference marvelling about how down-to-earth, warm and friendly she is), I went back to help the set up for the literacy signing. They got a lot down while we were lunching with Lisa (I'll probably get obnoxious about that) but there were still books to be set up.
Once that was all finished I headed back to the room to freshen up, get a bag to carry them in and headed down with Wendy. I think she's blogged about it too. It was incredible. It was a ballroom sized room with I think over 450 authors signing books. We stood in line for a very long time, chatting with those around us. There were also people selling raffle tickets so we all bought some of them. The doors finally opened and we headed in en masse. I threw my raffle tickets into only a couple of prized that looked good. See - I'm not sure exactly what everyone calls it - I know it as a secret raffle where you put tickets into draws for prizes you'd like to win. I knew soon enough that it would pose a problem for me. It was such a huge event and there were so many people there and I suffer from claustraphobia in large crowds. I did pick up a few books but I didn't get very many since I was starting to feel the need to get out of there. I did go around a talk to some authors I had wanted to chat too, Pamela Clare and Bonnie Vanak (more on them coming up) and Alison Kent being three. When I had helped put out books I made note of a number I wanted to get, Amie Stuart being one of them since she was so nice when I'd met here earlier. But I knew I wouldn't be able to get them all. I stood in line to pay for the books I did get with a great deal of sadness knowing I didn't get more. But it was either get out asap - or have a nasty anxiety attack. I'd been standing in line for Quite Some Time and was almost at the check out when I heard my name over the loud speaker announcing I'd won but I didn't catch what. Since I only put in for two I knew I had a 50/50 chance of it being the one I really wanted. Just hearing my name made me giddy! I never win at those kinds of things. I paid for the books and headed over to claim my prize. Lo' and behold - it was the good one - the one I wanted the most. I wanted to do a happy dance right there but my happy dance it not a good thing to watch.
The prize? A mid-size piece of luggage. (giggle) I already have one that size but I figured it would be good to hold all the books I'd snagged so far and the ones I would be getting at the publishers GIVE-AWAYS - yep - that's right - give aways. I claimed my prize and headed outside for some fresh air. I looked at the luggage and noticed a piece of paper attached. It was a list of books.
"Couldn't be." I thought. I pointed it out to a couple of women out there, one of whom Really Wanted to win the same prize.
"Yep," she confirmed. It was filled with books!. I giggled like a mad hen. The luggage I wanted to win to fill with books was full of books. It was a prize valued at over $500 US which would be even more Cdn. It was the big prize of the night.
I headed up to the room to check it out more thoroughly and it was filled with 'em. Books and other neat stuff. At that point I knew I'd be shipping books home by courier.

So - Lunch with Lisa and winning the big prize all in one night. And this was only Day II!

It's the door story all over again. I now have two pieces of large luggage and two pieces of mid-size luggage.

More coming very soon!