San Mateo - Last Rites

It's my last day in San Mateo - a whole day anyway. My flight leaves tomorrow morning for Dallas. If there is a God (and he doesn't feel like having a sense of humor again tomorrow), the flight will leave AND arrive on time. I hope so anyway. I've got a huge laundry list of things to do (not to mention the actual laundry). It seems that being away from home makes one remember all the things one did not do before departing. Oh well, tomorrow is another day.

So training went well today. Thank God. Yesterday was like a refrigerator. No one was openly rude or hostile, but I think that might have been easier to deal with. Openly hostile means there's passion in there somewhere. Blankly apathetic is a much harder nut to crack. So today was more interesting and a lot more fun. It reminded me of why I wanted to train to begin with and I felt a renewed spirit for my career choice change.

Got out a little early and hurried back to the hotel to ditch the power suit. Put on camo carpenter pants and a white t-shirt with a gold-studded skull and crossbones on it (my new current favorite outfit) and headed out for a little marketing trip. It seems that San Mateo is home to the largest independent mystery bookstore in the country. I emailed last week and scheduled for a little visit.

Had a nice visit with the manager/buyer and presented her with a cover flat and an ARC. She seemed excited and said the book sounded very fun. She gave me her card and said they were open to all sorts of promo items and they definitely included them with customers purchases. It was a nice visit and I was glad to have the opportunity to meet someone I would never have met if I were still behind a desk crunching numbers. Score number 2 for the Professional Trainer position.

On the way back to the hotel, I had a bit of an adventure - but then without an adventure, it just wouldn't be my life. I missed the exit for my hotel and wouldn't you know it was the last exit before San Francisco Bay. So I got to cross the entire bay. Not quite as long as the Atchafalya basin but not exactly a stone's throw either. So I drove and drove and drove and finally reached land again. Made a u-turn to re-enter the highway and drove and drove, then reached a toll booth. Huh? I know there wasn't a toll booth on the way over. Well, apparently, they're going to get you either coming or going. In this case, my missed exit adventure cost me $3.00 in tolls and God knows how much in gas (I haven't seen the news lately).

Finally reached the right side of the bay and headed out for supper. Had nice supper, headed back to room and packed up everything possible so I can leave for airport tomorrow at the chicken's hour of 6:30am.

And as soon as I post this blog, I am climbing in bed with my book, my Alphasmart (I'm working Kristin, I swear), a Diet Coke and a York Peppermint Patti - which only has 3 fat grams.

Goodnight and more tomorrow from the wasteland of heat - you gotta love Texas.