IT'S CONFERENCE TIME ALREADY??

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's the end of July already, and I'm heading to an Francisco tomorrow for the annual RWA National Conference. I still need to pack my suitcase, hoping that I can keep it down to only one. I think I can do it. I don't worry about dressing up like I did years ago. Here in L.A., business attire is jeans, t-shirt and a jacket. Finally, a style that I can love and embrace!

My sis-in-law Valerie recommended flying into Oakland instead of crazy-hectic SFO. She has a second home in the Bay Area, and flies JetBlue from our local airport which is 2 minutes from my house. No more hassling the freeway traffic to LAX! Yay! So I'm all for this route, plus I LOVE JetBlue. I take it once a month to Vegas to visit my grandbaby.

This is the first year that I am able to arrive early for the special "crime tour" offered by the Kiss Of Death RWA Chapter that they organize every year in the conference city. So I'm flying without my usual travel buddies who are coming in on Tuesday and Wednesday. I can hardly wait for the tour that includes a visit behind-the-scenes of SFO and the port of Oakland, where we will learn about homeland security measures and the ongoing problem of human trafficking.

My goals for this conference is to meet agent Lucienne Diver, who loves paranormal and recently moved over to the Knight Agency, that handles a lot of paranormals. I've never had an agent who truly understood my unique paranormal writing. Maybe Lucienne will. Also, I want to meet senior editor Micki Nuding at Pocket where I would love to place my paranormals!

It has been a long time since my last venture into publication, but I have learned a lot of life lessons along the way. One of those lessons is that my life is -- and always has been -- perfectly unfolding in exactly the way that it needs to. No longer am I desperate to meet the right people, sell another book, or lose enough weight to fit into a LBD (little black dress). I set my goals and then let it go, knowing it will happen in the right time for my highest good and the highest good of everyone around me.

So those are my goals...AND my philosophy for staying grounded at conference. I'll be coming back on Sunday, traveling with one of my roomies. I'm home only one day, then I'm back on JetBlue for another trip to Vegas. This time I'm going shopping with my daughter for her wedding dress, along with her best friend who is flying in from Orange County. The wedding will be in the Rose Garden at the Disneyland Hotel next May, which will be here before I know it.

When the wedding day arrives, no doubt I'll once again be saying, "Where does the time go?"