City of Brotherly Love

A couple weeks ago I traveled to Philadelphia for the first time on a business trip. While I was working most of the time, I did get a chance to sneak out and see some of the city, as well as chow down on a yummy Philly cheese steak sandwich (which I failed to get a photo of).

The view from our hotel room.

Across the street from the hotel.

Independence Hall

Reading Terminal Market

It was a hopping week in Philadelphia, with the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Phillies vs. Padres game, and the start of Philadelphia Beer Week. Definitely a city to visit again when I have more time to check it out!

Highlights

Highlights of my trip to New Orleans (aka N'awlins):

1. The awesome brick wall and huge windows in our hotel room.

2. More fried food than I would ever care to eat in a week (highlight or lowlight?)

3. Being asked to take photos with some of my authors.

4. Reconnecting with "conference people" friends.

5. Braving Bourbon Street on a Saturday night.

6. The awesome live music at our bar of choice on Bourbon.

7. The young (sober) man who, just before exiting said bar with his buddies, told me I was extraordinarily beautiful. (Extraordinarily!)

New Orleans, I wish I could have seen more of you. Thank you for not flashing me. Man Who Called Me Beautiful, you made my night, maybe even my year. Thanks for your sincerity.

Way down yonder in New Orleans...

Tomorrow I'm headed to New Orleans for the week for a work conference.

Bourbon Street, here I come...

a haiku regarding the four day work week

Ah, the bliss of one

day less in the week of work.

My heart rejoiceth.

pride & joy

This week one of our big books came back from the printer. This particular book is big in more ways than one. Size. Price. Quality.

I'm not sure how many pounds that book is, but the hard cover behemoth sure isn't small! Its retail price is over $300. Yes! $300 for one book! I can hardly believe it myself, although I am starting to grow accustomed to these big buck books that actually sell.

But the most exciting thing is what is inside the book. There, on the acknowledgments page, is my very own name. This is not the first time my name has appeared in a book--after all, my mom is an author. But that's a little bit different.

She knows me.

The editor of this book, a genius doctor in the Midwest has never met me. Yet there is my name in the front of his book, thanking me for helping bring the book to reality. How cool is that?

This is the thing I like most about my job in the publishing industry. Not getting my name printed inside a book (that just makes me feel good about myself!). But building relationships with all these authors. Talking and walking them through the process of bringing their manuscript to life. It is their pride and joy.

And then it becomes mine.

Even if it does have graphic pictures of neck surgery on the cover.