Seattle Down Time

I'm in Seattle with Susan. We are having our Christmas together, or rather enjoying Susan's xmas present to me. She came up for the Elliott Bay event, and then got us two nights in a great boutique hotel by the Pike Place Market. It's called Inn at the Market, and I would definitely stay here again. The first day I couldn't relax, was mostly in a fog from the weekend's NON-STOP activities and meetings.


(Powell's event + breakfast + meeting + meeting + mad shop to look like a decent Vegas hostess + drinks with 12 friends most of which I haven't seen in a year or more + party as Vegas hostess, John as poker tutor/dealer + breakfast + drive to Seattle for Elliott Bay event)

I think today is the second day and I might be getting closer to the word rested, but now we have to pack and leave again. The whole month of December is going to be the craziest yet, but I've done it to myself and we all know that there's no crying in baseball.

So, Susan suggested I don't do anything in January. Back story - I'm socially tapped more than anything else. Just entirely drained from being "on" for the past three months. It's totally genuine and natural and fun when it's happening, but I'm starting to feel what happens when there's so much of it consistently. How do famous people do it?! So, that's the plan, take a month off to decompress. And I'm going to need it after the BBE takes me on my debut tour Xmas - New Year's. But I can do it, I'm sadly weeding out things I want to do like go to the WOMMA conference, or wiggle my way into the Key West Literary Seminar, or rush right out and try and start shopping for a place in Bluff Park.

January will be for chill things like writing. I've got lots to do for VivaLasVegasBlog, and there is a book I want to write. But dinners with friends will be considerably reduced, weekenders will be eliminated, and if on the off chance I have to/get to take this retreat to Eastern Europe...well, dammit I will.

But since it's not January yet, I need to pack up, and go roam Seattle with Susan. This is an amazing Xmas present she's given me, and Seattle is one of the best cities ever. Picture me walking around downtown staring up at brick buildings. Good thing I hide my wallet way down in my front pocket of my pants. Any of the many people I bump into could be grifters..... ;-)

Highlights: Dinner at Cafe Campagne, walking through downtown, Dinner at Wild Ginger with our neighbors passing off all their food to us, and buying myself an 80-100yr old pitcher from Pakistan which will be my new flower vase...now that I have someone who brings me flowers.

Current: Seattle, WA
Tomorrow: Palo Alto, CA
Thursday: Marin for final book event at Book Passage
Friday: Las Vegas (until at least the 16th)