This is my very last week of travel this year. I have one signing left in my book trip, and as I said earlier this week, it’s been such a wonderful experience. I can’t express to you how special it is for me to meet—eye to eye and face to face—the women, men, and cute kids who use my cookbooks, read my blog, and/or watch my show on TV (Charlie is usually the reason! Ha). I’ve had such a wonderful time and have had so many memories.
On this last leg of the trip, my two lifelong friends—Connell and Beccus—came along with me. This is Connell and me in the Dallas airport Wednesday, getting ready to head to Denver. And you’re getting a nice glimpse of what I look like at 7:30 a.m. following a book signing the night before, partly wearing last night’s eyeliner and hoping my eyes de-puff by noon.
I’m a true beauty when I roll out of bed in the morning, let me tell you.
The three of us have had such a great time together. See, my mom went to college with Connell’s mom, my dad went to medical school with Connell’s dad, I went to college with Connell, and my parents went to high school with Beccus’s parents. In fact, I think either my mom kissed her dad in high school or my dad kissed her mom. Anyway, the three of us have known one another since before we were born, and even though Connell lived in a different city and she and Beccus were two separate branches of friends in my life, the three of us have merged into one as adults and Connell and Beccus have become close friends.
We call ourselves womb-to-tomb friends, to quote Riff in West Side Story.
We call ourselves birth-to-earth friends, to quote Tony in West Side Story.
(And all of us love West Side Story.)
Here are a few snaps. Me checking my hair in my phone. Eyes still slightly puffy.
It’s the travel, man! Does anyone have any tips?
I got a manicure. I wish we had a nail salon in our hay meadow! I’d get manicures all the time.
Last night we toasted our friendship.
And basically, the three of us are pushing middle age, so while we are in a nice hotel bar toasting our friendship with champagne, we sit around and show one another photos of our dogs while the young, beautiful people party, laugh, toss their hair, and socialize around us.
Beccus has a Basset Hound named Ned, and he is her son, much like Charlie is mine.
We both have serious issues, and we’re okay with that.
Sliders! Yum.
Today we’re headed to Minneapolis, where I’ll have my very last book signing and we’ll spend a few more moments together before we fly home to our respective families Saturday night.
And this is my calendar in December! I know it’s weird for someone to share his/her personal calendar on the internet, but I thought you’d get a kick out of the fact that I put red stripes through the month of December and banned myself from scheduling anything except Alex coming home and, well, Christmas. After a super busy, full year, I knew I wanted to preserve this time with my family and my yoga pants and my dogs and (hopefully, see sliders in the previous shot) my treadmill.
Love ya lots, and I’ll check in from Denver!
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