The psyche-up begins

I took a look at the calendar Friday to schedule out my time for the rewrite on the Harrison anthology (due out this next September).  I knew the tour was coming up, but it hadn't hammered home yet how close we are.  It's close.  Real close.  Close enough that I have to start the month-long process of psyching myself up for it.

Don't get me wrong.  I love getting out and seeing you guys.  I like the chance to see new places and sleep in a new one every night.  It's fun to see what kind of room you're going to get and if cookies on the desert menu.  (Only the most posh places have them.)  I don't get out much while I'm home, so tour is kind of like an intense, on-the-go working vacation where you bust your butt for two to three weeks to get four hours of sight-seeing or shopping in somewhere far from home.  (Seriously, that's about all I ever get in.  Not complaining, just explaining.)  But I am a very closed person who doesn't take naturally to the spotlight, and it takes some psyching up to get myself in front of a crowd and not throw up.  There's a reason I don't eat two hours before a signing, and this is most of it.  I love talking to you guys, but wedging my butt from my comfortable chair takes some doing.

Anyway, I realized we're about a month out, which means I have to start making sure I have everything.  Child care–check.  Puppy care–check.  Clothes–check.  (I do have a few new outfits this year, bringing in a bit of red into my wardrobe.  The only time I can EVER find the right mix of casual posh for signing clothes is two weeks before New Years.  This year, I got in the day before New Years and everything was half off.  Score!)  Freebies–halfway done.  Just have to get them to the signing stores and the publishers.  Health–getting there.  (I wait until two weeks out before I start drinking Echinacea tea to wake up the immune system.  So far, so good.)  Work–planning out the time needed to get rewrite for anthology done, and maybe a few more chapters in the NaNo book, because when I get back, I'm going to have Hollows book 11 to rewrite, and then the rough draft for book 12.

Then there are the hundred of other little things like how to plan for four different weather scopes and two levels of polish within the confines of one bag of luggage, finding a pair of shoes that zip for ease of flight travel, that can handle a day of walking comfortably, and look good on stage, because I'm not going to pack a pair of shoes–and finally, making sure I have my camera charger with me because I love what I do and I want pictures to remember it.

Ahhh, the things they never tell you you're going to have to learn when you say you want to write.  (grin)