On the Fly--or On the Tarmac

By Liz Adair

This will be brief--or as brief as a novelist can make it.

I just got home from Phoenix. The plane had computer trouble--something with the ability to find Seattle. As a chorus, the passengers advised the captain all he had to do was follow the freeway to LA and turn right, but he insisted on a working computer, so we sat buckled in our seats for three hours parsed into twenty-minute segments which the captain doled out, promising each time it would be fixed.

All I wanted to say today was Thank you.

Thanks to Lorna, who met me on the afternoon of her office-moving day to do some ANWA training. I learned so much, and I appreciate her meeting my schedule.

Thanks to Kari Pike, who came out of her way to pick me up at my hotel, take me to the conference, and bring me home again. It was great to get to know her and learn about all the exciting things she's doing.

Thanks to the organizers of the conference. It was super. What a great learning experience. I've been thinking about those triangles all the way home.

It was so great to see familiar faces--some of which I knew names for some some of which I had to peek at name tags for--but I won't next time! What beautiful women you are.

Thanks to Anna for the washcloth and the chocolate. I don't think I'm going to use either of them, but rather keep them to remember her by. I have to smile every time I think of Anna knitting presents to be given out to people who come to her funeral. That's truly carrying service above and beyond. You are a light to all of us, Anna, in so many ways.

My husband is home from church, and I have to go kiss him.

Well done, all you ANWA leaders. Great conference!