I got a constant driving lesson, like 5 hours worth of it. LOL

Bob's father was also known for this very same curse.

He just cant be a passenger, just doesn't know how.

I was told I was going too fast, and later too slow.

I needed gas when the tank was barely below a half.

I was told when I brought back two cups of coffee and two McDonald's, biscuit, bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches, that he had indeed not ordered that. I said, "Shut up and eat it."

I was told how you can lose your license when going through a work zone if you do not adhere to the lower speed limit and have your lights on plus there is an automatic $250.00 fine, about 12 times.

Then I was told to put my lights on, then to turn my lights off.

I was told to turn off the windshield wipers, even when there were still huge drops of rain falling on my nice big windshield.

I was asked why I didn't use the cruise controls.

I was told to pass this truck or that idiot who was holding up traffic or was afraid to pass the convoy of trucks holding up traffic on the rising grade of that upcoming mountain.

I was told to hurry up and get ahead of the trucks in that line so I could be away from that frustratingly slow line of traffic.

I was not allowed to regulate the air conditioner, or the defroster. I must be incapable of such a difficult task. LOL

I made dinner at Dan and Deb's which was merely warming up a rotisserie chicken, baked beans, potato salad, biscuits and corn bread which Debby bought because it was an easy fix dinner while she packed her bag. We left VA and arrived at TTP in Maryland by ten. We meet and greeted those that had arrived, checked into our room, and then went back to the hospitality room to assemble the raffle basket. I had my 3 assistants, Wendy, Pam and Jill all bringing other items to go into the basket. The basket was awesome. Really awesome. I met author Robin Owens while she hung out in the hospitality room who is donating a picture of her first book to be laminated on to a quilt block for the Michael cat raffle quilt.

Later at the bar, we all were told the group would be meeting at Bob Evans in the morning at either 7:30 or 8:30. The time was confusing, as some thought one time and others thought the other. DDDeb and I got there at 8:30, some were already eating, but then two later groups came so we were actually among the first to eat. I ordered an awesome breakfast. It was a scrambled egg in a bowl filled with what I think was sausage gravy, it was delicious. Unfortunately it was also loaded with tiny cubed potatoes, which I tried to avoid. Darned carbs.*G*

We left the restaurant and headed to TTP to get in line to get a low letter for the book signing. I got B. We were told to be back to TTP by 1:30 for our turn in line. Linda Perry from SWVA was to arrive at 10 and the entire JDROBB crew waited for her. She called my cell phone telling me at 10:15 that she was a few minutes away because of a detour on the route she had to take. Eventually she arrived with her two very well mannered children Sara, 9 and Jason, 7. We gave her time to meet everyone and then we exchanged gifts on the sidewalk and showed off the quilt blocks we had accumulated so for Michael. Robin Owens who was also signing with Nora, stopped by and we showed her what we had too. She is a real regular lady, fit right in with us. BTW, her son could not wait to give me my present, eventually I got it. The look on his face was priceless as I opened it up. It was bottle of Vampire Wine from Translvania, Romania. A Merlot. LOL He just chuckled. He and Sara are so adorable. I gave her a trio of Suz Brockmann book, it is a joke as she has said she hates Suz weak female heroines, but I was told by the group it was my duty to try to convert her. I am trying.

Robin looked terrific. She bought this really cool looking long royal purple sleeveless dress and wore these cascading star earrings and matching glass earpiece adornment which matched the earrings. She told me she had gotten them a few years ago at a Renaissance Fair. Unique and really cool looking. She also wore a Kirk's Folly dagger pin which was reminiscent of one in her book. She also bought a pin to donate for her offering of a raffle basket item.

Another friend Susan Johnson and her son came to meet Linda and me as she only lives in the close vicinity too. I think it is the outskirts of Hagerstown. She is a quilter on the quilt group Linda and I belong to. We all then went to have pizza at Asaro's and I pointed out Dan, Nora's son to Linda as he tossed, a very professional looking circle of pizza dough.

Susan had a date at puppy school so she had to leave, but they showed off their recent quilts in the parking lot of the famous Creamery, where we always go to have our after the book signing snack. Moose tracks ice cream is always one of the top flavors chosen from our group, oh yeah I forgot also Creamsicle. Yum....

From there we went to the huge UBS in Hagerstown, and traded in our books. I brought a box and 4 bags worth of books. They keep a running total for you which never expires. Cool...

Linda had to leave so DDDeb and I were just going to make it back to TTP to get in line for group B. Wrong, Group B had already been in and through and we were in back of group C. Oh well. BW Nora's DH admitted to me he let them in about 20 minutes early.

I was supposed to buy the latest Rebecca York book and I was worried that it might be sold out so sweet Wendy got my and Linda's copy so I was happy. When I got up to the author, I had a note to give to her from Mary Beth from the JDROBB group and she was thrilled to get it. Then I spotted a cook book she wrote under her other pen name or maybe it is her own name of Rebecca York
AKA Ruth Glick
AKA Alexis Hill Jordan
AKA Alyssa Howard
AKA Amanda Lee
AKA Samantha Chase
AKA Alexis Hill
AKA Tess Marlowe
But who really knows. LOL I spotted her low carb cook book which I grabbed and she told me that when I was thumbing through it and spotting some cheesecake that she uses Splenda and told me that using the individual packets was not the same as the loose product as the loose product has a different ratio, the individual packets are more concentrated and sweeter. Ah ha. we learn something every day. LOL At least I was not embarrassed at not buying her book because I bought a different one of hers. Then the next author was Robin Owens. I finally found my copy of her first book, gave it to her to sign and then bought the second one which only came out last month. I was saving that to buy there anyway.

I don't need any of Nora's and politely mentioned that to her as she snickered, so I handed her two of my antique Language of Love books of hers and DDDebby gave her two more of those too. Eventually in 2010 or there about *G* I might have the complete works of Nora Roberts finally signed. Wow, will they ever be valuable then. LOL.

I am embarrassed to admit that I didn't even look at the final author, Nero Blanc who writes crossword puzzle mysteries. I was so happy to talk to the first three ladies I completely ignored this man. Sorry sir.

After the signing, we drove back to the hotel. Relaxed in our room, took a short nap and a shower then went to the hospitality room for a while and finally the bar where we watched some of our members make complete fools of themselves. I am not mentioning any names. LOL No it was not me. LOL We didn't do too much drinking, DDDeb and I only had one drink a piece, can you imagine? Actually hardly anyone overindulged. This was a very responsible acting group this year, decorum personified. LOL Yup that is us all over.

Sunday morning we got up, showered and dressed, picked up our raffle baskets from the hospitality room, all 38 + of them and trekked over to Boonsboro for the official brunch with Nora and raffle basket drawing. But first we had a meal served by Stacie and Dan, Nora's son and dil who just recently bought the pizza shop at the corner, Asaro's where we had eaten lunch the day before. We always eat there. They did an amazing job. Stacie was cool and collected and for someone so young, very organized and responsible. I am very impressed with her. The meal of meat balls, spaghetti topped off with a marinara sauce Dan invented just a few days before and a lasagna plus salad. It was all very good and was topped off with the amazing cheesecake. The server told me it was from the new bakery across the street where they make these cheesecakes. Something to remember for our next trip to Md.

Nora drew the names for the raffle baskets. Lots of our people won baskets.

After the group picture with Nora, we all said our good byes. Then off to the Landon house for DDDeb and me, which absolutely bowled me over, OMG you won't believe how cool this place is. This is more than likely going to be the setting for Deb's wedding in 2004. Maryland Weddings Ceremony Reception Sites, Landon House Frederick, MD

Bob as well as Moses, Debby and I all said it is unique and for the singular drawbacks, which is the smallishness of the ball room where the dinner will be served and only will hold 75-85 on five foot round tables which will cause us to split up the guests. We weren't too in favor of doing this, but the ambiance of the place was just amazing.

Oh I made a mistake it was not JEB Stuart's house, but he was there on many occasions and the famous ball he attended was there. However he has quite of few pictures there and the JEB Stuart society gave them a portrait of him which hangs over the fireplace in the ballroom. It is still an amazing place. Very regal and huge, really huge. I stood where Kevin Dugan the owner told me of his ghost experience and you can't image the cold chill that went through my body on that very spot, OMG. It was eerie.

We are tossing around some of the logistics that would make the wedding there possible. The tossing of the bridal bouquet Kevin said has sort of become a tradition at the Landon House from the second floor balcony where the former owners, and close personal friend to JEB still rock on chairs with his wife waiting for the return of their 5 children who all preceded them in death. Yikes, see what I mean about a cold chill? Kevin said he is reluctant to tell folks who are interested in the House for the site of a wedding those ghost stories until and only if they seem like they are interested and true believers. I told him he had nothing to worry about with Debby and I, it was Bob and Moses who were safely tucked away outside cooling their heels who were the non believers.

We haven't decided firmly as we have an appointment to view another place but here in Pittsburgh on Saturday. But I surely do have a connected sort of feeling for the Landon House.

So ends my travelogue for the 8th annual Nora Roberts TTP weekend.

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