I need to pull myself away from LJ and get ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow is not a typical work day for me. Not at all. I am using a vacation day and getting dressed up in my designer business suit (Calvin Klein, the only designer thing I own, but I always take business type stuff seriously). I am heading to the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Fall Meeting in Los Angeles. It's a BIG deal. It would normally cost me like $1000 to go...

But my graduate program is giving me a free expo pass and I will get to mingle with new students from the program and my old professors.

It's been so long since I have even thought about Clemson... It's going to be weird. I don't know any of the new students, I only know some professors. And I am sure to know some business folk from South Carolina who will hang around us. It's going to be like a walk down memory lane a bit. When I was in graduate school, they took us to Las Vegas and then Miami for these same conferences. So awesome.

The ULI is a big deal in my industry, and even more helpful for what I am into. It's more about sustainability and New Urbanism, which are my passions within the industry.

So it should be a good time.

Though I am nervous about driving to L.A. by myself. I have lived here a year and haven't had to. I can count the amount of times I have been to L.A at all on one hand... I kinda stay in my general area or maybe venture into Long Beach. I've been to San Diego a few times too. But L.A scares me. City driving scares me. Parking scares me. And eeek... rush hour traffic?!?

I am also stressed about leaving Annabelle since there is a cocktail reception tomorrow night that goes until 9 PM. That's a long day for my puppy. I can't daycamp her since they would be closed before I got back (and I am flat broke).

So there's some stress there.

Speaking of the beast, she's got an ear infection and dealing with the ear cleaning and ear drops has been horrible. She drags me across the room, hides as best she can and I corner her in the crate, me blocking the way and inside with her while I fight with her to hold her head still.

Only 11 more days of that. Oh joy.

Oh and Vet Tech Lady seems to be the roommate choice after discovering Non-Creepy Boy had a gambling addiction. I won't get into it, but trust me... I am freaking out here.

Oh, we had the CEO of my company in the office today. He stopped by my desk to say "Hi" and I convered with him for a bit. I was already patting myself on the back for doing a good job...when someone else patted me on the back and said I handled that really well.

CEO is in town for the ULI gig I mention above. I might run into him... Though with 5,000 or more people there, I might now. Who knows?

One last thing, some really good news. I got the contract back for the Idol book today and I will have additional pieces published... So while today was pretty depressing up until that point, that really made my day.

Okay, I need to pull myself away. Thanks for reading guys!