This is the pandemonium that is MARTA… Need I say more?

Typically we associate spooky things such as ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and candy corn with Halloween. After returning last Sunday from the BarkWorld/MeowWorld Cat Writers’ Conference in Atlanta, I have found there are other things even more spooky, such as the MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) system I took to get from the airport to the Westin hotel where I was staying and where the conference was held.

In theory the MARTA system is great – it costs about $3.00 as opposed the shuttle services or cabs that can range between $25.00 to $50.00. When you are on a limited income like me, it would seem to be a no-brainer, so I enthusiastically gave it a try without really thinking it through. As in thinking it through that the MARTA is designed for people who do not have a bad back, a pulled hamstring, and heavy and awkward luggage to carry around. Which, of course, I had all of the above of and then some…

Even buying a ticket to ride the rail system was daunting and I felt like a helpless four-year old that had lost her mother as I tried to figure out the automated ticketing machine that everyone else seemed to operate with ease. I became so overwhelmed and flustered with the entire ordeal that my suitcase fell over and when I tried to catch it, I broke my thumbnail past the quick, causing it to bleed and by the time I got myself situated on the train I was a cranky and frazzled mess.

The view of the Atlanta skyline from my hotel room.

Once the train finally dropped me off at my stop I thought it would be a piece of cake – just a short block walk to the hotel. Nobody, of course, tells you that it takes another long and confusing walk from the MARTA stop to the actual street (not to mention that out of the blue Atlanta was experiencing a cold front that I was not prepared for) and once I got to the hotel and checked in all I wanted was a nice, hot shower and a chance to freshen up my makeup before I headed off to catch up with my fellow attendees.

Well, the water was a sad trickle that barely hit my aching bones and when I went to put on my makeup, the bathroom mirror was situated so far back that I imagine people thought I was dressed as a clown for Halloween rather than a leopard because I had to guess if my eyeliner was even on my face! But the other alternative was far more frightening – the magnifying mirror! Uggg!! I was shocked to see what I really look like up close and I think these things need to be outlawed as a public service!

But not all was bad – I was sharing a room with fellow authors, Amy Shojai and Cat Holm and it really was wonderful getting to know these talented women better. To me, that is always the best part of these conferences – the bonding – and we were actually able to share a room without any issues whatsoever.

The lovely Amy Shojai who is also a C0-founder of the Cat Writers’ Association.

Cat Holm (left) at one of our book signing events along with Sangria the kitten who came with Jeanne Kudich of Random Felines.

The conference itself was a mix of emotions for me – there was the general task of trying to juggle the balance between the BarkWorld and MeowWorld venues and then there was the hole in my heart from missing some of my dear friends who could not attend this year such as Christine Michaels, Angie Bailey, Janea Kelly, Ingrid King, Robin Olsen, and Marilyn Krieger. And, of course, coming to terms with the fact that our beloved President, Lorie Huston was no longer with us.

I knew that part would be difficult – Lorie had been such an integral part of these conferences for me and all of us were feeling the loss. To help process the pain, Layla Morgan Wilde of Cat Wisdom 101 coordinated a lovely tribute service/breakfast that was held on Saturday morning where we were able to share our feelings, shed a few tears, and mourn the loss of Lorie as well as other humans and felines we had tragically lost this year. Candles were lit and I had made a special picture that I brought for the occasion and I put it on a table with a simple floral arrangement to honor the event.

One of the highlights of the conference was being able to share special memories I had of Lorie with fellow CWA members and friends.

It was a beautiful moment for all of us, but what made it even more special was the presence of Tim Huston, Lorie’s brother who flew in from Nebraska for the event. He actually stayed for the duration of the conference and it truly seemed as if Lorie was with us in spirit.

Tim has the same warm, gentle, and genuine smile that Lorie had and while it certainly was difficult for him to be with us, in many ways it was a treasured gift he will never forget. He was flooded with wonderful stories and memories that we all shared of Lorie and he got to witness firsthand just how beloved she was.

Tim Huston is such a sweet man and we instantly connected. He was more than happy to don a pair of cat ears to share a picture with me and you can see that he shares the same beautiful smile as his sister, Lorie.

The remainder of the conference was a mix of seminars, book signings, and general networking with friends and colleagues. There was also new responsibilities for me – I had recently been appointed a seat on the CWA council and I had to attend a few quick meetings to make sure all was going well with the conference. The event ended with our annual awards banquet. I had earned (3) Certificates of Excellence that were up for a Muse Award – none of them were chosen for the Muse but I am still very proud nonetheless and congratulate all who won for their outstanding efforts.

I spent the first night with Stoli – one of the rescue kittens Jeanne Kudich of Random Felines brought to the event (despite that you can’t see my face, clearly with the leopard garb, who else could it be?) While it doesn’t look it from this picture, I was actually able to calm him down and he napped in my lap for quite a while among the dogs and chaos on the premises!

One of my many blurry photos… So hard to take a good picture without my Dan around!

At the awards dinner with acting interim president, Dusty Rainbolt. Marci Kladnick was subsequently nominated and I look forward to working with her this year.

All glammed up for the awards ceremony!

The event ended with its typical style for me – I am not the best traveler in the world and I get extremely homesick when I am away from home for more than a few days. As a result of that, I always take the earliest flight I can on Sunday morning (I had to get up at 4 am) so that I can get home and spend the rest of the day unwinding with Dan and the kitties. The best part – Tim Huston is also an early traveler and he and I shared a shuttle to the airport! I didn’t have to ride the MARTA and I also got to spend more time chatting with someone who I consider a new friend!

Once I got home I crashed on the couch from exhaustion… well, I should say I crashed on the couch AFTER I gave the kitties the swag they were expecting and now I am looking forward to getting my life back in order and having my schedule calm down a bit!

Home from the event and the cats insist I unpack the swag BEFORE I relax!

P.S. I did have a nice picture of Jazmine inspecting the swag but in my exhaustion, I accidently deleted it! Suffice it to say, all was forgiven when I returned once she found the new Jackson Galaxy Air Prey Wand that mimics a bird in flight!! I would share pictures, but she has already killed the bird and we need to replace the feathers already!