Michelle Perin’s Blog

I flew into Las Vegas on Thursday night. I actually had a pretty good flight with only a few minor panic attacks. I was able to get a window seat on the wing (seat 23F to be exact) on my Allegiant flight. I like, actually I have to sit on the wing. For some reason, it makes me feel safer. Does this make sense? NO! But, I don’t care. I liked this particular seat because I had 1 1/2 windows and could look through the front one and see the ground and the sky and stuff and then look back and do my assessment of the functionality of the wing. Flaps in place? Check! Lights working? Check! Creepy, hairy monsters not standing there? Check!!

Flying into Vegas at night is amazing. That is a beautiful city when you’re above all the lights. I had paid for a Gray Line Shuttle to the Orleans and went to stand in the appropriate line behind the sign when I got in. Two shuttles pulled up. The drivers talked to people in both lines and everyone split into the buses. My sign was right in the middle of them and I went to ask one driver if it went to the Orleans. He said no, the other shuttle would. I turned and asked the other driver the same question. He said no too. What? He asked who said it was the right shuttle and I told him the other driver. He told me to sit tight. Then the drivers had a conference in the street before one of the drivers came back and said, “Since no one else wants to take you, I guess I will.” Nice. Of course, I got on the shuttle.

I was the last person on the shuttle and the driver asked me something. I yelled from the back of the bus and he said I should come up closer. I did. Then, we talked a bit about what I was there for. Then the questions started. Why is it when you tell someone you’re a writer, they want to ask advice? It doesn’t matter what the topic is. So, I ended up discussing the difference between men and women and the way they communicate. I explained what I knew about style and common male/female motivation. I noticed the ring on the driver’s finger and realized he was asking for advice on how to relate to his wife. I shared what I new and when we got to the Orleans he said he felt he knew how to be a better communicator and was glad he picked me up. Glad I could help.

I ran into some friends and fellow conference attendees in the lobby and then checked into my room. I was sharing with Wendy who writes under the name W.S. Gager. She has two books in print, The Case of Infatuation and The Case of the Accidental Intersection (Both excellent I should add). I chatted with her a while then fell happily into slumber.