Edits and Travel

What I'm reading: Tarleton's Wife, by Blair Bancroft

Where I am: Quebec City

I uploaded a few pictures from my hotel room window yesterday, so if you haven't seen them, scroll down for a peek at the view.

My editor was pleased with my revisions--thank goodness. She said: "You did a really awesome job. I couldn't stop reading last night. The parts that are missing from before I didn't miss at all, can't even seem to remember what they were, and the new parts blend in seamlessly, like they were there all along."

She also said: "I only have a few comments, which I will include, or you might think I didn't read it :) You can pick and choose what to accept or reject as before, and I will not mention them gain. (I would, however, be remiss as an editor in not mentioning them now.) Basically, when you get it back, just check the comments, adjust as you see fit, send it back."

Those "few" comments numbered 57. Most were trivial, but there were still a few places where our opinions differed. And there were still a few requested changes that were more than simple edits. It's one thing to change comma usage, or point out I was inconsistent in things like 'oversize' and 'oversized, or I kept changing Erica's name to Erin. Those are the easy fixes. Then you get to the comment that says, "Can you insert something about such-and-so somwhere?" That take more than 'accept change." But we've finalized the title at last: NOWHERE TO HIDE.

I opted not to deal with the changes when I got them Friday, since there was a lot to do in preparation for this trip. I have the file with me, and will deal with this "last" round of edits while hubby is off at meetings.

Meanwhile, our trip to Quebec was uneventful from an airline standpoint. Flights were on time, baggage arrived, the plane on the leg to Quebec was full of familiar marine mammal people, and our hotel reservation was in order (well, sort of, because someone else is supposed to be picking up the tab, and we'll definitely have to sort that out, because we're staying at the official conference hotel, which is a Hilton and the room rate runs at least twice what we'd normally be willing to pay.) And, there were some wonderful characters who will definitely appear in future books.

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So, after checking in, we dumped our luggage in the room and went down to the bar for a drink and some food.

The head-banger. In the back of my mind, I know this part of Canada is French speaking. But somehow, it didn't make its way to the front until right before we left. Hubby said a group of his colleagues and acquaintances from the old days at the UM marine lab were going to have dinner. I asked what the appropriate attire would be (since I would have to pack it!), and he sent me to the restaurant website. Which was in FRENCH. Totally!

I took some Latin in junior high and high school, and German in college. Totally unhelpful when listening to French and/or French accented English. I am very much a 'visual' learner, especially when it comes to language. I need to see the words written down to compare them to what I'm hearing. At the bar, I ordered onion soup (which was tres bien). But I asked the bartender to pronounce it for me as I read, so I could see where the words and sounds stopped and started.

French is the first language here, and while everyone speaks English (at least the people I'll have to deal with), I think it's only polite to make some attempt to use a little of their language. At the moment, it's please, thank you, good evening, and … onion soup.

I got out with a real' camera once the sun brightend the skies. But I have to get those edits done, and regardless of where I am, it has to be a priority.

Come back tomorrow when my guest, Debra Doggett will talk about the need for a sense of humor.