Don't jinx anything

Now, don't get excited. Please. Don't act like anything big has happened. Please.

It's just that we have made an offer on a house. We have made an offer on a house in New York. We have made an offer on a house in a New York hamlet.

Although we have word that the owner "seems positive," we haven't been accepted yet. He's using the old "my wife is on her way to Sweden" delay tactic. If I had a nickel....

We will probably hear back sometime over the weekend.

I have butterflies in my stomach - both the "oooooh, I hope, I hope, I hope.." variety and the "holy crap, what the hell are we doing...." variety. Kind of like having children.

In other news, I spent two days this week putting on big girl clothes and attending a two-day conference where I made - get this - actual business contacts. Look at me! Ain't I the stuff?

I am hoping that this will lead to greater opportunities to speak to groups about how people in hospitals should be treated really well - above and beyond the basic medical care stuff. Like, you should be nice to them.

I know - it's shocking.

And I have been invited to speak to two different groups loosely affiliated to churches.

People are asking me what I charge. I don't have an answer.

Anyone out there do speaking engagements? Anyone out there who can tell me what to charge in the beginning?

Anyone out there know when I became the kind of person who is asked to speak? I am so much more comfortable being told to shut up.