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Tuesday, 1/9/01 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Today was the first day of my promotional book tour to plug my new book "Cybergrrl @ Work." For the next few months, I'll have a fully-planned travel itinerary with book signings, speaking engagements and meetings with members of Webgrrls International, the women's Internet organization I founded in 1995.

On the one hand, I'm really excited about being out there promoting my new book and meeting people wherever I go. On the otherhand, I still want to have unstructured time to wander the country, no definitely destination in site. Maybe this summer.

I was about to drive to the bookstore for my first signing, but traffic was terrible so I had to back up into a parking lot to turn around and go back to the campground. As I backed up, I heard a large "CLONK!" but when I got out to look, everything seemed okay. I figured I had hit the trailer hitch which tends to hang low when I'm on a slope.

So then I called my Dad and got a ride to the bookstore.

My first book signing took place at a really cool, eclectic bookstore called Archives Book Cafe in Ft. Lauderdale. Over twenty people sat in an intimate setting closely surrounded by bookshelves and antiques, and I spoke about my discovery of the Internet in the early days, how I use it today and how women in my book are using it. Melanie Shannon, COO of HipHip Software and a woman featured in my book, also spoke about her career changes since discovering the Internet.

My dad darted around the bookcases taking artsy shots (it's the creative photographer in him). My mom and my stepmom each held one of the Berts on their lap - Mom had Chewie The Biter and Ferne had Ernie The Toothless Wonder - both of whom were a little freaked out to see me up in front of the audience but too far away from them.

Overall, the event was a good way to start my book tour. Afterward, I returned to my Apache at Kozy Kampers, the friendly Ft. Lauderdale campground where I've been staying off-and-on over the last two and a half months. One down, dozens more to go.

Wednesday, 1/10/01 - Miami, FL

Before going to my second book signing, I went to visit my friend Dr. Sharon Zadanoff who also happens to be my chiropractor. Then I headed to Miami Beach to Books and Books.

The bookstore was bigger than last night and about 15 people sat and listened to me gab about the book and the Internet. I met an interesting woman who was working for NBA.com's Latin America division - she was Australian but had been in the States for several years already, and her parents were from Spain so she spoke Spanish fluently. Another woman I had originally met in Buenos Aires stopped by with a friend, and we went out for dinner after my book signing to a delicious Mexican restaurant.

Drove back to Kozy Kamper from Miami. At one point, I thought I heard something fall off of the RV on the highway, but didn't think too much of it at the time, figuring I had driven over something which made a noise. Little did I know...

Thursday, 1/11/01 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

I had a speaking engagement for the Association of Corporate Growth (ACG International) at the Tower Club in Ft. Lauderdale, a very chi-chi restaurant at the top of a bank building overlooking the city.

My topic was "Intrapraneurship," talking about how corporations can cultivate entrepreneurs within a corporate setting. The audience consisted mostly of people on the finance side of business, particularly in charge of Mergers and Acquisitions.

Even though the audience was mostly male, there were some women there, many of whom bought my book. One woman actually bought ten books!

Afterward, my Dad treated me, my Mom and stepmom to a nice dinner at the Tower Club - fancy, fancy.

Then it was back to Kozy Kamper for the night.

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