3:05pm
After grabbing lunch, I finally got my room. It feels so good to unpack and get cleaned up. I enjoyed being lazy in my room for a while. I'll be meeting everyone at the party in just a matter of hours.

4:10pm
I am back on the shuttle again. Unfortunately, it's Houston Friday rush hour, so it takes longer to get back to the convention center than it did earlier. It feels good to just sit back and relax, though.

5:10pm
I am a little worried about everyone finding the Pre-functionary room. Phone messages from Diane tell me that the Festival folks had dropped the ball earlier and hadn't set up tables or signs where they should have. I decide to go ahead and head up to the third floor to see how everything is set up.

As I scope out the party area, I spot an exhibit t-shirt on a lady standing in the concession line. It's Jean Snyder. We hug and chat and are soon joined in line by Virginia Smalling Corriea. After getting some much needed, but highly overpriced, caffeinated beverages ($2.50 for a 20 oz Coke???), the three of us head over to the tables and start chatting.

A little ways away from us, the America Online QuiltChat ladies are having a party and Show-and-Tell. They seem to be having fun, so we move over closer in order to see the quilts and such. It is obvious from the start that these ladies are a little "unique". Don't even ask me to explain the lady in the bizarre, full-length Christmas tree costume! A misunderstood, passing comment that Virginia and I are on AOL but don't get in the chat rooms, led one of the ladies to quickly turn on us! The three of us were laughing to each other at them and making some great "cult" jokes, until we realized that another exhibit quilter was sitting across the room.

It's Diane Anderson and her daughter, Megan. Megan owns Silverwing and is one of our generous sponsors. We're slowly joined by Lyn Petty and her friend, Karen Veiga and her sister, Donna Lawicki and her grandaughter, Sue Hammond, Karen Whiteside and Marilyn (another generous sponsor), Jean Snyder, Janet and Sandra Perry, Chanin Rivenbark, and Mary Ellen Zeitz. We're also joined by about a half dozen other Y2K quilters who had heard about the party and wanted to meet everyone.

The party is fantastic. Mary Ellen surprised me with the quilt which everyone had been working on during the summer. It is gorgeous, and I am totally surprised. This was the first quilt anyone had ever made for me. Donna Lawicki has her grandaughter hand out a special poem and Christmas ornament she has made for each of us. Karen and Lyn have a gift bag for me with some cranberry goodies, jelly beans and Bog Frogs. (What's a Bog Frog, you ask? Nuts, cranberries, and caramel coated in chocolate. Mmm, chocolate.) Lots of commemorative programs get passed around for everyone to sign next to their name. An exhibit t-shirt even makes the rounds for autographs. (I wish I hadn't left my program back at the hotel.)

From the time that Jean, Virginia, and I hooked up at 5:30pm, the party lasts for 4 hours, until people run to catch a shuttle to their hotel before the service ends for the night. It has been such a wonderful time of chatting and getting to know one another, that it has been worth the whole trip to Houston just to make it to this party.

9:30pm
The shuttle finally arrives and picks me up. I've had a great time, but it feels good to be heading back to the hotel for some much needed sleep. I've been up for 17.5 hours so far.

10:10pm
A bunch of the exhibit quilters are staying in my hotel. Chanin, Mary Ellen, Jean, and I head into Au Bon Pain for snacks and drinks. We wind up chatting for another half hour or so.

10:45pm
This is the end of my day. I grab a shower, call home to brag about my quilt, and go to bed. After today, I could go back home tonight and be super happy.