I'm sorry for not posting in a while but I've been in Dallas happily eating my way through RWA. Let's face it, when it comes to any conference, the food is where it's at. And Dallas, for those of you who believe in low-carbs, is an Atkins Dieter's delight. (I am a WW gal myself, but I was easily swayed last week.)

Now it's only been a few years since RWA was last in Dallas, but I honestly think that city has taken a Great Leap Forward in cuisine. It's still meaty, but boy is it good--far better than I remember.

In the four nights I was in Dallas, I had steak two nights; ribs one night; and a giant lobster the final night. In between, I had a hamburger, more ribs, and Mexican food that was...chicken! (Surprise!) I realized on Saturday that I hadn't seen a veggie since Wednesday. So I partook of a salad that was, I swear, a wedge of iceburg lettuce covered in blue cheese dressing and bacon! (Bacon bits, to be exact.) Yum.

There was also wine and this thing called a Mango Mojito, but, as a dutiful member of Avon Books, I'd better not go too deeply into that.

Of course, there was more to RWA than food. I saw many friends. We had a wonderful party at the Hotel ZaZa (where I felt as if I'd been sent through a worm hole to L.A.) and the Ritas had the usual glamour, tears, excitement, and writers thanking their husbands for doing things like laundry. (The day any award winning man thanks his wife for doing the laundry I'll fall off my chair.)

But a vegan I'm not, and I'll never forget those steaks.