HOWDY PARTNER!

Hi. I'm writing from Houston, Texas, where I just gave a 3-hour suicide prevention "institute" at the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance National Conference. Wow, do I love doing this work. It feels so natural to me, and so fulfilling on every level. I gave a leadership forum earlier today, and tomorrow I'm doing an hour-long keynote address to 300+ people. It's been a great day, meeting great, courageous people from all walks of life. Here is the conference agenda. Here's info about the "institute" I just presented. (Scroll down a bit and you'll see my blurb.) Tomorrow night there is a Comedy Show. I was going to pass, but I think I'll attend. Sunday morning I leave at the CRACK of dawn (I leave the hotel at 5 a.m.) to catch a flight back home because I am singing in a concert at 7 p.m. I'll be fairly toast, but I'm sure I'll be energized. Just foggy (like I am now). At the bottom of this post is the flier I designed for the concert.

And, I even got chocolate covered strawberries last night in my room! Just like these! Aren't they cool? Strawberries in tuxedos. When I got back to my room last night, there was a long tray of seven of them and a card from the hotel. They are, of course, gone. I had two for a breakfast appetizer. The DBSA gave me a two-room suite. I just started laughing in disbelief when I walked through the door. It's huge and lovely. Complete with two 3.5-foot flat-screen TVs, two bathrooms, lots of furniture, a plush king-size bed and free Internet. Wow. To think that several days ago I was applying for Food Stamps. When I get home I'll still apply, and will hopefully get some. Money continues to be a challenge for me, even with these occasional speaking opportunities. I have to hold onto hope that one day, the tides will shift for me financially. I hope it's through this work or something like it. Actually, I realized that what I ought to do is apply for jobs throughout the country at national mental health organizations. I'm going to look into that when I get home. Not so much suicide prevention organizations, but general mental health. I would LOVE to be a conference organizer. Dream job.

I'm off to find some dinner. Then there is a meet and greet, then a conference orientation. I give my keynote at 4:30 tomorrow, so I'll be signing/selling books for a lot of the day in between break-out sessions. I'll probably sit in on some of the workshops, but I might need to just take time alone. There is a President's Luncheon, to which I think I am invited. Not sure. If not, I'll get some Chinese food. The hotel is attached to an enormous mall (biggest I've ever seen - as big as the cruise ship my sister and I took to the Caribbean) that has a food court with lots of options. Oh, funny story: This morning I went to a restaurant for breakfast. The hotel gives you a $5 OFF coupon if you don't use housecleaning, so I brought the coupon to save some dough. After I ate, the host brought the check. I put a $10 bill on the table (the total was $7.17), and when he came to pick up the money he looked straight at me and said, "No change, right?" I was flustered so I said, "no, I'm all set." Then he walked away and I thought, "No! I'm not all set. I didn't plan on leaving such an enormous tip." So I walked up to him (where, by the way he was counting his tips) and I said, "I need a dollar back, and I need a receipt." I bet that's the first time that's happened to him. Imagine. "No tip, right?" I've never had that happen. Actually, it's a really good strategy, but it's obnoxious and unfair (still, it's smart). So, I got my dollar back, got my receipt, and went and delivered my programs. Voila.

Academy-Award-winning actress Patty Duke will be delivering a keynote tomorrow morning at the opening of the conference. I have to be sure to get her a copy of my book with all the additional promo material. Maybe she'll portray Sylvia, the therapist I worked with for 13 years, in the movie. Here is her Wikipedia bio. Ms. Duke won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award at age 16 for portraying Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker.

Here she is in the San Fransisco production of Wicked.







PATTY DUKE