I also managed to accomplish the three things I needed to do in order to complete the research for my middle grade novel set in Atlanta.
First, I checked out some architecture…
Note: The house I grew up in looked exactly like this one, except that my house was small and wasn’t white and didn’t have columns and didn’t look like this house at all.
Then, I rode the MARTA subway train downtown. Here’s a picture of me and my brother standing in front of the High Museum of Art...
Note: My brother is the one standing with his arm around me, not the guy in the Skipper hat…in case you were wondering. (You probably weren’t wondering.)
And finally…I took a tour of the Centers for Disease Control!!!
My mother and I were escorted through the visitor center with our own personal tour guide. It was fascinating and I came away with a few great nuggets of detail that will fit perfectly into my story.
The CDC is very secure and we had to go through a couple of security checkpoints. Our car even had to go through security, with two armed guards thoroughly searching every part. Even the engine! They only allow you to take pictures inside the visitor center. You are not allowed to take pictures outside. (But I did anyway. Don’t they understand I have a blog!?)
Note: That’s me in the CDC parking lot. I swear!
When we landed back in Los Angeles, we did what all sane people do at the end of a long, exhausting trip. We went to see Donna Summer at the Hollywood Bowl! She brought down the house with “Last Dance.” The queen rocked it!
So now I’m energized to finish these last rounds of revisions and get this book into the hands of my agent. Hopefully she won’t mind the pages that come with smudges of vanilla dream ice cream. Mmmm…Chick-Fil-A. I think I’m ready for another trip back to Atlanta…
- Robin
10 comments:
We just moved from Ohio (Chick-fil-A compatible) to Michigan (not Chick-fil-A compatible), and I am already going through withdrawal. Seriously. But for me, it's the pickles on the sandwiches. Mmmm... pickles.
Did you get to see any gross stuff in jars? I picture the CDC as a huge library of weird diseases in various petri dishes, beakers, and test tubes.
And nice covert pic of the CDC parking lot! I think you have a future in espionage...
I'm with Christy. Give us some gory details!
SF
You went to Atlanta and didn’t go here:
http://www.gladysandron.com/
For shame!
The tidbits on your novel sound intriguing. Can’t wait to see it in print. Nice toenail polish, btw.
Carrie, I agree...it's the pickles that make all the difference!
Christy and Sarah Frances, all I got to see were pictures of germs and gross stuff. Not the real thing. I know, bummer.
Kimberly Lynn, I've heard of that place. Chicken and Waffles! I'll be sure to check it out next time. And thanks for the toenail polish compliment. It's black cherry. ;-)
Robin
Okay, Robin, I am LOVING that green sweater of yours even more than Chick-fil-A.
I even dreamt about it last night.
I was like, "Robin, where did you get that sweater?!"
And you said, "Mmm...it's vintage!"
I WAS DEVASTATED, ROBIN. DE-VA-STA-TED.
Tammi, the good news is I got that sweater at Ross.
The bad news is...that was a couple of years ago. (I have washed it, I swear!) But it probably isn't in the store anymore. But you can borrow it!!! :-)
Robin
2 years ago from Ross IS vintage!
Now I'm back to being devastated. :)
That's very funny, Robin!! I'm glad to hear your trip there went well, because I'm heading to Georgia next week for a conference (Chattahoochee Writer's Conference), and it'll be my first time there -- I'll have to try the vanilla ice cream cones at Chick-Fil-A!
;-D
Waffle House - you can never get enough of Waffle House. Pecan waffles. And all that crazy counter lingo and those day glo orange booths. Yay!
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