A few days off

Friday morning was a whirlwind school visit in Austin to Clint Small Middle School where we ate great pastry and talked about FEVER 1793. Many thanks to Elizabeth the Librarian and the rest of the staff and especially all the students for making the morning fly. Speaking of flying, it took 8 hours, but I finally made it back to Philly. Got home at 9:30pm. My Beloved Husband drove down from NY to make sure I got a hot dinner.

Saturday, I slept. To be honest, that is all I remember. No wait, I looked at my mail. Mer had a friend over for dinner. My sister called too early. My parents did, too, but you can’t say to your elderly mom, “Call back in ten hours when I’m awake.” So I talked to her, and thought I did a good impression of a sane, healthy, rested person. Dumb, dumb, dumb. She called back yesterday to tell me she hadn’t slept Saturday night because she was so worried about me. Sigh

Yesterday was more sleeping. We finished off the taxes and did laundry. Best thing was that we had the windows open all day long and I didn’t turn the heat on last night. I love having the windows open.

I have to get my butt in gear now. Lots more to catch up on today. Tonight I am driving out to Lancaster County. You can find me from 6:30-8pm at Buckhill Book Shop, 1040 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA, 717-627-2665.

Tomorrow I head to New York City for a couple of kick-off events for the New York Reads Together Program, sponsored by the New York Women’s Agenda. I don’t have all the details yet, but I know I’ll be speaking at the Donnelly Library, 20 West 53rd St, at 10am on Tuesday. I’ll be in Brooklyn on Wednesday. Not sure if I’m bringing the computer or not, so it might be a few days before I post again.

All of this traveling has been fun, but I have to admit, I’m ready to start writing again.

Oh, PS to Andrew – thanks for the advice about Dream Theater. You were right.

Good night, Austin

Wow.

This has been a whale of a day. It started with tourists.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com This is one of the fun ways you can get around Austin. This is actually a tour group, cruising the city on those bizarre Segway things. It looked like so much fun, I was tempted to ditch the conference.

But the people here are too nice. I spent most of the day at the Texas Library Association Conference. I had a booksigning, bought jewelry (yes!), and gave a speech to LOTS of librarians. LOTS. I freak out a little bit when the back row is too far away to see. The folks in the back row of my speech were in a different time zone.

After the conference I met up with Sarah Dessan (who is sweet and fun and is someone I wish I could hang out with more) and we went to the best bookstore in Austin, Book People.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com They keep a bulletin board for people looking to start new book groups. How smart is that?

Image hosted by TinyPic.com Got to love a bookstore that has poultry displays.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com Sarah aka writergrl

Image hosted by TinyPic.com We had a magnificent crowd, including my friends Sean and Tekla. It was a fun night.

I have a school visit in the morning, then a mad dash to the airport, to head to Philly via Chicago. I’m bummed I didn’t get to see some of my other Texas friends, but there wasn’t enough time. Shucks. I guess that means I have to come back to Austin to play, ride Segways, eat barbeque, listen to great music and buy a hat.

Sounds like a plan.

I love Texas, except for the light switches

Yes, it’s true. Maybe not the whole state (I’ve only seen Austin) but this part is beautiful and the folks real nice. You have to love a city with enough sense to honor both Barbara Jordan and Stevie Ray Vaughn with statues. Then they named the airport terminal after Barbara!

They’re letting me stay at a Very Fancy Hotel – one of those places where the shower is big enough to get lost in and if you sit down on the bed to tie your sneakers you wake up four hours later because the mattress was so comfortable you fell into a coma. This hotel might be Too Fancy for me, though. I couldn’t figure out how to turn on the lights last night. Why? See for yourself.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com No stinkin’ switches! Image hosted by TinyPic.com

I spent half an hour trying to figure this out. Know where it is? That little black box on the corner of the table. That is a light switch. Guess I’m too much of a hick to know these things.

Besides being baffled by fancy technology, I got to hang out with librarians yesterday.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com A bunch came to our Baker and Taylor gig to hear all the details about the PROM fanfiction contest (click on “official contest rules” for details).

Image hosted by TinyPic.com They lined up to have their photo taken with this wooden “standee”.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com Sarah Dessen and I played musical chairs at dinner, switching tables between courses. Here is my Table 1.

Image hosted by TinyPic.com This is Table 2 where I enjoyed dessert.

Sarah and I desperately wanted to talk, but we were both wiped out, so we went to sleep. We’re doing the signing together tonight and I’m looking forward to hanging out with her. Live around Austin? Come and see us!

6pm tonight – Book People (great store)
603 N. Lamar (at 6th & Lamar)
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 472-5050

Now I’m off to the convention center. Stomach is getting nervous about this afternoon’s speech.

Shifting Gears

Still catching up on email, thank you notes, etc. Gack. I can’t get ready for tomorrow’s trip until I clear up everything from last week. Gack, gack.

At least it didn’t snow this morning.

I head for Austin tomorrow for the Texas Library Association Conference. On Wed., you can find me from 3-4:30pm at the Baker & Taylor event in the Old Pecan Room (interesting name) of the Radisson Hotel. Wednesday night I finally get to meet Sarah Dessen!!! We’re having dinner with a group of TX librarians.

On Thursday I’ll be signing in the Author Pen (ha – just made that up. Get it? Texas – cattle – pens – authors…), the book signing area of the convention floor. I think it is in Aisle 7. I wonder if there will be any blue light specials. I am giving a speech called A Voice for YA Readers from 3-4. Don’t have the location for that yet, but it will be someplace in the convention center.

At 6pm on Thursday, Sarah Dessen (aka writergrl) and I will venture out of the conference to sign books at:
Book People (great store)
603 N. Lamar (at 6th & Lamar)
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 472-5050

I predict a lot of fun, so come on out if you’re in the area.

Friday I’m speaking at a middle school in Austin. I get back to Philly late Friday night.
Back to the mail mountain now.