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.

30 Replies to “I love Texas, except for the light switches”

  1. Im glad you like TX! Hotel sounds nice. I would love to go to Austin and see you and Sarah(found your LJ through hers) but Im stuck in a town about 2-3 hrs away from Austin. Have fun tonight! ♥

  2. Im glad you like TX! Hotel sounds nice. I would love to go to Austin and see you and Sarah(found your LJ through hers) but Im stuck in a town about 2-3 hrs away from Austin. Have fun tonight! ♥

  3. Im glad you like TX! Hotel sounds nice. I would love to go to Austin and see you and Sarah(found your LJ through hers) but Im stuck in a town about 2-3 hrs away from Austin. Have fun tonight! ♥

  4. Whoah, that cardboard prom date has like a 6-inch waist! Can I have one of those to just strap to my body every day? Seriously, designers should sell those. Like human-sized paper dolls.

  5. Whoah, that cardboard prom date has like a 6-inch waist! Can I have one of those to just strap to my body every day? Seriously, designers should sell those. Like human-sized paper dolls.

  6. Whoah, that cardboard prom date has like a 6-inch waist! Can I have one of those to just strap to my body every day? Seriously, designers should sell those. Like human-sized paper dolls.

  7. I wish! They are made of wood and are wicked heavy.

    Here’s the real reason I can’t get them – they are one of the prizes for whomever wins the PROM fanfiction contest.

    I got your phone message – I’ll call you as soon as I can. Miss you!!

  8. I wish! They are made of wood and are wicked heavy.

    Here’s the real reason I can’t get them – they are one of the prizes for whomever wins the PROM fanfiction contest.

    I got your phone message – I’ll call you as soon as I can. Miss you!!

  9. I wish! They are made of wood and are wicked heavy.

    Here’s the real reason I can’t get them – they are one of the prizes for whomever wins the PROM fanfiction contest.

    I got your phone message – I’ll call you as soon as I can. Miss you!!

  10. Just Finished ‘Speak’

    Dear Laurie, I am a journalism senior at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. As an aspiring writer, I am taking a course in Literature for Adolescents (primarily for teachers). Within the last ten minutes, I finished Speak in a state of awe. The few short drafts of adolescent novels I have attempted are bland at best. I truly appreciated Melinda’s matter-of-fact voice and the structure of each and every sentence. I especially liked when Melinda’s parents are yelling at her and she is conjugating irregular Spanish verbs behind her eyes. Thank you so much for your masterpiece, and I hope someday I can write in such a direct, beautiful way as you do.

  11. Just Finished ‘Speak’

    Dear Laurie, I am a journalism senior at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. As an aspiring writer, I am taking a course in Literature for Adolescents (primarily for teachers). Within the last ten minutes, I finished Speak in a state of awe. The few short drafts of adolescent novels I have attempted are bland at best. I truly appreciated Melinda’s matter-of-fact voice and the structure of each and every sentence. I especially liked when Melinda’s parents are yelling at her and she is conjugating irregular Spanish verbs behind her eyes. Thank you so much for your masterpiece, and I hope someday I can write in such a direct, beautiful way as you do.

  12. Just Finished ‘Speak’

    Dear Laurie, I am a journalism senior at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. As an aspiring writer, I am taking a course in Literature for Adolescents (primarily for teachers). Within the last ten minutes, I finished Speak in a state of awe. The few short drafts of adolescent novels I have attempted are bland at best. I truly appreciated Melinda’s matter-of-fact voice and the structure of each and every sentence. I especially liked when Melinda’s parents are yelling at her and she is conjugating irregular Spanish verbs behind her eyes. Thank you so much for your masterpiece, and I hope someday I can write in such a direct, beautiful way as you do.

  13. Oh gosh, my grandmother used to have lamps like that–it used to drive me crazy!
    Funny enough, my mother inherited those same lamps, and whenever I go home, they STILL trick me!

  14. Oh gosh, my grandmother used to have lamps like that–it used to drive me crazy!
    Funny enough, my mother inherited those same lamps, and whenever I go home, they STILL trick me!

  15. Oh gosh, my grandmother used to have lamps like that–it used to drive me crazy!
    Funny enough, my mother inherited those same lamps, and whenever I go home, they STILL trick me!

  16. Dear Laurie,
    All i have to say is I absolutely adored your book Speak. I even used it for a final project in my Writer’s Craft course I was taking. I was wondering if you ever look at the writing of your fans? Not expecting anything, but do you think it would be possible to look at some of my work and give me feedback?

  17. Dear Laurie,
    All i have to say is I absolutely adored your book Speak. I even used it for a final project in my Writer’s Craft course I was taking. I was wondering if you ever look at the writing of your fans? Not expecting anything, but do you think it would be possible to look at some of my work and give me feedback?

  18. Dear Laurie,
    All i have to say is I absolutely adored your book Speak. I even used it for a final project in my Writer’s Craft course I was taking. I was wondering if you ever look at the writing of your fans? Not expecting anything, but do you think it would be possible to look at some of my work and give me feedback?

  19. I wish I could say yes, pauline, but if I did my editor would kill me. I don’t have enough time to get my own work done – there is no way I can look at the work of anyone else. I hope you understand.

  20. I wish I could say yes, pauline, but if I did my editor would kill me. I don’t have enough time to get my own work done – there is no way I can look at the work of anyone else. I hope you understand.

  21. I wish I could say yes, pauline, but if I did my editor would kill me. I don’t have enough time to get my own work done – there is no way I can look at the work of anyone else. I hope you understand.

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