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OK, I’m wiped. It is officially time to go home.

It’s all been fantastic in Kalamazoo except for one mistake I’ll explain later.

Right now I have to sleep.

zzzzzzzzzzzz…………..

Awesome morning in Kalamazoo (sounds like fun!)

Thank you so much Miss Linda Lee and her kind, gracious students for a fantastic morning.

Here are some of the students and as many names as they wrote on a piece of paper for me (I apologize if I’ve spelled anything wrong): Tyler Gilland, Nicole Carr, Ciara Townsell, Jamar Johnson, Stacey Haley, Adrian Vazquez, Ana Montoya, RaShel Goodwin, Lauren Lacey, Amanda Dennany, Friederike Blum, James Abbott, Tyonna Gray, TaKarra LaRen Dunning, Megan Harris.

Happy birthday, Tyler!

Miss Lee, Kevin King, and Ryan Bailey.

Now I have to eat lunch and go to the next school.

Later, ‘bye.

Started in Battle Creek, drove to Ann Arbor, then drove to Kalamazoo, You can look it up if you want. They have great radio stations here. It almost made up for my rental car that REEKED of cigarette smoke. Ack. Puke.

Note to Hertz: We have smoke-free planes, hotel rooms, restaurants, bars, dorms, airports, casinos, shopping malls and grocery stores. It is past time to offer smoke free rental cars.

When I arrived at Kalamazoo, I was picked up by one of the best YA librarians in the country, Kevin King. He took me to dinner at the Spicer Residence, home of Ed, Anne, Antoine, Penni, Max, and dog Betsy. They gave me my first home-cooked meal in a very long time and filled my heart with joy. The food was excellent and the company even better. A deep bow of gratitude in the direction of chez Spicer.

If I can keep my stupid cell phone connected for more than 10 seconds at a time *grumble* I will finish talking to my Beloved Husband right now, then crash. Busy day tomorrow speaking at Kalamazoo Central High School and Loy Norrix High School. Tomorrow night, Terry Trueman and I will be speaking together at the gorgeous Kalamazoo Public Library, from 6:30-8:30pm. Come one, come all!!

Shame on you, Tony Tiger. Shame.

I consumed cubic tons of sugared, artificially-colored cereal as a kid. I gobbled bowl after bowl while staring at Saturday morning cartoons, a slave to the commercials, a cult follower of Fat Albert, The Archies, and Batman. I slurped my milk in the bottom of the bowl when it was petunia pink, bile green, and that blue that always tasted like freshly-washed sidewalk.

And you wouldn’t let me in.

My hotel in Battle Creek is one block away from Cereal City, USA. I planned to use my break today to discover the fruit of my childhood food, to stroll the simulated Cereal Production Line, to squeeze Kellogg’s themed merchandise. I walked there all a-quiver, my body ready for a sugar cereal buzz. I was feeling grrrrreat.

Your doors were locked. Only open on the weekends in March. The cruelest month.

So close, yet so far.

I’m disappointed, Tony. And you wonder why I defected to oatmeal.

In other news, the kids at the middle school were fun, and we had a nice crowd at the library tonight. Tomorrow I have to rent a car and drive a bunch of places (no public appearances), winding up in Kalamazoo for what should be a raucous evening with some librarians and teachers in Kalamazoo.

Welcome to Cereal City. For real. At one time, this town had 50 cereal companies. Now it’s down to Post, Kellogg’s, and Ralston Purina. I wonder if going on a low-carb diet is illegal here?

I’ll be at schools in the area to talk about Fever 1793. I have a public presentation at the Willard Library here at 7pm.

Had about 70 people turn out last night at the Ann Arbor Library. That was a pleasant shock. (Thank you, Erin!) Before my presentation I was able to sneak in a couple hours of work on the Picture Book Manuscript That Won’t Go Away.

I decided that if it turns out that I didn’t pass high school and I have to go back and finish up my degree, I am moving to Ann Arbor so I can go to Community High School. I cannot say enough good things about that place. Incredible. If all schools were like that…