This is the other shirt i bought at the first thrift store. I like it a lot, its a pretty coor and it fits me just right. Today apparently we're going out to dinner and then stuff is happening. And tomorrow Anne Paton leaves with her father and we all leave and we go to memphis and we're going downtown and then i'm going to spend the night with Alanna because shit is crappy after we move. A week from now, Aj is coming down from New Hampshire and staying for two weeks.

I somehow managed to sleep til 3 today even though i went to bed around 12. Actually i laid around thinking for a while even though i didn't want to lay around thinking. So i don't know when i REALLY went to bed. Anyways, i'm yawning. WhYyYyyYyYYY. Soooooo until later after i've done something productive (All i've done today is eat chicken & dumplings) then i'm going to leave this poor blog.

Yesterday we went thrift store shopping and i got this shirt along with another one that is just a deep red and buttons down. The clothes i got were new, with tags on them and all, i don't know why. It was actually the most expensive thrift store i've ever shopped at in my entire life. I don't think they could rightly call it a thrift store because they paid for the clothing, so it was more of a consignment store. I was also incredibly dissapointed that the government charges tax on already-bought clothing! The shirts at this store were mostely $4.00, $4.50.. and even though thats not very expensive its also not very cheap.

After that we came home and i watched some cartoons and ate some mashed potatos until Anne Paton's aunt and uncle came over. Then we had dinner (more mashed potatos and steak) while we watched some insane "Junkyard Wars" show where they had to create an engine powered submarine. Then, we had some coffee (bad idea, i was up til 3 am lying in bed unable to sleep) and played Liverpool Rummy. Anne Paton's aunt (Katie) also told me that there was another thrift store here and that it was a real thrift store and not a consignment store. I enjoyed the night a lot until i couldn't get to sleep.

Once in bed (around 12) i read quite a bit of In the Hand of the Goddess until Anne Paton decided to cover her head with her blanket to block out the light and i decided i should be courteous and go bed. I later discovered that she has to sleep with the door open and let some light seep into the room. That bothers me more than anything.

Today i slept til 11, because they woke me up wanting to go to the thrift store Katie had told us about the night before and then out to lunch. We went and at first i was like 'eh' i didn't think i'd find anything when we walked in because 1) it was small and 2) all of the college students took their clothes to the consignment stores where they could get money for them. But i did find three shirts. One of them was a sortof intricate tiny floral pattern in light blues and greens, and one was a light lavender the color of my bedsheets in Memphis, and one was a white tanktop thing that is basically another 'piece of cloth' (according to alanna, and how right she is) with embroided flowers and things on it. I'm buying a lot of button up shirts recently. Of course i'm glad they're good button up shirts that don't stretch where my chest is, that always kills me. Violently.

At the mexican resturant (i am not much for mexican food) i got a taco salad and it was alright, they had to customize the shit out of it for me.

So here i am and apparently we're going to some thing in the park later tonight and i'll have to tell you about that eventually i'd suppose. :)

Byeee

Today was a busy day. I woke up around 11 when my grandmother told me they were ready to go out and do things, they went to walmart while i got ready, although that wasn't necessary cause i was ready about 1 minute after they had left. So i watched some spongebob squarepants and waited for their return while eating some of my strawberry jello, i shouldn't have added fresh strawberries, i didn't enjoy them. It was otherwise good.

So then we went out and we got to Proud Larrys (resturant) around noon where we ordered some wonderful huge thick seasoned steak fries and i ordered Alfredo with garlic for lunch. It was very good. Then after that we walked to Square Books (bookstore) and i had a wonderful black cherry soda by Blue Sky. I was more looking forward to their rootbeer but that was just as fine. And we sat out on the porch of the bookstore and talked for a while. Anne Paton (my cousin or something) was going to get the book Stargirl but she did not, i don't know why i told her it was good.

After that we met up with my grandmothers second husband (uh step-grandfather?) and we drove around the Ole Miss campus and all around Oxford and got icecream. I got some kind of 'bunny tracks' icecream with caramel and chocolate and some kind of peanut or nut or something and these crazy little chocolate pods with creamy stuff inside and random coffee beans or something, it was... interesting.

So then we went to a movie store and i was going to rent Amelie and Blow Dry but the people required a membership which asked for your social security number and so my grandmother wouldn't give it. So then we went to blockbuster and they didn't have Blow Dry but they did have Amelie and i just finished watching that and it was very good. It seemed sortof long, but i really liked the end. I wanted to get The Royal Tannenbaums(eh spelling) but neither blockbuster nor the other place had it. Another problem with renting the movies is that Anne Paton can't watch any movies her parents haven't seen/approved. Now thats bullshit. lol. But i wasn't worried with trying to find something she could watch anyways. I'm really glad i watched Amelie alone, without my grandmother/everyone else. watch it and you'll know why.

So that brings us up to date, and we're going to have diner soon. Tomorrow i believe we're going to the thrift store, if there is anything i see there and purchase, i will make sure to post ;P

Toodles!

i made strawberry jello

I have arrived in Oxford, Miss. whereupon i am staying for 1-2 weeks. Actually the second week we might go to the Ozark mountains and stay in my Aunts cabin even though she is not there. We'll probably go visit a few places here and there, hang out around here, eat out some, go to some bookstores and outlet malls despite the fact that i have no money. etc.

So today they picked me up, (my grandmother and my like, step cousin or something), and we went to P.F. Changs whereupon we ordered Orange Chicken, Chicken/Beef/Shrimp Lo Mein, and Shrimp Fried Rice... Ohhh gad it was good (except for the orange chicken which i didn't like cause it was like this tangy-spicy thing) but i am going to say that mine was the best out of all of those (the Lo Mein). Oh yea, we had like these lettuce wrap things, they were very very odd and very very good. Oh Yea, in the resturant they played music like (of all things!!) Boa (Duvet) and the Counting Crows (Rain King) and some other things that were familiar but i was not certain of.

Then we got in the car and drove for about 1 1/2 hours, whereupon we arrived here and i was given a tour of the new house. I spent some time settling in and then i finished reading Dealing With Dragons while they (grandmother & step cousin) went to walmart, claires, a book store, and some other things in the Oxford Outlet Mall. aahhaa :)

So here i am, with my computer set up and 2 weeks ahead of me for relaxation and fun until i go back home and aj comes to visit me.

Later!

Hello hello hello! i am Brittany or something. Today we woke up and went to the beach, and hung out til around 12 and then we went on a pontoon boat... ack lots of fun, we went out to a sandbar and we all got out and swam around and caught crabs and had fun. We caught 6 hermit crabs and named them after the members of the family, the one which was my grandmother never moved, the ones that were my brother and aunt and some other one went back to the water. Ahmmm... well then we came back in cause a storm was comin our way and we came back to the condo and washed up, then my cousin and i played prokadima(a paddle ball game) and then we went to dinner. I had a large plate of fries... o_o... well anyways. more tomorrow!

Hello to everyone. i am in Florida.. Today was incredibly relaxing, i went to the beach and read and listened to sleater-kinney and my 'good pop music from the 90s' cd. I finished Shattered Mirror by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. It wasn't as good as her second one, she's pretty amature at writing but you can' t exactly expect much more. The water was very very very clear today... swiming pool clear as usual but anyways we had fun and played in the ocean and whatnot but i dont really have the time or desire to elaborate. so i'll blog my accounts tomorrow or somethin'

i left my mind in memphis.

when you read me and morgan's detailed accounts of this lovely story, you should read from the bottom of the page to the top. so scroll!

Epilog
Thus my adventure ends.

SOMEBODY PUT SOMETHING IN MY DRINK
June 18, 2002 3:28 No No it's now 3:29
We are listening to the Ramones. I like the song "Somebody Put Something in my Drink"! HA! It's good. We're eating pecan twills and demon poo has m&ms and I haves gummy life sabers! Mmmmmm! (and water) Lana Demon Oh I feel sickish. Cause Demon Poo made me turn off -practically- the air condition. "She's cooould." *raspberry!*

WHO LEFT THE TOWEL IN THE POOL
June 18, 2002 12:15
We're in the car. Yesterday the evil pissy demon of death and pox and everything wrong and ungood in this world and mom read buy the pool while I attempted hand stand alone in the pool. It's more fun to try to swim deep and do a handstand with eyes open then let yourself flip around and you can see filtered sun through the water's surface. Very pretty. Today went back to the bookplace to scrape mom's pockets for the last of her pennies and checkbooks to buy books. (I met Coleman Barks, Neil Gaiman, and Art Speigleman while here.) I'm reading a good book called Coraline (buy Neil Gaiman) and also got it for sara. The evil D.C. man doesn't like women and/or children so he is now the evil wickid pissy demon of death and pox and everything wrong and ungood and perilous and prejudice in the world and Alanna is just demon poo.

pizza talk
June 17, 2002 11:47
(at the ALA Building eating mini pizzas buy the wall. HAD not to write on but napkins and "Mariott Awards" posted notes.)
Fell asleep on the carpet all bundled in Mom's shirt. The evil pissy demon Alanna wouldnt give it her blue denomy shirt. Very cold. Dad had no knife. Had to rip it my hands strechy cheese. Mom brough five packets of parmageon she didn't tell us about we didn't use. The evil pissy demon - which will forevermore be known as t he evil pissy demon - is not taking an goofy pictures. I will steal her camera and use it to do my bidding. Alanna says "You make the most annoyed faces"
"Do you wonder why?" I say and she saggs her head like a brainless but happy furry animal. meaning no but I tell her
"I'm annoyed."
"Wow I got Marriot Awards. I am a good Hotel guest." Yes. Alanna is a good Hotel guest but I was lieing. I rubbed the Mariott Award on my face whispeing "My precious" in freakish misery only it was fun. The Mariott Award is a posted notey fancy Hotel itenvr. I pronounced David Wisnishan's name David Whish worker. The evil pissy demon -of death- is having a very bad penmanship. She wrote this poor man's name on her paper. He will now probably get a hex or a pox because of this bad luck situation. We love the evil pissy demon -of death- anyway. A man walked by and saw a little woman struggling with her posters. He said -I thought he said- "go the the front desk and they'll give you a wall."
"What?" says the little woman.
"What?" I'm thinking. I'm thinking I should back away from the crazy wall man. But he says "A roll to wrap your posters in. To keep up with them . Just show them your badge."
AH! I now understand! They will give her hard crusty roll to chew and calm her nerves as she struggles. wrapping? wraps are -like rolls- pastries. It al fits like a pretty little picture torn in half. Before I coudl write this The pissy demon -of death- was looking for a pen and I took hers when she wasnt looking and she was grabbing it so I gave it back. I didn't want her to take it or any terrors that weren't mine and she was winning the battle so she fell for it. AHA!

My BOoK FINISHING
June 16, 2002 1:30
Finishing my book

Pally dragging and Elephant Seals
June 16, 2002
I'm reading a pig book. Daddy's day is today. Gave him a superhero calloge with his face pasted on superman's head. Read all day. MET COLEMAN BARKS! AUTHOR DUDE! AHA! We ate some Asian food but Alanna didn't want to so she wa pissy little demon the whole time and ordered the same meat on a stick as me. We got a picture of Ben stein. Alanna and I went for a swim with dad and fought over him like male elephant seals. (We're not male elephant seals.) I swam under the gate between pools with the sign that ays "no swimming beyond this point" and accidentally ran into a Asian kid and he said "no swimming beyond this point" and I apologized. Alanna and I said I ran into him and accidentally hit him with a big rock three or four times and decided he'd be okay, because his pally was dragging him out of the pool. That didn't really happen. Dad got tried so we got some candy and are watching Ocean's Eleven. Went to the 41st floor again.

Cubby the Soap Wonder
June 15, 2002
Blah! We did go to the book thing today. I sat and red.
P.S. (While watching T.V. & soap operas & sitcoms)
Alanna: There are four characters on the show.
Morgan: And they're all named CUBBY!

BUM BOTTOM ABILITY
June 14, 2002 3:16
We were gonna go to the shops. I was gonna ask where they were. I wasn't. Was. Wasn't. I know what you're thinking. My brain is a giant decapetated chicken trying to decide which wall to run into. Much fun. We went swimming. Alanna loves to impersonate my ability to Kick the air but I can touch the bottom of 5 feet with my BUM! HAHAHAHA! Alanna cannot. Alanna is now wrapping herself in the curtain. It began to thunder, so we left the pool and went ALL the WAY to the 17TH FlOOR. And then we got out and walked around! AHA! WOOOOOHOOOO!

DingBat 17th FlORE
June 14, 2002, 11:00
Alanna and I went up to the 9th floor. Then the 10th, 11th, 12th. Alanna wanted to go to the 17th (there are 48.) Me, I'm not afraid of heights. Just falling from them. That being extremely true, I said no. But she pressed the up button so I had to follow. For Some reason I thought she wasn't pressing it. But she did. I closed my eyes and cried some almost. Allanna laughed. Then I laughed. Good times. When we got up to 17 we didn't get out. Went back down.
P.S. "I had a heart of tenderness and pity" sasy the dingbat lady on the movie that twas on.

Bluberry Bagel Lady
June 14, 2002
I was awake from 1:00 to 4:40 last night. It was awful. Mom and dad are at the pre conference. Blah Blah Ruzza Ruzza Blah Blah Blah. Let's get to the choclaty goodness of today. I had a blueberry bagel downstairs. There was a T.V. Because it showed a 10-10-220 commercial, it is no longer holy in mine eye. We stole some iodized salt. We will now explore the Hotel. We're out to discover!
P.S. The bagle lady is nice.

SAtANIC DUcK NOISE
June 14, 2002, 1:00 in the morning.
Everyone's asleep in the room, Mom's here. Alanna and I went swimming. I had onion rings and cheese sticks for supper. I cant sleep. The dad makes a satanic duck noise. The city lights are eerie faery glow kinda through the curtains. I bet city is beautiful from up here.

PEACH TREE OKY DOKY
June 13, 2002
On our way to Atlanta. We're going for the American Library Association. I just saw a red plastic bag twirling and spinning in the air before it fell on the street. We are in Atlanta. It's like Memphis only bigger. It does't feel like Memphis. I saw a taxi. Not many of those in Mempphs.
"Good Lord. That's Peach Tree? Do I turn left? How do I get over there... Which is white halll which is Peach Tree. okey dokey, yes." <- This is dad stressing and solving a directional problem to get to the Hotel.

Day Six, Entry Twenty-six
Midnight. We've been here for a good long while obviously. Strange that I'm writing this in this journal now, i guess. well let's see. on the road, we never had lunch. just pecan twirls and crispy M&M's and root beer from some gas station that i guess used to be a house and that was obviously some kind of hangout for bored kids. they also sold leann rimes shirts but mom wouldnt buy one for me. i finished reading only part one of american gods because i read so damn slowly. anyway we got here some time before 6. the dogs are very excited to see mom. my cat is not swelling.

farewell until next vacationing.

Day Six, Entry Twenty-five
What I Hate About Highway Traffic Jams:
You sit there forever and ever and ever and you're nearly out, it seems like, and then these big stupid fuckers way far from behind decide to drive on what is NOT a lane (it may be that little anti-lane, or one that's closed a little way ahead, or even the goddam median) and get ahead of you! and THAT is inconsiderate and shit-headed and i hate hate hate that and people who do it.
another thing that really pisses me off:
the goddam strokes. (we had a conversation, Mom and Dad and I, at dinner on Thursday night.) did you know they actually use technology to make their voices and whatnot sound rougher and grungier? WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT! THAT'S DEFEATING THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THE SOUND! ALL THEIR MUSIC IS A LIE. THEREFORE THEY ARE A LIE. i didn't know that before Dad told me. he read it in some interview. before he'd even said that, i was trying to describe their sound to mom and said something like "it's pop disguised as alternative rock" and told her how all these delusional people listen to it and think they're being grunge and cool and un-hip and then they call the goddam strokes the fucking saviors of rock and/or alternative. they have no fucking idea. that shit is just as fake and synth-pop and satanic as Britney Spears. it's so ridiculous because in a way you'd think their stuff is simple and fucking easy enough for anyone to play and the guy in the damn band has to fuck with his voice to get the stupid sound. what does that say about the band? i hate hate hate them and people who like them.
another thing that pisses me off:
the perks of being a wallflower HAHAHAHAHAHAHA just kidding. i'll leave you alone.
but just for you information, the other day I discovered that fucking ALA had picked the perks of being a wallflower as one of the best YA books of 2000 or something like that. It was all YALSA's fault of course. So for the rest of the conference I glared at people with YALSA stickers on their badges. They never saw me doing it of course. But that really pissed me off.

Day Six, Entry Twenty-four
12:10 We didn't find the stupid $30 shirt so hopefully somebody packed it without remembering. We're trying to find the highway. Yes. We are in the car. You should see it. STUFFED!!! there are 3 bags at my feet. 8 or 9 bags up front. god knows how many bags and 3 suitcases in the back. I have convinced the family to let me listen to Throwing Muses in (further) honor of Atlanta. god god god I love this album. (their debut) I'm going to read now. Bye.

Day Six, Entry Twenty-three
It's almost 12. We're done with ALA! My shoulders ACHE like anything. We're back at the hotel because we left the ugly long-sleeved shirt in the room. (and plus our car is still in the garage.) Mom just came back and said it wasn't in the room so she's looking for our very nice maid. Morgan and Dad just came back from the bathroom and Morgan is telling him about her Egg and Cookie Man comics. She got upset because there's some comic published by Viz or somebody called Hamtaro where the main hamster looks almost exactly like the Puddin hamster character from her comic. Puddin is actually based on me, you know. " but only when you act drunk." according to morgan

Day Six, Entry Twenty-two
Morgan and I brought the last 3 bags. Dad wasn't in the room so we figured he carried stuff too (which turned out to be 3 bags and 1 suitcase) but we didn't see him at all which shows how huge the hotel is, if you didn't believe me already. Dad is in the room again picking up all the loose items.

Day Six, Entry Twenty-one
Mom brought 3 bags and sent us up to get the rest.

Day Six, Entry Twenty
9:55am Trying to get situated in my chair is not working. I am dropping things everywhere.

Day Six, Entry Nineteen
9:50am Morgan and Mom brought five more bags

Day Six, Entry Eighteen
we are getting ready to leave. mom and i carried two bags and two suitcases to the lobby. I am sitting with them.

Day Five, Entry Seventeen
nearly 10 pm. we are basically finished packing. earlier, we went to the pool for a while but I spent most of my time reading American Gods and listening to Kristin Hersh more. I only went because Morgan wanted company, and I did swim for a little while. Morgan wasn't feeling well when we came back to the room, but Dad was there. After that I took a shower and everyone napped. Mom, Dad, and I walked to dinner at some Bosco's-esque place called Max Lager's. They were big on beer. so i had root beer. Morgan obviously stayed at the hotel (sick?) and watched TV. dinner was ok. in the room, we watched "Witchblade" and i am now discovering that i hate "seinfeld," as does the family, and have no idea why everyone likes it and what is with the laugh track?!?!
most entertaining things about watching seinfield:
trying to laugh with the laugh track
as mom says, "waiting for it to be over"
the Wolf Man - ancient man with huge, grey, shaggy beard that covers his whole head. he sells Atlantan furniture. i am in love.

anyway, we are going to bed soon hopefully.

Day Five, Entry Sixteen
1:56pm and we are back at the hotel, and I am falling in love with this pen. YES! We left convention a little while ago, rode the shuttle back. Morgan and I ran around the hotel more, taking pictures with film that Mom and I bought in the little hotel gift shop thing. I'm going to read some more of American Gods finally if I can find it and listen to Kristin Hersh in honor of Atlanta. Morgan and I are whispery so that Mom can nap. Dad is still in meetings.


Day Five, Entry Fifteen
Well! This is the first time I've written from convention. We woke up this morning plenty early but it took us forever to leave and we were LATE getting out, so we didnt have time to eat breakfast at the hotel. Mom bought film for me in the atrium gift shop and talked to the lady at the counter, who was from Memphis and saw it on Mom's ALA badge.Then Morgan told us that she'd forgotten her badge in the room so we had to go back and that made us even later. Somehow, though, when we actually got here, (Mom, Morgan, and I. Dad was in a meeting) we didn't miss anyone we'd planned to see! That was pretty great. Firstly, at Penguin Putnam, Katherine Paterson signed quite a few of her books for us, but I forgot to take her picture. Then we went to Laurie Halse Anderson,but they only had Speak for sale, so she just signed her galley of Catalyst and let me take her picture. We looked at photos of her daughters. Next we met Susan Guevara, Barbara Kerley, Brian Selznick, and Pam Muñoz Ryan who make children's books for Penguin Putnam. We stood in the longest line we've stood in all convention, for Linda Sue Park's A Single Shard which won the award this year. very prestigious stuff. It's pretty amazing since that won along with Newbery Medal Three Pigs by David Wiesner for Caldecott, but we had that autographed already. Anyway, both books are published by Clarion, which is a really small company, comparatively. Everyone is quite proud of them. Point being: while we were in the line this woman coming around with post-it notes (for people to write their name on and stick on the book so that the author would know who to sign to) who told me she liked sleater-kinney (i was wearing the shirt obviously) and told me about the Quasi concert she saw recently in NYC, which is Janet Weiss's other band, who is the drummer for S-K. That was quite cool. After that we met Peter Dickinson (who is married to Robin McKinley) and he was quite wonderful. Then we ate mini pizzas and Morgan is demanding the pen. It's almost 12:30. Mom is walking around the exhibits alone now, here for work though. We're deciding what to do next, sort of. Ta-ta!

Day Four, Entry Fourteen
Well, I DID take my notebook to the convention today, I swear. I just didn't write in it, is all. We woke up earlier this morning, so we got to have breakfast here (I had a donut. I told Dad I wanted a bagel with cream cheese but he somehow translated this as "coffee cake" so I got to eat his breakfast. I hate coffee cake. I hate nuts.) Mom, Morgan, and I took the shuttle to convention and met Leonard Marcus right off and Mom made a general fool of herself and it was wonderful. No one minded, of course. Then Nancy Farmer signed the galley of her new book for us. Then we got Rosemary Wells to sign some things for us, and afterwards Mom and I sat Morgan in her corner again. Next we got Chris Raschka and Vladimir Radunsky to autograph their children's book Table Manners in which Mr. Radunsky purposefully signed his name upside down. the book is hilarious btw. I won't bore you with too many details. I'll try to have a list at some point with all the people we met and whatnot. From about 11:30 to 2, we had NOTHING TO DO. So Mom, Morgan, and I had sandwiches, walked around the convention center, checked 2 bags, froze to death, bought an ugly long-sleeved shirt at the ALA store, sat outside, decided that the puppet museum or whatever the hell it is was too far away to walk to, complained about how ugly the shirt was to the ALA store cashier woman, and headed back to the exhibits too early. It was a great day, even though I did fall asleep amongst the bags in Morgan's corner for a few minutes while Mom bought sandwiches. We met up with Dad before Coleman Barks' poetry reading. (he as FANTASTIC! and quite funny. he translated all these Rumi poems into English and became a bestseller, and Morgan used a lot of his stuff for her Rumi history fair project, and told him so, and I took their picture, which you will get to see if I love you.) After we took the shuttle back to the Marriott, I feel asleep AGAIN as soon as I hit the bed. Sorry about not writing again, I really meant to. I hate only having one entry per day. Oh yeah, today is Father's Day. Mom gave him a Celtic tie, Morgan gave him this collage of super hero pictures (that i printed for her off the internet) with Dad's face glued over Superman's. I gave him the Ramones anthology. I got a bazillion comments on my shirt (I was wearing my Girl Goddess #9 shirt which was free from ALA several years ago when it came out. also some jeans. night sock. snake sock. black converse low tops. faery earrings. ghastly ALA shirt)
We went to the little Pacific Food Bistro or whatever the fuck it was called. Hut Of Asian Food. I ate these little meat things and garlic pasta. We came back, went up to the 41st floor again. Morgan, Dad, and I went swimming while Mom napped, and then we all watched "Ocean's Eleven" back in the room. Mom and I had a semi-discussion about Go Ask Alice and we decided that it's not really a true story and that's just a thing to sell it. after all, it IS in the fiction section at bookstores. "Alice" is the typical teenage addict. she could be anyone, really. but these specific events. nah. It's hard for me to think of Atlanta so much as a city more than the Marriott and the convention center. Atlanta is only ALA for me. We aren't sight-seeing at ALL which is actually a pretty massive relief. COMPLETE focus on Ye Books. But it also means I don't really see people either, besides librarians (which the hotel and restaurants are simply teeming with.) So I guess I won't really be able to speak in terms of Atlanta because really I don't know anything about it. We haven't gone ANYWHERE except restaurants and even some of those have been inside the hotel. Right now, Mom and Dad are trying to sleep now but I've got the light on and I have no idea what Morgan is doing in the bathroom. My sleeping patterns have gotten more regular even though I'm REALLY tired sometimes during the day or right when we get back to the hotel. I've ben trying to save things like napkins (yes, clean) and business cards and things as souvenir kinda things. I don't know why. Like last year when I picked up all these postcards knowing I wouldn't send them. I'm insane. Or maybe I just need a hobby. Or a LIFE! Yes, I did just write over two pages about my non-day, and you? I really like this pen though. shwa shwa. Goodnight.

Day Three, Entry Thirteen
wow. let's see. t his morning seems like SO LONG AGO! sorry i haven't written all day, but i forgot to take my notebook to convention (not that i really would've had time to write.) the first thing I remember from this morning is lying in bed waiting for somebody t come out of the bathroom. i was the last one to use it, therefore the last one to get dressed, therefore the last one to be ready, therefore everyone was LATE, therefore it was all my fault? it wasn't a great way to start off exhibits. we found the shuttle bus (which transports librarians around to and from their hotels to other hotels for meetings or the convention center, where we were going.) Dad went to get in line for Neil Gaiman (yes, again!) who, in the conference program, was listed as "Neal Gorman." Mom had to get mine and Morgan's exhibit passes, so that took far too long. we took about a million escalators down to get to the exhibits and headed straight for HarperCollins to find Dad in the American Gods line, which he was not in because apparently it was moved quickly. So he was in the line next door for Art Spiegelman, signing Maus, Little Lit, and (Morgan's favorite) Open Me, I'm A Dog, which was QUITE a long line. or maybe it felt longer because it was the first. i don't know. i was quite disappointed about not getting to meet mr. gaiman, BUT Mom sent Morgan and I to get his new children's book Coraline signed. While in the line, I was offered a free copy of either American Gods (paperback) or Stardust (without the Charles Vess illustrations) for him to sign as well. I took Stardust because Dad already had Mr. Gaiman sign his hardback American Gods and besides, Morgan, who was behind me in line, could get it. But, seeing as she is a complete and utter IDIOT, she said "no, thank you" when the nice man offered it to her. NO THANK YOU??? a word to the wise: in the ALA exhibits hall, you NEVER say "no, thank you." I was quite upset and beat her brutally. sort of. anyway though, Mr. Gaiman was dressed all in black (including sunglasses) and looked exactly as he does on the jackets of his books. He looks younger than he is, has a stubbly face, and is rather "handsome" as my mother says. and i certainly agree. he was LOVELY LOVELY to speak to. i enjoy him thoroughly (although i did already, obviously.) he signed Coraline to Morgan and I, and he drew a rat, which he told us that he was making sinister by giving it little teeth, evil whiskers, etc. (the book was supposed to be just morgan's but i wanted him to sign something for me because i am greedy that way, only that i just love that man, so we got it to both of us. and then it turned out that i got Stardust free anyway but morgan didnt mind that both of our names are in her book. anyway.) he signed Stardust to me (he drew a moon and a shooting star kinda thing.) i told him i love Sandman and morgan told him she wished she'd brought her plush Delirium doll for him to sign. he said he would have. I think he may have been impressed that younger people read his older books. except not and that is just my wishful thinking. he told us about a Lil Endless manga that Jill Thompson is doing and about the Coraline web site. he seemed to think that it was silly, strange, and exciting that after he finished signing American Gods there at HarperCollins, they were going to move him 6 feet away across the aisle to another table representing HarperChildrens to sign Coraline. (yes, Morgan and I snuck it into the line before we were supposed to. dirty girls!) that was just about the highlight of the day and it was the first thing we did and my hand is going to fall off!!! well i won't go into so much detail for the rest. let's see. we met art spiegelman, and then we had breakfast (bagel with cream cheese, apple juice.) Then Morgan and I tramped off with Mom, and Dad looked at comics. Morgan is JUST as i remembered. She is always 10 steps behind Mom and I, or tying her shoe, or sitting somewhere looking miserable. Eventually we gave her a book and set her down in some corner, near Scholastic. We met lots and lots of authors today, whose names I can't recall. I got to meet Sarah Dessen and she signed her new book This Lullaby to me and her older book Dreamland. I've read neither. Nobody else in the line was talking about Keeping the Moon which is the only one I've read by her and loved SO MUCH. I'm scared to read these two, in case they're really different. We also met Jane Yolen, Nikki Grimes, Pat Cummings, Katrin Tchana, Trina Schart Hyman, and lots of people whose names I can't remember. I got posters and galleys and postcards and several comments about my shirt. (I was wearing the ancient Bob & Dog McKenzie shirt my Dad gave me, my black Moondance skirt, orange sock, pink sock, black Converse low tops, and Nightmare Before Christmas watch with the Mayor on the face. i love that damn watch.) After we took the shuttle back to the hotel, we all took NAPS because it is hard to be a librarian. or something. Dad went to dinner with some committee, and after Morgan complained to death about leaving AND it was discovered that some bistro across the street was too crowded, so we ate sandwiches at the Atrium Express. Then we rode with Mom to the 41st floor and terrified ourselves (sort of) as expected. I should go back and take the camera. Then we watched "Kate and Leopold" on the hotel TV and Dad came home and I have had NO time to read my book and I'm going to bed. Hopefully we won't be in a rush tomorrow morning, and I'll pack my notebook and my camera.

Day Three, Entry Twelve Point Five
About to go to dinner with Mom and Morgan (who is being a TOTAL PILL!)

Day Two, Entry Twelve
Mom and Dad told us all about the comic book pre-conference featuring (aside from the people i told you about earlier) some comic book people and some librarian people. The folks had a great time and brought back a bunch of free stuff. Colleen Doran signed a collection to mom, Jeff Smith signed an issue to John P. Freeman School, where Mom works, and Neil Gaiman signed two Sandman issues (the first and dad's favorite "Midsummer Night's Dream" which Charles Vess the illustrator signed previously) of Dad's while Mom got him to sign the first Sandman collection to me. (He wrote "sweet dreams")

Day Two, Entry Eleven
It's about 9:45. We got back from dinner at Mike's a while ago. We're watching "The Time Machine" and it is DAMN FREAKY. i'll talk later. it's hard to concentrate.

Day Two, Entry Ten
it's about 3pm now (Mom and Dad should be back at about 6)
After exploring the hotel quite a bit more, Morgan and I discovered that there are 48 floors, 47 of which with 41 rooms, 2 vending machines, and 2 ice machines. 4 elevators reach this floor, and I counted *I think* 13 elevators in all. when youre on the lowest floors looking up, you get dizzy. when you go anywhere above 10 and you look up OR down you get dizzy. This hotel is INDESCRIBABLE!!! The way it's designed is kind of layered so you never, ever feel as high up as you are (unless you can somehow see the pools on the very very bottom floor that surround the elevator landing platforms. there are five floors under the 48. Morgan and I went up to the 17th floor, which is the highest floor that the elevators on our floor will take us to. i looked over the balcony, but morgan wouldnt and she just waited for the elevator that would take us back to our room. i'm starving and eating leftover french fries and chicken tenders (all cold, of course, and with no ketchup) and we're watching soaps. Yes, yes, yes!

Day Two, Entry Nine
Morgan and I are collectively Eloise. You know, in Chicago some lady at some ALA booth gave me an Eloise bag for free. Anyway Morgan and I have been going up and down the elevators. The highest we got was floor 17, but we wouldn't get off the elevator. It wouldn't be skary if the elevators were regular, not glass and if the second you step out of one you aren't looking out over the entire hotel, a billion stories above you and quite a few below.

Day Two, Entry Eight
When Morgan and I were sitting at breakfast and I told her that her shirt had sunk or something (it looked lower than it had) and she looked down and said "It's like.... hello!" looking at her nearly-nonexistant breasts.

Day Two, Entry Seven
Since it's Atlanta, there is lots of "southern hospitality" and whatever, meaning that people talk to you on the elevator and in the waiting lines.

Day Two, Entry Six
One of the elevators is INSANE and after you get in and push the button, it opens and closes about five (million) more times before it goes anywhere.

Day Two, Entry Five
Mom and Dad are at the pre-conference. Morgan and I just got back from breakfast. I had a plain bagel with cream cheese and a Starbucks bottled mocha frappuccino at the Atrium Express. (the Atrium is this part of the hotel. it's crazy and cool.) I'm gonna try to convince Morgan to come to the top floor with me and scare us both to death. I'm also trying to convince Morgan to play Spot-the-Librarian with me, but she sucks.

Day One, Entry Four
no one wanted to listen to Jeff Buckley's cover of "Hallelujah." (mom loves the song, and they were just watching "shrek" on HBO featuring rufus wainwright's cover.) anyway, morgan is supposedly trying to sleep next to me and her stomach hurts and mom is successfully going to bed in the next bed over. dad is in the bathroom as well. tomorrow mom and dad are going to an ALA pre-conference about comic books featuring Neil Gaiman, Colleen Doran, Art Spiegelman, and Jeff Smith, all of whom i suggest you look into.

Day One, Entry Three
We arrived in Atlanta... five hours ago. (It's now 10:30 here) We're stayig at the Marriott Marquis (so says my pen) and it is HUUUUUUUUUGE! there are literally a billion floors and we're only on 5. (thank god, i hate being too high up in hotels.) mom was late and no one knew why. morgan and i stood in the hall balcony things and watched for her but that got being so i finished Go Ask Alice which i found surprisingly unrealistic! anyway, though, morgan and i went to the pool and swam around a while until dad brought down mom! (who we hadn't seen for nearly two weeks. because she was in NYC with her sister Phyllis whose husband has hepatitis c and just got a liver transplant) mom and dad got registered with their ALA badges and we had dinner in "The Sports Bar" at the hotel which was pretty.......... odd. considering it was my family and there were about a billion tv's with different sports shows on each of them. But we had stuff to talk about and that was nice. we came back to the room and i tried on the outfit mom bought for me in New York (which is SO awesome) and the faery earrings she bought me. She also got me another pair of earrings, a poet's notebok, and some chocolate. it's really great that she's back. Dad has set a record for being deaf.

dad: what do you want to drink?
morgan: lemonade
dad: huh?
morgan: lemonade
dad: dr. pepper?

dad: how were the french fries?
morgan: they were very salty.
dad: they were tough?

Day One, Entry Two
"how dare you save my life then try to break my heart
you make alone so goddamn lonely" - Kristin Hersh ("Flipside")

Day One, Entry One
In the car now. We're still in Memphis. Listening to Nick Drake. Strange things are afoot at the Circle K. I'll try to keep you updated pretty regularly, like last year in San Francisco. It's not like I'll have anything better to do a lot of the time. I'm reading Go Ask Alice which is the only book I brought because I didnt want to have too much, you know? There's no reason to have more than one book.

just got back from ALA in atlanta.

just got back from spring break in georgia.