It is 6:22 am and I am in my quite lovely rented house in the Berkeley Hills. The extremely kind owner greeted us here and stayed overnight. She kindly offered to allow me to use her Apple G4 but I really didn't expect to be blogging this morning. To my surprise (have you noticed how inept I am with a computer-for example, Laura had to set up my template, Kasey and Stephanie and others are complaining how unreadable the type is, though others kindly came to my defense about staying with the dark background -thanks!) I figured out how to start this thing and with great joy I started reading the blogs. (Using somebody else's keyboard, though, feels like wearing somebody else's clothes) Peeps (borrowing from Eileen Tabios' page here) I am sitting here with a huge smile because I am feeling so welcomed thanks to comments from Jean Gier, Kasey, Cassie, Catherine and others. And thanks Del Ray Cross, who I am especially looking forward to meeting, for announcing my upcoming participation in the Postcard Book reading at the Oxygen Bar and for his having awhile back published selections from my part of my collaboration with Stephanie Young on Shampoo. (And greetings to Carl A- yes I do read Arm/Sasser every chance I get. And to Jim B for noticing my belated Petrarchian birthday greeting to adorable Laurable.) Folks, I think our little blogland is the warmest place on earth! But not Berkeley...brrr, it's cold here at 6am!
The plane trip was awful! We got stuck waiting for repairs in Dallas for 3 hours. Fortunately I brought my CD player and consoled myself with lots of Joni - but I lost my copy of Court and Spark boarding the second plane in Dallas (two of our planes needed maintenance). (Uh-oh, the connection was just terminated, I better save this). Toni was frantic because our friend Zee Zeleski-who lives in Berkeley- was meeting us at the airport. After a little wait, Zee showed up and took us to our lovely house here in the Hills. The owner owned an antique store so it is unusually charming with gardens in the back and front. I hope some my Bay Area friends will have a chance to come and see it. I am excited that lots of bloggers- including charismatic Chris Murray and charismatic David Hess will be visiting here-. And soon I'll be meeting many bloggers I've been reading avidly. Jack Kimball is right- I'm a natural fan- no apologies, I love it!
And the glamorous Stephanie Young -can you believe I'll be meeting her soon also? -though I know her schedule is full to bursting with her multitudinous friends and fans. But even if she can't fit me in, I know I'll be reading with her and her many other collaborators at the Oxygen Bar on Valencia in SF on August 3! Hope to see you there -and, if not, hope you'll visit here where I'll be writing about this excitement until my fingers grow numb. Hey, I better find the owner and see if I can post this. I've been writing to you for an hour and I haven't even had my tea yet, I'm so thrilled to be here!
