Abiding

Back from a fabulous weekend farther north in the Pacific Northwest. I have four (now three) days until I head East for the National Conference of Teachers of English and the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents, and that panel I’m on with my awesome partners in YA novel crime.

One of which is my birthday.

I am suffering again from an attack of Too Many Open Tabs. Heading home in the Now It’s Really Winter darkness on the rain-slick road, I start listing all the tasks I have to finish before I get on the plane Friday morning. “Don’t talk about them while you’re driving,” says Steve.

About the weekend: once again, thanks to everyone who came to my writing workshop on Saturday, and thanks to the Lynnwood Library for hosting. Like I said, the library did great PR for my appearance. I’d seen the website graphic, but it wasn’t until I got to the branch that I saw the fliers and bookmarks. Very cool, but somehow disconcerting to see my own face smiling out at myself.

It was such a quick trip I didn’t get to see everyone I’d have liked to see (although it was excellent seeing everyone that I did) (but some of you were out of town). But I wanted to get back home as fast as possible since I knew I’d be leaving again so soon. I’m sure I’ll be back up there before too long. For Emerald City Comicon if not before.

Back to the tabs.  I was writing that list of things I had to do, and then the list expanded to multiple categories, with multiple items under each one. I didn’t even have that much coffee today, but the little hamster in my head was running running running in its wheel, and I didn’t know how to slow it down.

Then I remembered I had some reading material that had just come in on hold. To wit: I’m A Lebowski, You’re A Lebowski: Life, The Big Lebowski, And What Have You.

I did not pour myself a White Russian. I poured a different beverage. But I stopped scribbling furiously on my to-do list, and I started reading. Didn’t stop til I was done, with many pauses for cracking up. It was exactly what I needed.

And now, in not especially Dude-like fashion (maybe more like Maude? Or Brandt?) I can cross an item off my list. Because one of them was about how I should blog.