March 17-22, 2011:

A very busy six days, much of it taken up a two and a half day visit to Springfield, Illinois for the Illinois Reading Council (annoying plane rides both ways, this time on United–or Untied as I now call it). At the conference I did a short reading with ten other authors and then signed. . .and signed. . .and signed. Other authors (including a Newbery winner, Caldecott winner, and National Book Award winner) all finished by 10:30 at night. I finally cut off my line at 11:30, promising to sign everything the next day.

Next day I signed and signed and gave three separate presentations. Last one earned me a Standing O. My goodness, was my head swelled up by that point!

Home in time to watch two performances of Maddison's ballets.

And fall into bed.

Along the way I managed to write another 2500 words on the novel. Several poems. Read a friend's manuscript to blurb it. Went over the copyedited Snow in Summer. Much of this was done on planes or waiting at airports.

And for real fun, I went to see "Limitless" with friend Bob, a Faustian plot with a happy ending. Go figure.