The Double Qs

On January 31st, Week 1 of the book tour was set begin. The first stop would be Albuquerque, which I knew was in New Mexico, which I knew was the desert, which I knew was hot.

That's where the problem started.

"You're bringing shorts?" Liz asked, watching me move clothes from my drawer into my small bag.

"Just in case," I said.

"Just in case what?"

I stopped packing, wondering if she was being difficult.

"In case it's hot," I said. "I'll be in Albuquerque for two days."

She nodded. "Hmmm," she said. She watched me start packing again. Then she said, "You know that Albuquerque is cold right now, right? Like – freezing cold."

"It's in New Mexico!"

This was the beginning of my lesson that protesting that a place shouldn't be cold does not necessarily make it not cold.