Tour, Week 1

The Earth w/o Art is Just ...Eh

This tour is crazy!



Why did all of you know that before I did?



And I took such efforts to be organized, too. Why can't I find anything?



At least the store visits have gone well. Four days, four stores...and we have met some outstanding people.



And four Sammiacs! (Well, five, if you count one of the  moms, who was up to speed on all things Sammy, too.) I am so excited to have met them in person, and it was wonderful to hand off custom Sammy Keyes shoelaces and horseshoes.



And Mark's book has gotten a great reception, which has been wonderful. Booksellers pre-read his book because he was coming and seem almost surprised when they say, "I really like your book!" Like they weren't expecting a book about a band on the road to resonate with them. Surprise!



My favorite thing so far (besides meeting Sammiacs) has been doing the "Booked" giveaways. It's like reverse punking. You go up to someone out of the blue and give them a book. I've taped a yellow slip of paper (like mini-caution tape) to each book that says, "You've Just Been Booked." Then I've been randomly giving books away at intersections, rest stops, and gas stations. Our van is packed to the gills with stuff, but by the time we get back home it will be mostly empty. There are boxes and boxes of "Booked" books, plus all the stuff we're giving away at the book signings. It's a pretty epic sleigh of stuff!



I've also really been enjoying our "windshield time" -- just driving across our country. The scenery changes so much in fairly short distances, and I'm really enjoying soaking it all in. (I may have a different view of this after the next two days, because we're going through New Mexico and across Texas. And even I know that Texas is more than a few inches wide!)



We've been doing a jogging tour of each new location, and in Prescott (at over a mile high, elevation wise), I was a winded l'il sea-level dweller. I love doing a jogging tour of new places because you see things you wouldn't normally see just driving around. Like the welding place in the picture. I could build a whole story around that place, and I like people/places that intrigue me in that way. What's the story here? What's the back story here? Don't you just want to know?



Anyway, enough for now! I've got so much to do before we hit the highway early tomorrow. Thanks for checking in, and to the Sammiacs who came to the events -- if you want to identify yourselves by all means, comment away. I'm hoping to meet more of you next week...



Meanwhile, keep your eye out for the tour van--maybe you'll get Booked!