Sneaking in a Post

I'm in Boston for a design conference. This has been the carrot that got me through the big bad show. I'm loving it. I'm staying in Back Bay which is very close to the place I lived for a summer back in '92.

I arrived Friday and scooted over to Amherst to visit my college. I stayed with one of my best friends from Hampshire, Theatre Geek and his wife, Being. Theatre Geek and I had a bit of an emotional entanglement third year and then as a result, didn't stay close our fourth year. I really missed him. We went to their wedding, he and his wife came to ours. We did Christmas letters, but that was it. I don't even have words for how redemptive the weekend felt with them. 

One funny incident. The two of them work at the Eric Carle museum in Amherst. They were kind enough to let me use their 20 percent discount at the bookstore. It's FULL of amazing children's books as well as pieces by illustrators like Barry Moser. I was totally overwhelmed by all the possibilities. Theatre Geek came in and ended up guiding me around to some of his favorites. One item I grabbed eagerly was the Barry Moser illustrated Bible. Moser creates intense, dark, emotional etchings and I've lusted after most of his books for years. There was a paperback version for only twenty bucks. Sweet! Theatre Geek walked me over to the cash register and told his buddy there to extend me the discount. The cashier saw the Bible and joked to Theatre Geek, "So, you trying to convert her?"

We glanced at each other and cracked up.

He shook his head with a grin, "No, it's a bit more the other way around."

I laughed, "Yeah, I tried, but it just didn't work out so well." I patted him on the back and he grinned at me while shaking his head.

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I have tons more to write, but I'm typing this on a Macbook at the Apple store, so I'd probably better scoot.

If you had your pick of kids books, what would you have selected? I walked away from Allan Say's Tree of a Thousand Cranes, but it's on my list for next time!