No, that's a complete lie. We are miles away from being about set.
And where are we going to fit this mountain of stuff we've got staged for loading into the van? The back seat it removed, but it's still going to be tight. We've got customized drum heads for each of the stores, a huge box of Sammy Keyes shoelaces (not to mention ten pounds of horseshoe charms to go with them), 20 cartons of hardcover Sammy Keyes and the Night of Skulls and 10 cartons of hardcover Swear to Howdys to raffle off at stores (and give away to random strangers at red lights and rest stops...can't wait for that part!). Then there are our (large) suitcases, plus equipment, a big box of books on tape and CDs (for all that "windshield time"), bags and bags of necessary stuff, a box of road snacks and...and...and...a hose.
Yes, I packed a hose.
(We're not supposed to take the van through a car wash. It's one of those super-shrinking kind.)
Really hope to see you at one of the tour stops, but if we're not coming to your area on this loop you can follow along.on Facebook at SammyKeyesBooks, and on Twitter at @WendelinVanD (for the "she said" perspective) and @MarkHParsons (for the "he said)-- we'll be very active there. Please help spread the word!
And now I'm off to find a giant shoehorn.
Or a vanhorn.
(Wait, there's one of those on the steering wheel.)
Anyway, ready or (like me) not, here we come!
18 comments:
READY!
Wait, no, that's completely not true.
I only have two books for you to sign! I need to buy Road Rash, and hunt down some more hardcover Sammys, and see about getting some non-gardening sneakers to put my shoelaces on!
Wow, it sounds like you’re going to have to play van tetris with all the stuff. Customized drum heads for each of the stores? Does that mean the audience side of (what I’m guessing is) the kick drum has the bookstore’s name on it? Because that’s way cool. Books to give away at truck stops and red lights, that’s so you. :-) (Can I meet you at a red light for a random Night of Skulls?) And a hose?
Here, I think you could use this gas can labelled COMBUST ME. I found it in a garage when I was following this rabbit with a pocket watch. I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to make your car bigger.
...Unless that’s the green one in my other hand and this is the one that shrinks it.
Uh-oh.
Bonne route! Have a good week, everybody!
OMG, Karen, so funny! Thoroughly enjoyed that :-)
Oh, yay, now I have something to paper the town with. I love the poster.
Could you mail some of that stuff to someone about halfway along the tour, so you only have to fit half of it in the car? Maybe some of the bulky but light stuff, so the shipping's cheap (or books, if they still have the cheaper "book rate"). Especially since you're going to have to access most of the stuff at each stop, you don't want to have to play the same tetris game fifty times in the next month...
When I moved here, my friend who helped me pack forgot to empty 3 of my kitchen cabinets, so I had to play major car tetris. My trunk didn't have enough room for a mouse. My backseat area was packed from floorboards to windows (with a few things poking out between the driver seats), and my cat was elevated to window height by the layer of stuff under her (and her floor area was 100% full too, so that there was just room for her litter box between her and the glove compartment. Good thing I was never stopped by a cop. "License and registration, please." "Sure, can you hold this litter box for me?").
Jessica--I just sent you an e-mail w/a better poster size. Thanks for offering to help get people to turn out!
The half-way ship is a good idea, but the farther we get the more room we'll have. It's the giveaways that are taking up all the room!
Everything I owned used to fit inside a Toyota Corona. There's something very nice about that stage of life...although when you're in it you don't appreciate it!
Oh my... So you're going to be in Alpine, which is only like, three hours from where I live; my mom says I can go; a couple of my sisters volunteered to accompany me; now all I have to do is find out if I can get off work that day!!! If that happens then I will DEFINITELY be there!!(Probably with a big bag of Sammy Keyes books)
I've never been on a road trip that covered quite that much ground before, but my family usually takes a camping trip every year, so I'm pretty sure I can relate to the gear/snacks/clothes Tetris... ;) Hope to see y'all soon!
Hannah: "Only 3 hours" -- Ha! I love that you and your sisters might be having a mini-road trip of your own. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it all works out and we'll see you in Alpine!
I'll probably see you in South Carolina because it's the closest thing, it's like, fave hours away, so yeah, I may have a mini road trip in my future too. Or maybe in Tennessee, but that's further away.
Hope everybody has a great week!
Gabrielle
I am terrible at time management. I can't believe that I didn't realise that you were leaving so soon. I the CDs haven't even been mailed yet, but do you think I could mail them to a place you are going and you could get them from there?
While I am terrible at time management I am an excellent packer. My dad and I went to long beach to look at the college and we got everything we need into my small jansport backpack, with room to add two sweatshirt, a t-shirt, and a giant water bottle that we got from long beach. It sounds like you are a pretty excellent packer if you could at one point fit you whole life into a Toyota corolla. That's pretty impressive.
Sorry about the CDs. Hopefully I will somehow be able to get them to you.
Kylie
Kylie, if you send it out tomorrow (or the next day) it should arrive in time in Alpine, TX (Picking a little store where it won't get lost in the shuffle.) Address it to
WENDELIN VAN DRAANEN
c/o Jean Pittman
Front Street Books
121 E. Holland Ave.
Alpine, TX 79830
I'd love for your CD to be part of the adventure, so get to the post office! :-)
I literally can't believe that I forgot that you guys were leaving so soon! I will hopefully get it mailed tomorrow. I think my post office is open then.
Gabrielle--5 hours! I should be the one telling YOU safe travels! Hope to see you, but ... five hours!? Adventure time! ?-)
Ah I've been bombed with AP pre-tests in AP Euro (never take this class) so I didnt check on Sunday night! And i rarely forget.
Cant believe this is finally happening! Even though this isnt my half of the tour Im still super excited! Jealous of everyone who gets to meet you guys first! Save some horseshoe charms and shoelaces for me!
I need to know where you will be coming in Sacramento/Folsom/Rancho Cordova/anywhere around here so i can hang around the streets there to spot ur van!
HAve a great road trip and travels!
LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN
--Yusa
P.S. Every time you guys say "PAPER THE TOWN" I think of the John Green book Papertowns which is like my all time fav book now (other than like Sammy Keyes and Flipped and HISBAG) has anyone else read it??
Is anyone else on Tumblr? I created a post there about the tour, but I don't have a lot of followers (because I'm a terrible blogger), so it's not likely to get a lot of rebloggings. But if anyone here wants to reblog it: http://rundreamlive.tumblr.com/post/81684788712/wendelin-van-draanen-author-of-the-running-dream (and if you make a post, let me know so I can reblog it...)
I can't believe the tour has already started and I'm going to meet Wendelin in just over 2 weeks! Safe travels to everyone who has a long drive, and I hope work/school/etc. work out so that people can actually get to one of the events.
Yusa, I've only read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and I just couldn't get into it for some reason, but if you think "Paper the Town" is a lot better, I'd be willing to give it a try.
Hey! I am so excited to see you on May 1st and I was wondering, is there a limit on how many books we can bring for you to sign?
Hi from Arizona! So far so good with the tour. Lots of driving, but it's been interesting and fun.
Jessica, I am not on Tumblr -- I have trouble keeping up with FB and Twitter! Thanks for your outreach, though...I do appreciate it!
I did two "You've just been booked" today. They are awesome fun! (Check FB for pictures!)
Good night from Prescott!
Hey Wendelin! We made it home safe and sound, thanks for giving us that jump ;) Hope y'all have a great rest-of-the-tour!!
We are so excited to meet you today at Marietta Middle School! Yay!
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