The Tucson Festival of Books opens for business on Saturday morning. If I get there at 8:30 I can attend a "cocktail party style breakfast" with several of the presenting authors. I'm bemused by the description, and tempted to go.
The advantage of going that early is that parking will be easier. The closest garage is for authors and staff; the secret parking lots in the near environs fill up fast. I've learned over the years to figure out where I'll be at the end of the day, and try to leave my car at that end of the mall. There's nothing more likely to put a grump on my face and a limp in my step than facing the prospect of a mile or more trek back to The Uv.
I'm mentally pre-packing my backpack, running through the parts of the day, remembering what I will need at lunch, in presentations, as I walk and sit and wait. This is my 8th or 9th weekend with TFOB; I have lots of experience on which to draw.
My moleskine notebook has but two empty pages; tomorrow I'm stopping by Barnes and Noble to buy a new one, unless I decide to examine the quality of the notebooks in my desk. I have a drawer filled with them. Some are too heavy, some let the ink bleed through to the obverse of the page, some have lines and some do not, some lay flat and some need wrangling to be written upon. It's not an easy choice.
Little Cuter and SIR gave me all the medium point blue ink roller ball pens in the land; I'll put four or five different ones in the outer pocket of the backpack and smile as I'm surprised by what my fingers bring forth. With a notebook and writing implements I'll be able to take notes and share the weekend with you.
A water bottle, two Kashi bars, a bagel, an apple, a bag of granola cereal... the lines at the food trucks are not where I want to spend my time. Comfy shoes, a light shawl, a sun hat, sunscreen... are you seeing the reason for a backpack rather than a wristlet or a purse.
R. L Stine, Billy Collins, and Katy Tur will be there. Friends are excited about authors unknown to me. I'll see acrobats and listen to music and wander through Science City. I'll download the app but I'll use the paper schedule from the Arizona Daily Star to navigate my day. It's an old school experience.
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