I made it to Texas! And it wasn’t easy, let me tell you. The flight was delayed a bit because they were having trouble pumping out the toity. The captain was all, “We’ll either get it pumped out and go, or…we’ll go and not have lav service.” I love that. “Lav service.” Sounds so…optional. What he was really saying was YOU CAN’T GO TO THE BATHROOM FOR THREE HOURS. But, the lav indeed got pumped, and we successfully took off. The girl next to me had a horrible cough and kept blowing her nose and all I could do was ask God to please, please not let me get sick.

It’s very flat here. And green. And humid and sea-level, which of course meant I got a migraine and had to miss my dinner with readergirlz divas. Travel days are never good for me. I have what they called in the olden days a ‘delicate constitution.’ So I had room service and an Axert and now I’m back to my peppy old self.

Though this hotel does not have opening windows, which I know would make Justine Larbalestier none too happy, the staff is (are?) exceedingly friendly and best of all the rooms have those things to stick your iPod on so I am listening to James McMurtry sing about Texas while I’m in Texas, while looking at the lights of Houston if not the lights of Cheyenne.

Thanks so much for all your comments on the IMAGE article, etc. Sorry I don’t have time this week to respond individually but know that they mean a lot. And I’m also sorry if I said I’d read a manuscript for you “in a week” because I’m not (hi Ann!). And I’m also sorry for whatever else.

I will try to Twitter during TLA and maybe get some pictures up. And, if you are here, come on out to the “Hot High School Authors” panel tomorrow morning and hear me, John Green, Lisa Klein, and Melissa Marr gab about writing – 10:15 a.m. Then, I will be signing at the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers booth from noon to 1 p.m. Also I’ll be mixing and mingling and wandering around through Thursday so hopefully I’ll be able to catch you and say hi.