Just booked Minneapolis tickets. Woot! Arriving Thursday sixish, going home mid-afternoonish Monday.

Question for Boston-area bebes:

If I needed a bed for a few nights in November, could someone put me up? I'm an extremely low-maintenance houseguest, as juliana and Jilli and Pete and Vortex and Jessica can testify. And I bring prezzies!

Thing is, I'm confabbing with a mystery and rock and roll writer named Clea Simon, a buddy of mine (not so sooper sekrit message to Jon B: She loves you muchly but she says her gumbo is better than yours). We're looking at doing some sort of dual event in Boston, probably at Kate's Mystery Bookstore.

And as much as I'd like to stay at the Copley, the Stones are nowhere around and my budget won't stretch that far.

So......?

Hey, Dana! I know it's all crazy for you right now and all, but whatcha doing next weekend? It looks like the van we're buying (repair estimate tripled on the old van; a ministry found us a great deal on a new one) I'm going to have to pick up in Houston in a week or so. Maybe Saturday?

Just wondered if a) you were around to have lunch or something and b) you might be able to give me a lift from the airport. No worries if it won't work out, but I figured I should check.

Deb -- We might be able to put you up but I need to know the exact dates. Close to Thanksgiving would be very bad.

Pluses -- 10-15 minute walk to Kate's.

Minuses -- 2 steep flights of stairs to get up to the guest bedroom (forgive my ignorance -- I don't know how mobile you are).

Considering I got the gumbo recipe from Clea, and I've only made it a few times, I think it will be a while before the student becomes the master. But that day will come. Oh yes.

Just wondered if a) you were around to have lunch or something and b) you might be able to give me a lift from the airport. No worries if it won't work out, but I figured I should check.

Um, yes, probably, although you might also want to have a contingency plan in place in case I decide on Friday that I'm driving down to New Orleans.

Edit: Also, wheee, Liese in my city!

Yup, no problem. I'll email you when I have details. And if you've needed to bail for any reason, no worries.

(And yay! Getting to see Dana!)

Close to Thanksgiving would be very bad.

Oh, it wouldn't be - it couldn't be. Thanksgiving is my one big annual do these days; my daughter comes home for it and I have guests streaming through the house all day.

As for mobility, I'm completely ambulatory; there are days when it's hard to put my feet to the floor, but remember, we have a Painted Lady duplex and we're the upstairs flat - 23 stairs with a landing in the middle. Stairs are no problem, although I ended up being very glad I wasn't staying with my daughter, last trip to NY; her apartment is a fourth-floor walkup. My head would have exploded.

Clea went to a gallery opening of some sort last night and had to run, so we're confabbing over the weekend. Since it's her home court, she gets to talk to the bookstore, and I'll absolutely keep you posted.

I'm looking forward to confabbing with her about my own new series. Rock and roll!

OK then. Let me know when you've got the date(s) settled and I'll be able to tell you one way or another.

Slight kink in Halloween plans. Andi has to work Saturday.

Andi is working on a trade with another cow-orker for my actual birthday, so cow-orker can take children trick-or-treating.

Also?

Mega numberslut! Not even trying.

Wait, when is Thomash visitng?