But this isn't the first time I've seen indications that the midwest does things ass backward.

Or I'm just cranky and assuming!

Jen! From the other side of my day, I return your lovely wave.

Also, of course, if it's Kristin's birthday, it's also MFNlaw's. Silly me. Happy birthday, Maria! With lots of wishes for a great day and a wonderful year!

It's getting good presales from the chains and we're thinking that this book might be the "sleeper" of our fall list!

I can't be happy for Allyson without understanding all the big words. What does it mean, that it's the "sleeper"?

Also, when is it going to be possible to pre-order it internationally?

white and black goes with blacks.

I'm so worried about the white losing its pop. And I have a lovely skirt my mother gave me that's palest off-white with a brightly coloured border. Which runs. On itself. So I guess that skirt's now dry-clean only. Because I sure washed it in cold.

Aveda products are instantly recognizable to me. However, I cannot say anything about the wider world because their scents happen to be ones I am hyper-sensitive to.

Allyson, you should give yourself a spa day. It's good for...stuff.

What does it mean, that it's the "sleeper"?

A "sleeper" generally means something that most people do not expect to do well (or have not heard of) that does well anyway, surprising all but a few insiders or something.

Hmm... maybe not the best definition....

Most of the Aveda scents are anathema to me. I have to hold my breath just to shop there. I use their stuff for sensitive skin, which is unscented, and I use their humectant pomade, which has none of their signature stinging minty smells that triggers my migraines.

eta: And thus my surprise at its recognition. Stuff barely smells and certainly doesn't smell typical.

I think in this case a "sleeper" is a book with the publicity budget of $1.27 and some stale cheetos. If it sells despite no full-page ads in the New Yorker, it wins!

(N.b. I think nobody but Stephen King gets a bigger publicity budget than that, in the trade book world.)

Allyson, please schedule your booking with Jon Stewart now.

What does it mean, that it's the "sleeper"?

I'd define it as sort of "under the radar." It's a book or film or TV show that didn't get a lot of hype, maybe produced by new talent that no one knows what to expect from them, and the audience responds to it in a surprisinly strong and positive way.

Also used in conjunction with "hit"- it's the sleeper hit of the season!

My jobs have generally been officially 9-5, with nasty looks heaped upon people (exempt people) who leave at 5-ish.

I am now at the point where I have too many things that all need to be done OMG RIGHT AWAY, so I can't deal with any of them. AWESOME.

@@

I'm inclined to do the easiest, but it's not nearly the most important/first due.

In the automotive world, a "sleeper" is a car that looks ordinary and pedestrian, like something your grandparents might drive, but in reality is a powerful, high-performance car. The fun part of driving a sleeper is pulling up to sporty cars at stoplights and then blowing them away by out-accelerating them....