Tucson Festival of Books

Okay, so I probably am not doing the link think properly but the gibberish below, in orange, is supposed to be a link to an online photo gallery for the Arizona Star who paid a photographer to take a photo of yours truly, as I was getting autographs from one of my favorite authors.  If I had thought quickly enough I would have given the photographer my blog address because he seemed suitably impressed with the whole "travel the country in an RV" thing.  My big chance at fame, fortune and the Today Show, gone.  All because I was about to have heat stroke and was slightly star struck.  Oh well.

http://azstarnet.com/photo/collection_745a09f4-4d0e-11e0-9cfc-001cc4c002e0.html?photo=14
To the two lovely ladies who not only saved my spot in line but requested my blog address, you should check the photo out because you are both in it!!  Again, thank you!

The Festival was my perfect cup of tea.  We arrived on the university campus early enough that the air was still cool, reminiscent of my own college days.  I felt that wistful longing for the irresponsible days of lounging about with friends under the guise of studying.  Actually, it also made me want a professorial job!  The feeling of being in school was heightened by the copious notes I scribbled while listening to Diana Gabaldon, author extraordinaire.  By the time my seminar was over the atmosphere outside had changed from serious intellectualism to that of a manic street fair.  Hundreds of vendors and exhibitors lined the campus which included a large food court sending tantalizing smells into the heat of the day.  I fought the crowds through about four blocks and finally located my menfolk in the science building where I was regaled by their morning adventure.  Apparently the boys got dressed up in sport coat and tie delivered a broadcast for the Bio 5 Institute about holograms.  It should be on the internet but hasn't been loaded yet.  As soon as we locate it and get a link we'll post it.  I can't wait to see it.  They also went digging for various minerals, designed paper fish, studied paleontology and acquired hats, one cowboy and one shaped like a turtle.  I'll let you guess who wore which.

We succumbed to deep hunger pangs and by the time we finished sampling Tucson's finest Donald could take the crowds no longer.  I had known the day would be difficult for him.  One of the side issues of his PTSD is an abhorrence of large amounts of people, even when he has Holly by his side.  His only explanation is that he feels constantly "on alert" and all the noise begins to "mess with his head."  After a few hours of this sort of function he begins to withdraw and by the time we got home he had a wretched headache and went straight to bed for several hours.  This is one of the changes that has become our new normal.  I was excited for round two at the Festival today but ended up having one child with a high fever and one vomiting husband (possibly residual stress from the festival), and thus had to stay home.  I had high hopes for another great day steeped in educational seminars but it turned out to be a rather plebeian laundry/nursing day.

Two more weeks of exploring Tucson before keep heading northwest.  We hope to get to Tombstone this week as well as meet up with our college football and cheerleading coaches, conveniently married to each other.  As newlyweds, we used to babysit their kids, who, of course, are now out of college and getting married!  Yikes!  This week should provide excellent blogging fodder!