And Just Like That We Celebrate His 30th Year of Life (with a Fancy Restaurant, Mussels, and His Choice, Carrot Cake for Dessert)

I actually slept until 9:30 a.m. yesterday. I was up at my usual time, but I put a black t-shirt over my eyes to simulate darkness and it appeared to work. Of course, when I woke up at late, I jumped out of bed and felt guilty for missing the first hours of productivity. I needed to get going right away because I lost five days to travel and, to be honest, it took two full days just to get through he email requests.

We went to Founders House in Milford, CT, and Tunga and I got fish. For me it was red snapper and for him it was salmon. Pam got shaved steak, Beverly chicken, and Leo a vegetarian burrito. It was good, although the kitchen caught fire and the alarm went off. They took care of it and when they brought Tunga and I our smoked bourbon the waitress joked it was our drinks.

The carrot cake was one to rival Bonnie, my mom and dad's neighbor, who perfected a massive size cake. I told them we only wanted a slice and not a quarter of the whole dam thing, but I believe they wanted to get rid of it.

Mr. Privacy doesn't want photos online or any leading information, so I'm only posting the cake. Lys comes to town today and think we'll go to a basketball game on campus for something to do before the turkey festivities on Thursday. I laughed when Chitunga came home with his race bib for the Stratford Turkey Trot, because it came with turkey socks and a box of cous cous, of all things.

In the gift box are a pair of new Sauconys for the kid (Syracuse colors) as well as running gear I picked up at the Denver airport. Turns out, the woman who owns the company, grew up in Milford and after she told me that, I was hooked on spending money on overly priced clothing simply to have the story. It's good product. She's starting out, but I'm sure the skiing, hiking, fishing, running crowd she's after will be pleased with her product. I know I am. It was high quality stuff which I would have devoured when I was running more. 

Okay, it's humidly...a rain day...and I believe I will use it to get ahead of the game of December. 

Gosh, I turned 30 in 2002, the same year I did the Louisville Writing Project. Phew. 

Let The Pho-rce Be With Me, Pho-Real, Pho-Real. The Son Visits, He Has a Cold, and Soup-er Man Comes the Rescue.

At least this is the story I'm telling myself. I won't get sick until Syracuse. That's my routine. For Chitunga, it's when he comes to Connecticut. Home is where we let our guards down and the frantic insanity of our every day lives finally disappears. So we get sick. And he never gets sick, but every once in a while his head fills up, he gets exhausted, and like me, he's a big baby.

Actually, he hasn't been that bad. I told him, however, I'd get him Theraflu and also find a soup to make. I set out in one direction, but all the ingredients I kept putting into the cart led me to believe I might try my hand at Pho: beef broth, onions, chives, garlic, cloves, etc. It simmered for two hours and I cooked the pasta on the side and also bake spring rolls to throw into the mix. The result was a nice flavor...not quite Mecha or Vietnam Kitchen or TD Palace, but I'm impressed with myself. He was impressed, too, before settling down to Monday night football.

I think I am going to move my office indoors, as it's time to close the porch...I'm getting the Sherburne, NY vibe, where my grandmother kept many items, but closed to the outside world. It was always freezing out there, and that is what it is becoming in my little work space. I hate moving indoors, because I live on my writing couch (well, used to be a chair, but that is gone). 

I didn't achieve all my Monday goals, but I attended to many of them. The trip to Denver exhausted me and I will likely get Tunga's cold. He's 30 today, but I'm not suppose to write about that as he made me promise not to share his world with everyone else. Obviously I don't listen...and this is only because of love and my personal need to process my every day. Luck of the draw, kid. Luck of the draw. I won't do the Facebook bonanza, though. I can simply keep it here on a blog he probably will never read. 

The good news is we have leftovers. Lys comes tomorrow and tonight we treat him like a God...by that, he picks the location and I pay the bill. It's a ritual. And I luck out, too, because he has expensive taste and I can try new things (we've come a long way since his first request over a decade ago...The Olive Garden). I'll ever forget that meal. Everything was yellow, except the salad (which was very good). 

Ah, it's Tuesday. How'd that happen? It's all good. One day at a time.

Home Safely. Still Processing the Long Weekend, & the Great Whatever's Work on a Flight from Denver to Chicago. Amazing Coincidence.

First of all, airports and pre-Thanksgiving travel are simply ridiculous. The Denver Airport is also huge, and I took the train in to bypass the insanity of the $80 taxi commute. Then, check-in was absolutely bonkers with the tremendous crowds and the signs were all misleading and confusing to get to where I needed to be. The morning session with Dave went great, but I wasn't sure I'd make it to my gate in time.

I did. And I read. Upon landing, however, the woman next to me struck up a conversation and we talked books, stories, research, etc. when it all of a sudden occurred to her to share one of her books, Other Words for Home, which absolutely blue my brain because not only have I used it in a course on refugee literature, but we featured it in a summer institute in 2023 with Ubuntu Academy. I was blow away that I was sitting next to this woman the entire time and had no idea. It was the incredible Jasmine Warga. This came, of course, after a conversation about Ger, Laurie, Kwame, Jerry, Torrey, Jason, Nic, Tiffany, John Legend, the boys, and all the authors that have come to Fairfield. Of all people to randomly be seated by...it was the author of a book I cherish. I didn't make the connection with her name, until she shared a photo of the book.

Unbelievable. You know I have work to do.

I made it home by 11:15, and expected Tunga to greet me with a bourbon. As with me, as soon as he got home he got sick (it's because he can rest). So, he was already in bed. He came down, watched me make a sandwich, I only had a banana, and handful of chips, and the airline complimentary coffee. I was ready to eat. 

I got the laundry in, prepped for sleep, and headed off myself. I haven't really gone through the greatness of the last few days and need to collect my thoughts, as well as catch up on all that I let fall behind while I was away.

But I'm home. I look forward to being in my own space. And I do love my bed (with a fan and not tropical hotel temperatures). Yep, it's Monday, but another NCTE is complete (and thankfully I am not doing LRA this year. I can't imagine another trip).

Go, Stags! The Women's Volleyball team one the MAAC Championship.

Last Day and Leaving the Sock Game Behind. Just One More Presentation and Then a Cross-Country Trek, an Hour Drive, and Birthday Time

Started out the day walking with Yolanda and had to capture our fierce sock game. Then it was a marathon of presentations, conversations, contemplations, speculations, inhalations, and exhalations. Definitely was overstimulated today with all the thinking and talking, but sharing is what this entire endeavor is about. Dave Wooley and I get an extended talk this morning, but then I need to run to the airport to catch a flight back to CT and the east coast. Chitunga is already home for the week and I can't wait to see him.

It's always crazy doing these conferences, and realizing you spend the entire time indoors (this is why I'm glad Dave got the Ranger/Avalanche tickets). At least I have that to look back upon. Also wonderful to unite with friends, to learn new things, and to meet teachers from across the country.

I suppose it will be sad to leave the breakfast, lunch, dinner routine of not having to cook, but I actually look forward to simpler, less expensive dining. 

It is unlikely I'll be back in my home until midnight tonight, but we can hope for smooth travel so I return a little sooner. I'm definitely exhausted from this trip and I look forward to a much slower pace when I return. Always a pleasure to be at NCTE, but even more fun to go home to the world I love.

Happy Sunday. Get a good day of rest.

I Never Get Invited to the Good Parties (By That I Mean the Parties Where the Beautiful People are Talking to Me in Front of Large Crowds

I always seem to miss it - the great shout of yesteryear with Nic Stone and the one that happened yesterday at the ELATE lunch with Mahogany Brown. My phone was blowing up with friends saying, "You just got the greatest shout-out ever on stage." 

I should of guessed...Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz. She was interviewing author Brown on stage and apparently there was a love fest that followed where my name was spit into the air. 

I later clarified with Yolie when I ran into in the hallway and finally got to meet Mahogany Brown in person. These conferences can be quite a lot and yesterday was a celebration of more NWP work, a celebration of Chris Goering's new book cheering on joy in secondary English classrooms, and then there was the Derrick Brown, Phoebe Yeh, Matt de la Peña love fest in the exhibit hall after Susan James and I had lunch.

This morning is a little rough (as is the day) while I try to find my life in a series of different sessions. I go all day long and I don't have much time to think/rethink between presentations so I have to figure out a game plan before I leave my hotel room. 

Always a great time. Always overstimulating. Always promising. And Always ready for it all to end. I think I'm growing more and more comfortable with my reclusive side. I'm ready to hide. 

Walking Home from the Rangers Game at NCTE, I Saw a Building Decorated Like Christmas Oz and I Was Like, Whoa! It's Right Around the Corner

First full day of NCTE work, mostly with NWP, has me exhausted and I didn't even have to present. Best part of the day was hearing Percieval Everett speak about his award-winning James, one of the best books I've ever read. Well, guess who was an opening, Keynote speaker? BOOM. Not much gets me excited in my later years, but this was one I could find decent fingersnaps for.

Dave also got us tickets for the Rangers/Avalanche game and he went all out on our seats. We were up front and ready to see everything. The Rangers lost, but the crowd excitement was worth every second of it, even it it made me miss NWP evening events. Also had a great gourmet BLT, so I'm okay with my decisions.

Today begins the presentations and I need to find time to do University work. Friday and Saturday are about impossible, but I will make it through all the sessions. I always do.

I need to head back to the convention center so will keep this short. All is well, safe, and going accordingly. I did, however, neglect to back clothes for two days. Not sure what I was thinking in my arrangement of outfits. We shall see what funky displays I come up with over the next day. Phew.

Sleep! Okay. The Travel Wore Me Out! I Was Grabbed by Dave, We Got Dinner, and Then I Was Out

Great Shroom burger, though, to follow a very expensive road trip to the wrong hotel thanks to the world of taxis, which are definitely overcharging in response to Uber. I was like, "You think you're selling me an air ticket back home?" Phew. I now know I need to be more upfront in my planning from airport to sleeping location. I'm glad I was finally delivered by an Uber drive to the right location, as the vicinity is much nicer than where I was originally dropped off.

The four hour flight was a breeze, because I watched the 4 hour documentary on Paul Reuben, aka Pee Wee Herman, and was intrigued by the back story and how his character came to be. What a story and phenomenal documentary, even if it was hard to see the back story to the way his life played out.

This morning, I need to pick up my registration, check out the National Writing Project rooms, and get a feel for what is about to go down over the next few days. The hotel room is nice, but there's no reason for so much heat. I like to sleep cold, so turned those temperatures down.

There's an hour difference and I know I will need to adjust my inner clock. Last night was a good shower and a wonderful pillow...then I was out. I'll be more adjusted after today, but for now I'm groggy, acclimating, and able to say that I've made it to my destination in one place. 

Ate bad on night one, and will need to adjust from this point forward. My stomach can't do the burger and fries like it used to. 

Okay, NCTE...let's kicks things off.