STRUMPDATE

Having appeared personally in every elementary and middle school in the greater eleven-state Chicago area, Ridley and I are now at O'Hare International Airport Hell, preparing to take our Tour-A-Palooza to Seattle, where among other events we'll appear at a (Surprise!) bookstore. We had a fine event last night at Anderson's in Naperville; a number of blog people showed up dressed as squirrels. This made the bookstore people a little nervous, but we assured them that the squirrel people were probably harmless, although just in case they should have tranquilizer darts handy.

Ridley and I are in good shape, although Ridley's suitcase broke, possibly because the airport-security people are extremely suspicious of him (not that I blame them) and keep rummaging through his suitcase, which makes him CRAZY, as he is a very Neat Packer. This morning a TSA personnel was rummaging around in there and found that Ridley was carrying approximately eight packets of Sword of Mercy bookmarks, which we've been giving out to kids at school events. The personnel was quite concerned about these. He kept asking Ridley about them, and Ridley kept saying, quote, "They're bookmarks." If you looked closely, you could actually see the steam shooting from his ears. But I, for one, applaud the TSA personnel. God knows what could happen if bookmarks got onto an airplane.

Anyway, we're on to Seattle, where we will pick up the West Coast Swordmobile. So if you live out that way, watch out.

Comments

[Meanie the Blue]

Now, about these, um, squirrel people .... were they anything like the unfortunate souls depicted here?

[Meanie the Blue]

And having received several of those impressive holographic bookmarks, I believe the TSA personnel must have been worried about how distracting they might be to the pilots.

[twitter.com/OKBeckster]

I want to see pictures of the squirrell people!!

[Meanie the Blue]

Becky - Ask, and ye shall snork receive.

(from DancesWithVowels' blog)

[Not My Usual Alias]

Becky -- working on it.
My html is really, really rusty.

[PeterM]

I think reading these updates led to my really strange dreams last night about travel

[Jeff Meyerson]

Dave, I'm surprised at Ridley. Doesn't he read the blog? If so he'd have known to put the bookmarks in a one quart resealable plastic bag.

[queensbee]

you are implying that those dressed as squirrels are perhaps, say, nuts???

[Horace LaBadie]

Those boffins have been crossing squirrel DNA and human DNA again?

Has Ridley applied to the Energy Department for a grant to generate steam?

[Not My Usual Alias]

This link might work although I need to use photoshop to correct the spelling of Judi

[Brian]

Yea, well...you know how it starts...

"When bookmarks are outlawed..."

[Siouxie]

And then...

"You can have my bookmarks when you pry them from my cold, dead-and-tired-from-writing hands."

[queensbee]

i cant open the file with pics. my 'organization' has blocked it. geez, its just pictures...

[Mike Antonucci]

Remind me to tell you about the time I captured a platoon of Viet Cong with three bookmarks and a mini reading lamp.

[Brian O'Mara-Croft (Author, Lost in the Hive)]

The last thing you want to see is someone boarding a plane who has that crazed look in their eyes that fairly screams, "Bookmark slashing frenzy"

[NotSherly]

Nmua, that's a great picture. Love the squirrelizer sticks. Clever ideas from the midwest bloglits. I'm sure you made Dave and Ridley's day.

[Not My Usual Alias]

Cat R created the squirrel sticks. For some reason, we couldn't get folks in the crowd to hold them up.

I also realize that I the picture cuts Dances With Vowels out. I'll put up another link.

By chance, a friend who stood up in my wedding came by the signing. When he asked "How do I explain (insert his wife's name) that I saw you in a squirrel outfit?" I replied that he should just state it as a fact and let her try to figure out the why.

We were well behaved during the event. I'm not sure if the police were coming in to round us up, so I'll use our na

[Meanie the Blue]

NMUA: "Here, would you mind holding up these squirrel sticks when the pictures are taken?"
Person in the crowd: "Ummmmm....."
NMUA: "No, I mean it. Would you, please?"
Person in the crowd: "O....K...., er, sure...."
NMUA: "Thanks a lot"
Person in the crowd (to spouse): "Do you think he would go away if I gave him a nut?"

[Allen at Division]

Hey! A bookmark in trained hands can cause a nåsti påper cut!!

[MOTW]

O'Hare was the scene of a tragedy at the hands of United Airlines.

[Meanie the Blue]

Bwaaaaaa-ha-haaaaa, MOTW! That was great. I don't know how I've missed that whole to-do, but I especially love this mutation from it.

[nursecindy]

For Ridley.

[NotSherly]

Thanks MOTW and Meanie. I sent this on to all I know who have suffered at the butterhands of baggage mishandlers.

[EB]

That does it. No United Flights anymore..

Good thing they have Allegiant to the only places I fly..

Cruelty to musicians!

EB

[CJrun]

"To professionalize, we must federalize!"
Former SenatorTom Daschle

[Afkat]

In context, when the United song & video came out and received several million viewings, United relented, gave him compensation and begged him not to produce the two of the three songs he had pledged to produce. To his credit, he gave the $$ to charity, and is working on the other 2 songs as promised.

Gotta love those folks from Halifax, Canada...

[Ralph]

For the record, the Canadian group Lighthouse recorded "Broken Guitar Blues" in 1972, and Tom Paxton recorded "Thank You Republic Airlines" in 1985, but that was the dark ages before viral videos.

[Harmonysdad]

Looking forward to the appearance at the "Poisoned Pen" bookstore here in beautiful, warm ,lush, rich and heavily made-up plastic surgery capital of the world, Scottsdale, AZ. OFr those in the know - the bookstore happens to be directly accross the street from the oldest tavern in Scottsdale, where Beer can be had for mere pennies - God know, Dave, you need more beer - just stop by the tavern after the signing for a cold one on me.