DO YOU WANNA? WELL, DO YOU WANNA (READ YOUR TRAVEL TIPS)?
Hello friends!
Some people have asked what I've been doing (aside from getting behind on the blog again). That I can answer easily-working (and theoretically finishing) my new book, currently called DEVILISH. What's it about? Well, imagine if the devil showed up at your school. ("Yeah," you say. "That's already happened. That's a book called MY LIFE.")
Who has been keeping me company while I have been working? Franz Ferdinand, of course! (In MP4 format. Alas.)
Oh, that Franz Ferdinand. It's hard not to love them. I can't stop playing "Do you want to?" It's just as addictive to me as "Take Me Out," which is pretty addictive. It's hard to believe that a band could make such a good name out of an assassinated Archduke. (In case you don't know this bit of history-the trigger for World War I was the murder of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. He was killed by a member of a group call the Black Hand, which, you have to admit, is also a pretty good name.)
But I turned in a draft yesterday, and now I have a night off to sit and read YOUR TRAVEL TIPS!
Now, when we had the sweepstakes, I was expecting a few tips. I wasn't expecting what I got . . . 1153 of them. So, for the next few days, I want to comment on a few of these. I've gone in no particular order.
K.H. of OK
"i would like to go to london with 8m friends"
Not so much a tip, more of a request . . . but I love the SCOPE of it! The last time I went to London, it was with maybe eight people, and that was pretty good. To London? With eight million friends? Let's DO it!
M.C. Of Jackson, MS:
"Always bring tons of ponytail holders!"
You really can't go wrong with this one. Even if your hair is too short to really use them (like mine), you can always flex them between your fingers and create THUMB STRENGTH.
S.P. of the UK sez:
"Always watch out for the horses in front of Buckingham Palace, they do bite!"
You have been warned!
Oscar Gingersort, my English friend, grew up with three ponies and he confirms this. He says that they don't mean anything by it, that horses have thick skin and consider biting to be a fantastic way of saying "Hello! I'm a horse! Are you also a horse? Do you have any food?" But we interpret this as pain. Serious pain.
I.E. of Religh, NC suggests:
"always have a dan brown book close by"
A lot of people said bring a book. I.E. says Dan Brown, and that's okay, but may I suggest a Maureen Johnson book? Have I mentioned the fact that the new Key to the Golden Firebird and Bermudez Triangle paperbacks are light, machine-washable, and guaranteed not to cause cavities*? And that 13 Little Blue Envelopes can be used as a passport in any country in the world**?
* Not that I recommend that you eat them. At least, not until you've read them.
** Totally untrue, but the cover does look like an air mail envelope, so that must count for something.
C.G. of Corning, CA offers the totally sensible:
"There is no such thing as over packing."
You are preaching to the choir, C.G.
S.W. of Mesa, AZ
"Always overpack." Even more to the point! I'm LIKING it!
More of these tomorrow.
-mj
Some people have asked what I've been doing (aside from getting behind on the blog again). That I can answer easily-working (and theoretically finishing) my new book, currently called DEVILISH. What's it about? Well, imagine if the devil showed up at your school. ("Yeah," you say. "That's already happened. That's a book called MY LIFE.")
Who has been keeping me company while I have been working? Franz Ferdinand, of course! (In MP4 format. Alas.)
Oh, that Franz Ferdinand. It's hard not to love them. I can't stop playing "Do you want to?" It's just as addictive to me as "Take Me Out," which is pretty addictive. It's hard to believe that a band could make such a good name out of an assassinated Archduke. (In case you don't know this bit of history-the trigger for World War I was the murder of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. He was killed by a member of a group call the Black Hand, which, you have to admit, is also a pretty good name.)
But I turned in a draft yesterday, and now I have a night off to sit and read YOUR TRAVEL TIPS!
Now, when we had the sweepstakes, I was expecting a few tips. I wasn't expecting what I got . . . 1153 of them. So, for the next few days, I want to comment on a few of these. I've gone in no particular order.
K.H. of OK
"i would like to go to london with 8m friends"
Not so much a tip, more of a request . . . but I love the SCOPE of it! The last time I went to London, it was with maybe eight people, and that was pretty good. To London? With eight million friends? Let's DO it!
M.C. Of Jackson, MS:
"Always bring tons of ponytail holders!"
You really can't go wrong with this one. Even if your hair is too short to really use them (like mine), you can always flex them between your fingers and create THUMB STRENGTH.
S.P. of the UK sez:
"Always watch out for the horses in front of Buckingham Palace, they do bite!"
You have been warned!
Oscar Gingersort, my English friend, grew up with three ponies and he confirms this. He says that they don't mean anything by it, that horses have thick skin and consider biting to be a fantastic way of saying "Hello! I'm a horse! Are you also a horse? Do you have any food?" But we interpret this as pain. Serious pain.
I.E. of Religh, NC suggests:
"always have a dan brown book close by"
A lot of people said bring a book. I.E. says Dan Brown, and that's okay, but may I suggest a Maureen Johnson book? Have I mentioned the fact that the new Key to the Golden Firebird and Bermudez Triangle paperbacks are light, machine-washable, and guaranteed not to cause cavities*? And that 13 Little Blue Envelopes can be used as a passport in any country in the world**?
* Not that I recommend that you eat them. At least, not until you've read them.
** Totally untrue, but the cover does look like an air mail envelope, so that must count for something.
C.G. of Corning, CA offers the totally sensible:
"There is no such thing as over packing."
You are preaching to the choir, C.G.
S.W. of Mesa, AZ
"Always overpack." Even more to the point! I'm LIKING it!
More of these tomorrow.
-mj
posted by Maureen at
10:05 PM
3 Comments:
yay im am first again
You know what? I ate Key to the Golden Firebird, and I haven't gotten a cavity since.
Oscar sounds sweet.
I find myself wondering what would happen if one bit the horse back? Tit for tat, and what not...
I would like to sign up for the 8m London trip. Is there a waiting list?
I love the tips, and your responses are brilliant.
I am downloading Franz Ferdinand songs as I type this. Thanks for the recommendation.
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