1. Alec Bourgeois showin' up and takin' questions. Hot damn! Who doesn't like having the hero of the book swoop in to help school the yunguns? And to be able to thank Dischord personally for, ummm, existing? Shit. It's like this night is the entire reason I wrote the book.
2. Sherry in the parlor. Seriously. They serve sherry in the parlor at the Kolarama Guest House, so I drank some. I believe it is an entirely new experience for me, never having been in a parlor nor tasted sherry before, and I like it so much I am beginning to wonder if I am someone's secret gramma.
3. Alissa and Josh of Red Onion Records and Books. Their store is cool, they are *incredibly nice,* and they sell cool stuff! Go there and buy it from them. They have a one year anniversary coming up too!
4. Reading a whole chapter—the Athletic Shoe Company, natch—straight through. To an audience. Not that it made sense, entirely, but it was really interesting to all of the sudden have an audience for this weird shit I wrote in my bedroom a long time ago and never imagined would actually be printed, much less read, much less by other people. Yowza!
5. The bartender at Pharmacy Bar. He wrapped my sandwich up to go, with the sword. It's great, 'cause I love those swords!
6. Yakking independent culture and politics with Alec, Giuli, and other neat people who wandered by to join our apparently quite fascinating discussion which somehow also encompassed, ummm, crazy Italian shadow governments, political comedians, Cambodia (Ok, we know how that one got in there), the guy from the other table who lived in Germany for a long time, and Alec's blog, My Life as a Professional Fake Skateboard Champion. Beer may have been involved, at least before the evening descended into yet another coughing fit. (No, Kevin, my voice has not yet recovered.)
7. Not needing a coat in November and it being the most amazingly gorgeous fall ever.
8. Me freaking out in my guest room again with sherry right now trying to decide which of these nights has been the most awesome, and which part, 'cause running around the country talking about this stuff is seriously so cool and invigorating and exciting I can't believe it's kind of my job even though I really sort of actually do it for free? In fact I guess I am kind of paying to do it? But WTF, I have two more nights of these things and four of my favorite artists in the world left still to collaborate with it is so awesome plus, as Alec mentioned, just getting to watch it dawn on some of these younger people. . .
9. I'm predicting the future here, but I believe breakfast here tomorrow will be kinda neat.
10. A tenth secret thing that I'm going to reserve a place for on this list but not tell you what it was because a girl's gotta keep some things to herself, right?
I may be a Bourgeois but I aint no Bourgeoise! It was great to finally meet you last night, congrats on the book, the great talk and thanks for allowing me the opportunity for a rant or two. I have an important follow-up question though, I need to know more about the Sherry... was it 'available' (i.e. in an easily accessible liquor shelf or other likewise location)? Or, was there a stately concierge available at your beck and call to pour you a glass at your leisure?