February 2010 – Jimmy the Groundhog from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin predicted only 6 more weeks of winter. Guess we still had to have at least one more blizzard in Green Bay. It hit on 2/09 - the day before my Run at Destruction True Crime/Memoir Book talk to the Learning and Retirement Group (LIR). We are a hardy community and even with our advancing ages… it appeared that everyone was shoveled out. At the Neville Museum, I talked to a packed house of about 130.
Two days later my sights were set on another LIR talk – this time at UW-La Crosse where I’d been the commencement speaker back in 2007. It was appropriate that I’d told the graduates to “journal your life” and that’s what I had now done.
Of course we all have memories of the school we graduated from – whether
high school or college. One of mine was getting hot doughnuts at Mr. D’s with my boyfriend (now husband – Jim) after bar time. Well… the original shop has closed but a new establishment on the same corner is still selling their doughnut recipe. Valentine’s Day was approaching. Nostalgic Mr. D’s doughnuts would be the perfect gift for my sweetheart!
I made a sharp turn into the coffee shop’s parking lot, dashed in, purchased a dozen doughnuts, climbed back in my vehicle, while chewing on one, and put my key into the ignition. It wouldn’t turn… my steering wheel was locked! Ah, oh! I had fifteen minutes to my talk and nothing I was doing was working.
Lucky I’m still a runner. I grabbed my computer case, and with temperatures close to zero, jogged the six blocks to the Cartwright Center on the UW-L Campus. I got there in the nick of time, but when I opened my laptop, my heart sunk… my computer wouldn’t come up. (Guess it doesn’t like to jog!) Finally with a number of reboots, I got it working in Safe Mode. Whew…
The group was great and very interactive… one told me that she had a sister in Green Bay. She called her during the break and discovered that she’d been at that LIR just two days before. Both sisters ended up buying signed books!
Tomorrow I’m heading to Madison for a Booked for Murder Bookstore talk - more travels, talks and hopefully, not too many more tribulations!
February 17, 2010 at 2:08 pm
loved your latest post, especially the part about mr. d’s donuts. but, do you think the fates were trying to tell you that mr. d’s donuts are NOT good for you? hope jim enjoyed the special valentine treat. by the way, how do the donuts taste when you’re sober?
February 17, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Dawn – Jim loved them, but when you are sober they do taste rather heavy. They just sit in your stomach as dead weights when there is nothing to soak up!
February 18, 2010 at 10:59 am
Sounds like you are BUSY. Sorry you couldn’t join us for class at The Art Garage, but I can see that your schedule is hectic as it is. Maybe next time.
February 19, 2010 at 1:25 am
Lynda,
This is just another reason to always have a spare pair of running shoes in your vehicle! Glad to see you were prepared.
Best,
Diane