Gearing Up for NYC

I'm getting so excited about my trip to New York next week for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators conference. I'm excited to meet up with friends, meet and soak in advice from some awesome children's authors and illustrators, and just immerse myself in the children's book industry. I hope to see friends from Chautauqua and our regional chapter. I also plan to meet an agent from the agency I recently signed with. I love conferences like this because they really get me fired up to come home and GET TO WORK. I'm in a great place to get fired up because I'm in the process of wrapping up a bunch of projects and ready to start something new.

Kids went back to school today after a 5 day week-end. It was a great long week-end all the way around. My back is beginning to feel much better, thank goodness. Chris took the boys for a 'guy week-end', and I stayed here and hung out with the girls. It was a really nice, relaxing couple of days, not an overplanned, exhausting week-end like we often have (and like we have this coming week-end). Don't get me wrong, I like those, too, but it's nice to have balance.

If any of you don't know, my husband is a HUGE MINNESOTA VIKINGS FAN. He is so excited about the game this week-end where the Vikings will play the awesome Saints, and the winner will go to the Super Bowl. My husband is a passionate fan, and in the twenty-four years I've known him, he's never been so geared up about a Viking season. The kids are all excited, too, which, of course, means the dogs are even excited! Sunday is going to be a very intense day in the Koppelman house. We like the Saints, too, but the Vikings come first. So please, I beg you, cheer for Vikings on Sunday (Rock 'em, Sock 'em, Fight, fight, fight, fight...)

So ol' John Edwards finally came out today and admitted that he's the father of Frances Quinn Hunter. Big surprise. It's so sad and tragic on so many levels. How do you think that kid is going to feel one day when she sees all the clips where her dad denied her? Sure, he's taken care of her financially, but does he think that makes up for it? It's unbelieveable. And poor Conan O'Brien losing The Tonight Show (okay, well maybe 'poor' isnt' the right choice of words given his 23 million dollar settlement), but again, money doesn't take the place of having your dream job, the job he waited five years to get (probably missing out on other offers in the meantime). Just two more examples of the way some people think a little money makes everything okay.

Have a terrific Thursday. xoxox

Funny Things

I was thinking this morning that I've laughed an awful lot this week. So many things have struck me funny in the past few days, so I'm going to try and share a few.

1. It struck me as HILARIOUS when Conan O'Brien said, "Kids, you can be anything you want in life, as long as Jay Leno doesn't want to be that, too."
2. It struck me funny yesterday when my 9 year old said, "Sometimes a man just needs a day to relax."
3. "Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, looking like a fool with your pants on the ground" The first time I heard it on American Idol it was hilarious and then when Brett Favre did it (as a dare) in the locker room after the game on Sunday, that was funny, too. What's even funnier is all the people going around singing it!
4. It struck me funny when my dog got his head stuck between the sofa and the wall trying to get his ball. (okay, I didn't laugh so long that he suffered)
5. It was funny how TRULY AWFUL the host of the Golden Globes was. I mean, in a room of all these talented celebrities, this Gervais guy was the best they could do?
6. It's hilarious that the library can charge 3X the value of a paperback book in overdue fees. Think about it. It's ridiculous.

I hope they were funny for you, too. Or maybe I'm just losing it. The kids are out of school for three days this week, and I feel like I'm in the never-ending Christmas break for some reason. My weeks between Christmas break and this week were so busy and full that they just flew by.

I'm going to NYC NEXT WEEK for a SCBWI conference, and I can't wait! Every conference I've attended, I've said, "The next time I go, I'll have an agent" or "The next time I go, I will have sold a book." It's exciting for me to go in these circumstances. And I can't wait to hang with Jody.

Have a great Tuesday, and I hope something strikes you as funny today. If so, please share!