Score. In so many ways.

First: A lady called work today. "Did I miss Ozzy?" I said: "He was here last weekend." I thought: No you DA. You did not miss him at all. He is actually coming for a second signing next weekend after he finishes his Peoria tour.
She says: "Do you have any books left that he signed." I said: "No, all of those have been sold." I thought: Are you friggin kidding me? Loser. Staff takes all.

Second: I ate Thai food tonight after working out. How is that salad diet going? Really great with a side of noodles, chocolate chip cookies, strawberry smoothie and a diet coke.

Third: I had the night off and played Mario with my friend. I lost but had a great time in the banter.

Fourth: I read. I read at the gym. Bally now has their reader back. And...a treadmill dancer was at Bally tonight. Oh victory. In case you were wondering...a treadmill dancer is in the video below. These are them moments I live for in Bally besides the one where people invent exercises that are obviously doing nothing for them but ripping tendons out of their joints.

Now...as far as the video below goes...sorry it is sideways. This is one of the biggest dancers at Bally. He flies down the aisles after he is on the treadmill. Sorry the quality is bad and the size is small, but he is very evident in the middle.



Now for Bud. Bud is on the run. He is not really sure if he is a runaway or what he might be. He knows he should not go back to the Home because it is becoming overcrowded. He decides he wants to go to the library to talk to Ms. Hill, the librarian, about how to get a move on and make his way to a destination. So, he goes to the library and asks for her. *The librarian says "Haven't you heard?" Bud automatically equivocates that with her being tragically killed. The librarian just breaks it to him that she has moved to Chicago. Bud asks how far away it is from Flint, MI (the setting) to Chicago. Now the funny part of this is that Bud comments about how he knows better than to ask a librarian a question because by the time they got an answer she had already consulted three books (she must have been a Southerner).

Bud also has to wait in line for food to receive from a mission. As he is in line, a "family" adopts him for the meal just to help him move up in line and to keep him away from a man that is about to clobber Bud. The family refers to him as "Clarence." They reached out and did a very good deed to help Bud get some food.

Bud runs into his friend "Bugs" from the Home. Bugs is on the lam, as well and wants Bud to join him on his excursions to try to make it out West to pick fruit. He says they can jump trains and make it there. They first have to make it to a Hooverville to get a train (Hooverville...something I need to research...were apparently makeshift towns outside of cities for the down-and-out people to settle temporarily). This is where I left off for the evening.

Nintendo got the best of me and claimed reading time. I blame Justin for it.

*So, the side note. The Post SCRIPT. Curtis has a fantastic writing style. He writes as if he is a kid and I do not mean this in a bad way. He understands how children think and really conveys it well in his writing. The book is well written. Bud's thought processes are so mature but yet have the very immature 10 year-old side to them. This is why I think Curtis makes it such a wonderful story. Bud also has a way of explaining himself and his thoughts that are great.

My favorite thing that Bud looks within to understand is the thought "When one door closes, another opens." Bud has to think about this expression for a bit before determining that it is not a physical door but a metaphorical door. I think it sends a wonderful message and shows kids to persevere.

I am impressed by this book and understand why it received the Newbery.

Well, it is about time to sleep. Shower and then listen to the waves outside. And yes...the waves are huge tonight. I can hear them in my bedroom.

Tomorrow...Newbery Award winning author Rebecca Stead will be signing at 3PM at Barnes and Noble. Come and purchase her books When You Reach Me (Newbery Medal) and First Light. Until then, have a wonderful night and day!