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Saturday, May 23, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Pomp. Circumstance. Moving Vans.
There's nothing like a graduation to remind you that move-out season is here. Chapter 5 in The Portable Dad covers moving pretty thoroughly, but here are a few more tips and tricks:- Rope and ratcheting straps hold things in place better than bungee cords.
- Look into self-storage places if you're subletting for a summer or studying abroad for a semester. That can be an easier option than hauling all your stuff home for just a month or two.
- It's in the book but worth repeating: Move-out week is a great time to score killer deals on furniture. Keep your eyes open in the next few weeks in any college town and you can outfit a two-bedroom apartment for next to nothing.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Correction #1 and a Big Apology
One of the reasons I wanted a blog on theportabledad.com site stems from my journalism background. When you write for a daily newspaper, you have the obligation and opportunity to correct any mistakes you make and get them in print the next day.
Books are different. If I got something wrong in The Portable Dad, there's no chance to fix it until the next printing comes around some months or years down the road. If I did get something wrong, or technology changes, or a reader suggests a better way to do something, I wanted a way to get that information out there. That's a big purpose of this blog.
Well, I did get something wrong. I didn't thank my sister Sonnjea for all her time and effort proofreading the manuscript before I sent it to Running Press. Sonnjea is an excellent writer (and a lot funnier than I am) and an amazing proofreader. She's read and improved several screenplays, The Portable Dad and many other things I've written, and to overlook her in the acknowledgements was just a dumb mistake on my part.
Not the only one I'll ever make, rest assured. But one I can correct and apologize for here and now, and I do.
Books are different. If I got something wrong in The Portable Dad, there's no chance to fix it until the next printing comes around some months or years down the road. If I did get something wrong, or technology changes, or a reader suggests a better way to do something, I wanted a way to get that information out there. That's a big purpose of this blog.
Well, I did get something wrong. I didn't thank my sister Sonnjea for all her time and effort proofreading the manuscript before I sent it to Running Press. Sonnjea is an excellent writer (and a lot funnier than I am) and an amazing proofreader. She's read and improved several screenplays, The Portable Dad and many other things I've written, and to overlook her in the acknowledgements was just a dumb mistake on my part.
Not the only one I'll ever make, rest assured. But one I can correct and apologize for here and now, and I do.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Thanks, University Bookstore
Had a chance to visit the University Bookstore at CSU Stanislaus today for a signing. What a great place - the bookstore back in my time on campus was crammed into a small space beside the dining hall. The new standalone store is classy on the outside and very hospitable inside.It was great fun meeting people buying The Portable Dad and hearing about the next steps in their lives - public administration programs, new majors and new places to live, art degrees, a new restaurant and grad school in Delaware.
Whatever that next step is, my fondest wish is that the book helps on the journey is some small way.
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