Rushin’ Blue

The BCinDC 10th Birthday BookCrossing convention was superb in every way. Apart from the weather, and on the Saturday it was damp, to say the least. Look at Sherlockfan in her gossamer raincoat there. Saturday’s morning experience, amongst a great many roll-yer-own adventures, was for me the Museum teaser tour. A rush along the Mall, [...]

Joplin’

The talk was of tornadoes that day in Joplin. A massive outbreak had hit the US over the preceding few days, and here we were in tornado territory. We were back on Route 66 after taking a few days off to see friends in Kansas City and to attend a Sister Hazel concert in Columbia, [...]

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Kansas City – in Kansas – on a Saturday night. We headed off to Legends, a vast shopping mall built around a racetrack and sportsfields. An island building in the huge carpark, Cheeseburger in Paradise was our destination. There were thirty hungry BookCrossers to be fed. Just one of those convention meals that arise.

26. Boomgate

BookCrossing. Giving away perfectly good books to strangers. Quint couldn’t understand it at all, but Ann took a strange amount of fun from the disease, often closing the shop for weeks at a time while she travelled to conventions where fellow-sufferers gathered to discuss their symptoms.

“Not my cup of tea, Ann. You tried to sign me up, remember?”

“You either get it or you don’t.”

Quint nodded. “Like a cold.”

“I caught it off Ann,” Harley said. “Anyway, I was on the airport rank yesterday, and I had a couple of spare seconds, so I whipped out and released a book against one of the pillars. This book.”

3. Ounce Books

She opened the book, looking at pictures of Greek temples and columns. Marble athletes coming to life in Riefenstahl’s camera as naked gymnasts posed and moved and hurled the discus, the javelin. One tousled athlete was the image of a younger Tom, skin taut over perfect muscles beneath.
She stroked the page, remembering the times afterwards, hearts slowing, fingers entwining, bodies touching. Her head on his chest as he told sea stories. The light in his eyes as he looked at her telling of her own adventures in life and dreams for the future.
Oh Tom! Come to life for me, darling. Leap out of that book and hold me tight.