Hello from DC. I made it through it all, with only missing a couple of publisher breakfasts because my face was so swollen and my jaw hurt too much to even think about food of any kind! Been slurping soup in my room so no one has wait for me while I try to cut up food small enough to swallow without chewing, other than in my front teeth like a mouse. You'd think I'd lose weight this way - not a chance. All the things I can eat - soy ice cream, soft cookies, spaghetti string french fries, etc. are very fattening. I attempted salad at the Margaret A. Edwards Luncheon and that was a terrible mistake. OUCH!!

Attended one meeting with an ice bag on my face and others where people who only see me at ALA functions didn't initially recognize me because my face was so swollen. I told them I was impersonating a chipmunk. Also had a lovely greenish yellow bruise running from my right upper jaw all the way down to my chest. I have discovered I must have a very high pain threshold, or am incredibly stupid to have come to ALA, but I have loved every session and meeting I attended. Coming to ALA is like coming to twice a year family reunions. I get to catch up with BBYA friends from the mid-90s when we were all on the committee with Mike Printz and those I was on the Newbery, Carnegie, Printz and other committees. For me YALSA is my family and ALSC and AASL are the extended families.

The YALSA preconference on Friday was wonderful. I'll talk more about it when I can. I just packed away my notes and will go back to them when things settle down a bit. Listening to the Printz award winners for 2007 tonight was a wonderful way to end the conference. There were 700 people in the audience! I remember back in 2000 when it started and it was a small reception with a handful of die-hard YALSA members who showed up for the 8-10 p.m. time slot. The support for this YA literature version of the Pulitzer is fantastic!

That's it for me for now. Don't know as I'll get back here tomorrow as I imagine I'll be exhausted when I get home tomorrow afternoon. I go see the oral surgeon on Wednesday. I hope I hear good news but I suspect it isn't healing as quickly as it should as I didn't give it a chance to do so.