winding down...

isn't it funny how some songs you hear take you back, make you smile instantly and somehow make you take a big breath, sigh and your heart feel lighter?

this morning i couldn't sleep so at 5:45 i got up and walked rufus and made coffee and ran some laundry and cleaned my kitchen. then i got in the car to run and get some supplies from the grocery store and heard julie clark singing from my ipod, her song gettin' there specifically, i just sat back in my seat and listened. and listened again. and remembered. (www.julieclark.net)

we opened the store in portsmouth in 2002 and in 2004 we went to our very first bookexpo which was in LA. instead of taking plain business cards with us we made a power point presentation about the store, put it on a cd and set it to julie's song, gettin' there. the song was fitting, my thoughts were that we were getting there, we were getting to know authors, publishing people and having fun. that trip was my favorite bookexpo. it was in LA where there is both a flower district and a garment district, this girl couldn't be happier!

but it was more than that. tim farrington was there signing his book the monk downstairs and we surprised him by being the first in his line. we had dinner with tom doherty, the founder of TOR publishing along with his daughters and kevin anderson and brian herbert (frank herbert's son). we were awarded a trip to NYC from random house, which included meeting the staff of crown publishing, eating at Craft and Balthazar and walking for miles throughout the city. we wowed people, and we were on top of the world. i never wanted to do anything other than spend time with these kind of book people again. that song will always take me back there.

so, eleanor just called and gave me some news that a friend who started as a good customer has a bit of a crush on another friend that started as a good customer. if via the store these two have met and become an item, or just remain super good friends forever, i will always remember that the store did achieve what it was supposed to. bringing people together. it was a great conversation to start the day with!

i have to go in early today to speak with chris dinsmore, the asst. business editor at the virginian pilot. for some reason they want to feature me in their "career highlight" section tomorrow so i've got to try and dress a little more appropriately for a photo than i did for port folio. i didn't remind chris that in just 11 days i won't have a career because frankly the store needs the publicity. we still have books to sell.

i'm listening to a mix cd that eleanor once made for sad days. she told me if i was going to be sad to at least listen to somewhat decent sad music. sometimes she can be so so bossy! the song playing right now is "where does the good go" by Tegan and Sarah. i really like this song.

it starts out like this....

Where do you go with your broken heart in tow?
What do you do with the left over you?
And how do you know, when to let go?
Where does the good go? Where does the good go?

it really is a sad song but it always leaves me wanting to shout that there is good still. it is still here. sometimes, well, sometimes you just have to dig to find it.

last night we went shopping for something for me to wear to ellen's event on saturday that wasn't too nice since i'll be lugging books but was nice enough to fit in with everyone else. you can't help but see the enormous signs for barnes and noble throughout the mall, they'll be there in just a few more months.

i get this newsletter each day, shelf awareness, about bookselling and noticed that borders is looking to close four stores in chicago. they're trying to sublet their space before they close their doors. they are struggling because the neighborhoods are struggling. it's an interesting thought about chains filling up our storefronts, here and throughout the country...you won't ever see the manager of these companies out waiting tables to try and keep their doors open in order to fulfill the needs of the community.

gotta go get ready for my picture day!

-susie