Soupy Tour -- From Hill to Hill

Seattle to San Francisco -- Opening night of the Seattle Children's Theater production of Disney's High School Musical was exuberant --with the most talented, energetic cast! It's been 20 years since I've been there and the new theater complex is a wonder. Like all non-profits, they depend on the generosity of the community. They have an amazing theater program for young people who are interested in performing, set design, and everything else that makes a production possible.

University Bookstore hosted my book signing on Saturday afternoon. The Huskies (the U of Washington football team) were playing at the same time, and the U. Bookstore is on campus. Need I say more? But my loyal readers somehow made it anyway. Thanks, guys! One of my favorite questions from the Q&A before the signing came from a grown up reader who asked -- How about a book where Fudge is grown up and has a child exactly like the child he was? (A kind of pay back, I guess.) I told her that wasn't in the cards. Fudge is never going to grow up, at least not in any book that I write. I explained that's one of the reasons I've created the characters in Soupy Saturdays. Then another adult asked for a sequel to Summer Sisters and I had to tell her that that wasn't in the cards either.

After the signing, Stesha, who's in charge of special events at the store, passed around her delicious home baked chocolate chip cookies, which got me through the stock signing. Thanks to Stesha and her staff for a great job.

Then we headed to the airport for the flight to San Francisco where I had an early morning call for a TV show the next morning.

When I got to the station I thought I saw a box of colorful candies sitting on the table. (Yes, I'd had a proper breakfast in the room at 7am). But when I took a closer look I realized it was pots of makeup. The guest before me, Rhoda, who's written an autobiography-- Rhoda, the First Ninety Years -- had brought her own makeup artist with her and she looked great. How come I hadn't thought of that? Getting up at 6am and trying to get on eyeliner and mascara without getting a blob of one or the other in my eye, isn't my idea of a fun way to start the day. Noreen, the Random House publicist who'd met us in Seattle (after Elizabeth had returned to NY) saw me looking longingly at the makeup. Well, I wasn't just looking. And I wasn't exactly begging but I did make a case for professionally applied makeup -- after all, they wanted me to look my best on camera, right? And look at Rhoda -- look how natural and healthy she looked. Noreen took pity and cut a deal with Patricia, the makeup artist, who "adjusted" my makeup. It must have looked okay on camera because Noreen arranged for Patricia to meet us tomorrow morning before the first of two shows. That means an extra hour of sleep.

Later, I did another interview with Current TV outside in the park. Walking up the hills in Seattle and now San Francisco has to be the best cardio exercise ever!

I loved the two young women, Allison, the producer, and Fay on camera, who worked with me. We started at a fountain where a very large dog walked up to me, sniffed, then walked away-- which cracked us up -- and wound up at a playground where 2 year old T. hung around. Eventually, he went down the slide with his Dad and it looked like so much fun I tried it too!

Okay, -- time to get the makeup off and get to bed.
Love,
Judy