Diary #259

On Saturday I attended the Red Umbrella March in Vancouver; I was asked to give a short speech to the attendees (my first time speaking through a bullhorn!) and afterward gave a couple of interviews, one to a local radio station and one to podcaster Steve Chong.  I’m still not quite used to being a celebrity, so it’s always a little surprising to me that people want to take pictures with me and the like!  Afterward, I had a lovely dinner with the organizers before heading back to Seattle.  It was my first time in Canada, though it won’t be the last; next time maybe the American border official won’t be so absurdly pompous, though I’m not holding my breath.

But while last week was relatively sedate other than the march, allowing me a bit of catch-up time, this week will be nothing of the kind.  Yesterday started with a phone call from a reporter at about 9:15, and didn’t even begin to slow down until about 5 PM; that’s a microcosm of what the coming week will be like, so I’m battening down the hatches and getting read for the ride.  Some of it is work, some activism, some personal, some writing, and most of it also requires extensive emailing or text messaging before the event itself.  But it’s nearly all good stuff, so I’m not complaining!  I’ve already scheduled visits with several of you during my upcoming trip, so let me remind y’all of the dates:  Twin Falls, Idaho on July 26^th, Denver on the 27^th, Wichita, Kansas on the 28^th and home on the 29^th.  Then I’ll be in Oklahoma for two weeks, during which I’m game to do side trips to Dallas, Shreveport or similar destinations until I leave to return to Seattle around August 12^th.  If you would like to see me during that trip, please let me know ASAP; I need to lock things in for scheduling purposes!