Spanish Word (or phrase) of the Day: Menos Hablando, Mas Trabajando - not gonna even try writing a gringa pronunciation guide - Less Talking More Working. It Rhymes... and it's my new favorite phrase. I used it like three times today.

Yesterday was like super cool. After school I drove up to LA, and every time it began to sprinkle, people slowed down to a crawl. When the rain stopped, the went fast. Ugh.

I went to the Westside Pavillion and meandered around the mall and the bookstore until Liz found me and we went off to Islands for some dinner. Yaki Tacos... yummmm.

Then we headed back to the bookstore where Liz spread out her cards to dry and she took over my seat. How dare she! (At least she saved it for me whilst I wandered around.) I purchased some books after I realized I didn't have any of my own copies of The Eyre Affair and Lost in a Good Book.

Let me start out by saying that the B&N staff need some announcement lessons. They couldn't seem to even read the script provided for them intelligently. After purchasing books and reclaiming my chair from Liz, we watched the clerk set up the microphone. "Does anyone know how tall Mr. Fforde is?" People from the audience made a few suggestions and they were scarily correct.

The book signing started late, but it was well worth it. Jasper Fforde is a great speaker, and let me tell you, I could listen to a British/Welsh guy speak all day. He was hilarious, telling little stories about how he became an author and where some of his ideas came from. He is definitely a natural story teller. He said he finally figured out the only way to sell his books was to just hand it to someone and say, "Here, read this." It's so true. He has such a unique imagination and story telling humor that summing up his literary world is difficult in the extreme.

At 9:00, the clerk announced that the store had to close at ten, and therefore the book signing should begin. I was right behind Liz, but somehow ended up like ten people behind her in line. He signed our books, stamped them with a cool stamp, and gave us a postcard. I must mail mine to a buddy of mine who lent me her book while on vacation. :)

Liz and I headed out at about 9:30. It was pouring... and I need new windshield wipers. I was slightly panicky about not being able to see the lines on the road. I had to stop for gas, managing to only get slightly damp, then headed off to the freeway. Went the wrong way to get on the 10 so headed back the way I came, all in torrential downpour. I was paying so much attention to the lines on the road that I missed the street I was supposed to turn on. At least I was in an area where I knew what streets would hook me up to the freeway again. Finally spotted a 405 sign and headed onto the freeway, which, once I got into the left lanes, was okay. There was a lot of standing water in right lane and I felt myself begin to hydroplane for a moment.

I am now in love with the little reflectors they put on the lines in the freeway. It was a definite strict 10 and 2 drive, paying attention to the other people who couldn't drive worth beans in the rain either. Some cars were constantly slowing down to 45 mph and others were going 80!

I kept at a nice 55 (average flow of traffic), speeding up a little closer to home as the rain lightened. I hate driving in the rain. Guh!