TOUR DIARY: BELLINGHAM

Ever have one of those days when, by the end of it, you look back on how the day started and you can't believe it was the same day? I did.

9am - leave for SFO airport aboard a shuttle bus that, after 45 minutes of driving around downtown picking up passengers, I began to suspect had no intention of leaving the city.

11am- fly to Seattle. I think I read a book.

1pm- land, catch a cab, tell him I wish to take the backroad highway to West Seattle, put up with his passive aggressive sigh, arrive home, shower, change.

3pm- arrive at KUOW to voice my weekly bit for Weekend America

3:45pm - have quick visit with my own family in the parking lot of Archie McPhee's of all places (Jill's sister and nephew were in town, they were all out running about)

4pm- begin drive to Bellingham

4:30pm- get stuck in traffic

4:45pm- seethe

5:15pm- seethe more

6:15pm- arrive in Bellingham, hasty dinner with dear friends Sean and Rebecca

7:30pm- reading at Bellingham's most awesometacular Village Books, a store I've long admired. Either there were bribes or the KUOW cache carries northward because the place was packed. Great energetic crowd, that made me ham it up more, it was almost theater. Afterwards, Sean and I went out for drinks (me, one small beer) with Village Books events maven Lindsey who manages to lure not just me - I'm easy - but even Jonathan Safran Foer up to her stoer. Also joining us: Lindsey's cool friends. Not joining us: bookstore cohort Jill who had a hot date with a man who's hear was like that of Rita Coolidge. But macho. Or something.

10:45pm- drive home

12:15am- arrive home, assist in the preparation of house for Kate's 4 year old birthday the next day

12:45am- drift off to sleep, thrilled to be home with family, thankful to HarperCollins for letting me have a day with family before beginning the second part of the tour.

TOUR DIARY: BOSTON sneak preview. People here talk different! And there are many bars!