Research trip to Eugene = a success

Last Wednesday, I took off on the Coast Starlight--known for being one of the most scenic train rides in the United States or, known as the train that Sheldon and the gang take up to Berkeley on an episode of the Big Bang Theory--headed for Eugene, OR to do some detailed research for my work-in-progress YA manuscript.  It wasn't the kind of research that involves libraries (though of course I couldn't resist visiting the fantastic Eugene Public Library two days in a row, and the Lane County Historical Society) but more about reminding myself why Eugene is so unique, and why I've chosen to set my book there.  I wanted to make sure I got the details right--from the oddly decorated houses in the Whiteaker neighborhood, to the vegan pizza restaurant from which the characters get their take-out, to the other places the characters might have gone that were definitely there in 2006.  It was a good thing I checked, because since I'd last been in Eugene (summer of 2003), several "institutions" had been bought out or gone out of business.  Good to know!

Anyway, it was a really delightful trip that made me so excited to start edits on my book.  It also helped that my early readers are finally coming through with feedback on draft one.  Of course, I had to take breaks from all my challenging, burdensome research.

And... the highlights!

- Probably had the best soup of my life at Pizza Research Institute.  As in, I am contemplating writing in to Bon Appetit for the recipe.

- Chatted with a friendly anarchist at Bad Egg Books, a radical lending library.

- Saw The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Diary of a Wimpy Kid - to take breaks from all the walking

- Ran part of Pre's trail.  I wish I could've run the entire thing (4-ish miles) but I had to run 2 miles just to get there and running more than 5 miles after already having walked 5 seemed... like a bad idea.

- Trekked out to Springfield for roller derby - Emerald City Roller Girls!

- Took plenty of pictures.  (It's research!  The best kind!)

Now, I only have to integrate all my notes (and you know, turn ideas into paragraphs, pages, etc.) into my book, fix everything else that's wrong with it, and, start looking for agents, round two!  Oh, and continue to read a book a day, and read and review the 5 books for the ABNA contest.  And relocate and buy a car and unpack.

Geez, this is looking like a lot.  Especially with baseball season starting on Sunday!