Amen, sister

Paperback Writer had this to say on her blog this morning:
"Going to the bookstore is like going to church. I'm surrounded by the people who share my convictions, and touch base with what it's all about for me personally. I miss being a bookseller so much sometimes. Man, I lived to work the floor and talk books. "

I _so_ get that! I was actually just thinking about hauling my laptop bag and wip down the Barnes& Noble when I read it. I love everything about books stores, especially ones with extra stuff like cafes and music sample stations. But even without those, I can spend hours [and hundreds of dollars!] wandering the shelves. Of course I hit the romance, mainstream fiction and travel sections. But I also love the children's books and bargain tables- you never know what you'll find which is the main joy of the place.

I also love working in bookstores. I was a Waldenbooks employee for ten years, and while I don't miss hauling heavy boxes or doing inventory or holiday mall hours, I do miss getting to go there every day. That's why at least once a week, I pack up the computer and hardopy pages and treat myself to a day at the bookstore.

I'm lucky enough to have my own tax-deductable office in the house, but as anyone who works at home knows, that means being utterly surrounded by and prone to distractions. Jo Leigh was talking yesterday about how this affects her. "When I’m writing a book, any kind of change throws me off. I’m not talking about big changes here. Anything that isn’t in my usual routine... By the time we got home, I just felt tired and anxious, but sitting at the computer was just that. Sitting. "

I totally get that, too. My son is in day camp all week specifically so I can have uninterupted writing time. But what am I doing instead of jumping into chapter two? Sitting here blogging and worrying because the kids are going to Cascade Lake today and my precious angel isn't a very good swimmer and I'm not there to watch him and I hope they have enough camp counselors and lifeguards and...