Yesterday was a full day off, no driving, no readings. We worked most of the day in an abandoned middle school a block away from downtown Hasting, NE. I finished a draft of the new novel, Gainesville. Very happy with it. Then we went out to eat with Todd, of Hastings' Todd and Cody. A design/architectural power couple here in town. Todd brought out a microphone at dinner and interviewed me and Ben. I had been reserved most of the day, kept to myself while drinking Todd's homebrew on the back porch. But when the microphone came out, Ben and I both spoke freely and at length about the tour, our projects, etc. All of the sudden, we were performing. Strange how, after all of this, I'm more comfortable when I feel the pressure to perform, when a microphone is out or when I'm on stage, than I do in a more casual social situation, say, without a microphone. We all noticed how smoothly the conversation went once the microphone came out. From here on out, I'm going to pin a microphone to my lapel, wear it around wherever I go.
Roxane Gay told me Hasting was the STICKS. She was right. I went to see Captain America 3D today. I'd been working all morning and it was time to check back in to contemporary popular culture. Plus I like comic book movies, typically. But I was late, and no one else showed up, so they hadn't started the movie. They said if they started it now, it would run into the next showing, so I had to abandon the project. Hastings is the STICKS.
My favorite place here, so far, is the Olive. The bar featured in yesterday's video. It's small and cozy and Sunshine Wheat is $6.50 a pitcher. Sorry I didn't take any pics or make any videos yesterday. Hopefully I'll get some tonight.
We have a few hours until our reading tonight. We're going to a wine tasting in a bit, I guess. It's exciting after two nights off. To read, I mean...we haven't had two nights off from wine tasting, which isn't something I'm necessarily proud of...but it's true nonetheless. Anyway, we'll read at Hastings College tomorrow, do a little workshop, and then we're off to Lincoln, NE to read at the Bourbon Theater. Fun fun.
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