KATE

No, silly, not THAT Kate...although she does have great style.

THIS KATE.  That's where I was last week.  And it was super fab.  And I spent lots of time with Jay Asher.  If you don't know who he is, stop reading this blog immediately, go to your local library or bookstore, and don't leave until you have a copy of his book, Thirteen Reasons Why, in your hands.  It's dang good...I read it in an afternoon.  Please return once you have a copy.  We'll wait...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Still waiting...

Oh good, you've returned.  Before you begin the book, check out some pics from the conference planned by my colleague, John.

For those of you who chose not to follow the multitude of links above, KATE stands for "Kansas Association of Teachers of English".  My colleagues and friends, John and Bryan, and both on the board.  And as I mentioned, John was the master planner of this year's conference.  In September, he swung (swang?  swinged?) by room and asked if I would do table decor for the conference.  And since I love me a good challenge, I answered, "Duh, yes."

Here, my friends, is proof that I slapped some arrangements together while my colleagues threw down some napkins, baby-sized gourds, tulle, and books taken borrowed from the school's book closet - do not fear fellow teachers, said books are not currently being used by any teacher.  Said books will also be promptly returned Monday morning. 

 

Here I am!  Scratch that.  More importantly, here Jay Asher is!!!  He signed my copy.  Lest you think that's the only fun I had with him, just you wait.  

 Jay Asher (it is humanly impossible to call an author by just his first name) mentioned at lunch that he wanted to enjoy some quality ice cream with us later that evening.  We, of course, imagined he was joking.  My friends, he was not.  So we scheduled a time to meet Jay Asher in the lobby of our hotel, and we ventured out into the grand metropolis of Wichita.  Because I claim to know Wichita like the back of my hand, I was nominated as the official tour guide...which meant I got to ride shot-gun in our enormous suburban.  I'll take it.

So here we are at Braum's in northish, eastish Wichita.  For those of you who want to know (aka:  Mom), mentor Courtney is on the left, co-presenter Jess is on the right, conference planner John is on the right in red, and department head Bryan is on the right in green.  Oh, and Jay Asher is between Jess and Courtney. And my head is the enormous one at the front. 

 Following our time at Braum's, I gave Jay Asher a few options.  My options were mostly lame...because it was a Thursday night and I doubted anything cool would be happening.  BUT he chose to check out Old Town.  So we ventured even further west.  Old Town was anything but hopping, so we re-loaded the suburban and ventured back to our hotel.

On our way back, I nostalgically pointed out every memory I had in downtown Wichita.  I'm sure I sighed a baker's dozen times.  I haphazardly mentioned that there was a donut store with a chicken on top somewhere in downtown Wichita.  Jay Asher proclaimed, "I love donuts!!"  My immediate internal reaction:  dangit, I do not know where this donut store with a chicken on top is.  My heart began racing as I reached for my space phone to use an app (suggested to me by mentor/friend Courtney who just presented on using space phones in the classroom) to locate said donut store with a chicken on top.  But when I looked up, I spotted the most glorious sight in the distance - a ginormous chicken atop a two-story building!  I knew it was the donut store with a chicken on top.  So into the parking lot we pulled, into the donut store with a chicken on top we walked, various-flavored donuts we ordered, and atop cheetah-printed carpet we sat.  For over an hour.  We enjoyed feeling like carefree college students eating junk food late at night and talking about random 80's/90's movies.  Being the baby that I am, many of the early 90's/80's movie/culture references I did not understand, but to be in the presence of these wonderful people while sitting atop cheetah-printed carpet in a donut store with a chicken on top made the moment absolutely wonderful.

 Following our exploration of Wichita, we ended the night at the bar of our hotel where we all enjoyed girly drinks, purchased by none other than Jay Asher himself. 

Jay Asher, if you're reading this, thanks for the memories.  It was truly a memorable night.  

And John, thanks for planning such a fabulous conference (please imagine a high-pitched squeal at this time).  You plan a dang good conference. 

And colleagues/friends, thanks for being who you are.  I can't imagine teaching alongside anyone else.  You've truly made the first 12 months of my teaching career remarkable.  I owe much of who I am as a teacher to you.