Dude, I think I redefine the concept of last minute. For example, I should've been on the road and headed to Germantown, Maryland at least two hours ago. Instead, I'm here, wrapping up the last few things on my to-do list. After which I still need to drop Scout off at my mom's and make the two and a half hour drive to Germantown. Did I mention I haven't packed yet?

ANYWAY.

So, why the declaration of love for Long Island? Well, on Wednesday I gave a presentation at the Long Island Library Conference in Huntington Station, New York. Although I was psyched about the conference, I'd been dreading the trip for weeks because I had to drive into Brooklyn first for a meeting with my agent and some other big important people, and then from there drive to Long Island in rush hour traffic, and then on Wednesday head back to Delaware at the start of another rush hour.

And yet.

I only hit a spot of traffic - the Brooklyn to Long Island leg - and despite getting two $35 parking tickets while in Brooklyn Heights (perhaps I should've been filling my meter instead of singing the lyrics to the theme from THE PATTY DUKE SHOW), everything was PERFECT.

On my way out to Long Island, I passed a White Castle. Now, we don't have White Castles in Delaware. And I'd never had a White Castle hamburger in my life. And it just so happens that a couple of weeks ago I watched HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE, and I am a highly suggestible person. But also: even the Beastie Boys have immortalized the big WC. So, I decided that once I got to Long Island, I would pick myself up some White Castle for dinner.

At the hotel I check the phone book but don't see any White Castle listings. No biggie - I like exploring. So, I drive around, and in about twenty minutes I find a White Castle. Score! Except, hi - what's up with the drive through? I don't know if they all are like this, but the one I went to had this bizarre drive through set up that looks more like the drive through at the bank. The person working the window (which you're not even near, by the way - you only know there's a person because a disembodied voice screams at you from the speaker set up next to the food basket thing) got pissed off at me because I clearly had no idea what I was doing.

But I got my White Castle and since I was hungry I started eating it in the car. They were good! Not earth-shattering, but at least I can now say, "Oh, yeah - I've eaten at White Castle."

So, where's the problem? Well, I got lost. Like, really lost. For about three hours, I couldn't find my hotel. Yes, I probably should've stopped and asked for directions. But I didn't. It was late and I was in New York and I had a map and was determined to figure it out for myself. And even though being lost got annoying after I realized I was missing VERONICA MARS, it was kind of cool to drive through some of these towns I'd only read about or seen in movies. Of course, I did drive by about six thousand White Castles while lost, and by the end I was glaring at them and saying out loud, "Damn you, White Castle!"

THE CONFERENCE. WAS. AWESOME.

First of all, even though it was a straight up Library Conference, they had YA King Chris Crutcher as the keynote. I'd never heard Chris Crutcher speak before and he was so amazing - just totally natural and straight forward and funny. And then I went and did my presentation on Sex and the Young Adult Novel, and TWO HUNDRED PEOPLE showed up, and I got to see writerross, and things went well. Then, after Kate (my "handler" and one of the coolest YA librarians I've ever met) and I had lunch - and bonded over watching MY SUPER SWEET 16 on MTV - she lead me directly to Chris Crutcher so I could meet him and get my books signed. HE WAS SO NICE. Part of what I admire about him is how fearless he is. I said this and he said, "It's because I'm old." He was joking, but in my head I'm thinking, "No, it's because you're a guy." But also: authors who hit it out of the park on their first or second book have an easier time later. People WORSHIP Chris Crutcher, so they'll put up with the profanity he uses. Whereas another author would have to work harder to get librarians on his or her side.

After my stint as a nervous fangirl, Kate lead me to the place where I would sign books. I got to meet a lot of really cool people, including the mother of a former student of mine, and talked to a bunch of librarians who'd attended my presentation. Then, around 3 p.m., I packed up and headed for home, certain it was going to take me six hours to get there.

And then ... it didn't. I hit absolutely NO traffic. I even had to drive through uptown Manhattan at one point (I took the wrong exit) but still got through the Lincoln Tunnel without much pause at all. I made it home in 3.5 hours, even with a bathroom break and a stop for dinner.

So, I've been pretty exhausted. I mean, I was home yesterday, but I had to comment on drafts of student research papers and clear out 287 e-mails. And snuggle with Scout. And then today I had the conferences with those students and more stuff to do, and oh - what I wouldn't give for a weekend home in my PJs.

But at least tomorrow I'll get to see Pam Smallcomb and laurabowers and Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson and a bunch of other cool people. And then Pam and Laura and I will do the Red Robin thing afterward, and that's always fun. Besides - the semester's almost over, and then I have a whole summer to relax.

Well, that and write a book and do a whole bunch of speaking gigs and get my house in order and and and ...

Yeah.