Twilight Mania: Forks Geocache 2.0

Okay, all you Twihards, listen up!

That geocache (high tech treasure hunt) of amazingness in Forks, Wa? The one with 10 different stops and 10 different clues? The clues you had to solve to get the final latitude and longitude coordinates to find the TREASURE BOX of amazingness? The one I blogged about here? The one with the clues printed out above?

I have confirmation from the people who placed the treasure box that I have the CORRECT coordinates.

I am now officially committed to going back to Forks, WA, to claim that cache. Heck, I have cutie pie readergirlz buttons that I want to put in the box!!

Twilight: This & That Thoughts

Wow, Twihards! Thanks for all the feedback here on my blog, on Facebook, and through Tweets about my Twilight Mecca to Forks.

YAY to Jennifer who is bringing her Girl Scout troop to Forks to do the Twilight Geocache!

YAY to Gypsy Wings for returning to Seattle soon. I am *so* going to take her on the Twilight Geocache.

YAY to all of you for indulging in my geekiness.

Quick thoughts about something that's been eating at me. Has anyone else noticed that in interviews, Stephenie Meyer seems to be almost...apologizing for her writing? Like this about a much quoted, much tattooed line in her book: "I know it's cheesy." Or again when she talks about not always choosing the best words. Or that she sees herself as a storyteller more than a writer.

I just want to tell her to STOP!

I don't think I have ever heard of a best-selling male author apologize for his writing. To call a single one of his lines as "cheesy."

I don't think millions of people would be buying and quoting and wearing and tattooing her words if they didn't think those words were good.

So female authors out there: can we just make a pledge to ourselves? Whether romance writers, YA writers, horror writers--let's just be proud that we're creating!

Today I am thankful for my ever-growing community of YA authors. An amazing community.

Twilight: Mecca to Forks + Geocaching (of course)

A day off of school? Precious time with a Twi-struck kiddo? What's a mom to do? Why, pack the stationwagon for a mecca to Forks, WA, to celebrate all things Twilight.

And of course, while at it, squeeze in a geocache. Yes, folks, there is a Twilight geocache, placed in Forks, WA just a few weeks ago. Now, I've done some seriously crazy-making geocaches, but this one was pretty strenuous given our time constraint: 10 stops, puzzles to solve at every single one of them, and then a final challenge...

We fortified ourselves at Sully's after the 3.5 hour drive + ferry ride. Thanks to Gypsy Wings who made her mecca to Forks earlier this year, I was armed with the inside scoop, including indulging in a Bella Burger. Did I miss a reference in the book--but why was there pineapple wedged in the burger? Was it because Bella is a little prickly? A little tart?

The geocache began at the Chamber of Commerce with Bella's truck. (The clue involved a few bolts, adding digits together, and division.)

Next, we zipped over to the hospital where Dr. Cullen had his own parking spot. (Those jaded among you might be rolling your eyes. However, just think: a book spawned all of this fandom. A book! That is worth celebrating!) I personally loved how the town has thrown itself into the characters.

And then a trip to the Swan house, followed by a quick stop at the Cullen house. (I have to admit, the Cullen house used in the movie completely captured the family. Bravo, location scout!)

We braved the perfect vampire conditions of rain and wind to make it to Jacob's stomping grounds where we claimed the last clue: counting those orange balls above the water.

Bummer! After all that, we were skunked by the final coordinates. We tromped around in the mud and muck in prime Twilight woods for half an hour before we gave up. The ferry was calling and we had to run...despite the readergirlz buttons we were going to drop into the cache. With the movie coming out in November, there will be a next time.

Kindle: Sparking a Love Affair!

After hearing me whine, cry, and moan about only being allowed to bring 50 books into China next year, my hubby bought me a Kindle.

Today was play day. I am an early adopter of fashion, not of technology. So I gingerly unpacked the Kindle and have to admit: what the device had going for it was the pretty, book-like packaging.

Then it was time to put the book download to a test. Amazon promised that the entire process would take less than a minute. And that's all it took to change me from skeptic to convert. Sixty seconds. In that time, I downloaded BREAKING DAWN and within seconds, Edward was in my hands!

So it's true. Kindle had me at a whisper. Because that promised Whispernet technology? It worked. So I tested my own book. Look!

I was expecting that the device would be a distraction because I love the feel of a book in my hands when I read. But the leather book cover that comes with the Kindle pretty much approximates that bookish feel.

So far, two thumbs up!

Even so, here's my wishlist for Kindle 2.0 (so far):

• I want the book covers to be shown in color, not black & white.
  
• I want to be able to highlight portions of sentences, not the entire line.


• While this form factor is very sleek, I really wish the Kindle wasn't stark white. I'll have to see if there's a cute skin I can wrap around it. And then there are always my Moo stickers that I can use!