sarah · dessen

So it appears that Lock and Key is popping up in a few bookstores here and there, leading loyal readers to ask---understandably---what happened to the release date being the 22nd? Truthfully, I am not sure. I was told the book wouldn't go on sale until then, but I guess if some stores are getting it early they are going ahead and putting it out. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. Honestly, I'm just happy people are excited it's coming out at all. But I'm going to keep going with the 22nd date, because that's what Allison the Super Publicist says, and I listen to her above all else.

In other, completely unrelated news, this weekend I met some hairless cats. Have you ever seen one of these things? They are VERY unusual looking. See?

Truth be told, I am not really a cat person, as my mom is allergic, so we never had them growing up. Cats totally know this, apparently, because anytime I am around a cat, it immediately comes over and winds around my legs, or jumps in my lap or, in the case of my friend Courtney's cat Loretta, attacks my foot for no reason. These hairless cats I met this weekend, though, sort of fascinated me. They were so unique looking, almost eerie, like they weren't cats at all, but some other kind of creature. I was still a little freaked out, though, I must admit, although whether it was just my general Cat Uneasiness or a new Hairless Cat Uneasiness, it was hard to say.

Finally, my baby is so close to crawling it's just crazy. She went from doing push ups to pulling herself forward with her hands to a combo of both, which looks a lot like she's doing The Worm. Before, she got around with a mix of pushing, pulling, and these wild one-handed rolls which always seemed to happen right on the edge of the carpet, leading to her bonking her head on the hardwood, ouch. But now, she's all about the straight line. Up on her toes, revving up, then down on her tummy, inching forward. Yesterday, she started moving one hand while on her hands and knees, which means there's only one more step and then it's ON. It's pretty amazing, I have to admit, watching the progress of all this. It makes you think about all the little steps involved in any big event, most of which we probably take for granted. Nothing ever really happens all at once: it just seems that way. All along, these little changes, tiny adjustments, mistakes and corrections, getting you closer, and then closer still, to the end result, whether it be a book coming out, or dealing with your fear of hairless animals, or simply learning to move all on your own.

That said, I think it's time to do some babyproofing. Stat!

Have a good day, everyone!