Tea with Sally in Ellicott City (muffins and mutual complaints about editors).
The Reuben sandwich at Duesenberg's in Catonsville (with a side of homemade potato chips).
The Enoch Pratt Library and the tour of its Mencken Reading Room.
Dinner at Helmand in downtown Baltimore, the Afghan restaurant owned by Hamid Karzai's brother.
The Creative Writing Forum at The Community College of Baltimore County, run by the funny and gracious Evan Balkan.
All the people who came to my talk (and laughed at all the right places).
Evan's personal tour of Baltimore.
Seeing Hania's Franco-Polish godson Ian and his sister Mia (with the exception of that last chess match. Ian, I'll get you next time).
A delicious Chinese dinner - and interesting conversation - at the Bethesda home of my friend Mei.
Lunch with old friends Phil and Grace at the Mayflower Hotel.
Seeing men in bow ties.
Seeing people reading books on the metro.
Finding Second-Story Books is still in business. (Thank you, metro.)
Meeting a former freelancer of mine (Arin) for the first time, and finding her as bright and amusing in person as she was on the page.
Talking writing & books with Eric at Politics & Prose.
Seeing my name at newsstands peering out from the cover of The Wilson Quarterly.
Lunch with Matt, an old Sun-Sentinel friend now working at the Post.
Seeing the offices of The Travel Channel.
Learning a new phrase: power wall, describing the place in a Washington house reserved for photos of the owner standing with powerful people.
