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So, of course, I was happy and eager to go to the big kick off event at the State House a couple weekends ago. It was a blast, but it was so busy that it went by way too fast! It happened so quickly that most of the day is kind of a blur.
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First, there was a lion dance:
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0_FksXFtEC4/TeEXQQOkE9I/AAAAAAAAGi4/mgPC0oZEeRE/s320/RI_dragons2.jpg)
Someone told me it was in my honor, which I wasn't sure to believe. But I did get to feed one of the lions with lucky lettuce:
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Z8LWNpW0uQ/TeEWDHdJmUI/AAAAAAAAGiY/TBB_5EkWOBU/s320/RI_mefeed.jpg)
Which they spit onto the audience (always a crowd pleasing trick!):
Then I gave a talk:
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sZ6TbBmKJws/TeE18Vn9AyI/AAAAAAAAGkI/66zl-CaZ4YI/s320/RI_metalk.jpg)
to a lot of people in a really fancy room:
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6vf_6AgWOI/TeEV4ECtx_I/AAAAAAAAGiI/kl3zanQr_Lo/s320/RI_crowd.jpg)
And then I signed books for a long, long time:
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CWMu5ZY0qnE/TeE2AKdaqwI/AAAAAAAAGkQ/9_pTbeDHrBA/s320/RI_mesign.jpg)
The Kids Reading Across Rhode Island program was giving away a copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to every family for FREE! That explains the long line:
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pIU34bftTjE/TeEV9XD6rHI/AAAAAAAAGiQ/Kezr7WGRod0/s320/RI_line.jpg)
I felt like a rock star! Too bad I can't give away my books for free more often!
Thanks so much, Kids Reading Across Rhode Island!!!
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sZ6TbBmKJws/TeE18Vn9AyI/AAAAAAAAGkI/66zl-CaZ4YI/s320/RI_metalk.jpg)
to a lot of people in a really fancy room:
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e6vf_6AgWOI/TeEV4ECtx_I/AAAAAAAAGiI/kl3zanQr_Lo/s320/RI_crowd.jpg)
And then I signed books for a long, long time:
![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CWMu5ZY0qnE/TeE2AKdaqwI/AAAAAAAAGkQ/9_pTbeDHrBA/s320/RI_mesign.jpg)
The Kids Reading Across Rhode Island program was giving away a copy of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon to every family for FREE! That explains the long line:
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pIU34bftTjE/TeEV9XD6rHI/AAAAAAAAGiQ/Kezr7WGRod0/s320/RI_line.jpg)
I felt like a rock star! Too bad I can't give away my books for free more often!
![](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Gzte3813_lE/TeEXbvKbI-I/AAAAAAAAGjA/B-cwXiqlHaE/s320/RI_me_reader.jpg)