Typing as fast as I can

I'm coming to you from Champaign, Illinois while I attend a film festival, so if you're looking for substance over the next few days, your likely bet for it is at my film site or, quite possibly, on Twitter. Those in-the-know or ingenious enough will know where to find these things. (Yes, my effort to compartmentalize myself and keep this site separate remains.)

I awoke around 7:00 a.m., hit the road around 8:10, and arrived two states west four and a half hours later. (No stops!) I arrived in town with plenty of time and even checked into the hotel before noon, if you can believe it. There was no local yarn shop visiting this year, although I know where to find them and the chain stores if necessary. One of the nice things about having come to this event for several years in a row is that I have a reasonably good handle on where things are around town. Plus, there's no stress when it comes to determining when to be at places or where to park.

There is one thing, though, that preoccupies my thoughts while I'm behind the wheel. Look extra hard for the stop lights! Many of them in downtown are to the side of the road and not above and in the middle. If I don't remind myself of this constantly, I swear I'd plow right through them as oblivious as can be.

So far the weather is gorgeous, at least while the sun is out. (It turns pretty chilly after dark.) It might seem silly to care what the weather is like since I'll be inside watching movies, although not in as high of numbers as I did in Cleveland. Traditionally the weather has been pretty lousy during this event. One year my shoes were still soaked the next morning after standing in line to enter the theater the previous night.

Everything's off to a good start here. Now to turn in for some precious sleep.