A coronavirus pandemic alone is sufficient to make these “strange days indeed.” Throw in a crazy election year, racial and social unrest, climate change, multi-trillion-dollar government aid bills, and we’re talking seriously strange.
So when I gassed up my car today in Minnesota in the middle of a mid-October snowstorm and only paid $1.239 per gallon, I actually took it in stride. Snow in October in Minnesota happens occasionally but we rarely get more than a dusting–except for the Great Halloween Blizzard of 1991, which dumped THREE FEET of snow on most of Minnesota in the space of about forty-eight hours. My wife and I were housebound for an entire weekend. We could barely get the front door open. With three feet of snow, the drifts tend to get much higher. Walking through the snow was nearly impossible. And it stayed for the entire winter! Worst was the rain and sleet underlayer that preceded the snow and froze on every road in the Twin Cities. The roads were pitted and rutted and dangerously bumpy to drive on for weeks. Such fond memories.
Even though my $1.239 gas price happened because of a great cents-off-per-gallon deal at my local grocery store, I haven’t seen gas prices that low since 1999. Strange indeed.
THE GOOD NEWS
I’m pleased to announce I’ll be the guest author when the Columbus WI Books & Beers Book Club convenes to discuss the group’s reading of STRAIGHT RIVER. It’ll be a virtual event broadcast via Zoom, so everyone is invited to attend. I’ve been to the October and September meetings and enjoyed myself immensely. If you need a fix of getting together with other book lovers, this is the place for you! Pour a beer or glass of wine, snuggle into your favorite chair, and join the conversation.
The fun starts on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, at 7:00 pm Central Time. If you want an invite, email me at chrisnorburywriter (at) gmail.com. If you want to prepare in advance and read the book, order a signed copy by clicking the button below.
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Also, if you want to access the book club discussion questions I put together for Straight River, click HERE.
Coming up in late November, it looks like the GSR Fine Art Festival will take place LIVE and IN PERSON. I hope to have a booth there to sell books. Check the Events & Appearances page to be sure.
BOOKS MAKE GREAT GIFTS
Check out my online store to order signed copies of all three books:
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