November 7 to 11 Annalise's Global Action Award in New York

For the last week, I've been in New York with Annalise while she received her Netaid Global Action Award. You can read about it and see photos at
http://www.netaid.org/global_action_awards/

It's been great spending time with her again, riding the Merry Go Round in Central Park, seeing old friends, and learning about global philanthropy. Even though I've not done much book signing, speaking or media, it's been busier than ever and since this is a blog aobut my book tour, I'll just summarize these past days.

Monday
I was up to catch the 5:00 am airport bus to Calgary to get flights to Toronto and New York. Air Canada is much more comfortable, friendly and spacious than the US airlines. After traffic delays landing, I headed toward the hotel where Annalise had bought half price tickets to the Phantom of the Opera. We both were so exhausted we slept through much of the performance.

Tuesday
After a radio interview for Saturday Morning Show with Ed Walsh on WOR Radio and a leisurely brunch where Annalise shared with me her visions of how to get more young people in the US involved in helping the world, we had a wonderful romp through Central Park, followed by a memorable tour of the New York Times. We met the other Net Aid award winners, a fantastic group of young people.
http://www.netaid.org/global_action_awards/2005/

Wednesday
We began our day with another interesting walk in Central Park with Arthur and his daughter and then Annalise had a series of media interviews. The ceremony was held in the amazing Jazz room at Lincoln Center with huge windows framing a dramatic view of Manhattan. The food and music were great and I knew the room was full of amazing people. Annalise looked beautiful and I’m very proud of her for her care for the world.
http://www.netaid.org/global_action_awards/

Thursday
After another walk in the park, we invited the award winners and their parents and friends to lunch in a Chinese restaurant. We sat around a round table, got to know each other better, and shared experiences.

Annalise had a stomach ache and rested at my friend Patti Kemerer’s lovely Park Avenue apartment while I got our visas at the Burmese Consulate nearby. Patti then had a wonderful book party for me where I met spoke about Breaking Trail to a group of her interesting friends. Most memorable was Patti’s amazing friend Ruth G, who said between me and Annalise at dinner and shared viivid accounts of of hearing Hitler speak in Germany, meeting Virginia Wolf several times, and her work with Iccles, FDR's Secretary of the Interior. Ruth is still writing books at age 94.
Books signed: forty
#13,886 in Books

Friday
Happily back in New Rochelle with our dear friends Scott and Stacy Miller, we went back to Manhattan for the day so Annalise could go to a conference and talk with the President of Netaid about her ideas for getting more American teens to care about the world (I seem to have lost my camera with my photos for this blog. So sad.)
Friday: #17,462 in Books