Set-Up & Day One at the LA ABAA book fair

This was a long, long day. We started at Clementine for breakfast.
Suzanne had "the best apricot ginger scone of [my] life". I had a
Citrus Puff Pastry with Almond Frangpane (pictured). Amazing. And good
coffee.

Registration started at 9am (though we all registered and at our booth
by 8:30, thankfully). Our cases were waiting (pictured) and other than
a bad light in a trophy case (rapidly replaced), everything started
smoothly.

Approximately 7 hours later, the booth was done and looking pretty
good (pictured). We are sharing a 15 foot booth with our friends Josh
& Sunday of B&B Books fame. They arrived much later and were finished
much earlier. They are evil. We have a great location, easy to find
and surrounded by great friends/dealers (J. Windle on one side, B.
Shapero on the other and B. Quaritch across the aisle).

The show opened at 4pm with a pretty good surge of people and it
stayed steadily busy all evening (pictured). I sold a few things to
the trade and a few things to real humans. The best and most fun sale
(in some time) was a rather nice book to an utterly charming 14 year
old young lady (with her dad's assistance). Dad asked if she really
liked it, she did an amazingly longing upward eyesweep while saying,
'oh, yes'. Utterly brilliant. You have to love a passionate young
bookwoman.

The show closed at 9pm. We kibitzed for a bit and Suz posted some
images for a client. We finally staggered out around ten, intent on
calzones from Johnnie's. We arrived to find them closed. After a bit
of pleading sign langague (I am never above begging for a good
calzone), they *actually unlocked the door* and let us in. The
calzones were excellant (pictured).

Show opens to dealers at 9 and to the public at 11. We have been told
Cementine does Eggs Benedict on Saturday. Tomorrow is looking good.