We are back in New York City for about 36 hours before hitting the East Coast swing, and we must confess that our stop in Mattoon, pictures of which can be found here, wasn't much like our other appearances. First off, it was in the lobby of a mall; we were right next to a woman selling sheep sweaters and model train sets. This eliminated the need for a reading; Mattoonians would have thought we were from some Christian youth group, we suspect, had we just started talking out loud.

Anyway, we think we're the first reading in Mattoon since the last time we read there. But our eighth grade advanced english teacher showed up, which succeeded in making us feel so, so old.

But yes: Goodbye, Midwest, and thanks, Mattoon! Next stop: Boston!

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