On Friday I got a rejection from Strange Horizons. On Saturday I sent "Pieces Of Us From The Earth" back out to Third Alternative. Thanks to the beautiful Miss X for giving me a kick in the ass on Saturday morning. That's the way it should be done. Er, sending stories, not ass kicking. I've been good to this story, sending it back out when it returns. When will I do the same for the others on my desk?

After the visit to Allann Brothers cafe and the post office, we went up to Portland for someone's birthday party. The highlight was the chocolate cake with Marvin The Martian on top, along with goats and clowns and decapitated clown heads. Wonderful birthday party by all accounts. Have another great year, Jay!

Afterwards, X and I walked to Powell's, the sidewalks filling with men, women, and children sitting in lawn chairs or laying on blankets. It was Portland's Rose Parade. And these were just the early birds.

At Powell's I looked for the John D. MacDonald biography The Red Hot Typewriter, but I couldn't find it. I was looking forward to reading that next. There's this astronomical number of words John D wrote in a short span of time. I gotta locate that figure again. He was one productive and highly driven writer.

I left Powell's with the fifteenth volume of The year's Best Fantasy & Horror. I have volumes one through twelve at the home. The only reason I bought fifteen is because of my Realms story is in the Honorable Mentions. I also bought the 2003 Novel and Short Story Market. It's strange, I can think about the books I want to look for, but once I walk into the bookstore my mind's a blank.

On the way back to the car we saw the beginning of the parade. It's been a long time since I've watched one. I like the way the beat of the bass drum thumps in my chest as the band marches past.

That was Saturday. Sunday I slept a lot. Not much to report there. A new week has begun. More work to do on the novel.