Sorry for the lack of entries lately! I've been feeling really tired. That sounds lame, doesn't it? It's true, though. Turns out working full-time, writing fiction, and PhD these-ing (plus some bad personal news recently) can really wear you out. Now I've got an irritating cold, but the good news is, it really is just a cold this time (hurray! after all the weird medical issues of this past year, it's a relief to just have something minor and normal) and at least it's given me the excuse to lie on the couch in front of the fire all day today, reading the latest issue of Locus and thinking about the current novel.

We did get to Bristol at last, and it was great. Not long enough, but really restful. Patrick and I went to our favorite cafe, The Boston Tea Party, twice, and shopped at Fresh & Wild for cool organic soaps and vegan chocolate cakes. Since coming back home to Leeds, I've finished Chapter Twelve of Congress of Shadows, started Chapter Thirteen, and been invited to submit a story to the latest of a cool series of chapbooks that I've always admired, woohoo! (Of course, now I feel intensely self-conscious about it and can't decide which would be The Perfect Story to submit...oh well!) And we had a wonderful time on Thursday night going to a play at The West Yorkshire Playhouse called "The Lion and the Jewel", by Wole Soyinka. It mixed a witty, charming story with African drumming, singing and dancing, and it was just tremendously fun and spirit-lifting. Must go to plays more often!

Now Nika and I are lying around in the living room (her sleeping, me blowing my nose and drinking many, many glasses of water and tea) while Patrick heroically attacks the mess in the kitchen and listens to the rugby game on the radio.

Good times, all in all.