Words Written: notes on upcoming stories
Writing Stats: One sale, one submission, two rejections, two critiques. Signed contract for aforementioned sale.
Exercise: Yeah. Not so much, yet.

Sale! Escape Pod has picked up “What Dragons Prefer” for a podcast. The editor called it “a very fun little piece” and hopes I’ll submit more.

So. RWA Nationals is this weekend. I’m trying very hard not to think about it. This is the third year in a row that I’ve tried to go and been unable to. (Okay, one year it was because we bought and moved into an historic house, so I’m not saying it’s all completely bad.) But it’s crucial for my career, and once again—third time being a nasty charm—I can’t go, and it hurts, you know? A grinding pain in the pit of my stomach, a catch in my breath. I’m hoping Faerieworlds will prove a sufficient distraction—I’m going with wonderful dear friends who will make me laugh, make me think, make me dance inside. Still, I know that there will be moment when I’ll have to turn away and regroup because something reminded me, and I’ll feel awful. And by the gods, the day 2007 registration opens, I’m buying mine, and the only thing keeping me from going will be death or serious illness. I’ll even brave setting foot in Texas again.

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Friday I was pretty grumpy. I woke up to a double-whammy rejection and it sort of went downhill from there. The drive to Santa Barbara was uneventful, my meeting with my boss (company president) went fine, and I had the chance to hang out with several co-workers and walk with Elise. The traffic on the way home was a little bad, but I listened to RWA sessions both ways and thought about various novels I need to finish up. So I was kind of in a good mood, but I got home and it was hot and I got grumpy again. Sigh.

Saturday was shed-raising day in the backyard. We’re providing a home for the Shire shed and its contents, and I will become the most anal-retentive Quartermaster the Shire has ever had. (Can you say “sign-out sheets”? I most certainly can!) I was not involved in the raising of the shed, for I am not stupid enough to risk my back when there are sweaty muscular men in abundance to do that sort of thing. I expected to be able to sit inside and work and only have to deal with folks occasionally, but I was wrong. I was outside chatting, inside chatting, ordering pizza for lunch and barbeque for dinner, making sure the water dispenser had ice in it, delivering fruit ices (and being called a goddess), etc. Folks were gone by 9:30 p.m. or so and I pretty much feel over. I hadn’t been sleeping well the past few nights on top of everything else, so I was done for the night.

Even though Oxnard/Ventura has been one of the coolest spots in the country, it’s still effing hot here. I ranted about that in a recent entry so I won’t repeat myself. I’m kicking myself for not buying a midsize square fan when I bought the desk fan for my writing office, because I need one for the media room and now all the drug stores are out of fans.

Today, Morgana and I had to run an errand, and we ended up running several, just so we could drive around in my air conditioned car. Sad, no? We’ve been working on a project for Pirate Tourney, and it’s kind of secret, but I can say that it’s turned out freakin’ awesome! I’ll post pictures after the event. Anyway, we worked on that yesterday, and went out today to buy a few more bits to finish off. Then Albra came over and we worked on my faerie crown more. It, too, will be awesome.

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Today was Ken’s and my 8th wedding anniversary. It’s not “the big one” we celebrate, because essentially the British government forced us to get married at that particular time. But I’d still run off to Gretna Green with him, notwithstanding drunken Scotsmen beating down their new bride’s B&B door. I’m guessing he and his Janie didn’t make it to 8 years….

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Currently Reading: Days of Rage, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Lately Listened To: the soft hum of various fans
Recently Watched: Prime Suspect, Without a Trace, CSI: Miami