I was up until 2:30 AM this morning finishing up "One," so this will be a brief entry. I got 2600 words written on the story at three different sittings last night (bringing the word count up to 3600), and turned it in this morning. I think it turned out pretty well, said what I wanted it to say, and was funny and sad at the same time. Plus, I was finally able to work in my stuffed orange-brown triceratops named Plymouth, who has been one of my favorite toys since I was five years old. I brought him with me to Clarion as moral support, and I'll probably take him to the critique tomorrow. I combined his character in the story with the other stuffed animal I brought, Eyema Leppard, who growls and announces in a very stentorian tone "I'm a leopard" when you squeeze his belly.

We only got through three stories this morning because of late starts and tangential story comments. But this turned out okay, since it means I only have to read two stories for tomorrow. (I already read the one that was skipped for today, and mine is another one.) Which gives more time to nap or start on "China Life".

I got a postcard from my sister today, who is head of the drama program at Camp Laurel, a vast and expansive summer camp up in Maine. I wondered what some marks were on the right side of the postcard, then Kristin explains how they are kisses from her pet bunny Snickers, which made me laugh uproariously in the elevator, causing a small Asian woman to give me a strange look.

Back on the 17th, I got a postcard from my mother back in North Carolina, which I thought was hilarious and quite wonderful. A nice reversal that took me by surprise, since I'm the one away from home and should be sending postcards to her.

And the header above is a play on a story that Leslie What just had published in The Third Alternative last month, called "That Jellyfish Man Keeps A-Rollin." It's been sort of an inside joke here that keeps popping up thanks to Jamie (who is from New York and has a wry sense of humor) and amazingly enough, keeps getting funnier every time.

Anyway, the Lord Morpheus, King of All-Night's Dreaming (and sometimes during the day) is calling my name. I guess this wasn't such a short entry after all. Anyway, the bed/couch awaits.