Heya! Long time no journal, I know. Been busy, running off to Fuquay and watching Da Cubs and planning and plotting out my new classes. Yep, for this week, and this week alone, I am unemployed!

And having a great time. I actually got up at 4 a.m. this morning to get my writing stuff out of the way. That's the new plan. So far so good -- haven't fallen over yet. I revised and tightened up a novelette and sent it out, and took the smallest glance at the SF novel. Does that count for something? Tomorrow, I vow, I will return to it.

Part of the reason I'm so energetic is that Elizabeth and I made it back to the gym today, which always helps to improve my outlook. Plus I need less sleep when I work out. Always a fine benefit.

Anyhoo -- about the weekend. (I'm a bit behind because I more or less killed our cable modem connection early yesterday morning -- I know just enough computer stuff to be dangerous). Saturday was a fun time at the Lazy Lion bookstore, where they had this kick-ass display in their front window:

Elizabeth and I met Drew Williams at the bookstore, and we also met Greg, the store owner and all-around cool guy (give me free pizza and soda, and you're my friend for life). We did some readings and chatted with Jason and Andreas and Luna and the other folks who dropped in, including Scott Nicholson, whose arrival we'd been announcing all day long, Neil Gaiman-like ("Scott Nicholson will be here in TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES!!!").

Drew and I also got to judge the 24 entries in the short-short horror story contest, which was a lot of fun. Let me tell you, the good stories just jumped out at me. A hint to new writers -- a story should NOT be told all in one paragraph. The winner got the skull I'm holding, below, after it was signed by all three of us:


Then, after I picked up some cash from the copies of Intracities and the copies of Asimov's with "Natural Order" in it (sold 'em all!), Lizzie and I used the money for beers and dinner at a place downtown, and we shot a couple games of pool afterwards, something we haven't done in forever. A very fun day, and I'm quite grateful to Drew and Greg for setting it all up!

Yesterday was pretty uneventful, but today I've been busy with my class prepwork, which has been surprisingly fun. I'm getting pretty excited about my classes, and it's going to be fun talking about writing with students, even it's not specifically fiction writing.

Later this morning, I got a lot of work done until I was interrupted by the appearance of the Mulch Master.

We got 10 cubic yards of mulch for our various flower beds delivered to our front step, so I spent an hour or two throwing mulch around. In the cool lower 70s temperature outside, it was quite pleasant. And I barely made a dent in the pile o' steamin' mulch! I probably won't be able to lift my arms tomorrow...

Now Playing:
"Parachutes," Coldplay

Now Reading:
Strange Days, Gardner Dozois

Stories out to Publishers:
15

Today's Words:
-1,000?

Today's Quote:
Just before floating out of the cave after his Master, Peet grabbed as many pieces of Bartamus’ Cityscape as he could carry, for he had a feeling they would need them for the journey north, and for whatever lay beyond in the mythical City of All-Worlds.