All right, got a lot of good planning done on the novel in the past two days -- I needed some kind of over-arching plot to pull all the various subplots together, and I think I've found it. The main conflict comes from the strange centerfielder, who predicts something will happen in three years, but it will only happen if the team remains together.

Of course, even before he makes this prediction, players start leaving the team... I frickin' love conflict, but only when it happens to other people!

Elizabeth and I are having a wonderful, much-needed relaxing weekend. We slept in and then went to the state farmer's market here in Raleigh, where we were disappointed to see that dogs weren't allowed in the open-air buildings. So Whit the Wonder-Pup had to go back into the car, but the weather was cool enough that he didn't mind.

The market was way too crowded for my taste, and about half of the stuff there looked like the people had bought it in bulk and then brought it to the market to sell. Lame. We looked for the fresh-grown stuff and got some veggies and apples and peaches. Then we chowed down on old-time Southern food at the restaurant.

We came home and took a NAP. And I don't nap. But it was quite rejuvenating -- I've had a hectic couple weeks at work, let me tell ya. Actually, I don't want to tell ya -- I refuse to think about work when I'm not at work. So there. :)

And now I'm quite pleased -- got some good writing done on Chapter Five, and I get to do some travel-writing about what Chicago was like in 1915 tomorrow, leading up to the big game between the All Nations and the best Negro team of that time, the Chicago American Giants. Guess who's going to win that four-game series?

Now it's time to fire up the ol' DVD player (either "Cobb" or "Requiem for a Dream" or one other Netflix, or "Lord of the Rings"!) and come in from the back deck, where I've been encamped for the past 2 hours... Later!