I'm still working my way through my fine-tuning of the baseball novel, enjoying it even more this go-round, and already feeling impatient about my responses to the agents I queried about it. Quite a change from where I was a month or two ago, when I was ready to just chuck this whole writing thing in the can and look for some other way to spend my limited spare time.

Looks like I can't get away from this writing gig that easily. Guess I was never cut out to be "normal." Whatever that is.

I was hoping to finish up my midwestern story I started last month, but I never got 'round to it. I sort of know what happens in that one, but just haven't had time to get to it. Maybe this month, as it's freakin' July already! Holy crap. The year's half over already.

I have a lot of different things I want to do, reading-wise and writing-wise, that I just don't seem to have time for. I've got the non-fiction book Shades of Glory that I'm dying to read as research for this novel, plus the Graham Joyce novel I haven't had time to read since Monday, I think, plus the story and novel tweaks. I'd love just a weekend with nothing to do but get caught up.

'Til then I'll keep pecking away at stuff, and trying to keep up with the real world (work's been ramping up again, keeping me on my toes, which is a good thing, though I do sometimes miss being a peon with copious amounts of goof-off time, which I had at my previous jobs).

Here's a fun bit from chapter 4, which I finished revising today:

I took a step back and was rewarded with what felt like an ice pick of pain shooting up my right leg. At some point I'd managed to twist my knee. I dropped onto the bench next to No Small Foot, gasping for breath from the pain and wondering why Mendez's Orishas -- or whatever they were -- had taken the day off instead of watching over all of us. Those holy spirits were never around when you needed them.

And now we've got to get prepped for a party here at the new digs this afternoon! A bunch of friend s are coming over for a get-together and cookout. Should be fun! Later...