I'm trying to get the old brain jump-started this morning, and while I'm waiting for the coffee to kick in, I figured I'd make a journal entry. It's been a while. So here we go; an update:

Still busy as ever at work. That's been sucking most of my time and energy (working on weekends = bad).

We braved the cold and wind on Saturday and took Drew to the St. Patrick's Day parade in downtown Raleigh. Once we got our chairs set up in the crowd, the cold wasn't too bad. The bagpipers were the best, though they looked cold in them there kilts. Apparently anyone can enter the parade, so it was a long one, with huge breaks, so we left early. We did share a tasty empire biscuit and an eccles cake (bought from the Scottish baker stand). Yum! Foreign pastries!

We had visitors last week -- my old college buddy Cathi and her husband Paul and their youngster Garrett. Much beer and frozen drinks were consumed, along with barbecue and ribs, while Drew and Garrett tore up the house. Their visit was too short, and I had to rush off to work the next morning (damn conference calls!) but we're glad they dropped by on their visit to the south.

We once again missed the big St. Patrick's day fest in my hometown of Dyersville, Iowa. My parents went back (happy b-day Dad!), and my two sisters and their fams all got to drink gallons of green beer (from milk jugs, even!). Maybe next year...

And finally, I've been trying to do more reading instead of banging my head about my lack of interest in fiction writing lately. I've had a copy of Richard Russo's Nobody's Fool on my shelf forever, so I picked it up and am really loving it. Great use of humor and characterization, along with a really interesting setting. I wish I had more time to read it. I loved his book Straight Man, set in the world of a college writing professor, but this one seems better already.

One last note about writing -- I got the proofs for my story "A Miracle in Shreveport," which is coming out in the fine zine Electric Velocipede in May. (Here's the Table of Contents.)

Reading over the proof last night (after a busy day of working on the house -- painting, hanging pictures, etc. in the master bath, which is done, at last!), I found myself getting interested in the baseball novel again. Some cool characters there, an interesting setting. Maybe, like Russo, I need to add more humor to the book.

So maybe I can start work on the revision of The All Nations Team again, since I've made zero progress on any of my other projects... We shall see. Later!