Hope everyone had a good Hallowe'en. I had a blast. Heather and I drove down to Santa Cruz on Saturday morning, listening to a good This American Life about swing voters on the way. We arrived at Scott and Lynne's house and immediately repaired to the Saturn Cafe (which is where a new scene in my novel revision is going to take place) for lunch, then bought fruit and booze and other such things. We spent the evening drinking sangria and watching horror movies (The Ring, In the Mouth of Madness, and Poltergeist). Sunday morning we rose, ate a delicious lunch courtesy of Scott (fresh garden salad and squash/potato dumplings sauteed in butter and sage), and then hit the streets. We strolled on Pacific Ave. a bit -- by early afternoon there were already scores of people in costume wandering the strip. Great fun. We shopped, and hung out at Pergolesi (partial inspiration for Rangergirl, once my second home!), and played cards (Oh Hell and Poker). We drank beer! We made merry! And etc. Sunday evening we had dinner at a California cuisine/bistro place downtown, then bid a sad farewell to our hosts. Heather and I drove home again, listening to a David Sedaris audiobook. Then we flopped on the couch, watched The Shield, and generally decompressed.

In fiction-related news -- Heather sold a story! And my story, "Life in Stone", written at Hidden City this past summer, is now online at Lenox Ave.. Enjoy!