Excuses, Excuses

Since the thing to do seems to be to stay very, very quiet, don’t expect much here until next week. Yesterday, I crashed and burned after the 700-mile neverending odyssey that was Christmas (thanks for the Magnum), managing only to accomplish lunch with a friend and the pending tweaks to GG (word to the wise: make sure you haven’t inadvertently skipped a chapter, like say eighteen, in numbering). Today the Magnum goes back to its Rental Home and I get my car back, and hopefully a new stereo installed. I have a terrible cold again, or perhaps it’s just exhaustion.

My to-do list is just the right length for a long holiday weekend: getting a massage (a present even!), mailing some stuff, finishing up interviews for and writing a freelance piece, writing up my notes on a friend’s most excellent novel, revisiting my Roanoke research and revising a short story. Oh, and somewhere in there drink champagne and resolve stuff. And see Syriana.

I may break in with an RIP for the Magnum and a list of things that made me happy this year. Then again, I may not. Either way, I wish you an enjoyable last few days of the year and a better next one.

Yes, we’ve been sucked into the holiday vortex. It looks as if it’s a 72-hour journey to the other side this year, so see you late Monday. Much must be eaten to avoid getting trapped forever. (And the holiday bitchiness continues to grow at an alarming rate…)

Anyway, those at the right are less lame than me, so check them out in the meanwhile. Also, Jeff VanderMeer has put up a "kind of" holiday tale from the Secret Life, for your reading pleasure.

Last but not least, drop Mr. Rowe a holiday line or comment on his practically nonexistent birthday (aka TODAY), at CVROWEATGMAILDOTCOM or on any random entry over here. Sadly, he’s still computerless so he may not respond right away, but he’s sharing mine and frequenting the library so it won’t be too long. And how lame is it that he gets no real birthday? Very, very.

And hey, hope you got some loot. You deserve it.

It’s ChristopherGras*, so we’re going out for Mexican food, the latest Realms of Fantasy (with Chris Barzak story, natch) and Narnia. I may even have a Christopherita or two. (Hmmm… I think Gwendarita works better.) Perhaps a post later, depending on the number of ‘ritas.

*It has been pointed out to me that some people don’t know what GwendaGras is, so they won’t know what ChristopherGras is. Can such a thing be true? Figure it out, people! Where have you been?! It’s called JULY**!!! Anyway, Christopher’s birthday is actually on Xmas Day — you still have time to buy him a brand new Apple laptop, which is what he needs as his is dead, dead, dead. (Address in the sidebar, imaginary good samaritans.)

**That’s when my birthday is. July 12.

…is the kind we have!

The North Carolina contingency is en route, with the champions of the Northern Climes coming later on. (NC vs. NC, get it?)  So, there’ll probably be dust bunnies around here for the rest of the week. I’ll try and snap some pics. In the meanwhile, have a happy T-day, everybody.

Nothing of substance here until later. Family obligations had us out of town all weekend and so there is much catching up to be done. I did manage to add some new items to all the sidebars on the left over the weekend, and, of course, you are always encouraged to visit those fine souls along the right.

*Intentional.

Okay, so, terribly behind on email and a number of other things. (Email will be answered tomorrow: promise!) We have a reading tomorrow night (I’ll be doing one of the new and improved Girl’s Gang chapters) and I have to write a crit for this evening. On Sunday, I’m off to Atlanta for a couple of days for a work thing and plan to hole up in my room for any loose ends time to (hopefully) put the Girl’s Gang rewrite securely to bed and I need to work up some questions for an interview I’m doing for someplace that’s not here, and on. SO, to be more succint, it’s busy on this end of the dixie cup and you may not hear much from me until Wednesday or so. I’ll try to poke my head in or pre-post a few things for Monday and Tuesday, but I’m not promising.

Just remember: I love you all. Have a nice weekend.

p.s. Check out Kirby Gann’s most excellent answers to a few questions I sent him by way of Mr. Mumpsimus. Kirby Gann week was a great deal of fun, I think, and there’s still an interesting thread in the comments of one of the posts about flawed books and perfect ones. Stop in and leave your own. I prefer less than perfect books myself, for the most part.

On the heels of the desperate nap need, comes a little bit of bleh. (I’m hoping it’s just a little bit, anyway. I resent the very idea of a virus snatching away my weekend.)

So now, another nap, and reading Oh Pure and Radiant Heart and trying to bypass this weather I’m under. I suggest you check out those down and to the right, and do drop in on The Elegant Variation where writer Christian Bauman (whose Voodoo Lounge is very close to the top of my TBR pile) is holding court today.

Have a good Friday.