Day in the Life of an Idiot

I think the heat and humidity melted my brain. It certainly ated my ability to do much other than lay around yesterday after Eleanor, Mason, and I hit Como Zoo. It was actually pretty pleasant walking around for the most part, but we luckily gave up before 2:00 pm when the humidity, etc., became soul crushing.

It was quite fun to show off the new interpretive center, tropics trail, and fern room to Eleanor who had not been to Como since all those big changes. It's funny the sort of vicarious pride I have. I didn't build it, after all. But I think it's getting to share the joy of discovery. We got to the big cats by early afternoon, and the Siberian tiger was making "sick cat" moans (or perhaps roars, but they really sounded a lot like what my cats do right before they hork up a hairball.) The osterich also looked pretty miserable, but the giraffe and primates couldn't have been happier. I had been hoping the polar bear exibit would be open but I guess we came a month too early. We also missed out on the butterfly garden, though they had the tent set up. Alas.

I also didn't get much writing done yesterday because we're such complete luddites that we have no central air (no cable, and no wifi... what, am I living in the Stone Age? Yes, I am.) It was too hot to even consider lugging the window air-conditioner out of the attic, so we all just collapsed on the bed and tried not to dehydrate on the spot. Now that it's a bit cooler, I think we'll plan ahead. If this is what May is going to be like, I dread June, July and August.

However, by sitting absoultely still with a fan pointed at my body, I was able to get some reading done. I finished PRETTIES, the second book in Scott Westerfeld's UGLIES series, and ran over to my shelf (despite the sudden burst of sweat that caused) and picked up SPECIALS. This is a great series; have you read it? It's a YA, but it's really very good science fiction (which I would expect from the author of EVOLUTIONS DARLING, among others.) Westerfeld is someone who has one of those literary voices that I just sink into, you know? I'm usually a very slow reader, and I've been pounding through this series. I did find an adult series of his at a used bookstore that I initally bounced off, but I'm looking forward to trying the books again once I finish these.

I'll miss you all at WisCON, though I think I'll be there next year. Perhaps by myself, though figuring out the logistics of this maybe somewhat difficult. I'm thinking that Shawn and I will bring Mason down to grandma and grandpas as usual, and then I'll abandon Shawn and family for a day and one evening (so like, I drive down early Saturday morning, and then drive back Sunday morning) so I can at least attend one day and still get some time in over Memorial Day weekend with my folks. At WisCON I'll need to crash in someone's room, but I have a year to make such arrangements if we decide to do it this way. It's better than nothing, and I will have a science fiction novel to promote, as RESURRECTION CODE will be out by then (it should be out this December, in fact.)

I've been chatting on line with someone who will be doing the Madison as setting panel (my books are mentioned in the description,) and it made me all nostalgic to go. Also, I got invited to participate in another MIND MELD conversation/discussion and suddenly I didn't feel quite as ostracized by the SF community as I sometimes do. What's funny to me is that it's really all about publisher's labels. I've always had romance in my books and fantasy, and Tate's books just capitalize on what was always there --- but the spine says romance and that's that. Locus doesn't even note when my books come out any more (though to be fair, they did review the first few Tate books and the Many Bloody Returns anthology I was involved in.)

Sigh.

Poor me, I guess. ;)

The point is, I miss WisCON and am starting to feel ready to go back. I only hope they'll have me.