2012 was a good year for me, hope it was for all of you as well. May we all have a fun and productive 2013. I’m staying in tonight and writing. Why? Because I like it. How cool is that? I try to remind myself, from time to time, how lucky I am to make a living doing what I love, and this is a good time for such reflections.
Okay, done reflecting now. I’m over a third of way through Hawk, approaching the halfway point. Back to the word mines.
I’m 57 years old. What the fuck? How did that happen? Not that I mind. I feel all right. I feel much better than I have any right to, all things considered.
It’s been a good year in Lake Woebegon. Did more work with Skyler on The Incrementalists, which, really, is almost more fun than I can stand. And we’re going to be doing yet more. If I weren’t a Dignified Man of Letters, I’d be bouncing. And I actually sold a short story! To Tor.com! See previous remark about Dignified Man &c. Work on Hawk continues and so far I’m pleased with it.
I’m getting more comfortable and settled in at home. Not seen grandchildren as much as I’d like, but I’ve enjoyed the time with them, and am feeling good about the way family stuff is working out.
I’m actually seeing someone now, a delightful and charming lady who, alas, lives on the East Coast. But it’s good, and it really does make the world brighter. On a similar note, there are a number of close friends I actually managed to spend time with, but not so much time that it started messing up work.
Particular high points have to include: teaching at Viable Paradise. Visiting Gettysburg. Spending time with my people in Texas. A weekend in Vegas. Cards Against Humanity. Getting medical coverage, with the consequent hope of keeping the gears turning a bit longer. SELLING A MOTHERFUCKING SHORT STORY! (Yeah, I know, I already mentioned that, but it’s worth mentioning twice.) Some really outstanding convention experiences (Milehicon, Convolution, and Fourth Street). And, yeah, I’m going to include the response I got for the song, “John Scalzi’s Blog” as a high point, even though I know I lose Cool Points for caring that much. I’ll edit this paragraph as I think of more. But that’s enough to establish a trend.
56 has been a good year for me. We’ll see how 57 turns out.
I was reminded of this by a recent discussion on John Scalzi’s blog.
Some years ago, my friend Caliann, a Texas girl, dated a nice gentleman from California. He picked her up for a date. He walked around to the driver’s door of his car, while she waited by the passenger door.
“What are you doing?” he said.
“Waiting for you to open the door for me.”
“Oh,” he said. “I’m from California. We don’t do that.”
She stood with her arms folded and said in her sweetest southern accent, “Don’t plan on getting laid in Texas, do you?”
Saw “Lincoln” today with Jenphalian, Will Shetterly, and Emma Bull. I can’t recommend it highly enough. The acting was universally brilliant. Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln and Danial Day Lewis as Lincoln were amazing, James Spader was a delight, and Hal Holbrook was, as always, perfect. Tommy Lee Jones stole the show. The few minor historical liberties they took all seemed reasonable. A truly splendid movie. I want to see it again when it comes out on DVD, so I can catch things I missed the first time.
ETA: Okay, if I want to be really persnickety, I’ll say that in the one battle scene in the movie, there were too many bayonet wounds to be authentic. Whatev.
I’m about to be traveling again–Texas once more to pick up my bird and visit friends. I expect to be back a few days before Christmas.
My new home page should be up soon, thanks to Corwin and Felix. I imagine there will be some glitches at first. But if all goes well, it’ll be pretty cool.
This is from my daughter, Toni: “See what I did there?”