Happy St. Patrick's Day...

Spent a long afternoon in Denver yesterday visiting my uncle. He’s 91 and still punching. The Parkinson’s has crumpled him up pretty good, but he gets around all right with his walker. The toughest thing is his speech. Parkinson’s has taken that, too. He’s still able to summon up a sentence or two if he puts his heart into it, but you can tell it isn’t easy. Anyway, good to see him again. Really good.

Woke up to snow yesterday, and again today, but an hour or two in the morning sun and most of it melted away. Not sure what sort of weather the weekend’s supposed to bring. Sunshine, I hope. But I wouldn’t mind a little rain either.

Had a good morning at the keyboard. Near to having a reader draft of the story I’m calling "Nobody’s Business But His Own.” Might give it one more quick read tomorrow before letting it rest. Then I’m moving on to the next one.

Revisited “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” this afternoon. After, put in a decent workout at the gym.

Corned beef and cabbage tonight. K’s coming, too, before she leaves for the east coast. Used to watch John Huston’s The Dead on St. Pat’s Day in years past, but find it’s a hard sell anymore. Wish it weren’t, but it is. Brilliant story in so many ways.

Coming to grips...

Good day all around.

Weather got a bit iffy toward the end of day, but the snow hasn’t begun yet. Hope it doesn’t make my drive up to Denver tomorrow to visit my uncle too hairy.

Feels like the fog’s dissipating. Been doing better with the writing the past couple of days. At least one of the new short pieces feels closer than I remembered. Maybe all of them are and I just didn’t know it.

Looking ahead to a quiet night.

Braising some pork chops for dinner.

That's all, folks...

Watched the Oscars last night. Would’ve wished I hadn’t, except that I’d prepared myself days in advance and a bottle of wine was already open.

Slept well, woke early. Worked on one of the new stories and headed off to the gym about an hour too late. (It happens.) Took a short rest when I got home, then went back to work until my cousin J.J. called. I’m getting the feeling it’s going to be stop-and-start week. Hope I can make a good push to finish something.

Copies of the Ocotillo Review came. Good to see another story in print. Two more on the horizon.

Making plans to see my uncle on Thursday. He’s ninety-two and winding down, I’m afraid. Looking forward to catching up with him.

It's all behind me now...

Did it.

Sucked down for liters of the foulest tasting shit I’ve drunk since my first glass of Ouzo (last dose 2:30 am) , caught about two hours sleep, and was at the colonoscopy clinic a little after 8:00 am. Procedure wasn’t bad, but the prep was awful. The worst I’ve had in three different outings. The juice came in what looked like a gas can from some cold-war warehouse. I asked the tech about it, and she said yeah, it was old technology. The new formulas—the ones I didn’t get—are a fraction of the volume, and some even come in pills. Pays to ask ahead, I guess.

Looking for an early turn-in time tonight. Real early.

All Quiet on the Front Range...

Overcast and dreary today. Cold, too. Not sure what the forecast is for the rest of the week, and not sure it matters, but I’d like to see the sun again, and soon.

Worked hard on some new stories today, revising one and drafting the other. Still having a strange time with the brain fog of from December’s pneumonia, but working through it the best I know how. I’m finding it’s more productive if I abandon a piece after a hard revision and not coming back to it until many days later. The missteps seem clearer then.

Read a new story from N this afternoon. Not what I’d hoped for, but then few of them are. Kicked it down the road for someone else to consider.

Running off to see Casablanca at Tinseltown tonight. Popcorn and Coke for dinner.

Busy with being busy...

Got more out of this one than planned.

Put in decent work at the keyboard, got a nice long uninterrupted workout at the gym, and even managed some quality reading time.

Juggling three stories at the moment, but need to give the long work another look soon. Would like to get a new piece in the mail this week, but not convinced it’ll happen.

Meanwhile, have another new story from N to critique.

It's all in the way you look at it...

Easy Sunday.

Read, wrote, finished a critique for N, and sat around the house in my bathrobe.

Was hoping to get out for a walk, but man, the wind is with us and so are the allergens. Been using the eye-cup twice a day, trying to beat back the pollen. Need to see the ophthalmologist one of these days.

Choosing my battles...

Up early to crisp, overcast morning. Put in a full three hours at the keyboard, with most of the effort going to a new short. Made decent progress, and if all goes as well tomorrow I should have a reader draft in hand. After that, back to the long piece.

Need to spent some time researching short fiction publishers. Been putting this off, but now with nearly 100 publishing credits it’s time. Have enough for three good collections and haven’t done a damn thing to promote them.

No gym today, and too windy for a walk. Instead, spent the afternoon running errands. Will look for an early rise tomorrow to make up for my ass-dragging, but tonight I’m content to sit back and veg.

Happy Saturday to all.

The least important post I'll make all week...

Pretty day, today. Sun, blue sky, cool temps.

Hit the keyboard early after working a pill down Mr. K’s gullet. Man, that cat does not want his meds.

Close on a reader draft of the newest short. Thought I might make even better progress, but got caught up in other things after getting home from the gym. Have a colonoscopy scheduled for next Friday. Which, of course, means next Thursday’s down the tubes as well. Been a busy month with meetings, appointments, and the like. Keep hoping I’ll have more to show for all my comings and goings, but not holding my breath.

Need a haircut soon.

Funny how small things take on monumental status.

So, there you go...

Couldn’t call it a lost day, exactly. But not the most productive, either.

Spent most of the afternoon away from the office. No gym, no nap, no reading or writing.

Gonna push the reset button and try again tomorrow.

Tonight, pizza.

Close, but not quite there...

Got a head start on this one.

Put in time on a new short, then headed off to the dentist for a crown replacement. Success, on both counts.

Small wins, but no complaints.

Gonna be a week of measured victories, I think.

Snow coming again tomorrow, or so the weather folks say. Good thing I left the shovel on the front porch.

Feeling my way along...

Started the morning with trepidation, having muffed the meds with Kit yesterday. Turned out the worrying was unnecessary. Got both doses in him, day and evening, so we’re back on track.

Finished up the Philharmonic articles this afternoon, then made a brief jaunt over to the gym. Didn’t get much of a workout, but at least I got there and made an effort. Will try to get an earlier jump on things tomorrow.

Weather was nice today. Sunny, high blue skies. The air’s still crisp, but it felt okay getting outside. Hope it stays for a while.

Dentist tomorrow. The broken crown is getting replaced, at last. Gonna feel good having all my dudes back in line again.

Intimations of immortality...

Thinking maybe Kit’s suffered another setback. Gave him his meds this morning, but not without a struggle and not without him coughing them back up. He’s slowed the past couple of days. Spent a lot more time napping. A lot less time purring.

Wrote most of the day but couldn’t quite wrap up the Philharmonic projects. I’m words away with both of them, but will probably have to wait until tomorrow to send them off to the client. Thought I might make some advances on at least one of the shorts this weekend. Guess I thought wrong.

There’s this dark cloud that’s been following me around a while. Nothing I can reason away, but nothing I can dismiss, either. Went out for nice stroll around the neighborhood this afternoon, and that helped. Maybe when I finish the project work I’ll find myself in a better place.

Looking forward to tomorrow, getting back to the gym. Meanwhile, I’ll keep my fingers crossed nobody dies.

Easing into another weekend...

Spent the morning putting the finishing touches on the Philharmonic articles, then went off to the gym. Skipped rope, hit the heavy bag, lifted and rode the bike. Best workout I’ve had all week, and enough to set me up for a nice late afternoon nap.

Looking forward to setting the commercial work aside and getting back to my own manuscripts this weekend. Feels like a long time since I’ve looked at them.

Got a light snow overnight, but no more than an inch. Not sure what the weekend’s supposed to bring, but I’m hoping it’s sunshine and warm weather.

In the middle of Ivanhoe, and loving it. Didn’t realize Sir Walter Scott was such a funny guy. Sad, but like Robin Hood and Robinson Crusoe, it’s a text that wouldn’t survive today’s classrooms.

Another cold snap, more snow...

Nice chat with my buddy S today. The highlight.

Worked on the philharmonic gig most of the morning. Hit the gym for a short workout, then back to the keyboard. Quiet afternoon. Visited with the Bargines a while ago, witnessing their will. Sobering stuff.

Plumber was supposed to come tonight to look at the upstairs bath, but cancelled because of snow. That kind of day.

The rollercoaster of life...

Well, it’s behind us now.

Today, that is.

There were some ups and downs, some victories and defeats, but no complaints.

Made at least as much progress as I’d hoped for, and am willing to meet tomorrow head on and see if I can’t finish what I started

Meantime, dinner.