Back from Midwestern Hell

Haven’t had a chance to update my LJ recently. So much happening. Minor lull right now, but it’s more of a hurricane eye.

Got back from my training class last night. Glarg. I don’t travel well on my own. Woke up to my alarm this morning and was highly tempted to take today off. I didn’t ’cause this is my long week so I’d still have to come in tomorrow. Plus next week is Dragon*Con, and I’m already taking a day off then. But blah, I’m wiped.

My class was dull, but informative. Coffee was my friend.

Flew up with Mike and Paul. Mike upgraded all of us to business class. Wasn’t that nice of him? Much more fun flying with people than doing it alone. Saw a guy waiting in Hartsfield for the same flight we were. He was beautiful. Waves of red hair down to his waist pulled away from a classically sculptured face in a pony tail. Drool. I angled Mike beside me so when I talked to him, I could ogle the pretty, pretty man. I’ve seen him at my corporate complex. I’m pretty sure he’s a consultant that my company contracts. Didn’t know he lived in Atlanta. Small world.

Going back to Illinois always leaves me feeling strangely nostalgic. Don’t miss the place at all, but seriously miss the people we left behind. Sigh.

Nick just got back from a trip to Japan. We poured through six rolls of pictures he took. Mostly Kyoto, with a few shots of Tokyo. Kyoto is a beautiful place with a decidedly magical feel. Didn’t hurt that a lot of his pictures were of temples and cemeteries. I’ve never felt particularly interested in touring the Far East. My previous experiences have not been conducive to me being interested in repeating them, but maybe it’d be nice to visit Japan.

Max just got back from Europe. He spent the summer touring London and the English countryside, with a quick stop over to Paris. I remember London. Sigh. Definitely need to go back. Max has got French citizenship on his father’s side and wants to move to London after he graduates. Maybe in a year or so, I’ll have a friend in London! Sweet. And then he can send me UK postage for my SASEs! It’s the little things . . .

I’m glad to be back home. I missed Matthew and Hobkin terribly. Racked up some fat long distance bills from my hotel room. Hobkin looks bigger. I fell asleep on the couch and he hopped up and snuggled against me.

Have written zero words in the last two weeks. Argh. My brain feels like congealed oatmeal. Ann (Crispin), when she called last weekend, also asked me to bring a novel outline to the workshop. ACK! I told her I didn’t have a novel in the works currently, but she still thought I should assemble a novel idea and let her see it. Stressing. Much stressing. Need my brain to start functioning. Any time now. Tap tap tap. Waiting . . .