This is an update, and it’s going to be a rather negative one. Feel free to skip if you like. This post is personal and has nothing to do with books or fiction writing. Academic writing will come into play.
My wife had her lumpectomy on the 2nd. Everything went fine, and she came home that day. We will get the results of the pathology report on Wednesday, the day after tomorrow. My in-laws came up from where they live, a city three hours drive away. My father-in-law stayed through Saturday, the fifth. It was the last time I ever saw him. My mother-in-law stayed through the next week.
I went to Costa Rica on Sunday the sixth. This was a business trip that had been in the works since before my wife was diagnosed with cancer. The university at which I’m employed opened a branch campus there last fall. Physics was being taught for the first time this spring, and I was helping set up a lab.
While I was gone: Monday night the sewer line under the house backed up; my wife had to call the plumber on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, my mother-in-law was running errands in my wife’s car (formerly known as the Out of Town Car) when a guy ran a red light and hit her. No one was hurt, but the car isn’t going to be going out of town until the insurance is settled and repairs are done. My car wouldn’t start later that day for some reason, but it works fine now. Fortunately my son has a car.
Thursday night I opened my work email to followup on a prior conversation with my department head. I found an email from a sales rep at a textbook publisher. I am coauthor on our lab manuals. The sales rep claimed she had met me and my coauthor before. Maybe, maybe not; I don’t remember her. The email was addressed to both of us, and the sales rep told us that they had taken our lab manual, scanned it, added some figures, and printed it. They had also created an ebook version. They had had a meeting with some of the faculty earlier in the day and discussed bundling their version of our manual with their text book. She was sending us a copy for our convenience.
Uh, no. This was all news to me and my coauthor. This was done without our knowledge or consent. And we won’t give it. I said as much in a sharply worded email (after I cooled off enough to maintain a level of semi-professionalism) to the sales rep. She had CC’d three other people at her publishing house. I made sure they were included in my response. I haven’t heard a response from them yet. If anyone knows a good intellectual property attorney in west Texas, please let me know. I hope it won’t come to that, but I want to be prepared.
I thought my life couldn’t get any worse until Friday evening when I was packing to fly home at dark-thirty the next day and got a text from my wife telling me my father-in-law had passed away. This was unexpected, as he was supposed to have come back and picked up my mother-in-law over the weekend.
Obviously, this has been hard on everyone. Because of some issues with family members being able to get here for the funeral, it won’t be held until the weekend.
I don’t know when I’ll get back to posting on a regular basis. It probably won’t be for at least a week or two, although there may be the occasional Save My Sanity post. I will be back, but don’t be surprised if there is some radio silence for a bit.
As you might guess, I am not having Happy New Year.
Damn, that’s a rough string of events.
I hope you reach smooth seas soon.
Peace.
Thank you. things seem to be settling down a little.
I don’t what to say except you will be in my prayers.
Thanks. Much appreciated. I can use all the divine help I can get.
Stay strong amigo. It’s quite a storm.
Yes, and like all storms, it will pass. Thanks.
Thoughts and prayers, man. This is going to be a rough time.
Regarding the lab manual, I am a little perplexed. If my understanding is correct, they would need a written consent from the copyright holder. It looks like they’ve already put some money into this. Maybe they think the university owns the copyright (and, unfortunately, it may be that they do) and they’ve already talked to them?
Thanks.
I don’t think the university does. The title page of the manual has my name and my coauthor’s name listed as copyright owners. I don’t think they’ve talked to anyone at the university about it. No one has contacted from higher in the food chain. I still haven’t heard from them, and any textbook agreements would not go into place until the fall semester.
I’ll keep you posted.
Damn, not good at all. When it rains it, it pours. Best wishes mate.
Thanks. As I told Jim, this storm will pass. I intend to be standing when it does.
I’m so sorry to read about all this happening. My deepest condolences to you and your family. You are all in our thoughts and prayers.
Thank you. Things haven’t stopped. I learned yesterday that one of our international graduate students is in ICU in Bangladesh (his home) and trying to get on a transplant list.
Wow, Keith, very sorry 2019 started such for you and yours. I hope your wife’s results are the start of better news. And damn the audacity of that ‘textbook’ company, grrr.
Thanks, man. I appreciate it. We buried my father-in-law this morning, so I’m hoping some emotional as well as physical healing can start for my wife.
Keith –
Just now reading all this. Damn! Who’s got your voodoo doll and how did you piss them off?? Hopefully things have calmed down some and you are back home to be a stabilizing influence on the universe. Hang in there and let this storm pass.
Thanks, Scott. The funeral was yesterday, and we head back home tomorrow. By the end of the week, I intend to be back to teaching impressionable young people my bad habits. The storm will pass, and by the grace of God I’ll still be standing.