So when I put the link in for the review of “Nightfall” in the previous post, I realized the review wasn’t on this blog. It was over at Futures Past and Present, my sciencde fiction blog.  That got me thinking, especially since I saw there had been a couple of comments awaiting approval. For months.

At one time I was writing four blogs. This one, which focused on fantasy and pulp and was the main blog, Futures Past and Present, which focused on science fiction, Gumshoes, Gats, and Gams, my mystery and crime blog. Then there was Dispatches From the Lone Star Front. The subject of that one was Texas history and culture.

That last one went dormant at the end of 2016. It was intended to be a more scholarly blog, requiring research beyond what a book blog would. I just didn’t have the time for it with a son entering high school.

The other two went dormant during COVID. My original intentions, now part of the Second Circle Bypass in Hell, was to post on each one at least once a month. Time contraints at the time made keeping three blogs going impractical. As long-time readers know, I didn’t do much with this blog the last couple of years.

But now my circumstances have changed. (Boy, have they ever). I’ve been reading a lot more mystery and thrillers. I’ve probably read more in those genres in the last few years than I have in fantasy.

When I revilatized this blog, I thought at the time that I would include science fiction in this one. And I have to a great extent if you consider the birthday posts.

So after I looked at Futures earlier today, I got to wondering, should I revive them. I feel bad that I didn’t check Futures more often and those comments went unapproved for so long.

Your thoughts: Should I try to bring back one or more of the other blogs, or should I just make this one more widespread?

Yeah, so I know I promised this update a couple of weeks ago. That seems to be the pattern right now, everyting is taking twice as long to accomplish half as much. Continue reading →

She has to report to the Robertson Unit in Abilene in a few days for processing.

I’ll be accompanying her, although I’ll stay at the hotel while that’s going on.

Once the new employee paperwork is done, we’ll go to where she’ll actually be working.

As you might can guess, there are some big changes going on behind the scenes here at Adventures Fantastic, which is why I’ve not posted anything for nearly two months. I didn’t realize it had been that long. I’ve also been focusing on fiction writing. More on that in a later post.

I’ll try to get a few things up over the next few days, a birthday post on Robert Bloch and another on Henry Kuttner and a guest post from Will Oliver. I’m about halfway through a collection for review, but that one is a few days out.

He’s just been busy writing.

I’m completing a nine-week collection course this week. It’s a themed class where I’ll have a collection at the end. The theme is Private Investigators. I’ve got to tweak the cover and do a few other small things, then it should go up for sale. Look for an announcement here soon.

The next collection class is on time travel, and I’ll start it later today.

I’ve also had a couple of other assignments for some shorter courses I’ve been taking. Since time is limited, I’ve chosen to focus on writing that might bring in some income over blogging. But I’m still going to blog. The blogging should pickup over the holidays and classes aren’t in session.

I’ve been on the road quite a bit lately and will be at least once more before the end of the month. Some of the travel is family related (no issues, just visits), but I just returned from Howard Days 2022 today. I was in San Antonio for the 2022 Edgar Rice Burroughs Dum-Dum the weekend before.

Look for trip reports on both of those later this week, once everything settles down and I get caught up on chores and dayjobbery..

I’m not into resolutions much. I’m more of a goals kind of guy.

Here are a few goals. These are mainly being driven by some situations at work, some of which I am not at liberty to discuss in a public forum. By that I mean legally prohibited (personnel issues). Bottom line, I will have put in enough time to be able to retire a year from now. I don’t know that I will want to then, but I want to have the freedom to exercise that option.

So, here are  few that relate to this blog. Continue reading →

I knew this day was coming.

I’ve known it for years.

I knew it when we boarded a plane with the little butterball in Almaty, Kazakhstan. I knew it when we walked down the steps of the orphanage in Shemkent the day he officially became our son.

I knew the time would fly by. I didn’t know it would fly so fast. I knew today would be bittersweet. It didn’t know it would be this bitter nor this sweet.

Sunday my son and I left home. Today I came home alone.

My son starts college on Monday. He’ll be living with my mother-in-law, which will be good for both of them. I’ve spent the last few days helping him get settled and doing some chores my MiL needed doing. I am incredibly proud of my son. I’m not going to say his name or which college he’s attending out of respect for his privacy. He has turned into a fine young man. He still has some growing up to do, but compared to the typical college freshman I see, he’s ahead of them. He’s smart, charming, handsome. And since I had nothing to do with his genetics, I can brag on him without having to assume any false modesty.

The time has come when he has to stand or fall on his own merits. I’m putting aside the doubts and second-guessing that’s normal at a time like this. Whether there was something I could have done differently or better (there was, there always is), what’s done is done. There’s very little left I can do, at least unless/until I’m asked to.

I’m not worried. He’s turned out fine, in spite of his parents at times. He’s got a great future ahead of him.