Gad, what a week.  We’re still trying to figure out if a student sent a stand-in to lab, or if he drove halfway across the state after a death in the family, returned for lab, and then drove back for the funeral.  Whoever showed up for lab was cheating big time.  And the student this person was claiming to be is in hot water.

Anyway, it’s turning into one of those years.  I’m managing to keep up with my deadlines at Amazing Stories, but it’s getting a little tight.  I think I can pull ahead over the next week.  Deadlines at work, on the other hand, not so much.

I’ve not been posting much because I’m trying to finish a story by tomorrow.  That’s the deadline for submissions.  Things should pick up here by early next week. 

Due to financial constraints and family politics, I won’t be attending ConDFW this weekend.  (I don’t wanna talk about it.)  The North Texas Irish Festival and Scarborough Renaissance Fair aren’t looking too promising, either.  (Ditto.)

For some reason, my thoughts keep drifting back to cons I attended in the 90s.  There seemed to be more commonality among folks.  We tended to enjoy many of the same books and shows.  There was a greater sense of community.  Now it’s like I don’t have a clue what people are talking about anymore.  I suspect my time constraints have tightened more than fandom has changed so that I’m not able to keep up with as many movies and shows.  Living in an area where things were only an hour or two away at most, rather than a minimum of five hours, made a difference, too.

Maybe I’m getting old and tired, but some of the fun and sense of wonder seem to be missing.  Probably nothing a good week’s sleep won’t cure.  Anyway, this is a glimpse of what’s been going on inside my head lately.  Hasn’t been a lot of fun.  Since misery loves company, I thought I’d share my life as a crotchety old geezer.

Now you kids get off my lawn.

UPDATE:  I finished the story and just sent it off.  It’s part of a S&S series I’m calling the Chronicles of Rodrik and Prince Balthar.  It’s the fourth one I’ve finished.  There are three more in various stages of completion.