Happy Halloween! A blessed Samhain!
Caitlin’s cold continues to be bothersome. This morning had more vomiting with the occasional bouts of crying. Caitlin got better as the day continued, culminating with a pedie appointment. It was supposed to be her five-year check-up, but it became a chance to make sure that it was just a cold. All considering it went well, and Caitlin now has some new influenza vaccine in her body.
Otherwise, it was an uneventful day. I cobbled out some more writing while Cait watched Dora. Many children came to our door and left with candy. Caitlin didn’t go out, but she did get to dress up as Hermione Granger. Her friend Nora also visited dressed as a fireperson. We finished the evening by watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Caitlin's Still Sick
Caitlin’s little illness continues...
We made it through the night just fine. There were a couple of runs when she coughed, but the overnight feed stayed down. We went through the normal morning routine, I dropped her off at school, and then I went to Panera to try to get some writing done. It was not to be. The school ended up calling because Caitlin had diarrhea and cramping. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was refreshing to pick her up for a normal childhood illness. There’s no fever or vomiting, so that’s something. Since there is a 24-hour illness-free policy at school, Caitlin will get tomorrow off, too.
She’s currently sitting next to me on the couch watching some Old School Sesame Street from 1972. It kicks the modern stuffs’ butt. That’s right kids, Sesame Street used to be funny. It also wasn’t Elmo-centric. The new stuff is sanitized and boring. And yet, it remains the best show for toddlers on television. Heck, it and South Park are the only shows that regularly show children with severe disabilities.
Hopefully, she will be well enough for ticks or treats tomorrow. She is so excited about her Hermione Granger costume. Every time we tell someone about it, she just gets this big grin.
We made it through the night just fine. There were a couple of runs when she coughed, but the overnight feed stayed down. We went through the normal morning routine, I dropped her off at school, and then I went to Panera to try to get some writing done. It was not to be. The school ended up calling because Caitlin had diarrhea and cramping. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was refreshing to pick her up for a normal childhood illness. There’s no fever or vomiting, so that’s something. Since there is a 24-hour illness-free policy at school, Caitlin will get tomorrow off, too.
She’s currently sitting next to me on the couch watching some Old School Sesame Street from 1972. It kicks the modern stuffs’ butt. That’s right kids, Sesame Street used to be funny. It also wasn’t Elmo-centric. The new stuff is sanitized and boring. And yet, it remains the best show for toddlers on television. Heck, it and South Park are the only shows that regularly show children with severe disabilities.
Hopefully, she will be well enough for ticks or treats tomorrow. She is so excited about her Hermione Granger costume. Every time we tell someone about it, she just gets this big grin.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Caitlin's Sick Birthday
Well, Caitlin ended up being sick for her fifth birthday. It’s just a bad cold, but nothing is simple for a child with disabilities. She had been goopy for a couple days, but it seemed that we would be able to go see my family for the big family birthday on Sunday. Then little miss decided to spike a 102-degree fever. A few hours later, it was gone.
I kept her home from school today, and she seemed better. The cold, however, had other ideas. Unfortunately, my daughter is unable to really blow her nose. The snot drips down, tickles her throat, she coughs, and then everything comes up. It’s not pretty. Tonight she managed to do it right after she got her seizure meds, so now she’s also more likely to have a big spasm tomorrow. The other problem with her throwing up is that Caitlin is a silent aspirator. Anything in her throat could end up sliding into her lungs causing infections and pneumonias. We love cold and flu season around here.
Hopefully some Benedryl will do the trick tonight. We’re certainly not looking forward to making a dash into her room every time she coughs.
Caitlin did have a wonderful birthday with friends on Saturday. She wore a birthday tiara, earrings, and everything. She now had about 100,000 My Little Ponies. We can’t thank all of our wonderful friends enough for giving her such a special day.
Not much else going on around here. Lynne is revising her second peer-reviewed article and doing an editing project. I keep chugging away at the novel. I slowed down a bit to work on some short stories, but I’m now at the 40,000-word mark.
Just Finished Reading: Hammered by Elizabeth Bear
Currently Reading: Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
I kept her home from school today, and she seemed better. The cold, however, had other ideas. Unfortunately, my daughter is unable to really blow her nose. The snot drips down, tickles her throat, she coughs, and then everything comes up. It’s not pretty. Tonight she managed to do it right after she got her seizure meds, so now she’s also more likely to have a big spasm tomorrow. The other problem with her throwing up is that Caitlin is a silent aspirator. Anything in her throat could end up sliding into her lungs causing infections and pneumonias. We love cold and flu season around here.
Hopefully some Benedryl will do the trick tonight. We’re certainly not looking forward to making a dash into her room every time she coughs.
Caitlin did have a wonderful birthday with friends on Saturday. She wore a birthday tiara, earrings, and everything. She now had about 100,000 My Little Ponies. We can’t thank all of our wonderful friends enough for giving her such a special day.
Not much else going on around here. Lynne is revising her second peer-reviewed article and doing an editing project. I keep chugging away at the novel. I slowed down a bit to work on some short stories, but I’m now at the 40,000-word mark.
Just Finished Reading: Hammered by Elizabeth Bear
Currently Reading: Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Caitlin's Birthday
It’s Caitlin’s Fifth Birthday Weekend!
Tomorrow is her actual birthday, but the first party is today. Friends will be over this afternoon for cake. Sunday we’re bringing her out to my family. It’s pretty exciting stuff. Caitlin picked out a My Little Pony theme, which is hardly a shock. I spent all of yesterday on some cleaning projects. I finally sorted out her toys and eliminated the baby stuff. She just not interested in that stuff anymore. Caitlin is now obsessed with her ponies and games, just like any five-year-old girl.
I also spent yesterday organizing the Doctor Who collection. I think that I’ve created enough room for all of my holiday acquisitions. It has been a wonderful nightmare keeping up with the new series. They’re just making so much stuff. It’s meant that I’ve had to stay focused on only a couple of areas of collecting. Of course, the collection does come in handy. I am becoming Mad Norwegian Press’s reference expert. It helps having nearly every Doctor Who non-fiction book.
I better get cracking. Today I need to clean my office and do some yard work while Lynne entertains the girl (who is getting a cold) and bakes two cakes.
Tomorrow is her actual birthday, but the first party is today. Friends will be over this afternoon for cake. Sunday we’re bringing her out to my family. It’s pretty exciting stuff. Caitlin picked out a My Little Pony theme, which is hardly a shock. I spent all of yesterday on some cleaning projects. I finally sorted out her toys and eliminated the baby stuff. She just not interested in that stuff anymore. Caitlin is now obsessed with her ponies and games, just like any five-year-old girl.
I also spent yesterday organizing the Doctor Who collection. I think that I’ve created enough room for all of my holiday acquisitions. It has been a wonderful nightmare keeping up with the new series. They’re just making so much stuff. It’s meant that I’ve had to stay focused on only a couple of areas of collecting. Of course, the collection does come in handy. I am becoming Mad Norwegian Press’s reference expert. It helps having nearly every Doctor Who non-fiction book.
I better get cracking. Today I need to clean my office and do some yard work while Lynne entertains the girl (who is getting a cold) and bakes two cakes.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Yikes! I'm a Writer!
I took a big step today. This morning I sent a manuscript of a short story to an SF magazine. I’m a little bit freaked out. I was cracking Lynne up this morning since I am usually the calm one during a crisis. I’m fine with life and death, but I’m a mess with this writer stuff.
This is only the third time I’ve ever submitted anything. The first time was some poetry that got rejected. The second was for a contest. This is the first submission that really means something to me. This is the next necessary step on my journey.
I think it’s a good little story, though I know they will reject it. That’s just part of the process. Almost every author that I have met has accumulated dozens if not hundreds of rejection letters. It’s how you learn, and I’m finally ready.
Work is heating up with the Mad Norwegian Press project. It was very odd to have Lars call me a co-writer yesterday (there are four of us). When it is hopefully released next year, I will have my name on the cover. That is pretty frickin’ awesome. For years I’ve amassed a collection of books on this general subject, and I’ve admired those researchers and authors. It’s very exciting to know that I will soon be joining their ranks.
The book is also going to be massive. Our goal is to be the definitive work on the subject. I will be walking on air at Chicago TARDIS after its announcement.
This is only the third time I’ve ever submitted anything. The first time was some poetry that got rejected. The second was for a contest. This is the first submission that really means something to me. This is the next necessary step on my journey.
I think it’s a good little story, though I know they will reject it. That’s just part of the process. Almost every author that I have met has accumulated dozens if not hundreds of rejection letters. It’s how you learn, and I’m finally ready.
Work is heating up with the Mad Norwegian Press project. It was very odd to have Lars call me a co-writer yesterday (there are four of us). When it is hopefully released next year, I will have my name on the cover. That is pretty frickin’ awesome. For years I’ve amassed a collection of books on this general subject, and I’ve admired those researchers and authors. It’s very exciting to know that I will soon be joining their ranks.
The book is also going to be massive. Our goal is to be the definitive work on the subject. I will be walking on air at Chicago TARDIS after its announcement.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Magic!
Must...stop...and...breathe...
It’s been a busy few days of work and play. Caitlin is happy and healthy. On Sunday, we had to change out her mic-key button for her g-tube. Lynne and I are still unsettled by the process. The button is in the hole that goes from her side into her stomach. This is hooked up to tubes for her feedings. It is a little plastic device that looks like the air hole on a beach ball. It’s held in place by a balloon filled with water. Every few months, the button has to be replaced because of the damage done to it by the stomach’s acids. We used to do this at the hospital, but now it’s our job. Lynne holds Caitlin down, there’s some screaming, and then it is done.
We‘ve been watching baseball like crazy. Lynne was very happy that her Red Sox won another pennant. I’m happy for her, even though it’s pretty bittersweet being a Cubs’ fan and all.
We also started playing in Cason’s Exalted campaign. So far, it’s been awesome, though we are all still adjusting to the rules.
Otherwise, I keep pumping out the writing. I finished revising a short story, and I’m getting ready to send it out. I’ve also polished up some of my Mad Norwegian Press work, started a new short story, and chugged along with the novel.
Tonight I’m off to The Magic Cabaret with my friends Kevin and Cason. It should be a hoot, with lots of fun parlor magic at the historic Biograph Theater (John Dillinger was killed there).
http://www.magic-cabaret.com
Still Reading: The Mirador by Sarah Monette
It’s been a busy few days of work and play. Caitlin is happy and healthy. On Sunday, we had to change out her mic-key button for her g-tube. Lynne and I are still unsettled by the process. The button is in the hole that goes from her side into her stomach. This is hooked up to tubes for her feedings. It is a little plastic device that looks like the air hole on a beach ball. It’s held in place by a balloon filled with water. Every few months, the button has to be replaced because of the damage done to it by the stomach’s acids. We used to do this at the hospital, but now it’s our job. Lynne holds Caitlin down, there’s some screaming, and then it is done.
We‘ve been watching baseball like crazy. Lynne was very happy that her Red Sox won another pennant. I’m happy for her, even though it’s pretty bittersweet being a Cubs’ fan and all.
We also started playing in Cason’s Exalted campaign. So far, it’s been awesome, though we are all still adjusting to the rules.
Otherwise, I keep pumping out the writing. I finished revising a short story, and I’m getting ready to send it out. I’ve also polished up some of my Mad Norwegian Press work, started a new short story, and chugged along with the novel.
Tonight I’m off to The Magic Cabaret with my friends Kevin and Cason. It should be a hoot, with lots of fun parlor magic at the historic Biograph Theater (John Dillinger was killed there).
http://www.magic-cabaret.com
Still Reading: The Mirador by Sarah Monette
Friday, October 19, 2007
Nine Things That Didn't Suck This Week
It’s a quiet Friday, and I have a sleepy girl. It looks like most of my day is going to be spent keeping her awake. It’s been a bummer of a week, but some positive things have happened.
1- The 2008 Aicardi Syndrome Family Conference was announced. Hooray!
2- Lars just asked me for my year’s worth of work on the Soon-To-Be-Announced Guidebook for Mad Norwegian Press. With AHistory 2nd Edition and About Time 6 off to press, Lars and the team can now focus on this gigantic book. It was good to send those files away.
3- I has new Doctor Who action figures! This month I got Dr. Constantine (The Empty Child), The Gelth Zombie (The Unquiet Dead), Mickey Smith (Doomsday), Brannigan (Gridlock), and a Scarecrow (Human Nature). My collection is getting crazy big. I have about 55 of the little buggers and the TARDIS Playset. The sad thing is that I’m still missing a number of figures. I can’t say enough how much I love these figures. They are so wonderful, especially when they are compared to the Dapol figures of yore. I feel like I’m 10 every time I get one.
4- Lynne did some mad networking at a work function on Wednesday night. It was a dinner for new faculty hosted by the President of NIU. The food was good, the bar was open, and we got to meet numerous department chairs and deans. I also got to network with some of the Special Education professors. It looks like Caitlin and I may be speaking to some classes in the future.
5- We really got a lot of support from our friends and family. It is always nice to realize that we are not alone.
6- I got my first LJ friend request from someone who was a mystery to me. I am now about 90% sure that I know who the person is.
7- I finished revisions on a short story. I am much happier with it than the last one. Lynne is currently looking it over.
8- I was mentioned by first name in two separate blogs of successful authors this week. Thanks to Lyda Morehouse and E.E. Knight for that little slice of cool.
9- I asked a question on the Wyrdsmiths writers’ blog (http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/) that actually inspired some discussion about when someone can call himself or herself a writer. As it turns out, I’m a writer. Yippee!
Tonight we are off to Trader Joe’s. You know you’re getting old when you look forward to a Friday night out at the grocery store.
Just Finished Reading: I Am Legand by Richard Matheson
Currently Reading: The Mirador by Sarah Monette
1- The 2008 Aicardi Syndrome Family Conference was announced. Hooray!
2- Lars just asked me for my year’s worth of work on the Soon-To-Be-Announced Guidebook for Mad Norwegian Press. With AHistory 2nd Edition and About Time 6 off to press, Lars and the team can now focus on this gigantic book. It was good to send those files away.
3- I has new Doctor Who action figures! This month I got Dr. Constantine (The Empty Child), The Gelth Zombie (The Unquiet Dead), Mickey Smith (Doomsday), Brannigan (Gridlock), and a Scarecrow (Human Nature). My collection is getting crazy big. I have about 55 of the little buggers and the TARDIS Playset. The sad thing is that I’m still missing a number of figures. I can’t say enough how much I love these figures. They are so wonderful, especially when they are compared to the Dapol figures of yore. I feel like I’m 10 every time I get one.
4- Lynne did some mad networking at a work function on Wednesday night. It was a dinner for new faculty hosted by the President of NIU. The food was good, the bar was open, and we got to meet numerous department chairs and deans. I also got to network with some of the Special Education professors. It looks like Caitlin and I may be speaking to some classes in the future.
5- We really got a lot of support from our friends and family. It is always nice to realize that we are not alone.
6- I got my first LJ friend request from someone who was a mystery to me. I am now about 90% sure that I know who the person is.
7- I finished revisions on a short story. I am much happier with it than the last one. Lynne is currently looking it over.
8- I was mentioned by first name in two separate blogs of successful authors this week. Thanks to Lyda Morehouse and E.E. Knight for that little slice of cool.
9- I asked a question on the Wyrdsmiths writers’ blog (http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/) that actually inspired some discussion about when someone can call himself or herself a writer. As it turns out, I’m a writer. Yippee!
Tonight we are off to Trader Joe’s. You know you’re getting old when you look forward to a Friday night out at the grocery store.
Just Finished Reading: I Am Legand by Richard Matheson
Currently Reading: The Mirador by Sarah Monette
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
The Ninth Biennial Aicardi Syndrome Family Conference
Good news, everybody!
After months of sometimes frustrating work, the contract is signed and the announcement has been made to the families.
The Ninth Biennial Aicardi Syndrome Family Conference will be held the weekend of July 11-13, 2008 at the Pheasant Run Resort & Spa in St. Charles, IL.
http://www.pheasantrun.com/
The Aicardi Syndrome Foundation is paying for two nights of hotel stay for each family who has an Aicardi child. They are also paying for two dinner buffets and two breakfast buffets. There will be dozens of speakers on every aspect of our children’s lives. We should have about 90 families there.
I also now have a Co-chairperson. This is a great relief as I was getting a little stressed from the workload.
All of our Illinois friends are officially on volunteer notice. :)
After months of sometimes frustrating work, the contract is signed and the announcement has been made to the families.
The Ninth Biennial Aicardi Syndrome Family Conference will be held the weekend of July 11-13, 2008 at the Pheasant Run Resort & Spa in St. Charles, IL.
http://www.pheasantrun.com/
The Aicardi Syndrome Foundation is paying for two nights of hotel stay for each family who has an Aicardi child. They are also paying for two dinner buffets and two breakfast buffets. There will be dozens of speakers on every aspect of our children’s lives. We should have about 90 families there.
I also now have a Co-chairperson. This is a great relief as I was getting a little stressed from the workload.
All of our Illinois friends are officially on volunteer notice. :)
I Miss My Cat
My cat is gone. I keep catching him out of the corner of my eye, thinking that he’s about to jump up to get petted. Joey was a large cat, so it was always fairly thunderous when he made that leap onto the couch or bed. Now there’s nothing.
It was rough this morning. Caitlin had a big seizure at 5:40. After she fell asleep from the Diastat. Lynne and I returned to our bed. That was usually the point that Joey would come to us to give comfort. He always did after Caitlin had a big spasm. Cute and purring, he would just rub on you until you petted him and felt better.
We’ve had a lot of death this year. I lost an uncle, a close cousin, the father of a good friend, a couple of the Aicardi girls, and a very dear friend well before her time. I have absolutely nothing profound to add, I just want it stop happening so damn much.
I ended up taking care of Joey by myself yesterday. It was very difficult. I broke down for a minute or two, and then I got back to business. I did the best I could for him.
I miss him terribly.
Thank you, everybody who gave condolences. It did help.
It was rough this morning. Caitlin had a big seizure at 5:40. After she fell asleep from the Diastat. Lynne and I returned to our bed. That was usually the point that Joey would come to us to give comfort. He always did after Caitlin had a big spasm. Cute and purring, he would just rub on you until you petted him and felt better.
We’ve had a lot of death this year. I lost an uncle, a close cousin, the father of a good friend, a couple of the Aicardi girls, and a very dear friend well before her time. I have absolutely nothing profound to add, I just want it stop happening so damn much.
I ended up taking care of Joey by myself yesterday. It was very difficult. I broke down for a minute or two, and then I got back to business. I did the best I could for him.
I miss him terribly.
Thank you, everybody who gave condolences. It did help.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Joey Passed Away
The vet just called. Joseph passed away. They don’t know why. We are devastated. He was the greatest pet that a family could ever want. He was sweet, kind, and funny. Lynne raised him from a kitten, and he was my constant companion as I struggled with Caitlin’s illness. We couldn’t have loved an animal more. He was a magnificent friend and a complete member of our little family.
This is horrible. Please give my wife as many virtual hugs as you can.
This is horrible. Please give my wife as many virtual hugs as you can.
Joey Is At The Vet
Well, Joey Cat is at the vet. It looks like we have another cat that is medically confusing. I guess it’s a family tradition around here. Joey is still very weak. Last night he also started to wheeze. We brought him in at 8:30 am. It seems from his x-rays and initial blood work that he perhaps has bronchial pneumonia in his lower lungs. The problem is that he has no fever. They put him on antibiotics to combat this.
The other thing they discovered is a high glucose level. He may have diabetes, but they are waiting on him to pee again to get a ketone level to confirm. They also have blood work that’s gone out to see if something else is causing all of this.
Hopefully, he will be all right. Unfortunately, this means it’s going to be a lean Christmas this year.
On the positive, I finished with the Mad Norwegian Press manuscript only hours before Lars needed my notes. Once Lars is done with that, we will start cranking on the big, unannounced project.
Just finished reading: His Majesty’s Dragon
Currently reading: ?
The other thing they discovered is a high glucose level. He may have diabetes, but they are waiting on him to pee again to get a ketone level to confirm. They also have blood work that’s gone out to see if something else is causing all of this.
Hopefully, he will be all right. Unfortunately, this means it’s going to be a lean Christmas this year.
On the positive, I finished with the Mad Norwegian Press manuscript only hours before Lars needed my notes. Once Lars is done with that, we will start cranking on the big, unannounced project.
Just finished reading: His Majesty’s Dragon
Currently reading: ?
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Joey Is Sick
We has sick kitty.
It’s a little tense around here today. Joey isn’t feeling well. He’s been lethargic since Friday. I made a Monday appointment for him almost as soon as he got lethargic, but he’s now a little bit worse. He’s still eating a little and using the box, but he is really out of it. This morning his breathing started to get a little short and raspy. Of course, we immediately called the vet. The vet says it’s probably an upper-respiratory thing, and we can wait until his Monday appointment. Still, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t really worried.
Lynne and I are very close to Joey Cat. Lynne got him 11 years ago as a kitten back when she was alone in Philadelphia. When I entered the picture, Joseph and I bonded. He is my cat. He checks up on me, sits in my lap, and is generally the most awesome cat ever. It’s been two years since we lost Sarah Cat to diabetes. We just aren’t ready to lose him, too. Of course, who is ever ready to lose somebody that they love.
I’m tired of illness and death.
It’s a little tense around here today. Joey isn’t feeling well. He’s been lethargic since Friday. I made a Monday appointment for him almost as soon as he got lethargic, but he’s now a little bit worse. He’s still eating a little and using the box, but he is really out of it. This morning his breathing started to get a little short and raspy. Of course, we immediately called the vet. The vet says it’s probably an upper-respiratory thing, and we can wait until his Monday appointment. Still, that doesn’t mean that we aren’t really worried.
Lynne and I are very close to Joey Cat. Lynne got him 11 years ago as a kitten back when she was alone in Philadelphia. When I entered the picture, Joseph and I bonded. He is my cat. He checks up on me, sits in my lap, and is generally the most awesome cat ever. It’s been two years since we lost Sarah Cat to diabetes. We just aren’t ready to lose him, too. Of course, who is ever ready to lose somebody that they love.
I’m tired of illness and death.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Friday Lull
I am sitting on our big, red couch during a nice morning lull. Caitlin is still asleep. It’s time for her to be awake, but I’m letting her sleep in after a long and frustrating week (I really wish that I could publicly rant about what happened). Anyway, I would hate to wake her up into a seizure.
I’m back to cranking on the novel. It went well this week. I was only able to write 5000 more words, but that isn’t bad considering all of the other Caitlin business I needed to handle. After working on some short story revisions, though, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to workshop at Windycon. There are a lot of problems in my writing that I am finding on my own. I’m afraid I’m still too rusty to get anything other than discouragement from a workshop. My new goal is to be ready to workshop by Wiscon.
There is one last piece of business from Geek.kon. There are now pictures up on the website. The thumbnail on the main page is of the SF/F panel. That picture shows Tor Senior Editor Jim Frenkel, Hugo-winner Joan Vinge, Spectrum-winner Sarah Monette, Quill-winner Patrick Rothfuss, and my smiling face. I hope that this is one of those happy omens of things to come.
Hinted at announcements should be coming in the next couple of weeks. Next week I will be able to announce the location and dates for the Aicardi Syndrome Family Conference. The Board has the contract, and I don’t foresee any problems. I will be very happy to get this behind me. It’s been a lot of thankless work. I have no idea how some people can chair conventions year after year without cracking.
Lars let me know that the book that I am working on for Mad Norwegian Press will be announced by mid-November at the latest. I can’t wait for the throngs of fans that will surround me at the Chicago TARDIS convention. ;)
Well, I hear the girl singing, so it’s time to put back on my caregiver hat...
I’m back to cranking on the novel. It went well this week. I was only able to write 5000 more words, but that isn’t bad considering all of the other Caitlin business I needed to handle. After working on some short story revisions, though, I decided I wasn’t quite ready to workshop at Windycon. There are a lot of problems in my writing that I am finding on my own. I’m afraid I’m still too rusty to get anything other than discouragement from a workshop. My new goal is to be ready to workshop by Wiscon.
There is one last piece of business from Geek.kon. There are now pictures up on the website. The thumbnail on the main page is of the SF/F panel. That picture shows Tor Senior Editor Jim Frenkel, Hugo-winner Joan Vinge, Spectrum-winner Sarah Monette, Quill-winner Patrick Rothfuss, and my smiling face. I hope that this is one of those happy omens of things to come.
Hinted at announcements should be coming in the next couple of weeks. Next week I will be able to announce the location and dates for the Aicardi Syndrome Family Conference. The Board has the contract, and I don’t foresee any problems. I will be very happy to get this behind me. It’s been a lot of thankless work. I have no idea how some people can chair conventions year after year without cracking.
Lars let me know that the book that I am working on for Mad Norwegian Press will be announced by mid-November at the latest. I can’t wait for the throngs of fans that will surround me at the Chicago TARDIS convention. ;)
Well, I hear the girl singing, so it’s time to put back on my caregiver hat...
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Windycon
I received my schedule for Windycon (http://www.windycon.org/) yesterday. I’m on three panels:
Saturday
11:00
Heathrow: A Distant Backwater of the Internet: YouTube, and LJ and
Locus. There’s a lot more to the internet than the popular sites. Come
and learn about the small backwaters that are tucked away but provide
browsing gold to those lucky enough to strike it rich. D. Kuczwara, J.
O’Neill, L. Thomas, M. Thomas
3:00
Narita A: Across the Mediaverse: Since Buffy the Vampire Slayer was
introduced in 1992, it has had a life as a movie, a television series,
and now as an officially sanctioned “Season 8” comic. This discussion
will look at its various incarnations, what they’ve taken from each
other and how they’ve, of necessity, changed. D. Levin, S. Lyn-Waitsman,
N. Rest, A. Rosenwarne, M. Thomas
Sunday
Noon
Michigan: What Makes Doctor Who?: From William Hartnell to David
Tenant, the ten primary actors to play the Doctor have manages to make
the role their own. What are some of the commonalities that keep the
Doctor essentially the same from regeneration to regeneration. S.
Clemmons, K.-E. Kelly, J.L. Nye, L. Thomas, M. Thomas
Windycon is a Chicago SF institution with some pretty amazing guests this year:
Author Guest of Honor:
Tanya Huff
Artist Guest of Honor:
Jody A. Lee
Editor Guest of Honor:
Toni Weisskopf of Baen Books
Fan Guest of Honor:
George W. Price
ToastMaster:
Richard Chwedyk
Special Media Guest:
Richard Hatch
(Captain Apollo of "Battlestar Galactica")
Special Guests:
Phyllis and Alex Eisenstein
Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett
Tina Jens
Frederik Pohl and Betty Anne Hull
Mike Resnick
Brenda & Bill Sutton
Some other favorites that will be there include E.E. Knight, Jim C. Hines, and Tobias Buckell.
Saturday
11:00
Heathrow: A Distant Backwater of the Internet: YouTube, and LJ and
Locus. There’s a lot more to the internet than the popular sites. Come
and learn about the small backwaters that are tucked away but provide
browsing gold to those lucky enough to strike it rich. D. Kuczwara, J.
O’Neill, L. Thomas, M. Thomas
3:00
Narita A: Across the Mediaverse: Since Buffy the Vampire Slayer was
introduced in 1992, it has had a life as a movie, a television series,
and now as an officially sanctioned “Season 8” comic. This discussion
will look at its various incarnations, what they’ve taken from each
other and how they’ve, of necessity, changed. D. Levin, S. Lyn-Waitsman,
N. Rest, A. Rosenwarne, M. Thomas
Sunday
Noon
Michigan: What Makes Doctor Who?: From William Hartnell to David
Tenant, the ten primary actors to play the Doctor have manages to make
the role their own. What are some of the commonalities that keep the
Doctor essentially the same from regeneration to regeneration. S.
Clemmons, K.-E. Kelly, J.L. Nye, L. Thomas, M. Thomas
Windycon is a Chicago SF institution with some pretty amazing guests this year:
Author Guest of Honor:
Tanya Huff
Artist Guest of Honor:
Jody A. Lee
Editor Guest of Honor:
Toni Weisskopf of Baen Books
Fan Guest of Honor:
George W. Price
ToastMaster:
Richard Chwedyk
Special Media Guest:
Richard Hatch
(Captain Apollo of "Battlestar Galactica")
Special Guests:
Phyllis and Alex Eisenstein
Jody Lynn Nye and Bill Fawcett
Tina Jens
Frederik Pohl and Betty Anne Hull
Mike Resnick
Brenda & Bill Sutton
Some other favorites that will be there include E.E. Knight, Jim C. Hines, and Tobias Buckell.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Geek.Kon
Geek.Kon exceeded all expectations. We had an amazing time in Madison. This was our first time in the campus/downtown area, and it really lived up to the reputation. This was one of the coolest campus towns that Lynne and I have ever visited with its beautiful buildings, lakes, shops, and restaurants. We immediately fell in love with the State Street area.
The con itself was fine. It took place in the UWM Humanities’ building. The building is terrible marriage of urban brutalism and bomb shelter. It must be the most depressing place in the world to take a class. There were quite a few people at the convention. My unadvertised Doctor Who panel had at least 45 people there. It was fun. I love doing this panel. People are just so damn enthusiastic about the new series. They really can’t get enough, and it creates such a positive vibe.
We had a great lunch on Saturday with Amanda, a friend from Odd Con, at a Nepalese restaurant. We then went to panel with game designer/writer Monte Cook. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about the creation of D&D 3rd Edition.
Lynne had a very successful coffee with a well-known, fantastic author. This person is ver cool and some very positive stuff came out of the meeting for Lynne and the library. Hopefully, I will be able to talk about more of this soon.
That evening we had dinner with the amazing author Sarah Monette (http://www.sarahmonette.com/) and her cool husband Allen. We ate at very good Afghani restaurant. Lynne and Sarah got along extremely well as they talked shop and baseball, and the news was great for the NIU library. The next day, Sarah Monette officially donated her archives to NIU, joining Jack McDevitt and E.E. Knight. This is a huge deal as Sarah is one the best fantasy authors out there. She has won a Gaylactic Spectrum Award and has been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer at the last two Hugo Awards. I’ve read her first two novels, and I can’t recommend her enough.
Lynne’s library panel went well, and we had a great time at all of the SF lit panels. We also found some time to have a delicious breakfast at a European style cafe and to shop at an excellent feminist bookstore called A Room of One’s Own (http://www.roomofonesown.com/). While we were there we bought Caitlin a “Girls Rock” t-shirt and an “I’m a Mini Feminist” button.
The trip was capped off with dodging a pot rally and a trip to Sarah and Allen’s house to pick up the first part of her archives. We couldn’t have asked for a more successful trip.
We can’t wait until we’re back in Madison for Odd Con.
The con itself was fine. It took place in the UWM Humanities’ building. The building is terrible marriage of urban brutalism and bomb shelter. It must be the most depressing place in the world to take a class. There were quite a few people at the convention. My unadvertised Doctor Who panel had at least 45 people there. It was fun. I love doing this panel. People are just so damn enthusiastic about the new series. They really can’t get enough, and it creates such a positive vibe.
We had a great lunch on Saturday with Amanda, a friend from Odd Con, at a Nepalese restaurant. We then went to panel with game designer/writer Monte Cook. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot about the creation of D&D 3rd Edition.
Lynne had a very successful coffee with a well-known, fantastic author. This person is ver cool and some very positive stuff came out of the meeting for Lynne and the library. Hopefully, I will be able to talk about more of this soon.
That evening we had dinner with the amazing author Sarah Monette (http://www.sarahmonette.com/) and her cool husband Allen. We ate at very good Afghani restaurant. Lynne and Sarah got along extremely well as they talked shop and baseball, and the news was great for the NIU library. The next day, Sarah Monette officially donated her archives to NIU, joining Jack McDevitt and E.E. Knight. This is a huge deal as Sarah is one the best fantasy authors out there. She has won a Gaylactic Spectrum Award and has been nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer at the last two Hugo Awards. I’ve read her first two novels, and I can’t recommend her enough.
Lynne’s library panel went well, and we had a great time at all of the SF lit panels. We also found some time to have a delicious breakfast at a European style cafe and to shop at an excellent feminist bookstore called A Room of One’s Own (http://www.roomofonesown.com/). While we were there we bought Caitlin a “Girls Rock” t-shirt and an “I’m a Mini Feminist” button.
The trip was capped off with dodging a pot rally and a trip to Sarah and Allen’s house to pick up the first part of her archives. We couldn’t have asked for a more successful trip.
We can’t wait until we’re back in Madison for Odd Con.
Caitlin and the Cubs
Well, the Cubs didn’t come back. The things that I harp on all of the time bit them in the butt again. Jim Hendry has an amazing love for power hitters with no plate patience and average defensive skills. The Cubs of the last few years have been killed by bad OBP and unproductive outs. The bad defense has also put a lot of strain on the pitchers.
The real shame is that this is not a young team that can look to get better next year. Our farm system has almost no impact prospects. The new ownership will have no choice but to throw around more money at free agents if they want to make a run next year. Let’s just hope that this time some of the new guys will be able to get on base.
Caitlin is fine. She had a good weekend with Grandma. There was a small vomiting scare, but it turned out that she wasn’t sick. This will be the last week with her loaner Dynavox. Hopefully it won’t take to long to get her permanent device.
Tomorrow is picture day. Everybody keep your fingers crossed that her photos this year are as good as last year’s.
The real shame is that this is not a young team that can look to get better next year. Our farm system has almost no impact prospects. The new ownership will have no choice but to throw around more money at free agents if they want to make a run next year. Let’s just hope that this time some of the new guys will be able to get on base.
Caitlin is fine. She had a good weekend with Grandma. There was a small vomiting scare, but it turned out that she wasn’t sick. This will be the last week with her loaner Dynavox. Hopefully it won’t take to long to get her permanent device.
Tomorrow is picture day. Everybody keep your fingers crossed that her photos this year are as good as last year’s.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Sleepy Caitlin
I am sitting here watching Scooby Doo with my daughter. It is one of the Scooby Doo Movies with the Harlem Globetrotters. She loves Scooby Doo as much as I did at her age. In retrospect, though, it really isn’t very good. Thank goodness for Wi-Fi and iPods.
Otherwise, Caitlin is fine. She’s a bit sleepy today, so I will be spending much of my day trying to keep her awake. When I’m not poking her I will be doing laundry and cleaning before our trip to Madison. My mom will be here watching Caitlin while we’re gone. It's very sweet of her to help us with Caitlin. Hopefully everything will be fine. It’s not that I don’t trust my mom with Cait; it’s just that I don’t want to be away for a medical emergency.
Just finished reading: Archangel Protocol by Lyda Morehouse
Currently reading: His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik and a Mad Norwegian Press manuscript
Otherwise, Caitlin is fine. She’s a bit sleepy today, so I will be spending much of my day trying to keep her awake. When I’m not poking her I will be doing laundry and cleaning before our trip to Madison. My mom will be here watching Caitlin while we’re gone. It's very sweet of her to help us with Caitlin. Hopefully everything will be fine. It’s not that I don’t trust my mom with Cait; it’s just that I don’t want to be away for a medical emergency.
Just finished reading: Archangel Protocol by Lyda Morehouse
Currently reading: His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik and a Mad Norwegian Press manuscript
Now It Is Time to Panic
Arghhh!! Stupid, stupid hope!
The Cubs are choking. Lucy has pulled the football away from me once again, and I am staring at the sky with a bruised butt.
I expected to lose game one. Webb is arguably the best pitcher in the NL. But how could we not beat Doug Frickin’ Davis ?!? What happened to Ted Lilly? Now we have to win the next three. It could happen, but I’m not holding my breath.
The worst part about this is that the Cubs are an old team. This was their best shot, and they are blowing it. Oh well, maybe the new ownership will sign Hunter, A-Rod, and trade for Santana. A boy can dream...
The Cubs are choking. Lucy has pulled the football away from me once again, and I am staring at the sky with a bruised butt.
I expected to lose game one. Webb is arguably the best pitcher in the NL. But how could we not beat Doug Frickin’ Davis ?!? What happened to Ted Lilly? Now we have to win the next three. It could happen, but I’m not holding my breath.
The worst part about this is that the Cubs are an old team. This was their best shot, and they are blowing it. Oh well, maybe the new ownership will sign Hunter, A-Rod, and trade for Santana. A boy can dream...
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Geek.Kon
I just wanted to mention one more time that Lynne and I are in Madison at Geek.Kon (http://geekkon.net/) this weekend. If you happen to be there, I am on a Doctor Who panel at 3 PM on Saturday. Lynne is doing her usual SF in Special Collections panel at 2 PM on Sunday. This year I will have done Doctor Who panels at Odyssey Con, Convergence, Geek.Kon, and the upcoming Windy Con. I am sure that some people must be getting sick of me by now. Of course, this will be the millionth time that Lynne has done her library panel (Windy Con, Capricon, Odyssey Con, the Nebula Awards, Convergence, and many more to come).
It’s weird becoming “regular” panelists. I think that the oddest thing for me is that I had always thought people would fight for the honor of being a panelist. Now that I’m more on the inside, I’ve come to realize that programming organizers actually have a lot of trouble getting panel ideas and panelists.
The second oddest thing is people coming up to you at parties and acting like you’re somehow impressive because you know the name of the costume designer who came up with Tom Baker’s burgundy outfit. Who knew that my lameness was a marketable commodity?
It does make me feel better when I having those moments of “Does anybody really care about this stuff other than us?” while doing research for the big, unnamed, Mad Norwegian Press book that consumed my year. Meeting the other obsessives out there makes me feel a little less crazy.
Mostly, it’s fun for me to be up there spouting my crap and making lame jokes. It’s also a gas hearing other people’s opinions and excitement about the show I love. Hopefully it will keep me from becoming a cynical, grumpy old fan like so many before me. If Doctor Who ever becomes joyless, it will be time to get out.
It’s weird becoming “regular” panelists. I think that the oddest thing for me is that I had always thought people would fight for the honor of being a panelist. Now that I’m more on the inside, I’ve come to realize that programming organizers actually have a lot of trouble getting panel ideas and panelists.
The second oddest thing is people coming up to you at parties and acting like you’re somehow impressive because you know the name of the costume designer who came up with Tom Baker’s burgundy outfit. Who knew that my lameness was a marketable commodity?
It does make me feel better when I having those moments of “Does anybody really care about this stuff other than us?” while doing research for the big, unnamed, Mad Norwegian Press book that consumed my year. Meeting the other obsessives out there makes me feel a little less crazy.
Mostly, it’s fun for me to be up there spouting my crap and making lame jokes. It’s also a gas hearing other people’s opinions and excitement about the show I love. Hopefully it will keep me from becoming a cynical, grumpy old fan like so many before me. If Doctor Who ever becomes joyless, it will be time to get out.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The Cubs
As many of you know, I am a big baseball fan. It is one of my few “normal” hobbies. I love baseball. I love watching it on TV, listening to it on the radio, reading about it, and debating it. Lynne and I have built vacations around visiting ballparks. I am also a stat-head. I love reading the numbers, and I enjoy learning about new statistical modeling (Yes, I managed to even geek up my love of sports).
I am a Cubs’ fan. My family are Cubs’ fans. It is in my blood. The Cubs have taught me my perverse loyalty to lost causes. The collapse of the 1984 Cubs in the NLCS haunts me to this day.
My team is back in the playoffs. We came close to a pennant in 2003, and it’s taken the Cubs this long to get back. I am full of unreasonable amounts of hope. The National League is bad this year. We are facing the Diamondbacks in the Division Series. Other than Webb, their team is awful. If you dig into the stats like run differential, they are one of the luckiest teams in recent memory. My Cubs have been playing great baseball after a terrible first couple of months. We are the most balanced team in the NL playoffs. I am starting to believe that this is the first Cubs team that will go to the World Series since 1945. Of course, the AL winner will then kill us.
Here is an article from my favorite stat-head website, Baseball Prospectus. They are very positive about the Cubs in the Division Series.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6781
Game 1 is tomorrow at 9 PM. You can probably guess what I’ll be doing.
I am a Cubs’ fan. My family are Cubs’ fans. It is in my blood. The Cubs have taught me my perverse loyalty to lost causes. The collapse of the 1984 Cubs in the NLCS haunts me to this day.
My team is back in the playoffs. We came close to a pennant in 2003, and it’s taken the Cubs this long to get back. I am full of unreasonable amounts of hope. The National League is bad this year. We are facing the Diamondbacks in the Division Series. Other than Webb, their team is awful. If you dig into the stats like run differential, they are one of the luckiest teams in recent memory. My Cubs have been playing great baseball after a terrible first couple of months. We are the most balanced team in the NL playoffs. I am starting to believe that this is the first Cubs team that will go to the World Series since 1945. Of course, the AL winner will then kill us.
Here is an article from my favorite stat-head website, Baseball Prospectus. They are very positive about the Cubs in the Division Series.
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6781
Game 1 is tomorrow at 9 PM. You can probably guess what I’ll be doing.
Seizure Day
It was a seizure morning. Caitlin is now upstairs sleeping off her Diastat after a 14-minute spasm. At least her schedule was light today.
Not much else going on this week. I am polishing up some Aicardi business and some stuff with Caitlin’s school. I’ll go into detail as soon as things are settled.
The writing continues. I am still working on the novel in the early morning. My short story rewrites in the late morning have been taking longer than I wanted. There is some massive work needed on the two stories. On the plus side, I think that I solved some problems in both. I just need a boost of time and energy.
We are getting ready for Geek.Kon this weekend. It looks like I am doing a Doctor Who panel, and Lynne is doing her usual library panel. Lynne is also doing some cool work stuff, so hopefully that will go well.
The Cubs start the playoffs on Wednesday. I am not pleased with the 9 PM start times. I guess that the Cubs will just have to blow out the Diamondbacks in the early innings. I like this match-up for the Cubs. This is a light-hitting Diamondbacks team with only one special starting pitcher. I believe that we can win this series.
Not much else going on this week. I am polishing up some Aicardi business and some stuff with Caitlin’s school. I’ll go into detail as soon as things are settled.
The writing continues. I am still working on the novel in the early morning. My short story rewrites in the late morning have been taking longer than I wanted. There is some massive work needed on the two stories. On the plus side, I think that I solved some problems in both. I just need a boost of time and energy.
We are getting ready for Geek.Kon this weekend. It looks like I am doing a Doctor Who panel, and Lynne is doing her usual library panel. Lynne is also doing some cool work stuff, so hopefully that will go well.
The Cubs start the playoffs on Wednesday. I am not pleased with the 9 PM start times. I guess that the Cubs will just have to blow out the Diamondbacks in the early innings. I like this match-up for the Cubs. This is a light-hitting Diamondbacks team with only one special starting pitcher. I believe that we can win this series.
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