Bless me, friends, for I have slacked.

[nolawitch58]

I has been 25 days since my last substantial post. I have diddled around and scribbled on things that are not my book. I have allowed idiotic chain mail to slide through my inbox into the trash without comment. I have gratuitously entertained total strangers while answering the phone at work. Much of my creative drive seems to be devoted to fabulous dreams from which I do not wish to wake. For my penance, I will...

Last weekend, a bunch of us from the writers' group went to Houma to the Jambalaya Jubilee writers conference. Although some of us went to some of the same presentations, we mostly split up to find our own interests. I could have kicked myself for forgetting to bring my F. Paul Wilson books for him to sign. I bought a new one in which he doodled a little vampire on the flyleaf. He was very nice and inspirational.

The library offered a free fiction writing workshop with Pulitzer prize winning author Shirley Ann Grau. You had to submit a sample in order to get in. The library sent a form email saying there were 47 entries for the fifteen slots and I wasn't selected. I was disappointed but not surprised. One of the guys from the Writers Alliance, swampytad, got in. I'm sure he'll give us the scoop next time he can attend a meeting.

My tax refund will pay for my vacation in Switzerland. As soon as it hits my bank account, I'll get my plane ticket. The shortest trip will be over twelve hours. I'll bring something to read and a table to write on. I'll also get some tunage loaded onto the MP3 player in case I need it to prevent me from getting arrested for murder after landing. I'll turn up "Dead Babies" as loud as it goes and sing along if I'm unfortunate enough to get stuck on a flight with unruly children.

It is my opinion that the Chicago Cubs need to adopt a goat. To break the hundred year curse, they need to house a goat at Wrigley, letting it graze in the outfield and roam freely in the stands during games. I want to see them win the Series this year.

There seems to be something else I wanted to blather on about, but I don't remember. Maybe I'll save it for another post or maybe I'll space it for all time.

Comments

[entheos93.livejournal.com]

Swampytad was chosen? makes sense- he's good. Not that you aren't, but I see why he was chosen.
Switzerland is awesome, those people know how to live! It's a little weird in a rich kind of way that we NO'leans are bound to find odd, but I think you'll love it. Fuck it, I'll admit it- I wouldn't mind being Swiss!

[slamlander.livejournal.com]

That's okay, I'm marrying one ;)

[nolawitch.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he's good. From what he's read at the Writers Alliance, I can see why he got in too. Of course, I'm envious, but maybe the library will develop additional workshops with lesser literary luminaries and let some of us plebes in.

[slamlander.livejournal.com]

Hey darlin' if you want to bring laptop, we have access for you. In Nyon, at least.

Here, too.

[saminz.livejournal.com]

Well - IF I can remember the bloody wireless password ;-).

Re: Here, too.

[nolawitch.livejournal.com]

Am I being fetched from the airport with a car or a Vespa? Hanging onto a suitcase on one side of a Vespa and laptop bag on the other would be an entertaining sight. Or should I take a cab? I don't want to be laden with too much luggage and look like the typical American tourist.

Re: Here, too.

[saminz.livejournal.com]

Certainly not a Vespa :-)!!

A car, most likely. In case you don't bring a laptop, I have one for you to use here. Nothing sensational, though...

[kelli217.livejournal.com]

I think the odds of unruly children approach one as the length of the trip increases, if for no other reason than that children don't like being cooped up for extended periods of time.

Anyway, as regards kids -- have you heard the "reset theory" that wonderingmind42 has gotten from a few people? The idea is that we need to go through the trial of climate destabilization in order to purge the planet of the traits that allowed it to get that far in the first place. Including the inability to understand the exponential function.

As a person who is misanthropic in the general, even if genial in the specific, you might consider whether or not you want to actually stop the processes of climate destabilization, given that it will probably kill off a large number of humans in the process.

[nolawitch.livejournal.com]

You must be hella psychic because I was writing a paragraph explaining exponential population growth. You have also nailed my conundrum. That wonderingmind42 is the same science teacher guy with the OMGWTFBBQ huge number of climate crisis videos on YouTube, right? I watched all of those. He must have more I have yet to peruse. I will have to check out this "reset theory".

[kelli217.livejournal.com]

Yes... look for his "Operation Saturation" videos -- the ones where he's wearing the coal mining getup.

12-hour flights ...

[ozdragonlady.livejournal.com]

I love it when the rest of the world gets to experience what is normal for us *snigger*
(It takes a minimum of 5 hours to get anywhere from Perth - generally at least 7. Come to think of it, you can fly north for 3 hours and still be in WA - in a tiddly little 12 seat jet.)

Books, videos, food, sleep ... they all help you get there. I hope you are on a good airline. Remember to go for a walk at regular intervals - just up and down the aisle. No-one will think you strange. (Well, some will, but they havent flown often enough to know why.)

Re: 12-hour flights ...

[nolawitch.livejournal.com]

That's why Australians are so sturdy and strong. Aside from the fact that y'all were originally a penal colony, you've had hundreds of years to get lazy and soft like Americans and you haven't. Good on you.

I'll be walking regularly. I don't have a large bladder capacity--a fact that did not dissuade my parents in the least from dragging me on long car trips. The plane's loo will be familiar to me.

I'm bringing one book to read and likely working on my writing the rest of the time.

Just wanted to say hi...

[dire-lobo.livejournal.com]

eh... Hi! Hope you are doing well.

Your trip sounds fun.