Nice rock. Or tree. Or raccoon. Whatever.

Things have gotten a wee bit frenetic. Classes started Monday, which means three back-to-back classes Mondays and Wednesdays, plus I'm still working at the Day Job until the end of next week, using vacation leave so that I can actually be physically present for the classes I'm teaching on a decomissioned air force base way out in the far-flung desert boonies. Fortunately, there's a Starbucks across the street from the campus. And soon it'll be pumpkin spice latte season! (The nice barristas at my neighborhood Starbucks broke into the pumpkin spice stash and gave me an early one, but I'm not supposed to tell. Ssshh!).

And things are looking pretty solid for the contract curriculum development gig, which should start in about three weeks.

Also, heading out for WorldCon Friday. And then recreational travel the weekend after that. And then, unless the gig falls through for some unforeseen reason, I'll be traveling out-of-state again a few days after returning from the recreational trip to get ramped up on the contract job.

Plus, trying to take care of general life stuff and maintain health and attend to the Kung Fu (and SarahP has a really great journal entry about Kung Fu and piano and writing and many other things, very much worth your time if you haven't read it yet), and trying to find time to drink beer with people, and drawing doodles for people who pre-ordered my chapbook (several done, more to go, and if I owe you one, give me a couple of weeks and I promise you'll have it) and, and, and ... (pant, pant, pant).

And then there's writing. I'm not. And, for once, I'm not going to beat myself up over it. When I drop the Day Job, I'll return to it. This I pledge. Until then, my only pledge is to stay afloat, to have fun, and to remember that sometimes the journey happens at a breakneck pace, but the scenery can still be nice. Even when it's going by in a blur.