The Books & The Boss

For starters today: the Father-in-law is doing fine. He had major blockage of all the major valves in his heart but they were able to clear a good portion of it with the balloon and the rest they think they can take care of with aggressive medication. The lung disease thing is still outstanding but they want the heart stabilized before they start more exploratories, etc. All good thoughts, prayers (and of course: large cash donations) are appreciated.

Much traveling at work this week, I just got back from teaching a three hour CAD seminar 100 miles away and am killing the last 1/2 hour at work by writing this blog. Tomorrow I hit a different office, and yet a different one (2+ hour drive) on Friday. That will be rough. Moving along the Jersey Shore on a Friday during the summer is nothing short of insanity (with a little masochism mixed in for balance!)

No writing last night (though I did get home in time to watch the seaon finale of "The Shield". I love that show!) Yes, I know I should have been writing instead but I couldn't help myself. Some shows just grab you by the . . . um, well they're real good, okay? Tonight should be much better. I hope to get a massive chunk of GS typed in and try to finish up the synopsis. Still struggling with the ideas behind the "Fish" ending. No luck so far on a resolution. Only thing I've got is the feeling I'm missing something important in the story, but I don't know what it is yet.

I'm starting to think about what to move on to next. GS is almost ready for submittal and "Fish" is nearly complete so I have to line up the next piece to begin working on. I still have "Clans" to edit (which will be a huge undertaking) and I have a choice of three novels to start on next. Two are traditional S&S fantasy novels and the third is a far future SF. Come to think of it, there is actually a fourth novel hovering out there which is a contemporary dark fantasy along the lines of "Fish". They're all started to varying degrees, with a reasonable amount of background so I can take whichever one I want. Usually, I just read through what I have on each and jump onto the one that catches my imagination the most. That's as good a way to pick as any, right? (Hey, it works for me!)

As a complete aside: I've been listening to Springsteen's "Born to Run" album all day (yea, I know it's a CD but I'm old enought to say "album" if I damn well feel like it!) Thirty years later and that album still kicks ass! I am a Jersey boy, born and bred (with a few year detour in Colorado) and I freely admit that Bruce is the epitomy of music to my ears. Now, I love Bach, Beethoven, Cole Porter, Louis Prima, Glenn Miller, The Beatles, The Who, Aerosmith, G&R, U2 and Kid Rock but nothing ever gets me pumped like Bruce. There is something visceral and intense about the music and his lyrics are breathtaking. If you want to know what I mean, put on "Jungleland" and turn your stereo to max volume, then sit back and be carried away. That's what music is meant to be! (BTW: did you know that song is where Stephen King got his title for "The Stand"? Just a bit of useless trivia to carry you through the day.)

Later!