Thank god it’s — wait, what day is it again?

Eagle-eyed readers of this blog will no doubt have noticed that I’m having a tough time following through on moving New Blog Post Day to Tuesdays. Like everyone else, horror fatigue and cabin fever have both caught up with me, and, truth be told, I’m not doing very well. Days blend together, and there’s little to distinguish them from each other save perhaps the rare event – having to put the trash out before garbage day, or those infrequent trips out for groceries, for example. The news continues to be horrible, and I realized that I was doom-scrolling through both Facebook and Twitter, hoping to find something to cheer me up. These days, that’s like asking Charles Ponzi for investment advice. I spend a lot of my time staring at my computer screen, knowing there are things I could be writing, but not having the heart or energy to try. It’s creating a self-loathing spiral.

There is a small bit of personal good news on the horizon: secret project Charlie Bravo nears completion. I can’t really talk about it today, but I should be making an announcement — here and elsewhere — very soon. This will be a pleasant treat; I haven’t had much new work to talk about lately. Most of that stems from me being tired of chasing after freelance work that never quite materializes, some of it is me feeling pissy that I’ve slipped off of all the go-to author lists I used to be on and no one but me seems to have noticed (or care, really), but mostly, I’m just tired of feeling helpless and enraged At All Times.

Trying to find fulfilling ways to occupy my time. Virtual Book Club has been a pleasant distraction, in no small part due to the wonderful people involved. Beyond that, and preparations for the forthcoming secret project Charlie Bravo, there hasn’t been much to alleviate the boredom and despair.

I’ve started to look at conventions for next year. While I have strong doubts about any of them happening, it gives me something to do, to plan for, to look forward to. I’m debating the wisdom of buying tickets/memberships just yet. There is, sadly, precedent out there for not getting a refund if the show goes virtual, and several conferences I’m considering are professional ones with steep entry fees – and there’s no way I’m willing to surrender hundreds of dollars just to watch a few panel discussions held over Zoom.

So next week I hope to regale you with a travel tale from recent years. We’ve had some delightful, fun trips, and I hope sharing one now and then will provide a little sunshine, if only vicariously.

Stay safe, stay well, and WEAR A DAMN MASK!