Election Day & Cake

It Cures What Ails Ya

Well, that's a great weight off my chest.

Good morning!

My oldest daughter went with my wife and I to vote bright and early this morning. We took the new dog along with us. Princess Buttercup was quite the hit (and behaved well, too!) As usual, we had the chance to chat with some of the neighbors in line and working the polls.

One of those was Emil, a good friend who lives down the road from us. Emil is a retired Marine who has served as the constable of elections for decades. He was there in the early 2000s when I was appointed as Judge of Elections in our district. We chatted about the long early morning lines at the polls this year. Not the longest we've ever seen - that would be from back when Obama was running for the first time - but we both agreed that what we saw this morning was comparable. Take that observation for what it's worth, here in a semi-rural district just outside of Pittsburgh.

Now it's all over. Life goes on. I'm going to write a bit this morning; then it's time to submerge myself in work and ignore Twitter as best I can. We're babysitting kids for some friends this afternoon, too, which is always a delight. Maybe we'll get the three of them outside in this beautiful weather. At some point, hopefully, I will know whether I should count myself as part of the Cursed Establishment or the Loyal Resistance.

Buttercup and Moose.

Oh - the cake? Well, as I told my wife: later on this evening, I'm either going to be celebrating, or in need of consolation. Cake is quite versatile, and capable of filling either role as needed. So somewhere along the line today, I plan to acquire dessert from a local bakery, to serve whichever purpose is needed this evening. I favor almond torte, but my wife likes buttercream, so I may need to get two cakes to preserve marital harmony. C'est la vie.

In any case, I wish you all the very best day you can have. I do suggest you consider investing in a cake, though. It may not be a universal cure for all ills, but consider that whatever may happen today, it will be a little bit better if you have cake in it.

The Business of Writing

A mid-week update on my three major commitments: to write, to edit, and to read.

We’re long back from the trip to the The World Fantasy Convention 2024 in Niagara. It was interesting, but had a very different vibe from other conventions. I took lots of notes at some of the sessions, and I’ll write them up at some point. I did do something unusual at the mass autograph session, though:

I asked every author I could find to sign a copy of The Hobbit.

During this process, I talked to an amazing number of authors. Not a single one refused, though I think one did sign it as "Smaug", which is totally understandable.

I intend to hold on to this copy of The Hobbit. Perhaps add some more signatures to it as time goes by. At some point - either next year, or perhaps later in the future - this will be contributed to a charity auction at another con.

Meanwhile, I’m continuing to plug away on Blue As Sky, though a few Life Things have intruded to break up my writing routine. There always seems to be something that is demanding attention. I ended up October with not nearly as many words as I wanted, which means I’m heading into November with a need to turn over 2k a day. That’s a pace I know I can sustain, but it does demand focus. Which means that I need to be curmudgeonly and say no to a few things.

I have managed to do a few small writing related tasks here and there. Most significantly is pulling together some notes on how my wife and I put together the Stories in the Key of Tull anthologies. Those are intended to help other editors with future Alpha Mercs anthology projects - two of which are in the works already.

Speaking of the Tull anthologies, I got in touch with Tull’s management company last month. A copy of each book has been shipped overseas to a certain individual who might appreciate them. Here’s hoping for positive reviews!

Other Stuff

The FamilyLife Fall Gala managed to bring in a respectable chunk of change. We’re working to increase our social media presence with the help of a really great consultant. On top of that, we have several fund-raising and strategic planning ideas that are in the works.

Car wise, we are not so good. Out of three cars, all three ended up in the shop the past few weeks. One twice, thanks to tire issues. Another is on its last legs, an will need to be replaced soon. We decided not to wait until that became urgent, and went to find a new car last weekend. Saturday was spent visiting car dealerships, and was a pleasant enough day. Especially as we found a new ride, made purchase arrangements, and are now done with the curséd process.

Wakes, car troubles, and elections. Oh, and daylight savings time! I am going to be very, very happy when this week is done. In the meantime, I’ll be doing my best to cultivate a spirit of Thanksgiving… starting with tonight’s cake.