Deb Space

A few years ago Marie Mockett gave me a spinning kit. (If you haven’t read her fabulous debut novel, Picking Bones from Ash, go get it and read it now!) It took me a little while, but I finally got around to trying my drop spindle out. Most of my attempts have not been all that noteworthy (There will be pictures at a later date when I have better consistency.), but I had some revelations, namely a series of inspirational blog articles.

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I picked up a copy of David J. Schwartz’s first novel, but I’m letting Scott read it first because I’m nice.

I’m notoriously bad a con reports and I usually feel very guilty about it. I don’t know why that is. It probably goes back to my childhood when I’d sit at the dinner table and have to tell my parents what I did in school. I never liked the process. After all, I had already lived that day and had to re-live some of it in homework. So the dinner time retelling was a third time for me. Anyway, Dad was always more interested in my sister’s biology class. He always wanted to hear about what she had learned about evolution. Frankly, so did I.

I will say that I had a great time. It was good to catch up with old friends and make new ones. I enjoyed talking shop and celebrating several book launches. Cons are both energizing and exhausting. I get so inspired by the creative people around me, but I never have enough energy to get by on less than five hours of sleep a night. To boot, this year stomach flu swept through the con and there was a rumor of zombie infestation. Thankfully I avoided both although I did miss the panel called “‘Graaaains!’: Vegan zombies and ecological sustainability.” I think that was at the same time slot as “Let’s Build a World,” where I helped build a world filled with violent islands, meat volcanoes and 3-1/2 gendered kangaroids, not to mention the cross-dressing Chihuahuas (by cross-dressing I mean they dress up as cats who were birthed from geodes and part of the society elite). It probably makes more sense if you had been there although you can check out the write up here. I wonder if anyone stepped up to write the novel…

Anyway, I’m back, I’m rested, and I think I’m ready to face the blank screen again.

Via Greg van Eekout…

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I’m pretty wimpy on the caffeine scale, but that’s all I can handle today.

Via David Moles:

Transit Maps of the World’s Transit Systems

Does my CTA card work on that?

BTW, big congrats to David! He’s been nominated for a Hugo! Go David!

This is the weekend to get your fill of Harry Potter. I already went off to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I think Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is still my favorite, but this is a close second. I’ll need to get Scott caught up with his movie watching so I can go see it again.

I haven’t yet reserved my copy of the new book, but I noticed that I’m not starting any new novels this week. The book will be my weekend treat.

If that’s not enough Harry Potter for you, you could see if your local candy store has the Harry Potter candy from the makers of Jelly Bellys. You could treat yourself to a box of Bertie Bott’s Beans, but be warned. There could be some strong flavors in there, including black pepper, soap, booger, rotten egg, earwax and/or vomit. I kid you not! I tasted most of these when I went to visit the factory outlet a few months ago. Sardine is not part of the line, but the people at Jelly Belly have perfected that flavor. Not to mention garlic, margarita, and Dr. Pepper. Of course, you might get lucky and get my favorite new flavor, pomegranate.

The newest candies are the Jelly Slugs. It might be time for another road trip if my local Target doesn’t have them!