Stuffed myself tight as a tick for dinner. Last night of having my folks in town. Probably don’t need to eat for a few days now. But it was worth it.

My dog has a sore in his armpit (front leg). Every time it start to heal over, something happens and he starts licking and it becomes unhealed and open. I bought gauze and vetwrap today, and I can’t get it to stay on. I wrapped it multiple times. I can’t get it tight enough. Maybe if I shaved all the hair off, it could work, but don’t know that I want to do that (even if had clippers). I’m must not sure how to keep it covered so that I can keep neosporin on the wound. Suggestions? I’m going to keep him out of his harness and walk him off leash. Otherwise I think it adds to his discomfort. This has been going on awhile. The vet looked at it and shaved away the close-by hair. I thought it was healed, but apparently not.

I need cotton sheets. I’ve been using flannel for years, even through the summer, but I need cooler sheets. Time to go looking. I know very little about percale or sateen or thread-counts or whatever. I don’t suppose you do? I know, 14 years in Montana and it’s time to have summertime sheets. What am I thinking?

Got my hair cut today. Much of the purple got cut off, so I”m going to have to do some dyeing. Miscon is a week and a half away. Must look my purpley best, right?

While at Miscon, I got to sit on the Iron Throne. Here are a couple of the pics. All Hail and Obey me!

Okay, it’s not exactly the cover, and my name isn’t there, and really the panel was not about the silver screen but about monsters. Still, I am on the Rolling Stone website with George R. R. Martin.

I’m so tired. Tired tired tired.

But I had a great time at Miscon.

Taking up where I left off, the Urban Fantasy Noir panel went better than I thought. One panelist didn’t show, so it was just me and Kevin Noel Olson. Even though I was afraid we’d run out of stuff to say, it turned out really well and we had standing room only. Then I was off to a panel on the nature of Monsters with GRRM, Peter Orullian (my first time meeting him and he has gorgeous long black hair. Wow). Anyhow, there was also Bob Davis, a historian. I got to be moderator, and I thought that panel turned out really well. it was outside on a little stage and there were a lot of people.

From there, a bunch of us went to eat at the Montana club and I got to know Jon Pitts and Anne Gimble a fair bit more. Then back to the hotel where the corgis attracted a lot of attention and learned of a book of great amusement and great competition for Eye of Argon. We read it with much amusement. And with great emotion. Fun.

Eventually I ended up in bed and got up early Sunday. That day wasn’t as busy. I managed to attend a reading but Sue Bolich, Brenda Carre, and Anne Gimble. I also did a reading of my own (which was well attended, thank you so much!) and then I did a panel on the art of revision, which again was packed. After that, we went out with Sue and stuffed ourselves silly and drank too much Cold Smoke (one of the best beers ever). That was followed by attending Sue’s book launch party, then returning to the dining area in order to hang out. We were quite silly and I laughed a lot.

Eventually I went to bed again and up stupid early this morning. Got packed, got the truck loaded, went to breakfast, then I picked up this gorgeous piece I bought at the art show by Tiffany Toland-Scott. Here’s an image of it. I love it. Had to have it. Oh, and there was a book signing in there too, with a whole bunch of us.

I then signed stock for Lady Jayne of Lady Jayne’s books, and was off to my panel on Urban Fantasy with Jon Pitts. That was followed by the last panel of the day, the lore of swords, with GRRM, Ruth Frey, Jon Pitts, and me. I learned things and believe it or not, there was some sunshine.

This is us:

At that point, I gathered up the family and dogs and headed home, and I tried very hard not to fall asleep. That would be bad. Next year the writing guests will be Jim and Shannon Butcher, plus Carol Berg. It’s going to be terrific. You might want to think of attending, and getting your memberships and hotel reservations very soon.

Also, I will have pictures later. And I got a picture of me in the iron throne (Game of Swords) but I have to wait to get those back from the con photographer.

So now I’m home. I have to get my revision finished and I have to get the trailer all ready for travel out to Oregon and I have to get the house ready for us to be away, which means getting the housewatcher up to speed and make arrangements for mowing and for watering. Sleep may not come any time soon.

Hello~

I’m currently attending Miscon and it’s slightly overcase, a bit sprinkly, and tons of fun.

It’s also very crowded. This is what happens when GRRM attends a con. The unhappy news is that Patty and Mike Briggs both came down with a nasty bug and aren’t able to attend. So I’m missing seeing them. However there are a ton of other old and new friends that I’m getting to see and that’s hugely enjoyable.

I got here yesterday with the kids and set about getting ensconced in the hotel and getting registered. Then I went to the writers workshop meet and greet, followed by a panel on Mystery crossing over into Genre. On that panel was Maggie Bonham, Steve Fahnestalk, JA Pitts, and me. It was a good panel, though it felt a bit meandery. Then we went to dinner with a bunch of friends at the Irish place a couple of parkinglots away. It was excellent food and conversation and I got to see S.A. Bolich and Andrea and Jeff How, all of which I haven’t seen in at least a year, and Brenda Carre, who I haven’t seen since . . . well, it’s been a few years. I tried to absorbe some house selling vibes from her, since she just sold hers.

Then it was back to the hotel room where the kids, the man, the dogs and I goofed off and eventually slept. Both dogs and the girlie ended up in bed with me. How does that happen? So I’m dragging.

Then up early for breakfast and for the writers workshop. It was a really good group. And then I snuck out for a bite and came back and did a panel on writing realistic languages in fantasy and sf with George RR Martin, and Jim Glass. That was fun. George is very funny. Next up is a panel on Urban Fantasy Noir, and then the next is on Monsters, both of which will be very very cool. I’m doing my level best to stay out of the dealer’s room, but I hear things calling my name. I’m so trying not to answer.

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

I finished doing all the critiques for the Writers Workshop at Miscon. The workshop is free for writers and most of the attending pros do critiques. So if you went to Miscon, you could get critiqued by me, or Patty Briggs, among many others, or I think this year GRRM will be participating. Not sure though. Anyhow, I like to be detailed, so I spend a fair bit of time on each. I type out my comments and they usually are 3-4 single space pages long. It’s all content oriented–I’m not interested in talking grammar at this point, unless is seriously egregious (I didn’t get any stuff like that). I don’t think writers want to hear about grammar either.

I also made my head purple. Very purple. More purple than I planned for. Now I have to pack me, the kids, the dogs, and get on the road in the morning. In the meantime, I’m revising.

What are your plans for the weekend?