Another good week of work. I’m glad, as next week we have the cleaners in (that means sitting and comforting the pets in the spare bedroom) and an eye appointment (which probably means dilation and an inability to stare at the computer screen). Still, there are worse eye problems.
I got two stories done for The Local Reporter. One was about the Carrboro/Chapel Hill school district launching the fiscal year without a budget, because the state hasn’t approved one for itself. The other is about a Buc-ee’s convenience store opening in nearby Mebane — this is a big deal but even after writing the story, I don’t get it. Of course one of the selling points is brisket, and as a vegetarian that’s about as appealing as “Hello, would you like a cup of warm vomit?”
Over at Atomic Junk Shop I blogged about Supergirl’s brief appearance and what she might have known about Jor-El and Lara’s plans for Earth. I also posted about a couple of time-travel movies I think of as an anti-double feature, in that their worldviews are polar opposites.
I think I mentioned that my cover designer, Samantha Collins, had come up with what looked like a promising design for Southern Discomfort. Looking at it early this week and getting some feedback from friends with good artistic eye, I realized she’s got it right — it still needs fine-tuning but the image is the right one. So much closer to publication now … I like the image enough I’ve rewritten the cover copy to fit.
Then there’s Jekyll and Hyde. I got several more photos for the book, started work on the bibliography, did some research reading and watched a French movie, Madame Hyde that I’d never heard of in any of my research (it turns out to be a name-only adaptation — details next week). I also watched the excellent British TV series Jekyll, from 2007. I finished the Nutty Professor chapter, and rough drafts of the Monster Mash and Children Of Jekyll chapters (e.g., Daughter of Dr. Jekyll). Good work.
On top of which I found time for lunch with my friend Heather, and to run a couple of errands. For whatever arcane reason, I seem full of energy lately. I hope it keeps up at least through the end of Jekyll and Hyde.
I also think I’ve found a solution to Trixie’s slight but persistent weight gain (not much, but she’s a small dog). Every morning I set aside her soft food for the day in a small Pyrex container. That way I don’t give in to impulse and give her a lot of extra. Fingers crossed this will get good results.
Covers by Bob Brown (top) and Bilquis Evely. All rights remain with current holders.
