• Location: Arsia Sulci
• Mood: entirely determined
• Music: David Bowie, "Hallo Space Boy"

Tapping out your memories...

This thing called story, squirming in my head like an eel. Ever as slippery as an eel. An eel with nipping teeth. And the more I clutch at it, the more easily it slides from my fingers. Or, put another way, no word count for yesterday. Despite a multitude of distractions, I did read through "Bradbury Weather," seeking an entirely new direction for The Dinosaurs of Mars, which I hope I've found. The day will tell.

Vince has finished his illustration for "The Steam Dancer," so today and tomorrow we'll be getting Sirenia Digest #19 ready to go out to subscribers. I think the "Steam Dancer" illustration easily falls into a list of my ten favourite illustrations Vince has done for the digest. So, anyway, expect #19 sometime tomorrow, most likely.

My thanks to Bob Strootman of The Dunwich Whores and Jonathon TeBeest of Rasputina for getting me and Spooky on the guest list for the August 1st Atlanta Rasputina recital. I think the last time we saw Rasputina was November 1st, 2003, at the now sadly defunct Echo Lounge in East Atlanta, so we are looking forward to it. Howard Hughes shall risk the company of other persons and sally forth.

Spooky is looking for her shoes, because she has to go to the post office.

Last night, a good and unremarkable walk about Freedom Park. If anyone should doubt the need for green spaces in cities, hesheit need only stroll past Freedom Park just after sunset on a hot June night. There is always cool, fresh air flowing down towards the surrounding concrete and asphalt, air that must be at least 15F cooler. We did spot one bat, and pondered the near total absence of fireflies in recent years, compared to how extremely common they were back in the '70s when we were kids. Later, we did some Second Life, and by the way — Second Life turns four-years-old today. And I have been a part of it for a mere twenty-four days. Anyway, last night was actually quite exciting. After bumping into sleepycyan (thank you for the marvelous gramophone!) in New Babbage, I was walking in Caledon, Victoria City, enjoying the night air and considering a bit of shopping, when the sudden arrival of an armed Colonel and Lieutenant heralded the coming of that dread black beast that has so terrified the Caledonian countryside of late. The brute charged our group twice, and it's a wonder we escaped with our second lives. I have photos from the encounter, which will be posted at some point. Later still, Spooky and I watched an episode of (speaking of) Firefly ("Out of Gas"), then went to bed about 2 a.m.

And now it's time to make the doughnuts.