Bitter and Sweet

Reports of my death have been faintly exaggerated.

However, I have had to spend too much time with people who have swabs and probes and needles, and want you to lie down or open up or provide body fluids into various jars on demand.

This would be creepy and humiliating and boring and painful enough, and you're already there for very bad reasons, or you wouldn't be there at all, but they always seem to force you into some state of naked on butcher paper, and that is... Well, come on, that just doesn't end well for anybody.

And it's not over.

I'm not actually writing this from the butcher table, but more things are scheduled. Also, just a couple of days ago, I had a medical professional start a sentence with "I know you don't want to hear this, but..."

That can't be good.

It wasn't.

It was the stitching of nightmares, past and present.

But, who wants to think on that. Not you, and certainly not me. Yes, the constant flash of Blue Screen of Death is ugly, and the crash will be grisly, but let's enjoy the uptime. Make it worth it.

And I have.

December was also great for work. The 'final' novel edit proceeded slow, for reasons mentioned, but it did proceed. I'm hoping to wrap it this month, but I do think the story is better for it, whatever the outcome. I'm still enjoying being with the characters, and especially with everything going on, that's been pretty awesome.

December also saw some art commissions, which I had a blast with. There'll be more details on that later.

I had more audio appearances on the Deadpan. I had a story acceptance. All of which are going to get their own posts in a moment. Or a few.

December also saw the holidays, which is great because I get to give people presents. Plus I get to decorate, and visit, and eat any treat I can get near. There's lights everywhere to see with more colours than white, and there's the Grinch and Scrooge, and this year I even got a surprise (artificial, of course!) tabletop holiday tree. It's weeks where I get to be silly and fun and spoil all the wonderful people in my life, and they can't complain. Not that they would. They are wonderful, after all.

Okay, they complain a little, sure, but they never tell me to knock it off and stop being an annoying twit. That's what counts.

The best thing of this season was that I got to see J., who I hadn't seen in person since 2000. This foray of the whirlwind roadtrip featured a wondrous hotel swimming pool, a shopping blitz, and a hell of a lot of laughing--especially after I consumed a wedge of the richest dessert ever known to man, and got so frickin sugar drunk I couldn't stop giggling. I was so overwhelmed I ended up lying on the table, braying, with tears streaming down my face. Proving the bonds of friendship, J. did not take this chance to photograph my bliss.

Looking back after recovering from the hangover, I suspect other restaurant patrons absolutely requested what I was having.

But nope, it's mine, and I'm blessed to have it.

May you all have a year with more laughs and hugs than tears.

Be well,