Wednesday, March 25, 2015

THIS MAY BE THE LAST THING I EVER WRITE, SO I BETTER MAKE IT A GOOD ONE

Holy Meatballs Mother of Brian, do I ever need this break.

You don't need to have read too much of this blog in 2015-- indeed, there hasn't been very much of it to read-- to know that I've felt under the hammer, and pretty much squashed by the hammer, for most of the year to date. Things just haven't let up for the last 3 months, and between work, editing, family life, moving into a new house, and all the other million and one bits and bobs that strike you in the face as you walk through the days, I've become increasingly stressed, and increasingly fragile. Thankfully, I'm beginning to emerge from it, but there are still a few lingering weights, and I need some time out from underneath them.

Edits of Magrit are progressing at what might kindly be called Hella pace: I've been over the manuscript 3 times in the last 2 months at the behest of my editor, and I'm reliably informed that there's only one more before the book will be ready to go to the typesetter. It's due to be published in early 2016: come to the launch and I'll happily underline for you the one line remaining from the original manuscript.....

Yeah, it's a much better book, but we both know you only come here for the comedy kvetching.

I've also, out of the insanity of my heart, committed to a new artistic enterprise: namely, building an enormous diorama for a public Lego display in October called, wait for it, Bricktober! The concept is fabulous, if I do say so myself-- a shuttle dropping crowds off on a moon surface to visit a shrine to the Unknown Spaceman. Only downside is, the shuttle itself is approximately 4 times bigger than anything I've ever built before, never mind the actual shrine. It's going to look great...... assuming I finish it...... assuming I have the skills...... assuming I haven't bitten off way more than I can chew......



Yeah, I'm not afraid to admit it: I may have been the
teeeeeeeeensiest bit over-ambitious......


This isn't even mentioning work, which is, you know, work.

Which is why the next six days are necessary. Because tomorrow, we fly out to Bali for the first time, armed with instructions on how to navigate the Waterbom water park, and which shops in Discovery Mall are best for teenage girl clothes shopping, and when best to take the Night Safari (hint: at night), and me insisting all the while that I want to go to the Archaeology Museum, dammit! and sketchbooks and notepads, and camera, and damned if I don't intend to come back sun-browned, exhausted, refreshed, recharged, and with enough material to get me writing again and not stopping until the Christmas holidays because fuck it, I'm sick of where I am and who I've become and it's time to get back to getting on with it.

Also, Luscious has never flown overseas, Master 10 was Master 3 Months the last time we flew anywhere for a family holiday, and it's bloody well time.

I've got a Thumbnail Thursday and Fetish Friday posts booked in the interim, but as far as live words go, this is me over and out for the interim. I shall return, with photos, in April.


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