Five things I’m happy about (but it’s only a matter of time until something pisses me off)

This isn’t a meme or anything, I just feel like spouting off about a few things I’m happy about.

1. Yesterday I got the proof of my book in the mail from the printer. I’m like, Holy cow! I have a book! Like, what did I think? I’ve only been working on the freakin’ thing for five years. I mean, where’s the surprise? There’d better be a book at the end of all this!

I should have my initial run of books in about a week or so. It will still be a while before it’s available on Amazon (I’m going through a separate print-on-demand vendor to handle that), and I don’t quite have my website together yet, but pretty soon I’ll be set up to take orders from my blog readers (that means you) right from this site. Of course, they’ll be personally signed and I promise to use my best handwriting, which is already very neat.

You know, the people in my writers’ group have said over and over that writing the book is the easy part; the real work starts after it’s written. When I was toiling over my manuscript, I didn’t really think that could be true. Now I know it is. I’m going to be busy as hell with the promotional aspect, but I have to do something with my time, right? I mean, it’s better than sitting on my ass watching Family Guy reruns.

2. I’ve been asked to speak about blogging. I love to speak, and that’s good because speaking is an essential skill for authors. And of course, I love blogging!

A while back I asked for your input on what makes a good blog. Thanks so much for your feedback—it’s going to come in handy Monday night when I present to the Henderson Writers Group on the joys of blogging and why writers might consider creating a blog even if they think they don’t need one. Anyone can come to the HWG’s meetings, so if you’re in town, stop by the Clark County Library at 1401 E Flamingo at 6:30 p.m.

3. The new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm starts tomorrow night. It’s no secret that I love Jews, and Larry David, the genius behind this show, is about as Jewy as they get. This season we’ll be treated to a Seinfeld reunion of sorts; it’ll be awesome.


I don’t usually go for older men, but I could totally have a miserably joyful life with L.D. We’re both so picky and annoying, we’d be perfect together—in the train wreck kind of way. I love it when Mike says, "If bet if Larry David picked you up late, you wouldn’t close the door on him.” I don't say anything because we both know what the answer would be. (Larry David would never be late.)

4. Work isn’t sucking like it used to. God knows I’m not cut out to work at a job, period, but at least I’m no longer darting out of there like my ass is on fire.

5. My mother is having gall bladder surgery on Wednesday. I know, this doesn’t seem like an obvious thing to be happy about, but hear me out. Last Sunday morning an ambulance came for her because she thought she was having a heart attack. As it turns out, it was only a gall bladder attack, which is great because that’s something that can be handled with an outpatient procedure and once it’s over, it’s over. It’s not a chronic condition or anything, so yippee!

But still, the experience was quite scary for Mom. She said, “There I was in the bathroom thinking I’m having a heart attack, and what goes through my mind but, ‘I’d better get up. My kids can’t have both parents die on the toilet.’”

That’s my mother—always putting the kids first.

So what are you happy about these days?