LoneStarCon / WorldCon in San Antonio, TX

I only have one thing I'm doing at LoneStarCon publicly, so if you're around it'd be cool to see you. I'll be reading as part of the Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading, group panel, on SUNDAY from 10-11am at the Convention Center 007B. We have a flyer and the event is in the program with my name included and everything. So it's real and now I have to choose something to read.

Very exciting. Hope to see you there. Or if not there, maybe the bar.

Eight months in, health check

At the start of the year I decided to take steps to improve my health. Now that we're eight months into the process, I thought it'd be useful to check in.

The two biggest changes are that I'm down about 25 pounds since December 2012, and that my blood pressure has reached reasonable levels without medication. (I self-monitor with one of those wrist-band devices.) Besides the physical, I've made changes mentally. I've taken quite a few classes with the nutritionist to learn how to prepare and cook vegetables and fish, and do some basic meal planning. I've also worked with the nutritionist to come up with strategies to combat old habits.

As part of this process, I've also switched gyms and have an appointment with a personal trainer once per week. And I finally cancelled my Weight Watchers membership so I don't have that as a crutch anymore.

Yes, I could have lost the weight faster, but I wanted this to be a long-term change. And changing habits like this is a major process for me.

The best part is that as of today--and the reason I thought it'd be a good time to talk about this--I'm entering the fun phase. Finally. I'm starting to be able to wear clothes I haven't worn in a few years. Muscles are appearing. And I'm able to do all sorts of things physically I wasn't able to do back in January.

There is still a lot of work left to do and I am fighting like hell to continue seeing improvements and maintain my progress, but I feel good. I feel stronger than I've felt in a long time. And I just need to remember this feeling when it gets hard again, which I know from experience it will.

Happy Wednesday.

Perfect Attendance Awards are my favorite awards

Hi! I thought maybe I should post when I'm in a good mood for once. So here I am.

Yep.

It's true though. Inner conflict makes for more interesting reading. Yet somehow I'm sure we'll muddle through.

Since I've been back from the Cascade Writers Workshop I've mostly been in recovery mode. I stumbled in to work out with my wonderful personal trainer on Monday morning and managed to say goodbye to our houseguests before the happy couple hit the road. On Tuesday I attended the last Clarion West "reading" of the summer, although in this case it was Ellen Datlow being interviewed by Eileen Gunn so really more of a conversation. Really enjoyed that. That evening also marked three years in a row I haven't missed a single event in the Clarion West Summer Reading Series.

Not that I'm counting or anything. Or expect to win some sort of perfect attendance award.

Unless that's a thing that exists. And then I want it.

No new acceptances to report. One of my stories made it to the second round of readings at a pro market for the second time, but that won't mean much to anyone but me. It's funny how your definition of success becomes a sliding scale after enough rejections. But hey, that just means I'm still in the game, right?

See? Good mood. Coffee helps. So does bouncy music.

Also, today is the first day of my birthday month. Since time goes by so quickly now, I've decided to just extend the single day to a month to get my money's worth. Sounds fair. Because Leos rule. Everybody else drools. (Except you, of course. Of course! Your wit, your charm, your fashion choices--not to mention your excellent posture--are above reproach.)

This coffee is seriously amazing. Combined with Blues Traveler's "Canadian Rose," I feel positively jubilant. Don't worry readers, serious Folly will be back before you know it. She is always there in the shadows, waiting. Like a...puma? Hm.

Happy Thursday, everybody. Never forget how nice you smell.