I cannot even imagine....

Jeebus crisp

That is freaking bonkers.

Today's my last day of class for the semester, so that's kind of nice. I mean, it's not like I'm going to get much of a break, though--dragon boat season starts next week, so my Tuesday nights are still spoken for. Alas.

I... WHAT??? I cannot even imagine this. We are short-changing kids in a major way compared to the kind of education I had access to in the 1980s.

I want to curl up in bed under the covers for the rest of the night and huddle for warmth. I'm SO cold... probably because the feel temp is currently 41°F, while just a few days ago it was 90°F.

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I had every intention of having a quieter year re: book events until after Meat Sweats came out in August, and once I got the news that Meat Sweats would be delayed til March 2027, the intention was to be really, really lazy. Yet somehow I've ended up with 17 book-related events scheduled for 2026.

If I can finish my project for the Creative Research course I'm taking this semester by 8pm tonight (or earlier), the reward to myself will be starting a new knitting project.

I'm going to have a good amount of fruit this year out of the garden. I should have a decent crop of red currants and raspberries, a good crop of strawberries and blueberries, and--as usual--a torrential crop of figs. Still figuring out what vegetables will go in the garden.

A VCR never sold my private info to a nazi

I don't recall any previous transformative technologies that had to be sold to the public so hard. No one in 1999 was going, "Guys. Cell phone? It's coming, whether we like it or not. I think it's important, FOR WOMEN ESPECIALLY, to learn about cell phone. So that we're not left behind!!"

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two sections of the essay, but only a little bit, I think. My goal is to finish on Sunday. I can't wait. This has been taking up so much space in my brain, and I very much want to be done so I can work on a few other things. Like the short story I need to write for a horror anthology. 2/2

a man is screaming with his mouth open and the words you remove the but you left the bodies ALT: a man is screaming with his mouth open and the words you remove the but you left the bodies

Weeee! I can taste the ending of this Creative Research course project I've been working on. I have one last weekend of documentation, including flooding my plot of newly grown Bermuda grass and simulating the pool scene from Poltergeist with little people figurines. I have to revise the last 1/2

If you wanna inject some positivity into this world, my request to you is:

If you like a creative person (artist, musician, craftsperson, literally anything), tell them you like their stuff. Doesn't have to be me, in fact I'd prefer it if it wasn't, but you'll make their day, I promise.

Considering it's mid-April, I'm not super optimistic about this summer. Ugh.

Spooky Story Lab at Celia Bookshop in Swarthmore, PA on May 9!

Weeee! Want to write spooky stories with me and Laura Parnum next month in Swarthmore, PA? Now's your chance! #booksky

A small spray sample vial of Trefle Pur by Atelier Cologne (in my hand). Scent notes--Top notes are Bitter Orange, Basil and Cardamom; middle notes are Clover, Tunisian Neroli and Violet Leaf; base notes are Moss, Musk and Patchouli.

Today's #sotd is pure grass on first sniff, but it quickly dries down into something strangely like faded Jolly Ranchers. I'd like it if it stayed grassy, but just the candy scent is not my thing. #perfumesky

It was so gross. Meh.

My pilates studio is either not air conditioned or not air conditioned yet, and doing pilates in 90 degree heat is deeply sweaty and unpleasant.

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Current mood:

Gross. There's a reason I don't use substack.

At least something good comes of it!!

a black and white cartoon of a baby sitting on a bed with a cat . ALT: a black and white cartoon of a baby sitting on a bed with a cat .

Having a super bad insomnia night, but at the very least I came up with a strategy for my final Creative Research course project that has got me all excited.

Silver linings in my inability to sleep like a normal person...

It's such a fun project! The publisher sent me a similar project they had done before I signed on, and the entire package is so gorgeous! Can't wait to see all the art!!

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I feel very accomplished today: I finished the final-final edit on the horror novella that's coming out around Halloween 2027 (w/ an oracle card deck). I ❤️ working w/ this publisher SO much; the communication is just stellar. It's such a breath of fresh air, truly.

The second half of this month is going to be busy, but I'm doing fun stuff-- having brunch with my long-time writers group, having meals (twice!) with old friends, going to a friend's book event, & seeing 3 theatre shows. I'm on board with that kind of busy!

So glad to see this pop up--not enough people have seen this film. I used it as an example of the social risk triad when I presented at Goths for Breakfast on the social risk of saying no to hospitality earlier this year, along with Rosemary's Baby and Get Out.

I hope you have oatmeal raisin cookies in the house! My local ACME always has these amazing oatmeal cranberry cookies. I can't even walk past them....

Craig mentioned peanut butter cookies last night, and now all I want is a peanut butter cookie.