Hello, Friday

And now...the cat report.

Sebastian when we found him on August 4

Sebastian now. He's regained those 2 pounds he lost and is back to his old self.

Bastian is doing so much better. He's stopped hiding under the couch at every loud noise. He's off the pain meds and is his usual sassy self. He still has a bit of a drunken sailor's gait sometimes, but mostly you wouldn't know he almost died two weeks ago. We're not letting him go outside for the next four to six weeks. After that, he decides whether he's an indoor kitty or goes back to being indoor/outdoor. At the current moment, he's given up trying to run outside. Either he understands he's in no shape for it, or it's the drugs. (He made initial attempts when he was feeling better--around day five--but I was firm.) He's also developed a new habit of telling me when his cat box is unsatisfactory. (We clean it once day for the record--sometimes twice. I can't handle the smell, and I'm allergic.) He's also taken to playing which is odd. He's extremely smart, that cat. So much so that his reaction to a laser pointer is, "I see where that's coming from, human. I refuse to act the fool." That said, he's probably playing out of bored desperation. So, this is more like "Okay, fine. I'll do the stereotypical cat thing. But understand I'm aware I'm a prisoner and I'm doing this under protest." I've left him alone for a few hours at a time, and he's not torn up the blinds or knocked shit off of Dane's desk. It seems we may have an indoor cat now. The challenge is going to be keeping him entertained.

I'm so thrilled he didn't die and have been giving him extra attention and catnip. You know, like you do.

In other news, I'm officially attending World Fantasy Con in San Antonio this year. I hope the parking situation is better than the last time. (It probably isn't.) There's nothing like staying in a hotel that has no place for your car. [eyeroll] Other than that, I enjoy visiting San Antonio. It's very different from Austin. Even the architecture is distinctly its own. In a world where every city is striving to be more and more the same, I appreciate that. Deeply. I hope to hit up John Picacio's restaurant recommendations again. (So. Good.) And I'm hoping to see some folks I only ever see at conventions. 

Oh! I've been invited to lecture in Houston next year at Writefest! I've agreed to do it but I need to fill out the paperwork to make it official. Am very much looking forward to it.

Other than that...well...things have begun to settle down again. The very good news is the final mental block has snapped regarding the current Feminist SF project. I'm no longer absolutely intimidated by the prospect. I've been reading John Scalzi's The Collapsing Empire--which I'm enjoying very much, thank you--and have come to the conclusion that, yes, in fact, SF has a lot in common with Fantasy. The magic of interstellar travel is, in fact, magic. I just need to come up with science-y sounding reasons to make it happen. (Not all that different from writing historical fantasy, frankly. Just a different set of factual cracks to write between.) I knew it was only a matter of time for me to overcome that little hurdle. I just wasn't sure of how much time it'd take. :) Next up: Nnedi Okorafor's Binti Home. I loved the first in the series and am looking forward to the second part. I should finish Nicky Drayden's The Prey of Gods today or tomorrow. I've loved it, by the way. So much fun.

May your weekend be a lovely one filled with peace and joy. After this last week, we all (except the Nazis) deserve it.