I am currently in the throes of the annual trans-Florida cross-state family-visit whirlwind holiday extravaganza, and thus kind of didn’t do a Bloggiversary post as I had intended. Then again I didn’t do anything for my 100th post either, so whatever. Regardless! The contest is long closed, and the 8 official entries and one completely, utterly disqualified entry (from Jesse, who else?) are archived for reading when I get back to my home base in Boulder on the 31st. I should be announcing soon after that, such is the beauty of flash fiction.

I also never did my Holiday Lootz post but let’s just say it’s because I didn’t want the blogosphere to go insane with envy and not that I am alternating between lazy, busy, and sick this holiday season. Basically, check it, in no order of relative awesomeness: original art of a weasel in period garb from Jesse (as seen here), a Wii from John (I can play video games at my own house again, omg), a fucking corset of awesome from Raech (click on bodices, then “the wench”), a portable GPS from my parents. I am a lucky, lucky girl for a number of reasons, namely that my family of choice and my family of origin are happy, and except for a few colds and/or chronic sinus infections, healthy, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that also I am lucky because they have excellent taste.

We’ve been two days in Tampa visiting with my parents, uncle, and grandmother, and today are heading across the state to visit some friends in Vero Beach, and then down to John’s family. We were going to see Shawn and Erica (they’re in Orlando) but as I’m rocking the dregs of a cold and John’s started sniffling, we decided not to go and see them and their tiny baby. Then back west to home and cats and reality. Well, with a stop-off in Denver for some Watercourse. I am already anticipating the buffalo tofu sandwich I’ll probably be nomming, they put coleslaw on it.

The only other news of note is that I’m reading Shade’s Children by Garth Nix right now (I didn’t get to that one before the interview), and holy shit, that is one creepy fucking book. It is really good. I don’t read a lot of fiction when I’m on point with my writing (and I have been as of late, thank goodness, flying after you’ve been slogging is always a good feeling) but given the several-days break I’m taking with this visit I needed a plane book. It rules so far, and just keeps getting better. I also tore through most of Jeff VanderMeer’s Booklife on the plane, and all I can say is that I wish I’d read it sooner. It is some of the most thoughtful, relevant advice I’ve ever heard on the subject of being a writer and I can’t recommend it enough, especially to neurotic weirdos like myself. S.J. Chambers bought it for me for my birthday (and after being my shoulder to cry on many a time during moments–or weeks–of feeling nervous, unhappy, blocked-up in my writing, impatient, etc.), and it is stupid that I’ve waited until after Christmas to read it. It’s brilliant.