Reviews

Rich Horton (ecbatan at the Elephant Forgets), has done a nice overal crit of most mags in 2007. I'm mentioned both in the Cosmos and Helix reviews.

Mail and Sale

We finally got mail today: it was dumped on the front steps, because, you know, putting it in the actual mail box would have been too polite. There was quite a bit of it, too, confirming my suspicion that the Postal Service was hoarding it for some reason.

I got two issues of Sf&F, so the mail retention must've gone on for a while. I also got a contract from Weird Tales for "The Gong", a crazy story about an eunuch that I wrote a while ago and never got around to submitting. I'm thrilled. Between this and the "perfect storm" geeky exam, I'm wondering if I shouldn't buy the lottery this week. It sure seems like I'm having a lucky streak.

Yay me.

No Mail Week

Still recuping from the exam. Man, I'm beat and my back is killing me. I guess I'll have to take it easy for a couple of days.

We've received no post for more than a week. Dunno what's wrong, but I'll call and ask tomorrow. Confirms my opinion on the Spanish Postal Service. Anyway, just wanted to mention it in the unlikely event that there's someone out there waiting breathlessly for me to acknowledge a letter.

I talked to the mail-man on friday and told him where our mail-box is, since I know they have trouble finding it. He admitted he was new and didn't know where it was, but he didn't then drop any mail in it, so I'm wondering if there's something wrong that is outside of this particular mail-man's control. He was a nice guy and he wore just a hint of make-up. Pretty balsy, wearing make-up to work like that.

Sucks, because there's a couple rejections that are overdue and I don't know if they aren't coming because of lack of mail or because the stories have made it to the next round. Rejectomancy out the window.

The Jury is In

The exam went well, but it was kind of strange. Lots of easy questions, but quite a few of the uber-hard ones too. My stats tell me that a hard exam would have favored me, but I'm not quite sure how to classify this one. It felt easy at times, until you got whammed with one of the bitchy questions.

Can't tell at this point how I've done. The answer sheet should be out in a few days, and then the academy will start putting together data points. I guess by the end of this week, I'll know more or less how I've placed. Of course, definitive results will take a bit longer.

For now, I'm just happy to be done with this shit. I'm very tired. I'd planned on going out tonight, but it's only 1.30 and I feel like crawling into bed. I'm at Tom's house, there's music and liquor. I might just crash here. Dunno. Either way, it's great that my whole choice range only includes sleeping and/or having fun. Freaking great for a change.

Happy but bust. Have fun.

Exam Day

Tomorrow is D-day. I'm nervous and have had trouble concentrating this morning, but otherwise, I'm fine. I'm going to eat now and then I'll study maybe one more hour this evening and that's it. No more studying for a long long time.

Can't tell you how happy I am to get this over with.

I've studied well. Now, I just need to stay reasonable and not double-guess each and every question like I tend to do. I don't do it on purpose, either, I just have this tangential way of looking at problems. Creativity--not good when applied to exam questions.

Wish me luck.

Forbidden Speculations Contest

I won! "Certified Organic" has won the Forbidden Speculations Short Story Contest.

This story was originally a Liberty Hall flash.

Being in the antho was good enough, but this rocks. I think I'm going to spend the cash on all those Christmas presents that I owe people that I didn't manage to buy because of the Evil Exam.

:)

Last Short Story and "Family Values"

RandomAlex from the Last Short Story project has put together the list of reading recommendations from the thousands of stories these guys read throughout the year. And guess what? "Family Values" published in Cosmos 16, made it into the list.

Happy happy.

Three Kings' Day

It's Three Kings' Day in Spain.

Used to be, kids got their gifts from The Three Kings. Nowadays, Spaniards have realized that adopting American Holidays makes for a great excuse to have Double Holidays. Hence, kids now get gifts from Santa AND The Three Kings, they dress up as chulapos for the Fiestas de la Almudena and as skeletons for Halloween. Works out just fine for everyone, unless you're commercial-holiday-averse like I am.

I just finished my roscon de reyes, a horrible dry dreary pastry that you're supposed to eat tonight. My mom offered to cook something palatable, but the Family wouldn't have it. It'd be traditional roscon or nothing, so roscon it was. Mom made sushi for dinner, so I guess she'd already filled her quota of extravagance and the roscon was her nod to tradition. I wish she hadn't felt she had to do that. Anything my mom cooks is better than that dry argh. Any day.

Now, we're supposed to hang our shoes out on the window, so the Three Kings can deposit gifts in them. Yes, it's shoes, not stockings, but the similarity to Santa Claus related activities is remarkable. What's so special about footwear that it attracts gifts from supernatural benefactors with logical and quantum capabilities?

Maybe we'll never know. But just in case, hang your shoes out the window tonight. There might be something in there in the morning. Possibly only snow, but you never know.