Matthew Haldeman-Time's Blog, page 11

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I've mentioned before that Diamond reads my works in progress. Sometimes they're a little too in-progress. If my writing time is cut short abruptly, I might leave an open quotation mark where someone's about to speak. It frustrates Diamond, who's left hanging, wondering what was about to be said.

Here's what I sent her recently:

"I wish you to address me the way my intimates do. I am more than a pharaoh to you, more than a ruler, a deity. I am a friend, a partner, a husband, a confidante...

Resolutions

I grow weary of resolutions.

Part of me believes that every brand-new day is a brand-new start, a fresh beginning, a whole new chance to start again. Those bad habits and pitfalls belong to yesterday! Every new day, you can be a new person.

But part of me is tired of starting over. I'm not magically a different person when I wake up each day. I still have the same lousy habits, I still make mistakes, I'm not instantly going to make everything better.

I used to wake up with the plan to do X a...

Whew

Okay, ITL is up. Apologies for the lateness. Apologies in advance because I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to post on January 1st, so the next update will be late, too. After that, however, everything should settle into rhythm again.

Didn't mean to go all silent and make anyone anxious, so apologies for that, as well. I appreciate y'all caring about me.

Had a good Christmas this year. Didn't get to run back to the homeland, but I had a good Christmas here nonetheless. Possibly the bes...

Un-Christmas-y thoughts

Crude, immature, insensitive, entitled, thoughtless, self-absorbed, sociopaths terrorized the storm puppy in his own home. And then I had to stand there and play nice for an hour. %$^&%.

So...

If you're in the Philadelphia area, I may have a huge, happy, pop-flavored favor to ask of you. Just taking a minute to check on details and logistics.

Hmm

Christmas is coming up next Friday, and I have yet to buy a gift. Guess I should take care of that.

While I go make myself a sandwich and ponder my schedule, please discuss ITL in comments.

Ugh

Ah, here's a fun tale.

I threw up the other day. Over and over and over again.

And then, after I dragged my butt outside to let the storm puppy do his personal business, I brought him back inside and discovered that he'd left a slug on me. A tiny, disgusting, slug-like creature. The primary source of my horror is that it was so small, it easily could've gone unnoticed.

The good news is that I've stopped vomiting, and I've seen no more tiny slug creatures.

Do your pets and/or children and/or wh...

Salvation Army update

Instead of donating to the Salvation Army and its homophobic, discriminatory practices, it's preferable to leave a note instead, and put your money elsewhere.

Soul Force has notes you can print out and keep on hand. (PDF) (I'd like the quotation to be stronger, but it makes the point.)

"In This Land"

Okay, so next week's update is due on the 18th, and the week after that, Friday is December 25th. Christmas Day.

I'll be spending Christmas Day with some people, and may not be able to update. If that's the case, I'll try to get part 168 up on Saturday or over the weekend. I hope that's okay with everybody.

And what does "chirp chirp" mean?

When you knock on a door, or ring a doorbell, you may hear a dog barking inside.

THIS IS NOT A SIGN THAT THERE'S A PERSON INSIDE.

This is a sign that there's a dog inside. There may or may not be a human being in there with the dog. Sometimes people leave their dogs behind when they venture out into the world. People often go to their jobs, or to the movies to see Ninja Assassin, or to other people's homes, or wherever else they might like to visit, without their dogs. And the dog doesn't j...