Updates!

Just finished the massive task of updating all my class syllabi, websites, handouts, online readings, and so forth for the coming semester. This included at least 10 hours of converting legacy Word .doc format syllabi to more-useful and appopriate Web .htm format... which made my eyes bleed. 'Nuff said.

Getting over a little flu. I love being healthier overall, when "I have the flu" means "My nose is runny and I feel a little weaker" for a day or so.

Last weekend, I installed a couple of solar-powered motion-detector lights to illuminate the dark areas of the back yard. More on that in a moment.

Last night I rewarded myself for a 12-hour day by watching disc #2 of the Star Wars saga (I refuse to call it "Episode 2"). It was much cooler than I remembered, not nearly as irritating as disc #1, and very pretty. Gorgeous sound, of course, what with this being Lucas and all, who frakkin' invented modern movie sound.

During the show, the light mounted on the wall of my shed came on repeatedly. Apparently, I was ignorant of the variety and frequency of urban wildlife who visited me at night. The list, just during the movie:
fat opossum
large coyote (!!!)
little opossum
more visits from the coyote; every time I went for my camera, it would turn and trot away.
raccoon
red fox
another large opossum
tortoise-colored kitty
Here is the best of several awful photos of said coyote:



As soon as I moved to within ten feet of the sliding-glass door, it would trot back out into the alley. It stood about two feet at the shoulder - didn't know they got so large in town! Or that they even lived here. Wow.

About 30,000 words into my next novel, The True-Life Space Adventures of Jack and Stella .

And I just emailed all the students in my large classes with links to their syllabi and online resources. All set for the semester!

Best,
Chris