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June 29, 2005
Mmmmmmmmmph, Mmmmmmph, Mmmmmmph!
Last week Publisher Brian filled me in on what happened during some meetings he had in New York during BookExpo. It turns out that, on one hand, that there's some AMAZING news; on the other hand, I can't actually tell you what it is just yet. I've tried to find out what individual parts of the news I can reveal, but so far Brian is silent like a grave.
People, this is killing me. And yes, I realise this makes me an evil sod. When I can tell you, I'll tell you. Actually I did once tell you about it, late last year, after we got home from the Great Big Trip. At that time it was okay to tell you because the odds of it actually happening were astronomically remote. Now those odds have shrunk somewhat, but are still nothing a sensible man would bet on, and we have to keep things mum for a bit.
Even so. Did you ever get The Most Freaking Amazing News Ever, and find yourself unable to tell anyone? If it goes on like this I'm going to rupture something from the sheer pressure involved.
He did tell me I could tell my immediate family, which I did, waking my parents up in the process. Mum was gobsmacked. Dad was astonished out of his socks (he was, too; I've got photos). Michelle, without whom none of this would be possible in the first place, was giddy. Michelle never gets giddy. (Okay, she got giddy about Christopher Ecclestone on the new Doctor Who, but so did I, so I'm not bugging her about it.)
Now, what I need is a way to legally adopt you folks who read this page. Then I could tell you all I want, and you'd be pretty gobsmacked, too.
In other news: we've crunched the numbers and it now looks very much like we will certainly be able to go to next year's Worldcon, LA Con IV--and even stay in the convention hotel for once. We may or may not have new books to promote at said convention. And, interestingly, when we go through US Immigration, and they ask why we're in town, we can say, "We're here on business," because, well, apart from the Worldcon, we'll also be having a meeting with someone who has nothing to do with Worldcon, and probably if I told you more Publisher Brian would (a) kill me, and then, to preserve secrecy, (b) kill you. You don't want that.
* * *
Fun With Rewrites
The HYDROGEN STEEL rewrites are just about done--yay! Today I sent off what I'm hoping will be the last fixes. If that is the case, we then get to curl up and read the new updated manuscript, patrolling for copyediting gremlins and other tiny problems of the sort that only Brian and I will notice. Leaving said gremlins in the manuscript is not an option. It would be like trying to sleep in a bed with cracker crumbs down by your feet: you're just not getting any comfortable rest, knowing the damn things are down there. I'm also hoping for an opportunity to go through the ECLIPSE manuscript once or twice more before its release.
* * *
Author Boy: Pool Shark
Twice a week now for what's now probably about six weeks, Michelle and I have been hitting the local public pool, usually Thursdays and Sundays. Michelle swims better than I do, so she does laps and walks up and down. I just walk. Last Sunday I made it to 50 laps slogging through the water forwards, and 10 more going backwards. The 50 forward laps works out to 1.25 kilometres, which is the farthest I've walked in a very long time. And I felt pretty good doing it, much better than I've felt trying to walk that far out of the pool. Ultimately I'd like to take it up to a mile, which would be 80 laps. For that I might need some kind of music for stimulation, because chugging up and down isn't the most stimulating activity.
* * *
About Those Damn Headaches:
Still here, sadly. Yesterday was a particularly bad one, quite possibly brought about by the prodding of the physiotherapist on Monday. She's found what appears to be a problem with my neck, where when she prods it just so I feel the headache waking up, as if it was the morning after a really big night out with colourful mates.
I am still getting the damn things, usually every evening, but not always. Tonight, for example, I'm very cold, but no headache. It's been great--though kind of worrying. You're sitting there, waiting for it to show up, even thinking, "Hmm, it's late. Where could it be? Stuck in traffic?" I'll take it when I can get it, though.
* * *
The Cosmic Ballet...Goes On
Who's been watching the amazing planetary conjunction this week? Mercury, Venus and Saturn have been slowly converging on the same tiny patch of sky, and you can see it each night here about 6pm, looking west-ish (when the rain clouds part long enough in that direction). Tonight two of the planets were so close I couldn't pick them apart. It's breathtaking.
And a shiny space cookie for the first person to identify the quote for this particular item. If you can do it without resorting to Google, two cookies!
* * *
And that's it from me. How have you been?
Posted by adrian at June 29, 2005 10:11 PM
Comments
i'll just keep my lips zipped and wait to see if i am right. i can be patient.
i swear. all those other times, i wasn't trying. plus, peopl can change. so yeah, i can be patient!
Posted by: river selkie ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.kabedford.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 1, 2005 12:21 PM
Woohoo, shiny space cookies!!
Posted by: Cheyenne at July 1, 2005 03:59 AM
And Cheyenne's right! Ding Ding Ding! Hmm, I'm guessing you didn't actually use a search engine to figure that out, so you get two (count 'em!) shiny space cookies! It was indeed the Nimoy with the pretentious remark regarding a convenient solar eclipse.
Posted by: Adrian at June 30, 2005 10:44 PM
lol Now you got me thinking about it. A long-running TV show indeed! Nimoy said it in that Simpson's episode about the monorail!
Posted by: Cheyenne at June 30, 2005 10:21 PM
Selkie--I can neither confirm nor deny at this stage, unfortunately. Perhaps if you have a quiet word with, say, Cheyenne or Charlie, who were both present in Calgary last year at the reading I did where Publisher Brian made the first announcement about it, they could tell you. But then you couldn't tell anybody else online. Sorry. The upshot is that things have Moved Forward from the point they were at as of last August.
Also: if we can get there, we'd love to meet you at long last! :)
Charlie--you're a top egg, but no, the quote's not Sagan. It is from a TV show, however. A very popular, long-running TV show. :)
David--Dang, you got it in one! Yes, I'm going to be a coffee mogul. You just watch me! And it'll be Free Trade coffee, too. :) Also, impressive memory there, young Shanahan. I doubted anybody would remember that post.
Cheyenne--it is satisfying coming to the end of work on a manuscript. It helps that Adam, the guy I'm working with, is a thoroughly good egg and we get on well. And it is encouraging that the physiotherapist has found a possible culprit for the headaches. So far I'm only partially convinced. As for the "Cosmic Ballet" quote: in the original context in which it was uttered, it was very humourously pretentious. Think TV.
Posted by: Adrian at June 30, 2005 04:00 PM
btw, i know i've mentioned this before, but i plan on being at that convention to. if only to see you and michelle! :)
so be sure to let us know when your events will be, and all that jazz, when they become confirmed.
Posted by: river selkie at June 30, 2005 03:38 PM
Ah yes, I remember what you mentioned when you got back last year. Congratulations.
For the mystified -- LA is a big coffee town (it's undoubtably their biggest industry). Adrian is a big coffee drinker as we all know. He's obviously talking to a major coffee exporter (perhaps even a coffee mogul of which LA has several) following LA Con IV about importing a significant quantity of Java for personal use and probably resale too.
Posted by: dshan at June 30, 2005 09:01 AM
Cosmic Ballet? Hmmm. I'll only be guessing, but Carl Sagan comes to mind, tho' he's more famous for saying "billions and billions...."
As for the Great News, you've always been like a brother to me, Adrian *grin* Actually, I have a pretty good idea as well, but will keep my yap shut. Danged exciting! I'm setting aside a stockpile of 'w00t's and 'phwoars' in anticipation!
As for the headaches, it is encouraging to see that possibilities are being explored. One of these days, you'll catch the little 'pest' that's causing them. ;)
Posted by: Charlie at June 30, 2005 08:13 AM
Big Secret = I can probably guess too, but I'll keep mum. Congrats though!!
Christopher Eccleston = teh hawt
The guy who replaced him for Season 2 = ugly little bugger
Rewrites = woohoo! Must be satisfying to be coming to a close on another fab manuscript!
Pool = And here I had flashes of you and Michelle tackling a billiard table. : ) Swimming's great, though. I should take advantage of the pool down in the clubhouse!
Headaches = Nasty that they're still there, fab that at least the source may have been discovered. I see a chiropractor in your future? (Mine has done wonders for me.)
Cosmic Ballet = Very artistic quote. ^^ I have no idea who said it. I'm really out of touch on the astro scene lately...is the conjunction visible from this hemisphere?
Fantastic update, Adrian!
Posted by: Cheyenne at June 30, 2005 08:03 AM
i bet i know what this is about! but if i guess right and stir up the pot, will you get in trouble or will it risk the whole thing...even if you don't confirm it?
Posted by: river selkie at June 30, 2005 01:34 AM
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