Tell me why I don't like Fridays

Yeah, I know, but it's my sphere and I'll alter song titles as I see fit.

Peri's birthday (and the release date for The Morgantown Suite Poems) has come and gone. I heard from the ex yesterday, giving me an update on how the boys are doing, academically, and letting me know that she had not, in the week since I made the request, had opportunity to speak to my daughter about my sending a present. So, if I give something it will be late (I sometimes feel like I am in the middle of a laboratory test...let's see how long before the subject gets bored or angry. Truth is, I have moments of both with several people. I just get over it. Our human nature is not something to surrender to, but to build upon and suppress our flaws and failings in. Aside from the realities we confront over which we have no control (you know: Man plans, God laughs) we have a duty to our Creator and one another to try and be patient and understanding. yes, there are people who cannot deal with being treated with any sense of charity, but most appreciate it.)

Toastmasters meeting today. I'm about to give my 9th speech: "Persuade with Power". Gee, I dunno...should I bring it or hold back? My topic is going to be "This Graceless Age"...and I can't wait to see what it turns out like. Truly, I never plan these things, it makes for a stilted and piss-poor speech when I give it. I hate working from a script. All of my speeches are 99% extemporaneous. This one is scripted only so far as the quoting of the lines from Don Henley's "The Heart of the Matter".

Good meeting with Meghan King-Johnson of ArtsMon. Great meeting, actually. She was quite happy with the book, and we discussed the logisitics of advertising and selling it. She said the publicity committee for ArtsMon was very "up" with their brainstorming. I gave her a book, and later in the day sent her the eBook, so she could circulate that to the group.

That was the other thing...I got four copies of the book, yesterday: 1 Copy to Meghan at ArtsMon, 1 to Jack Thompson at the Greater Morgantown Visitors and Convention Bureau, 1 to Ron Rittenhouse at the Dominion Post (his photo was the cover) and that leaves one copy to divide amongst five purposes (that I know of)...I dropped back and ordered a short stack to arrive early next week and decided to go ahead and give a copy to Carol at the reunion Saturday, I thought she'd appreciate that. The copies coming in next week: 1 to the Governor's wife when I meet her next week at the AEI reception, 1 to McTaggart for the blurb, 1 to the Morgantown Public Library (although they have been sloppy and unprofessional in returning my contacts, I am trying to live by the rule that if you behave as badly as others, you are no better, so rise above it all) and the other for order fulfillment (already spoken for)...which means I will need to get more as orders continue to come in.

Mom is down sick, now...Dad just getting over the bronchitis that is going around. I have to be careful not to be next. It would put a cramp in my style for the next week. I don't mind so much if I come down with Ebola after the 18th (I should even pretty much have THE COMPLEAT PANTHER CYCLES to bed by then).

Random musing: I wonder where Ann is with her novel. Since media blackout has been imposed (four months now...could lift today, could never be lifted) I have no idea where she is with Mather's Milk or what she's doing, and with the hundreds of hours I put in helping her with it, I'd like to know and hope that it is a huge hit. I feel the fates owe her more than her back to the wall in a sleepy Southern town. I didn't sacrifice all I did just to see her back where and whence I found her. Still royally aggravated by the immaturity and disingenuousness of some of the people around her. The people God vouchsafes us to to care for and about, eh? I am sure by now I have been demonized and misreprented out of both malice and ignorance (actually, that process was well underway when last I checked...people believe what is convenient and necessary for them to believe, rules of evidence and justice surrended to convenient gossipmongering and slanders. There is a class of human minds that cares little for truth, much for rationale and self-vindication. I recall when a friend of mine, a very close friend, started dating a girl whom I had broken it off with, years ago...she was quite angry at me and told him horrific lies (lies she later recanted, and I had ample evidence of their falsehood) As long as it meant him getting laid, though, he bought it.)

We do live in a graceless age. But I suppose this has been universal to the human condition throughout time.