And I will spare you the worst news of all. It is sufficient to say that we are simply moving onward. There are too many good things going on to get bogged down by people who suck. So let us begin our day with this quote instead:

"Just don't give up on trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong." -- Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)

And with this truly fantastic video of Serge Gainsbourg with a well-placed cigarette singing La Javanaise back in 1962. (La Javanaise is a classic, very touching, bittersweet love song -- if you don't parlez francais. Check it out; it is just too good! Even if you don't speak French.)

Now that all deadlines are met and passed, I have the very rare and much sought after pleasure of being able to take the rest of this year to work on new novels. This is something I have been striving toward for well over a year now -- trying to get that proverbial plate of commitments cleaned. Meaning short story, after short story, after short story, with a couple novellas thrown in and those god-awful revisions. All of it is done! Yippee ki-yi-yay!

It is a rainy Friday morning over here in Happyland; kind of a nice way to get started, if you ask me. I like weather that you can really sink your teeth into -- especially when I don't have to be out in it. I hope this is the start of a very promising weekend -- and month -- for all of us! Thanks for visiting, gang. See ya!