I think I'm ready

But I'm so brain dead I can't tell. Last night was the worse. At least usually I drift off and wake up before finally falling into a good sleep from dawn until 10-11. Last night was all fuck that. I was wide awake and reading until 3 AM.

At least I'm so out of it I haven't been anxious about traveling (and I'm STILL trying to figure out why that started 11 years ago with no known trauma to cause it).

I got my license renewed, I got my stuff done at the office. I gave up on the apartment ever being cleaned before I go. I've made progress and I have to be happy with that. I killed my bonsai (it overheated today and dead as a door nail. Next bonsai will not be of this type or I'll just stick with the three i have).

I think I have everything packed but who the hell knows. I do hate being gone for so long. It's easy going back at spring break for a few days. Going back for about 7 weeks? MUCH harder. Now I have some dress casual, more t-shirts than I need, shorts to go out in, shorts to work in shorts to lay around the house in, nightgowns etc. I'll have to endure hearing yet again how Dad traveled with just his military ruck sack (yeah when you're only allowed to wear a uniform, life's A LOT easier).

Dad acted all surprised and less than enthusiastic I'll be home for the summer. Thanks Dad. (though he might have been joking. WHo can tell)

I have a shit ton of food (since he asked if I'd be mooching for that long) but judging by last time the reaction will be 'this house is too small for this.' (it came from a two bedroom apt. I'm sure it'll fit just fine. Your basement is the size of my entire apt). I have more booze than is reasonable. I think it might be necessary.

And for the authors and poets out there, I want to share these open calls that will benefit charities supporting the victims of the Pulse massacre.

There's also this special call from MLR Press:

A special call - please share even if you don't think you can write something for this.

Hope for Pulse – Hate Will Never Win

From the ashes of tragedy, hope will survive. When faced with hate, love will survive. The constant balance of positive and negative is something that lives in all of us. Help us focus on the positive and not the negative; put aside politics and focus on the people; give strength and hope to those that remain.

Submissions should:
- All stories should all have hope and love as the focus of the story; stories should be GLBT pairings
- Be a minimum of 5k, maximum of 10k – stories will be combined into a one volume anthology
- Any subgenre is welcome and all prohibitive guidelines are observed
- Submissions should be sent to special_submissions@mlrpress.com
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 25, 2016, anthology will release July 22, 2016 and all proceeds will be donated to Equality Florida’s fund for the victims and families of the Pulse Shooting

Any questions can be sent to Kris Jacen at KrisJacen@mlrpress.com
***Permission to forward***

and from Lily Blunt I've been devastated by the recent events in Orlando as I'm sure many of you have been.
I’m planning to create a Love is Love POETRY anthology in support of the victims/families in Orlando. All royalties from the book will be donated.
If you would like to assist or contribute in any way, please contact me.
The fabulous Jay Aheer has volunteered to design the book cover.
Submissions can vary in length from one short verse to a maximum of 2000 words. You do not have to be a published author or poet to submit. I’m looking for poems that come from the heart and demonstrate your belief that LOVE IS LOVE.
Submission Deadline is June 27th 2016 with the aim to publish before the end of July.
Please join the following group for more information
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1568782730082903/

Also Artist Paul Richmond has created a wonderful t-shirt - proceeds go to the Victims' Fund: http://traxlertees.com/products/one-pulse-support-t-shirt (Paul is the one who did my covers)

Dreamspinner Press will be donating 20% of all sales this week to the Victims' Fund. If there was anything you wanted from them, now is the time.

I'm now on vampire time.

I'm wide awake til dawn then I sleep for a few hours. Didn't fall asleep until after 5 this morning. Still I felt oddly awake at 9 and Kanda read my mind. (Or is bright enough to realize, me+ suitcases+ taking bags to the car all the day before = his incarceration in the murder box.

He greeted me in the bathroom as he does every morning and I always shut the bedroom door so that's not suspicious but the moment I started washing my hands his ears went back and he slunk away crying. He spent the next hour hiding in his litter (I'm not sure why he does this. Does he think the smell will hide him?). Amazingly he survived his time in the murder box and is happy to be here. he loves my parents' house.

The drive was fine and amazingly no one berated me for all the shit in the car other than for dad to remark, is there room in there for all your stuff at grandma's. he knows it's not. He's driving mom nuts about selling that house. I swear it's because it takes up some of her time.

Have I mentioned the Bodies exhibit will at the local library in Gallipolis this fall"? I just signed on as a presenter. Fun!


I meant to share this yesterday. Tom Hiddlestone, Jack Hanna, Snow Leopards!

Watch on YouTube

And if you didn't see the open calls I posted yesterday, go back and have a look. Dreamspinner is also having an open call to help with the Orlando charities (with a slightly longer space of time to write in) you can find it here.


ETA - I have one idea that I was going to aim at the other open call since for once DSP IS letting us to use established universes. I would love to do something with Aaron and Rhys. Aaron is the face of overcoming obstacles. Any suggestions??