It lives again. Again.

So, it's been awhile. I'm fine, how are you? A lot has happened.

I'm safely ensconced in Denver (Colorado, not Denver, North Carolina. This is a fairly critical distinction) and in my studies. I've managed to kill an entire week of graduate school without it killing me back. Of course, it's hard to know if you're back in the swing of the quarter system until it takes a swing at you.

Anyway. As promised in an earlier post, I will do a quick plug for Kevin Winchester's Everybody's Gotta Eat at some point, but I'd like to do it justice, and at the moment I'm a bit worn out from homework, of all things.

The most interesting thing I have to report this evening? Well, I thought I was a bit under-read going back into school, but it turns out I have a huge advantage over Microsoft Word. I've been adding words to the spell-check dictionary like mad. And it's not JUST the Greek and Latin rhetoric-y words. I can always count on Word to make me feel better about myself. Especially my vocabulary.

Spring Book Promotion, Part 2

So it's been a while since I've been on here, but a lot's been going on.

I did, however, want to continue my book promotion thread, so for anyone looking for a good read, check out Aaron Gwyn's The World Beneath, which is now available from Norton (The link will take you to Amazon).

Aaron has already been compared (favorably) to Flannery O'Conner, and he's started putting together a living, rich fictional setting, ala Faulkner. On top of all that, this is a fantastic murder mystery, so pick up a copy if you want something nice and fresh to read.

If you want a preview of Aaron's stuff, check out Esquire online and his latest short story, "The Gray."

Trust me, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Next time, Kevin Winchester's short story collection, Everybody's Gotta Eat.

HA HA HA!

HA! HA HA! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA! HA HA! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA! HA HA! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA! HA HA! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA! HA HA! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA! HA HA! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA HA HA HA HA! HA! HA HA! HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HA HA HA HA HA!

HA!

Snow Daze

I don't talk about work much here, and there's a number of reasons for that. Today, though, I'm bending that rule a little bit. I need to vent a bit about snow days. I've always been under the impression that a snow day happened when, you know, there actually was enough inclement weather to cause major problems or dangerous conditions. Now, granted, Charlotte in general and the university in particular are fairly ill equipped to deal with winter conditions (don't get me started on the rain thing...we really do get a lot of that. You'd think you'd work the drainage out...), but that doesn't keep it from being a bit annoying when you lose a whole class meeting worth of instruction time. Frustrating.

Well, we had another one yesterday. Snow day, that is. This one, at least, was pretty legit. Fortunately, my classes don't meet on Mondays, so I just missed work in our writing center (which, of course, pays by the hour). Now, that would have been the end of it, and I did get some grading done, but because there was so much legitimate rain and snowfall the last three days, there was still a lot of moisture around this morning (see aforementioned drainage issue). And, of course, the temperature dropped below freezing overnight.

So...surprise! It's sunny! The roads appear clear! BUT the university is delaying opening until 10am this morning, canceling my first two (of three) class meetings. This, of course, is a problem, since one class was work-shopping a paper that would have been due Thursday. You know, the last meeting before spring break? The class that is meeting? Yeah. We're watching a movie today. And that was already planned, mind you.

Anyway, bitterness aside, I dropped by campus yesterday afternoon to get some work done, and I found that pretty much everywhere, there had been some concerted efforts to make the most of the snow. I took some camera photos of the snowmen around the parking lot of my apartment complex, most of them 2-3 feet tall (one on the hood of a car!). But, the best stuff was near campus.

This one put a smile on my face:This is about 4:45pm. Note the grass.

Of course, there's always another side to this, and this is the example. I had to snap a picture as I drove by, but it is exactly what it looks like:

And there are your "winter" greetings from Charlotte! Hope everyone is having a real pleasant week.

Lost and found

Well. Since the advent of Facebook, I haven't been worth much in terms of updating this thing.

This is sad.

And...that's all I've got. Geez.

Beta Cite recommends:

In the first entry of a two volume set this spring, I'd like to plug a book.

Check out Kyle Beachy's The Slide

(from Dial-Random House, take a look @ Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and Kyle's Website).

I got an advance look (way in advance...) a few (like, 6) years ago at the School of the Art Institute, and the final product is a fantastic read that kept me awake long after I finished it (and this was at 2am, mind). So check it out. Buy it from an independent bookseller if possible.

For volume 2 of the book plug series, see April of this year. Or, hell, just pre-order your copy of Aaron Gwyn's The World Beneath

It's so obvious

Supernatural powers? Naw.













Genetically engineered superhuman?







Nope.


Half demon? Not so much.


What you really need to kick ass is the full length red coat and mirrored shades. These things, I might even be able to afford.

Just Stop

"...i won't be enjoying this moment
knowing that
all that you want is to criticize
something for nothing
and all that i want, is forgiveness one more time
i know that all that we want is to feel inside
some kind of comfort
and all that we've done we can't hide..."

I hope this is the last time I listen to this song and think of grad school apps. Done and done. In the mail tomorrow.

(Disturbed, "Just Stop", Ten Thousand Fists)

Snow Day 3: The Inexorable Revenging Return

Hwaet.

Many have heard me bitch and moan about North Carolina's near tropical climate (I mean, damn. Humidity. It'll kill you.), which I find largely unbearable for long stretches of time. Being a desert/mountain type of guy, weather extremes are nothing really new, but there's something about humidity that cuts right into me.

Now, speaking of "extremes", it's worth noting that North Carolina, with the exception of the occasional 115 degree summer day, generally...well, ALWAYS goes EXACTLY 364 days a year without some sort of debilitating, infrastructure crashing weather issues. What's amusing, to me anyway, is that the one day that does shut things down is a mild, pleasant day of light snow. By light I mean about an inch.

So, for the third consecutive "spring" term, I am sitting here at home, enjoying a cup of coffee and a nice view out the window.


Of course, all this will be melted by noon.

In other news, I can now be found on the Facebook. Find me, and ye shall be friended. But, you know, not in a creepy way, or anything.

***UPDATE***  It's 12:40, the sun is out, and the snow is melting.