I haven’t written anything about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, mostly because I’ve been reading about it, sitting in front of my computer, stunned by it all. It destroys me to spend too much time thinking about it. I’ve donated to the Red Cross and had the great people at DealMac.com match my donation. I’ve signed on to contribute something …
Czeching In
I’m off to the Czech Republic for a few days toward the end of September. It turns out my good pal and former roommate Bill King is getting married! After the big event in Prague, there’s just enough time for a short visit with my youngest sister in Bolzano, Italy, with perhaps an evening in Milan. No signings or appearances, …
Birthday Fun
Birthdays as a 37-year-old father of five are a bit different than when I was younger and childless. I slept in until 8 AM this morning, then joined my wife in taking all five kids to the dentist down in Rockford, Illinois. Then we took the whole crew to Sapora Playworld, a human habitrail for the under-five-foot set. Imagine ten …
Birthday Day
Today’s my 37th, which puts in me my late 30s for the first time. I have a long, busy day ahead of me, but I’ll try to reflect more on it later. (This strikes me as a metaphor for my life over the past few years.) Unlike others, I always enjoy and respect birthdays. After all, it’s yet another personal …
Great Weekend
I had a wonderful weekend. On Saturday morning, I drove down to Games Day Chicago. The team there, led by the Black Library‘s US sales manager Vince Rospond, treated me like gold. They’d flown in 50 copies of Blood Bowl for the show, and we sold out of them just after 1 PM, just over three hours into the show. …
Back at It
It’s been quiet around here for two reasons. First, I just finished Dead Ball, the second in my Blood Bowl trilogy, at 11 PM on July 16. Second, on July 17, I bundled the quads and a couple of able helpers in the minivan and chased up after my wife and eldest son for a week’s vacation near Watersmeet, Michigan. …
To Sleep, Perchance to Scream
Here’s a fascinating article on sleep paralysis, the phenomenon of finding yourself paralyzed with a terrifying dream just as you drift off or wake up. I never knew this had a name, but I experienced it at least twice when I was in college. These were the sort of nightmares that keep you up for weeks because you’d rather not …
Local Theatre: Brighton Beach Memoirs
On Friday night, Ann and I went to see the New Court Theatre‘s production of Brighton Beach Memoirs. As always, we had a great time. Josh Burton, who directed the play and runs the company, consistently puts on productions of the highest quality and with some of our area’s finest actors. If you’re anywhere in the area, be sure to …
For Pete’s Sake
My sister Jody just dropped me a note about a good cause my fellow Wisconsinites might be interested in: This is the website and story of Corinna’s brother, Pete. Do you all remember Corinna, with the twins and the tatoos:) Anyway, her brother was diagnosed 2 years ago, at the age of 18, with bone cancer. The parish in Spring …
Damn Awful Day
First, Al Qaeda bombs London. Solidarity to my friends across the Pond. Our hearts are with you. Then, I find out that my friend Scott Haring was in a horrible auto accident with his family, that cost the life of his 12-year-old stepson. Scott, for those who don’t know, has been in the gaming industry as an editor and designer …