For those of you who might be religious in nature, I have two things to report that may nor may not signal the coming Apocalypse.
Julie is thinking of getting a PC laptop. And I think we're getting cell phones today.
Before you start frog-proofing your rain gutters, there are good reasons for both. The phone was a long time coming, but getting stuck on the interstate behind a traffic accident for three hours with Schuyler in the car and being unable to call anyone to tell them that we were running late sort of sealed the deal.
I wrote about this more over at my book blog, but the other reason for getting a phone is that it looks like Julie is going to help with publicity for my book, at the very least augmenting whatever publicist I might get assigned by St. Martin's Press. SMP publishes and promotes about 700 titles a year; I'll be trying to sell just one book.
Julie's got experience; it's what she does for a living, after all. Also, she's got a vested interest in the success of my book. And I assume her rates are affordable. Aside from the laptop.
So unless Cingular comes to their financial senses before they deliver our phones, it looks like I'll be joining the rest of you in this Twenty-first century, already in progress.
Schuyler has been on what they call "Fall Break", a free week that I never had when I was in school. She had something of a rough weekend, including a three and a half hour drive that turned into almost eight hours thanks to Dallas traffic and Austin road work and a bout with food poisoning. The fewer details shared about that experience, the better.
But through it all, she stayed mostly happy. Even after getting horribly sick, she would simply wash her face, brush her teeth and be back to her normal self. Her resilience never fails to amaze me. I wish I had her ability to spring back from disappointment. In the words of the Eels song, "I'm tired of the old shit. Let the new shit begin."
16 comments:
Yeah, sorry about her getting sick. I guess that game of "Couch Bounce Heimlich" they were playing was probably not a good idea.
Hope everyone has their life in order. The world is coming to an end. Getting stuck in traffic for 3 hours will do that to you.
Welcome to the dark side, my friend. Next thing you know, you'll be making loud, pointless calls from your flip phone while waiting in line for your skim latte at Starbuck's.
...while Julie sits beside me, banging her head on the table as her Dell laptop blue-screens.
Just a typo warning for your book blog (I could care less about typos, but this one passes the spellcheck test, and it's on your professional site)
"All she asked was for a cell phone (which we have avoided getting until new"
Last word was probably meant to be "now".
D'oh! Thanks for pointing that out!
Hey, just because she's using Windows doesn't mean it has to be a Dell. The new MacBooks are very nice, and run Windows just fine.
I missed the reason Julie had to get a PC...
"Anonymous said...
I missed the reason Julie had to get a PC... "
cuz Rob's got a mac.
She works on a PC at work, so she's more comfortable with it. Although I'm working on talking her down from that preference. Or UP from it, really.
Hey, just because she's using Windows doesn't mean it has to be a Dell. The new MacBooks are very nice, and run Windows just fine.
That's right, I totally forgot about that. Sweet...
For what it's worth, I was talked into a MacBook (after my Powerbook was stolen by hooligans) and it has all sorts of problems that Applecare and the good folks at Techserve (Mac specialists in Manhattan) cannot identify. It has to do with the powerboard, and it is extremely annoying (the damn thing shuts down whenever it feels like it, without warning, is what it comes down to) I have not tried to run Windows (because, really, who need to??) but I will say I really don't like the MacBook. Of course, mine could just be defective... but G**gle tells me at least a few others have had the same issue. I'm taking it back to the shop next week, so I'll report back if you want me to, but it does seem to be a "known" issue - it's just not KNOWN by the "experts" what to do about it... just FYI... maybe you can get Julie an iBook/Powerbook with that "virtual PC" thingy that allows it to run Windows?
You know, I've been using a MacBook for about two months now I guess, and while it hasn't done what yours does, it does very occasionally shut off when I put it to sleep, losing whatever I was working on. Also, it gets motherfucking hot.
I didn't see a spot to leave a comment on you book site, but in response to your notes, did your editor really send Schuyler that green monster?! If so, my word!, so you have the best editor ever! Shit! I, myself, thought of sending that stinkin green monster to ya! You've got yourself a greatest editor ever there! Congrats, Rob. A great editor is your best friend. Take it from someonone who has worked in publishing for more than a decade, and I still don't know its from it's!
The book blog looks fabulous. That's the first time I've seen it since you jazzed it up. Very nice.
Thank you! I just changed it the other day to make it a little more professional. Were you fooled?
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