MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

(Aside: for those of you following along at home, this isn’t intended to be the final blog layout but it’s as far as I got given my slow learning curve and the time I could scrape together for this project.)

Usually I have a bad attitude at the beginning of the holiday season and gradually warm up to it. This year it’s the other way around. I’m hoping after I get my last 300 tasks crossed off my list I can be more filled with cheer again.

I decided to ditch the annual newsletter this year and just do a quick wrap-up post. Next year I’ll do a holiday tweet and the following year I’ll text “MC” to everyone and forever after that just send holiday greetings telepathically.

Hiking with Mom and Dad in the Salmon Mountain area.

There’s not a whole lot to wrap-up. If you’re a regular reader there is nothing here you haven’t seen 1000 times. In January we went to bluegrass. Bluegrass is good food.

I’m trying to bring my pie making to a new level so I made lots of pies. I finally found a pie crust recipe I could master and by master I mean, I can make it consistently without crying and hurling pie plates across the room.

First game for Timbers in Major League Soccer.

My biggest development is that I fell in love with the Portland Timbers like I’ve never fallen in love in my life. (Well, except for that one thing. {If you think you know what I’m talking about you’re probably right.}) I’m wearing a Timbers jersey right now. I never take it off. I got the world’s worst fan picture taken which I couldn’t escape. I went to Vancouver BC for the day to see my team. I loved every minute of last season and can’t wait to do it again next year.

Dahlias

I celebrated 15 years with my sweetie and 20 years in the PAC NW. I drank Tab and ate Twinkies for lunch when I was a teenager and everything still turned out okay.

San Diego reunion with my beloved Clarion West 08 class.

I am still writing fiction and here’s the pimptastic part of my post.

I sold another story this year.

The story is called “Lottie versus the Moon Hopper” and it’s in an actual book that you can buy called Future Lovecraft published by Innsmouth Free Press. It’s has a cool cover and lots of great stories. You should check it out.

If you’ve got a dollar and an ereader you can download this ginormous sci fi collection called The Second Science Fiction Megapack published by Wildside Press that includes a reprint of my story “The Battle of Little Big Science.”

Finally, I’m continuing my tradition of putting up a story for the holidays. This year’s story is called Freezing. I wrote it for the Machine of Death 2 anthology but they didn’t take it. It was just sitting around in the basement so I dragged it out, dusted it off, and offer it to you here. Nothing says Happy Holidays more than a story about how people die. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Hope you have fun, whatever you’re doing.

xo P.