Various updates

My dad got home yesterday just fine. I called him at around 5:30 p.m. because I hadn’t heard anything, and if he wasn’t home before my sister got here, she might have to stop by my house on her way from the airport to get a key to dad’s house. But then, I wasn’t sure what my sister’s exact itinerary was, either, because neither she nor my dad have ever told me anything but the dates. I didn’t know what flight Jill was on, when it was arriving, and I’m not even positive whether she’s here until Saturday or Sunday! In any event, dad answered the phone at the house, and you’d have thought I’d called in the last two minutes of a tied Patriots game, he was so short with me for calling him. He didn’t want to talk, he was all flustered and mad as a wet hen about having to spend 36 hours in the hospital, he didn’t have any test results, and he just wanted to check his e-mail and snail mail and settle in. He sure didn’t want to talk to me! Sheesh!

I think he was sick of being lectured and was anticipating another earful when Jill got there–although at that time, he said she hadn’t called him, either, so I don’t know when she got in. I know her business conference was today and I think tomorrow, she’s staying in the hotel there tonight. I called her home number in Illinois and left a message asking what flight she was on, but my brother-in-law never called me back, either.

At least dad’s cat was okay, he’d been stranded outside the whole time dad was at Heywood.

I did my workout tonight to the vice presidential debate. It was lively enough to keep me going. 🙂 Sarah Palin actually did a better job than I anticipated, which doesn’t mean she’s any less scary. Of course, I’m sure she was coached into a grease spot for the past few weeks. I’m looking forward to reading the analysis at Factcheck.org.

I followed a couple of links to the website of a fellow named Dave Ramsey whose “Common Sense Plan” for the bailout makes a lot of sense to me–at least, as much sense as is legal. Taking a page from Romania and dragging all the CEOs and financiers out into a courtyard and shooting them on live TV, as was done to the Ceaucescus, wouldn’t fly here, although it makes for a darned nice fantasy. (Too bad we couldn’t do it here, we’d pay for the Iraq withdrawal plan with the pay-per-view receipts.) ANYWAYS…I used the plan as a template to e-mail my state rep, John W. Olver, who voted for the failed bailout bill on Monday, much to my disgust. I doubt it will do much good. Sounds like they’re going to pass any bill they get tomorrow, they’re so panicked. (I wrote at the end of my message to Olver, “People who flee in panic usually run into a wall. Please think this through.” Waste of my time but at least I tried.)

(Want to write to your own representative? https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml.)

I’ve been putting in some more time on IPNE stuff this week. I’ve learned how to use mail merge to send e-mail. Now that’s a scary talent! I’m one principle away from becoming a spammer! 🙁 Aside from that, I’m still catching up with backlogged stuff from my insanely busy September–and I have Albacon coming up, then NELA. I’m exhibiting the new hardcover edition of Mortal Touch at NELA.

But, September saw my highest sales of all editions of Mortal Touch ever. Kindle sales continue to increase. I’ve already sold two Kindle editions in the first two days of October. I sold seven copies out at the Big E and I wouldn’t have gotten there at all without IPNE. So I definitely benefit from IPNE, but, man…it’s a time-sink. I’ve got to manage how much I do for them.

I have a new review up on Blogcritics, of Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s A Dangerous Climate. Blogcritics reviews are editorially vetted, so I can list them on my bibliography. Too bad we don’t get paid…but as I said to Yarbro’s publicist, “We write for them for the fame, glory, and the search engine optimization on our names.” 🙂 Which isn’t a bad thing, my review already popped up in my news filters for vampire-related content.