Special Delivery for...Cadbury!

The other day, Cadbury got a package from his Aunt Sarah.













Cadbury opened the box and found delicious carrot tops!














Aunt Sarah is a fast runner and knows what fast runners (like bunnies) need to stay healthy!














Of course, playing with the box was a lot of fun, too.















Thanks, Aunt Sarah!

Monday Bunday: Having a Ball

I'm very much a creature of habit. In fact, I sometimes wonder if my days are a little too scripted, but how else am I supposed to get everything done? For several weeks, Dan and I have had our weekends jumbled by other events, so it was nice to have this weekend be an ordinary one, filled with my usual activities on their usual days at their usual times.

I want to thank everyone who sent a contribution for Fats' care. He's not out of the woods yet, but he's doing a little better. This was bad timing for his bunny-mom, who depleted her savings on previous bunny emergencies and hadn't yet built her funds back up before this happened. She and I talked about maybe setting up a permanent fund for bunny bloggers when this is all over. No one should have to lose their bunny-pal to a treatable illness or injury just because the financial timing wasn't in their favor.

So here we are, starting another week, and here's Cadbury, inexplicably ignoring his new toy. He's devoured balls like this in the past, so I have no idea why he's pretending like this one is just a nuisance taking up space in his wicker tent. There's no understanding the mind of a rabbit.

Have a great week, everyone!

Saturday Long Run: Hip Update

I had a good run today, except for the blister that I inexplicably woke up with this morning. How did I get a blister on my toe in my sleep?

Anyway, a blister was a lot easier to deal with than last weekend's sinus headache that had me nearly in tears every time I moved, so that was a good thing. I got to the park by 5:30 and did the eighteen-mile run I had been unable to do last Saturday.

I had a very nice run and although I had to stop and stretch my hip every couple miles after mile ten, I wasn't in any real discomfort until around mile seventeen. It's too early to say if this is because of my new hip exercises or if it's because I had to cut last weekend's run short because of my headache, so I'll just say it was a nice run, I was happy with it, and that's good enough for me.

Back to Basics

I've decided I'm tired of only managing the pain in my right hip. A few years ago I gave up trying to fix the problem because physical therapists seemed intent on fixing everything but my hip, at $40 per co-pay, three times per week. After months of time and money wasted, I gave up, started buying kinesio tape like it was a hot new fashion trend, learned how to do trigger point therapy for palliative care, and hoped for the best.

I learned enough when I was in physical therapy to know what didn't work and to have a pretty good hunch what would. So this week I started adding some adductor/abductor work into my routine and returned to my childhood dance training to work in some pliés whenever I have a few spare moments. For now I'm sticking to demi-pliés because I'm more stiff than I could've ever thought possible. (What, I'm not a four year-old in pink tights anymore?)

I also found out that they're starting yoga classes twice a week in my office building. It's not free, but the cost is reasonable, and I'm thinking of trying it. I haven't done yoga consistently since the early 90s, and I know it would be good for me. I'm going to find out if the instructor allows one to pay by the class the first couple of times just to check it out, since I wouldn't want to pay for a full month only to find it's not a good class for me.

If I can fix this hip problem, I can go back to working on speed rather than just endurance and maybe finally get my Boston Marathon qualifying time. I would also be able to return to triathlon. Ironman has been a dream of mine for a long time, but hasn't been remotely realistic with this chronic issue dogging me.

So there you have it. I'm actually doing something about my hip and after a successful first week of daily action, I'm feeling positive about it. I'm tired of not being able to enjoy my hobby to the fullest.

Monday Bunday: Snugglebunny

Cadbury can be quite the snugglebunny when he's not playing stuntbunny and leaping onto the desk or trying to scale the wall. It's always nice when he settles in for a little down time.

Thank you, everyone who dropped in on Fats this weekend to wish him well. Your donations and above all else, good wishes, have been a big help to his bunny-mom.

If you haven't visited Fats yet, hop on over to Potentially Nervous. You can help him get well by buying art glass or sending a gift donation via PayPal to: contact "at" rubinelliglass "dot" com.

The bunny blogosphere is a force to be reckoned with!

Happy Bunday, everyone!

One Year

I still love you, angel, and I miss you every day.

Independence Day

If you're in the United States, it's time for picnics and fireworks!

Have a Happy Fourth of July!

And for bunny-lovers everywhere, there's a bunny in need at Potentially Nervous. His name is Fats, and here he is, waiting and hoping his bunny-mom can raise the cash to get him the medicine he needs.









My dear Tidbit went to the Bridge a year ago tomorrow, July 5, but although there was nothing that could be done for her, Fats can get well! Let's see if we can help him by buying some lovely art glass or sending a gift donation via PayPal to: contact "at" rubinelliglass "dot" com.

Thanks, friends!

Monday Bunday: Contemplative

Cadbury just loves to hang out in my computer chair, pondering the mysteries of life. Funny bunny!

Wistful Weekend

This was a week for Gen-X nostalgia.

For starters, I was never a Farrah fan, although I was an enthusiastic follower of Charlie’s Angels in its first two seasons. (Cut me some slack here, I was nine in ’76!) Gender equality was still in doubt in the 70s and was a frequent topic of debate. Charlie’s Angels, for all its jiggly camp, showed glamorous, uber-hetero women who could look fantastic and still solve the crime and bring down the bad guy. They did it without smudging their makeup or tripping in their spike-heeled Candie’s. Is it any wonder I grew up with never a doubt that I could do calculus, run marathons, and still be totally fem?

Thank you, Farrah.

As for Michael Jackson, I watched the Jackson 5 on TV as a kid and heard their songs on the radio. I never owned any of Michael’s albums, but most of my friends had Off the Wall and Thriller, and Michael’s early-80s hits were staples at school dances and friends’ parties. We all tried to moonwalk and we watched his videos to pick up the latest moves.

Then I grew up and MJ grew weird. His '70s and '80s hits continued to bring a smile to my face, but I’d be lying if I said I was a true fan. It was comfort music, the soundtrack of my childhood, and I craved it now and then in the same way I sometimes need a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of tater tots. Comfort music, like comfort food, is something you know isn’t all that good for you, and you wouldn’t want a steady diet of it, but oh, how you need it now and then!

No matter what one believed about the scandals of the ‘90s and ‘00s, it was clear that MJ went off the deep end. And yet, we couldn’t mourn that talented, charismatic kid we grew up with because there was a freakish caricature walking about still claiming to be him. The Michael of our memories never re-emerged. Now we can finally say good-bye to that other Michael, the one whose soundtrack ran in the background of our childhood, and who will always be inextricably intertwined with our memories of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

So here I am this weekend, waxing nostalgic, even more aware than usual of the passage of time. I wasn’t a big fan of any of the recently departed, but they were part of Then, and their passing reminds me that I can only live in Now.

I must also accept that Ed McMahon will never show up at my door with a big fat check, since he died this week, too. It does no good to argue with time. And after some time spent pondering and listening to a little Jackson 5, I’m okay with that.

Monday Bunday: Naptime!

It's taken me awhile to get back to my old self after vacation. This past week was the first where I didn't feel completely drained. Vacations can be so exhausting, and coming back to heat, humidity, allergens and pollution doesn't help. This week they're predicting temps in the 100s, which is unusual for this early in the summer. Rest and stay cool--that's all one can do.

Cadbury, of course, is an expert on resting. Staying cool in that fur coat is debatable.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Belated Announcement

Cadbury has been sitting on some exciting news. First, he held back because being a very legal-minded bun, he wanted to make sure the contract was duly signed by all parties and therefore official. By the time that happened, he was back from blog-hopping and had his many wonderful hosts to thank.

So now, he's ready to share with you the news that his owner's book Maelstrom will has been picked up by a local press, L&L Dreamspell, for publication in 2010. It will be available online and in book stores.

This is an exciting but scary time, as what has always been his author's hobby now becomes her second career. There will be long hours of editing, promoting, and writing new books and short stories for publication. The full-time university job will likely always pay much better than writing, but only hacks and fools write for money.

Cadbury thinks it's ironic that after writing so many serious books, it's his owner's comedy that will end up on a book store shelf. But Cadbury has seen a lot of strange twists and turns in his own life as a spotty bun, so he's used to it. He will now return to practicing with his alphabet blocks so that when the book is released, he'll be able to read it.

Have a great week, everybun!

Monday Bunday: Home!

Dan and I got home from vacation at the end of last week. But when we went to pick up the pets, we found only Pixel waiting. Cadbury, we were told, was on a vacation of his own and would contact us from the airport.

We went home unsure what to make of this development, but a little investigation proved that Cadbury had indeed gone blog-hopping in our absence. While we were away, he visited The Bunns, Tyler and Sydney, Lando, Fiona, and Sophia, Mario, and Fidget. He dropped in on our friends at Furrybutts to wish Hans a happy birthday, and he also visited Andrew Bun, and Freckles.

Wow. And we thought we had a busy itinerary! I hope we didn't leave anyone out!

So we passed a quiet weekend, getting back into our routines, resting, and waiting for the phone to ring. Finally we got the call and went to the airport, where we picked up this little creature, who appeared very put out with us.































What did we do, Cadbury? We arranged a nice spa vacation for you, and when you decided to go visiting instead, we dropped everything to pick you up at the airport. We even had organic kale and parsley waiting for you at home.

Please forgive us, buddy. We're glad to be home.

Many thanks to Cadbury's hosts! I would've commented more frequently, but I was often on slow connections and/or battery power and my internet time was limited. Dan and I got a lot of amusement from your Cadbury posts, and Cadbury wants you all to know that you're the best!

Announcement!

Saturday morning, Dan and I will be on the open road! While we're gone, Cadbury and Pixel will be staying at the vet spa, where they will be indulged with treats and pedicures.

As in previous years, you can follow my vacation on my Vacation Blog, where I'll be posting nightly, unless we do some camping.

As an added treat this year, my fictional band Maelstrom will be going on tour, with an itinerary that roughly follows my own. The band members will be doing daily posts of their own at the Maelstrom Website.

See you in two weeks, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Hide and Seek

Can you spot the bunny in this picture?

Monday Bunday: Bookish

Cadbury sits in front of the bookshelf, pondering his choices and no doubt disapproving of what's on offer.

Don't worry, little bunny. There are lots of other books in the house!

Monday Bunday: Observed Chairside

This fine-looking creature enjoys hanging out by my computer chair. Sometimes he'll bring one of his timmy cubes with him so he can enjoy a snack. The evidence remains on the carpet, as is evident in this picture. I need to teach him how to run the vacuum.

Maelstrom Concert Announcement

Just a quick note, Maelstrom is having another virtual concert this weekend. They're not promoting anything, and it's mostly a way to welcome new friends from the Come in Character blog. Everyone is welcome to drop in, though. Free cover, a new song, and no worries about flu viruses, be they swine, bird, hybrid, or any other sort.

Come in Character Concert

Running Around

I've been lazy about posting my workouts lately and I'm going to try to be better about that. This week was a mixed bag. On the one hand, Tuesday morning got rained out. We're talking thunder, lightning, wind-driven rain and street flooding. I tend to second-guess myself when I skip a workout, wondering if I'm just looking for an excuse. But when I saw the tv images of people being evacuated from their flooded homes on the west side of town, I figured maybe I wasn't such a wimp, after all.

On a positive note, though, I can run on campus in the mornings again. I had quit for awhile, following a campus shooting that had some of the hallmarks of gang activity, but last week the perp was arrested and he turned out to be a student with psychological problems.

Oddly, I found this reassuring. The way I see it, a random crazy person can get you anywhere-- office, school, church, shopping mall, or traffic light. There's no place truly safe, but no place is any more dangerous than another. I'll change my habits to avoid gangs and habitual criminals, but you can't have any kind of life worth living if you go in fear of crazy people.

So I ran twice this week, nice early runs before the sun was fully up. I had to contend with early-morning leaf-blowers, but that's an unavoidable hazard wherever one goes. Does anyone know what actually happens to all those leaves, by the way? Seems kind of pointless to blow them someplace else, since they'll only blow back again.

Monday Bunday: Streamlined

Here we observe that Cadbury is an energy-efficient, streamlined rabbit. Note the swept-back ears!

This probably explains why, in spite of my consistent training efforts over the past nine years, this small spotted rabbit runs faster than I do. Brat.

Monday Bunday: Ready!

Here is Cadbury, ready to start another week.

I'm ready, too, and curious to see how my new schedule works out. In addition to my upcoming two-week vacation, I have another 44 hours of vacation leave that I have to use up somehow, or else I lose it at the end of the fiscal year. Working for the state is funny like that.

I didn't much care how I got to use my hours, as long as I got them, so my boss and I agreed I would come in an hour later three days per week. This will allow me to do slightly longer workouts in the mornings and/or sleep in a little longer. This will also allow me to start swimming again, if pollen season ever ends. (It will end, right? I've been dealing with this since February!)

So I'm looking forward to trying out my new schedule, and hoping it makes me a healthier, happier person. Paid time off from work is a good thing, no matter when you get it.

Monday Bunday: Spring Grass

Ah, Spring!














When a bunny's thoughts turn to fresh goodies from the great outdoors!

We're having fine spring weather here, and we hope you all are, too!

Happy Easter!

Look who came to my house!


















We had a fine time chatting about the many hazards of his important job. Then he ate some craisins and cilantro and took a nap.














Happy Easter, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Bunny Benefit Bash Scrapblog!

Hay, Everybunny! Here's what you've been waiting for--the commemorative scrapblog of last weekend's party, with all of us having a rocking good time!

Bunny Benefit Bash Scrapblog











I hope the photographer got my best side!

Bunny Benefit Bash Update

The final story in the Bunny Benefit Bash series is now posted. You'll find out how much money was raised, you'll find some great links, and the story has a cool little surprise at the end.

I've made contact with all but one of our prize winners and I believe everyone who has been in touch with us will have their prize in the mail by the end of this week, if it isn't already.

I've been working on our Bunny Benefit Bash scrapblog, and it's coming along nicely. I won't be able to include every bunny that was in the video, but I'll do my best to get at least one from each participating household.

It would be nice to do more of these types of events. Not anytime soon, of course, but in a few months, perhaps. Some of the work could be shared and maybe next time we could get sponsors. We had 101 guest book entries, so even if we had sponsors funding us at 25¢ or 50¢ apiece, it wouldn't take very many sponsors to add up to a nice sum once our own donations were added in. Something for us to think about.

Anyway, thanks once again for a great Bunny Benefit Bash, and I hope you enjoy the last story in the series!

Monday Bunday: What a Party!

Cadbury is exhausted after parting all weekend with his friends at the Bunny Benefit Bash!














Thanks, everyone, for all your support. You gave me pictures, you gave me ideas, and you offered some lovely prizes to give to our guests. And most of all, you helped get the word out to make this a success. Cadbury and I couldn't have done it without you!

Perhaps we should do more of these in the future. There's such a need out there, and it's easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget that it's a tough world--for bunnies, for humans, and for everyone trying to make a go of things on this planet.

But for now, Cadbury and I are just happy to take a little break. There will be a follow-up story later this week with the final donation tally and you'll get to find out how the band reacts to the success of their party. Will Nevin get a bunny? Has Vic softened up, or is he still too cool for rabbits?

There will also be a commemorative scrapblog in the next week or two, chronicling the event and what a good time we all had. I will assume that if you allowed me to have pics for the video, you'll let me take some for the scrapblog. If this is not the case, please let me know.

And finally, the party is now archived on the Maelstrom site, under "Reviews, Concerts, and Sightings," and there will be a review of the concert whenever I can get around to it. I'm sure the "reporter" will have wonderful things to say about this weekend's show. After all...

Bunnies Rock!

Bunny Benefit Bash!

The show is on, folks! Hop on over to the Bunny Benefit Bash and see our lapine rock stars in action!

The party runs all weekend, so enjoy!

Bunny Benefit Bash: In the Queue!

Well, bunny rockers, it's almost time! Cadbury successfully got the video uploaded, the caterers are setting out the buffet, and the party is set to go live at midnight and run through Sunday evening.

Be there or be square. Bunnies Rock!

Bunnies Rock! Video

Well, peeps, we're about done. This week I've added Biscuit and Bandit, Pumpkin, Patches, Andrew, Norbert, Sam (Sage), and Willow. We're up to about 40 bunnies!

I'm closing the video to new entrants as of 5:00 pm Thursday, and I'd really prefer to add no one else at this point unless they were specifically invited earlier this month. Right now the bunny montage goes by a little quicker than I would like because I left room to add a latecomer or two. Tomorrow after work, I'll add any final bunny rockers, should I get any, and will consider the video officially closed. I'll then finish getting the pictures synched to the music, tweak my titles and add the credits. Then I need to convert it for posting and viewing. If all goes well, it will be done Thursday night, but I'm leaving open the possibility that I'll need Friday, too. Wish me luck that it all comes together on the first try!

If you hop over to the Maelstrom site, you'll find the third story of the series, in which Ricky and the band discuss the particulars of the benefit. There is now a link to make an individual donation to Rabbit Rescue, or to any of the charities nominated for the benefit. There is also a link to buy Bunny Benefit Bash t-shirts. Everything else--guest book, video, buffet, and prize giveaway info, will be available sometime after midnight Friday night (in other words, Saturday morning). I'll also post the times when the "band" will be available to chat in the tag box, although partygoers can chat with each other throughout.

Cadbury is very excited about his debut as a rock star and he hopes all his friends are getting excited, too! Binkies!

Monday Bunday: Roll Call!

As you can see, Cadbury is hard at work getting the Bunnies Rock! video ready for you. Below are the bunnies in the video so far. If you aren't here but should be, speak up! If you are here but don't want to be, now's the time to say so.

Our goal is to finish the video on Wednesday, but some bunnies are in here more than once so we might be able to accommodate latecomers. No promises after Wednesday night, though. If you don't see one of your friends here, give them a shout-out.

So for now, here are our Rockin' Rabbits!

• Hans
  
• Buttons
  
• Bailey
  
• Yohji
  
• Mario
  
• Baxter
  
• Princess
  
• Lucky
  
• Savannah
  
• Chico
  
• Goldie
  
• Racer
  
• Zoey
  
• Miss Eve
  
• Neville
  
• Hugo (ATB)
  
• Betsy
  
• Boogey
  
• Elvis
  
• Peaches
  
• Pink
  
• Sydney
  
• Tyler
  
• Fidget
  
• Barrington
  
• Cadbury
  
• Tidbit (ATB)
  
• Abbey
  
• Fez
  
• Cappuccino
  
• Fiona
  
• Orlando
  
• Freckles
  

Bunny Shirts are Ready!

The Bunny Benefit commemorative t-shirts are now available at the Maelstrom Concert Products store. In this picture, I'm wearing an earlier version of the logo, that does not include the url or the names of the bunny charities on the back. New shirts will have the "new and improved" version, which you can see on the Cafe Press site linked above and in Monday's post below.

















The shirts are priced at cost. I had initially thought of including a small upcharge to add to our donation, but there was no way to do that without first declaring it as income and then writing it off, and I'm just not too crazy about adding any further complexities to my tax calculations.

Therefore, these shirts are strictly commemorative and for fun, although some lucky guest at the party next weekend will win a free one of their choice!

Speaking of choices, Cafe Press had a lot of other items that can be customized. The Bunny Bash logo is only suitable for white items, since it's not on a transparent background, but if there's a product you'd like to see, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Let the Voting Begin!

We're all set up to vote! Here's the story, at the end of which is a Voter's Guide. The poll is in the sidebar of the Maelstrom site if you want to cut to the chase and just cast your vote.

Tell your bunny friends to hop on over. We'll run the poll until next Wednesday and then announce the primary recipient. The big fund-raiser will be the virtual party on the weekend of the 28th, and we already have $40 in pledges, thanks to Rabbits' Guy's efforts. Maelstrom's contribution will be based on the number of guests at the virtual party, so spread the word!

As a side note, all charities will be listed on the back of the t-shirts, and more info about the shirts will be available in a day or two. We're also going to have some great prizes at our party, and even though the party is virtual, the prizes aren't. Tell all your friends!

Monday Bunday: Bunny Benefit

No real Monday Bunday here, just a reminder to read the post below and tell your friends about the Bunny Benefit on the 28th. Actually, it'll run all weekend, Saturday and Sunday, so we can hopefully get a lot of money raised. The charities that have been suggested are all so good that I'm thinking maybe we'll vote on one "official" organization that the band will donate to, and list the others as alternates for guests to donate to if they so choose. I think I'll also put all the nominated organizations on the back of the t-shirts, kind of like a rock band's tour t-shirt.

Other ideas welcome, as always!

Bunny Benefit Bash Update

Below is the updated image with date and url. I've put it on a t-shirt ordered a sample for myself. If it looks good, I'll make the shirts available for purchase at the virtual party. There will also be one available as a prize.


















I'm still trying to decide how the fund-raising will work, but the tentative plan is that the band will pony up $2 per guest, up to the first 25 and $1 per guest after. Guests will be counted by comments or guest book signatures (once I have a chance to review guest book options). There will be a direct link to the charity we choose so that people can donate directly. I'd like to find a way to track the donations that so we can give an overall tally of funds raised, but we may just need to go on the honor system. If anyone has ideas, let me know.

In addition to the t-shirt prize, Diana Moll will have one of her prints available for a lucky contest winner. I think we had another prize donor, but I confess I'm buried right now, so get in touch! Prize winners will probably be selected randomly, but I'd also like to have one for the biggest individual donation. Any other ideas are very welcome.

Thanks to everyone who has linked me to bunny rockers or told me to take what I need from their websites. If anyone has some bunny action video they'd like added to the rock video, I'm game for that, too. Rest assured that all bunny rock stars will be duly listed in the credits.

I could use a few more charity recommendations, so if you think of any, let me know. And tell your friends!

In Progress...

So what do you think, peeps? I'm leaning toward a "show" date of March 28. That would give everyone another two weeks to talk this up, and we could vote on a charity next weekend. I'll have the final story in the Bunny Benefit Bash series ready the first week of April, and the donation would be in the hands of our selected organization by Easter.

Anyone have ideas to share?

Bunnies Rock!

Bunny rockers take note! The first story of the Bunnies That Rock series is now up. Go here to read the story, recommend a favorite bunny charity, and find out how to make your bunny a rock star. If you've already directed me to your rocking rabbits' pics, send the link your friends! I'll be taking charity recommendations for about a week, and then everyone will have a chance to vote. On the day of the virtual benefit concert, I'll be contributing to the charity you vote for based on the number of comments I get, so help the band pick a top-notch organization that will give the bunnies something to bink about.

Rock on, Lagomorphs!

Monday Bunday: Fat and Happy

Cadbury: Who's fat? I'm not fat!
Bunnygirl: It's just an expression. Have another timmy cake.
Cadbury: Don't mind if I do!

Monday Bunday: Buns on Film!

For those of you who missed yesterday's fly-by post, I'm putting together a video trailer for Maelstrom's upcoming book release (tentatively planned for April or early May). It occurred to me that a video of the Bunny Benefit concert would be fun and all who are planning to participate could give me bunny pics to include in the concert footage.

Glenna has already informed me that Pink, Peaches and Elvis consider themselves rock stars, and apparently we've got a lot of talent at the Houseful of Rabbits. So how about it, folks? Has your bunny got what it takes? Let me know, and tell me how your bunny wants to participate: either by emailing me a pic to use, or by directing me to one to use from a website.

Bunny Benefit: Preps and Thoughts

Happy March, everyone! As promised, I'm still planning for Maelstrom to do a benefit for bunnies, sometime in the late-March/early-April timeframe. To those of you who offered to contribute prizes, thanks! I'll be in touch shortly.

I've got a new idea for our little bunny concert, though. I've been learning how to make video trailers, so how about I make a little concert video and include pictures of people's bunnies? Let me know what you think!

Monday Bunday: Making Messes

See what I get up to while you're at the office?

Saturday Check-In

Happy Saturday! I've been pretty busy lately with work and spring gardening. The house and yard get so much shade that I'm having to experiment by planting in a variety of spots, waiting to see what will work and what won't.

In writing news, I got my first chapter posted this weekend. It can be accessed via the banner on the Maelstrom website or via this link, which will take you to the pdf. The chapter includes my latest artwork, which will also be used on the cover of the chapbook I'm working on as a freebie to advertise the book, once it's available.

As to the book, I'm on my third round of edits, doing pencil markups in a paper copy. Cleanups have been minor so far, which I'm happy about, and Dan has twice absconded with the book to read it himself. This is significant, since although he is supportive of my writing, he's never actually read my stuff before now.

I ran seventeen miles this morning and did all my scheduled workouts for the past week. I'm happy about this, since I had been getting lazy about my weekday workouts. The warmer weather we had last week helped, and although we got a cool front today, I hope my winter slump is over.

Finally, our bunny friend Fiona is sick this week. Last I heard, she was showing signs of improvement, but rabbits are such fragile creatures that prayers, good wishes, or whatever you've got to offer are still needed. So if you haven't done so already, go wish Fiona well.

Monday Bunday: Another Monday?

What do you mean the weekend's over?

Contest Winner: Date with an Incubus

Just letting you know that Thomma's "Date with an Incubus" story is posted. Check it out if you've got time: Thomma's Date with Bo

From Cadbury: Somebunny Loves You!

This afternoon, I found this new toy in my room.














And this basket of treats.















First, I checked out the toy.














It was fun to chew on and made lots of noise!














Then I dove into my treat basket. Yum!














Happy Valentine's Day, friends, and remember that somebunny loves you, even if it's just me!

Australia Wildfires: Donate!

I've been keeping up with information about the brush fires in Australia. For animal-lovers who would like to help, here are a couple of links:

Wildlife Victoria: Their page for international donations has options for donating in Australian dollars (you do the conversion) or your home currency (your credit card company does the math). At the current exchange rate, $100 USD equals about $152 or $153 AUD.

RSPCA Victoria: Their donation page is a bit less clear. They simply show a $ sign, which I assume is AUD, and the credit card company would do the currency conversion. Contact information is available on the website if you want to be sure.

And if you want to help the humans, the Australian Red Cross is seeking donations.

If you have it to give, be generous!

Monday Bunday: Where in the World...

"I've been told the world is a very big place."
















"Doesn't look so big to me!"

Contest: We Have a Winner!

Although I would've liked to have had a few more participants, I was pretty happy with the number of entries we got for the Win a Date with Bo contest. I'll be using some of what I learned next month when we start our Bunny Benefit!

And now, here we have the ballots:















And the impartial selection committee.

"I'm supposed to do what?"















"Okay, I think I get it now."














And our lucky (?) winner is...Thomma! Good luck to you Thomma, and thanks to all who participated. If any of the participants would like to write a story anyway, I'm always open for guest bloggers to share their experiences with the members of Maelstrom!

Saturday Check-In

Things have been pretty much the same here lately. I've been writing a lot of short fiction for the Maelstrom site, which takes up most of my writing time, leaving little time for blogging. Sorry about that.

I went for a run along the Brays Bayou trails this morning, and it went okay in spite of the lingering effects of some breathing trouble I had yesterday due to the high tree pollen count. It wasn't one of my better runs, but I enjoyed the route, and after how I felt yesterday, I was glad to be running at all.

A lot of people were out this morning, especially cyclists. We're having spring-like weather and everyone seems eager to enjoy it. The bayou was full of birds, gardens are full of new green leaves, and I saw my first butterfly of the season. Right now the squirrels and birds are having a go of it outside the window of my study. I have no idea what they're fighting about, but it sounds important!

I'm doing a second round of edits on the Maelstrom novel and I've designed a first-chapter chapbook that I'm going to get some pricing on. Ideally I'd like to be able to give it away for free as a promo item. In the meantime, my plan to make the first chapter available on the web is going forward and I'm looking at February 23 as the date for that. I'll have my new artwork by then, and by going with a later date than I originally planned, I won't be competing with the winner of my Win a Date with Bo Contest.

In critter news, Cadbury has made no recent escape attempts or steeplechase leaps over the barricade and Pixel is enjoying the warmer days by finding sunny spots in the window once again. It's so interesting to watch the way animals make small changes in their habits. It doesn't look like they change much, but they do! I wonder if they think the same thing about us?

Monday Bunday: Ain't Goin' Nowhere

Move so you can sweep? I think not!

Monday Bunday: Oops

And I suppose you've never put your foot in your mouth?

Contest Announcement

Hey, peeps! I'm running a contest at the Maelstrom site, and the winner will get some Valentine's chocolate and a chance to guest blog or be the subject of a Maelstrom story.

Bunny fans will want to know that one reason I'm doing this is to get a little practice prior to our Bunny Benefit Bash in March, so please go over, check out the contest details, and enter the drawing!

Maesltrom Valentine's Contest

Running, Kitchens, and Bunnies

One expects the weather people to make wrong predictions a week, or even a few days out, but this morning they were mystifyingly off-base, and even the 6:30 am forecast for the morning was wrong. The 7 mph winds and high-fifties temps I dressed for were instead low-fifties with winds of at least 15 mph and strong gusts. I had a good run anyway, and even took in a garage sale, but came home chilled in that way that one feels for hours afterwards.

In household news, the kitchen faucet broke last night. It was original to the house and over fifty years old. Due to the design of the sink area, there is no way to install anything of a newer design without doing a complete remodel. Problem is that a faucet similar to the one that broke must be ordered special because stores don’t stock them.

So in the meantime we have no water to our kitchen sink. We also, due to the arrangement of our 1950s kitchen, have no dishwasher. And did I mention yet that we usually save our dirty dishes during the week and wash them on the weekend? Luckily we have a full-size kitchen sink in the studio, but it’s going to be a hassle to carry everything out there and back. It could be worse, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I ordered some more art for the Maelstrom site, and the artist did a preliminary sketch that I like. She won’t be able to start on the colorization until after next week, but I should have the finished product by the second week of February. The art will illustrate the first chapter of the novel, which I’ll post on the website.

And speaking of Maelstrom, I hope everyone is thinking of what bunny charity we should sponsor. I’m thinking of offering prizes to donors, and have already sounded out Rabbits' Guy, who is considering self-publishing a bunny book that I think would make a great prize. If anyone else has ideas for prizes, let me know. The Bunny Benefit Bash will begin sometime in March.

Monday Bunday: Bunny Butt

So as not to break with the Monday BunBumDay theme in the bunny blogosphere these days...

Saturday Check-In

I got my custom artwork on the Maelstrom site, but I’m still having difficulties with the template and the way it won’t let me completely remove the previous art (I had to lay my new art on top of the old) or adjust certain things about the header. I also want to work on the resolution of the art at the reduced size, so I think I know what I’ll be doing this weekend. But the basics are up and running, I’ve tested it on IE and Firefox, and it seems to be workable for now. I’m happy about that.

I ran fifteen miles today, doing the med center run again. I ran past a site where they’re doing construction on a new medical building and saw about two dozen cement mixers lined up in the street, with another dozen a block away, waiting for the light to turn. I had never seen so many cement mixers in one place before and for some reason I thought it was funny. I would’ve been much less amused if I had been in my car, trying to get somewhere.

This weekend, I’m passing up my third marathon opportunity of the month. I wasn’t able to get into the Houston Marathon, which is tomorrow, because it filled up so much earlier than usual. Ditto for the New Year’s Day Texas Marathon in Kingwood. And I opted out of the USAFit marathon last weekend, although I seriously considered it. Oddly, I’m not disappointed, and it’s not just because I broke a toe a few days before New Year’s, since I'm getting around just fine. January is a tricky month for marathoning, at least for me. Training through Christmas and trying to avoid everyone with a winter cold really puts a damper on things, not to mention my aversion to training when it’s cold outside.

Speaking of cold, this past week we had early morning temps in the 30s every day and I finally broke down and drove myself the half mile to the gym so I could work out. I felt like a wimp, but I just couldn’t get motivated any other way. So there.

Well, it’s time to go play with my Maelstrom template some more. I’ve also got a new story to post over there tonight!

Maelstrom Bunny Benefit - Thoughts Needed!

I'm thinking of doing a bunny benefit, both to help rabbits and to promote my Maelstrom fiction site. I'm envisioning this taking about four weeks, start to finish.

Week One: Story in which the band decides to look for a rabbit charity to support. (I've already written this story, btw.) I will be soliciting reader recommendations as to favorite bunny charities.

Week Two: Voting! I'll post a poll so readers can vote on which charity we'll be donating to.

Week Three: Donate! I'll post a story about the band's benefit concert and I'll pledge a certain amount (yet to be determined) for each comment. There will also be a link for readers to make donations of their own.

Week Four: Final story of the series, in which the band donates the proceeds and one band member decides to adopt a bunny of his own.

What I need from you, my bunny blogger peeps (and friends of bunnies), is some feedback. I don't want to do this until I have the artwork for the Maelstrom website, so we're looking at one or two weeks at the earliest before we could begin. That puts us near February. Since February is a short month, how about we make this an Easter deal? I could post the first story sometime in March and we'll wrap it up shortly before Easter.

Thoughts?

Monday Bunday: Naptime

I love it when the humans go to work and I can get a little rest around here!

Med Center Run

I was a little unsure how to prepare for this morning's run. A cool front was supposed to move through mid-morning, dropping temps and possibly bringing rain. At 7:00 am, not only was the temp 71 (higher than predicted), but there was no rain on the doppler. This made me skeptical that temps would change as predicted, but I took a long-sleeved shirt with me, tied at my waist, just in case.

As it turned out, the extra shirt was a wise move. Not only did the front move through earlier than promised, but instead of dropping temps into the low sixties, it dropped into the fifties. I would've been so screwed if I had gotten caught six miles from home in just shorts and a shimmel. (Okay, I had shoes and a cap, too.) And lucky for me, it didn't even rain, although the sky gave me moments of doubt.

One of the places I checked out today on my run was this fountain plaza that I read about earlier in the week. I had seen the entry to it on previous runs but wasn't so curious I wanted to cross a busy street to check it out. I did today though, and it was...odd. Nice lines and symmetry, but it's so out of the way, its colonnade leading to nowhere, that you find yourself wondering why it's there at all. The view of the Burger King across the street doesn't help much, either. Oh, well. At least I've seen it, and it might be a nice place to stop for a rest on hot summer runs. Since it seems pretty deserted, I bet I could even cool off in the fountains without anyone noticing.

That's all the weekend excitement so far. And since I like quiet, I'm hoping it stays that way.

Cadbury, of course, is all about excitement. He says this place is too quiet and is annoyed that the party hasn't started yet!












What do you mean, no party tonight?

Art and Writing Questions Answered

To answer a few of the questions generated by the previous post, I approved the sketch today for Maelstrom and now the artist will start layering in the colors. When the artwork is done, I'll put it on the website. If all goes well, it will look perfect and no additional template-tweaking will be necessary.

Once the art looks right, I'll finish adding content to dead links, add some other content if anyone has further recommendations, and then I'll start trying to build a larger audience. I have some ideas for that, including web advertising, word of mouth, social networking, and maybe some fliers or posters on bulletin boards at the universities near where I live.

For the immediate future, the site content will consist of short stories, posts by the band members, and reviews of their shows. Obviously since the band isn't real, I'm the one writing all those things. The woman doing my artwork has agreed to let the "band" interview her at some point, so that's going to be a lot of fun and I hope it will result in some business for her.

As for the novel, it's currently available only to friends who request it and only in electronic format. I anticipate doing a final round of edits before making a decision what to do next. What I usually do is a perfunctory query of maybe ten or so agents to see if there is interest out there. If my concept doesn't get any nibbles, I post the novel online and make a print version available via Lulu. I don't know if I'll do Maelstrom this way, but it's the most likely scenario.

I may, however, decide to skip the querying and go straight to web and POD. Traditional publication is a tough business to break into and it can be a real time-suck, with no guarantee of success, no matter how good your book is. Publishing is a business like any other and if your story isn't perceived to be a solid money-maker, it won't get picked up.

I think Maelstrom might be just right for the current market, but traditional publication comes with a set of obligations that would probably be incompatible with how I live my life right now. It's an additional consideration as I ponder where I want to go with this book. It was great fun to write and I want others to read it and have as much fun as I did, but I don't want to lock myself into a whole new world of commitments and deadlines that will take the joy out of writing.

I hope this explanation helps. Share your thoughts and ideas! Maybe we could have Maelstrom do a bunny benefit at some point, with or without a real fund-raiser. They're anxious to make the big time and will put their name out there any way they can.

Excited!

The artist for my Maelstrom site got in touch yesterday to say she's ready to start my project. She might have a sketch for me as soon as today! If we don't have a lot of iterations, my new artwork will be ready in about a week--a digitally painted color picture of my fictional band with their instruments.

I just love Rebecca's work and I'm very excited!

This is a definite bright spot to a day full of dull meetings at the office.

Monday Bunday: A Little Privacy, Please

Boy, I sure am glad the bipeds go back to work today. This invasion of privacy has got to stop!

Holiday Break Wrap-Up

Well, my holiday break is almost over—nearly two weeks of no work commitments and an abundance of days for celebrating. Or in my case, just hanging around the house. I’m an introvert at heart (though not particularly shy) and I treasure my peace and quiet.

So what did I get done with all this free time? As usual, both more and less than I would’ve liked:

• Did Christmas Day with my family but didn’t get stuck there to no purpose.
  
• Made bread in my new bread maker.
  
• Bought some stuff we needed for the house.
  
• Sewed darts into some pants and a skirt that needed them.
  
• Re-started my weight training program.
  
• Did a lot of running and spinning, and tried out a new spin video.
  
• Got my comforter cleaned (an enterprise that requires a trip to the laundromat).
  
• Cleaned the house—not as well as I could have, but I did it.
  
• Got the last part of the fallen tree from our yard removed ahead of the final FEMA pickup date.
  
• Contacted the Civic Association about a matter that pissed me off and impacted many of my neighbors as well. (If it was just me, I’d figure it was my problem.)
  
• Had a nice visit with my father, who returns to New Mexico on Sunday.

And finally, I finished my novel! A friend says I should call it urban fantasy, but I think of it as comedy or even satire since I mock the deities and paranormals my hapless human protagonist encounters. The website is here and although there isn’t a lot of content yet, most links are functional and more content will be forthcoming. I’ve commissioned artwork for this, and hopefully it will be ready sometime this month. I’m very excited to get original art, so I’ll post about it when it happens.

Sunday will be my usual cooking day, getting ready for the return to work. Unlike last year, I don’t hate my job and dread going back. That counts for a lot, even as I wrap up my paid holiday and prepare to put my nose back to the grindstone.

Hoppy New Year!

Cadbury: Boy, that was some party!

Bunnygirl Unlike the rabbit pictured above, I had a very low-key New Year's Eve. When I was in the restaurant/club business, we always referred to NYE as "Amateur Night" and I still don't much see the point of it. Maybe I'm getting old.

We had luminarias last night, which was nice. It was too wet on Christmas Eve, so the Civic Association placed them for New Year's instead, and Dan and I went for a walk to enjoy them. We ended up at a friend's house where we hung out for awhile, chatting and playing with their bunny, Ava. And that was about the extent of our New Year's excitement, other than watching a silly movie.

2008 wasn't one of my favorite years. I lost my dear Tidbit and we had a hurricane. But I got a new job that I love, I made friends with a wacky new bunny, and I had the satisfaction of seeing that my hurricane preparations were spot-on. I moved my 403(b) funds into annuities long before the market crashed, so my finances didn't take a beating. And I went to some fun places on my summer vacation, including the hot springs at Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

I don't expect 2009 to be a very good year in the macro. The economy is a mess and nothing I read suggests things will get better in the immediate future. But on a micro, personal level we can all seek that happy place with friends, family, pets, and hobbies that bring us contentment. The world has always been a troubled place. It's up to us to find that inner sanctum where we can find refuge from the storm and nurture the positive things that fortify us to carry on.

Make this year a joyous one, friends!