Last week, this week.

I am on my way to visit my mother, stopping off at friends’ houses on the way. Jurat hasn’t had a catsitter for over a year, but she loves that person and I am sure she will greet her with cries of joy. And hunger and basic neediness, but also joy.

Semester is over: all that is left of the classes is final grading, which I will do over the weekend. Grad students are somewhat more ongoing: I still have a comprehensive exam and thesis and dissertation defenses over the next few weeks. And the departmental awards ceremony this Friday.

Summer workshops start 5/31. We have eight people for the workshop, which is the max we wanted this year, and a lovely cluster of former students for the Repeat Offenders workshops. Barbara and I have redesigned and reorganized things for online, and we’re pretty pleased with them — but I have to admit I also look forward to being face-to-face again in a year. The summer workshops are the high spot of my year.

American Tour is on a short hiatus, again — two short stories due in the near future, plus a third I am doing for fun, plus Chapter 12 is going very slowly indeed. I think I need a little more distance from it. I’ll make the short stories available on my Patreon as I get drafts completed.

Generally speaking, I have been feeling very lucky indeed, just lately. I could afford a new car and its insurance and licensing; a friend came up with a freelance project that covers the new computer. I have a nice rental house and a strange cat, good friends, a couple of vaccine jabs, some clothes I like, matching luggage, and good hair conditioner. Big blessings and small.