I was quiet and still

It's been a strange few weeks around here. I went camping for a week with my husband and a number of our friends at the beginning of June, which was amazing. I was quiet and still in the forest and I saw so many amazing things, including two huge golden eagles up close. Then it was Ben's last week of kindergarten (thank god), and since then, it's been a week and a half of me living alone - Ben is at a camp in Cleveland with his grandparents and Mihnea is off on his own retreat. And me? I'm catching up with friends, readying Thirteen Designer Vaginas and Make it So for print, and, of course, being entertained by the furry convention's 6th visit to my home town of Pittsburgh.

There is something about the furries that utterly delights me. Perhaps it is 90% the fursuiters. There's a silliness they exhibit that I love, a commitment to remaining in character that I appreciate, an unabashed geekiness, and, while utterly strange and often derided by even the dorkiest elements of the geek community, on the whole they don't take themselve terribly seriously. Personally, I can't imagine being a furry/member of the furry fandom, but when they come to town I always crash their dance party one night. You haven't lived until you've seen multiple people in full fursuits dancing like crazy. Also, I'll take any excuse I can get to dress up in a ridiculous costume.

This week promises to be a whirlwind of activity, too. I have a grant I'm applying for that's due in just a few days, and on Thursday Juliet Cook's chapbook, Thirteen Designer Vaginas comes out from Hyacinth Girl Press. It is amazing, amazing, amazing, just like Juliet. I am so very excited to share this with you.