This musical theater homage to the internet makes me chuckle.

I started out the morning doing SFWA stuff, largely relating to dues and the new membership software. I’m deeply pleased about all the people paying dues online with the new system this year.

The biggest thing today was the we finally, FINALLY, opened the beta version of the SFWA website to visitors.*  There are still things we’re working on but the amount of content that we have to shift to the new system is huge and you know, at a certain point, waiting any longer just seems silly. So we’ll be rolling out new things, but the bones of the site are in place and ::knock on wood:: are not imploding.

This is due to the very hard work of Jon Armstrong, Nancy Fulda, Chris Hansen, Jeremy Tolbert, Christie Yant, Brandie Tarvin, Nathan Lilly, Scott Danielson, Jamie Todd Rubin and all the other volunteers who have been patiently going through the early stage testing.

Not that we’re finished, but dang, it feels good to hit this stage.

*When the site comes out of beta, the address will go back to being sfwa.org.

Subterranean is running a 50% off sale and one of the titles is my collection “Scenting the Dark and Other Stories.”

We’ve been receiving a ton of requests that we run one of our 50% off sales, which we haven’t done in quite some time. Tim and I have carved a little time out of the SubPress schedule to handle the increased level of orders that usually accompanies one of these sales, so here goes. The rules are simple:

1. The special runs until the end of the day July 3, 2009.

2. You must buy at least 5 different titles to qualify for the sale prices. There is no the maximum number of titles you may order.

3. You may buy only one copy of a given title.

4. Your shopping cart total and automatic email confirmation won’t reflect the sale price. Don’t worry, we’ll apply the proper discount when processing your order.

5. If you’re using PayPal, do NOT go through our site. Please email us for an invoice.

6. Please note that only the titles listed below are part of the sale, and only editions with cover prices of $150 or less are included.

7. We’re not able to offer retroactive discounts on titles, or combine this special with any other coupons, specials, or savings certificates.

via Subterranean Press » Blog Archive » 50% Off Sale on SubPress Forthcoming Titles..

I signed up to do props for a film this week. It was only two days of work and looked like a fairly light load.  I did a half day on Tuesday lining up furniture and planned another half day on Wednesday to pick up the hand props.  Unfortunately, things imploded when the verbal bid I got on furniture came back as a paper bid that was ten times higher than the phone quote.

So, all my Tuesday work was undone and it meant that Wednesday became about finding furniture. To make things crazier, one of the prop rental houses was in New Jersey and normally only an hour and a half away. It took me three hours to get there.  Upon arriving, my vehicle wasn’t large enough and I had to make two trips. I got about half an hour of sleep all told.

Thursday was the day of the shoot and I somehow managed to actually have everything there. Largely because I hired Emily DeCola to be a runner and do last minute shopping in the morning. It was an insane and brutal schedule that I don’t recommend.

Friday I spent returning props.

I am only now feeling human again.

• 16:50 Important lesson. A rented van counts as a commercial vehicle and can’t go through the Holland tunnel. #
• 18:05 An hour and twenty minutes later I can see the Lincoln tunnel. #
• 19:01 One hour to get from the Lincoln Tunnel to City Winery, which sits just north of the Holland tunnel. Sigh. #
• 19:57 May I just say how much better Rob makes everything? #
• 21:06 Finally finished and on the way home. By subway. Beautiful, air-conditioned subway that I don’t have to drive. #
• 22:34 My fortune cookie says, “Keep a green tree in your heart and one day the singing bird will come.” What is that supposed to even mean? #

There’s a fantasy trope that almost no other genre plays with: The magic doorway, the portal from the mundane into the magical that embarks the hero on his or her quest. These gateways can take many forms, so let’s look at the ones I would have a hard time avoiding.

Particularly today, when a chance to escape seems lovely.  Granted, most of these portals increase the odds that you’ll be killed, but still. It’ll be someplace interesting.

via AMC – Blogs – SciFi Scanner – Mary Robinette Kowal – Need a Portal into a Fantasy World? Here are Ten to Consider.

• 02:07 The number of things that went wrong today without anyone getting hurt was pretty impressive. #
• 07:58 Grabbing breakfast in between furniture runs and wishing I weren’t stopped. Too much to do today. #
• 20:16 Spilled red paint on my arm. People keep thinking I’ve been gored. #

• 08:45 Rob just went to the subway with the foam head strapped to his arm. I hope I haven’t killed my husband. #
• 12:54 Heading out to do prop shopping for a film. It’s very different from shopping for stage. #
• 16:27 My god, traffic sucks. #
• 22:15 I can’t believe I have to drive back out to NJ tonight. #

Rob seems to be recovering from surgery nicely. It was less intensive this time because the surgeon was only fixing the carpal tunnel while last time he also worked on tendinitis in two of Rob’s fingers.

Last time I told him that I’d modify his Giant Block of Foam and lo. Behold.

• 05:25 At the hospital with Rob for his left hand surgery. We got up at 4:20 am. Ugh. #
• 06:00 They’ve taken him back now for surgery, which they said starts at 7:30. I should see him “in 2 hours.” #
• 06:42 Very clever. I forgot to plug my computer in last night and the battery is now dead. Planned on writing. Glad I brought a book. #
• 08:12 Rob is out of surgery. It’ll be a bit before they let me see him. #
• 09:06 Very tired of waiting, now. The volunteer was snippy when I asked if I could go up. #
• 09:14 Return of the Giant Block of Foam! #
• 09:25 Wow. The surgery after Rob’s was removing an extra thumb. #
• 10:18 We’ve just had breakfast at the same place we did last time. I wonder if they remember us and the GBoF. #
• 17:27 Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts about Rob and the surgery. He’s doing well. Hardest thing so far was peeling the electrodes off. Ow! #

Rob is out of surgery and well. We and the GBoF are going out for breakfast.

They tell me that Rob is out of surgery, but I haven\’t been let up to see him yet. First they put him in the recovery ward while he\’s groggy. I really wanted to see him like that but, alas, not allowed.

We got up at 4:20 this morning and headed to the hospital for Rob’s hand surgery. He’s supposed to be the first patient on his surgeon’s schedule. We’ll see what that translates to in terms of actual time.

He took his wedding ring off this morning and says that his hand feels strange without it. I think that’s good.

Meanwhile, later today you can look forward to the return of the Giant Block of Foam. Now, here’s the question. Rob thinks I should customize it, but we’re not sure what to do. How do you think I should mod it?

On Friday at AMC my column was on Ten Fantasy Fathers Who Really Do Know Best. I ended by talking about the movie father figure who is most like my dad.

While neither from fantasy nor, technically, a father he’s enough like Dad that when I showed Rob the film for the first time, he boggled at the similarities.

What do I love about my Dad? He’s fun, he’s filled with curiosity, and makes things. I remember the first time I brought him something he couldn’t fix and I was dumbfounded. My tendency is still to think that he can make anything.

After the apocalypse, he’s totally the guy you want on your team.

Dad is great.

Hm… Well, that was unexpected. So now I’ve added some plugins back in and am trying again. Sorry this is so dull.

In other news, my throat hurts.