I’m not going to be at CONduit this weekend in Salt Lake City. Sure, it’s only a 40-minute drive, and all my friends are there, but I need to take the day off.

I need to take the day off, so I can get some work done. The Bonus Story is STILL not colored, which means (for those of you following along at home) that Schlock Mercenary: The Teraport Wars has STILL not been sent to the printer. Today and Monday I’m tackling the last four pages of Bonus Story so they’re all colored and pretty and ready to be laid in.

Then, with my brain clear of that task, I’ll allow Sandra to start piling the “cleanup” tasks on me. Edits, image tweaks, cover art… all the rest of the stuff that must be done. With luck I’ll be able to finish it all by June 10th, and can do so without letting up on the buffer.

I went to CONduit last night to see folks and to record a few episodes of Writing Excuses. They were a lot of fun, and much more energetic thanks to the presence of an audience. We had Mike Stackpole (Author Guest of Honor at the Con) join us for two of the three ‘casts, and Dan Willis, Eric James Stone, and (very briefly) Bob Defendi also made appearances. Those episodes should be airing in a couple of weeks.

I can always tell when I’m not eating right. I need about nine hours of sleep per day, sometimes more. I’ll sleep all night, and then nap once, or even twice during the day. It’s a good thing my job lets me set my own schedule.

I started low-carbing on Monday, and plowed through the day on overdrive, no need for naps, no midday exhaustion, just VROOOM. Of course I overdid it. I worked late into the evening, and then couldn’t fall asleep until about 2am. Then BAM! I was awake at 6:30, and working again by 8:00am. I’m pretty sure NO amount of good dieting can get me by on four-point-five hours of sleep per night.

I plan to crash on a couch at Dragon’s Keep for a while. I don’t have time today for a bed-nap. Too much to do.

jmaynard has entered the nomination for LiveJournal Advisory Board.

I can’t think of a better candidate for this position than Jay Maynard. He toots his own horn a bit in his nomination message (LINK), but that’s politics for you. I’m here to tell you that all of it is true, and if Jay had asked me beforehand to blow the horn for him, I would have done so without hesitation.

This is being handled democratically. Read Jay’s post, and if you agree with him (and with me) on this matter, please post a short comment (there, not here) saying you support his nomination. If you don’t agree, go find another nominee, or nominate yourself. Democranarchacy Lives!

I really enjoyed Iron Man. Yes, there is something to reward those who hang around for the end of the credits.

Plotwise, it was fairly predictable, but that’s due in part to the fact that I know the form the writers are working within. EVERYTHING is fairly predictable for me these days, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It didn’t hurt the Iron Man film at all, because the character interactions, the fight scenes, the SFX, and all the rest of the details were so much fun.

Plot holes? Sure. It’s a superhero film, after all.