Omphaloskepsis  -

+ 4 - 2 | § ¶Another Update

One of these days, I really should go back and fill you all in on what's been happening recently. But as longtime readers of my blog know by now, the odds of that happening are rather small. So I'll just give an update on things that have happened quite recently.

Yesterday, Mom came over. She, Josh, and I went out to watch the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I really liked it; so seemed to Josh and Mom.

It was also our three-month anniversary. (Okay, technically "three-month anniversary" is improper usage, but calling it our "one-quarterth anniversary" just sounds odd.) Three months ago, on April 30, Josh and I met at The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy at the Willow Knolls theater. I'd like to say that seeing another movie at that theater was planned, but it was really just a nice coincidence.

It's remarkable... three months together. At times it seems like we've just met... at others, it seems like we've known each other our whole lives. Yeah, Josh and I have had some rough spots in our three months... perhaps more than our fair share. But we've gotten through them, and we've come out stronger on the other side.

However, Josh and my father haven't been getting along. Dad thinks Josh is manipulating me; Josh thinks Dad's manipulating me. This was not an easy thing for me to deal with, because I only heard thirdhand information about what my father was apparently saying. But after talking to Dad this afternoon, I have come to the reluctant conclusion that he is not acting in my best interests.

In happier news, though, Josh and I--

Oh, wait. I don't think I blogged about that yet. *check, check*. Nope, apparently I didn't.

<flashback>   Just before the trip to Shore Leave, Josh asked me to marry him. It was rather unexpected, and initially I said I'd have to think about it. So I did think about it, and I said yes.   </flashback>

In happier news, though, Josh and I set a date. We're going to have a ceremony on Saturday, March 4, 2006. The location is yet to be determined. I'm excited! And a bit nervous. But mostly excited!

Going back to family stuff, Dad kicked my brother Dan out of the house today. (Technically, he kicked him out at some unspecified future date, but he did it today.) Dad reportedly said that it was because he (Dad) needed to live alone... but I can't help but think that it may be because Dan took Josh's side. Dan is considering moving to Carbondale, which is near the southern tip of the state. After hearing that, Josh and I also extended him an offer to move in with us for a while. I think it would be better for him to stay relatively close to the rest of the family. Of course, maybe I'm just being greedy in wanting to be able to spend more time with him.

Anyway, I'll try to stay caught up more in the future.

davidh

+ 2 - 4 | § ¶James Doohan, R.I.P.

Read CNN's obituary, and StarTrek.com's article.

davidh

+ 1 - 5 | § ¶The Return

I'm back.

Meeting people was fun.

Shore Leave was fantastic.

Colorado was great.

The flight home was a disaster.

The house is a mess.

More later.

davidh

+ 2 - 4 | § ¶Shore Leave report, part 1

In the months to come...

September 2005
Paperback reprint: Vulcan's Soul I: Exodus, by Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz.
Hardcover: TNG: Death in Winter, by Michael Jan Friedman. Takes place after Nemesis (or technically between two of the final scenes).

October 2005
Paperback: Titan #2: The Red King, by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin.

November 2005
Trade Paperback: Voyager: Distant Shores, an anthology of stories set during the television series.
Paperback: String Theory #2: Fusion, by Kirsten Beyer

December 2005
Paperback: Enterprise: Rosetta, by Dave Stern, which focuses on Hoshi Sato.

2006: TOS's 40th Anniversary

January: Titan #3: Orion's Hounds, by Christopher L. Bennett
February: NF: Missing in Action, by Peter David (hardcover); also paperback reprint of NF: After the Fall, by Peter David.
March: ?
April: DS9: Warpath, by David Mack. Follows up on David R. George III's Olympus Descending in Worlds of ST:DS9, Volume Three.
May: Enterprise: Last Full Measure, by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels. Focuses on the MACOs.
June: To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh, by Greg Cox (paperback reprint); Vulcan's Soul II: Exiles by Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz (hardcover)
July: Vanguard #2: Summon the Thunder, by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore; Star Trek Fiction Companion, by Jeff Ayers (trade paperback) (includes the third edition of the Star Trek Fiction Timeline, to which I contributed)
August: Untitled Captain Pike novel, by Margaret Wander Bonanno
September: TOS: Crucible #1: Provenance of Shadows, by David R. George, III
October: TOS: Crucible #2: TBA, by David R. George, III
November: TOS: Crucible #3: TBA, by David R. George, III
December: Excelsior: Forged in Fire, by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin
Unscheduled: Untitled TOS anthology, edited by Marco Palmieri

2007: TNG's 20th Anniversary. Books coming out this year include:
Titan #4
The Lost Era: Title TBA, about Picard's eight "missing years" between the loss of the Stargazer and the beginning of TNG
DS9: Terok Nor: A four-book series (not all of which will necessarily be published the same year) about the Cardassian occupation, from various perspectives
Untitled Mirror Universe project: A two-trade-paperback series, with three novels in each volume. Book 1 is edited by Margaret Clark, and includes Enterprise, TOS, and TNG novels; Book 2 is edited by Marco Palmieri, and includes DS9, Voyager, and NF novels.
Errand of Fury #2: Demands of Honor, by Kevin Ryan
Untitled TNG anthology
TNG: Resistance, by J.M. Dillard. Sets the new "status quo" for the post-Nemesis crew of the Enterprise.

davidh

+ 4 - 2 | § ¶Itinerary

Tuesday, July 5

Airport to get rental car

Drive to Bloomington -- breakfast with parents; visit banks to ensure bill payments and such go through

Drive to Indianapolis on I-74 -- possible lunch with someone from the Wormhole

Drive to Cincinnati -- dinner with Steve Mollmann

Spend the night at hotel

Wednesday, July 6

Breakfast with Jon (if I can get ahold of him)

Drive to Ashtabula

Dinner with Doug and Zach

Spend the night at hotel

Thursday, July 7

Drive to Evans City, PA to see graveyard from Night of the Living Dead

Drive to Hunt Valley, MD and check into hotel

Friday, July 8

Convention, day 1

Saturday, July 9

Convention, day 2

Sunday, July 10

Convention, day 3

Fly to Colorado Springs, CO by way of Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

Check into hotel

Monday, July 11

TBD

Tuesday, July 12

Day trip to Denver

Wednesday, July 13

Dinner with Josh's family and friends

Thursday, July 14

TBD

Friday, July 15

Fly back to Peoria, IL by way of Chicago, IL

davidh