Scary PACE

PACE stands for Publishing and Advertising Creative Excellence. It's an awards show (a mix of Saturday Night Live-esque skits and videos and Oscar-style awards) I've been involved with at work for the past 13 years and this year I'm the chairman. Since the show is Oct. 26 the committee thought it would be fitting to have a "scary" theme.

This week we're shooting video which is very time consuming and not nearly as fun as it sounds, but I'm always amazed at the "talent" that surfaces when someone yells "action." I'm also in charge of choreographing the opening number which includes dressing up like zombies and dancing to

It's gonna be fun but there's a lot of work to be done between now and then. I'll keep you posted.

Happy 80th, Dad

Friends and family got together last week at our favorite (centrally located) restaurant to celebrate my Dad's birthday. It turned out to be a lot of fun even though it was on a school night.



This weekend I had houseguests from Waco, my best friend and her daughter and friend. It was a wonderful weekend of shopping, cooking out and hot-tubbing (too cool for the pool). We also finally tried out the fire pit which is probably the closest I'll be getting to camping out. We roasted marshmallows around our terracotta and wrought iron pit and sang one line of Kumbaya for effect.

There's just nothing better than charred marshmallows on a wire hanger, especially from the comfort of your own back yard. (Sorry, no pics. I'll do better next time.)

Krikey!

Steve Irwin, the Discovery Channel's crocodile hunter died today. No, not by a gator, but by a stingray off the coast of Australia.

For some reason it gives me comfort that he wasn't bitten by the toothy fellows who made him famous. And they say he died doing what he loved...wrangling deadly animals.

We will all miss you, Steve.

Oh! What a feeling...

...to not have a WIP. (For you non-writers that stands for work in progress.)

On one hand it feels wonderful to be completely free of obligations to it. For the first time in a long time I don't feel guilty writing a blog post.

On the other, these ideas keep calling to me. "Write me! No, write me!"

It's a big decision what the next subject matter should be--a committment to spend the next year or so pouring your soul into something that may or may not see the light of day (except for your critique group, your Mom and close friends.)

Too bad there's not an online service to hook you up with your next perfect WIP. Let's see. They could call it E-Genre.com. or Love at first Write.

On another note I just finished hosting the final pool party of the season. It was my mother-in-law's birthday. As luck would have it, the wind was so blustery and cool no one got in the pool. Oh well, I've discovered old people really don't like to put on their suits anyway. Here are some pics: