I leave for the Mediterranean in the morning. I guess at some point I should think about what I'm going to pack. Meh. I'll be gone until July 29th. I'll have limited internet access only because it's a satellite connection and costs something ridiculous like $1/minute. I'll respond to urgent emails and situations, of course, but if it's not time sensitive I may wait to reply when I return.

I'm taking this cruise so you can follow my progress if you're bored as hell. Also, at the top of the page if you click Crystal Experiences>Live Views>Crystal Serenity you can see live images off the ship that are updated every 3 minutes. Kinda neat.

Updates will go up as usual. I'll do my best to get back on a Sunday schedule. I don't like this Monday thing. Guess that's it. Ciao!

p.s. I'm a little put out that I didn't get the Crystal Penthouse. I mean, it's only $36,000. Pfft. I guess I'll settle with Deck 8.

Part 4 is now up in this Juxtan series:

Hadrian's Deception - 4

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!






(I don't care if it breaks your tables :P)

Juxtan update will be posted on Monday. Details of the trip coming later. I've been awake since 7am yesterday and I'm literally trembling with fatigue. I'm amazed I didn't crash the car.

*off to dream very sweet dreams of Chris Pine*

I kinda have a stressful day planned out tomorrow. I think I'm going to need to pop a Xanax at some point, lol. I need to drive down to Playa del Rey to pick up the slot machines for my brother. Then I need to drive up to Studio City to have drinks with a guy. Then drive back down to Westwood to see Chris Pine in Farragut North. I probably won't leave the playhouse until around 11, and then I have to drive back to Vegas (or sleep in my rental minivan somewhere). Too many places to go. I don't like being so scheduled, but I guess them's the breaks. At least I'm looking forward to the play. It's supposed to be great :)

I'm watching the first season of TOS Star Trek and I'm really enjoying it! I'd seen a few episodes with my dad when I was a kid but I didn't remember them being as entertaining as they are. They're chock full of good cliffhangers and damn, William Shatner was fine when he was young.

Look at these cool photos! See, being run over by a bull is what you want to have happen. Otherwise you don't have a story! lol

( Pamplona )

I lost some confidence in the Pirates story when I tried something new in it (the minor pony play) and didn't receive any feedback. So I had to step back from it and work on something new. Here's the next story in the Lonely Diner universe, "Resistance is Futile". Link takes you to the Lonely Diner page (found through Dining) where you can refresh your memory with the first story, "The Perfect Bottom". Hope you enjoy!

Shane shook his head wildly. Sebastian must have been wearing some sort of drug-infused cologne that was messing with his head and making him confused. He should have been running or punching or *something* instead of just standing there letting Sebastian invade his personal space.

"What would make me very happy," Sebastian went on, "is if you dropped to your knees and opened your mouth for me."

Shane stared. It was wrong that so much lust could funnel through his body and into his cock. He shook his head again, now with desperation. "No. No way."

Sebastian watched him calmly, not smiling, but merely studying him. "I think you'd like it, Shane. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement."

I'm obviously in a much better mood now that the trip is a go (and even though I'm behind on the Joyboy update again.) For added fun, I just got this email from my brother who's in Pamplona:

Hey,

I got crushed by a bull today. I did the run and got great video of me running down the main street, touching a bull and then going into the Bullring. Once you're in the ring they let loose younger bulls into the crowd. Everyone kind of crouches down outside the gate where they release the bulls from and you wait to see if the bull will run over you or miss you. Well, the first bull out of the gate absolutely owned me. I took a hoof to the arm and leg and he ran into my head and chest. I got dazed but then got back up. I have some cuts and stuff and the impact was so hard my pants and shirt got torn. But I´m ok. I even took and nap and woke up from it so that´s a good sign. :)

Don´t worry I won´t run or anything tomorrow. But I´m glad I did it, it was awesome. I´ll tell you more when I get back to tthe ship. See you soon.

Dave

This is the same brother who exchanged money with uzi-carrying dudes in the favelas of Rio. I feel like I'm his mother or something. He ages me, lol.

From: CY - Hotel Operations Assistant
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2009 8:11 AM
To: CY - Casino Manager
Subject: Family Visit V9315 / Passport


Good morning David,


Please be advised your passports for your family visits are OK. You will not need to renew them for V9315.


Kind regards,

Hotel Operations Assistant

M/S Crystal Serenity

Part 7 is now up in this Sin City series:

The Bachelor - 7

Thanks for your patience!

Hmm, yeah, we're looking at a Monday post. On the plus side it's Sin City (but you already knew that).

Last night was pretty amazing, I have to say. I now know the secret spot for Vegas locals for blowing things up. It was like Burning Man but without all the dirty hippies and dirty sex. Pics and video may be on the way.

Btw, is anyone out there besides my UK and Canadian peeps going to Azkatraz? I need to ask a favor of you.

It's very weird waking up to an alarm set at 6pm (and worse when you want to go back to bed). However tonight there will be much firecracking out in the middle of the Nevada desert and I can't miss the opportunity to see at least one of my friends burn a minor bodypart.

Hope all my fellow Americans are having an explosive 4th. Don't drink too much!

This is why you're fat.

Good for changing your eating habits. Barf.

I've added a het fic community to my friends page. What's the world coming to...

Interestingly enough (or not) when I first tried to seriously break into publishing I wrote a novel for Silhouette Desire. I couldn't find an agent for it which sent me into a nine year funk until the slash bug bit.

It hasn't been the greatest week, unfortunately. I have a bunch of short stories due for a collection on July 4th and haven't been able to complete any of them. That's a problem. My motivation to write since Peru has been in the dumpster. I just get can't get it going.

Then the real kicker: I received an email yesterday from my brother. Crystal Cruises needs me to submit new passport information because my current passport expires in November. Right. My cruise is July 14th, but apparently I need a passport that expires 6 months later; November isn't long enough. Of course they tell me when I have only 9 business days to do anything about it. After researching all my options I've come to the depressing realization that it'll cost me about $400 to renew my passport with expedited services. Besides the fact that it's money I'd planned on using for the trip, it's the principal of it that pisses me off. Why tell me 9 days before my trip, thus making this an emergency? They've had my information for months.

So I'm not going on the cruise. Barring them changing their policy for me I'm not renewing my passport for $400. It really sucks because I have the plane ticket and the cruise booked (and my brother's ex-girlfriend was only going to go if I do because she's scared of traveling alone and now I have to bail on her, lol). Guess the Med just wasn't meant to be.

Thanks for all the responses to my previous post about the fan novels. I noticed that most of the replies were from potential authors which is great since it means people would be willing to write the books. Now I'm curious to hear from potential readers of those books. Would you want to read a JF book featuring non-canon OC characters? So far I've gotten only one definitive response from a reader (as far as I know). If you're both a reader and a writer feel free to reply, too.

I'm toying with an idea for the bookstore and wanted to get some input. How would you feel, either as a reader or a writer, about expanding the bookstore with novels which are set in JF universes but contain fan-created original characters? For instance, books by fans about Juxtapose City which feature brand new psypaths. Or expansions of Juxtan set in different generations. Competing security companies in Sin City, etc.

As I mentioned, these would be fan creations but they'd still have to exist within the original canons. The new format would allow writers quite a bit more creative freedom and hopefully catch the interest of readers looking for more to read. Or, these would be annoying. I'm curious to know what you think.

I got a front row ticket for the play. Now if Chris falls off the stage he'll land right in my lap. *makes note to bring ball bearings*

Looks like I'll be headed to LA on July 10th to pick up some slot machines. I'll also be catching Farragut North by my lonesome, but I'm sure sharing Chris Pine's airspace will alleviate my suffering. I didn't realize Geffen Playhouse is practically on the UCLA campus. It'll be nice to visit my alma mater (although I dropped out!).