I’ve been so busy in recent weeks that I nearly forgot to shout out about Apollocon 2011, happening this Friday through Sunday, June 24-26, at the DoubleTree Houston Intercontinental Airport. Amanda and I should be easy to find in the vicinity of our table in artists alley. If not there, check the Blue Moose Press table in the dealers room—or check the program schedule. Only the night before last was I invited to participate. No word yet on which (if any) panels need my peculiar presence. This will be our last official visit to the Houston area this year, so, even if you skip the panels, come stock up on Stikmanz titles to bridge the long months until 2012.

Kindness is the model I intend to follow, but I get so bound up in being clever that I forget to be kind. Love is the ideal to which I try to conform, but I keep getting annoyed with individuals and forgetting to love them. Generosity is what the world demands from me, but often I give only denials as I wipe crumbs from around my mouth. What does it mean that I find such common values hard to express? What does this say about me?

I had great momentum going for late sleep this morning. This is not the easiest thing to do these days, living in an apartment complex and having grown increasingly sensitized to the wakefulness of the world. On this morning, however, 9:00 a.m., even 9:15, sailed past without notice.  The good sleep, perchance a dream, ended abruptly at some moment close to 9:30, when one of my neighbors put on Ten Years After’s “I’d Love to Change the World” at maximum volume. No directional fix was possible during play of the song, as I valiantly resisted coming to full consciousness. This had to be a dream, right? Not one of my neighbors was even born when this song was released. Not one of them was born even ten years after release of this song. Which one of them would know about it?  Universe, I’m taking the hint, but please don’t make a habit of springing me from bed with strange portents.

[Yawn.] The Hidden Lands of Nod. [Yawn.] Dvarsh. [Yawn] Reperiolinguistics. [Yawn. Belly scratch.] Coffee. The personalities are waking.

Comipalooza, a replete experience on the people front, sent us home with a store of memories of old friends, new friends and dozens of wonderful conversations. On the sales side, unfortunately, the event tanked. I didn’t speak to a single author or artist who did well. The public came through the doors, but they weren’t buying.

Hm-h-hm…to change the wooo-orrrrld….