I’m slowly trying to get back into the swing of things, but am still laid somewhat low by the virus that has been kicking my butt for the past week. I’m trying the lie in bed, play on the laptop, and don’t be too horrendous approach. Will see how that goes.

Yesterday was all about Jessica’s birthday. She was nine, and was very excited about it. Presents had been arranged, family came over, and we partied till the wee small hours of the mid-evening. A real success. She was delighted, and both girls made their parents very proud.

Today is Jessica’s ninth birthday. Nine years ago, at around 6pm, I was down at King Edward Memorial Hospital, doing the pacing dad-to-be thing. I remember being raced into the surgery with Marianne, the worry of the doctors, brief joy, three weeks of stress and fear in the Neonatal Unit at PMH, and now nine full years of a gorgeous girl working to become herself, every day. It’s been a wonderful, joy-filled, scary journey. I look forward to many, many, many more years of it.

Today was all about the tail end of the sinus infection that has laid me low, on and off, since Thursday.  I’m pretty much better and will definitely be back at work tomorrow (which is Jessica’s 9th birthday!!). I spent the day talking, writing a little, and reading some story submissions.  I need to ramp up everything soon (not today) so that I can start hitting deadlines before they start hitting back.  Eclipse Three and Conquering Swords are both looking in good shape, though a few stories are still to come in for both of them.  I’ve also been working on the special issue of Subterranean, which is also looking good, though I’m waiting on one or two pieces for it.  Other than that, I spent a lot of today thinking about and talking about Jessica.  Nine.  Wow.  She’s growing up and is wonderful, though a constant worry for a parent.  We have some enormous decisions to make about her schooling and so on, to make sure she grows to the best version of herself that she can be.  I think sometimes we tend to be overprotective and oversupportive, so the time is coming to pull back a little, which will be hard but must happen. The challenges of parenthood never end.

How did it get to be Wednesday morning? When we left off, I was sitting in a cafe at Adelaide International Airport listening to Beth Orton’s Central Reservation, drinking pretty rotten coffee, and waiting for QF545 to take me home again.  The flight was uneventful, if not overly pleasant.  The empty seat I’d angled for disappeared, as they do, and I found myself limited to the space I’d actually paid for, which was adequate but not wonderful.

I arrived home safe, to warm and wonderful welcomes, but dragging the darn sinus infection I had in Adelaide home with me.  I sniffled, coughed, popped my ears all the time, and eventually stumbled off to bed.  Tuesday I didn’t get out the front door of the house. I’d thought I might catch up on some low level work, but other than VPNing to the day job and making sure some things didn’t fall to bits (they wouldn’t have, but I feel responsible), I didn’t get anything done.  I meant to read, but didn’t. Meant to work on contracts and line edits, but didn’t. I did buy a couple more stories, but that  was just sending two simple emails to say ‘Yay’ to Pat and Gord.  Gossiped a little with GJ and Bill, and then a walk with Sophie, and that was it.

And here we are, looking at today.  The girls are at school, Marianne will be in and out doing shopping and getting ready for Jessica’s 9th birthday, and I’m slowly feeling better.  I’ll definitely be back in the office today, so I’m going to try to get one or two things done, but we shall see.

Given my lapses with the blog (and we won’t mention those short story reviews, shall we?), I wouldn’t be surprised if no-one’s reading this at all, but I don’t have that much else to report that isn’t business-like.  I should call Oakland (I’ve been missing talking to CHARLES), and some other stuff.  More, I suspect, later in the morning…

This won’t update you all that much, but…I’m sitting in the Adelaide Airport, chilling out listening to the Blue Nile and looking back over the Australian National Convention.

I think some of us thought it was going to be a bit of a train wreck, but like the most fortunate of small conventions organised a bit late in the day, it turned into a lovely, relaxing social event.

I flew the dreaded Jetstar over, and it was fine. I’d packed my own snacks, I had an empty seat beside me, and everything seemed painless. Arrived in Adelaide, then to the hotel. Started meeting people right away, and after a brief foray up the Mall, was back to socialise in the bar.

Friday was easily the best night of the trip for me. Sean and Amanda picked me, and we dropped over there for a wine and conversation. A lovely and important conversation for me. Then off to dinner with Ron, Lisa, Angela, Sean, and Karen for a great time. Food was spectacular, and the company was great. Then back to the hotel in time for late drinks with Russell and Alisa. Three wasn’t late.

And it pretty much followed that pattern. Had a simply wonderful lunch with Ron and Alisa at Jerusalem (a Lebanese dive that had been there for 36 yrs, we were informed, but had divine food), a good dinner with the piratical Mr Flinthart and A, and more bar and late conversation.  Sunday was dodgy hotel breakfasts (did I mention we were located in the seediest street in South Australia?) then talking and drinking and lunching and the Ditmars.  A great dinner with Stephanie and the gang from Harper, and more wonderful conversation, this time from the really nice and very interesting Karen Miller.  The Ditmars were really well run and I was delighted with Jack Dann’s win in the Best Collected Work category (amongst some other good results – congrats to the winners!).  Had an early night.  Today was the wind down. Breakfast with A and Dirk, lunch wandering around, and now the airport.

Was it good? Yes!  Was it fun? Yes!  I had some throat thing, so people were saved having to listen to me too much. Also terrible tinnitus on Saturday.  Recovering now, in time to head back to work.  Was heartened by a good PW review for New Space Opera 2, to offset the apparently-not-good review over at IO9.  Look forward to hearing over time what readers think of it.

For now, though, it’s all about getting home and back to my girls!