Wrapping up all loose ends on manuscript. Today is Art Processing Day -- going through all 36 big pieces, doing last minute cleanup, printing them out into a display packet, and converting them to 1200 dpi (meaning the creation of monster files so obnoxiously huge that my gig of memory can't quite handle them. Grrr.)

Tomorrow is Manuscript Day and Mini Art day (processing all the extra little arts) and Thursday is Copying, Packing & Mailing Day. Then, Friday is Sleeping Day and Saturday is... Birthday!

The big question is, will I feel relieved or let down when this is all mailed out?

After this week, I will be a Loungasaurus. I will hang up the dangle chairs on the patio and read books in the sun all day. I will play a disgraceful amount of computer games. I will eat diet food and get rid of the five pounds I gained in the past three weeks. I will clean off my desk. I will buy fresh flowers every two days.

In the meantime, well...

Tony is bursting out of the house this morning because we overslept and he has a morning meeting. Poor Tony is all shaggy because I haven't cut his hair in far too long. That's another thing I'll do after this week, for sure.

Book contract came back today, countersigned and final. It's one thing when YOU sign a book contract -- it's another thing entirely when the PUBLISHER signs it. Truly a good feeling.

Very much enjoying a relatively slow-paced week for a change. We both still have mountains of work to do, but much fewer other things going on. Plus, I can do a lot of my work on the laptop in bed, while listening to old Ally McBeal and Osbournes episodes on the TiVo, so all is well.

Frantic week meant not a lot of posting. My grandma and her boyfriend were visiting. Lots and lots of lunches and dinners. Also much work for me catching up on all the work for the book, much work for Tony catching up from his week in Paris, and a few moments -- not enough -- spent just catching up with one another.

Quieter times are in sight, but not quite yet. Climbing in the morning, then lunch with friends, then a Bon Voyage party. Then Tony going to LA, Tony going to Austin, book deadline in two weeks, birthday trip (maybe) in two weeks and two days, London at the end of August. I need a nap.

Finally signed my book contract! Wow!

The stress of the last few weeks is starting to show. Tony and I have become a pair of dumbheads. We lose things, we forget things, we misremember things constantly these days. The saving grace is that it's both of us, so at least we can be the Two Stooges as a team.

Tony is exhausted. Mostly just sleeping, playing Galaxies multiplayer, catching up on Big Brother 4 and working on my 9049-page author's questionnaire.

But now rest time is over. We're on our way to San Francisco to take my SuperAgent out to lunch, and dinner tonight is with Nanny, who is visiting from Florida. Yay!

Tony is on his way home! Right now!

(That's especially good because I just recieved a 9049-page Writer's Questionnaire that I must fill out and need his help. More about that later.)

I was ambitious enough to go to the gym this morning, but even just standing around and talking with friends made me tired, and after fifteen minutes I was ready to crawl home. I went to the market instead, so Tony and I can spend the next two days eating more of those diet ice cream drumsticks. I also got him a root beer and his favorite snack bars AND the new Power Bar Power Bites he's crazy about.

A little better. It's hard, though. Everything all at once. Grandma Nat and Tony being away and being so sick. Even positive things add to the stress, I think. So much going on. The bio and the book deadline and a trip to London in August. And and and. I'm going a little crazy.

(Some people would say a lot crazy, actually.)

So maybe it is not so surprising that I'm suddenly craving those brand new diet ice cream cones, chocolate, with fudge swirlies on top, only 120 calories each but I've eaten almost two boxes in two days. Diet ice cream cones and liquid yogurt. That's it.

HOW can I STILL be sick? This BLOWS.

Tony is safely in Paris. He was able to quickly tour the city on Sunday evening, and now it is work, work, work until he comes home next weekend. (At least, that's the theory. Actually, he said he'd call me right after dinner, but it is now midnight Paris time and not a peep.)

I was getting much better, but today seem to have relapsed. This morning I was asked to write a 3-sentence self-bio for the book... ASAP. This is a LOT harder than it sounds. I got a few sample author bios out to study, opened up the word processer, then promptly fell asleep for five hours.

Tony is getting ready for his trip to Paris tomorrow, mostly by resting up, learning a few key phrases, and trying to avoid catching my germs.

I'm monumentally sick, coughing and snorting and living off of Day-Quil and Ny-Quil. The timing could hardly be worse. I couldn't go to Florida, I haven't been working on the book, the laundry is in heaps and today I will miss my favorite holiday of the whole year. Feeling quite sorry for myself.

Administrative note: Our old email addresses have died. You can now reach us through rhonva@comcast.net and tonyvan@comcast.net.

...my Grandma Nat died today.

She taught me to be a fighter. She was tough. She was a star, and knew it, and told you so.

I have a raw throat today, bad enough that I'm on antibiotics and probably can't attend the funeral in Florida. One thing about these walkathons is that they leave you so drained that you are susceptible to every little germ. The fitting part is that if it wasn't for her, I may never have imagined that I could have completed a marathon at all.