Good lord, I haven’t posted anything other than Between the Lines Book Club posts since mid-May. Here’s where I’ve been:

RT Convention, Atlanta, Georgia

What a wonderful event! I love seeing my friends and fellow Smart Bitches. Highlights: Yarn Shopping, Reader Recommendation Panel, Bollywood Panel, Center for Civil and Human Rights, and discovering that Georgia is beautiful and green.

We recorded a podcast about RT at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

BayCon, San Mateo, California

One of my two home conventions where I get together with good friends and eat a lot and have a great time! This year my daughter and I were both guests and performers at the Variety Show. It’s been a wonderful place for my daughter to grow up and seeing her move into more adult roles (but not too adult) is incredibly moving. Meanwhile I got support from friends and inspiration from everyone. If you are interested in attending in 2018, here’s the BayCon link.

Home

Dear lord, what a month we had at home. School play, school talent show, end of year school projects, open house, the inevitable post RT fibro flare that segued straight into the inevitable BayCon fibro flare, Bike Month, Mother’s Day, hay fever. Much good stress, a little bad stress, all busy. Also I watched two seasons of The Expanse in preparation for BayCon. It was FOR WORK, OK? I googled those screencaps of Amos FOR RESEARCH.

So, now here we are, almost halfway through June, and I’m still catching up (this involves a lot of sleep, frankly). If you are one of the friends I saw at BayCon or RT, thank you for making it so special! If I missed you, let’s be sure to meet next time!

So excited to be heading back to Baycon, or, as I call it, “My Family Reunion.” Baycon is happening in San Mateo, CA from May 26 to May 29, 2017. Here’s my schedule:

I’ll be hanging out with Smart Bitches, Trashy Books at RT in Atlanta, Georgia from May 1 – 7. So excited. If anyone is from Atlanta, what should I see? I’m hoping to play hooky a bit since I’ve never been to Atlanta (other than the airport) or, for that matter, anyplace in the South other than Texas (again, for an RT Convention, so I didn’t get out much). I’m vegetarian so BBQ is lost on me but I hear the pie is good.

Here’s my schedule:

Reader Recommendation Party!

Wednesday, May 3, 2017 8:30PM – Whenever

A Casual Hangout. More info at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

Hope to see you at RT!

This coming Saturday, April 22nd, will be the day of the March for Science. The march will be held in Washington, D.C., with sister marches being held around the world. For information about marches in your area, check the March for Science webpage under “Marches.”  I hope many of my readers will attend – you do not have to be a scientist to march, only someone who believes that science is important.

The Trump administration has taken unprecedented budget cuts in science funding as well as reversing policies based on science. From the March for Science webpage:

The March for Science is a celebration of science.  It’s not only about scientists and politicians; it is about the very real role that science plays in each of our lives and the need to respect and encourage research that gives us insight into the world.  Nevertheless, the march has generated a great deal of conversation around whether or not scientists should involve themselves in politics. In the face of an alarming trend toward discrediting scientific consensus and restricting scientific discovery, we might ask instead: can we afford not to speak out in its defense?

People who value science have remained silent for far too long in the face of policies that ignore scientific evidence and endanger both human life and the future of our world. New policies threaten to further restrict scientists’ ability to research and communicate their findings.  We face a possible future where people not only ignore scientific evidence, but seek to eliminate it entirely.  Staying silent is a luxury that we can no longer afford.  We must stand together and support science.

The application of science to policy is not a partisan issue. Anti-science agendas and policies have been advanced by politicians on both sides of the aisle, and they harm everyone — without exception. Science should neither serve special interests nor be rejected based on personal convictions. At its core, science is a tool for seeking answers.  It can and should influence policy and guide our long-term decision-making.

Need inspiration?

We took a month off from book club which meant I took a month off from blogging (on this site, anyway). I actually took a month and a week as there was no post last week. I regret nothing.

So Readers, what did you miss? Well, over break I got as far as page 475 in the biography of Hamilton that we are reading this month – check back on Friday for more about that! I also got the CD for Christmas and am now pretty throughly obsessed. It gives me some comfort to know that politics were messed up back in the day as well as now. The mind reels at the thought of Jefferson and Hamilton subtweeting about each other on Twitter, which you know they would have done.

I had a lot of doctor’s appointments and tests and things and as a result I have a Fitbit and a new exercise bike and a tendency to bitch about kale.

I started doing some form of activism every day. Sometimes I write a letter or make a call. Sometimes I sign a petition. I cannot tell a lie – my favorite days are petition days because I can knock out a week’s worth of actions in about 15 minutes. On days when I do something very time-consuming, like a rally or protest of march, I let that action count for several days. I’ve so far taken some kind of action about captive elephants, climate change, various political appointments, human rights, reproductive freedom, and our local mall. I knew I was getting a good head of steam when I put my senators’ phone numbers in my phone contacts so I could stop looking them up every week.

I watched a lot of Lost, a show I used to be obsessed with. Season One still holds up as fabulous. Sayid is still my sweetie-kins. Shannon is still The Worst.

Also, I slept a lot. My health issues being what they are, my rules are sleep, exercise, and eat healthy, in that order, and THEN write. The exception was, of course, the week of Christmas during which I ate piles and piles of cookies while sitting on my butt. It was great.

So Dear Readers – how was YOUR December? Ready for 2017? To the barricades!