No, I’m not talking about an Italian restaurant, but about the large outdoor/hunting/fishing/camping chain of stores here in the US. These stores are amazing and feature restaurants, oodles of clothing for every outdoor occasion (except perhaps a wedding or funeral…although maybe not,) weapons, ponds filled with live fish, and even a museum of sorts. It’s the last part that might create a bit of queasiness as you roam the aisles, because everywhere you look in a Cabela’s, dead animals are looking back. Observe…

I have this funny feeling I’m being watched.

This is how horror movies start.

We have two items on the menu today – meat…

…and wood.

I get the same feeling at the Museum of Natural History here in New York where there are hundreds of dead and stuffed animals placed in dioramas simulating their natural environments which they would have been in if not for being killed, shipped thousands of miles away, gutted, stuffed and finally mounted in a climate controlled museum. I know my ambivalence is showing. On the one hand I am fascinated by the displays and understand the reasoning behind them, much of it quite laudatory in trying to save and preserve the species and their natural habitat. On the other hand, it’s hard not to feel sorrow at the knowledge that these gorgeous creatures were cut down in what appears to be the prime of their lives. I know, I know, what about cows and tuna and turkeys and the rest of the arc that make up our grocery stores? Like I said, ambivalence.

The end result is that I’m as intrigued with my own reaction as I am with the store itself. As a writer, I like that.

Both grandfathers that I knew (long story, but there was at least one other) served during the Second World War. Both grandmothers worked in munitions factories at the same time. They’re gone now, but never far from my thoughts, especially today.

You may know that in addition to being an author and an editor I am a trained military historian. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have traveled overseas several times with veterans to visit the battlefields with them. It seems appropriate today to share a couple of photos from those trips.

This came as a pleasant surprise. All in all, a nice way to start the week 🙂

http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6705993.html
(you have to scroll about 2/3s down to read the review…if you’re interested)

In other news, I am finishing up the last of the questions sent to me by the Russian translator (honest, Kot, I’ll have them for you today!) for A Darkness Forged in Fire, and I’m close to finding out when the audio for Light of Burning Shadows will be available.

I think Amtrak is secretly run by the auto and aviation industries with the sole purpose being to make any other mode of transportation appear superior to that of the train. Ugh, yet another looong and unnecessarily aggravating trip by train. I did have a wonderful weekend away, however, but both the train out and train back had problems. The one out of New York was a 1/2 hour late, not too horrible, but the one back into the city actually broke down and we had to hop onto another train out in the middle of New Jersey.

I think I’ll run next time, it’ll be faster and more fun.

I’ve had occasion of late to think about this and it isn’t pretty when you shine a light into the darker parts of your heart, but I think it’s necessary if a person has any hope of emotional growth. I’m an optimist, but it occurs to me that that in itself comes with challenges. When you believe things will work out there is the danger that you take things for granted and don’t try as hard as you should to make sure they do work out. Perhaps not a big revelation, but taking it to heart has definitely opened my eyes. I don’t want to say my epiphany has come too late (remember, I did say I am an optimist), but I do wish I could have figured this out a little sooner…

Anyway, why this morose post? I had a rough October personally and while I’ve been coping with it my assistant was in a car accident yesterday. I’m beyond thrilled to say he’s going to be ok, but it got me thinking about life, death, and taking things for granted. Again, nothing new or shocking here, just my awakening awareness of how tenuous this life of ours is which in turn has me questioning if I’m really living up to my potential? Not being religious I figure I’ve only got one shot at this so I really should be doing more. I don’t necessarily mean in a quantitative sense, but simply more as a human being.

Hmmm, I have this sudden feeling that you’re sitting on a chair with a note pad while I’m lying on a couch looking at ink blots.