2011 - My Thoughts

I could so easily talk all about the bad stuff from this year. In many ways, this was a very terrible year for me. There were, however, quite a few good bits, and those are the bits I'd like to share. So, in no particular order, here are my 2011 bests.

1. The Cupid War arrived in bookstores. Okay, that one was kind of obvious. But it's a pretty big one. I'm very proud of that book, and delighted so many reviewers gave it an upraised thumb.

2. I finished the first draft of a new middle-grade novel.

3. I have finally received proper treatment for my depression. This one is huge for me, and has led to many personal revelations and changes. For instance:

4. I have a clearer idea of what I want from life, and what I want to do.

5. I started making videos, including my Appeal To Emma Stone. It may seem a bit silly, but making that video got me more fired up than anything in a very long time.

6. Speaking of Emma Stone, my sudden interest in her led me to some very good movies that I otherwise would not have seen. The Help was an excellent movie, and Paper Man broke my heart.

7. Transformers: Dark of the Moon came out last summer, and it was AWESOME!!! And in 3D, no less. My fandom has been richly rewarded. And the toys were pretty cool, too.

8. Doctor Who: Series 6 was lots of fun. Favourite episode? A Good Man Goes To War.

9. My wife, Violet, got a lot out of her internship at Bell. As hard as it was supporting the two of us (and our cats!) during that time, it was wonderful to see her so happy.

10. Our cats, Karma and Ron, remain in good health. And are still adorably cute! Even though Karma just destroyed our Christmas tree, and Ron keeps stealing my side of the bed. Furry little bastards!

2011 was a very hard year for me, but I did make it through with some pretty nice accomplishments. I plan to build on those accomplishments, and have many more, in 2012. Until the apocalypse on December 21, of course.

New Vid & Amazon Page

I have a couple of new things to report! First, I have made another book-describing video, this one about Evil. You can see that vid by clicking here.

I now have an Amazon page! Click right here to have a look.

I've nearly finished another chapter of my latest comic fantasy. That one has been going well, with lots of ideas flowing. I've also finally started revising Kids Who Know. KWK is a story I'm really excited about, but I've felt too intimidated to edit it for the longest time. I've revised 100 pages so far, and it is going well.

Yay!

Closets Video & More On My Channel

Just a quick post to let all of you know I have some new videos up on my YouTube channel. My most recent is all about Closets, my ebook from SynergEbooks. You can check that one out specifically by clicking here. That's three of my books I've done videos for. Next up will be Evil, and I hope to make that one this week.

Also up on my channel are two new installments in my Inspirational Message series, and a parody of Rick Perry's recent political ad starring Sentinel Prime, one of my Transformers toys. Lots of fun, if you know the Transformers stuff I'm referencing (and the original ad, too). My first political video. Well, the guy had it coming.

In other book news, Flux has told me they are still interested in my next manuscript, Young Nostradamus, but they can't make a commitment until they have more sales information about The Cupid War. If the book does well enough, then Young Nostradamus will likely be a go. They likely won't have that information before April 2012; here's hoping I get exciting news then!

Giving Up?!?

I gave up last night. On everything. Writing, working, being a husband... heck, I gave up on the very gift of Life itself.

And now I feel a whole lot better.

Honestly, everyone always told me throughout my life to never give up, on anything. Fight, no matter how much it hurts, or you'll never get a job/get into university/pay the bills/have a relationship/achieve anything. Don't stop, not for one second, not for one billionth of an atosecond, or it will all vanish and you'll spend the rest of your life as a worthless FAILURE!!!

That's a fair bit of pressure to put on someone.

And let me tell you something about giving up... it's pressure free! No stress. At all. But how, I can hear you asking, will I pay those bills/finish my homework/raise the kids/clean the bathroom/make something of myself? Not my problem. But Tim, you can't do that! Too bad, I just did.

Want to know what I did last night, after I gave up on everything? I kicked back on my couch and played Evil Dead: A Fistful of Boomstick on my Playstation 2. That inspired me to watch Army of Darkness again, so I did. Then I played with my cats, Karma and Ron. I scooped the crap from their litterboxes. I even cleaned and refilled the almost-empty one! Then I lay back on my bed and read a good book before turning in for the night. Not once during that time did I feel so much as a smattering of pressure, even when the Terror of the Deadites threatened to overwhelm me (no, that's not a metaphor for something, I'm talking about my Evil Dead game).

And this morning? The morning after I gave up? I got right back into things again. I did a solid chunk of writing, I met with a friend to play chess, then I returned home to blog. This afternoon, I'm planning to make another video.

I feel great. Refreshed and Relaxed. And I owe it all to giving up.

But only for one night. I just needed a little break from things. Perhaps I should have simply called what I did last night a break, but that wouldn't have sounded nearly so controversial or upsetting. Besides, all we really have is the present moment, so giving up for a moment is just as real as giving up for a lifetime. But it doesn't have to be for a lifetime. You have the right to change your mind and get back to it any time you want to.

Giving up isn't a bad thing. It's just a thing. Some things should be given up on. I joined a team in high school that turned out to be a haven for bullies, but I stuck with it (and was fairly miserable) because of all that never-give-up talk. Abusive relationships should be abandoned, harmful situations avoided. You're doing nobody any favours by sticking to something that brings you pain. That word 'retreat' was created for a reason.

When life gets to be too much, just give up (or, if you prefer, take a break) for a little bit. Enough to get some wind back in your proverbial sails. Your problems and responsibilities will still be there when you're done, I promise. And you'll be better prepared to face them.

Even if it is the Terror of the Deadites.

November News

Normally I like to write my posts out longhand before typing them here, but today I'm just going to wing it. There have been times when I've planned to write a post and then forgotten about it, and I really want some kind of regularity here!

November was an interesting month. As noted in my last post, I attended the Mastery workshop. That was a fantastic experience, and one main benefit I've noticed is that I am more social now. That is great for me, since I tend to be a loner most of the time. Creativity comes from the world out there (imagine me pointing to an 'out there'), from people and places and new experiences. I don't get much of that cooped up in here (now imagine me pointing down to the floor). Now that my cold is gone (I was sick for six days), I can get out and do stuff.

My writing continues to suffer. Part of that can be blamed on the aforementioned tendency of mine to stay in. Most of it, however, is due to continuing life stresses. I'm getting better at coping, but some things are out of my hands. Nevertheless, I've nearly completed six chapters in my new book, I'm So Goddamn Sick Of Vampires!, a new supernatural teen comedy. I have chosen to put I, Suicide on hold for the time being, though. I feel I have a really strong story to tell there, and I'm happy with the eight chapters I've written. I'm sure I will return to it sometime in the not-too-distant future. For the time being, I need to go with what's working. Sick Of Vampires is working, and is keeping me going.

That's it for now. Time to head out into the world!

Weekend With The Mastery

I want to do a quick shout-out to The Mastery of Self Expression workshop, which I had he pleasure of doing last weekend. Run by Larry Gilman and my good friend Tammy Cunningham, it was an experience like few others in my life.

The essential premise of the workshop, hosted in cities throughout the world, is to help people overcome the blocks that prevent them from being who they really are. I attended the three day workshop with ten others, all complete strangers to me but the best of friends by the time we parted on Sunday evening. Larry and Tammy led us in a series of exercises to identify and overcome our blocks, while several Mastery graduates participated in providing us with a safe and supportive atmosphere.

I'd talk about the exercises, but the Mastery is something best experienced fresh, without too much prior knowledge. One thing I can say, however: it was intense. I have never been more open and honest among strangers, and I saw transformations in my fellow participants that were exciting and exhilarating to witness. The benefits of the workshop depended on each participant, what they wanted to get out of the weekend, and how much work they were willing to put in.

Am I now a transformed person, free from all my troubles? No. It was a workshop, not a religious experience. However, I do feel more confident, and my life goals seem clearer. I expect to reap the benefits of that weekend for months and years to come.

So that's my shout-out. Drop by their website and give it a look-see. If you need a new perspective, and are willing to put in the work, the Mastery might be for you.

Closets on Sale For $2.99 Again!

Just wanted to post a note and let everybody know that my novel Closets is once again going on sale. The current discounted price of $2.99 will be in effect until Halloween. You can buy it on SynergEbooks' website here.

Ebooks on CD-ROM make great trick-or-treat pressies, you know. No sugar, for one thing. Just thought I'd point that out. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more...

Feeling Low, But Getting Help

Blogging hasn't come easy, lately. I've been busy. Up to new things. I've been making some videos with my new digital camera. You can check them out on Youtube here.

The main reason I haven't been blogging, however, is that I've been sick. I mentioned this in my last post, but I decided to be a bit more forthcoming.

I live with two mood disorders - depression and anxiety. I take pills for both, and they help to some extent. Some days are good days, and some are bad. The month of September was a series of bad days.

I won't get into all the details of why it was a bad month. A fellow author advised me against detailing my personal problems on forums intended primarily to connect with readers, and to some extent I agree. I'm not going to pretend that I'm always okay, however. And if I broke a leg or caught the flu, I'd feel no hesitation at all in saying so. Mental health issues shouldn't be treated any differently.

One negative side effect has been a sharp decline in my writing. Over the last year my productivity has gone way down, and for days at a time I wasn't able to create anything. I still had ideas, but no desire to write them down. I just couldn't. I was terrified I'd lost that desire forever.

Luckily, it didn't. I've been getting some much-needed help, and slowly but surely I'm picking the pace back up again. My treatment continues, and I plan to make up for lost time. I hope to blog more, but when I have a lot on my plate I tend to feel overwhelmed. Be patient with me. Become a fan on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter - I'm on those a lot more than I am here.

Remind me you are waiting, and nudge me along. It will help. It really will.

Panels With Professionals

...or, How To Be Totally Intimidated By Authors More Popular Than Myself

I've done a lot of discussion panels at sci fi conventions in the years since my first novel was published. Some have gone well. Some have gone badly. Some were well attended, others not so much. Some introduced me to new friends, and others revealed the bitterest of enemies. The topics have ranged from Fan Panels about the stuff I'm into (like Transformers and Doctor Who), to professional panels about writing, publishing and genres.

Fan panels are a blast, and they deserve their own blog post. Pro panels can also be fun, but for a fresh-faced newbie like myself... well, actually, I've been at this for six years now. But I still feel like a newbie among professionals. Especially when I'm sitting next to people who've been at this a lot longer than I have.

For one thing, they come Prepared. Not prepared. I'm usually prepared for my panels. But other pros come Prepared.

What do I mean? Here's an example from last year. I was on a four-person panel on the topic of humour in science fiction and fantasy. Should be a breeze for the author of Epoch and Evil, right? But while I was prepared to talk about the funny things my characters will get up to, the other three panelists were Prepared with the nuts and bolts of what makes a joke. There's something called The Drop. That's when the funny part of the joke happens. I've always called it the bit when the funny part of the joke happens. They called it The Drop, and thus appeared a lot smarter and knowledgeable than me. I ended up feeling so inferior that when it came time for me to reveal my humour-creating secrets, all I could think to say was: "I... um, do cruel things to my characters."

Another panel on the creation of believable characters in fiction was even worse. I got verbally chastised by a living legend for not doing it right. The other panelists (including the aforementioned living legend) discussed the facts about what makes a character into a believable person while I sat in my corner trying to look small and unobtrusive.

The kicker? All that stuff the other pros talked about that goes into character development? I already do those things. I just couldn't vocalize it properly, because I was feeling intimidated. And I wasn't Prepared.

I need to do better than that. I need to look at the way I write and find better ways of explaining those methods to an audience. I am, after all, a professional. I'm on those panels for a reason - people expect me to communicate what I do and how I do it.

And, I need to chill out, dude, when I'm around other pros. Just because someone has sold more books than me does not mean my opinion isn't valid. It just means I need to work a bit harder to make that opinion heard.

Time Out For Sick Leave

September was bad. Let's not dwell on it.

Once upon A Romance Review did a write up on The Cupid War. Very nice of them! Please check it out here.

I've also started posting videos on Youtube. I picked up a webcam for a very affordable price, and now I am able to promote myself in a brand new way. Here's my latest video, where I discuss The Cupid War.

I've been ill for a while, and it has taken its toll on my writing in the last couple of years. I have two novel projects on the go right now, but both are moving slowly while I undergo treatment. I am getting better; I wasn't able to write much of anything last month. I am moving forward, even if only by baby steps.

One thing that has changed for the better is that I have a better understanding of what I want to do. I'm planning to expand my writing to include articles for entertainment media, and ghostwriting. More on those plans as they develop.

3 New Reviews!

Hello, everyone! The Cupid War has been released, and currently sits at #100,686 in Books on Amazon.ca's Bestsellers Rank. I'm not sure what that means, exactly, but it doesn't sound too bad.

I've found some new reviews out there in the web, and it is high time I posted links to them here. The first is from my dear friends at Charlotte's Library. They reviewed Evil? in the past, and I'm very grateful for their continued support. :)

The next review can be found at Ypulse, written by Sydney Coates. While she annoyingly refers to my main character as Richard and not Fallon (and calls the Suicides 'depressions'), she does give me a very enthusiastic thumbs up. Thank you, Sydney! :D

Finally, we have Gina's review on The Bucket List, a blog about books. Her review is extremely kind, and I could not be more pleased. I did find it amusing, however, that she rated the book "PG-13 for scary themes, nudity." There are indeed some naked people in the book, but fear not - I provided no illustrations. ;)

Also, I'd like to mention that on Amazon, my book has a 'Like' button on it. If you have a Facebook account, you can click and tell the world you like The Cupid War! If you do so I would be ever so thankful. Especially since, in the time it has taken me to write this post, my book has sunk down to # 101, 332 on the Bestsellers Rank. Hurry!

Polaris 25 Wrap-Up

Polaris was, once again, a very good time. I sold more books than I'd expected, and got brief hellos with many friends. I also did all that I could to get the word out about The Cupid War. Good for me, I say!

I spoke on six panels, two of which were fandom related (Doctor Who and Reboot), two were writing related (discussing character development, and the different types of fantasy), and two were topics of interest (the Young Adult market, and fictional afterlives). I felt a little out of my depth on the character panel, and I learned why I tend to feel that way when I'm on a panel with other professionals - they are so much better at verbally articulating what they do. I need to get better at that.

Thanks to my lovely wife, Violet, who came to help me run my table, I was able to do more con-related activities than I otherwise might have done. One such activity was the launch of When The Hero Comes Home, an anthology of stories on the topic of what happens next to a story's hero when the big event is over. Three authors whom I know and respect had stories in the book (Marie Bilodeau, J. M. Frey and Erik Buchanan), so I had to buy a copy. Plus there was free food. And a drink called a mamosa. It was nice. I had two of them.

The event was fun but exhausting. I'm afraid I may have babbled a bit with a couple of my readers, and appeared a bit manic to others. The excitement of the con versus anxiety about my panels, combined with general tiredness, may have made me appear a bit strange (well, stranger than usual) to some. Nevertheless, I still had an excellent time, and I look forward to next year.

Off To Polaris 25

This weekend is Polaris 25, the big sci-fi and fantasy con that for me is an annual event. Good times will be had, money will be spent, and hopefully lots of books will be sold. I will make a brief appearance tonight, then I'll get real busy tomorrow with four discussion panels. I have a panel on Doctor Who bright and early Saturday morning at 10, followed by a writing panel on creating memorable characters at noon. At 2 I have a panel on medieval fantasy and modern/urban fantasy, and at 5 I finally get to do a panel about writing for the Young Adult market!

On Sunday I have two panels: at 2 I will discuss fictional depictions of the afterlife, and at five I'll do a panel on Reboot, one of my favourite animated shows.

That's all my official stuff. I'm hoping I'll also be able to do some Geek-offs and maybe have a drink or several with friends. It will be a packed weekend, but it will be fun. It always is!

And Another Cupid War Review... from Kirkus!

The Cupid War is reviewed in the July 1 issue of Kirkus Reviews [5,000].


THE CUPID WAR
Author: Carter, Timothy

Review Date: July 1, 2011
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 240
Price ( Paperback ): $9.95
Publication Date: August 1, 2011
ISBN ( Paperback ): 978-0-7387-2614-4
Category: Fiction


Life was bad enough for Canadian teen Ricky Fallon; who knew death came with pink spandex?

Fallon actually planned to off himself. He was on the Pape Street Bridge ready to jump because his girl dumped him, his dad was a prick and his “best friend” Susan was the most clingy, depressing person on the planet. He changed his mind…and slipped. Fallon wakes to find Bud, a Soul Reaper, ready to take him to—his new job. Souls with Karma to work out become Cupids, genital-free, Love-eating spirits who exist to increase the supply of Love in the world by getting the living to couple-up. Fallon’s new boss Louis is a huge jerk. Bad enough that he’s got to suffer that (and the heart-emblazoned spandex), but, with little training, Fallon also has to avoid Suicides, the dangerous, misery-eating antitheses of Cupids. When he finds Susan has attached herself to a new unfortunate, Fallon suspects there’s something more than meets the eye to that downer-girl. Can he save her new target (and maybe the world)? Carter’s newest is a darkly humorous, fantastical frolic. Fallon’s snark is tempered by his conflicted feelings about his runaway mother. Other characters aren’t as well-rounded, but the unique afterlife and a surprisingly spiritual twist will keep pages turning.

Fans of funky unconventional fantasy will lap it up and roar for more. (Humorous fantasy. 12 & up)


Three reviews in, and I'm still smokin'! I'm a very happy author, yes indeed!

First Cupid War Reviews!

Hello, everyone! I've been ignoring the blogosphere again in favour of Facebook, and don't even ask me about Twitter. I need at least one clone of me to keep up with all this stuff.

But I'm here now, and happy to share with you the first review of The Cupid War, as posted in CM Magazine and written by Ann Ketcheson.

The Cupid War has also been reviewed in the June 2011 issue of VOYA by Heidi Uphoff. The full review is posted below:

Carter, Timothy. The Cupid War. Flux/Llewellyn, 2011. 240p. $9.95. Trade pb. 978-0-7387-26144.

Ricky Fallon decided at the last second that he did not want to end his life after all, but he slipped and fell from the bridge anyway. In the afterlife, Fallon discovers that he must repay a karmic debt for ending his life early by donning a pink bodysuit and helping people fall in love. That is right—Fallon becomes a Cupid. Little is cute about his situation, however, as Fallon learns that the Cupids are at war with the Suicides, dark beings that cause depression in their human victims. The story gets complicated when Fallon learns that the lecherous girl, Susan Sides, who drove him to his suicide attempt, may be a human/Suicide hybrid. Fallon meets other Cupids along the way and even falls in love with a psychic teenager whose friend is Susan’s next target.

Carter has created a whimsical story focusing on the serious subjects of suicide and depression. Unlike his previous work, Evil? (Flux/Llewellyn, 2009), The Cupid War leaves readers wondering what message, if any, Carter is attempting to convey. Carter also misses giving depth to the story by not developing potential sub-plots such as the early death of Fallon’s mother. Despite these minor flaws, young adults who enjoy light-hearted, easy-to-understand stories with happy endings will be drawn to this book.


Not quite as positive as the CM one, but it could have been worse. I'd like to point out that while Susan Sides displays many leech-like traits, she is in no way lecherous.

Two early reviews, and the book isn't for another month and a half! Huzzah, and words to that effect.

May The 4th Be With You!

Always.

Closets, on Sale! For $2.99!

My ebook for children, Closets, will be on sale today on the SynergEbooks website for only $2.99. Wow, what a bargain! I'm tempted to go get one myself.

So what are all of you waiting for? Rush off to SynergEbooks to buy a riveting tale of two boys who fight back against the monsters who come from their closets. Go on. Make an author happy.

Pretty-pleeeeezzze?

Ad Astra Done for Another Year

But I'm already paid up for 2012, so rest assured I'll be back!

As always, I had a terrific amount of fun. I made new friends, met many old ones, and talked to other professionals in the field. In reference to the latter, I received some good advice and came away from the convention feeling better about my writing career than I have in ages.

My panel personality still needs work. I'm not as good as others at breaking into conversations, and when I do I fear I'm coming off as a bit of a goof. This might be my anxiety talking, but I can't help but wonder what people are thinking of me. What I really want, then, is to be more relaxed when I'm on panel. And it wouldn't hurt to be better prepared. Something to keep in mind for Anime North and Polaris.

As usual, I promoted the living heck out of myself. I handed out fliers and sold many books: 3 copies of Section K, and 8 copies of Evil? and Epoch. My friend Mike Bryant, author of Shaolin Rock Star, shared the table with me and did a nice bit of business himself. Sadly he became quite ill and had to stay home on the Sunday, so please join me in wishing him better health.

I'm always a little sad at the end of these conventions. They are such an important part of my life, and I only have so much time to spend with everybody. There are more conventions coming, and I'm already preparing for them.

Ad Astra Coming Up!

Toronto's annual science fiction convention is coming! I will once again be there to sell and promote myself and my stuff, and good times are assured.

For one thing, I will be sharing a table with my good friend Mike Bryant. He's a multi-talented man who writes very funny stories when he's not busy being lead guitar for his rock band, Nanochrist. He and I have collaborated on some interesting projects in the past, so hanging out with him for the con will be fun.

Also, this year I was asked by Ad Astra's programming people to come as a professional panelist! For me, that is quite an honour. So far I am signed up for four panels - I'm hoping to do a few more, if possible.

Between now and then, I have some flyers to make. I still need to get the word out about my books, especially since The Cupid War comes out in August!

Progress, Or Pothole?

My trouble with picking a suitable novel project would seem to be over. I've started work on something I call I, Suicide, a spin-off from The Cupid War. It's about a girl who becomes a supernatural entity responsible for creating dark feelings in the living. It will be a first-person POV, and in spite of the dark content I'm hoping to make it as funny as Epoch or Evil.

All that sounds well and good, but it doesn't mean I'm out of the post-project woods yet. I still have to see if this project will take off, so to speak. I've already taken one crack at it, an effort I then proceeded to crumple up and throw out. It wasn't working. I've started again, and like the new version a bit more, so I'll probably go a couple of chapters to see how excited I get.

It would be a great story to write, and I could say even more about mood disorders than I did in Cupid War. Lots of good reasons to write this book. The real question, however, is how much to I want to see this story finished? I wish I knew right away, the way I did with Epoch and Evil. My own mood disorder has been getting in the way far too often in the last couple of years. I'm way behind on my editing, and all my projects take twice as long.

I need to get better, and soon. This is, after all, my career.

Still Searching...

Still no breakthrough on the new project front. I have a few ideas, but I'm not ready to commit. Whatever I choose, however, will likely be a sequel.

I have lots of good ideas for a follow-up to Epoch. I even have a title: After. I also have some plans for an Evil? sequel (tentative title: More Evil), and I have two chapters written. The trouble is, I don't know if my publisher will want a second volume for either book. Nobody at the company has asked for one. I don't want to go to the trouble of writing either book only to have them turn it down. I've already been there and been burned with the sequel to Attack of the Intergalactic Soul Hunters.

I have a good idea for a sequel to The Cupid War, but that book isn't even out yet. I don't know if readers will respond to that one as well as they did to my previous books. I am, however, seriously considering a spin-off, with new characters in the same universe. This idea is currently at the top of my list.

I have a few non-sequel ideas, too. So far, though, none of them have emerged as a winner. There has to be some pull, some excitement about it that gets me to the page. I need a story I can't wait to tell, one I can feel slightly naughty about for writing it at work.

I hope I find that idea sooner rather than later. I get so bored without something to work on.

Book Done, Now What?

It's been a few days now since I finished the first draft of my latest novel, Rytis Maxwell and the Wer-Pigeons of Ottawa. I'm glad to have it done, but I also feel kind of adrift. I'm into that dreaded period between novels, when I don't quite know what to do with myself. Longtime readers of this blog will remember me saying similar things at the conclusion of other projects.

What should my next project be? Something light and funny, or dark and serious? Or dark and funny?

Should I go for a first person POV, like I did with Evil?, or third person, as I did with the upcoming Cupid War?

What do I want to write? What topic is drawing me in? What kind of characters, plots, settings do I want in my next book? I've still got plenty to say about religion, metaphysics, bullies, abuse of power, and the supernatural. Just to name a few.

I hope I come up with something soon. I need something fun to do at work. Doing surveys over and over loses its appeal very quickly, but having a project to work on really helps pass the time in-between calls.

Until I find a great story idea, I'm going to be booored.

Sick of Being Sick

In today's lesson, fans of the written word, we learn that illness and creativity do not mix. I've had the flu (or a really bad cold, it's hard to tell) for the last four days, and my creative output has bottomed out with it.

I've written before about the impossibility for me to write while upset. The same is equally true for the flu, it would seem. All you can think about is how crappy you feel, and how you wish you could just get better. You'd think that my stories would be a good distraction, but I have not found this to be so. This post is the first thing I've been able to write since becoming ill, in fact.

So, try to stay healthy at all costs. The flu is no fun at all. Maybe I can write about it when I'm well. Let's hope that happens soon!