I try to keep this journal upbeat, but the truth is, this has been a very bad week, mostly for health reasons. The CFS has been a real pain all week, and I'm not even sure why. (This is one of the frustrating things with CFS - you learn how to manage it, how to carefully balance activity and rest, and then, suddenly and unexpectedly, it goes haywire anyway. What a cheat!)
So I haven't been doing as much writing as I wanted to do, and I'm way, way behind on emails (even more so than usual). Sorry!!!
On the other hand, here are some things that have cheered me up this week, and I'm really hoping you guys can suggest some more things for me to check out while I wait out this crash.
1. I am incredibly proud of my brother Ben, who is now officially known as Dr. Burgis! (Ten years ago, I didn't know a single Dr. Burgis. Now there are two of them in my immediate family, and within a few years, there will be three. It's pretty incredible. But I rely on my youngest brother to keep me from being the only non-PhD in the family...okay, Dave??? ;p )
Seriously: congratulations!!! I am so proud of my little brother. (Who is now, of course, about a foot taller than me. But whatever!) And here is the great webcomic one of Ben's friends drew to express the terror of an oral PhD defense, which made me laugh a lot.
2. My glittery dragon stickers arrived! I had so much fun arranging them on my moleskine for the new novel. Inspiration + laughter = perfect. :)
3. Before the big crash hit, I managed to get halfway through Chapter 2 of the dragon novel, and it's making me really, really happy. I can't wait to get back to it!
4. Ying Lee's first book, The Agency: A Spy in the House just had its North American debut! I love this book, and burbled about it last year when it debuted in the UK. Ying is the first novelist I ever wrote a fan letter to, because I was so excited when I finished reading her book. Girl spies in Victorian England! Disguises, mystery and intrigue! A perfectly-toned romance! A genuinely unexpected family secret, a whole host of strong, interesting women, and a completely non-stereotypical view of the Chinese community in Victorian England!
So, so cool. You can read an excerpt on Ying's website.
What about you guys? What's been cheering you up this week?
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