For the Caffeine Addicted Among You

Every two weeks, give or take, my writers' group meets. We usually do a writing exercise of some sort, and yesterday I proposed that we each write a piece in which an everyday object is venerated as part of a religious practice. So we all wrote down an everyday object--a waffle iron, shampoo, a magazine, etc.--and put them in a hat, then drew one out each and spent 15 minutes on them. That means it's rough first draft. Still, the results were fun. ( Here's mine. )

This is Just to Say

My friend tnh had a mild heart attack on Friday early morning. She seems to be okay, all things considered: bored to tears in the hospital, still doing her job (moderating web sites, including Boing Boing, from her bed). Her husband Patrick is apparently bouncing between home and the hospital, with many many friends rallying round them. She's likely to be just fine. I certainly hope she will be, for many many years to come.

I adore Teresa: she's smart and funny and full of heart, and knows more stuff than any thirteen people randomly selected from a crowd. She was my first boss at Tor, and we worked really well together (part of my job was to more-or-less restrain her when something had happened that raised her chin and put a martial glint in her eye), and years later she roped me in to work at Acclaim Comics with her, which was its own source of delight and anxiety. Teresa is a force of nature and a national treasure.

If you have a moment to spare, think a thought, light a candle, say a prayer. The world has many fine people in it, but few I consider truly irreplaceable. Teresa is firmly in that smaller group.

ETA: Well, you guys are muy powerful. Teresa came home from the hospital today, and I credit y'all with being a force in her behalf.