Groggy Day

Yesterday turned out to be quite productive: I wrote the text for an illutrated piece with Sara for a German anthology, and half of a travel article about Barcelona for a gay magazine, and a bit of translation, and etc.

But today I was awakened quite early by a messenger with a package, so I've been in a fog all day and unable to get anything much done.

I did, at last, have an appointment with my osteopath but even that left me feeling only mildly better, since he didn't have time to address all my aches and pains and etc. Sigh.

The package, though, contained the author copies of Sara and my picture book ¿LEES UN CUENTO CONMIGO? which have at long last arrived from Colombia (it was published in October but we hadn't seen it until today).

Separately, I got my care package from New York, too, with some of my US mail and, most importantly, a copy of Lindsey Davis' SHADOWS IN BRONZE! :-)

(no subject)

Since it's practically been hours since our last public holiday, today is once again an official holiday.

A friend is visiting from Paris this afternoon, so must finish cleaning the apartment. But thought I'd share the below, hopefully-humorous personal essay I wrote for FRONTIERS a few years ago, and which was reprinted in scottynola's anthology UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR.

The Kings and I: Spending the Holidays in Spain
By Lawrence Schimel

"Camels," I repeated incredulously, the only American in a room full of Spaniards.

"I don't see why camels are any stranger than flying reindeer," Xose Luis said.

"I guess. It's just, there aren't any camels in Spain."

"Oh, like there are reindeer in Florida or Arizona or a gazillion other places that Santa Claus supposedly visits," my boyfriend, Noé, remarked.

So much for support on the home front. I was beginning to feel outnumbered.
( More about Reyes )