Back and forth

      My office has no windows. I call it the cave. It's a nice looking cave with plants and a couch, but I have spent days not seeing the sun. So lately I've taken to walking back and forth to the front office to see the sun every now and then. It's better now that Daylight Savings Time has started. There's actually sunshine when I leave the office. During the winter, it's dark when I get to the office and dark when I leave. I could easily see a modern vampire having my job and never having to worry about the sun, particularly if he ate lunch in his office.
      That was really my inspiration for the vampire in Darkness, Oklahoma. I realized that if a vampire didn't go for that Goth look and dressed normally and behaved normally and had the right job, there was no reason he/she couldn't be a functioning part of society. Finding the right job could be tricky in a small town, but even the town I live in has three or four businesses -- besides convenience stores and a couple of restaurants -- that operate 24 hours a day. A vampire would just have to be careful.
      And why wouldn't a vampire run around being all Goth and King of the Night? Because they're actually fairly easy to kill. Sunlight, garlic, holy water, fire, religious symbols, magic, pointy sticks, etc., can hurt and/or kill them. And during the day, their powers are greatly diminished. It wouldn't take long for a public to wise up and end their existence. Being smart and staying under the radar would be the key to their continued existence.
      Naturally when I talk about this to my friends -- none of whom are writers -- they eventually ask if I believe in the existence of vampires. Nope. Not at all. Oh, there are probably people who claim to be one, I don't doubt that. But real ones? No. But maybe the real vampires count on that disbelief. Hmm. That's an interesting if somewhat disquieting thought.
      In other less creepy news, I'm slowly getting caught up on all my tasks. I should finish up this weekend. I've been working hard on the March Gazette and intend to finish it this weekend. Then I'll turn around and do the April Gazette and be caught up. Well, until May.
      Have I mentioned how cool it is to finally be able to pay my bills on time? If you haven't ever done it, juggling your bills is nerve-wracking and emotionally exhausting. I even have a small (tiny actually) emergency fund. Admittedly my budget is still tight and will remain so for a few more years, but it's nice to have a few feet between me and the financial cliff.
      Author Holly Lisle has another podcast out. Go here to listen to some great advice on writing.
      A friend of mine just got back from San Francisco. While out there, she sent me this postcard. I would hate to be the photographer taking that shot!

      And I think that I will close on that. Have a great Friday.