Playing Games With the Faces.

First of all, it's kind of amazing how much I'm noticing that summer is definitely in the air. It was kind of fun giving the kids at the daycare hugs today and smelling sunscreen...one of those smells that just SCREAMS summertime.

Second, I saw an odd sight today driving to evening class. Two quite normal-looking college girls walking with a be-costumed chicken and frog. The chicken was riding a very small bike, and the frog was riding a skateboard. And I knew I was a Seattleite when all I could think was, "I love Ballard."

Thirdly, I wrote another short story last night entitled "The Man in the Gabardine Suit". Simon & Garfunkel fans may notice and appreciate the reference. Yes, he IS a spy, and his bowtie really IS a camera, and I'm on a roll with these short stories. They're poignant and sweet and fun and SHORT.

It's kind of amazing to me that I've been trying and trying and TRYING to write a novel since I was in elementary school, and always feeling the sting of failure. And then I discovered that you can grab the same emotion--and almost more--in bite-sized chunks of fun and freewheeling writing.

Kind of like blogging. Hmmm...

Here's to Lord Dunsany, for introducing me to the fantasy short story. Here's to the manufacturers of sunscreen, the smell of summer.

And here's to the chicken and the frog. Long live Ballard.

-The GLS