Sorry it's been so long

I am sorry to have abandoned you for so long. My sincere apologies. It has been a slightly wild ride, and when not wild, so boring that it was hard to think. But here you go. I will find a couple of others that are pretty good and put them up as well. Thanks for sticking with me.

Having one of those days where things are a bit off kilter. Water heater went out last night so we have not had water for about 24 hours. My kid Italo replaced it today, so I will have water shortly, no sweat (thank you, Italo). But I sent in a requested proposal for a huge project — my 50 days on the Amazon, Jivari, Alto Javari, and Galvez rivers — all rivers that I know but which I have not visited in years and think I'd better while I can.

Of course, I spent months working on the proposal — which involves renting a good sized boat, fully outfitting and buying enough fuel for her, feeding 15 people daily, and all sorts of stuff — and I want word back that they'll give me the financial support I need for the exploration in one day.

I'm also waiting on my new book proofs. It is a collection of stories, Magic Mushrooms in India and Other Fantastic Tales, that I think hold up well and will make y'all laugh and maybe cry a little. I was hoping they would come in today so that the best proof readers I know could get it in a few days and start to polish up my prose from mundane to sparkling. God Bless good copy editors!!!

I was also waiting on roof damage estimate from recent storms from Nationwide Insurance, the people I've paid $2,000- $3000 bucks to for the last 20 years. Roof is old, they said. They gave me $6,000 seven years ago (they did but it wasn't only for roof damage it was for lots of things after an amazing hail storm that broke windows, destroyed 80 feet of a wooden fence, and did roof damage. So the report came in today: They will send me a check for $135 total because the roof is old. Dang, that stung. I still need to get a new roof. Better sell a lot of copies of the new book!!!!!

So it has been one of those days. Everything is moving at a slightly different pace than I am, making it all feel slightly off-kilter.

Which sucks today, but in two weeks, when it is all resolved, will make for a couple of really good stories to tell. Life couldn't get any better, could it?