This summer has been a killer. Aside from the torpor-inducing heat and humidity (Have you ever spent August in New York? It's like you're a slice of Famous Original Ray's being re-heated in a pizza oven), it's been busy. I'm illustrating a book for tweens and working on various new development projects at my day job. I've only been able to squeeze two weekend trips out to my mom's backyard oasis (they neighbors call her pool-filled back yard "the resort"). Sure, I have a tan, but that's only because I failed to use sunscreen on the fourth. The rest of my color must be attributed to the radiation glow emanating from my nineteen inch monitor. Adding to my mental fatigue is my inability to stay asleep. I wake up every morning at four, get up for a few hours, go back to sleep for an hour or so, sleep through my alarm then get to work late. August is not supposed to be like this. It's usually a quiet month, where people scurry in and out of air conditioned atmospheres, executives go on vacation, and everyone they leave behind slacks off. Usually. But not this year, at least not for me.

The past year has been hard. I've just stopped being obsessed with terrorists, just in time for the one year anniversary of 9/11. Boy, I can't wait to see the crashing planes/falling tower footage the networks are ramping up for next month. That should be fun. The company I work for has hemorrhaged employees since last fall. The blood loss was slow at first, then half the staff was amputated in one gristly operation. Since then, workers were picked off one by one. I became terribly paranoid. I don't make any money for my company. I come up with TV show ideas, none of which have been made into actual shows at this point. Sure, my first idea got very far. The pilot tested through the roof. But no one is spending money now. My show was killed by Osama bin Laden. Really. I'm not joking. He killed my friend Michael, destroyed my sense of well being, and asphyxiated my TV show. It's okay, though. At least the TV show part is. I'm not cut out for TV. I hate Hollywood, I don't work well with others and the only show I actually watch is Law & Order. I am going to stick to publishing. It's old skool. I get it. And now I will have more time to dedicate my self to it.

On Thursday, I was bumped down to half time at work. The only surprise was that it hadn't happened sooner.

It's okay. I have the tween book to finish. I will have time to clean the shit hole my apartment has become. I can even cook some food if I want. I'm thinking of getting an illustration rep. Maybe I'll start painting again.

I'm so glad this year of terror is almost over. I'm positive next year will be stellar.