13 Days ‘Til Worldcon

Yesterday started out okay with the job interview. Then it kind of downgraded a bit. Then the following happened and it downgraded a lot.

On The Sudden Discover that Your Parents Live their Retirement in the Same Way Most People Live their Early Twenties
A Play in One Act

Peter is at home, working on a few things after going to an interview. His parents are overseas. They’ve been taunting him with postcards from Vienna, because Peter has this thing for Vienna after watching The Third Man and Before Sunrise too many times. Peter’s Parent’s are classy like that. They send him pictures of Viennese food. They’re not actually in Vienna anymore, because old-fashioned postal systems aren’t as instant as e-mail. They’re meant to be coming home soon. The phone rings a few times. Peter rolls off the couch and answers it.

Peter’s Dad calling from distant Turkey: Hello?
Peter: Hello?
Peter’s Dad calling from distant Turkey: Hello?
Peter: Yeah, hello?
Peter’s Dad calling from distant Turkey: Hello?
Peter: I think there’s a delay. Count to five before you answer.
Peter’s Dad calling from distant Turkey: Hello.
There is counting to five.
Peter: Hello. How’s things? Count to five before you answer.
Peter’s Dad calling from distant Turkey: Let me tell you upfront we’re both fine *now* and there’s nothing to worry about…
Peter blinks a few time, processing that. He doesn’t really count to five, but that doesn’t seem to matter.
Peter: Yeah, this is not going to end well.
And lo, Peter was correct, for his parents had travelled off to distant Turkey and suffered a great calamity that shouldn’t be spoken of in any great detail. Peter feels somewhat lucky that he still has parents at this point, especially since they repeat the phrase “we’re both fine” with the kind of repetition that suggests they might not have been. Peter listens to the whole story and counts to five.
Peter: So you’re both fine.
Peter’s Dad calling from distant Turkey: Mostly fine. There are bruises.
Peter counts to five. He frets about how many details he would have left out if he was telling this story. He dislikes the use of the word Mostly.
Peter: And you’re still flying home tomorrow?
Peter’s Dad calling from distant Turkey: Yes.
Peter: Good.
Peter counts to five. Peter’s Dad calling from distant Turkey counts to five.
Peter: You know, somehow I always thought this conversation would be the opposite way around.
Peter: Also, neither of you are leaving the country EVER AGAIN.
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Current Writing Metrics
Consecutive Days Writing (500+ words): 1
New Short Stories Sent Into the Wild: 9/30
Rejections in 2010: 18/100
Black Candy Word Count (Finish Date: 31st August)