It’s been an active week this past week, as you may have guessed given the level of inactivity on the blog. As you read, we made full use of Vivian and Nora’s professional development day on Friday (well, after Erin got home from work and hauled us off the couch). Saturday was a flurry of stuff too, from breakfast with grandpa Eric, to a play date with other kids the daughters’ age, to our second ever paid babysitting test.
That went well. The kids loved John, and didn’t give him any trouble, and we were free to head out to see Iron Man 3. That was a good evening. It’s a really enjoyable movie that blows things up without insulting your intelligence — even if the villains’ plan was so complex, I wondered if they got dizzy walking straight lines. But Robert Downey Jr. really ate up the screen, in a good way, and Ben Kingsley was a joy to watch.
Sunday, by comparison, was quiet. We did manage to run a few errands and visit a bookstore to pick up the latest issue of The Quill and Quire. Erin’s Sorrow’s Knot was previewed in the issue, complete with a big photo of her and the phrase “the world of YA fantasy may well have a new master in its midst.” Well, I certainly agree.
As for my own work, I’ve landed more things to do for my real estate broker which should keep me good and employed through the summer. And The Night Girl is in a good place. While I’m still feeling out the plot, I am moving forward, writing around 500 words a day. The manuscript is now over 42,000 words. This is when writing is at its most exciting, because this is when discovery happens. Just as readers are shocked by a good plot turn, this is the point where said plot turns can shock writers, and that’s one of the most rewarding experiences of writing.
Finally, on Transit Toronto, I’ve added another two articles. One, written by myself, discusses the history of the TTC’s bus fleet before 1959, when the first model of the GM’s “New Looks” appeared and, some would argue, the modern bus fleet arrived. And, thanks to Pete Coulman, I now have a full history of the 34 EGLINTON EAST bus. Feel free to have a look!