Things here are as good as can be expected, I guess. Nana is out of the hospital, at home, in hospice care. She was pretty disoriented this morning; lucidity is slipping away. It’s a bit overwhelming, but I’m honestly not that worried about her. She’s not in pain and doesn’t appear to be frightened. It’s either her time or it’s not. We’re all very worried about my grandfather, however. He’s been her Superman for 55 years. He beside himself with horror and grief that he can’t fix her. I can’t even imagine what’s he’s going through. I start to and it just becomes too much.

If you smoke, quit. I’m serious. If you give a damn about the people who love you, stop. Struggling for air is a terrible way to die. Ellis, Xtop, I am looking at you.

We’re doing our best to carry on with work, which is, you know, vital, since the life of the freelancer means no pages, no paycheck. Banks want mortgages to be paid for some reason and the garage and the kitchen won’t, as they say, “pay for themselves.” Fraction and I have slipped away to Panera today for a few hours to try and get some done. We’re about to leave and I’m not sure how successful we’ve been but at least we got started. I cleared out about a million (okay, like, 80) e-mails and began answering some interview questions about 30 DAYS OF NIGHT: EBEN AND STELLA. Fraction spent some time on the phone with Brubaker. We’re going to have to miss the Emerald City Con because of our family situation, so we’re hoping to get out and visit Bru and Mel some time in the next couple of months.

Peter and I have discussed the possibility of reviving ARTBOMB at some point, but no one is sure they’ve got the time to do it right. No decisions have been made as of yet.

I have two new Viz projects beginning this summer, but as per usual, I can’t name them until Viz gives the okay. I will tell you that they’re both pretty cool, but I bet you guessed that.

Laurenn is, bless her, at home watching the house and the boys for us. Apparently she has some kind of ass injury. You might send her butt best wishes and her feet condolences (Claude ate her beautiful red flats) if you’ve got the time. And congratulate her on her new apartment. I haven’t seen the place yet, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to paint the kitchen cabinets. She’s in love with red and white retro kitchens and I just saw some cabinets painted bright red and glossy that I loved, loved, loved. I suppose we’ll see.

In unrelated news, my bra is killing me. Underwire is both a blessing and a curse.

All GoneOriginally uploaded by Kelly Sue.

The work on the garage began yesterday. They dug out the back pond, removed sections of fence and uprooted two pine trees, two rhododendron and a weeping something or other that broke my heart. Once this is all done, we’re going to need to do some serious gardening to get our homey feeling back. I do like the notion of a clean slate though. And I can’t say I’m sad to see the trumpet vine go.

Claude came home from the vet’s office yesterday. He did pretty well during the evening and managed to let me sleep a full night last night, but he got into a box of manga at some point and chewed up three volumes. Jerk. Then, this morning while I was having my breakfast, he ripped into a box of tissue and gnawed on one of my knitting needles. I saved the needle and I suppose the Kleenex is no big loss. Still. I’ll be glad when he’s done with the chewing business.

K-9 Club came and picked him and Applejack up about half an hour ago. Claude freaked out a little — he didn’t want to get in the van — but Holly was patient and when we stopped tying to force him, her dog managed to lure him in under his own power. I’m anxious to hear how he does at the park.

I’ve been in a horrible pickle for a week (or more), work-wise, trying to figure out the next scene in the 30 Days of Night project I’m doing. I actually think I had a bit of a breakthrough last night and hope to make some real progress today. I’ve also enlisted Drew to discuss it with me. It’s amazing with a difference that makes. We haven’t really started yet and I already feel I’m in his debt. (It was tough to ask because it meant I needed him first to read two previous scripts, but he was gracious about it. And I was desperate. That helped.)

EDITED TO ADD: Good news/ bad news!  Good news: Claude did well at the park!  And since he’s had his exercise, he’s completely chill right now, just hanging out sleeping in the sunshine in the foyer.  Bad news: while he was frolicking in the park, I discovered a pile of dog poop in the diningroom.  For a moment, I considered pretending I didn’t see it so that Fraction would have to clean it up when he got home.  Then I realized that would mean living with dogshit in my diningroom and I came to my senses.  But for a moment…?  I confess I was tempted. 

As for the future of “30 Days of Night” in comics, Steve, what’s the story there?

SN: There are all sorts of plans. The plans are, well, I guess this will be a premature sneak of sorts, but Kelly Sue DeConnick and I are doing a six-issue series simply called “Eben and Stella.” It will start one page after “Dark Days” and end at the beginning of “Return to Barrow.” It’s a story that documents what happened to them from the end of Dark Days on. I’m really excited about that.

Mwoo ha ha etc.

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Currently playing in iTunes: Back In Black by AC/DC Tribute Band