I am feeling a little guilty, today, because it is extremely beautiful out. The sun is shining, and it is warm, but not too warm. There's a gentle breeze, the air smells just like rainbows and laughing children are running across green lawns, trailing bubbles from their bubble wands as golden retriever puppies wearing red kerchiefs bark joyfully and bound into the loving arms of their sundress-wearing owners. It's kind of perfect out, and I am sitting inside on the couch, with a dog under one arm and E's head on my lap, and I'm okay with that, even though they're both snoring a little bit.

E is very, terribly sick, so much so that it is making me sad. Ginger ale helps, and sleeping a lot, and watching bad movies like Pathfinder (which actually has a lady named Moon Bloodgood in it, who kicks a lot of ass, so I don't even mind watching the very terrible movie unfold painfully slowly and with a lot of clanging). It is dark in the living room, and I am working while everyone naps and the movie plays on. Every time I look at the clock, I'm surprised at how late it has gotten, and how quickly the day has gone by, cereal bowl after cereal bowl. It's an eating cereal kind of day, I think.

I've been very focused, all day. I'm pinned to the couch, more or less, by these sleeping boys, and it's been very good for me, I think. I should pioneer some kind of timed restraint system to market to writers who wish they were more disciplined. The shades are down, the house is incredibly quiet (a house is so much quieter than an apartment building! Especially an apartment building that's got apartments filled with pot smokers who really like watching game shows at very high volumes) and there's no cat crawling across my keyboard every 30 seconds going what are you doing what are you doing what are you doing hi I'm fat!

My bike is parked here, though, and it is tempting me. I picked up a lock, yesterday, and now I can go anywhere. I can go to the grocery store or the ice cream parlor or the coffee shop or the shoe store. With my bike! Which is blue, and feels so good to ride, fast and furiously down the street, so much faster than I ever walked. It's sunny and beautiful and lively out, and dark and quiet in here. I will swap one for the other, soon, I think.  But right now, I am very happy with E's head on my lap and the dog nuzzling under my hip. Fantastic Four is going to be on in just a few minutes, and I've got work to focus on, and it's hours, yet, before dark.