I'm too tired to write anything about my day at Six Flags Magic Mountain, except to say that I'm done with rollercoasters, save for my personal requirement of riding Desperado when we reach Primm just across the state line into Nevada from California (Home state pride!). Some people are cut out for roller coaster enthusiasm well into their thirties. I won't be one of them, not after the double hell that was Apocalypse and Colossus. But more on that either later Sunday evening or Monday.
The day itself was incredible, everything I expected. Then I came home, got the mail (including the complete series DVD set of Nero Wolfe, starring Maury Chaykin, one of my favorite actors, and Timothy Hutton), and found something momentous: My very first royalty check! This was for What If They Lived?, and it's quite a coincidence because while walking throughout Magic Mountain, I thought about how I don't want to let What If They Lived? be my only book. I have to start moving more swiftly on what I want to write. And then after getting off Colossus and ending my interest in rollercoasters, I thought about how not only am I gradually reaching 30, but I will be getting older and older and I don't want to let the years pass without having books to show for them.
When I saw the envelope in the mail and had an inkling that that's what it might be, I thought to myself, "There's a kick in the ass when you need one." After I showed it to Mom, Dad and Meridith, I loved that feeling not only of them being proud of me, but amazed that after all the work I did, here is this check. Here is money for my work. It's not a bizarro, I-can't-believe-they-pay-me-this-much-for-words amount, but it does make me want to write lots more. It'd be nice to see my name on more checks related to my work.
For now, work. More work. Still more work. It's the only way I'll get to that point again.
