Progress Report: June 2021

Can you feel it? Longer days are here, the sun stings your back, and you instinctively detour through the sprinklers on your walk home because the heat is coming for you.

That’s right, y’all, summer has arrived.

Bring out the sunscreen, let’s get our beach towels out. ‘Tis the season for barbecuing and graduations, for weekends unencumbered by responsibility. It’s the time of playing in the street until the lights go out and…

What? I’m sorry, I got confused with my 12-year-old self. Apparently, we don’t do that anymore. Ah, well.

Anyway, summer is coming, and I’m sure you all have some good stuff planned. Here’s what’s on the docket for June:

- We’re doing some home improvement on our main floor, with some color being added and some practical storage being put up. After this round of projects, we’re going to explore our new town of Kent, WA, and try to find places to go that aren’t Target or the supermarket.

- I’m headed back to NYC this month for a few days. I love going home, it’s always a good time to head for my old stomping grounds. Plus, it’s going to be cool to see how New York has handled and rebounded from COVID-19. Who knows? I might link up with some old friends while I’m there.

- The work continues on my latest WIP, and being that it’s set in New York, my trip home couldn’t come at a better time. I’m going to take as many pictures as I can for reference this time around.

- The summer reading season begins! By the end of the month, I should have a couple of reviews ready. One is for Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline, and the other is The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates. I’m also picking up Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and I’ve got a couple of books by American Gods’ Neil Gaiman.

- The Knicks are in the playoffs! After a season that caught everyone except hardest die-hards by surprise, the Knicks captured the #4 seed in the Eastern Conference and are playing Atlanta in the first round. At the time of this writing, though, they’re down 3-1, with do-or-die game 5 at Madison Square Garden. I’ll have something to say about this tomorrow, that’s for sure.

Anyway, we’re finally getting back to something resembling normal, but the work isn’t done yet. Get the vaccine or wear your mask—either, both, whatever—and enjoy the end of the long hibernation.

Love, peace, and hair grease.