I'm sure you've been on the edge of your seats, dying to know what happened in regards to a number of my most scintillating posts.  Here's a quick update:

• I put a down payment on a pepper white, black topped, sun-roofed Mini Cooper S.  I am now tracking its progress (it hasn't made any) from England to Concord Mini.  Estimated date of arrival September 1.  Now I have time to save a little and try to sell the ancient Volvo.
• I'm still not sure what a blog is.  The contest has kind of changed my blogging ideas and thoughts, and while the contest has been absolutely wonderful in terms of getting me out into the world to promote myself, I have had time to pause and consider what a blog is, at least on redroom.com.  I have been blogging elsewhere as a guest, and that seems clear to me--I'm there to say, "Hey, read my books."  Here the purpose is deeper and more significant, so I'm still cogitating on that question:  What is a blog?
• Since writing about being superwoman, girl ox of the workout scene, I've suffered two injuries.  The Achilles heel (metaphor anyone?) and neck.  So I've been doing a lot of swimming, running going by the wayside as I'm tired of dragging my carcass around the house like some B version horror flick.  I swam competitively as a child, so this is an old rhythm.  But damn boring!  Nothing to see but other muffled swimmer bodies and bubbles.
• The high school reunion plans have stalled.  Belle Yang has been helping me think about what to wear, though., even though it's a year away.
• Michael and I watched Paris, je t'aime last night, and I still want to go.  Bad.  In fact, I woke up with a Paris hangover this morning.  I'm grumpy for not having been to Paris in three years.  Yeah, yeah.  Poor baby.  But if you love Paris and haven't seen that movie, give it a go and see how you feel!
• The only movie theater movie I've seen lately is Sex in the City, and I am so with Anthony Lane in The New Yorker on this one.  For two and a half hours, I sat there wondering why I was there.  My only consolation was that it was a matinée and I was with friends.
• We have actually beaten the squirrels.  Yes, the new bird feeder and the pole has kept the peeing, pooing squirrels off the deck.  They don't come by any more, and my tomato plants remain unsullied! 
• My agent is waiting on another novel I have out there under consideration, so I have two novels done and completed with no homes yet.  No rejections yet, but no home  I'm in a terrible interstitial area of nothing, impossible for a Metal Ox with no patience.  Meanwhile, I'm almost done with my YA novel.
• My youngest son got a wonderful narrative report card on his Korean project!  Did you know that MacArthur wanted to radiate parts of Korea so the American troops could go forth without attackers?  Did you know he actually did just fade away after being fired from that war?

That's about it in terms of recap.  One thing I've learned about blogging is that I love to talk with you all--on my blog and on yours.  I've learned so much about other people's lives and work and ideas, and I appreciate your comments and thoughts.  And patience.  I'm working on mine, I promise.

J