I didn't get arrested ;)

But you all already knew that. The experience of being a political activist (I use that term very loosely, btw) was both interesting and mind-numbingly dull. A single state trooper drove across the far side of the parking lot while we protested - I don't know if he even looked our way - and that was the closest we got to getting in trouble at all, other than when one guy brought his sign into the hearing and the secretary of state told him he needed to put it away, and he did without any fuss at all.

The hearing was BORING. O. M. G. More than two hours of listening to lawyers prattle at each other. Our side won - yay!! - and after the Republicans sued the Sec. of State over their ruling and dragged everyone into district court (seriously) we won again. Double yay! Last I heard, that was it but I won't believe it until election day. I gather the GOP is doing similar things all over the country. They're wasting a lot of people's time, money, and attention for what? To keep small and third party candidates off the ballot? In the suit before ours, they were going after a quirky old guy from Ames who just wanted to run for president. Was NUTS. This guy isn't a threat to anyone. It's just bullying and it's disgusting.

The whole process (and how the GOP treated the Ron Paul delegation plus several states- Texas, Maine, Iowa, etc, AND how now the 'winner' will pick who gets to go to the RNC, um, what happened to the PEOPLE being involved in the process, eh??) at their convention made me angrier than before at established parties and super PAC money. This crap needs to stop. On both sides. What happened to compromise and common sense, let alone common decency? Just because some faction has power and money does not mean they need to crush the opposition simply because they're 'other'. I want a better country, a fairer country where everyone matters, not just the wealthy or connected. I get more and more disgusted every day with the two-party stranglehold on us but, at least, seeing how things work at the state level encouraged me and gave me hope. The panel at our hearing (Sec. of State (R), State Auditor (R) and Attorney General (D)) were all kind, focused, and above all else, fair in their questions and comments during the hearing itself. Honestly, I thought we'd lost, that our evidence wasn't as strong as the mountains brought in by the GOP, but the state sided with third party candidates, and so did the district court. So take that super PAC poo heads! :p

I now have Gary Johnson signs in my front yard, btw. Bill even helped me put them up after he (a lifelong conservative) became disgusted at how the RNC treated so many of the attendees at the convention. I still need to put a bumper sticker on the car, tho. If anyone would like a bumper sticker or a flyer, let me know. I grabbed some extras and they'll fit in a regular envelope. ;)

Um. Other stuff.

Had another declination from an agent who'd was interested in Morgan but not SPORE. She loved my writing and query, but didn't warm up to Morgan's character and decided to take a pass. Was an incredible rejection, tho. Super nice. Another agency (they handle some really big biggies) called me on the phone and asked for everything I had. Which I sent, along with a promise to get them all of SPORE once I'd finished. Was the assistant to the head guy at the agency. Very nice gal and we had a good - but short - chat.  Hope I didn't blab too much but she told me that my genre-straddling stuff was precisely what they were looking for, so I'm hopeful. A couple of other agencies have both Morgan and Spore's proposal packet. Still keeping my fingers crossed, but the latest declination puts me at seven, so I need to send out more. Better get that list clarified tomorrow, er, today. :)

I've been making chapter graphics for Spore's chapters these past few days, and gak, they take a lot of TIME, about 1-2 hours each, by the time I figure out what formats the social medias should be, get it all typed in for each different format (some with sub-comments) then arrange in a pleasing yet readable manner. I'm done through chapter 15 (I need to go back and change a couple of things in 13-15 because by then the term 'spore' has also spread instead of 'zombie') but, anyway, I'm really, really tired of making chapter graphics and I don't even know yet if an agent/publisher will want them. But I think the book needs them, so they need to be done. Overall, the book is about 3/4 done, I'm on chapter 19, and I like it. Which is really WEIRD. I never like my books while working on them. Jean and our friend Maripat were a big help in finding the crap places. All of the line edits are done there, but I have a couple of patches yet to fill in.

Bill's job is still in sit-around-limbo, Laura got a good part time job that'll (hopefully) lead to full time in a couple of months, and my granddaughter is All Kinds Of Awesome.

Oh, I'm doing all right myself, a little tired, have caught my annual autumn cold, but otherwise just fine.

Blabbered enough. Have a great September, everyone!!  {{huggs}}