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The German filmmaker will head the animation program at the the internationally renowned film school.

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Friends of the Interwebsticles,

It's been a murderous few weeks...nay, month or so. I won't regale you with the details but they include:

- A weekend of being Mr. Mom (while Laura was sick with some evil flu)
- Editing ANNA 2.0
- Helping my uber-talented critique partner get her book ready for prime-time
- Work craziness
- Organizing our annual (and famous!) Nordeast Pubcrawl
- Getting the cold shoulder from a literary agent
- Preparing for the 48 Hour Film Project (I get to write and direct again...holler!)
- Setting up an upcoming author visit in Bloomington (3rd graders!)

So, it's been an sorta odd time warp I'm finding myself in. It seems like it was February yesterday, now we're heading into mid-May. Huh? Really?

But it's all good. Things are looking up and I still have faith that this year will get me that much closer. It's there. All good things to those...etc, etc...

Gosh. I'm a bit wishy-washy when it gets late.

In closing, I leave you with a quote. As Travis, Jake & I were driving home from my dad's b-day dinner, we pulled up alongside my parents who were getting ready to head west to Northeast Minneapolis and we were about to go east to Woodbury. I rolled down Travis's window so he could say goodbye to Grandma one more time.

Grandma/Mom: Goodbye, Travis! I love you.

Travis: I love you, too!

Grandma: Be good!

Travis: You be good for yourself!

Little dude cracks me up.

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Hi. I'm not dead. I swear. I've just been sooo wrapped up in writing Goodhalo II that I sort of put the ol' bloggity blog on the back-burner.

You forgive me, right?

No? I'll send a refund.

Here are 10 quick...and I mean QUICK things that have happened and will likely discuss in further detail coming up. Yeah...consider this like a sneak preview of crap to come.

(in no order of importance, y'all)

1. I dropped out of the Great Mustache Growing Contest of 2008. Actually about 5 days ago. Ah....I feel like a meeee-lion dollars.

2. Bunk bed. As in, Travis (age 3.5) now has one.

3. Rage Against the Machine, Ben Folds, Tegan & Sara. As in, I get to go see those three shows (seperately) in the next month.

4. Olympics? Can end anytime, okay thanks.

5. Flight of the Conchords? Best show I've seen on DVD in a long time.

6. I get to write 3 more books that'll get published next year.

7. I won an advanced copy of the Courtney Summers book Cracked Up to Be. Remember how she totally won the haiku contest and won a copy of MY book? Crazy serendipity, yo.

8. The quest for agent-hood has begun! One full is out there, still...waiting. Can you see why I'm writing the sequel now? And the third one next summer?

9. Crazy EMT call a couple weeks back. Cra-zy. It has to do with Dairy Queen, my psychic abilities(?) and bicycles.

10. We find out what kind of kid we're having (hopefully) a week from Friday. You know...like if it's gonna be a boy or a girl?

There. So when I come back, I'll have all kinds of crap to rap at you about. It'll be like old time again. You just wait.

You. Just. Wait.

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• I have no idea why Cate Blanchett was nominated for her role as Bob Dylan in the movie I'm Not There. I didn't see the film, but every clip that showed her 'channeling' Bobby D was, well...awful. Not for one second did I buy that she was Bob Dylan. To me it looked like a woman in drag trying (unsucessfully) to emulate BD. Sorry Cate, but I'm glad you didn't nab Oscar gold for that one.



• What is up with my kid and his potty-training? Glad you asked. He's been doing pretty well on the 'potty' front. The board game I designed (update picture coming soon!) is working like a charm and he's actually on his 2nd time through it. The only problem? He's having a hard time...downloading software, if you catch my meaning. What is up with little guys not wanting to release the hounds? Seriously! I've had him close and I know there's a bullet in the chamber, but as soon as I strap on the Pullups he's wearing...FIRE! He throws mud. In. His. Pants. I'm trying to be patient, but dang...



• I think Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana is obnoxious.



• I've been watching Veronica Mars on DVD while I workout at the club these days. I'm halfway through Season 1 and I gotta tell you, it's solid. While it's nowhere near as awesome as Lost, there's plenty to like about it. I went out and bought the other 2 seasons (on the cheap!) and I'm not sure why this show didn't last longer. Maybe I'll know by the end of Season 3.



• I'm stoked that No Country For Old Men won all kinds of junk on Oscar night. The Coen brothers are from St. Louis Park, MN, so it's good to see local guys do well. Also, when I was an intern at the Minnesota Film Board, I got a non-paying gig to help with some of the local casting of Fargo. Afterward, I got to meet Joel Coen and shake his hand. If anyone's keeping score, he directed my all-time favorite comedy of all time: (seriously...all-time) Raising Arizona. That alone was worth not getting paid.



• I've got like 8 episodes of Intervention to watch on my DVR. Seriously, if I watched them all in a row, I think they'd need to send Jeff VanVonderen over to my house for MY intervention.

"Well, I've been here since yesterday and I just see a bunch of people who love you like crazy. So here's how this'll work. They're going to say some things and then you get to say some things and then we're all done."

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Nerdery Week - It's been decided, so mark your calendars. Nerdery Week shall take place on February 17th - 23rd. Seven days of complete nerdiness interconnected through this world we like to call the internet. You'll meet new people! You'll see where they sit! You'll see all the garbage they keep in their respective workspaces!

But TKT, I'm still confused and a bit scared and there's that thing with the paste. How do I get involved in NW?

Simple, friend:

1. Take a picture or two (or eighteen).
2. Post it on your blog.
3. Write about your workspace.
4. Slap 'Nerdery Week' somewhere in the post's title.
5. Link back to other people engaged in complete Nerdery nerdism.

On paper this may sound boring as all get-out, but I really don't think it'll disappoint. I'm endlessly fascinated when I see the places where people do their thing (writing, blogging, playing video games, losing auctions, etc). It's an extension of a person's character and I think it'll be fun to celebrate that which makes us all nerdy.

Yes. Even you over there folding your arms and pretending that you're not a nerd. You are. Deal.

Power Up - I know there's nothing people love to read more than what game I'm playing on Xbox 360 these days, so I think I'll just come right out and say it. I'm completely taken by Call of Duty 4. In a word: WOW. After completely dominating The Simpsons Game it's a crazy change of pace. One week I'm trying to get the Krusty Koupon off of a billboard high above Springfield, the next week I'm carrying a wounded soldier across a radiation soaked amusement park. Sweet mother of invention, this is the stuff dreams are made of.

Eels - I know I don't need to plug the world's greatest band, but they just recently released two albums that are perfect for those of you wanting to see what they're all about. For the uninitiated, might I suggest: Meet the Eels? It's a collection of their best stuff from their first 10 years and it's like a primer into their fantastic world. There is some potty-mouth on there, but hey...that's what those parental advisory stickers are for. As a bonus, you get a DVD with a bunch of their music videos. Now that's value!

Their other release is called Useless Trinkets and it's two discs (2!) of b-sides and songs they've done for soundtracks. As if that weren't enough, there's also a DVD with their 2006(?) Lollapalooza performance on there. What more can you ask for?

Answer: Nothing. There is nothing else to ask for.

Goodhalo - Well, it's getting there. I'm hoping to have this monster edited and in enough of a fighting shape to begin submitting to my Top 5 agent-types sometime next month. Ambitious? Yes. Necessary? Most definitely. Plus, I'm itching (itching!) to get working on the second book in the series. It's going to be like 85 pounds of awesome in a 3 pound bag with handles.

Travis: Celebrating 3 Years of Quality - It's going to be my little guy's 3 year mark on Monday, so we're having a party for him on Saturday. Therein lies the problem... Family from out of town are crazy sick. We're talking antibiotics sick. Also, there's supposed to be a major snowstorm hitting us...oh, say Saturday or so. Even though we're not doing a full-scale dinner/activities/all day event, we're worried that people won't be able to make it. Regardless, we've decided that no matter what, this kid is going to have a party that will tear the socks right off of his little Fred Flintstone feet (like I have) and make him explode with happiness. Thy will be done, lil' TKT. Thy will be done.

Dave Attell - I get to go see stand-up comedian Dave Attell tonight at the Pantages in Minneapolis. Holler!

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Because I'm trying to be a better blogger for 2008, I'm going to post something today. Also, there's this whole thing with me not wanting to knuckle down and do any sort of work just yet. I'm sure you understand.

So, in typical TKT fashion, here are random nuggets that are looking for some air time.

Cell Phone - So, I just got a new cell phone a month or so ago. It's an upgraded version of the Razr, so I wasn't ecstatic about it. The last one I had went south on me 3 times. Seriously. 3 TIMES. But, since I'm not into spending $200 or whatever on a new phone, I always just go with whatever one they'll give me for free. Anyway, long story somewhat shorter, my new phone went south on me. I'm talking dead in the water. No amount of charging, pleading, crying and swearing would bring it back to life. Dead.

So, I went to get it replaced and confounded the guy to no end. He confounded me a bit, too.

AT&T Guy: Hi Brian.
Me: Hi, I'm Thomas.
ATTG: (looking confused) Oh, you look like Brian.
(we're off to a great start)
Me: Nope. I'm pretty sure I'm Thomas. Anyway, my phone is dead. It just took a crap on me last night.
ATTG: Really? That's weird. Did you...?
Me: No, I didn't drop it in a lake or anything. (remember, I've had 3 phones replaced. I know what questions they're going to ask)
ATTG: Huh.

The dude proceeded to try three different batteries to see if he could get it going. He even tried plugging it in. No luck.

ATTG: Yeah, this phone is dead.
Me: I know. I even tried a difribillator.
ATTG: Huh?
Me: Never mind.

Anyway, ATTG told me I had to call some warranty place and that he couldn't just swap it out. I groaned and punched a wall (no, not really) and he agreed to let me use an old, abandoned phone until I got mine back in the mail.

ATTG: I'll just wipe this one's memory, toss your SIM card in and we're golden.
Me: Fantastic, then.

He did his thing, handed me a phone that looked like it'd been punted through the uprights and sent me on my way. As soon as I got in the truck and turned it on, I noticed a friend had sent me a text message about Orange Tic-Tacs (delicious). The weird thing, I noticed some numbers that didn't look familiar.

Guess ATTG didn't wipe it out completely. The right thing to do would've been to wipe it clean, right? Right. Well, if being nosy is wrong, I don't wanna be right. Indulge your vouyerism and enjoy the one-sided text messages I found on this old, beat up phone.

If i get one more obnoxious text from eyeliner, i'm going to get as mad as a digastricus when a raptor eats his baby!

Sorry had to work too late to call try tomorrow

U know i will girl dont get too wasted in margaritaville

No i would love to arrange this lets talk and thanks again talking to u is the high light of my day u r great

In line no stars yet except us sleep tight hot pants

Riding up hillside dr sweating bullets im on top of the hill looking at the bay. Wish you were here to see this.

you're a great person and a generous one too. we will have a better time than both can probably imagine. you are wonderful and im quite smitten with you x

Im only as good as the person next to me. Cant wait to hold you.

Does this make me a dirtbag for reading this stuff? A complete sack of garbage on legs with a head on top for posting it on my blog? I don't know. Part of me feels icky for doing it, the other part of me finds it wildly interesting. Call it the curious sponge-like quality of a writer who likes to create stories out of nothing at all. I now completely have this guy in my head as a character and I've got a weird little short story already forming in my head from these completely random texts.

Oh, hey. If for some reason these text messages happen to be yours and it's making you all sorts of crazy to read these here, let me know. I'll delete 'em post haste. Otherwise, thanks dinosaur-reference guy. You've just become a character.

Here's the funny thing: For laughs, I smacked the back of my defective phone (just after calling the warranty place) and it lit up. Huh. Guess it works after all.

Potty Chronicles Ver. 2.0 - So, last night, a big victory in the Toilet Trials 2008. After a pretty good streak of squirting a little potty where it belongs, Travis decided to take a break. He boycotted the crapper for a couple of days. Sure, he'd humor us and sit down on the john for a few minutes to show that he was willing to play ball, but as soon as we tugged a Pull-Up onto him, he'd fill those things fuller than a fat guy's lunch box.

But last night? Magic.

Just before going to bed, we sat the little champ on his throne and he began to peruse a boxing magazine. (Side note: My kid LOVES boxing. Seriously. He asks Grandma (my mom) who doesn't like boxing if she likes it. You like boxing, Grandma? My mom's answer never changes: No.) I told him that if he went potty tonight he'd qualify for a new car, to which I realized how much I sound like Bob Barker. When that didn't seem to do it for him, Laura came in and tossed down the biggest bribe of our potty-training career.

Laura: Travis, if you go potty, we'll take you to the boxing store tomorrow.
Travis: Today?
Laura: No, no. Tomorrow.
Travis: Tomorrow today?

I wanted to explain that tomorrow it would be today, but I figured that wouldn't help. He looked like he was going to try and we were all excited, but it wasn't happening. The boy was merely running down the clock and it was well past his bedtime. I told him he had two minutes and then we'd have to try again tomorrow. He stood up and I looked to see if there was any deposits made in the back-side bank. There weren't.

Me: It was a good try, buddy. Oh, well. No boxing store.
Travis: No, no! I want to go potty!
Me: Well, do it then.

Travis returned to his talking toilet (which we've long shut off) and parked his little dumper on the seat. He talked to me about the boxing store and how he wanted boxing shorts, a shirt, a jump rope and new gloves. I sat there and thought...He's almost 3, and he's ready for the sweet science.

After a moment, he smiled big and wide. I listened and could hear the sound of liquid victory.

Me: Are you going potty?
Travis: Uh-huh.

Laura ran in, Travis stood up sans pants and we looked. Sure enough, he did his business like a champ. We all cheered and high-fived the little kid who shouted his victory like he'd just delivered a knock-out punch. I went and got the car box and he selected one from the movie Cars (he picked the yellow pace car) and there was much to celebrate in our house last night. The kid is on his way.

I can still hear his self-congratulatory cheers now: I did it! I did it!

Meet the Robinsons - I think it's important for everyone to admit weaknesses every once in a while. My weakness as of late has been playing a $13 video game I'd originally purchased for my son to watch and enjoy. It's the game Meet the Robinsons based off the comuter-animated Disney movie. It was cheap, it looked somewhat decent and I thought the movie was pretty cool and original. I started playing it and immediately Travis wanted me to find "Bowler Hat Guy" who is the villian in the movie and game.

Let me say for the record that I still like games like Halo 3, Call of Duty, etc. I'm all about blowing stuff up, saving the world, that kind of thing. But I'll be gosh-darned if I didn't take to this Robinsons game like a drug addict to a cocaine smoothie.

So, to all my Xbox-in' friends who happened to see what I was playing online: Don't judge.

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And I have no good reason but to say, wow, I've been busy.  I'm actually whittling away at both my submissions pile and my deadlines. Emphasis on deadlines--including some very nice upcoming books like the Practical Guide to Monsters, the finales for three trilogies in the Dragonlance: The New Adventures series (see sidebar for links to the first books in those trilogies), and a new novel related to the Practical Guide to Dragons. And somewhere in there is Hallowmere--By Venom's Sweet Sting, the sequel to Tiffany Trent's In the Serpent's Coils, which is between stages right now, and then there's all those manuscripts and samples coming in! Patience is a virtue much to be treasured during May and June in the publishing world.

The next big event right now is ALA, which I'm very excited for on many levels. Most importantly, I'll finally get to meet Tiffany (tltrent). We've worked together for two years now, and we haven't met yet! I'm so jealous that all my coworkers met her a couple weeks ago at BEA before I got to. I take comfort only in knowing that they missed me terribly.

Second most importantly, I've never been to Our Nation's Capital before. Or the Capitol, for that matter. I'm excited to see what little I can squeeze in while the whirlwind of the conference is going on.

Second again most importantly (because it's just as important if not more so, and I'm just as excited, but for different reasons) is that I'll get to connect with librarians and teachers and all sorts of people connected with children's books again. I love going to shows like this. It's energizing (and exhausting).

So if you're going to ALA, look for the Mirrorstone/Wizards booth (note from Tiffany's pictures from BEA that the booth will again be that cool--it's a great landmark for meeting friends, I hear). Come meet Tiffany and get an ARC of In the Serpent's Coils. Meet Candice Ransom and investigate history with the Time Spies. Come explore the world of dragons and monsters with our Practical Guide signings--and ARCs of Red Dragon Codex, the cover of which is so beautiful that I must share it, but it's not completely final yet, so you'll be the first to get a sneak peek if you're at ALA! And as always, there will be other free stuff too. 

I'll post the booth number next week when I know it!

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