Molly called me up this morning and said, "It's not done." I called Jay, and we couldn't reschedule really until AFTER the publication date. Molly said maybe she would bring it by to my New Year's Eve party, if it was finished. I was so pleased the moment she walked through the door at the party, and it was absolutely gorgeous! And then I was able o breathe once again as we celebrated together, awaiting the end of this nightmarish year.

Mass hysteria over the art meeting today. Well, at least on my end. Jay slapped me a couple of times over the phone and reminded me that no one was working tomorrow, so we could reschedule and still get everything posted in time. I called Molly, because she had left a message that the art for "Worse than a Gremlin" was running a few hours behind and would still be ready by the deadline, but not in time for our meeting, and we rescheduled for tomorrow at noon. Crisis abated. I can't wait to see it.

I spent a couple days updating my notes, but I don't recall which days specifically. Today I finished redrafting "Worse than a Gremlin," which is something I didn't even think I was going to do. I just wanted to tweak it a bit, when I read over it. It flows much better now. I added a couple more details. Removed some others. I'm happy with it.

Molly is painting away. She e-mailed to let me know she was painting the gremlin in the cover art for the new short story, and she couldn't find his skin color in her notes. I told her that his skin was black with white stripes. Aren't you glad you read my blog?

I answered my fan mail today. I want to try and do that on Fridays from now on, so that it gets done. There aren't so many e-mails at this point in my career that I can't sit down once a week and reply to them. Though it will be nice one day to say, "Sorry, fans, there are just so darn many of you now that I have to send out heartless form letters in reply saying, 'Sorry I can't respond! I'm just far too rich, busy, and overly self important these days. Thank you for your patronage.'"
I got a call from Molly Brimer too, saying that she decided to make revisions on her "Worse than a Gremlin" art. I was scared, because I'd approved it as it was and loved it completely. So she told me to check my e-mail tonight, which I did, and she sent me the new draft. It was MUCh better! So now I'm twice as excited. And I hadn't even seen where there was room for improvement. Now she's going to start painting the color version.

I checked my e-mail and got the revised concept sketch for the cover to "Worse than a Gremlin" from Molly. It took me two e-mails to tell her it was right on target!

Today I scanned all of Molly's Metrognomes-related artwork. I did some archiving. Woo-hoo! Talked to Molly briefly about getting her new sketch for "Worse than a Gremlin." Pretty exciting, eh? Bet you wish you were me. I know I do. :) And fancy that! My wish came true!

I met with Jay, the company taskmaster, tonight. We went over money and possibilities for several endeavors in 2005. I'm glad I don't have to do all that maddening business stuff by myself anymore! Next year is going to be a whole new thing, and I will be able to center my energy on writing and dreaming up new ideas.

Set a meeting for tomorrow LATE at night with Jay to go over tedious things. I have a budget and a number of deadlines for Metrognomes now. So we have to get things going.

Today I set out the agendas for my next two Metrognomes art meetings with Molly, so that I won't be so scatter brained from now on. I also threw out all of what I'd written for the new chapter 9 and started working at it from another direction. I still want to use the same characters to get this backstory told, I just wasn't happy with the way I was leading up to it. Hopefully I have it going my way this time. I've never spent so much time reworking a manuscript before. I just keep getting better and better ideas. I suppose that's a good thing.

I met with Molly today. We went over her concept for cover art to be featured on the "Worse than a Gremlin" e-book. She also turned in some new character designs. She wanted to redraft her e-book cover, because she wasn't happy with the mud troll's head. She's going to get me the redraft on the 18th. Then we have another meeting on the 30th, where she'll have the finished product, and we'll go over character design ideas. The meeting after that will be on February 12th, when the character design phase will be completed. Then we'll get back to the actual illustrations, which we've now decided will be pencil drawings, instead of water color paintings, because I can't find a good deal for getting the book published in color anyway. But that's fine, because she says it will go faster, which means more drawings, and her pencil drawings are just as amazingly cool as her watercolors, I assure you.

Molly and I talked, I think, and we confirmed our meeting tomorrow. I am very sleepy. It's been a long week. Think I'll catch some Zs.

I had a virus scare on my new computer! It was terrible. If anyone has seen the new Strong Bad e-mail at Homestarunner.com where he gets 423,827 viruses on his computer, you will know what was running through my mind: "Compuer Over??? Virus = very yes?!?" Fortunately, I only had 5, and Norton was able to fix everything. Everything except for my pants, which were soiled beyond repair. Whew!

Insomniac Ellen e-mailed me back with a massive recollection of the first part of the interview. Now I just have to repeat myself. I also spoke with Jay, the only man who works at more jobs than I do, about the meeting with Molly on Saturday. He might not be able to sit in on this one, because he may have a previously planned meeting to attend relating to another one of his many, many jobs. I think he actually has more jobs than Barbie.

I recieved an e-mail from Ellen about the picture of her that's to be posted on my Web site along with the new interview, and I responded quickly, assuring her she'd get to choose. I also let her know about the recording troubles, and asked her to e-mail me the first questions (which were excellent ones) that we'd accidentally recorded over at the end, so that I could reanswer them before the whole thing was posted.

Ellen interviewed me tonight, and it was really fun. I was so happy to see her again after so long, and we spent a lot of time catching up. We may have some touch up stuff to do, because we had some issues with the recording equipment, but for the most part, the interview went well, and I feel very good about it. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to finally talk to my readers about this book. Once it's transcribed, the interview will be posted on my web site.

Talked to Jay King briefly about the role he will be playing in my vast and sprawling literary empire from now on. To start with, he's going to be sitting in on meetings, helping me work with illustrators, and helping me keep up with appointments and deadlines. There's more to discuss there, but that's how we're starting it. I'm completely rearranging the business end of my work next year, and he is one of the people who will be helping me to do that. He's got a great head for numbers.

Today I did stuff. It was swell. I got e-books ready for this month. I finished reading my book, in spite of my mother calling to tell me all about the million cookies she's baking to send to Iraq. I swear, my cousin Mark is gonna be the fattest American soldier the Iraqis have ever seen if he stays there long enough. He'll gain 300 pounds every time my mom sends him a care package. The Iraqis will refer to him as Markzirra! And they'll run in fear whenever his shadow falls over Baghdad...ALL over Baghdad! He was pretty slim the last time I saw him. Next time I might not recognize him. At least I won't be able to miss him in a crowd from now on, whether I recognize his massive form or not. Come to think of it, after my mom's cookies get to him, I could probably see him from here. In fact, instead of having a tree this year, maybe I'll just send him a care package of my own, containing thirty-trillion Christmas lights and a note that reads: "Merry Christmas, Mark, my cousin only once removed...and by that I mean removed all the way to Iraq. Please put these on after you eat my mom's cookies. That way I can see your engorged, Christmasy self shining on the horizon from my window, and I will raise a glass of egg nog in your direction wishing you a peaceful Christmas. In the Middle East. XOXO Cousin Glenn (Also once removed, though for now I think I'll stay put) PS---No matter how cute they are, remember camel spiders make lousy pets." Yes, that's what I'll do. Better tell Mom to double the Crisco for Markzirra: an experiment in calories soon to have gone HORRIBLY wrong!

Did work on the "more like the print edition" e-book of "The Ghost in the Olive Grove," the e-book of "Dr. Coffee's Pill," and I read some more in The Great Debate to prepare for Monday.

Ellen and I set a time for the Monday interview. I started reading The Great Debate again as a refresher beforehand. Haven't done much writing. Mostly doing school stuff and listening to the new Erasure single over and over and over again as if it could save me from the world somehow.

Molly and I set the time for our December 11 meeting today. It looks like Ellen will be interviewing me on Monday the 6th. I went by Book Stop and bought her a copy of The Great Debate. I did some work formatting "Dr. Coffee's Pill" for the free e-book that will be released on that same day for download on my Web site. I am also currently seeking additional muses. Please be beautiful, brave, honest, and audacious. Loyalty also goes a long way. I love Coin Star machines. That was someone's muse in perfect form, inspiring them to make such a nifty thing real. All starving artists who save up their pennies in a twenty-five-year-old whisky bottle that their grandfather gave them when they were children just after he'd downed the entire thing himself love Coin Star machines.