I had to buy stamps this morning

I didn't vote for the SFWA Nebula Awards last year. It's not that I didn't want to, it's just that I never do today what can be put off until tomorrow, and when tomorrow got here with regards to the Nebs, the voting deadline had already passed. The same thing would've happened this year if not for the SFWA online update. Whew!

So which among the 2003 Nebula Finalists did I vote for? I'm not telling, with two exceptions. In the novel category, Elizabeth Moon's Speed of Dark got my vote. Anyone who liked Flowers for Algernon should find this one an engrossing read. I was suitably impressed, obviously. The other vote I'll share was for best short story, in which I voted for Harlan Ellison's story Goodbye to All That. That probably won't be a popular choice among some SFWA circles--Ellison and David Gerrold spammed the membership with copies of the story when it made the final ballot. Oops. Ellison can be forgiven, because he's got no truck with this 21st Century online mumbo-jumbo, and doesn't know what's naughty or nice. Gerrold, on the other hand, should've known better. Still, that didn't make any difference to me. I'd read Goodbye to All That way back when, and Ellison had me with the Yak. "Death before dishonor." Yeah, you gotta love that yak.

So I take my ballot (not completely filled out--I didn't read all the entries in all the categories, so I didn't vote for everything), stuff it in an envelope... and have no stamp. Now, this thing has to go out this morning for the vote to count, so I stop in to the local HEB on the way to work, grabbing a book of stamps to mail the ballot off. I made it to the post office in one piece, so mission accomplished. My votes are on their way. But I also picked up a Diet Vanilla Coke, because I was thirsty. This is rare for me, since I burned myself out on Vanilla Coke when it first came out (regular Coke makes me gag--in fact, I'm not a fan of any cola). But I was thirsty and picked one up. And now that I want to drink it, I realize that like a dope I left it down in the car. So I'm going to go get it now. Later.

Now Playing: Creedence Clearwater Revival Chronicle vol. 2