Love, hate, sports, and a friend in witness protection.

Some places may not feel like it...but this past weekend signaled the start of my favorite time of year. Fall. Football Season. Halloween. All of those are cause for celebration in this house. Opening weekend in the NFL is like Christmas for me. It is the last time my Seahawks will be undefeated for the rest of the year. None of my fantasy football draft picks are able to disappoint me. I feel pretty good right now in general. I was able to start a bit of a firestorm around somebody who did one of my friends wrong. Anybody who knows me on a personal level knows that I am not passive when somebody I care for is hurt, lied to, or cheated, and no amount of anger management classes is ever going to program that out of me. The difference now is that I don't endanger my life or that of others and have learned to use my talent--words--to do what needs to be done.

This upcoming Halloween is destined to be my best ever as I have my first book signing scheduled At Laurie's Paperback Exchange in Oregon City on October 27th from noon to 4PM. I am hoping for at least ten people that are NOT friends and family. I love my friends and family...but this is like throwing a party. You send out the invites and then hope somebody shows up. It also marks the release of the book that was never supposed to be written.

I am one of those types who HATE listening to "One-hit-wonders" pitching a bitch about people who want to hear the only song they ever did that made it big. (That singer from Flock of Seagulls needs to get over himself.) I openly admit that I will sellout to my fans every time. When people started asking for more Zomblog (Vix Kirkpatrick refused to take any answer except YES), I was hesitant. I was done with that series as far as I was concerned. A trilogy is a good bit of reading. October 31, 2012 marks the release of Zomblog: Snoe. I did go a very different direction than I think zombie "purists" will expect. It is set almost 20 years after the outbreak. Zombies exist, but they are not the center of the story and only serve as background material. You have been warned.

I also want to announce here that I have made contact with an old and dear friend that goes by the alias of Vinnie DeSporto. He will make his debut here on Friday the 14th. Vinnie is old an school mobster who always wanted to be a sports commentator. He and I met when he was given a brief segment on a sports talk radio station back in the early 90s. He will take some getting used to as his manner is...abrasive is the nicest thing I can say about his delivery. Anyways, he contacted ME and asked if he might start doing a guest spot on my blog. So, in typical Vinnie fashion, he will be sharing his views on the world of sports. If he gains enough of a following, I told him he could have two posts a week...but we will see.

 I have taken enough of your time. So I am off to get in a final hike before the weather turns too cold. I love that I can take a 40 minute drive up the Columbia River Gorge and find places like this to sit and think for a spell. Tomorrow, Bryan Hall stops by to share some time with you. Show him some love.

Radio days, the Olympic Games and That Ghoul Ava

Several years ago, I was a sports talk radio host. This was way back when station owners were people...not corporate conglomerates. The problem faced back then was what to do with the AM station. A few came up with the idea of talking about sports. I was fortunate to get an opportunity in a major market (Portland, Oregon) and enjoyed my short stint in radio. However, it was a small assignment where I hit my stride...I was able to write for a few morning show comedy bits. What does that have to do with anything? Very little, except for the announcement that I am pleased to welcome an old friend as a guest on my blog. On a walk with my dog, a voice from my past called me out and asked me why I wasn't sharing my love of sports with folks. "All you talk about is zombies. People are gonna think you're a freak." Starting Wednesday, Vinnie DeSporto will add his two cents worth right here. 

I have scanned my calendar and looked at what I have coming up in the next few months. Of all the projects, I think I am the most excited about my first full length run of a That Ghoul Ava adventure tentatively titled That Ghoul Ava Kicks Some Faerie Ass. For those of you not familiar with Ava, she is--no surprise-- a ghoul. Ava eats the already dead (because eating a live person would be gross). Ava lives in Portland, Oregon and has discovered a thriving supernatural community that lives under the radar of the human conscious. She is snarky, rebellious, and struggling to accept her new reality(think a female Bruce Campbell). The Ava stories are light-hearted and funny (I hope). I hope you will learn to love her as much as I do.

No rants today. In the spirit of the Olympic Games, I want to wish EVERY athlete the best. I heard a comedian do a bit on the games. He talks about how everybody knows who the winners are, but there is always that one person who comes in last and from the comfort of our couch, recliner, or bar stool, we say things like "That person shoulda trained harder." It would be great if they would pluck a spectator out of the crowd before each event to represent the rest of humanity. That would allow us to truly appreciate just how amazing these freaks of nature really are. So, today's note--the cyclists will be biking a distance of 250km (that's 155.343 miles to us Americans) for almost six hours through the beautiful English countryside at a pace of 25 miles per hour--so, one mile in about 2.4 minutes or 144 seconds. Grab your bike, mark off a short 2 miles and then pedal for all you are worth. Now realize that the cyclists will keep that pace for SIX hours.