Running on fumes

driving everyone up the wall

Hey there movers and shakers,

Photo by Scott Umstattd on Unsplash

I went to the AWP convention (photos here, all writers all the time, this year in Philly) by car. There and back. (My glorious spouse drove. I did not drive. I never drive.) While in the passenger seat, I had some thoughts about driving stuff.

First off, has anyone else noticed that road signs in New Jersey have changed shape?

perhaps to keep them from being knocked into by the oversized cars? or just to save metal?

I saw the musical Jersey Boys for the first time this week - what excellent storytelling!

On another driving note, has anyone else noticed that their GPS is now defaulting to the route with no tolls? Beware - the default route could be a little bit longer….

Finally, and most weird. I just noticed that gas prices are in 9/10 of a cent. How can that be legal? People have been trying for years to eliminate the penny, how can any ubiquitous thing like gasoline be priced in a way that is completely unique? No other product is priced in tenths of a penny, and I have NEVER seen any gas price that is, let’s say 3/10 of a penny, or 1/2 or 3/4 of a penny. Why not just say the gas is 4.36? Can you demand 2/10 of a cent of change? Digitally possible! (if you pay on your card, you technically should be able to get it—and over all the years of gas people buy, it should be a significant amount of money back.)

I do not know what gas was zero dollars and 9/10 of a cent, but even then, they added the 9/10 of a cent.

In case you are actually interested, I found a whole article about this (and it was written recently). Did you know the practice started in the 1930s???

---

Okay! what I’ve done this week:

Met with an agent. She was really great and we hit it off but she has to fall in love with my novel before she is ready to sign or talk more. Light candles please.

I sold a story! NewMyths Magazine bought “Spruce, Queen of Serpents” It will be out in September 2022.

I’m going to Lithuania! The national government is reconvening the Lithuanian Writers of the Diaspora council again this summer and I have been invited to go (I attended the inaugural council in 2019 before the world shut down). I am excited!

Photo by Victor Malyushev on Unsplash (actual castle in actual Lithuania)

That’s it, friends. Keeping it short.