jasonfranks

It's Rosh Hashanah. Good yomtov, everybody. Happy New Year.

I've been a bit lax about keeping up with my journal--lots going on. Work, the festival, and of course, my various writing projects.

KAGEMONO #2 is about to drop and needs to go to the printer this week if it's going to be ready in time for Armageddon. I'm waiting for the last little bits--two more story pages, the ISBN barcode, a bio frm one contributor--and we're ready to rock. 5 stories, 32 pages, all killah no filla, Five more story pages than KAGEMONO #1 for the same price (I'd offer the price if I could, um, remember what it was... )

I did manage to get out to the Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show on Sunday. For you Americans out there, it's kind of like the State Fair, with less country music and more tourists. Haven't been since I was 11, so it was a bit of a trip down memory lane. First stop was the chainsaw carving competition. Some impressive work, but not as many amputations as I would have liked. Second was the Racing and Diving Pigs, Texas style. The even was so packed we couldn't get a seat; all I could see was the Diving Pig trot along his platform and then vanish with a splash.  This photo came off my phone, which I was holding above my head like a moron--I couldn't actually see the pool.



Yes, that is a cowboy hat in the foreground--we have rednecks, too. But truthfully, there were a lot more Chinese tourists than rednecks at the show.

I ate a Mexican Chilli Wrap that tasted as if it had been assembled by an Australian who's never actually had Mexican food, but who thinks it might be a bit similar to Thai.

Then on to the Big Event: Samson and his monster truck, which he has named... SAMSON.

I was hoping for two monster trucks and at least one explosion, so that was a bit disappointing... but it was cool to see the truck with all four wheels in the air coming down on a bunch of beaten up old cars. Like so:



Samson was followed up by a couple of motocross guys doing some stunts, but it did not emerge to duel with thewm, as I had hoped.

Still, chainsaws, monster trufcks, pigs, and weird food... not a bad afternoon, all in all.

Back to work. I'll post again when the book is a wrap.

--JF