Writing Underwater

For the last week, I've had a stuffy head from allergy-type issues.  It's very frustrating-- my ears are clogged and do that little popping thing when you swallow.  Yesterday, while driving, I had a moment of vertigo that made me seriously think for a sec that I needed to pull over (one more instant of the feeling & I would have).  It was scarey!  My sweet baboo (hubby) is also feeling crappy.  I think it has to do with the heat, or something; it's making the little trees & molds and grasses and things release their happy little sexuality into the air (in other words, pollen).  The aviator ditched his airplane ride today cause his head is so clogged; Oshun knows that he shouldn't fly with his ears that stopped up. 
 
It feels a bit like I'm swimming underwater.  So if my fingers seem prune-y, that's why. 
 
Someone asked in the comments what I'm doing here in "cowboy land."  Dear gentle readers, I'm always in cowboy land!  I live right in the heart of it: San Antonio.  We hardly ever see folks running around with cowboy hats and spurs in San Antonio (I hear it's more common up by Dallas) but it is deep in the heart of.....   San Antonio has a very old-world Mexico-ish feel.  There are lovely missions, and cactus is the operative shrubbery for landscaping (most folks use 100-year plants alot and lantana and butterfly bush too). 
 
I like San Antonio-- I've never lived very long in any particular place (Florida gets 2nd place in longevity of me living there) but people are really nice in San Antonio.  I like the bi-lingual-ness, although I don't speak Spanish very well (I understand more than I speak).  And honestly, we are the eighth largest city in the country!  You can get good Greek food (Mina & Dimi's Greek house on the south side) good Nuevo Latino (Azuca's downtown-- ooh the mojitos) good Indian (India Oven) good Sushi (all over town!) and/or any other great food you might want, any day of the week.  Great martinis downtown at the Zinc bar, and occasionally, a celebrity sighting in folks who live here like Tommy Lee Jones or one of the Spurs or Jerri Hall.  We also get pretty much all of the bit music/rock concert tours (I live close enough to the outdoor arena that when Aerosmith came to town, I could hear them singing cause I had my windows open).   We have a Macy's, and a Saks, and most importantly, a Williams Sonoma.  :)  So we aren't exactly backwardsville or Hell (although it's sometimes as hot as). Whenever I drive through smalltowns on the way back to Florida, I always think of how I wouldn't want to live in such a tiny little place, where the best place to shop is Wal Mart (nothing against the store, but I need at least a Target....) 
 
And man, you can get some incredible, better-than-sex Mexican food 'round these parts, too.  And the margaritas!  Oi Oi Oi!  But that makes me sad cause I usually do margaritas on Friday night and we're not going to do that tonight.  Sigh.  We'll be home in San Antonio on late late Monday night.  So whatever you think about Texas, if you've never been here, don't believe the negative stuff you hear.  Yes, there have been some bad things happen, but those happen everywhere. 
 
But right now, I'm a bit east in Shreveport, La, cause Andrew is doing his yearly obligation of Air Force Reserve duty.  Which consists mostly of sitting in an office drinking bad coffee, and occasionally flying around in a big old airplane.  Poor baby hasn't had a day off since the 5th.  (And that includes weekends!) 
 
Someone also asked about my dissertation.  I'm working on a dissertation on witches in contemporary fiction, TV & film, and discussing how the representations show/teach a kind of feminism. The texts I'm writing about:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
the Witches of Eastwick (book & movie)
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood
White as Snow  by Tanith Lee
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (& movie too)
Mistress of Spices by Chitra Divakaruni
Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson
Galveston by Sean Stewart

Yes, you can write an academic dissertation and get a PhD (theoretically; haven't done it yet, but it's possible) on such fun topics. *
 
So that's probably way more information than you needed today.  But now I feel my duty has been done.  I've defended my hometown, discussed my various physical impairments, and my dissertation.  (Which I don't believe I'm going to work on much today-- I wrote on it yesterday and the muse has left the building today).  Now, for another 20 oz of Latte, and maybe browse some of my bloglist.  :) 
 
Oh, is anybody going to see any good movies this weekend?  I don't care what they say, I want to see I, Robot, and Catwoman (I know, that second one's not out yet). 
 
*Just FYI:  all the links to amazon are through my "associates" account, which, if you do decide to buy one of those texts, will help support my womenwriters website hosting fees.  I don't make money on them, exactly, cause I pay more than I ever get in referrals.  But just so's you know.  You can read more about it here.