...but I've been tired and I'm husbanding my energy jealously. I don't expect I'll post much anyway becuse I really don't have anything to say. Y'all havve a nice day--and my regards to All Without Whom at Orycon.

I just heard from Marcia Ravizza, my contact in the Bay Area, about my Port Chicago book sales at the town reunion this weekend. Sold 32 (I'd sent 50). She'll send me a check and hold on to the rest to try to sell at events in related September and October. I'm pleased. There was an article in today's Contra Costa Times about the reunion and my book was mentioned and quoted. The reporter, Tanya Rose, did an excellent job with the article. I think with this, I'm pretty much done with the book. I don't anticipate many more sales--a dozen or two in the next two months. That's it. I done my job.

My interview with the Concord Transcript appeared today. The interview focused on my book--on the town, rather than the usual focus on the epxolsion and the mutiny. A Good Thing. http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_9905661?source=rss. I also have something coming out dunno when from the Pittsburg Historical Society, their newsletter. It's essentially an advertisement for Port chicago Isn't There since it consists of the introduction to the book and info from the sales flier I sent out. Today is the anniversary of the 1944 ammo ship explosion so folks are talking about stuff related to my book--and they're talking about my book too. I've gotten e-mails today from folks who read the article. This is fun. There will be formal ceremonies on Saturday to commemorate the explosion and the 320 sailors who died in the blast. Saturday is also my birthday (62). Next weekend, Saturday the 26th, is the town reunion. My sisters will be there to sell my book.
Except for the fact that I'm living a toilet-oriented life, as Jay lake would say, alllllll's well.

Port Chicago Isn't There Anymore is selling modestly. 19 books. I sent 50 to the reunion. Several folks have already told me they intend to buy the book there. Only two of my sales so far have been Paypal. My target audience, after all, is over 60--and get this: I probably know most of them personally, have known many of them for more than 50 years. How's that for a targeted audience?
The book intro plus cover shot and blurbs and ordering info will be included in the next Pittsburg Historical Society newsletter. Again, a Very Specific audience, and this pitch cost me nothing. I was solicited, not the other way around. Ditto an interview in the Concord Transcript, upcoming. That'll be less specific, but it'll reach a larger audience. Dunno numbers in either case, but it's PR I couldn't buy.
Still, my sales expectation remain modest. You buy this book because the subject interests you, and few are interested--I've know this for years. What kind of buzz would push it beyond that narrow band of folk who either lived in Port Chicago or live in the Bay Area and have heard of it? Dunno. Expect about 200-300 book sales this summer. Hope: Big Time Buzz. We'll see.

On July 19, I will be 62 years old. I want a pony.

My grandtad Mikey came home from the hospital last night, walking a bit gimpy but walking. He has a walker--a cute little walker we rented for him (he's eight). He's in good spirits. He still loves doctor stuff, tho I though getting bumnped by a car would have discouraged him in thta department. He was a patient patient. Lynne says he pestered the nurses to show him the surgery room. (He lvoes his doctor shows.) He's been advised to go swimming (as soon as the scabs form on his elbow and knee owie).
What happened: Mikey was riding his bike in the cul de sac across the street. Lynne was mowing out front and I watched occasionally out my office window. He was doing all the right things--wearing his helmet, riding on the sidewalk. And so was the driver of the pickup that backed over him. She knew kids played in the area and she knew one of them was Mikey--on a bright (but small) yellow bike. She didn't see anybody, backed out--and there he was. Too late. Bad timing. The tree Right There blocked her view That Much.
Anyway, all's well now.

Visit with Patrick and Orion went well. He arrived at about one yesterday and we lollygagged and bullshitted till about ten. Patrick is in the shower now and the littlun is sleeping. They have a 9 hour drive ahead--here to Kalispell. Orion has a DVD player in the car and they have AC. All's well.

Later today, I'll get off to the mail the Port Cchicago books I had hoped to send Saturday before Life Happened. But, see, Lynne can't drive me--she has to tend to Mikey (and Molly is at work). So we're borrowing another of My People to do it. Darrell is the retired Special Forces guy who lives next door. We mow his lawns and he helps us here and there now and then as he can. A ride to the post office seems like a favor we can ask.

Then--well, I expect to do my share of lollygagging today.

All's well.

I expect to be interrupted any minute by the arrival of Patrick and Orion. Looking forward to. Lynne went shopping last night to stock our refrigrator and shelves, so we're good to go there. It's hot outside--90 degrees--so we may delay using the pool till later this evening. It's Sunday so things are closed, so being a tour guide will be a challenge. (I'm thinking we may go by castle park to show Orion :) and maybe get a snowcone, which I can eat.) Lynne is not here. Neither is Molly or Mikey. I'd hoped Mikey would be here to play with Orion, but--long story--he's in the hospital recovering from a bicycle accident (car hit him) which is where Molly and Lynne are. So it's just me.
Mo' later.

I began my e-mailout PR campaign for Port Chicago Isn't There Anymore--But We Still Call It Home yesterday. (I've sent off the 321 fliers in the mail.) Yesterday, I got up to D in my addrss book. Today I continue, in alphabetical order. Couple days to finish, with plenty of time to rest (nap) between sessions on the keyboard. I think I may have a thousand or so addresses in the book. I've been accumulating addresses for about 15 years now, I guess. I don't expect a high order or response (single digits) so I'm Keeping It Simple. Here's what I send out: NOW AVAILABLE: Port Chicago Isn't There Anymore--But We Still Call It Home. Read the introduction on my website at www.sfwa.org/members/Rand/. From Media Man! Productions. To find out how to order, contact me at KRand27577@aol.com.

Ken

And when I get a response (I've gotten a few already) I send this: To order…

– $24.95. Shipping and handling is FREE
– by Paypal: to KRand27577@aol.com
– by check: to Ken Rand, 1498 Bora Bora Dr., West Jordan, UT 84084

ISBN: 978-1-933846-09-5

Trade paperback, 306 pages, table of contents, photographs, maps, sources, appendix (2007 memorial list), index

Dunno whow well this whole effort will work. I suspect the fliers will grab more response than the e-mailout effort. There will also be books at the town reunion in late July and I expect there will be a few dozen sold there. That'll probably be it. maybe 250-350 sold or so this summer than it'll fall off the radar.
But, my, what fun this book has been.

Saw the nutritionist yesterday. Actually, a team of three people worked on me for a couple hours. We're going to tweak some things--less copper, more iron and vitamin D in my TPN. And so on. Big concern is my liver enzymes. The nutritionist was enthusiastic about several procedures that can close a fistula and get a person off TPN, but she hadn't seen the surgical notes or talked with Dr. Hansen, my surgeon, who's been following my case since onset in January 2001. After she did, she re-confirmed that surgery is not an option, that the remedies she outlined before she talked with Dr. Hansen would more likely kill me than help me because I'm too messed up inside. I'm on TPN for the duration and the fistula will probably never close.
The nutritionist said she'd had a PMP patient before. A woman, who lived for 11 years with the malady. I'm in my eighth year.
I got a metabolism test that showed my at-rest calorie output (?) is 1465. My TPN is set for 1700 calories a day, and "over-eating" is Not Good with TPN so the pharmacy will reduce the mix down a couple hundred. I know, I know--most folks require 2000 calories a day or more, but I'm not as active and my condition is unusual.
I'm pickled tink that, at this critical stage of the game, I have a small army of medical professionals tinkering. I'm even more blessed that my wife has taken to caring for me--learning how to do some interesting medical procedures--with her usual ease and grace and good cheer. I got folks checking on me every few months, some every few weeks, some once a week--but Lynne is with me every hour of every day. I'm lucky in so many ways.

This morning, Lynne took me to see Dr. Hansen, my surgeon, who's been following my case since he first opened me up in January 2001. We took Mikey with us. He took along two cardboard parrots to play with. Anyway, I asked Dr. Hansen what to expect now and he told me what he could: my fatigue is more probably related to my PMP than anything else and that I'm most likely stuck with this level of energy, that I won't get any better in that regard. (I still have a visit with a nutritionist next week and maybe they'll come up with something.) I'm already used to dealing with it so that wasn't the bad news. He also said he hasn't any idea what to expect in terms of how the disease may progress from here on. Pressure is one problem--the mucus presses against organs in the abdominal cavity, causing complications. Liver, spleen, pancreas, bowel. Or maybe not. Maybe the stuff stabilizes as it reaches some sort of maximum capacity and slows its already slow growth rate and I get to live in my current condition for years yet. One worst case scenario he envisioned as possible: the stuff chokes off the blood supply to my lower bowel. I'll feel a rather sudden onset of severe pain down there and require a trip to the hospital. There, they'll discover the obstruction. Inoperable. Unsevivable. Couple of days.
Botom line is nobody knows diddly about what is next for me.
Sounds grim, but I'm okay. I focus my waking energy on writerly and family tasks and projects. I have the Port Chicago book project waiting in the wings. This is the kind of stuff that keeps me focused. This fall, there's the Fariwood collection and next year, two more novels. Other goals: Patrick is coming to visit this summer, I want to see our garden grow, I want to see the Jazz play again, I want to vote. And I have a couple of good books I want to read. I'm good.