Every now and then, despite knowing better, I just get the feeling that the Universe doesn’t like me. Why else would I get the flu right when I was ready to start on the second half of my new project, Cleanup Crew #1 – The Beauty of Bucharest?

Forget the fact that sitting up for more than five minutes is physically excruciating. The fact that I’ve been running a fever for 4 days (102.1° to start, down to 99.4° currently) has been the real problem, as I find it far more difficult to write without the help of my brain. When it’s cooking itself, it’s less inclined to turn the clever phrase or devise that fiendish plot twist. The degree of Herculean effort being spent to compose these few sentences should not be underestimated.

The good news is that this sort of thing almost always goes away eventually, and as soon as I’m sure I can sustain the effort I’ll get back to work.

In the meantime, please enjoy this picture of a nerdy duck.