Saturday, March 21, 2026, Orlando, Florida

Hi there.

Itโ€™s a warm, butteryโ€‘gold afternoon in Central Florida. The temperature sits at 76ยฐF (24ยฐC) under bright, generous sunshine, but with humidity at 36% and a westโ€‘northwest breeze of 8 MPH (12 KmH), it feels closer to 81ยฐF (27ยฐC). Itโ€™s one of those rare Goldilocks days in the Sunshine Stateโ€”neither too hot nor too cool, just perfectly balanced.

March 2024: Spring saw longer days and fewer snowstorms.
This was a Goldilocks day in Madison, NH, although it’s later in the season (April 2024) and still chillier than a “spring” day in Florida.

Up north, in places like New York and New Hampshire, this would pass for a lovely โ€œreal springโ€ day. Based on my experiences in both states, though, it feels more like late spring than the seasonโ€™s first act. I checked my Microsoft Weather app a few minutes ago: Madison, New Hampshire, is still shivering at 39ยฐF (4ยฐC). Even so, I imagine the Eidelweiss Districtโ€”my old neighborhoodโ€”looks beautiful this afternoon, crisp air and all.

There isnโ€™t much news to report, but I did get a small bright spot last night. Amazonโ€™s Kindle Direct Publishing sent me an email saying I can expect a royalty payment for last monthโ€™s book sales.

According to KDP, I should receive an electronic deposit of $19.98 from Amazonโ€™s U.S. store, plus a yetโ€‘toโ€‘beโ€‘determined amount for ยฃ1.54 from the U.K. store once the exchange rate is applied. Itโ€™s not a jawโ€‘dropping figure, I know, but honestly earned royaltiesโ€”however modestโ€”are always welcome. Twentyโ€‘something dollars is still better than zero, and itโ€™s a reminder that somewhere out there, someone is reading my work.

Since the notice arrived on a Friday night, Iโ€™m guessing the deposit will hit my Florida bank account on Monday or Tuesday. With luck, the poundsโ€‘toโ€‘dollars conversion wonโ€™t be too harsh, and the total might nudge a bit over $21.

As for the rest of this Saturday, Iโ€™m not sure how Iโ€™ll spend it. I might pull out one of my favorite films from my physical media collectionโ€”2001: A Space Odyssey and The Music Man are the frontโ€‘runners. I havenโ€™t watched many discs since moving here, partly because I still donโ€™t have shelves or bins to organize my DVDs, Bluโ€‘rays, and 4K UHDs, and partly because the layout of my room makes TV viewing a little awkward. Still, a good movie is always tempting on a day like this.


Looking Ahead

The weekend feels like a gentle reset, and Iโ€™m hoping to carry that energy into the coming week. With a bit of luckโ€”and a bit of disciplineโ€”I might make some real progress on The Jim Garraty Chronicles. Even small steps count, and if the weather holds, I may even find myself in the right headspace to push the project forward.

For now, though, Iโ€™m just enjoying this rare, justโ€‘right Florida afternoon. Hereโ€™s to a peaceful weekend and a productive week ahead.

Why are you reporting this comment?

Report type