Saturday, October 10, 2026 – Orlando, Florida
It’s a steamy, summery Saturday afternoon in Central Florida — the kind that makes you wonder if the calendar is lying. As I write this, it’s 90°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies, but the humidity has muscled the feels‑like temperature up to a sweltering 100°F (37°C). Technically it’s early October, yet the subtropics insist on pretending it’s still July.
Growing up, we used to get those first hints of cooler, drier northern air by late September. Not “break out the sweaters” cool — just enough to justify a long‑sleeved shirt or a favorite sweatshirt. Now the Sunshine State seems permanently stuck in “Mid‑August Mode,” and the seasons feel more like suggestions than realities.
As for me, I’m sticking to the routine I carved out back when I started writing Reunion: Coda in March 2023: five days of focused work (or my best attempt at it), followed by two days of rest. Writing is rewarding, but it’s also demanding, and now that I’m in my sixties, marathon desk sessions take a toll. Weekends are my buffer — a chance to step back from whatever manuscript is currently giving me the side‑eye. And the Horse You Rode in On certainly has its unresolved issues, but they can wait until Monday.
This afternoon’s agenda is modest: a few housekeeping chores in my bedroom. Nothing dramatic — make the bed (my least favorite task), shelve a few books, restore a bit of order. After that, I might read for a while, or fire up Sea Power: Naval Combat in the Missile Age for a session. Or maybe I’ll do something I’ve barely done since returning to Florida almost two years ago: pick a movie from my Blu‑ray and DVD collection and actually watch it.
But first things first. Before any fun begins, the domestic obligations await — quietly, stubbornly, and with all the persistence of Florida’s endless summer.
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