Rob's Update: Vaguebooking Alert
Where Rob tells you nothing and you'll like it!
Week 14 of 2025
Greetings all!
I’m starting to settle into the format I want for my new, improved email. I’ve had comments from a variety of people (Mostly, mom. Hi, mom!) about this and that, so I’m addressing it.
I’m trying to cut out some of the business stuff, but frankly, some of that needs to be here, so I’ve added some of that back. Fortunately, it’s mostly at the bottom so you can avoid if you like.
Plus, of course, I’ve definitely decided that I want cat pictures every week, so here you go. Oh, but wait, I’m throwing a curveball this week! The wife and I got chicks, so here the “chicks or it didn’t happen” picture!
We got six (though a couple are shy) and had a delightful moment showing them to the granddaughter. It was about too cute for me to stand, but I mustered my courage and pushed through to victory!
Okay, so that’s definitely not the vaguebooking I promised. I have received excellent news that I’m not going to tell you about just yet. It’s news I’ve been waiting and hoping to get for a while, which made getting the good version even more special.
In the meantime, I spent this week working on a variety of projects around the house. It’s been productive, though the current primary WIP has been resistant. However, I’ve turned the corner I think, at least for a while, and made major progress. I am aiming to have it done by the end of June, if not before.
This past weekend, I took the wife and the moms out to a great Easter buffet at a small winery north of Wichita, Grace Hill Winery. The food was delicious, as was the wine. We came home the proud members of their wine club.
Am I becoming a wine snob? Maybe so. Oddly, after starting Mounjaro, I’ve found my palette prefers wine to beer. I don’t drink all that much any more, but I’m leaning toward grape, not grain, these days.
I also spent this week helping with BalloonFest. I’m grateful I only have to focus on the thing I want to do, which is deal with the vendors. Last year, though, I walked 9 miles from about 5:30am to whenever I stopped. My dogs were barking, let me tell you! But again, I don’t have near as much to do this year. I expect I’ll walk no more than 8 miles.
It will come as no surprise that the move to Anthony and the setting up of the store was a drain on my time and energy. Plus, of course, some of the health things I talked about a few weeks ago hindered me. Now, however, I’m feeling better than I have in a long time.
One sign is that I expect to be back in armor soon. It’s time to hit people again—and of course try not to get hit. It’s been too long.
Rob’s Ramblings
It’s also been too long since I last hung out with Dave Butler. If you haven’t met Dave, you’re missing out. He’s incredibly smart, pretty darn talented, and a great guy.
I had him on the show this week so you can see for yourself.
This was a great show where we rambled over a variety of topics, which is fitting, because he’s a guy who’s into a variety of things. We talked games, writing, languages, dogwalking, and more!
And hats! He brought out an epic hat you just have to see.
Here’s the upcoming schedule:
April 14th: Mike Burke and I will discuss the June 1946 issue of Astounding . Want to read along with us, you can find the issue online here: https://www.luminist.org/archives/SF/AST.htm. From there you can download any issue of Astounding up to 1960, which is awesome! I’ll be reading from my paper copy, because of course I am.
Join us for the show here!
April 23rd: NFL Draft Day 1
April 28th: Kelly Grayson and I will sit down for a random chat. Who knows where our minds will go!
Thanks for reading!
Let me know if you have any suggestions on the website, this email, or cool story ideas at rob@robhowell.org. Especially let me know of suggestions you have for the Spotlight section.
Have a great week, everyone.
Rob Howell
Creator of the Firehall Sagas Universe
My Weight Today: 310.6lbs
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