The morning sun cruelly peeks through drawn curtains. We managed to victor against parking lot floodlights with ease for three nights, but the big, scary, burning ball of death wins supreme. I’m up.

I managed to grab a shower before the chaos of vacating the hotel room begins. I feel quite refreshed, but I failed to pack enough shirts. The one I’m currently brandishing holds yesterday’s energy and last night’s sleep sweat. This will irritate me all the way home.

I excelled during The Reverend’s first official festival where no one knew me as C. Derick Miller. I may have even done better than I did at last year’s Texas Author Con, but those statistics were smoked away months ago. I’ll just roll with it and say I did. In the end, does it matter?

It was non-stop face to face energy for three straight days. From the town’s mayor, to my son’s family, I was asleep by 9pm all three nights. I’m beginning to feel my age when it comes to wearing and removing the mask. It’s a good thing I’m not famous. No Diddy parties in my near future. Besides, I hate the scent of baby oil. If the nineties proved anything, it’s that the smell of that stuff will forever taint a water bed mattress. Also, with all that slipping and sliding, it’s a good way to accidentally raid your partner’s exit. Don’t ask me how I know this. I can’t help it that the maker put the entrance and exit too close together. Perhaps they should’ve provided a presence to check the receipt like Walmart. An individual “in through the out door” failsafe.

I may have just enough energy to visit Buc-ee’s one more time on the way home, but I’m not betting money on it. There’s only so many sleep cycles I can endure after being coated in the decades of cigarette smoke which embedded itself into the furniture and on the walls. As an ex smoker, there’s no denying it.

San Antonio has a military base with a notoriously wide male to female ratio gap. I know, because it was my dream assignment when I served. I liked women. That said, some of the historic orgies that must’ve taken place in this room over time are surely spoke of in hushed legends from veterans to water cooler groupies. I did the same in Augusta, Georgia. Soldiers know soldiers.

I’ll immediately begin gathering resources for my largest author appearance of the year. I look forward to Texas Author & Reader Con this year, because I’ve finally learned my purpose as an artist. None of it involves childish drama with those who must invent such to overshadow their lack of talent. I believe in me again, and that’s a great place to start.

Preach truths,  toke jokes,  and shoplift Amazon.

I just had that first sip of coffee…