キャミー・タング著「戌年」連載小説 プロのドッグトレーナーであるマリ・ムトウは、厄年を迎えている。 犬小屋と訓練所の改築をしながら、いつも不服そうにしている家族と同居することになった。母と姉に言わせれば、犬の毛とよだれかけにまみれる仕事は、家族にとって恥ずべきものだという。彼女は元カレを説得し、数ヶ月間犬を預かってもらうことにした。しかし、彼の兄は、数週間前に彼女が誤って車に追突した、怒り狂ったセキュリティ専門家であることが判明する。 アシュウィン・ケイトウは十分な問題を抱えている。叔母が玄関先に現れ、同居を希望している。彼は彼女にすべてを借りているので、断ることができません。母親が家を出て行った後、ネルおばさんはアシュウィンと弟を引き取り、愛のあるキリスト教の家庭で育てた。しかも、弟のダスティもアパートを追い出され、居場所を求めている。しかし、彼は犬を飼っている。そして、その犬の飼い主は誰だと思いますか? しかし、旧友でオアフ島のノースショアでデイスパを経営する私立探偵のエディサ・ゲレロから依頼を受ける。マリの施設で奇妙な破壊行為があり、3年前に失踪したエディサの妹の財布を発見する。エディサはマリが危険な目に遭っているのではと心配する。警備の専門家であるアシュウィンがすでにマリを知っていることを知ったエディサは、忙しい若い女性を密かに監視することを彼に依頼する。 アシュウィンは、活発でのんびりとしたドッグトレーナーに不本意ながら惹かれていく。彼女は、幸せそうな母親を思い出させる。その母親の裏切りによって、彼は人と距離を置くようになったのだ。マリは、アシュウィンの冷たい外見を見抜き、彼が家族に忠実な男であることを認める。彼は、彼女のキャリア選択を批判するだけの母親や姉とは違う。 マリのバラバラな家庭とアシュウィンのバラバラな家庭の中で、過去を隠そうとする人たちから、彼らの周りに危険が迫ってくるようになる。彼らは、影で動く秘密に光を当てることができるのか? 過去に発表されたパートへのリンクはこちら。 *** 第8章 - 恐ろしくも真っ白な不動産書類 『みんな仲良くできないのかな?』 マリは無用に力を込めて箱に本を投げ入れた。最近、なぜ彼女は人生の中で全員と言い争いをしているのだろう?もしかすると、これは本当に悪いアイデア
Captain's Log, Stardate 07.06.2007
My flight left San Jose at 6:50 AM, which meant I had to get to the airport at 5:30 AM, which meant we had to leave the house at 5:00 AM, which means I got up at FOUR THIRTY A.M. Camy was not a pretty sight. That also might explain why I went to the wrong gate at first, but luckily I was only off by a number and got to the correct gate before they called my boarding group.
I sat next to this tall college kid and felt old. I don’t fly well, so I put on my earphones and watched a movie on my video iPod for most of the flight. Near the end of the four+ hour trip, the kid and I chatted a little, and I found out he’s Christian, and he’s a volleyball player! He was coach for a high school boys’ team going to Atlanta for a tournament.
We chatted about volleyball injuries for a while. I gave him my bookmark and he said his mom might like my book.
I didn’t check beforehand if Omni Hotel had free shuttles to and from the airport, so I wandered to the hotel shuttle area and came up with nil. Luckily I found signs to other shuttles, but they were pretty slow and since I was the only one, I had to wait.
After waiting a while, the driver directed me to another shuttle service near the Baggage Claim (Atlanta has no SuperShuttle, they have this similar company called Link, but I wouldn’t have known they were like SuperShuttle if the guy hadn’t told me). The timing was actually incredible because the time I spent waiting enabled me to ride with a car full of ICRS people.
I met the Marketing Director for NavPress (but forgot to ask his name) and one of his marketing people, I think her name was Jessica but I can’t remember. She was SO nice. We were talking about NavPress and speculative fiction, and she gave me her copy of Tosca Lee’s Demon! Cool, huh?
I also met Patty and Wendy, who own Sonshine Christian Book Store (I think it’s in New Jersey). They’re affiliated with Parables.
I also met another woman whose name I forgot to ask for, who’s a nonfiction book author with Howard.
It was a fun trip to downtown. I enjoyed talking with them. And if I’d been early, I wouldn’t have sat with them in the shuttle at all.
Here’s a picture of my room:
And here’s the view from my balcony:
Cool, huh? I’m right across from the park.
I don’t often have a room all to myself. I considered getting a roommate, but I thought about it too late, and I also think I might have had a hard time finding someone who was staying at the show as long as I am. I have to pay for the extra nights anyway, so I might as well enjoy my privacy.
I get to use up the ENTIRE BATHROOM COUNTER. I can leave all my stuff out. I can take up all the hangers in the closet. I can use up all the cups and the towels. I have a huge king-size bed to myself:
(Captain Caffeine is now green with envy—I typically don’t move much when I sleep, whereas he rolls around the entire bed.)
I was a little at loose ends, so I left a message on Wendy’s phone to see if she’d gotten into Atlanta yet, but I ended up falling asleep until 11:00 PM, when Wendy called me. They had just gotten in. We chatted for a while, then I ordered room service since I was STARVING—vegetable pizza.
$20, after I added tip. But having hot pizza at 11:30 PM—priceless.
I intend to sleep in tomorrow since I don’t have anything to do until lunchtime, when I’m meeting a local Korean American blogger and his wife for lunch!
Update: OH MY GOSH THE OMNI SHOWER IS FANTASTIC! High shower head, just the right water pressure, hot and soothing. I could have stayed in there another hour. The fan in the bathroom is pretty good, too.
Continued: ICRS Saturday
My flight left San Jose at 6:50 AM, which meant I had to get to the airport at 5:30 AM, which meant we had to leave the house at 5:00 AM, which means I got up at FOUR THIRTY A.M. Camy was not a pretty sight. That also might explain why I went to the wrong gate at first, but luckily I was only off by a number and got to the correct gate before they called my boarding group.
I sat next to this tall college kid and felt old. I don’t fly well, so I put on my earphones and watched a movie on my video iPod for most of the flight. Near the end of the four+ hour trip, the kid and I chatted a little, and I found out he’s Christian, and he’s a volleyball player! He was coach for a high school boys’ team going to Atlanta for a tournament.
We chatted about volleyball injuries for a while. I gave him my bookmark and he said his mom might like my book.
I didn’t check beforehand if Omni Hotel had free shuttles to and from the airport, so I wandered to the hotel shuttle area and came up with nil. Luckily I found signs to other shuttles, but they were pretty slow and since I was the only one, I had to wait.
After waiting a while, the driver directed me to another shuttle service near the Baggage Claim (Atlanta has no SuperShuttle, they have this similar company called Link, but I wouldn’t have known they were like SuperShuttle if the guy hadn’t told me). The timing was actually incredible because the time I spent waiting enabled me to ride with a car full of ICRS people.
I met the Marketing Director for NavPress (but forgot to ask his name) and one of his marketing people, I think her name was Jessica but I can’t remember. She was SO nice. We were talking about NavPress and speculative fiction, and she gave me her copy of Tosca Lee’s Demon! Cool, huh?
I also met Patty and Wendy, who own Sonshine Christian Book Store (I think it’s in New Jersey). They’re affiliated with Parables.
I also met another woman whose name I forgot to ask for, who’s a nonfiction book author with Howard.
It was a fun trip to downtown. I enjoyed talking with them. And if I’d been early, I wouldn’t have sat with them in the shuttle at all.
Here’s a picture of my room:
And here’s the view from my balcony:
Cool, huh? I’m right across from the park.
I don’t often have a room all to myself. I considered getting a roommate, but I thought about it too late, and I also think I might have had a hard time finding someone who was staying at the show as long as I am. I have to pay for the extra nights anyway, so I might as well enjoy my privacy.
I get to use up the ENTIRE BATHROOM COUNTER. I can leave all my stuff out. I can take up all the hangers in the closet. I can use up all the cups and the towels. I have a huge king-size bed to myself:
(Captain Caffeine is now green with envy—I typically don’t move much when I sleep, whereas he rolls around the entire bed.)
I was a little at loose ends, so I left a message on Wendy’s phone to see if she’d gotten into Atlanta yet, but I ended up falling asleep until 11:00 PM, when Wendy called me. They had just gotten in. We chatted for a while, then I ordered room service since I was STARVING—vegetable pizza.
$20, after I added tip. But having hot pizza at 11:30 PM—priceless.
I intend to sleep in tomorrow since I don’t have anything to do until lunchtime, when I’m meeting a local Korean American blogger and his wife for lunch!
Update: OH MY GOSH THE OMNI SHOWER IS FANTASTIC! High shower head, just the right water pressure, hot and soothing. I could have stayed in there another hour. The fan in the bathroom is pretty good, too.
Continued: ICRS Saturday
Comments
Enjoy that room and have a great time. I'll be praying for ya! :-)
wish i could have gone. hope you enjoy the trip!
Tosca Lee
Hope you had a good time, I'm jealous of all the free books you got - but hey! when I got home, I had a free book waiting for me - the Yada Yada book I won from you! Thank You!