The Marshmallow Ranch Gazette (Patreon)

Howdy, patrons!

I have to apologize for blowing it on the update last week -- Further Confusion came along way faster than I had anticipated and suddenly I was knee-deep in panel preparation for it. Part 3 of Boundaries just wasn't ready in time, so I blanked on the new episode for last week. I'm really sorry, and I'll be working very hard to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Further Confusion was a pretty nice time, though; I got to meet a few folks I've had internet crushes on for a while now and caught up with a number of old friends. I was a part of numerous panels over the weekend: "Developing A Writing Practice," "Adult Furry Fiction," "Story Arcs," "Afrofuturism and Furry," and "Anthologies: Threat or Menace?". Getting to talk about some of my favorite aspects of writing with some of the best writers in furry fiction is something I'll never get tired of, that's for sure! Tomorrow I hope to post a follow-up on my "Afrofuturism and Furry" panel to The Writing Desk, where I'll have links to a lot of additional resources if you're interested.

Now that the convention is over, it's time to put the nose to the proverbial grindstone for a while. The next really big deal is "Black Panther", which debuts on February 15th -- you BET I have my tickets already, in IMAX 3D! I don't remember being this hyped for a movie in a really long time, and I'm hoping that I'll get to see it again sometime that weekend. As a black geek, I can't tell all of you how much it means to me to have a superhero so unapologetically black and excellent, with relationships, beliefs, and decisions rooted in a strong African background. This is the biggest Afrofuturist movie ever. I'm so pumped!

Until then, though, it's time to settle down into the routine I've cultivated over the last couple of weeks. Writing, of course, gets top priority; I'm also trying to get back on the stick with exercise in a big way, too. I don't know if I've told you or not, but I really love running -- I keep building a routine there in fits and starts, but I'm hoping that a 12-week scientific study on weight-loss intervention will keep me on the straight and narrow for a while. I've been randomly assigned to the 'vigorous exercise' group (the other groups are 'vigorous exercise/controlled diet' and 'nothing'), so that means I'll be aiming for pretty heavy cardio four times a week (for at least 20 minutes) in addition to strength training twice a week (for at least 30 minutes). Today's the very first session, and I'll be working on runner's training before hitting two miles on the treadmill.

Anyway, part 3 of Boundaries will ACTUALLY drop on Thursday, January 18th -- again, sorry that this part is a week late, and I'll be working over the weekend to make sure part 4 is ready to go *before* I chat with you again here. If I'm diligent, I should be able to start writing ahead this week and next.

I hope all of you have had a pretty great start to the year. What were your new year's resolutions? How have you been coming along on achieving them? Let me know. :D 

Until next time, buckaroos!

-Jakebe