I'd like to say I'm a magician but that's not true.

I know I did the disappearing act for awhile - for those of you that didn't know I ended up catching COVID - missed almost two weeks of work - three days of a 103 fever - bedridden for an amount of days I can't even remember. And the relentless 24 hours headache - which hey I'm used to that - I get one of those every month but it was tough trying to deal with that while fevering. 

And the body aches I had that day driving home - the soreness in my legs especially I didn't think I was going to be able to finish driving the last 30 minutes home. Wild ride!

There was just no relief present anyway - in any shape or form.

It was one crazy sickness to say the least - I don't who else had these same symptoms but my throat was on fire! 

And then I lost my taste and smell so what's the point of eating when that happens?

So yeah - I'm trying to get caught up on life and work - the usual.

I remember the day before I returned to work I was carrying a gallon of milk in one hand and a gallon of OJ in the other and I was literally huffing and puffing trying to get up the stairs carrying those.

And the driving aspect I literally had to do a little bit of driving three days before I returned to work because that's how bad my driving was impacted. Just my hand eye coordination, my concentration, keeping the car in the lane, response time for hitting the brake. I was so uncomfortable and unsafe behind the wheel - it was rough. 

And working an hour away from home - doing that into work and out of work is no small trip. I'm glad I prepped myself early or I probably would've been in an accident honestly. It was that bad!

I couldn't even bring myself to go over 50 mph for the first week because I still wasn't with it.

I do have exciting news for you though :)

As of today I was able to take the sequel from 22% editing completion to 70% - so about 71 more pages to finish editing and we are gold!

By the looks of things it will be out by or before the end of September!

Siked!

I can't wait to see what the cover looks like in person - that part always excites me!

Stay safe out there && as always, I appreciate ya!

I lost myself into the night
And I flew higher
Than I had ever, but I still felt small
I clipped my wings and fell from flight
To open water
And floated farther away from myself

And I swam in the wakes of imposters
Just to feel what it's like to pretend
There's no dreams in the waves, only monsters
And the monsters are my only friends

They're all that I was
And never could be

Eyes in the dead still water
Tried but it pushed back harder
Cauterized and atrophied
This is my unbecoming
Knives in the backs of martyrs
Lives in the burning fodder
Cauterized and atrophied
This is my unbecoming

You found me drifted out to sea
It's automatic
It's telepathic, you always knew me

And you laugh as I search for a harbor
As you point where your halo had been
But the light in your eyes has been squandered
There's no angel in you in the end

And all that I was
I've left behind me