Stones

May has been all about new construction. For my little business, it's about building some leads and connections. I sent proposals to Men's Journal, National Geographic Adventure, and Backpacker. I think there's some salable, strong story ideas that went out, but I yet have to make a confirmed sale.

In the meantime, I've been building contacts for the garage book, and feel like I'm starting to get a foothold on that project. I found a number of architects who may be able to help find the right kind of garages, and scheduled shoots at places in Wisconsin and Texas. The most exciting is The Texican Shop, a customization shop owned by Los Lonely Boys down in San Angelo, Texas. They do a lot of great things in the community, and also have some great cars and music heritage. Should be a fascinating place to visit.

On the home front, it 's been home improvement month, and Casa de Klanchero has refinished floors, new paint, a new patio, and an asphalt drive going in. This past weekend was the first in the patio-building process. I can't quite say I enjoy laying brick--hauling the blocks and leveling the sand is painstaking, back-straining work. But the results are satisfying. With help from my neighbor, Pete, I finally have a walk in front of my office door in the garage (and another 300 square feet to lay!).

Completing the walk this weekend was no small task, and the result is a cobblestone path that feels solid and substantial. I like working on stone, and my office floor is Chinese slate that lends a rugged look and strong foundation. After a week of working on queries, which you send off into the editorosphere and hope that they get some lift, the contrast of doing work with immediately tangible results is wonderful. I can only hope that the month's queries build a base for my little business as solid as the stones under my feet.