I just got off the phone with our printer. It seems that recently Multiverser has been showing up as “out of print” on book dealer web sites. At first I thought it was the standard industry nonsense–if your friendly local gaming store owner tells you that a game is “out of print”, he might mean that he does not know whether he can get it and does not want to extend himself to find out, when he really wants you to buy something he has on the shelves so he can move his inventory. Many companies have complained about this. We still have copies in stock that we can ship for the specified list price of $49.95. We’re not out of print.

However, when collectors started attempting to unload their copies at exorbitant prices, I started looking for the problem in the pipeline. Getting hold of our printer, I learned that at some point a bill was overlooked and when we failed to contact them to pay it, they stopped printing our books. Annoying, that is. The good news, though, is that it will cost a pittance–really, less money than I spend to take my family out to dinner–to resolve the matter, and some paperwork is being e-mailed to the mailing address I use for these matters, so by the end of the week the books should all once more become available through standard channels–that is, unless someone raises a ruckus about this, but if he does he’ll probably have his head handed to him without a valuable silver platter by our easily angered president who already does not like this particular individual and his antics. So I think I’m pretty safe.

That’s really all I’ve accomplished since yesterday. O.K., I feel silly saying that, but I feel silly either way. Once I had established the problem, it took maybe a ten minute phone call to resolve the situation, so it seems like I did almost nothing. On the other hand, it is a major matter to have resolved, and I am breathing easier because of it.

Besides, I was up late last night finishing everything, and it’s still relatively early this afternoon, so it’s surprising I accomplished anything at all in that time.

I am wanting to get into the pool today, just because it happens that I do not have to drive anywhere so I could get directly into my bathing suit and not mess with clothes. It’s a bit chilly, though, which annoys me because it is the first day in over a month that I’ve been able to free up the time to swim (and even that is stretching the concept “free”), and the first day in weeks that is not really good for swimming. Thus I’m trying to decide whether stubbornly to get in the pool or wisely pass up the opportunity.

The day has passed its hot point, though, so if I am to swim, now would be the time.

–M. J. Young