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2014 wasn’t a great year for my career, but it was wonderful for everything else. I called it “the year of doing things and going places,” and that’s what I did. Here’s a small sampling of my adventures.

A wonderful start to 2014 with Chris and his family in Ojai.
Me and Chris in Ojai.
The year I started getting a farm box.
Three of my boys.
*verklempt*
A typical meal at our favorite Thai place, Lum Ka Naad
I had the most incredible (and most expensive) meal of my life at Manresa in San Jose. My first tasting menu!
The single best dish I had at Manresa. The flavor still lingers.
Also at the Nebulas, the lovely Jed.
Nebula Awards weekend with Heather, Daryl, and Liza.
Supercat Finley
Everyone napping except me.
Horizon in all its glory — gold foil and everything!
Achievement unlocked: TRILOGY!
The amazing girls who invited me to their new book club came to my book launch!
Candlewick sent me on a real, honest-to-goodness author tour with the inestimable Pete Hautman. Also pictured is my amazing publicist and our intrepid driver.
Smaug, lord of socks.
On an adventure with Sandra
At Leigh Bardugo’s book launch party with fellow Freeway Dragon, Julia
Logan beckons outside our favorite LA comic shop, Earth 2.
A boy and his box.
My ID card from Launch Pad
Hiking at Launch Pad
Wyoming from WIRO
Launch Pad in Laramie!
Lararmie
My Launch Pad notebook
Brunch at More Than Waffles, one of our favorite places on Earth.
My little sister, Calli
Me and my nephews over the summer
Some of my goofy family
More of my (less goofy) family
Chris and Steven on a movie outing
Oslo uses a red panda for a bed.
Hijinks at the SCBWI conference
Oslo’s face says it all.
Good friends in downtown LA
My first international reprint — in China’s Science Fiction World!
Freeway Dragons meeting! Our group kicked butt this year.
Me and grandmaster Carrie Ogawa-Wong
I started to draw again this year. Sort of.
I did a lot of traveling in 2014. My suitcase was a big hit.
The feral cats in Wimberly, TX, where I visited Sally
Sally and her kitten army
Deer on the Wimberly estate.
Me and Sally at Pear.
Lunch at Torchy’s Tacos in Austin!
Ladies and gentlemen, the amazing Stina Leicht, who gave me a fantastic tour of Austin.
I started designing t-shirts this year. The first one was inspired by LaunchPad (and Carl Sagan)
Raj and Barry at the agency retreat
Agency retreat with Tiffany, Tricia, Carrie, and Colleen
Finley
The gorgeous fields of Iowa during “Goat Heaven.”
A goat at Goat Heaven. Her name is Cinnamon.
Daily walks with Sarah, Deb, and Greg
Goat Heaven cohorts Deb, Greg, and Sarah
Me and the lonely road
Chris and Buzzy on our trip to Fredonia
Us in Fredonia
The flowers outside Chautauqua Institute in Western New York
Chris and his dad Jay waiting for us to finish shopping
Phyllis rehearsing for the most terrifying (and amazing) piano piece I’ve ever heard.
A page of that terrifying piano piece.
Loving my new coppery red hair this year
Buying a box of donuts became a ritual this year
Oslo
My first more elaborate t-shirt design — and the first one someone else actually bought.
Chris looking handsome with his shaggy beard.
A lecture at JPL!
Me and Lisa at JPL
Me and Nicole looking hip at JPL
JPL open house day!
EEEEEEEEEE!
Me with cool space stuff
The DC Arboretum
Visiting with my oldest friend Rick in DC during WFC.
Leaves! Leaves on my feet!
The Washington Monument, really small, at dusk.
Rocking my new shirt and tie for the WFC banquet.
Had one of the best meals of my life at Rose’s Luxury in DC during World Fantasy Con. Shared the meal with Scott, Barry, Raj, Liz, and Greg.
Celebrated a surprised 70th birthday party for my mom.
My brothers.
John and Tracie stop by our place on their way to do something exciting.
Cairo
A great author event with mini cupcakes.
Vegan Thanksgiving spent with friends!
Glorious Thanksgiving feast at Andy and Carol’s.
A last afternoon at Aroma before Amy moved.
Fun people make fun events.
Discovered a new park and fell completely in love with it.
Can’t get enough of this park.
Pelican gossips.
Birds at the park I love.
The best cat picture I’ve ever taken.
The misty road heading north on another one of my roadtrips.
The view from the balcony where Heather works.
Heather and Tim and River, one of my all-time favorite families.
Game night at the Pratt-Shaw house.
The weather finally turns cold, and the cats turn to each other.
Amanda taught me how to make some amazing curried lentils. MMMM.
A random LA sunset
Samples of the stickers I designed this year.
This chard and chickpea dish got us through a lot this year.
The apartment all cozy for the holidays.
One of the only Christmases we’ve ever spent at home.
The cats’ present goes over well
More Than Waffles on Christmas morning.
Another walk around the park on the last day of the year.

6 thoughts on “My 2014 in Pictures”

  5. Tracie W

    I adore this post! It’s wonderful to see you smiling and to share in some of your wide-ranging adventures and successes. I’m glad we’re friends!

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