Carlsbad Caverns

So, I'm blogging on my little netbook, which doesn't handle most web pages very well. A couple of people have written me such nice birthday wishes on my Facebook page, and I can't get it to load so that I can thank them, so I'll thank them here. Thanks, guys!
We're in Carlsbad, New Mexico right now and we hiked the caverns today. I'd done this once as a kid, and it was very cool to go back. The caverns are just as big and unearthly as I remember. My one sadness is that the underground restaurant had to be closed. It was contaminating the cave, so I guess I understand, but it was sooo cool to be able to eat lunch at a restaurant 750 feet below ground.
Tomorrow I turn 34, and as coincidence would have it, one of my favorite Christian rock musicians, Jeremy Camp, is performing in Roswell. It's a sign! (That Mr. Camp and other well known Christian musicians play some really out of the way venues, I guess.) Anyway, we'll go to that after we go to church and spend an afternoon playing with our son, who's had to endure rather a lot of time in his carseat.
And yes, I am writing on the road. That's why I have this little netbook. It's hard to get as many words down, but last night I did about 1500. The novel is rolling - a process that takes for-ev-er to launch. My last novel never even reached that point; I think it turned out just fine and is as polished as anything I've written, but I love it when a project progresses to the point that the writing gets easy. It isn't the norm, contrary to what many people believe about an arts profession. It requires as much hard work and un-fun time as any other career.