That’s right, I mounted those word count demons, rode them like a drunken camel and prevailed! (With careful guidance from my editor, of course).

Thus concludes my duties with the Romania and Moldova chapters for Europe on a Shoestring 5 and Eastern Europe 9. Jesus does it feel good to have that off my plate. Of course there’s still the entire Romania and Moldova book, most of which is wildly over-length, but I’ve decided to let that simmer while I tackle a smaller LP assignment and take a week to do pretty much nothing but read, eat, sleep and drink.

Indeed, I have three fingers of Kvint brandy from Transdnistria sitting here that I plan to dispatch tonight just like I dispatched that Moldova chapter for EOAS that had to be cut by over 1,000 words from it’s previous incarnation, while paradoxically adding new material. That’s right people, read it and weep in January 2007. I know I did.

Moreover, I’m going to, gasp!, go for a walk to get some fresh air, sun and look at pretty girls before dinner. Can you believe it? A walk! It’s been so long… I wonder if it’s like riding a bike.

I still have one small project. I need to take a fetching picture of myself for the Author Bio section for these books. I fired off an email to see what kind of artistic license was allowed in these photos, thinking I’d don a Homer Simpson mask, a diaper and a giant lollipop, but the reply was longer than the written requirements for a passport photo, noting that ‘it’s best not to look completely exhausted’. Well, if I’d known that was part of the criteria, I would have taken this picture in January!

OK, screw you guys, I’m outta here.

P.S. – Bird flu, bird flu, bird flu.