I’ve been busy living the dream over the last month, I guess. This is the glamorous life of a successful author – traveling for book events, writing further pieces and building toward more big things and grander schemes. But, of course, mine are successes of scale and life remains anything but glamorous overall (I’d worry if it were otherwise). I still work a menial job to pay the bills and my free time is generally spent in unglamorous and seldom-seen corners of the natural world.

Running was September’s most consistent theme. In late August I got on glucosamine and started beating back the ill-effects of shin splints. There was an early Oct. trail marathon coming up and I’d experienced 5 months of substandard training by Sept. 1. But September saw success after success as I ran harder and longer runs, increasing mileage weekly. As of Sept. 30, however, I hadn’t met my weight or weekly distance goals and the longest run I’d completed was only 13 miles – half a marathon. I’ll post something about the race outcome in the next few days.

In late August I received an unexpected but welcome invitation back to the Heartland Institute in Chicago, an institution with whom I share a common world view: free market libertarian ideology that works for our earth too. The invitation was incredibly generous and Susan and I enjoyed our place among hundreds of honorees, attendees, donors and advisors. Everyone loves the book cover Susan worked so hard on; virtually no-one has actually finished my book. The political satirist P.J. O’rourke spoke and also offered me a little advice on authorhood: “Stop now – save yourself the heartache!” I apparently have a new role with the organization as well – Environmental Policy Consultant. And as I said to a confidant yesterday, I hope I can get a sash that advertises this or at least a button.

I have a lot to write about Sept. and early Oct. so I’ll post again soon with something about my recent time in New England and about a marathon through the Connecticut hardwood forest. I’ll include a link below to the opening of the Heartland event with Joseph Bast – a man who took an unexpected personal interest in my work just before the book’s release this spring.

Joe Bast – Heartland Benefit Dinner