Blog Without A Name

Low rider is the one to meet, yeah

Steve made us power pancakes for breakfast, with strawberries, mmm, and I’m allowing myself a second cup of coffee while I balance the checkbook.
 
In respect of the called-for 92F/33C temperatures on the day, I have preemptively closed the curtains, to the dismay of the resident felines. Well, except for Scrabble. Scrabble knows how to get inside the curtains and sit on the sill. The Silly Fluffs also know how to do this, and if their gruntle grows sufficiently, they will use this knowledge. For the moment, however, I am being Tasked with the complaint that the Comfy Sun Places. . .have no sun.
 
The heat pumps do a really good job of keeping the house cool, and I am increasingly glad that we decided to damn the torpedoes last year and get them installed, rather than waiting until this year, when we could have theoretically “afforded” them.
 
Our bow to the holiday is to have the Food of Our People for lunch — hot dogs and various salads — but mostly this is a working day, there being work to be done.
 
Everybody have a good Thursday, and we’ll see you on the flip-side.
Today’s blog post title brought to you by War, “Low Rider.”  Here’s your link.

Books read in 2019

29. The Thurb Revolution, Alexei Panshin (read aloud with Steve; re-read for both)
28. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-read)
27. Star Well, Alexei Panshin (read aloud with Steve; re-read for both)
26. The Cat Who Wasn’t There, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (re-read)
24. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (re-read)
23. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (re-read)
22. Maiden of the Machine, Volume 1, Caitlin Like
21. The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes, Neil Gaiman
20. The Franchise Affair, Josephine Tey (read aloud with Steve)
19. City of Whispering Stone, George C. Chesbro (read aloud with Steve)
18. Allegiance of Honor, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
17. Storm Cursed, Patricia Briggs (e)
16. Who Slays the Wicked, C.S. Harris
15. The Warlock in Spite of Himself, Christopher Stasheff (re-read)
14. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
13. Wild Ride, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
12. Shadow of a Broken Man, George C. Chesbro (read aloud with Steve)
11. How Much for Just the Planet?, John M. Ford
10. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
9.  Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik
8.  Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch
7.  The Luckiest Lady in London, Sherry Thomas
6.  Release the Virgins, Michael A. Ventrella, editor (read aloud with Steve)
5.  Becoming, Michelle Obama
4.  Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
3. the unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Ryan North, Erica Henderson
2.  Alliance Rising, CJ Cherryh & Jane S. Fancher (read out loud with Steve)
1.  A Shilling for Candles, Josephine Tey (read out loud with Steve)

Shopping, the sport of kings

So, I had foolishly made a 7:30 am eye doctor appointment.   It turns out that the eye doctor makes block appointments, not personal appointments. So, even though I was there at 7:29, with Steve acting as chauffeur, there were three people ahead of me. I was eventually taken in hand, and found out that asking for a prescription for contact lenses was much more complicated than it used to be.*
 
I stuck with it, though, and am now eyeglass-less in Central Maine. I then gathered Steve, who was by now — “now” being 9 am — starving, and we went to breakfast at Governor’s, as the option that got the plate to the table fastest.
 
Breakfast done, it was to Staples, to send the Chromebook off to its new home, and buy Steve a lap desk for his laptop. Then to the post office where bidness was concluded, and then! across the river to Fortin’s where we put in an order for a La-z-boy power lift and power dismount chair to act as Central Headquarters during the weeks I will be off my feet.
 
I was very, very conflicted about this purchase, since we really don’t, yanno, need another chair, but it seems the better part of more or less everything, and it will still be useful after its motivating purpose is completed. Still — yow! On the good news side, our timing was good, since the chair has to be ordered. If I want it in October, and apparently I do, today was the day to put in the order.
The rest of the day is taken up with a phone call, and writing, so I’d best get to that.
Everybody have a good Monday.
__________________
* Remember when you used to just walk into a mall store, announce your willingness to be fitted for contact lenses and 45 minutes later you were walking out the door, contacts in place?  The last century was such a simple place, in so many ways.  Also, I had a little bit of a tussle with the eye doctor.  Asking for information about my new lenses was confusing to him.  After all, when I need a new pair, all I have to do is call the office and order them.  I did finally get a copy of my prescription, but it’s really not the kind of argument you want to have on an empty stomach.

Books read in 2019

28. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson (re-re-re-read)
27. Star Well, Alexei Panshin (read aloud with Steve; re-read for both)
26. The Cat Who Wasn’t There, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (re-read)
24. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (re-read)
23. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (re-read)
22. Maiden of the Machine, Volume 1, Caitlin Like
21. The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes, Neil Gaiman
20. The Franchise Affair, Josephine Tey (read aloud with Steve)
19. City of Whispering Stone, George C. Chesbro (read aloud with Steve)
18. Allegiance of Honor, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
17. Storm Cursed, Patricia Briggs (e)
16. Who Slays the Wicked, C.S. Harris
15. The Warlock in Spite of Himself, Christopher Stasheff (re-read)
14. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
13. Wild Ride, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
12. Shadow of a Broken Man, George C. Chesbro (read aloud with Steve)
11. How Much for Just the Planet?, John M. Ford
10. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
9.  Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik
8.  Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch
7.  The Luckiest Lady in London, Sherry Thomas
6.  Release the Virgins, Michael A. Ventrella, editor (read aloud with Steve)
5.  Becoming, Michelle Obama
4.  Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
3. the unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Ryan North, Erica Henderson
2.  Alliance Rising, CJ Cherryh & Jane S. Fancher (read out loud with Steve)
1.  A Shilling for Candles, Josephine Tey (read out loud with Steve)

New Liaden Universe® story in upcoming anthology

“Dark Secrets,” a brand-new Liaden Universe® story will appear in Infinite Stars: Dark Frontiers coming from Titan Books in November.  Contributing authors include:  C.J. Cherryh, Brenda Cooper, Tanya Huff, Susan R. Matthews, Seanan McGuire, Jack Campbell — and more!  Edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt.

Here’s a press release, revealing all the contributing authors.

Link to preorder from BN.

Link to preorder from Amazon.

Books read in 2019

27. Star Well, Alexei Panshin (read aloud with Steve; re-read for both)
26. The Cat Who Wasn’t There, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (re-read)
24. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (re-read)
23. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (re-read)
22. Maiden of the Machine, Volume 1, Caitlin Like
21. The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes, Neil Gaiman
20. The Franchise Affair, Josephine Tey (read aloud with Steve)
19. City of Whispering Stone, George C. Chesbro (read aloud with Steve)
18. Allegiance of Honor, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
17. Storm Cursed, Patricia Briggs (e)
16. Who Slays the Wicked, C.S. Harris
15. The Warlock in Spite of Himself, Christopher Stasheff (re-read)
14. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
13. Wild Ride, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
12. Shadow of a Broken Man, George C. Chesbro (read aloud with Steve)
11. How Much for Just the Planet?, John M. Ford
10. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
9.  Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik
8.  Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch
7.  The Luckiest Lady in London, Sherry Thomas
6.  Release the Virgins, Michael A. Ventrella, editor (read aloud with Steve)
5.  Becoming, Michelle Obama
4.  Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
3. the unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Ryan North, Erica Henderson
2.  Alliance Rising, CJ Cherryh & Jane S. Fancher (read out loud with Steve)
1.  A Shilling for Candles, Josephine Tey (read out loud with Steve)

Holding pattern

So, I don’t know whether it’s better to write a blog entry when, really, nothing is happening worth talking about, and therefore annoying the adrenaline junkies amongst us; or to not so post, and distress the worriers.

Well.

Steve’s version of the Vile Cold turned to pneumonia, and he’s been taking prescribed meds and getting some rest.  My version — decided to come back again, though not as drippy this time, and heavier on the coughing.  The coon cats are still on the case.  Work is going forth, albeit slowly.  The people in charge of sorting out the possible professional engagement in October have reshuffled themselves one! more! time! so no news on that front, then.

We will be doing an interview with Tony Daniels of the Baen Free Radio Hour later this afternoon, which will no doubt be fun.  Our plan is to change off hacking our heads off, so we’ll see how that works out.

If I am candid, I’d allow that, really, the biggest news right now, is the back yard.  We have, like, six cardinals living in the back yard, a fair mess of chickadees and goldfinchen, a few morning doves, a nice married couple of grosbeak, purple finches, downy woodpecker, and his cousin, red-bellied woodpecker, house sparrows, and the ever-popular flying fish — aka, the ruby-throated hummingbird.   We’re still feeding, so the action is up close and personal.

Especially thrilling has been the resident flyers’ discovery! of the birdbaths.  Mind you, I put them out months ago, wipe down and refill them every day, but the discovery happened only this week.  Now the things are littered with goldfinchen, and I’ve gone from thinking that putting out two saucers was too many to thinking that I might to install two more.

Down the bottom of the garden, the sea rose is going gangbusters.  I had hoped this year to place another up nearer to the house, but that went the way of planting the butterfly garden — between the Incredibly Rainy Spring and Life. . .well, next year will have to do.

On the subject of other wildlife, we had a skunk scoping the place out for a few days a couple weeks ago, but she finally decided we wouldn’t do, and moved on, leaving us the grey squirrels and the woodchuck, and perhaps the fox, though I haven’t seen her this year.

So, there you are — a surfeit of excitement, to be sure.  I hope I haven’t overwhelmed anyone’s capacity for thrills.

Here, have a picture of Trooper and Belle, overlooking the hummer bar.

Even more updatery

So, Steve has caught the Vile, Drippy Cold.  While I could have wished it would have skipped him, you really can’t fault the timing.  The coon cats are on medic duty in the living room; I am covering House, and getting back seriously to the manuscript.  I see many twelve hour days in my near future, if we’re going to turn this thing in on time, which!

I have foot surgery scheduled for October, with 6-8 weeks blocked out to heal.  While I don’t expect to goof off for an entire 6-8 weeks, I’m planning according to Worst Case Predictions, so any surprises will be pleasant.

Anyway, the book clearly needs to be done and handed in by the end of  September, latest, so that’s what will happen.

In other news, I ordered a tambour clock for the living room, so I can know what time it is when I’m in the living room and have failed to count the hours rung on the mechanical clock situated on the wall around the corner.  It is. . .not as large as I had anticipated (remembering my grandmother’s tambour clock — aka, the “mantle clock”), but, positioned properly, I can see it from the couch, and, because I can tell Analog Time, all I really need to see is the position of the hands.

To be fair, I did not pay Actual Mechanical Tambour Clock $$ for it.  While it is made out wood, it is battery operated, and it doesn’t chime (two competing chiming clocks would not do) and!  I didn’t have to buy another Stoopid Plastic Digital Clock that will die in two years.  I’ve purchased ‘way too many of those in my lifetime and I — just couldn’t do it again.

Today’s Game Plan, for those who are coaching at home — Steve resting (which is to say, not sitting at the computer.  A Very Savvy Doctor once explained to me that sitting at the computer, even doing “nothing” is not resting.  Resting is resting.  As in so many things, she was correct.)

So, Steve resting.  Coon cats on duty.  Sharon with manuscript until it’s time to get lunch on the table.  More resting and working, after lunch, until it’s time for ice cream.  Resting and working until it’s time for supper, and being read to, and so to bed.

Yeah, it’s a tough schedule, but we’re going to do our best to keep up.

Everybody stay healthy.

 

Books read in 2019

26. The Cat Who Wasn’t There, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. The King of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (re-read)
24. The Queen of Attolia, Megan Whalen Turner (re-read)
23. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (re-read)
22. Maiden of the Machine, Volume 1, Caitlin Like
21. The Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes, Neil Gaiman
20. The Franchise Affair, Josephine Tey (read aloud with Steve)
19. City of Whispering Stone, George C. Chesbro (read aloud with Steve)
18. Allegiance of Honor, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
17. Storm Cursed, Patricia Briggs (e)
16. Who Slays the Wicked, C.S. Harris
15. The Warlock in Spite of Himself, Christopher Stasheff (re-read)
14. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
13. Wild Ride, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
12. Shadow of a Broken Man, George C. Chesbro (read aloud with Steve)
11. How Much for Just the Planet?, John M. Ford
10. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
9.  Spinning Silver, Naomi Novik
8.  Lies Sleeping, Ben Aaronovitch
7.  The Luckiest Lady in London, Sherry Thomas
6.  Release the Virgins, Michael A. Ventrella, editor (read aloud with Steve)
5.  Becoming, Michelle Obama
4.  Agnes and the Hitman, Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (read aloud with Steve; re-read for me; first read for him)
3. the unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Ryan North, Erica Henderson
2.  Alliance Rising, CJ Cherryh & Jane S. Fancher (read out loud with Steve)
1.  A Shilling for Candles, Josephine Tey (read out loud with Steve)