35. Shield of Winter, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
34. Waiting on a Bright Moon, Jy Yang (e)
33. The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman (e)
32. The Daughter of Time, Josephine Tey (re-read for me; read aloud w/Steve)
31. Eight Million Gods, Wen Spencer (re-read) (e)
30. These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
29. The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang
28. The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
27. The Moon-spinners, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
26. The Cat Who Went Underground, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. Winterglass, Benjanun Sriduangkaew (e)
24. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
23. The Tea Master and the Detective, Aliette de Bodard (e)
22. The Persian Boy, Mary Renault
21. Heart of Obsidian, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
20. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey
19. Woman Without a Past, Phyllis A. Whitney (e)
18. The Mermaid’s Sister, Carrie Anne Noble (e)
17. All Systems Red, Martha Wells (e)
16. Burn Bright, Patricia Briggs (e)
15. The Ivy Tree, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
14. Kiss of Snow, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
13. Throne of Jade, Naomi Novik (e)
12. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik (e)
11. The Cat Who Played Post Office, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
10. The Faded Sun: Kutath, CJ Cherryh (e)
9. Emergence, CJ Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
8. The Faded Sun: Shon’jir, CJ Cherryh (re-read) (e)
7. The Faded Sun: Kesrith, CJ Cherryh (e)
6. My Brother Michael, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
5. The River Bank, Kij Johnson (read aloud with Steve)
4. Still Life, Louise Penny
3. Thick as Thieves, Megan Whalen Turner
2. The Furthest Station, Ben Aaronovitch (e)
1. Romancing the Werewolf, Gail Carriger (e)
Category: Blog
Third before Fourth
So, let’s see.
Steve made pancakes for breakfast; we got out the trash and the recycling; I refreshed the Hummer Bar, and the water in the bird bath; Steve cut down the swinging tire, and added it to the Stuff behind the shed. I called the lawyer’s office; washed pots and pans, unloaded the dishwasher and started filling it back up again. Also, I read my comics and as much of the news as I could stand.
Weatherbeans are calling for a high of 91F/33C today; currently 84F-feels-like-90F (29C-feels-like-32C). Windows are open, and all available fans are ON. Trooper has discovered that the ceramic tile in the “entry hall” (actually it’s a little smaller than your traditional sidewalk hopscotch pattern) is cool(er), and has established a Spot between the front door and the wall. I need to be careful not to push the door wide open and smush him I believe the other cats may be down in the basement, which is not a bad idea.
*Glances at to-do list*
I think it might be time to go to work.
Books read in 2018
34. Waiting on a Bright Moon, Jy Yang (e)
33. The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman (e)
32. The Daughter of Time, Josephine Tey (re-read for me; read aloud w/Steve)
31. Eight Million Gods, Wen Spencer (re-read) (e)
30. These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
29. The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang
28. The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
27. The Moon-spinners, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
26. The Cat Who Went Underground, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. Winterglass, Benjanun Sriduangkaew (e)
24. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
23. The Tea Master and the Detective, Aliette de Bodard (e)
22. The Persian Boy, Mary Renault
21. Heart of Obsidian, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
20. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey
19. Woman Without a Past, Phyllis A. Whitney (e)
18. The Mermaid’s Sister, Carrie Anne Noble (e)
17. All Systems Red, Martha Wells (e)
16. Burn Bright, Patricia Briggs (e)
15. The Ivy Tree, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
14. Kiss of Snow, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
13. Throne of Jade, Naomi Novik (e)
12. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik (e)
11. The Cat Who Played Post Office, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
10. The Faded Sun: Kutath, CJ Cherryh (e)
9. Emergence, CJ Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
8. The Faded Sun: Shon’jir, CJ Cherryh (re-read) (e)
7. The Faded Sun: Kesrith, CJ Cherryh (e)
6. My Brother Michael, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
5. The River Bank, Kij Johnson (read aloud with Steve)
4. Still Life, Louise Penny
3. Thick as Thieves, Megan Whalen Turner
2. The Furthest Station, Ben Aaronovitch (e)
1. Romancing the Werewolf, Gail Carriger (e)
Friday Potpourri
In the spirit of getting bidness outta the way first: Someone — maybe on this blog? I’ve lost the note itself — asked me to “list” all of our work eligible for this year’s Dragon Awards. Herewith! the list:
Neogenesis, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, Baen Books, January 2018 Category: Best SF Novel
The Dragon Awards are apparently open to anyone who wishes to participate. Here’s your link.
So, that.
One of my on-board tasks is to proofread the manuscript for Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume Four, due at the publisher in August. I just finished proofing “Street Cred,” and damn! that’s a good story. I realize that it’s not cool to be pleased with your own work, but, hey, I’ve never been cool.
And, it really is a good story.
Let see, what else?
Ah. June 27th marked our second month in the New Location. Time flies and all like that. I’ve made my peace with the dishwasher, more or less; and while I still don’t quite comprehend the new dryer, progress is being made on that road.
One of the many things that amuses me about this house is that, yesterday, I walked a mile and a half. This was exclusively inside the house, going from my office at the top of the short arm of the U, around to the laundry room, in the middle of the long arm of the U (directly across from my office, as the crow flies, if crows could fly through windows), and back again.
Though the first mad flood has been stemmed, we still from time to time entertain contractors. Tree Guy says he’s going to take down the two dead pines “next week” but hasn’t called to set, y’know, an actual day. Also, it may have escaped his notice that Wednesday is the Fourth of July. Cleaning Guy, who was supposed to have come by yesterday morning, cancelled because a tree had fallen on his mother’s house and he was needed to help with the clean-up. So, we’re waiting for another call from him to reschedule. And the War Engineer is supposed to drop by on his own schedule to finish getting rid of the useless bits of the fence.
Work continues to go forward on Accepting the Lance. Mind you, it’s not going as quickly as I would wish, which was ever the case, but going forward is Good. I’m perhaps being over-gentle with it, given how suddenly and completely its predecessor died the True Death. We don’t want that to happen again; oh, no, we do not.
Reporting from the land of More Excitement Than You Can Possibly Stand, after I became unable to drink caffeinated coffee, I settled on Twining’s Irish Breakfast Tea as my caffeine delivery system. It has a nice mouth feel, and has the darkish taste of coffee. Sort of.
Steve recently got me a box of Twining’s Lapsang Souchong, and. . .man, that’s interesting. I don’t know that I’m going to make it my Only Tea, but I’m definitely going to keep a box around.
And that? Is all I’ve got. Going to be a busy weekend, what with writing and proofing and all. Also, by Maine standards, at least, a hot weekend, as I suppose is proper as we in the US run up to Independence Day, the quintessential summer holiday. Which reminds me that I have to find where Waterville stages its fireworks. . .
Everybody stay cool.
There and back again
So. A couple weeks ago, Steve and I became involved in a Plot. It was a Very, Very Sekrit Plot of the most desperate sort. Most of all, it needed to be kept Sekrit from the Intended Recipient, who not only reads our Facebook pages scrupulously, but is notoriously hard to fool.
We therefore stealthily announced a few days electron-free, and then we scurried out of Maine, down-down-down South, to Gloucester, Virginia, to participate in a Surprise Birthday Party for Aunt Edwina — 75 years!
The party was a massive success; the recipient was surprised; the food delicious, and the family-time priceless.
We left Maine on Wednesday afternoon, overnighted in Rutland, Vermont; charged down to Chambersburg, where we overnighted again, and thence to Gloucester, where we spent two nights, before turning around on Sunday, driving to Fishkill, New York; and, on Monday, driving the Strangely Unpopulated small and back-roads, starting with the Ticonic Parkway, and continuing the theme.
About those back roads. . .there’s a story, there.
We subscribe to what is in Maine called EZ-Pass, and is called other things in other states, but it involves putting your toll money in to an account with the Department of Transportation, and sticking a transponder on the windshield of your car. You may then zoom through EZ-Pass only tollbooths, and entire EZ-Pass alleyways, never slackening your speed. It’s a Very Great Convenience, and we have had our transponder since 2005.
. . .Which turned out to be a problem, that we discovered (naturally) at the tollbooth at Gray, Maine, where, instead of the automated system flashing THANK YOU when we passed through, flashed CALL DOT.
Um. Oops?
Happily, the transponder had a phone number for DOT Customer Service printed on it, and I, the passenger, had a cellphone. After some initial confusion, we arrived at the conclusion that the transponder was, after 13 years in the sun, fried. I mentioned that we were on our way to Virginia, and the young lady said that this was no problem, because there are back-up cameras at the EZ-Pass booths, which take a picture of your license plate. Our license plate was correct in their files, so tolls would be automatically deducted from our account.
Then, she said, “I will activate a new transponder and send it to you, so it will be waiting for you when you get home.”
“Fine!” I said. “Thank you very much.” And gave her permission to deduct the amount for the new transponder from our account.
And so we went on our way, unmolested by the Toll Cops, all the way to Virginia.
It turns out that I should have paid more attention to that word, “activate.”
We were on our way home on. . .perhaps it was Route 88? I have no brain for route numbers. In any case, we came to a tollbooth in Southernmost New York state, one that had so recently been brought into the EZ-Pass system that the tollbooths still had gates that came down after Car One had paid its toll, to let it pass, and then came down an inch from the nose of Car Two.
And it was there, at this moderately busy and confused tollbooth, where the cameras had not yet been installed, that we learned the importance of that one word, “activate.”
Our transponder did not open the gate. The toll worker who came by to see what the hold-up was (and it very quickly was a hold-up), took the transponder into the office, came out and said, “It’s inactive. Can you just give me a dollar-fifty?”
We gave her a dollar-fifty. The gate lifted. We fled. And we realized that, in order to minimize further aggravation on the rest of the way home, we ought — really ought — to avoid the toll roads.
And, the Back Road Plan was born.
It was an interesting ride, on roads we know pretty well; sparsely populated on a Monday in not-quite summer, and tolerably amusing. Going over the mountain at Killington, we passed about a dozen cars engaged in The Great Race, going the other way. We saw moderate amounts of wildlife, and green scenery and arrived home not very much later than we would have done, had we run the big roads (with a working transponder).
Arriving home, we found the new, activated transponder, which has been installed in the car. The cats were initially Not Very Certain about us, but got over it quickly, sitting with us while we had pizza, a couple glasses of wine, and read our current book out loud. Everybody piled into the bed for the Long Night Nap, and we got up in time to put out the trash this morning. Groceries were, in good time, acquired, banking was done, and the Tree Guy contacted for a firm date for taking down the two dead pines. Tomorrow will be a work-and-laundry day. Thursday, the Cleaning Guy comes to give us an estimate on bi-weekly cleaning of the house, and, yanno, Life Goes On.
I did take a walk around the back yard today, being pleased with a high temp of 76F/24C as opposed to the 92F/33C we saw in More Southern Climes. I do like this house, and am very glad we found it.
And that’s my tale for the day, the moral of which is: Be very careful when activating your transponder.
Books read in 2018
33. The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax, Dorothy Gilman (e)
32. The Daughter of Time, Josephine Tey (re-read for me; read aloud w/Steve)
31. Eight Million Gods, Wen Spencer (re-read) (e)
30. These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
29. The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang
28. The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
27. The Moon-spinners, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
26. The Cat Who Went Underground, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. Winterglass, Benjanun Sriduangkaew (e)
24. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
23. The Tea Master and the Detective, Aliette de Bodard (e)
22. The Persian Boy, Mary Renault
21. Heart of Obsidian, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
20. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey
19. Woman Without a Past, Phyllis A. Whitney (e)
18. The Mermaid’s Sister, Carrie Anne Noble (e)
17. All Systems Red, Martha Wells (e)
16. Burn Bright, Patricia Briggs (e)
15. The Ivy Tree, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
14. Kiss of Snow, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
13. Throne of Jade, Naomi Novik (e)
12. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik (e)
11. The Cat Who Played Post Office, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
10. The Faded Sun: Kutath, CJ Cherryh (e)
9. Emergence, CJ Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
8. The Faded Sun: Shon’jir, CJ Cherryh (re-read) (e)
7. The Faded Sun: Kesrith, CJ Cherryh (e)
6. My Brother Michael, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
5. The River Bank, Kij Johnson (read aloud with Steve)
4. Still Life, Louise Penny
3. Thick as Thieves, Megan Whalen Turner
2. The Furthest Station, Ben Aaronovitch (e)
1. Romancing the Werewolf, Gail Carriger (e)
Sunday
So, the new neighborhood continues to be amusing. Yesterday, on my way to the mailbox, I was stopped by a friendly woman, who turned out to be the wife of one of our candidates for House District 109. Of course, she wanted me to vote for her husband, and gave me the literature and the story, all very succinct and pleasant. At one point, she turned to survey the house, and her eye caught on the CAT magnet we have on the car, and she turned back with a smile. “Cat,” she said. “We’re definitely your candidate.” The conversation then turned to the neighborhood — she’d lived in the house next door for a couple years when she was a kid — and the state of downtown. We found, not surprisingly, several mutual acquaintances, and by the time her husband arrived, and I got to shake hands with him, and was released to gather the mail, and come back inside, where Steve said, “Who were they?” I handed him the literature, and said, “The guy I had already decided to vote for.”
Also yesterday, earlier in the day, I installed a bird bath, renewed the Hummer Bar, and then took a tour of the back yard, trying to figure out the various flowers, bushes and trees, and take inventory of which needed dead branches cut out, and what beds needed thinning — as one does. I am pleased to report that there are at least three rosebushes in the backyard, tucked away into surprising little nooks. They all appear to be domestic roses (as opposed to sea roses, for which I have a really unseemly passion), and I await news of their color and style.
My tour took me down past the shed, and ’round to the forest gate, which opens onto the trail/road maintained by the sewage district. I did not on this occasion venture further, though I’m told that, if I follow the sewage district’s greeny road, I will eventually come into the network of trails maintained by Thomas College. Also, if I like to fish, there are apparently several off-trails that go down to the rivers. Actually, the trails are there whether I like to fish or not, which I fear that I do not.
Eventually I wandered back into the house, sat down at my desk, and glanced out over the yard — just in time to see a fox dart out from the tangle-growth at the side of the yard. Running full speed, he slammed into a squirrel who had been rootling around in the grass, grabbed it and kept on running, down to the bottom of the yard, and out the forest gate.
Trooper, who had been lounging on the back of the desk, looking out the window, sat up with a Completely Astonished Look on his face — Good Ghod, there are predators in the yard! I think the expression on my face was its mirror. Who knew the city was so wild?
For those keeping score, this house has a Goblin Room, and a Forest Gate. Also, a yard fox. Yes, we’re living in an urban fantasy novel.
In other news, Real Work has been going forth. I finished the first draft of Nameless Space Opera story and passed it to Steve. Steve finished the first drafts of the whole-book introduction and the individual story intros for Constellation Four, and passed them to me.
Accepting the Lance broke 10,000 words last night, so that’s moving along at a rational pace.
This morning, Steve made us pancakes for breakfast, which we had with strawberries and maple syrup, mmmm. After I finish my second cup of tea, and this blog post, my morning will be about mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms, because I haven’t yet gotten my act together to find a cleaning service (the little voice in my head, the one that says, O, Rly? You can’t take care of your own house? Aren’t you SPESHSCUL. — is NOT helpful. Just sayin’.)
After chores, then to work, and so into the new week.
Everybody have fun, ‘k? And don’t forget to take some time to sit and look out the window.
Books read in 2018
32. The Daughter of Time, Josephine Tey (re-read for me; read aloud w/Steve)
31. Eight Million Gods, Wen Spencer (re-read) (e)
30. These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
29. The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang
28. The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
27. The Moon-spinners, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
26. The Cat Who Went Underground, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. Winterglass, Benjanun Sriduangkaew (e)
24. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
23. The Tea Master and the Detective, Aliette de Bodard (e)
22. The Persian Boy, Mary Renault
21. Heart of Obsidian, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
20. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey
19. Woman Without a Past, Phyllis A. Whitney (e)
18. The Mermaid’s Sister, Carrie Anne Noble (e)
17. All Systems Red, Martha Wells (e)
16. Burn Bright, Patricia Briggs (e)
15. The Ivy Tree, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
14. Kiss of Snow, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
13. Throne of Jade, Naomi Novik (e)
12. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik (e)
11. The Cat Who Played Post Office, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
10. The Faded Sun: Kutath, CJ Cherryh (e)
9. Emergence, CJ Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
8. The Faded Sun: Shon’jir, CJ Cherryh (re-read) (e)
7. The Faded Sun: Kesrith, CJ Cherryh (e)
6. My Brother Michael, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
5. The River Bank, Kij Johnson (read aloud with Steve)
4. Still Life, Louise Penny
3. Thick as Thieves, Megan Whalen Turner
2. The Furthest Station, Ben Aaronovitch (e)
1. Romancing the Werewolf, Gail Carriger (e)
Books read in 2018
31. Eight Million Gods, Wen Spencer (re-read) (e)
30. These Old Shades, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
29. The Prince and the Dressmaker, Jen Wang
28. The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-read; read aloud with Steve)
27. The Moon-spinners, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
26. The Cat Who Went Underground, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
25. Winterglass, Benjanun Sriduangkaew (e)
24. The Cat Who Sniffed Glue, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
23. The Tea Master and the Detective, Aliette de Bodard (e)
22. The Persian Boy, Mary Renault
21. Heart of Obsidian, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
20. Brat Farrar, Josephine Tey
19. Woman Without a Past, Phyllis A. Whitney (e)
18. The Mermaid’s Sister, Carrie Anne Noble (e)
17. All Systems Red, Martha Wells (e)
16. Burn Bright, Patricia Briggs (e)
15. The Ivy Tree, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
14. Kiss of Snow, Nalini Singh (read aloud with Steve)
13. Throne of Jade, Naomi Novik (e)
12. His Majesty’s Dragon, Naomi Novik (e)
11. The Cat Who Played Post Office, Lilian Jackson Braun (read aloud with Steve)
10. The Faded Sun: Kutath, CJ Cherryh (e)
9. Emergence, CJ Cherryh (read aloud with Steve)
8. The Faded Sun: Shon’jir, CJ Cherryh (re-read) (e)
7. The Faded Sun: Kesrith, CJ Cherryh (e)
6. My Brother Michael, Mary Stewart (re-read) (e)
5. The River Bank, Kij Johnson (read aloud with Steve)
4. Still Life, Louise Penny
3. Thick as Thieves, Megan Whalen Turner
2. The Furthest Station, Ben Aaronovitch (e)
1. Romancing the Werewolf, Gail Carriger (e)
Storied Housing
The new house continues to provide adventures, challenges, puzzlements, and moments of delight.
In the puzzlement category, we’ve very nearly unpacked all the kitchen/dining room/pantry boxes (we need to hold off on the bowls/glassware, because they will go into a cabinet which is slated for Power Tools and Moderate Reconstruction. The rest of the stuff, though, has been sorted, and! we have yet to turn up the good silicon spatulas (which I was very much missing this morning as I scrambled my eggs for breakfast), and also the Very Best Wooden Spoons, which, with the spatulas, used to live on the countertop next to the stove in the Old Kitchen, conveniently placed in a large ginger-jar-ish vase. The vase was unpacked weeks ago, but the rest are still missing in action.
The hummingbird feeder has attracted several clients, who spend more time running each other outta the bar than they do actually drinking. I’m guessing that’s how they stay so svelte. In any case, they’re a source of enjoyment for the cats, and for me.
Last night, while Steve and I were having supper, there came from the living room a grinding sort of noise. The cats were not pleased. I wasn’t pleased either, once it had been determined that the noise was coming from behind the wall. Possibly a squirrel has gotten in to the attic. Probably, I will call Someone tomorrow to remove him. I mean, yes, we do make Considerably Less Noise, and provide Much Less To-ing and Fro-ing, but that doesn’t mean the place is up for cohabitation. There’s a very nice yard out back for squirrels and such-like, and they may set up housekeeping there with my blessing.
In writing news, I last night finished the first draft of the story commissioned for Infinite Stars Two, and have passed it on to Steve, for his sins, while I turn the fullness of my attention to Accepting the Lance.
What else? Ah, I had made an appointment at the local spa and Friday had my first massage. It was good. By which I mean, wow! that hurt! and boy! that feels good! A couple of times I heard the knots let go, and — here’s the really weird part — I felt taller when I left. I’ve always thought to going to the spa and getting a massage as a self-indulgence I could neither afford nor required. May have to rethink that.
I think that mostly catches us up. Me, I’ve got to refill the hummingbird feeder, balance the checkbook, and get to work.
Everybody have an excellent day.
