Blog – Page 232 – Sharon Lee, Writer

Springtime in New England

Yesterday, it was sunny and warm (for values of warm that include 38F/3C and a sharp wind off the harbor), so we got in Kineo and I drove us to Camden, where we walked around downtown, shopped (I bought a pair of earrings! They’re pretty!), and ate a spur-of-the-moment lunch of spinach-and-feta quiche chased with hibiscus-and-ginger iced tea at Zoot, which is, as the name of course implies, a coffee shop.

On our way out from lunch, we met a dog from the local animal shelter, who was being walked by a volunteer. The dog — a very tall beagle-ish looking fellow — was wearing a bright orange dog coat with ADOPT ME on it.

What a great idea! He was getting quite a bit of attention from the various walkers-about-town, which was only to be expected, of course, because he was a very handsome dog who was interested in sharing. For instance, he immediately identified the bag Steve was carrying (containing a piece of pumpkin-orange cake, which we intended for a snack, later in the day) as something that he would be pleased to share. He managed to be interested without being rude, and when it was made clear that Steve was not as interested in sharing as dog was, dog gave it up with good grace.

From Camden, we should have gone home, but we’d got out into the sunshine and were reluctant to go back. So! We went to Belfast, up Route 1, where we visited the justly famous Belfast Co-op. Steve bought sesame crisps. I bought dark chocolate covered cranberries and dark chocolate covered ginger (and I poured them out of their bags into the same jar when we got home, because that’s just how Wild and Crazy I am); Steve bought a piece of bundt cake, and I bought a four-pack of eight-grain bagels.

After the co-op, we should have gone home, but. . .I drove us across the bay, through Searsport and Stockton Springs, and took the left so we wound up in Bangor. From Bangor, we went right, across the river (after almost getting rear-ended by a young lady who was going 40 in a 25-mile zone, around a blind corner, where, immediately on the other side, I was stopped while someone backed out of their parking place), and drove almost into Ellsworth, before taking the right again, on to route 32? 37? to Bucksport, went over the Penobscot Narrows Bridge and Observatory, and so back to Belfast and, finally, with the sun going down, to home.

It was a fine day.

Today, it snowed about six inches, big, wet, sloppy flakes that will likely melt tomorrow. It has also been a fine day; writing has been accomplished and several pieces of business are being addressed. But now it’s time to call it a day and have some lunch with my lovely and talented co-conspirator.

Here, have a picture of said co-conspirator, caught as he is about to dart off to take a picture of Camden Harbor.

Windy Nights

Whenever the moon and stars are set,

Whenever the wind is high,

All night long in the dark and wet,

A man goes riding by.

Late in the night when the fires are out,

Why does he gallop and gallop about?

Whenever the trees are crying aloud,

And ships are tossed at sea,

By, on the highway, low and loud,

By at the gallop goes he.

By at the gallop he goes, and then

By he comes back at the gallop again.

— Robert Lewis Stevenson

Oh, Romeo — yeah; you know, I used to have a scene with him

Being a writer is a lot like being a Liaden Scout, in the sense that both involve long stretches of boredom punctuated by brief moments of terror. The Scouts have it over writers in the mucking about in the mud part; and in general writers have the advantage in felines. But, otherwise, almost exactly the same.

We here at the Cat Farm have just entered a period of High Energy, if not outright terror. Of course, we have a book due on April 15, and into that already charged situation was introduced the page proofs for the mass market edition of Dragon in Exile, with a return deadline (originally) of Monday, March 21, which, because Central Maine and FedEx, would have given us 2.5 days to proof-and-mark-up because the last FedEx pickup of the week is Friday at 4:00 pm. We did negotiate a one-day delivery delay, which gained us the weekend to work, so! Deadline now Tuesday, March 22.

Steve is taking the lead on the page proofs, and I’ll do spot checks after he’s done, so it only seemed fair, when the copy edits for our Alien Artifacts short story, “Shame the Devil,” came in, on the evening of March 15, for me to take them.

We’re still expecting the page proofs for Alliance of Equals to land between now and the hand-in date for The Gathering Edge. That will be a more intense experience than going over the proofs now in hand.

Into the roil of sudden busyness, was tossed the info (like chum to the sharks, says the backbrain. O, backbrain.) that Baen will be destroying the remaining hardcover copies of Duainfey and Longeye still in their warehouse, which is sad, but inevitable, and also! that we should keep a Sharp Eye Out for paper ARCS of Alliance of Equals.

And, I have a call in to my doctor because of this stupid knee injury, which, despite being pampered ridiculously, still doesn’t seem to be healing like it should.

Wheee….

So, anyway, that. We may be just a tad thin on the internet for the next few weeks.

I have a question for my colleagues who read here, based on a tweet I saw this morning, and I’m. . .intrigued and/or baffled.

How many of you count speaking roles in your latest WiP, to make sure you have gender parity? (Full disclosure: It would never have occurred to me to do this. I don’t even count the cats in the story.)

And now — work awaits!

Everybody have a good Wednesday.

Here, have a picture of Sprite atop Mount Page Proofs.

Oops! Today’s blog title brought to you by Dire Straits, “Romeo and Juliet.” Here’s your link.

Books read in 2016

13. Written in Red, Anne Bishop
12. Andy & Don, Daniel de Visé
11. The Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
10. Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch
9.   Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch
8.   Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7.   Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6.   Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5.   Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4.   Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3.   Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2.   The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1.   A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson

In which adulting is hard

So, yesterday was a dead loss, which I mostly spent huddled on the couch, regretting my birth. Man, these are some fun meds. The Crack Coon Cat Nursing Team sprang into action and, around about suppertime, I was feeling closer enough to the thing to actually finish my WorldCon survey, and edit the interview.

Lest you think they’re slackers, the CCCNT also took the night shift; at one point, I woke up to find Sprite draped across my stomach, Belle curled on my shoulder, and Trooper stretched out along the length of me. It must have been cozy, because I went right back to sleep.

This morning, we appear to have reached an accord, whole-body-wise, and! the swelling and redness have definitely diminished. We’re not out of the woods yet (and still six days to go with the meds), but apparently we’ve found the path.

Obviously, there will be no pickleball for me, today. I had held out some idea that I would go to the gym and putz about (gently) with the strength machines, but…I will err on the side of conservatism, stay home, catch up the work I should have done yesterday, and get on with today’s business, most of which can be done from the Comfy Chair.

I do need to call my boss at the hospital, explain the situation, and figure out how we want to handle my Wednesday shift.

. . .and I think that’s all the news from the Cat Farm for the near past. Hope y’all have a good start to your week.

Books read in 2016

12. Andy & Don, Daniel de Visé
11. The Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
10. Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch
9. Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch
8. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7. Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6. Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4. Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3. Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2. The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1. A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson

Sigh. . .

So, today started with a visit to the clinic, which was the compromise position, over last night’s: “Go to ER now.”

My pickleball injury is infected, and I am the lucky winner of a seven-day course of antibiotics, with bonus instructions to go to the ER immediately, should scary red lines begin ascending my leg toward my heart.

Stoopid, stoopid immune system.

After we picked up my medicine, Steve took us for a ride, through Belgrade to Augusta. Augusta is where our local Lowes keeps residence, and I purchased an under-counter LED light bar that plugs in, to be installed under the kitchen cabinet over the counter where I make bread. Yay! I’ll be able to see my ingredients!

Note to those who were following the Saga of the Missing Bag of Stick-Up Lights on Facebook yesterday — no, I did not find the bag immediately upon arriving at home today, but that might be because I took a nap.

Spent the evening in the comfy chair, writing, took my second dose of antibiotic, and now I’m ready for another nap.

Trooper, mind you, is ready for a rousing game of flying mouse. He’s already wrassled Belle and Sprite to standstill, and sent them scattering out of a deep nap, by plunging into the cat tunnel and making the Biggest Rustle Ever, and then capturing the rag tiger and eviscerating it all over the living room, as it put up quite a fight. I guess even rag tigers have guts.

Oh! This came in today’s mail. Cover flats for the mass market edition of Dragon in Exile, coming (in June!) to a retailer near you.

To-Do

For those who may have missed it (like, err, me, *blush*), yesterday was launch day for C.E. Murphy’s Magic and Manners. Links and info may be found here. I had a chance to read an ARC of this novel, and had a very good time with it. If you’re a fan of Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, C.E. Murphy, Regency-Magic crossovers — or all of them! — you want to read this book.

Here at the Confusion Factory, things are, well. . .confused. This isn’t particularly unusual, obviously, but I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed by the current state of the to-do list, which includes such low-pressure items as: Finish final draft of The Gathering Edge (due April 15), which would be somewhat easier to accomplish if it wasn’t currently sporting one of those notes that writers leave for their future selves, which pretty often lead those same future selves to have Serious Doubts about our past and present sanity. In this case the note is the ever-popular, And here a miracle occurs.

The to-do list also includes completing my WorldCon questionnaire (deadline March 31); finishing up an interview; writing a rant/soapbox speech on characterization for RavenCon (for those who are coming to RavenCon, this is Something Rare. I never do individual presentations at cons; they simply require too many spoons, and play to none of my supposed strengths. On this topic, however, I am Just. That. Cranky. Consider yourselves warned. Also be aware that soapbox sessions at RavenCon are scheduled for an hour. There is no way I can talk for an hour, no matter how cranky I am. With questions, we’re probably looking at half-an-hour, tops.)

Where was I?

Oh; the to-do list.

Also on the list — short story, due May 15; novel, due August 15.

In addition, we’re traveling this year — RavenCon, BaltiCon, WorldCon, and a Mini Book Tour in support of Alliance of Equals.

. . .and, back at the to-do list, we have a soupçon of house, medical, private life stuff to cope with, none of which is really intense, but it still needs to be dealt with.

So, yeah, the to-do list feels a little larger-than-life at the moment (I am aware that the to-do lists of Other People are many times more Terrible than my paltry to-do list. I salute those people; they are mighty) If I retire the interview and the worldcon survey, I expect I’ll feel a little more sanguine about the Whole Rest of It. If we figure out what Miracle That Is, Exactly, Which Occurs, Precisely Here? The to-do list will be as nothing.

And that’s about where things are at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. Hope y’all are having a good and productive Friday.

Here, have a picture of today’s loaf: Pullman bread, 2 cups of red whole wheat, 3 cups of all-purpose. I usually use 5 cups of white whole wheat, which rises much more lightly than the red, but I ran out of white whole wheat and cleverly did not replace it the last time I was at the store.

Books read in 2016

11. The Thief of Time, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
10. Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch
9. Broken Homes, Ben Aaronovitch
8. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
7. Whispers Underground, Ben Aaronovitch
6. Moon Over Soho, Ben Aaronovitch
5. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
4. Conflict of Honors, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (e) (re-read)
3. Mort, Terry Pratchett (read aloud with Steve)
2. The Sculptor, Scott McCloud
1. A Short History of a Small Place, T.R. Pearson

Pharaoh’s army got drowned, O Mary, don’t you weep

Let’s see…

Yesterday, we caucused. It was, IMHO, a disorganized mess run by people who didn’t think that Any Explanation of the process was necessary. It got the job done, eventually, and thank ghod. Our caucus gave the nod to Bernie Sanders, as, I learn this morning, did the majority of Maine caucuses.

One of the pieces of information that was shared during yesterday’s meeting was that reports from the South indicate that three times as many Republicans are voting (via primary and caucus) as are Democrats. One wonders if this is a result of the gerrymandering Republicans have done over the last few years, along with the restrictions on voting times for populations which are known to vote Democrat, or, if, yanno, Democrats really are that complacent.

In Maine, we have reports of people standing in lines for three hours outside the caucus site in Portland, and of high turnouts in many towns. Which is good, but New England can’t balance the entire South.

If your primary or caucus is still in the future, please vote. Thanks.

This morning, I played pickleball and took my first injury: a floor burn on my right knee, result of diving for a ball — and continuing in a floorward direction, after I had missed.

Stoopid gravity.

I was also, for one game, fourth in a team three women who “play the net,” a philosophy of pickleball of which I had been entirely unaware until this morning.

“Why are you standing all the way back there?” my partner wanted to know. “Don’t you want to play the net?”

“No,” I said. “I’m so long, I’ll get fouled in the net if I get right up on it like that.”

“The *experts* all play the net. When you watch pickleball, you see that, don’t you?”

“Ah, no. I don’t. I don’t watch pickleball, except when I’m here. Many of my partners have had Strong Opinions about where I should stand, no one has suggested I should ‘play the net.’ And, honestly, I don’t aspire to be an Expert Pickleball Player. I want to have fun and give good game. Those are my goals.”

My next game, with a different partner and different opponents, we all played mid-court and long, which is what I’ve more or less become used to doing.

So! I’m home now, having played five games of pickleball. I need to ice my knee, I suppose, in the interests of Proactiveness, and then I need to sort some laundry before it overflows the hamper and consumes the bathroom.

Hope y’all are having a pleasant Monday.

Today’s blog title brought to you by Pete Seeger by way of Bruce Springsteen: Oh, Mary, Don’t you Weep. Here’s your link.