Category: Blog

Back at so-called Real Life. . .

Many thanks to everyone who expressed their condolences.  Your kindness is much appreciated.

Today was about putting away the detritus of Doing Taxes, packing some books to mail, and trying to shovel snow off the roof of the deck, because there’s approximately five hundred and thirty-three tons of snow up there, and while Todd built it to withstand a Maine winter, I’m pretty sure we’re approaching its reasonable load-bearing capacity.

Now, the problem with raking the roof is. . .it’s ‘waaaaaay up there.  Also, I can only rake the side that is directly over the steps.  Mount Snowplow defends it from a frontal approach.  And a large fall of snow in front of the basement door defends it from the back.

Possibly, yes, I could climb over the rail and stand on Mount Snowplow, but I deem that a tad risky.  It may bear my weight.  Or it may bear my weight for a while.  If I break through, there’ll be no getting me out until autumn. If I miss my footing and slide down the wrong side, I’d either have to scale the Mount on its smooth side, or lay down on my belly and swim across the snow like an otter, alllllll the way around the base of the Mount until I came to a place where it’s possible to climb over the berm, to the driveway.

Also, I don’t do ladders.  At all.  Never mind ladders unsteadily braced on snow and ice.

Which leaves standing on the steps, heaving the rake repeatedly up to the roof and dragging buckets of snow down onto my own head.  Yes, yes; it’s a comedy act.

It’s also relatively futile.  I’ve raked off the snow I can reach, but there’s plenty too much up there, and no way for me to disturb it enough so it will start moving, say, down the slope of the roof, and off , adding to the consequence of our temporary mountain.

Gah.

In other news, Steve is still struggling with the disappearance of korval.com, and attempting to make it appear again.  Very sorry for the continued bouncing mail, and other inconveniences.  If you have written to either of us at a korval.com address, and have gotten a bounce message, best to send again, to our gmail addresses.

It remains eerily quiet in my office.  I keep glancing over to the corner that Mozart frequented most during the last few months — and it’s empty, of course.  The lack of his presence is almost a presence of itself.

Tomorrow, I am turning off All The Things, and Shutting All of the Doors so I can work.  I’m  starting to get very cranky with regard to not working.  *glares at universe*

And, to make up, at least a little, for the tone of this post, I offer you two coon cats in a box too small for one — and good evening.

Dad and daughter, napping.
Dad and daughter, napping.

Notice of Technical Glitch

Alert Walkers Along the Internets will perhaps have noticed that korval.com has vanished from the ether.  You may also have gotten a Notice of Permanent Failure on mail sent to a korval.com eddress.

This is the result of an oversight during the Crazy Times immediately following Steve’s heart operation and the subsequent closing down of SRM Publisher.  One of us somehow forgot to properly notify a registrar of an address change for the site.

Steve is working on fixing this.  In the meantime, we ask for your patience.

 

Mozart of Kennebec, March 1, 1998 – February 9, 2015

Mozart
Mozart

 

We let Mozart go today.  He was just shy of his 18th birthday, and had shared 11 of those years with us.  He was a good friend, gentle, and interested in all things, even That Reading Thing, which he had to learn to care about.

The house is very quiet tonight.

I will ask people not to post the Rainbow Bridge poem.  We’ve read it many times, by now.

 

The Ten Reasons Game

So, there are all these “Ten Reasons to. . .” articles going around the barn, again.  You’ve seen them:  TEN REASONS to visit Acapulco.  TEN REASONS to skip high school.  TEN REASONS to eat ice cream for breakfast.  TEN REASONS not to read TEN REASONS articles.

. . .anyway, I’m feeling a bit beleaguered by all of these reasons to do things I wouldn’t even have thought of except that I saw the headline of a TEN REASONS article, and!  I think it’s time to fight back.

I mean, why shouldn’t we compiled a list of TEN REASONS to read the Liaden Universe® — and then release it into the wild?

I’m going to need your help, of course.  So! You don’t have to hold it inside any longer!  Give me your Very Best Reason for Reading the Liaden Universe®  in comments — no more than three per respondent, please — and we’ll compile a list of the ten best.   If we get more than ten, well. . .why shouldn’t we escalate?

TWENTY REASONS to read the Liaden Universe® has a nice ring to it.

Everybody ready?

Go!

 

Well, I’m baffled

We here at the Confusion Factory are either going to receive, on the overnight, 1 inch of snow, or in excess of 6.  Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, someone has gone to the trouble of identifying the 10 “most dangerous” cities in Maine.  Always understanding that “dangerous” is relative.  Interestingly, or not, we have lived in Skowhegan, which takes the top spot in overall crime per capita, and holds the cherished position of fifth most dangerous metropolis in Maine; and also in Waterville, which has the fourth highest overall crime rate.  We aspire to improve ourselves, however, and shift south to Lucky Number Seven.

Here’s your link to the article.

We came first to Skowhegan, when we settled in Maine, and, since we needed to earn money, as one does, I applied for the advertised position of bartender at what was then the Kennebec Valley Inn.  I’ll mention here that I’ve always been plagued by an innocent-seeming demeanor, and people constantly mistake me for a lady.  The owner took one look at me and said, “Nope, oh no, no way. You can’t work here.  It’s too rough.”

Mind you, I had just moved from Baltimore (second only to. . .Elkton?. . .in danger of the much more dangerous Maryland variety.  Here’s the link.), where we had maintained a storage facility, where I had very nearly crushed a man’s hand with a pipe to stop him from dragging me across the counter by the front of my shirt — and I said to him, “Oh, c’mon, how rough can it be?”

“You have no idea,” he told me, fervently.

And I didn’t get the job.  And after a few weeks of taking the local paper and perusing the police blotter, I was glad I hadn’t gotten the job.  I’d’ve never kept my nail polish from chipping.

And that?  Is all I’ve got.

* * *

Progress on Alliance of Equals
45,943/100,000 OR 45.9% COMPLETE

Perhaps he could simply suggest to the breeze that he was a sack of potatoes, and thus be safely ignored.

Signed Copies of Dragon in Exile

Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore in Minneapolis will be your source for signed copies of Dragon in Exile.  Ordering will open at the end of February/beginning of March and close on May 1.  More details — and a link! — as they become available.

Uncle Hugo’s (and its brother store, Uncle Edgar’s) ships worldwide, and does not charge your credit card until your order has been assembled and is ready to go.

Looking for input: Foreign Language Editions

So, I’m packing some things, on the somewhat shaky theory that packing some stuff up will convince the hearth gods that we’re really serious about this moving thing.  Also because, having some things packed up ahead is bound to make things easier when it comes time to move, and, the way our luck runs — generally good, but tending to splash slightly outside the lines — we’ll get an offer for Exactly Our Asking Price, but! we’ll have to move in the shortest possible time.

The thing that I’m packing up at the moment is The Magic Closet in my office.  This is where we keep two or three copies of all of our books (that we’ve received.  For instance, we never *did* receive a copy of the Polish edition of Conflict of Honors, in which Shan is depicted in the cover art as a rifle-toting saber-toothed tiger.  (Here’s the art.  Yes, it is on Seasons of Plenty.  In English.  Then, presumably, the artist resold Polish rights.)  I really wanted a copy of that edition.  But I digress.)

So, I have some extra copies of a few Russian language Liaden books and also some German editions.  To wit:

In Russian, I have:
4 3  1 omnibus editions, including Agent of Change, Conflict of Honors, Carpe Diem (this would be the Russian edition of Partners in Necessity)
2 copies of Crystal Dragon
2 copies 1 copy of Conflict of Honors
1 copy of Balance of Trade

In German, I have:
5 copies of Flucht nach Lytaxin (Plan B)
2 copies of Showdown fur Clan Korval (the first half of I Dare)
1 set of 1 book each: Flucht nach Lytaxin, Showdown fur Clan Korval, Korvals Nemesis (the second half of I Dare, including short story “Moon on the Hill”)

Now, my question is:  Does anyone here want any of these volumes (note:  by “want” I mean “willing to pay for the book and the postage”)?  So, let’s start there, I guess:  If you want any, or all!, of these volumes, drop me a note at rolanniATkorvalDOTcom, and we’ll work out how best to go forward.