Tag: blog

See me ride outta that sunset. . .

. . . on your color TV . . .  Am I the only one who ever wants to filk things like TNT for, oh, accountants?  or retail workers?  or well.  Sorry AC/DC

Onward.

Um. Tuesday. Jeez, yesterday was a long day.

Tuesday. Sunny and cool. Trash and recycling languish yet in the garage, but I’ve got time to get it out to the curb.

Today’s to-do includes filling out a form for adult ed, scheduling an interview for … Sunday afternoon, is what I’m thinking … changing out the cat fountains, and getting my needles ready for this evening’s meeting of the embroidery club. Might be time for a little entering of corrections. That would be nice.

But first! Breakfast! I’m going with hummus and naan and grapes again. I must have been in hummus deprivation.

What’s for breakfast at your house?
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And apparently I’m on short-thought today. I just last night finished reading The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams, by Mindy Thompson, which was a fine time-travel tale riffing off of the Change-one-Thing theory, and never in your face. Very well done. It is, for those who object to such things, YA, and the narrator is a young girl.

Link to today’s cat census and state of an art

Today’s blog post title brought to you by AC/DC, “TNT”

 

Mission accomplished

Project completed! Many, many thanks to Carmela Patriotti for her patience, her kindness, and her willingness to share her art.

I’ll be hanging it up in the back hall window — tomorrow, I think.

Photo by Carmela Patriotti:

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I changed my mind and hung it up tonight. Fingers crossed the cats will leave it alone.

Glass work stats, ’cause some folks wanted to know size: It is 14.5 inches across the widest part and 10.5 tall. Weighs +/- 2 pounds.

Next project, as some other folks asked — something with straight lines. I’m eschewing opaque glass for the moment, therefore, cathedral glass. So, the next project is! Straight lines and clear colored glass.

This is a busy week, and the busiest day is Wednesday, when I have to get up at Stupid O’Clock to take the car to Charlie’s for its annual inspection and putting on the new plates. I’m figuring to make a day — or at least a half-day — of it — Charlie’s, breakfast, Glass Express, maybe even Longfellow’s.

Which is to say, we’ll all know more, later.

Coon cat happy hour is very nearly upon us.

Everybody have a good evening; stay safe. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Glass babble

Let’s see… Sunday? Let’s go with Sunday.

Snowed on the overnight; seems to be raining now. The cats have got Classic Rewind on LOUD, so I guess it’s gonna be that kind of a day.

First load of laundry is washing. Rice is cooking. I need to strip the bed, and clean up my “business desk.” Again. Honest to ghu, I’m never here and still it gets shored up with papers and…Stuff. I’m not sure how I ever kept this under control, because let it be said that Steve did not do the paperwork.

Going out after lunch to finish up my glass piece.

Speaking of glass, I watched three? I think three — photos, food, light, robots — so that’s four episodes of the first season of Blown Away last night. I am pleased to report that my Art Antenna is still Finely Tuned.

One of the judges Questioned the Color Choice used on a project (color was not part of the brief for this project), and I had just drawn in a sharp breath to yell “foul!” when they flipped to a clip of the artist, saying, “That was so inappropriate!”

So — yeah. It was.

They also put down another artist for producing a piece that “you’d find in a gift shop,” which — artists gotta eat, says the SciFi Writer, and producing something that someone else will look at and say, “Take my money,” is not to be sneered at. Also, in the case, the artist had been attempting something very challenging — and it broke off of the punty. He should’ve gotten points for diving right back in at the last hour and making a professional piece.

I remember that time that Steve and I wrote the wrong book — which we discovered as we were going through it prior to printing out the submission copy. EEK. And also, “OK. We can fix this.”

There was one person eliminated — the very first person eliminated, in fact — who did deserve a bit of harshness. His piece also broke coming off the punty, and instead of trying to see if there was anything he could rescue, he picked the piece up off the floor, and dropped it again, deliberately smashing it. He was disqualified for having given in to the sin of despair, which — I understand why he did it? But a deep breath would’ve been in order.

The other thing that’s kinda bothering me — is this fascinating or what? — is that the hype is: you gotta make this in four hours, folks, and then the pieces go into the annealer, and you’re left with the feeling that they came right out after time’s called and set up in display, instead of having cooled at some preposterous temperature — 1000F? Like that — for 12 hours.

So the schedule is: The artists get a Hell Day where they’re competing. The pieces go into the annealer. The artists go back to the hotel and drink. Next day, they come back, get their pieces out of the annealer, and participate in staging the “show” for the judges.

. . .I’m done now.

What’s everybody doing today?

We who are about to brain…

Proof of well-supervised work happening:

Did a lot of braining today. And laundry. Braining means less words, but better results. Laundry — well. You gotta have socks.

So, I see that DoorDash has lost a lawsuit 4 years in the trying, in which they were proved guilty of privateering during Covid. They gotta pay money to Almost Everybody, which is of interest to me because!

I have money on account with DoorDash, thanks to kind friends, and I am very careful to use it when I really need it — I’m on a drop-deadline, or I’m sick, or I just got back from picking up a cat in New Hampshire and drove home in the snow — you know: emergencies.

Over the last two days, I’ve been getting messages — and I’m talking about a lot of messages, “reminding” me that I have $X on account and that now! would be the perfect time to DoorDash a Big Mac. Or maybe I’d like a milkshake? Or somebody to pick up some Tday groceries for me? Or, or, or —

In other Convenient Food news, I got a gift card — included in the cat litter delivery — for $140 OFF my first box from Factor. How much do these things cost that they can give me a week’s grocery money off?

And third? Came in today’s mail and these folks are playing for keeps! They’re not only gonna send me premade dinners, they gonna give me a FREE “smart oven” to cook ’em in. All I have to do is open the box, sprinkle Stuff over what’s cooking, put the pans in the “smart oven” and scan the QR Code from the box. The oven will then smartly cook my meal to perfection.

The future is a lot weirder than I thought it would be.

Anyhoots. Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served. I am a tired woman, and am going to go pour a glass of wine and try to find the first season of the glass-blowing show and see if that’s less … people-y. I know that people make glass, and that it’s a competition, but I want less posturing, and more thoughts on the art or the process when I have to listen to the people, and more of the actual Happening of Art, which I think is more interesting than the finished pieces.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Not a negative word was heard

Saturday. Sunny and blue and my goodness what a pretty day.

I? slept late. I mean, I woke up at six, but couldn’t quite get ucouldp the gumption to throw back the covers, so I turned over for “fifteen minutes.” Three coon cats immediately and unanimously voted Aye, and I had Rookie against my back — that is one solid kitten we’re growing here — Firefly in the crook of my knees, and Tali under my chin . . . and the next time I opened my eyes it was 8:30.

So, hummus, naan, and grapes for breakfast, who knows for lunch. Writing is on the schedule. And also laundry. Evidence seems to indicate that I missed laundry last week. Well.

I watched two segments of “Blown Away.” There was a little too much with the people and too little with the glasswork, IMHO. I do realize that this is the standard format for reality shows, but — you’re looking at a woman who saw every hot glass demo at Corning for two solid days and was Sad that she couldn’t wrangle a third day.

The cats were mildly interested in the goings-ons. At one point, Firefly looked at me and you could see her thinking, “You did this? Are you nuts, Mom?” Guilty as charged, but I did have people who really knew what they were doing standing by to assist “the gaffer.”

So, that’s all the news from the Confusion Factory at the moment.

How’s everybody doing this fine November Saturday?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Rhymin’ Paul Simon, “Was a Sunny Day“

Art takes a rest

Earlier this same day: Wrote about 900 words while Sarah was here. Finished soldering the back of my glass piece, but couldn’t work out how to solder the edges, not having three hands, and came upstairs to look up how that’s done, exactly. Duh. So, I’ll do that after the Fidium guy has come and gone.

I guess I ought to get some lunch…
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Somewhat later: So, I’m stopping here, it being the best I can do. I note that the piece is not perfectly oval, but on the whole it’s looking much better than I had assumed it would.

I did have a moment of inattention and burned a BIG hole in my Styrofoam work surface (sigh). Note to self: soldering irons are hot; that’s kinda the point. I have another piece of Styrofoam. I also have lots of funny little pieces of Escaped Solder, which, as I was gathering them, it occurred to me that I’d done this before. My father was a solderer by trade, on the production line at GM in Baltimore (Spot Welder being the official title), and he had a soldering iron and pertinent equipment in his workshop. More than once, I was put to work gathering up the leftover solder and putting with all the rest in a big iron pestle.

The Guy from Fidium has been and gone, after giving the diagnosis of No Problem Here. Which . . . OHkay. Things seem to be working, so I’m not complaining.

What I’m doing instead of complaining is refilling my cup and taking it with me back to Steve’s office. Maybe I can write another couple hundred words.
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SNIPPET:

“How did you find Jen Sin?” Ren Zel asked, handing Miri a glass of wine.

“Awake. Complimentary, too. Said Val Con wasn’t an idiot.”

Ren Zel choked, and put his glass down hurriedly.

“He’s not wrong, after all, Beloved,” Anthora said.

“Yes, but – ” he waved a hand. “One wonders how the subject came up.”
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Now:  Well. That got to be a busy day. 1,440 total new words, for those keeping track at home. Tomorrow is a writing day. I’ll be finishing the scene I started this afternoon, which will be the final bridge I need to build in this part of the WIP, and get back with entering corrections.

It’s funny how, when you ask people why they want to be writers, nobody ever says, “Because I love entering corrections into the manuscript.” Which is, arguably, one of the most important parts of writing.

Go figure.

The cats are informing me, loudly, that it is Happy Hour. The cats, regrettably, are wrong.

I’m — tired. The Plan for the evening is to serve up Coon Cat Happy Hour on time then snuggle down on the couch and watch “Blown Away” on Netflix. There may be a glass of wine involved. Or even two.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Art Goes On

Thursday Night: Nasty outside. Rainy and cold.

Spent most the day with the WIP, entering correx, writing scenes, removing scenes, fine-tuning. Ate a late lunch, because class isn’t over until 8:30, so — late dinner. And I need to get up earlyish tomorrow to pick up for Sarah, who’ll be by around 9ish.

I know, I know — the excitement.

In a bit I’ll get myself together to go to class. Trying to think good thoughts about my art. I have learned a bunch of stuff, so there’s that. And I do have a soldering iron and wire and flux, so maybe if I can master — for values of “master” — the basics, I can be let loose to finish whatever’s left at home. And honestly, I have no idea how long soldering will actually take. I’ve been watching videos, but they’re by people who know what they’re doing, which would not be me.

I clipped Rook’s claws the other day while he just laid there and purred. Today, I got Firefly — who is NEVER going to SPEAK to me AGAIN for this violation of her innocent kitten trust — and most of Tali’s. Tali used to hang out with a Siamese, which I think is where she learned Those Words.

I’ll just bid everyone good-night now.

Stay safe.
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Friday.

Business First: Civilized Behavior is an “Amazon Best Seller”! Number 1 in Science Fiction Anthologies (Kindle)
Number 4 in Science Fiction Anthologies (Books)
Number 5 in First Contact Science Fiction ebooks
I hope you guys are enjoying your books, and!

Obligatory Reminder to leave a review, please, on the venue(s) of your choice.
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Hokay. Glass class. After some frustration, a pep talk, and a tutorial by the instructor, I did re-burnish my foil (I had not used a firm enough touch, first time), and soldered the front of the piece. It’s like magic! It’s now A Thing, and not a scramble of little pieces that won’t stay where I put them. Take that! scrambly little pieces!

My homework is to solder the back, and on Sunday another student and I will meet the instructor at her house to finish up.

So, the Plan is that I’ll work on soldering after Sarah leaves, and finish up after the Guy from Fidium, assuming that there IS a Guy from Fidium, leaves. Saturday will be devoted to writing. Sunday, a little writing in the morning, then out for glass project finish-up.

In service of the Plan, I have turned on the heat and the lights in Foosball Studios.

I was asked last night, semi-officially, if I’d like to teach Adult Ed writing, which — I’m thinking about it. I need to poke around and see how much of my teaching stuff I still have, and how much of it is still relevant.

In coon cat news, apparently Tali informed Rook that his mama wears snowshoes — which would not be inaccurate — an assertion to which he took immediate and violent exception, and the back hall was briefly filled with — y’all remember the rolling, cursing Tumbleweed Of Violence from, oh, Tom and Jerry, or The Roadrunner — yeah? One of those. Tali’s now having a wee dram of cat food and Firefly has discovered that I have picked up the cat toys, and is thinking about this.

Rook is cleaning orange fur out of his mouth.

I think that catches us all up, pre-breakfast.

How’s everybody doing?

Below, the State of the Project: Front side top, back side bottom

Snow cats and book drop

Business first:  Tomorrow! CIVILIZED BEHAVIOR: Adventures in the Liaden Universe(R) #36, featuring three short stories set on Colemeno of recent memory, a speech, and an author’s forward will be released tomorrow in ebook from All of the Usual Suspects, and! in trade paper from Amazon.

Wednesday. Trash Day (holiday schedule). Cold and still. It snowed! overnight.

sigh

Breakfast was naan and hummus and grapes. I haven’t had naan or hummus, either, since Forever, but I went to the Other Grocery yesterday (where I got carded*, all 73 years and every silver white hair of me), because I was so tired of the Usual Grocery’s mediocre veggies and fruits, and also because I thought the Other Grocery would be a surer source for turkey fillets.

I was wrong about the turkey fillets, but I may have gone overboard on fresh stuff, and the problematic bottle of wine, and the hummus was right at my eye level as I turned a corner, and they had helpfully staged the naan right with it and — I was doomed. And it made a lovely breakfast, and I regret Nothing.

Today is another Real Life Day — Physical Therapy in a little over an hour, then a visit to the Usual Grocery to get the stuff the Other Grocery doesn’t carry (or, to be fair, that I forgot about yesterday). Then I have some phone calls to make — Fidium again! All three of the — repeaters? — are out, what fun — and then I need to adjust my Anthropic claim on account I have to Prove that Steve is dead.

I hate having to prove this particular equation, though to be fair, I’m not having to do it nearly so often as I had to, last year this time.

Tomorrow is also my last stained glass class, so I hope I’m discovered to be a soldering wizard.

Friday, Sarah will be by in the morning to help the cats clean up, and it looks like after that I’ll have Friday afternoon through Monday morning cleared to write new words.

If I was a smart writer — a point often in dispute — I’d not only work on doing the correx from the six-day sprint, but also sketch in the scenes that need to be written going forward.

I tried to watch TV last night, but had no brain (this is pretty bad, when you don’t even have enough brain left to sit passively and be spoon-fed a story), so I cuddled on the couch with the cats and listened to music until they jumped down for a snack and I went to bed.

So! All that said — how’re y’all doing this morning? Any snow at your place?

Wednesday morning cat census.
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*Busted:

Tuesday, with dinosaurs

Dinosaurs first:

Well, that was a surprise. One thousand five hundred new words between Jen Sin and the Uncle.

I have tasted the Hiberian Breakfast tea, and it was pleasant; a step up in whatever it is I seek in tea from the standard Irish Breakfast.

I then had a cup of Scottish Morn, which — may not have been wise. That’s — yeah. Quite a cup of tea. I’ll give it a chance on its own in a couple of days. Might be I’ll have to put milk in it, something I never thought I’d be doing.

Dental appointment at 1 pm, after, and depending on the state of the predicted “rain and snow,” I have a couple of errands, including the grocery, then back home and I’ll see where I am about what. It might be Enola Holmes tonight. I didn’t watch anything last night in favor of reading an article about old people “embracing” the single living lifestyle, which was — ultimately unenlightening. The article affected some astonishment regarding the fact that widowed men are more likely to remarry than widowed women. Which I find Not Surprising At All, though I have friends both male and female who have remarried after losing a spouse.

USPS would like me to believe that I am getting two deliveries from itself today. I will be surprised if that happens.

And I think that’s all the news from here. The cats all trooped back to Steve’s office with me this morning, took up their comfy spots, and I think that’s where they all still are.

I think that’s it for me. What’s it for you?