blog – Page 3 – Sharon Lee, Writer

Explosions at Midnight

What Went Before: Yesterday, I wrote 1,147 new words, for a WIP total of +/-7,160. Only 92,840 words left to go. I also received what I believe in my heart to be the last piece of Official Paperwork needed in order to complete the Tax Packet.

What Went Before, Early Morning Edition: So we had an explosion last night. I’m not sure what exploded, but there were two consecutive BOOMs, followed by the UPS’s going briefly nuts, some (but not all) of the touch-lamps lighting up, and this morning the clocks are crazy — they got kicked half an hour into the future — the bedroom clock said it was past 7 when I woke up, but the phone said it was 6:45.

Freaked the cats bad. Rook came and snuggled under the covers, which he never does. Tali went to the top of the bookshelf in the bedroom. Firefly and Trooper Investigated. Trooper eventually came back to bed, but Firefly never did. Guess it was her shift.

Kettle’s on for tea.

Two CMP trucks backed up in the drive, and drove back toward KMD. They specifically paused at the transformer across the street, but moved on. I guess they’re walking the lines.

Tuesday. Sunny. Windy. Cold. The trash is in the garage, and the trash can *stay* in the garage.

Breakfast was cottage cheese, toast-and-jelly. Lunch … I ought to bake those three chicken tenders that weren’t sacrificed to the stew, so, path of least resistance — chicken tender and fried potatoes, since I have potatoes left over.

I had been toying with the idea of going to the sewing club, but that was before I was contacted by a colleague who had worked with us on a dozen or more projects — and who hadn’t heard that Steve had died.

For those playing along at home, Thursday will be one year since Steve died. I’m kind of dreading that as if it will be some kind of nightmare Groundhog Day. I am therefore trying to keep busy, and put my brain to other tasks.

Today’s task will be finalizing the taxes, and if there’s day left over after that, more words would be good.

I’ve checked various sources, including the neighborhood group, CMP’s webpage, and the local newspaper, looking for more information in re the Midnight Explosion. A couple of the neighbors heard the booms, one guy saw flashes, but Actual News, we have none. And, yes, clocks getting kicked a half-hour into the future is a new one on me, too.

EDITED TO ADD: I have been reminded that the power outage would have kicked all the clocks back to 12:00 and that 7:20 is time-elapsed-since-reset. Sigh. Need more caffeine.

How’s everybody doing today?

We had a crow conclave in the Long Back Yard yesterday afternoon.

He had a nasty reputation as a cruel dude

What Went Before: Yesterday, I changed out the cat boxes, vacuumed the basement, made bread, and wrote, all against a background of snow, then sleet. The plowguy came by in the late afternoon to plow the accumulation, leaving a skin of snow for the sleet to fall on, rather than taking it down to the asphalt and turning the driveway into an ice skating rink.

I also posted a snippet, which is reproduced below. Before we go there, however — A Word About Snippets: I often snippet from the WIP. I do this to share the joy of the work. In my mind, it’s analogous to my having baked a batch of cookies and offering you one. I am aware (sigh) that some people are … offended by snippets for various reasons that seem Good To Them. If you are one of those folks, and you see SNIPPET in one of my blog posts — skip over that part. You don’t need to write to me to explain how offended you are; I’m fine with not knowing. Both of our blood pressures will thank you.

SNIPPET: He sighed, and tapped the screen, swearing to himself that if it was anything less than news that the twelfth quadrant had disappeared, he would allow it to languish unopened until he had – and froze, staring at what was assuredly one of the rarest items in all the universe.

He had a letter from Theo.

Rarity though it was, he made no move to open it. Such things ought to be treated with respect, if not active alarm.

Monday. Windy and V. cold. Right now, it’s 17F-feels-like-7 (-8C-feels-like-minus-13). Avalanche warning for the White Mountains (in New Hampshire, about 120 miles from the Cat Farm) through Tuesday mid-morning.

Trooper is sitting on my lap helping me write this.

It snowed another inch or two on the overnight. Somebody was kind enough to plow out the berm at the end of the driveway last night. I know it was last night because a fresh-plowed pile would be dirty, and this one is white, so it was snowed upon after it was created. Dunno if the plowguy will be by for the last couple inches; time will tell, and as previously advertised, I’m not going anywhere.

I hereby declare that the trash and recycling will not be going out to the curb tomorrow. I cleared the trash containers in the house Saturday before it started snowing, so we’re all good here.

Breakfast was oatmeal with walnuts and raisins. Second cup of tea to hand. Lunch will definitely be leftover stew.

Last night, I again tried the reading-in-bed thing, eventually joined by Tali, and then Firefly. Rook did a check-in, but it was too early for him to go to bed. Trooper was in the big cat ring, and I don’t blame him for not wanting to leave it — that thing is cozy.

I was not particularly restful after I turned off the light, and even after Trooper joined me. He finally grumped, got down — and about five minutes later came back with Firefly, talking all the way. They both got on the bed, Firefly took up her position on my hip, Trooper on my ankle, and that did the trick. I slept until the late, luxurious hour of 6:15am. Cat magic FTW.

Dishwasher is doing its thing; I have my duty to the cats, a few pieces of correspondence, and some banking on the to-do list, but mostly, I’m free to write. I’m very interested to see where these letters lead us.

Apparently, I’m expecting a UPS delivery, but no mail — oh, wait. It is, in the US, President’s Day. No mail delivery. That’s fine.

How’s Monday treating everybody so far?

Today’s title brought to you by The Eagles, “Life in the Fast Lane”

Yesterday’s bread — this is a Pullman loaf, swiped by the US train chefs from the French pain de mie. Its chief attraction is that it makes a uniform square loaf that’s good for same-sized sandwiches, with very little waste. Mine is whole wheat; the original is a white bread loaf.

And go-kart Mozart was checkin’ out the weather chart

What Went Before: I returned to the keyboard after serving up Happy Hour. Trooper is calling foul and is trying to get Tali to fill out the form in triplicate to the Committee Cat. Tali is not interested in getting carbon on her toes, so I’m not sure that complaint’s going to be filed any time soon.

956-ish new words on the WIP, which brings it a whisper short of 5,000 total words. I’m pleased with the day’s progress, and look forward to making more progress, tomorrow.

I would like to report that the portable deadbolts I bought from Amazon really do work well, but I had reckoned without the Resident Void, who can quite easily stand up on his back feet and dork around with the chain — not a particularly safe situation. Cats, man…

I have received a Very, Very Dangerous Email from Vacassa offering almost-affordable places to stay oceanfront in Old Orchard Beach. I tried to avert my eyes — well, no, I didn’t. I opened the dern thing right up and started clicking. It’s a little unnerving to find that I know where most of these places are, including the one in Ocean Park, which is, yes, Just A Walk from the Beach, but it’s a Rather Stern Walk.

The ‘beans are clinging to this upcoming Weather Event like it’s their firstborn child. I’m not going anywhere, myself, and the generator is ready on standby, but I could honestly do without a Weather Event. I’m ready to be done with winter. Witness my explorations at the beach, above.

I think I’d better be done at the desk for the day, before I get into even more Dutch with the coon cats. I do still have to pair socks and clear the dishwasher, and by that time Trooper may have decided to file the report himself.

SNIPPET: “Treachery is always possible,” his former master reminded him in memory. “Honor is always possible. It is our task as traders to nurture honor while being alert for treachery.”
OR: “Trust in Allah, but tie your camel.”

Onward.

Sunday. Snowed a couple inches on the overnight. Looks to be taking a breather right now, then we’re supposed to be treated to more snow and the ever-popular wintry mix.

Breakfast will be scrambled eggs. Lunch will be — dunno. Maybe leftover stew. Maybe a grilled cheese sandwich. We’ll see.

Today’s plans include changing out the cat boxes, baking a loaf of bread, writing, and contemplating the precipitation when and how it chooses to fall from the sky. Surely, that’s enough for one day.

So! Those who attended — how’s Boskone?

Everybody else — how’s the weekend been treating you?

Today’s title brought to you by Bruce Springsteen and Manfred Mann. Yes I do realize this is a Religious Thing that’s just as heat-inducing as Oxford Commas, and How Many Spaces After a Period. That being so:
“Blinded by the Light,” Manfred Mann
“Blinded by the Light,” Bruce Springsteen

Sunday morning photo shoot:

In which lunch is uncertain, and the snow is very near

What went before: +/-750 new words on the WIP. Yeah, Gordy’s in a pickle. Note to self: Start a Weird Words List.

Saturday. Diffused sunlight; cold: 7F/-14C when I woke up. 10F/-12C as I type this. Weatherbeans are calling for Snowpocalypse, starting late tonight, and continuing through very early Monday morning.

Breakfast was toast with cream cheese and grapes. Finishing up my first mug of tea. Lunch is uncertain. I want stew. I have chicken tenders. Maybe I can make chicken stew? Hmm.

Today is change out the cat fountains day. I should probably get the cat litter into the house before Snowpocalypse, but I’ll let it warm up a little bit (which, trust me, is all it’s going to warm up). I’ll probably throw a load of laundry in, so as not to get behind, and get the desk set up for the mundane parts of next week, but mostly I want to spend some Serious Time with the WIP.

Last night, as I was sitting in my corner of the couch, snuggled under a blanket and reading, Tali jumped up, did some of her frantic-kneading; suddenly stopped, sighed, and chose a spot next to my knee to stretch out and purr quietly to herself. A few minutes later, Firefly jumped up on Her Particular Spot, started to knead, *saw that other cat* and approached. Tali turned her head upside down, Firefly sniffed her nose, then came back to Her Spot and snuggled against my hip. Both girls purred for a bit until they went to sleep, and I returned to my book.

Previous to that, we had a very nice, four-corner cat dance. Rook still needs to learn some game manners, but everybody got a chance to show off their moves.

I saw a few people yesterday wondering if Rook was being an aggressor, trying to take the desk box from Tali. What I think is — Rook’s still a kitten and has no boundaries. He flops on top of Trooper and goes to sleep; he’s not contesting the space, necessarily, merely being comfy and warm. Also, Rook has No Idea how big he is, so crowding Tali out might not have been his strategy. If it was — it didn’t work, because Tali gave not an inch. It’s worth taking a moment here to remember that Tali was previously in kitten production. By policy, she does not take nonsense from upstart kittens.

So! That’s my day planned, pre-snowstorm. What’s the weather where you are?

Today’s blog title courtesy of The Doors, with apologies to Jim Morrison. “Roadhouse Blues”

Below, Rook, helping me get the laundry sorted. What a worker that kid is.

Go on, take the money and run

What went before: On behalf of the new novel, I got my reading done, and did some planning. Wrote about 600 words. Set up the three-ring binder so I can put all the Shan bits together, all the Jen Sin bits together, and so on, until it’s time to piece them together. If that’s how it’s gonna be, then I might as well be organized about it. I also received Tali’s updated TICA registration.

Oh, let’s see. Friday/Big Commercial Holiday in the US. Sunny and windy and C-O-L-D.

Before-appointment breakfast was a KIND bar and a cup of tea. Fly-by second breakfast was a carton of vanilla skyr. Water is on to boil the macaroni fated to go under my spaghetti and meatballs that I didn’t eat for lunch yesterday.

I have new sneakers. Holy Hoots! Have you seen the cost of sneakers? Especially the sneakers recommended by your podiatrist? I wish I could say that they’re pretty, but they’re not. I don’t often score pretty shoes, being, as I am, guy-sized, and for some reason Hoka did not see fit to make lavender sneakers in guy-size. They are comfy, so maybe worth the price. And, even though I know that the new card from the insurance company would have paid for them, I forgot that at the Crucial Moment. I’ll learn the ways.

Extra order of cat litter has been delivered to the inside of the garage, and there it can remain until the wind dies down. I have been told that my repaired wireless keyboard has commenced its return journey from Washington State. On my way home from Augusta, where I took on the above-referenced moderately ugly but very comfy sneakers, I stopped at Hannaford for milk (it won’t do to run out of the means to make hot chocolate this weekend), cheese, macaroni, chicken tenders, more Snyder bits because man those things are good, and, err, something else. Ah. Wine. All food groups covered.

After lunch, I hope to get with Gordy as the boys in the basement thanked me for the beer by explaining why it is that Gordy is late, and depending on how that goes, I may watch John Carter, which I do have. I’d been convinced that I’d traded it in.

And that’s my accounting of adventure on the day.

What’ve you guys been doing that’s fun?

BTW, this is what I came home to:

Today’s blog title brought to you by the Steve Miller Band, because I happened to hear it on the radio this morning. “Take the Money and Run.”

They don’t give a damn about any trumpet playing band

What went before: Hired somebody to maintain korval.com, which is an enormous load off my shoulders.

Waiting in my email this morning was a note from NESFA (New England Science Fiction Association); Tony Lewis has left us. Tony and Suford let Steve and me park our car at their house for a week and took us to the train station so we could attend our first convention as Guests of Honor, Silicon, in 1998. Chatting with him and Suford was always a high point at Boskone.

Thursday. Frizzling (freezing drizzle, looks like). Once again the Big Storm wore itself out before it got to us.

Breakfast was PB&J on English muffin. Second cup of tea is brewing. Lunch will be — eh. No, wait. I got spaghetti and meatballs out of the freezer last night. Ta-da! Lunch.

So, I was flattened by the time I’d finished eating the evening meal, so I just took my book and a mug of tea and went to bed, where I was immediately joined by four cats, who immediately went to sleep. I read for a while, then shoved the propping pillow to one side, and joined them. So that was good. Next lesson: I’m going to have to stop thinking that 6:00 is early if I go to sleep at 10.

First up today is sitting by the window, watching the … frizzle frizz … and sketching in some scenes (y’all know that when I say things like “doodling” and “sketching” it means making notes and hand-drafting scenes, not actually doing art? Just wanted to clear that up.) This may actually be the only thing, aside one’s duty to the cats, and feeding myself lunch, that actually gets accomplished today, and if so, sobeit.

So, that’s it for me. Over to you.

Below the requested photos of the classy new cat bowls, provided by a Mystery Friend.

Today’s blog post title comes to you from Dire Straits, “The Sultans of Swing.” Historical note: I was on my way to Steve’s house, and this song “previewed” on the radio, so that almost the first thing I said to Steve after he let me in was, “I just heard this incredible song! Sultans of –” And Steve turned to his record player, picked up an album cover (Steve having been a music reviewer, he got free albums) and handed it to me. “I was just listening to it, when you knocked.” I happened to hear it on the radio this morning during breakfast.

Sitting by the window, watching the snow fall

What went before: I cleared all the backed up paperwork. fingers crossed

Wednesday. Sunny and cold. The three youngers are having Da Zooms. Trooper is asleep in his copilot’s chair; he’s exhausted from having to wake me at 3:30, 4:30, and 5:15. I don’t blame him; I slept in after he gave up.

Breakfast was cottage cheese, grapes, and toast. Yeah, I was lazy. Lunch may be a salad ( ref “lazy”).

We here in Central Maine are looking for Severe Weather in the form of ice-and-snow from midnight through tomorrow afternoon. I suppose the Path of Wisdom is to reschedule Tali’s meet ‘n greet. She still doesn’t reliably let me pick her up, believing, as she apparently does, that I’m going to be putting her in a cat carrier and Taking Her Somewhere (nor would she, in the case, be wrong), and adding in the weather just puts too much angst on all concerned.

As above, Tali is still a bit unsettled. She wants to sit on my lap, but then she remembers that I could be working for the Other Side, and jumps down. She leapt up onto the couch last night to join Firefly and me. Firefly was very courteous; they touched noses like civilized felines, then Tali began to knead. This process went on far too long for Firefly’s nerves and she left. Whereupon Tali left, and though she visited me several times during the evening, she would no sooner sit on my lap than need to leap up and Go See. i didn’t see Firefly again until I went to bed, and found her curled up against my pillow. I slipped in beside her; she purred, and I went to sleep.

What else? Ah. Video chat with the cyber-pro this afternoon. One’s duty to the cats, and perhaps a short walk.

I have taken the decision to doodle in the scenes as they occur to me for the next bit, then move them around until they all snap into the right place. Frequent readers of this space will recall that this is the technique I used to write Salvage Right, though at the time I wasn’t thinking it would be necessary to write ALL Jen Sin books in the same way.

There were calls in various places for photos! of the cats’ elegant new dishes. I’m not ignoring these requests, but the dishes are currently in the dishwasher, getting washed. Watch the skies.

I think that’s everything. I’m awaiting Friday with interest, to see if my SSA payout arrives in the bank, and I’m trying not to look ahead to next Thursday.

That’s the news from the Cat Farm.

What’s your news?

Cats at work:

Today’s blog post also brought to you by Laurie Anderson, backed up by Peter Gabriel. “Excellent Birds,” or, if you prefer, “This is the Picture.” Link.

The sun’s coming up like a big bald head

What went before:

Yesterday, I went first to the Verizon store on behalf of my phone. Having called Murphy’s attention down upon me by packing for a Day at the Verizon Store, I was — the first one there, and had three reps at my beck.

The first was newish, but told me that my screen protector was cracked. I said I thought it was the screen and would be grateful if she could prove to me that it was only the protector.

This was a little too assertive (sigh), and the second rep came over to explain that I could request a protector from Corporate, or buy one at the store I was standing in and they would install it for me.

I thanked her for the information and once! again! asked if it could be demonstrated that it was the protector and not the screen that was damaged.

She looked at the phone, with the cracks radiating out from the chip, and said, “Oh, yeah; that’s the screen protector.”

I invited her to remove it and assure us all that it was not the screen that was damaged.

…what I tell you three times…

She shrugged and peeled the protector (which itself is some kind of glass, who knew?) off. Indeed, the phone itself was intact.

The second rep installed the new protector, I paid the first, and exchanged farewells and keep-warms with the third rep, who had wisely kept herself aloof in case somebody else came in the door, and went home, richer by an uncracked screen protector and poorer by 50 small.

My trip to the dentist was more expensive and more nerve-wracking, but all’s well there, and I don’t have to do it again until November.

Moving on. . .

Tuesday. Cold enough for me. Sun’s an orange ball behind the trees. I’ll get the trash out when it’s warmer than -1F/-18C.

Waked before my time for a Cat Clean Up Emergency. First cup of tea is here at the desk with me. Breakfast will shortly be sausage and cheese on an English muffin and the rest of the pineapple, assuming it’s still edible. Lunch will chicken breast and — A Vegetable to be Named Later.

Worked past coon cat happy hour, getting my credit reports frozen, and Steve’s (because I never got ’round to doing that other thing. Honest, the few things that are turning up to be dealt with now drag at me like the stuff I had to do Just After Steve left didn’t. ‘course then, I was laboring under the delusion that I was finishing up a few chores before I got on the road to join him at the new place. Brains, man; what will they think of next.)

Anyhow, the credit freeze is nailed down. I should probably lock down the cards I don’t use often (or at all. BOA, I’m looking at you.), but that has to wait until I get the cats’ chips refiled.

I ought to go to sewing today; it’s been basically forever. Also I need to pick up the papers from my lawyer, and make? A phone call!

Last night, after my labors with the credit agencies, I made a cup of tea, and betook myself to my bed to read. Tali understands reading in bed, the rest of the guys, not so much, though Rook gave it a try. It worked out pretty well for me, until I had to actually, yanno, go to sleep and had to be shifting pillows out of the way so I could lay down, and by that time, I was awake again.

I think that’s all I’ve got, and I really ought to get with breakfast.

What’ve you got going today?

Today’s blog title brought to you by Laurie Anderson, “Sharkey’s Day.”

Snow Date

What went before: Yesterday was not a good day. Nuff said.

Monday, grey and cold. Snow showers in the forecast.

Went to bed early; got up to the 6:45 alarm. Breakfast was a blueberry muffin and some English Cheddar. First cup of tea is to hand.

Today’s Plan insomuch as it can be said to be a plan is to finish my cup of tea, do my duty to the cats, fill a Yeti with yet more hot tea and go camp out at the Verizon store until it’s time to go to the dentist. I do have to let an InfoDump out into the cyberlanes today, but that will be AD — After Dentist.

So, do I understand this correctly — there’s another John Carter movie (cleverly titled JOHN CARTER 2)? Thirteen years after the original “mega-flop”? The ways of The Mouse are mysterious, indeed.

What’s your Plan for Monday?

In which pets keep us healthy

What went before: I backed up my phone, in anticipation of getting its screen replaced, one way or another.

The WIP broke 2,000 words, which was good, but they were not the words, or perhaps the feel, that I wanted, which is why word count is such a flawed indicator of progress.

Firefly and Tali sniffed noses! And Firefly initiated the contact! Big step in the right direction. Later on, of course, she raised Holy Heck when Tali tried to join us on the blanket to read. One step forward…

Fast forward to!

Sunday. It was snowing when the cats woke me with a BANG! at 5:30, after I had grumped at Trooper for yelling at me to get up at 4:45. Anyhow.

The snow’s stopped and the sun is doing a country dance with the clouds.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast with jelly, because I was Just. That. Cranky. Lunch — who needs lunch? Honestly, this constant having to eat a meal is really annoying. I sympathize with the Haosa.

After breakfast, I sat in the office comfy chair under the nice heated throw, and alternated glaring out the window, researching details in Salvage Right, and handwriting letters, to see if that produced more of the Feel I was going for, and — yeah, it did. No surprises, there, really, except for the perennial one — You knew handwriting those letters would improve the flow, so why did you type them? The ways writers find to impede their own process is just mind boggling.

My lap has been host to several cats. Rookie is having a tough morning — he got himself so underfoot that I stepped on his tail, and we had to have a love-fest to Make It Better. Ten minutes later, he tried to jump from my desk to the chair, only it spun just as he took off, and he crash-landed on the floor. Firefly smacked him in the head, since he’d just missed landing on her.

First load of towels is in the dryer; second load in the washer. Cat bowls have been refilled. The oven is heating for sugar cookies. Maybe I’ll have sugar cookies for lunch.

Today’s to-do includes more research, writing, and probably glaring. Laundry, obviously, and one’s duty to the cats. Drafting an InfoDump so it can be ready to go when I get the word that the Liaden Universe News list is up and delivering. Oh, and sweeping the front steps.

So! What time did your family pet(s) wake you up this morning?