chop wood carry water – Page 21

Tired writer is tired

What went before ONE: So many kindred Rock Spirits! That’s So Cool.

Trooper has had another half can of “in gravy” — seafood mix, I think — licked up all the gravy and ate about half the food. Yesterday, I would have sworn he was on Death’s door step.

What do I know?

I did clip his claws, so hopefully no more face scratches, though honestly I would prefer not to get smacked by an importunate cat at 6 am at all.

I have placed stickers on the back window of my car, which display my Affiliations. On the left, the Hubble Space Telescope sticker given me by Lauretta Nagel. And on the right, a cat fish sticker — which is to say a cat that has really lovely koi-like fins and tail.

Funny story about that. I had a tshirt from Balticon 37, where Steve and I were Writer GOHs and Sheila and Omar Rayyan were Artist GOHs. The tshirt was of a catfish — aka, a cat with a fish tail, and I loved it so much I wore it out. But before that day came, I was wearing it when we went down to Old Orchard Beach one day, and in the course of our Adventuring stopped at the rest area sort-of across from Eartha. And a Small Child saw my shirt and planted himself in front of me and demanded, “What kind of animal is that?” to which I answered, truthfully, “It’s a catfish,” and passed on. Behind me I could hear his mom — or at least, the adult woman he was with — saying to him, “Never mind. She was telling you a joke.” I didn’t hear if she clued him in to what the joke was, but I kinda hope she did…

What went before TWO: Getting pounded awake at 6 am is not working out for me long-term. Just got up from a nap. I’m guessing there will be no writing done today.

OTOH, Trooper has eaten two Fancy Feast cans of Whatever in Gravy, and made a start on a third.

Wednesday? I think so. I’m starting to get a little off-footed on what day it is, which is … annoying. Outside the office windows, it’s sunny and cool. Going to be warmer later, but not, yanno, hot.

Breakfast was leftover dhal. Second cup of tea to hand. I have chicken for lunch, and a veggie to be named later.

Yep, up at 6 again. This morning, I got up when Trooper yelled in my ear, figuring he was going to win, anyway, and not wanting us to start the day at odds. He yelled me all the way down the hall to the kitchen, yelled while I mixed his meds into the gravy, and yelled me back to the bathroom, where he was served.

He’s now conked out on the copilot’s chair and my nerves are starting to settle. Trooper has a very effective yell.

Since I was up, I threw a load of laundry in, to sort of prove that I was relevant, and now I’m waiting for my brain to catch up with being awake, because I have a bunch of /t/h/i/n/k/i/n/g creative labor I need to do today.

break for Rook to throw himself into my lap, snorgle my cheek and pat my hair. “There you go, Mom, NOW you’re ready to face the day. An’ if that creative labor gives you any cat sand, you send ’em to ME.” Thanks, Rookie.

ANYhow, I’ll have a shower after I finish my tea, and try to shock the system into wakefulness. And, yanno, there’s always more tea.

I have two phone calls that I really need to make, but I haven’t been able to scrape together the OOMph to get them done. I’m hoping to make at least one of them today.

I need a secretary, or maybe I mean a keeper.

On that topic, sort of, when I was down in Bath a few weeks ago, I passed one of those, um, retirement communities, and I briefly thought that it might be … interesting to live in Bath, so I made a note of the place’s name and when I got home, I filled out internet form for more information, and, I mean —

snort

I don’t want to mock people who are more substantial than I will ever be, but … let’s just say that if I did have an extra five hundred grand laying around to buy a “cottage”? The monthly fees are more than the mortgage payments on this house (which are, yes, low, because Steve insisted we refinance in that bygone day when money was for some reason cheap), but even at the original less cheap rates. And then you have to do the things you do, anyway, like eat, and put gas in the car, and (I think this is not included) pay to keep the lights and the heat turned on.

And, let’s face it, I’m not moving out of this house. For one thing, I don’t want to move, period. For another, the house is put together to remind us — and now me — on any daily walk-through what it is we chose to do with our lives, and how that worked out for us, and there are some days when I really really need that reminder.

Well. My tea is gone, and the laundry needs to be shifted from the washer to the dryer, so I guess it’s time to get shakin’.

What’s going on with y’all?

Cat census:

“Just try to make it sound like you wrote it that way on purpose.”

What went before: So, a slow start, ending with +/-1,287 new words, for a Full WIP wordcount of!

+/-58,890.

. . . I am going to have to go back and fill in so many holes, and I am going to have to eventually figure out That Thing, but “eventually” is the operative word, and Future Me is going to be Quite Put Out with me.

OTOH, we have motion in a forwarder direction.

The cats are demanding Happy Hour, I have pots ‘n pans to wash, and, oh, I should try to find The French Connection somewhere.

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

Sunday. Damp and dim and cool(ish). “Violent” thunderstorms are apparently on the menu.

The rose survived another night.

Breakfast was onion, potato salad, and leftover broccoli scrambled with an egg. Whole wheat toast with strawberry jam on the side. Lunch — if nothing else, I have salmon cakes left over from yesterday.

I need to sneak out to the grocery for cat food, and some fruit while I’m at it. I also want to stop at Reny’s, which opens at 9, so that’s my window for getting out of here.

Today, I need to change out the cat fountains and I probably ought to do other housekeeping-like things, but the chances are I’ll be in the comfy chair, making Notes for the WIP, since yesterday’s scene Revealed where that other scene needs to go, and what its job is. I love how writing is such an orderly process.

No, wait a minute — no. I don’t. It’s one of life’s ironies that I was trained as a secretary, to make and keep order inside of Chaos. I was also the order-keeper in the partnership, which is a Testament to Steve’s capacity for Chaos.

Ah. The thunderstorms are projected to arrive about 11 am. I therefore Make Plans — out at nine, back before 11. I can do this.

Oh. I should say, in re the film I was looking for: NOT The French Connection, which I have heard of but never seen, and actually have no desire to see (apologies to all of those who sang out with great love for the experience). The movie I was looking for is The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson), and the search goes on. Possibly, I can stream it from Amazon, if Amazon will stop fetching me 404s instead of film pages.

I also need to finish reading John’s book so I can take it back to the library on Tuesday, and give somebody else a chance. I mention this because the library sent me a note, telling me that my book is due back soon.

So! What’re you doing today?

Today’s blog post title is from The French Dispatch. And now you know why I want to watch it.

This is one of the day lilies I rescued from last year’s landscaping project. Turns out to be one of Steve’s Special Sort, and I can’t tell you how glad I am to see it.

It’s a lonely ol’ night, but ain’t they all

What went before ONE: I am going to have to prevail upon the goodwill and kindness of the firemen to help with the smoke alarm. It is perhaps that an inner shield was not removed when the device was installed, and my hands are too week to turn the damned thing and open it.

I fear that’s also going to be the case with the electric broom, though I’m pretty sure the firemen won’t fix that.

Onward. I have made a cup of mocha, because I can, and have been through what I wrote yesterday, which remains good.

What went before TWO:

How Many Cats Are In This Picture?

What went before THREE: So, the generator guy pronounces the generator in good shape. He of course had to switch the power, so I’ll now have fun resetting all the clocks.

But that’s not why I called you here this afternoon. I am horrified by my new embroidery project.

#1: The thread is not embroidery thread; it seems to be Just Thread wound around a thread keeper, one strand and it’s all kinked up because it’s been wound on the card for … some time. I figured to iron it, to make it straighter and thus easier to work with, and? It melted. MELTED.

#2: One strand of this weird thread, doubled to make the two strands called for in the pattern, means a smaller needle than I usually use, and I am not certain at all that I’m going to be able to keep the dern thing in hand.

So! Definitely something I’ll be working on away from home. Or, I can possibly do a refrib, replace the stoopid thread with Actual Embroidery Thread from the Stash, and tally-ho.

That may be my best option.

But first?

The clocks!

What went before Three-point-one: Summing up. The weird thread is said to glow in the dark. As I got the kit from a friend who was thinning her stash, and have no investment in the finished piece glowing in the dark, I have found appropriate colors in my Big Bag of cotton floss, and will be continuing with them.

What went before FOUR: Back from needlework. I got really involved in my project and the time flew. Good company helps.

Coon cat happy hour has been served up and I’ve poured myself a glass of wine.

I did a little bit of tinkering with the WIP today, but my real problem is how the scam is going to work, so I’m letting the boys in the basement work on their Powerpoint for awhile. I’m really like where this is going.

The only thing on tomorrow’s schedule, aside, yanno, one’s duty to the cats, and eating, and like that, is Rookie’s Annual with his vet in the afternoon. I hope to write in the morning hours, but if the guys are still working, it’s no big deal.

I think I may finish the green bit while I listen to These Old Shades — this will be New Territory; I’ve never listened to a book while I was doing something else. I wonder how that will work.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Wednesday. Sunny and going for warm/hot-ish.

Once again, I am Up but not At ‘Em. I hope to find Motivation in a mug of Republic of Tea’s strong Irish Breakfast, as soon as it’s even remotely cool enough to drink.

Trooper has had his first snack of the day, with medical inclusions.

My breakfast, once I get to that part of today’s agenda, will be half an everything bagel and, oh, a slice of Swiss cheese; cherries on the side.

Slept hard, but with many disturbing and complex dreams, none of which I can remember of course, except that one had something to do with Alma Alexander and a car.

Notes on the day just behind us:

1 How Many Cats Are In This Picture of course comes from Highlights for Children, where it was a recurring puzzle. I don’t remember much else from Highlights for Children, but I do remember that. Obvs.

2 Listening to an audiobook while sewing is a Dangerous Game. I sat over my needle much later than I had intended, listening and stitching in an Altered State. If I’m going to make a Habit, I’m going to have to set a timer.

2a Last night’s experiment, ref #2, convinces me that listening to a book while driving is not going to A Thing for me. Good deal that I like to listen to music when I drive.

I didn’t have much of a plan for the day, but whatever it was, I have now taken the Command Decision to reduce it to: Breakfast, Cat Box Duty, Write until it’s time to swoop up Rook and take him for his annual check-up.

. . .and my tea is gone. Best find some day-clothes.

Who’s Up and At ‘Em this morning?

Today’s blog post title comes to you from Mr. John Mellencamp, “Lonely Ol’ Night“

The aim of waking is to dream

SNIPPET:

“We ain’t so full up at Jelaza Kazone right at present,” she said.

“No.” He turned on his heel to gaze at her. “The clan is much reduced, I know. In my day, you could buy cousins in lots of a dozen. Come into the kitchen at any hour, and you would be certain to meet a hand or more of them, eating, drinking, playing, as I said, at cards; reading – and quarreling, naturally. We are a quarrelsome lot. Or were. Perhaps our manners are by necessity better, without numbers to back us.”

What went before: Well. It has been an unexpectedly productive day. I haven’t quite finished the laundry, though there’s still time for that to happen. I fed myself lunch, cleaned up the kitchen, put the clean towels away, did my duty the cats, took a walk, and!

Wrote. I really REALLY like this scene, at +/-780 new words, which leaves the WIP entire a breath short of +/-54,000. Perhaps tomorrow, since I know what the scene after this scene is — though not exactly after this one, but — oh, never mind. I’m declaring a victory for the write-what-you-like school of drafting today.

I also need to check in with the smoke detector, which failed to start screaming when I opened the oven to retrieve lunch and a billowing cloud of olive-oil scented smoke emerged. Possibly, it was unset during dusting and needs its button pushed. If it needs a new battery, I will be very cross, since it’s supposed to have a 10-year battery onboard.

I discovered when I was folding socks last night that I was missing one, and, as mandated in The Manual, went back to make sure it wasn’t still in the dryer, or in the hamper, or on the floor, but could discover no sign of it. Well. I hadn’t paid the Portal Tax for a while, so I was … unhappy, but not distraught. This morning, when I moved the towel hamper to start loading the washer, I found the missing sock behind it. I call Feline Shenanigans. Which is, I admit, better than the Portal Tax.

Anywise. I have to do some desk prep for tomorrow — new to-do list and whatnot. And eventually, it will be Coon Cat Happy Hour. But, really, I’m done for the day, and well-satisfied with my accomplishments.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Well. Monday, I believe. Cloudy and said to be on and off rainy. I’m up but not at ’em and am drinking a motivational cup of tea while I address the internets.

The rosebush has survived its second night in the garden.

Trooper has had his first snack of the day, the one with the probiotic stirred into it, and is now resting comfortably on the copilot’s chair. Firefly is staring at me from the observation table next to the window, possibly attempting to indicate on the Cat Telepathy Channel that she, too, would like a bowl of Delectable gravy. Tali (Wrasslin’ Name TaliBOOM) and Rook (Wrasslin’ Name Rookie the Cookie) are alternatively wrasslin’ and zooming.

The writer, Yr Hmbl Correspondent, is really struggling to keep her eyes open, here.

sips tea

On today’s menu — a haircut! The timing of this blessed event suggests that I’ll be stopping at Holy Cannoli to pick up something to take home for lunch, or perhaps I’ll opt to eat there, and sit in the window, brooding over Main Street in the Grand Romantical Style. We shall see.

Also on today’s task list: one’s duty to the cats, playing with the smoke detector (I failed to finish that yesterday, having found the instruction booklet), and trying to figure out why the electric broom (essential to my plan to keep the basement stairs free of dust and fur) doesn’t, err, suck. Also, I want to write.

That seems like a full day, right there. Of course, I deliberately maintain a low bar.

I do think that’s all the news from this location. I really need to finish my tea and go find pants. And a shirt, too, I suppose. And then I hope to be awake enough to hunt the wily Everything Bagel.

And how are you this morning?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by e e cummings, “in time of daffodils“

Every day you get more more yard

What went before ONE: The rose in its new home. I have done many foolish things today and it’s not even 10 am.

What went before TWO: So, while I was outside anyway, putting a rosebush into the ground, I weeded, and cleaned up the mess on the deck, discovering in the process that the pot the rose had been in was broken in the fracas.

When I came back in, after having expended some frustration, I swallowed some muscle relaxants, and iced my back while listening to These Old Shades. After lunch, I took a smol nap, with Firefly’s expert oversight. I sat with the WIP for a bit and actually recorded an idea I had through an app on my phone, and sent! the! transcript! to myself at Gmail. It’s really quite a good transcription. I’m impressed.

We are now nigh on to Coon Cat Happy Hour. Once that’s served up, I’ll have something to eat in order to buffer another dose of muscle relaxants and retire to mine bed with a cup of tea and These Old Shades and hopefully get a good night’s sleep.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Sunday. Cloudy and damp.

I am pleased to report that the rosebush has survived its first night in the front garden. I managed to have some solid sleep on that same overnight, and! have an idea for a scene that should be fun to write. Yes, yes, I know: a novel is not just a string of amusing scenes, but at this point, I’ll take what I’ve got, reminding myself that Salvage Right was a string of amusing scenes, which I then had to patch together with a series of bridges. So, it can be done.

The first load of towels is in the washer.

Breakfast is just about finished with the cooking part — sausage and cheese on a biscuit. Tea is brewed.

. . . and there’s the bell. BRB.

. . .and back. Breakfast was good. Not healthy according to the cancer ladies, but I ate breakfast and that’s a win. I have at least one yam, so lunch is covered; arguably, even a healthy lunch.

I wish to mention here that Rookie the Cookie’s Best Trick Ever is coming when he’s called, and if he cannot come when he’s called, by reason, perhaps, of having gotten himself locked in a closet again, he will call out in answer multiple times, if necessary, until he’s let out, whereupon, he will stand up on his hind legs and demand a cuddle.

This brought to you by Rook got locked into the linen closet while I was changing out the towels, and had no idea he was even in the hall.

My back aches the tiniest bit and I have, out of an Abundance of Caution, taken one more dose of muscle relaxants, and That — fingers crossed — ought to be the end of THAT.

So, I got When the Moon Hits Your Eye out of the library last Tuesday, and I’ve been reading a chapter or two at lunch to distract myself. So far, so good, though I did not expect a retelling of recent current events couched in metaphor. Notice me heroically avoid “whey.”

My quandary is that I’m also reading These Old Shades in audio; I’ve read the first chapter of A Gentleman of Questionable Judgement; and! the first few pages of Stone and Sky, and that’s too many books open, especially for someone who used to be a One Book At A Time reader. Given that I’m also writing a book, that’s a little too much to keep in my head at once, so I’m cutting back, and will finish …Shades and …Moon, then flip a coin — actually, no, I won’t flip a coin, I’ll go back to Stone and Sky, because the arrival of Peter’s entire family, plus representatives of The Folly, with a fox, was too funny to put on hold for long.

All that said! How’s everybody doing? And — bonus question — what are you reading?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Mr. Tom Petty, assisted by Mr. Eddie Vedder, “The Waiting”

Photo from yesterday afternoon: Disheveled and Marvelous

Embroidering the tale

Wednesday. Cloudy, and cool, but high humidity. The windows are open, because — cats.

Breakfast was naan and hummus with a side of grapes. Salad for lunch with my pork chop.

Been to the chiropractor, now home; made myself a mug of iced peppermint tea (which is becoming a go-to), ate a pineapple ring (want another one, but so far holding out against tooth decay), and am fixing to place my completed embroidery project into my book, after which I will need to explore my project box to see if I have any more kits.

Stripped the bed, and the sheets are washing.

Made an appointment for a Monday haircut, which is none too soon. Flipping the coin on leaving it “long” or whacking it all off.

To-Do includes washing the bathroom rugs, so I guess while that’s happening I’ll steam mop the floor and the kitchen floor, too, why not?

This afternoon, I need to read what I wrote yesterday, and maybe write another few new words.

No, the excitement never stops. You can see why so very many people want to embrace the writing life.

How’s Wednesday treating everybody?

I finished my project last night at the needlework meeting:

All my friends know the low rider

Saturday. Sunny. Predicted to be much warmer than yesterday, so the windows are, sadly, closed, and we’re on station air.

Breakfast was half a blueberry muffin and cottage cheese. Lunch is as yet undecided. I have pork chops that I need to bake, so I could do that at lunchtime, rather than this morning, and freeze two, instead of three. That might actually be the way to go. Turkey burger chili can happen tomorrow, when the ‘beans are calling for really hot, and I will definitely be hibernating in the coolth.

Other chores on the day include answering emails, taking the clean dishes out of the dishwasher, swapping out the cat fountains, one’s duty to the cats, taking a walk, doing back exercises, and, well, writing.

Since my best writing time is between lunch and coon cat happy hour (and, if I’m honest, after coon cat happy hour til, oh, 10-ish, but I really don’t think I’d better go Fully Nocturnal; things are weird enough around here), the Current Plan is to clear chores/appointments in the morning, and after lunch, to write, even if the chores aren’t done. There will, after all, always be chores.

Speaking of chores, I Have Viewed How-Tos on YouTube and am confident that I can keep the shower and surrounding bathroom up to spec without killing myself, so *that’s* good. God She knows that I have vacuum cleaners. And dust cloths. The only thing that’s still a Puzzle are the basement stairs. I think I can handle the cordless vac on the terrain, but there was something amiss with the cordless vac, pre-BaltiCon, which I will have to investigate, now that I’m home.

. . . and John Fogerty has just informed the Listening Audience of Classic Vinyl that “Down on the Corner,” was inspired by Winnie the Pooh, whom he imagined busking on a city corner with his band, Winnie and the Pooh Bears. Strange man, John Fogerty.

I do believe that’s All The News.

What music are you listening to this morning?

Today’s blog post brought to you by War, “Low Rider.”

Friday Afternoon

Odd day. Wrote +/-1850 words after throwing out the words I wrote yesterday, which, yes, sounds like a waste, but in fact was not because if I hadn’t written those words, I wouldn’t have known they were the wrong ones, and forced the boys in the basement to Do Better. What I need to do now is piecing so I can see the Big Picture, so to speak. I’m not unhappy with what I’ve done so far, and very glad I had a whole day to bear down. Today’s labors brings the total WIP to +/-47,760 words.

I’m pretty tired from all that bearing down, so no more new words today, and honestly? I may leave the piecing til tomorrow, too.

In Writing Adjacent News, I’ve applied for a place as an author in the Bangor Book Fair, in December. I have very little chance of being accepted, but, yanno, none if I don’t fill out the form.

I see that the credit union is replacing my credit card with a Whole Nother credit card (not just a renewal of the existing card), come August, which means I need to move the things I have on auto-pay somewhere else. What fun. Also, it looks like I need to find if I have any so-called “rewards” on the existing card and, if so, clean them out, as the new card will not have rewards, but it will have a very respectable 9.9% interest rate.

I also have some mail to answer, but I keep losing the list until I’m too tired to write a coherent letter. Maybe if I put it under my tea mug, I’ll see it first thing tomorrow. It’s a plan.

I had a turkey burger and baked beans for lunch, and I have discovered that turkey burgers are limp and hard to manage, and also don’t taste that great. I still have three of the dern things, but I figure they can be broken into pieces, since they want to do that anyway, mixed in with other things and thereby made to taste better. I mean, I do know that you can’t have chicken and mushroom dumplings every day, but I had expected a little better from the turkey burgers.

It’s been a cool(er) and breezy, so I have the windows in my office open, and I’ve been enjoying the company of all four cats most of the day.

. . . and that’s the report from the Confusion Factory.

Hope everyone’s had a nice Friday and/or holiday.

Friday Census and Proof of Life:

Books and brushes and dumplings, oh my!

BUSINESS FIRST: The Uncle wishes everyone to know that there are still signed copies of Diviner’s Bow available from his website. Signed books make wonderful gifts!

The preview is showing Fair Trade because the link takes you to a catalog page where all signed Lee-and-Miller editions are gathered into one happy place.

Here’s the link.

Wrote +/-1060 very drafty words, which I am not adding to the Official Count until the scene is finished. Which it ain’t.

So, questions on Tali’s preferred brush. It’s called a Safari brush, and is a soft, two-sided rubber brush. There are Tricks to using it. I use the brush, then I take a towel and just smooth it over the cat to get the last of the loose fur out. Tali likes both the brush and the toweling, which are both very gentle operations.

What’s so special about dumplings? someone asks. No, not Bisquick dumplings. Chinese steamed dumplings, stuffed with chicken, or pork, or veggies, or combinations thereof. There are also sweet fillings available, but today I went with the savory — chicken and mushroom. Very good; I expect I’ll be a return customer.

The food truck court is right around the corner from a house that Steve and I seriously considered buying, Some Time Back. We decided that a house that had three steps between the kitchen and the dining room, and three steps from the living room to the bedroom, one step from the bedroom to the bathroom, and two steps down to the sunroom, might not be so good if one of us got sick. Nice house in many ways, including having a separate office wing, and an attached garage, but the stairs were a deal-breaker. But, man, what a location, twelve years down the road.

In more personal news, Ashley has left me; she has discovered that she’s allergic to cats. This means I’ll be doing my own housework (poor writer; like she hasn’t been doing her own housework for 50 years), which isn’t necessarily a Completely Bad Thing. I’d been looking for stuff to hang a Schedule on, after all.

Also! I will be taking a Social Media Free Day tomorrow in order to Concentrate on the WIP. For those who worry about me not having enough fun, I do have turkey burgers, and buns, and baked beans, so that I can be appropriately festive.

Everybody stay safe; those who are picnicking or otherwise celebrating — have fun!

Let’s check in with each other on Saturday.

Internet Lite

So I managed to do most of the mundane tasks that had piled up on my desk. I haven’t, for instance, spoken to Fidium about maybe going with a less-expensive option, now that there’s only one Power User on-site, because — has Fidium’s number been hijacked by some scam offering people who call in a free!Free!FREE! wearable call button? Cause that’s all I get when I call them — and what I really want is a sales rep.

I also did not arrange for an extended warranty for the LG washer and dryer because the site is scrod. I have until October, so maybe I’ll try again sometime later.

I had a bad few moments when I realized that I’m on the last pack of checks that has Steve’s name and mine name on them. I really don’t want to have checks that just say “Sharon Lee,” not because I think Steve’s going to be writing checks anytime soon, but because I actually feel safer with his name on the checks. I guess I’ll go over to Checks Unlimited and see if they still have me on-file. The bank clearly doesn’t care; they’ve been cashing the checks with no complaint.

I may not be around much tomorrow or Sunday, because Plans to Write.

And on that note — everybody stay safe. I’ll check in as can.

Here’s another picture from Saturday Cove to tide you over (see what I did there?)