Tag: coon cat logic

The wheel in the sky keeps on turning

What went before ONE: And back from dancing. I was the New Kid. It was interesting and everyone was good-natured and very kind. I may have been the only one in the room who had never had theater or dance in my background, and I include the two Littles who were part of our group.

I notice a cross-over between ASL and some of the “body-speak” going on in dance. I suppose if I pursue it, I’ll have yet another physical language under my belt.

I got to interact, very briefly, with the bowli ball’s older, bigger, and more sullen brother. It was too big and goopy to perform the antics of an actual bowli ball. Instead of a gyroscope heart, it had a — what? bag of mud — that made for interesting shifts of velocity, weight, and … squishiness. Not good for tournament play, but an interesting item nonetheless.

After class, I went down Main Street a bit, stopped at Incense and Peppermints to see what they’re doing with the increased space, then Smitty’s Book Cellar to introduce myself and give out a couple cards.

I grabbed some pretzels when I got in, but I think that’s not quite lunch, so a salad it is.

The temperature has cracked 60F/16C; still cloudy and mizzling, off and on.

I hear through the dance class that next Saturday is World Tai Chi Day. Who’s participating?

What went before TWO: 830ish new words, which means! The WIP has cracked 30,000! +/-30,250. Pretty good for a day when I thought I wouldn’t be writing.

Defrosting some Smithfield boneless pork chops for tomorrow’s making-ahead, and also lunch.

The cats have had Happy Hour and Trooper wished to Take Exception to my coming back to the keyboard to finish the scene, so we had to have That Discussion again — the one that makes no sense? About how the clackity-clack on the keys makes cat food? Yeah, that one. He did lay down and go to sleep though, and I finished my scene. So there is that.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Sunday. Intermittently cloudy and not. Breezy with gusts. Weatherbeans have put out a fire caution; calling for a high temp of 50F/10C. It rained on the overnight.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs with potato and onion, and a side of toast with blueberry-ginger jam, which was actually a bigger breakfast than I usually indulge in, so lunch plans may be adjusted accordingly.

This is Easter Sunday for those who celebrate. When Steve and I first got together, we celebrated by going to BaltiCon. Afteryears, Easter usually snuck up on us. We had the Convention Calendar in our heads and could mostly tell you which cons were on any given weekend, but Easter? Eh–a moveable lay (i.e. non-SF) feast that didn’t have much to do with us.

For those who are interested in cat placement, Trooper is at the moment sitting upright on my lap, purring, and making it easy for me to type. Rook is sprawled at the end of the desk, apparently chewing on the philosophical conversation we had this morning, when he found Tali already in my lap when he wanted to be there. How is it possible that I love him for being The Best Rookie AND Tali for being The Best Tali? This wants Thinking Over.

Second cup of tea brewing.

After I finish my morning letter to the internets, I have some stuff to do downstairs, and then I intend to catch up on all those things I failed to do last week by reason, I guess, of doing other things instead. And do my first pass through the ASL homework.

Directing my gaze into next week — there’s another movie-and-learned-discourse on Monday night; the movie is “Brick.” I may or may not attend. The movie looks interesting, but I have a limited capacity for leaned discourse on the Metaphors of Violence in Cinema.

On Wednesday, my new washer-and-dryer will be delivered, and the sales rep directed me to save up my dirty clothes and start washing the minute the delivery van cleared the driveway, because there’s a 48-hour, if-it’s-wrong-we’ll-make-it-right-today LG policy IF the wrong is reported within 48 hours. So! Laundry Party at Rolanni’s House! Bring snacks.

Thursday evening is of course ASL class. Before that is the Return of the Pest Control Guy, who will be replacing the things he knocked down during his inspection two weeks ago.

I have started reading The Savage, Noble Death of Babs Dionne (by Ron Currie, a Maine author) and in-between am re-reading Sea Wrack and Changewind (by Sharon Lee, another Maine author). Not sure why I got started on that, except it was at my place when I sat down to eat lunch a couple days ago, and one must read something.

My redecorated office door looks very nice in the sunshine. Very glad I decided to take that on.

And that? Is what’s doing at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

What’s doing at your place?

Today’s blog title brought to you by Journey, “Wheel in the Sky”

Cat census and redecorated office door:

Accomplishments in Housekeeping

What went before: I put privacy film on the window in the door that opens onto the deck from my office, and also on the front bathroom window, replacing old film that was tired and curling at the corners.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday. Cloudy and damp. The ‘beans are calling for a high temp of 72F/22C, so apparently spring is going to come in like a fire sprite.

Breakfast was rice crackers and cream cheese, with a side of strawberries. Second mug of tea to hand. Lunch will likely be a salad, but — we’ll see.

I Inspected yesterday’s work and still find it good. I have Corresponded with Balticon. I’m still for dancing, which is a Who are you and what have you done with Sharon Lee? moment, but, hey.

I last night finished Check and Mate (YA), which I — had problems with, and almost metaphorically threw it against the wall Chapter 23ish. I wound up skipping a few chapters and reading the end, which I still had problems with. I have also read by the same author a sample of The Love Hypothesis, which is one of her adult novels, and I have the Exact Same Problems with it, so clearly this author’s books are not My Sort. This is not a denigration of her legions of fans, or indeed of her; it is a statement of personal preference — thank you for understanding the difference between the two.

Insofar as Check and Mate, and the question of is the Chess World accurately portrayed, as I said, and as far as I know — yes. The author herself says that she had to take liberties and invent shortcuts, in order to make a process that in Real Life would be years of slow effort, in order to fit it inside of a short novel that people would actually want to read.

And I think that’s all that’s shakin’ here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory at the moment. As you can see from the previous post on my wall, the cats are anti-shake.

What’s the weather where you are today?

Friday Good

What went before ONE: This just in, Diviner’s Bow, by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller is still in the top 50 of Bookscan’s new book releases in SF. Number 39.

That’s … a surprise. A pleasant surprise, mind.

Thank you all!

What went before TWO: With the handwritten scene (I had misremembered; I didn’t have two scenes; I had one scene and Copious Notes), the WIP Entire now weighs in at +/-29,400 words.

I am now going to do a Lightning Review of my ASL homework and? Go to school.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Friday. Sunny, warm, and breezy. The wind chimes are humming to themselves outside my office window.

Breakfast was bialy with cream cheese and a side of strawberries.  Lunch will be turkey cutlet (now fully defrosted) and spinach.

I have been up for hours. However, much of that time has been trying to figure out who’s calling me from Northern Light Medical Center. I answer the phone, the person on the other end says, “This is Rachel calling from North–” and the signal drops. I try to call back, and get a recording telling me that I’ve reached a trunk line and there ain’t no humans here.

So! Since the local hospital is going poof! and my cancer team is in Bangor and affiliated with Northern Light Health, I’ve spent an hour trying to find out if one of them has been trying to get in touch. My last hope is Theresa in Oncology, but her phone has been solidly busy for the last two hours.

Fun times. I’m supposing that I won’t answer the phone the next time it shows that ID, and see if Rachel is able to leave voice mail.

Today is Arts ‘n Crafts. Since I have never myself ever put on window film — no, that’s not true. I put window film in one of my day-job offices. So! Since I myself have Not Recently installed window film, I am going to do a Practice installation on the window in my office door. After I’ve learned what I can from that process, I’ll move on to the bathroom.

Tomorrow, there’s a free intergenerational dance class at the Greene Block, downtown, which I may try to make. I’m expecting lots of grandkids spinning in circles and yelling, which may make this a short-lived experiment, but, hey, Wild Clover’s right around the corner in case I need to bail.

Or even if I don’t.

I’ve been thinking of committing a chapbook. This one would include “Core Values,” now available to be read for free on splinteruniverse.com, “Neutral Ground,” which is a story that contains story nuggets that were then (more) fully realized in Ribbon Dance and Diviner’s Bow, and! an outtake from Ribbon Dance. I don’t know how many words that would be. “Core Values” and “Neutral Ground” combined are 21,495 words. I don’t have a word count on the outtake.

So, that may be coming down the pike, if there’s interest.

ASL class last night was fun. We seem to be down to 6 students, which encourages the social aspect of the group, so it’s part gossip and part learning new vocab. Several people now have noted that one day a week is too little to attain fluency. We really ought to form a coffee club, but we haven’t gotten to that step yet.

Tali is coming to terms with the fact that I am the sole source of cuddles, treats, and throwing things for her to chase, and is making modest attempts to jolly me along. She and Rook are in direct competition for my lap, and this morning she actually did curl up for about 2.5 seconds and purred. Then she saw that Rook was eating and had to jump down to join him.

Rook remains unshakeable in his certainty that he is the center of the universe. Firefly is pleased to read with me and is more often deliberately coming into the space I’m occupying. She does still visit Steve often. Trooper — sleeps a lot. The crying seems to be less, and I’m inclined to just let him be. He’s still playing, and eating, and seeking me out for company; he occasionally forgets what he’s doing but, hey, who doesn’t?

So, today is Good Friday, according to some traditions, and Sunday is Easter. Who has Plans?

Blast from the Past:  Steve and Sharon visiting the Augusta Barnes & Noble to check out our poster:

 

An’ I don’t give a damn ’bout my bad reputation

What went before: OK, then. I’m shutting down the internet for the rest of the day, good people. I am quite apparently at the end of my rope.

Also, yes, there are typos in all of our books. As there are no perfect humans, there are no perfect books. We do our best.

Everybody have a good rest of the day. Feel free to hang out. Drinks are in the fridge; snacks in the cabinet over the sink.

Sunday. Cloudy and — I’m not sure what it’s doing out there. Precipitating. Looks thick — ah, there we are. The garage roof tells the tale — sleet, snow, and rain. What fun.

Breakfast was PB&J on an English muffin. Finishing up my first mug of tea. Lunch can go hang itself. Oh, wait. Mac ‘n cheese with a meatball cut up in it. A little light on veggies, but if we’re in Rebellion against the Tyranny of Food, any food counts.

Towels are washing. I need to change the tablecloth today. Otherwise, I have another scene to hand-draft, and I need to at least look at the ASL homework. In and around one’s duty to the cats, of course.

I did draft a substantial scene yesterday, which I’m very pleased with. Also Had A Notion, and Made A Note. Will consider that further today.

Other than that, yesterday was . . . not very pleasant. It’s lowering to realize that, at — counts on fingers — 72, I’m still so inept at people. You’d think I’d’ve learned something. Well — scary thought — I probably did learn something. Just not enough. And of course I no longer have an Emotional Support Steve, and while the cats do their best, cats are, umm. Yeah. “Rend” and “nap” are good coping mechanisms, honestly. But there’s a vast middle ground that “run” doesn’t completely address.

Speaking of cats, Trooper has two days in a row refused to eat the gravy with meds in it. He’s still eating food, except when he forgets where the food bowls are, and last night, for the first time in a long time, he engaged with the red dot, and chased it all over the living room until he he lost interest, or energy, and let the kids have at it. He sleeps a lot (yes, yes; he’s a cat, but still), and yells at me at lot when he’s awake, but I don’t know why. I don’t think he’s in pain (ref “cat”), but nothing I do, or don’t do, seems to be It. So, that continues to be worrisome, and I’ll be having a chat with the vet this week.

The book club is going to start up again in mid-May, now that people are coming back from overwintering in the warm worlds. Our first book is The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne, by Ron Currie, and I’ve gotten that onto my tablet to read.

I finished The Dangerous Duke last night, and started Check and Mate; …Babs Dionne and The Mysterious Marquis are on deck.

And I think that’s it from the Cat Farm this morning.

What’s everybody doing today?

Today’s blog title brought to you by Ms Joan Jett, “Bad Reputation” — the referenced video is also a history lesson, for those who are interested in the creative process, thinking outside the box, and believing in yourself.

The Battle of the Brain

Explanatory note:  As discussed elsewhere, my brain and I have a Complicated Relationship.  When it doesn’t have enough to do, it turns on itself. One of its favorite forms of cruelty is to declare that I could Do Better, accompanied by the assertion that I’m just sitting like a bump on a stump, doing Exactly Nothing.  When this happens, I often resort to making a Done-To List as evidence that I actually am accomplishing things.  Yesterday was one of those days.

What went before:

Done-To List as of 11:25 am

1. Ate breakfast (don’t laugh)
2. PR
3. Blog update
4. Handwrote scene +/- 800 words
5. Moved laptop and working stuff to living room rocking chair (because we are now entering the season when I can’t use my desktop for three hours in the morning on sunny days.)
6. Started and monitoring laundry
7. Answered correspondence
8. Started a Done-To List because my brain is being pissy
12:30pm
9. Scooped cat boxes
10 Took a 10 minute walk around the basement
11 Started the oven for heating fish
12 Wound and set the big regulator clock
13 Ordered a stainless steel cat fountain for the second bathroom, because it suddenly descended upon me like a bolt from the blue that the gravity waterer in there is plastic and will now be some years old.
14 Updated the Done-To List because I’m Just. That. Petty.
2:40 pm
15 Cooked and ate lunch (don’t laugh)
16 Reviewed ASL homework
17 Brought in cat litter from garage
18 Reviewed my Draft Schedule from BaltiCon and wrote emails re same because there seems to be a Misunderstanding
19 Snuggled cats
20 Updated the Done-To List
4:30 pm
21 Finished entering correx in WIP
22 Fetched in the mail
23 Ate a snack
24 Fed Trooper his meds mixed in gravy
25 Fed the Young Fry Blue Wilderness meat treats
26 Updated Done-To List
7:46 pm
27 Went to ASL class
28 Served up Coon Cat Happy Hour
29 Poured glass of wine.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

#

Friday. Raining. Said to be changing to snow on the overnight.

Time check: April 11

Breakfast was cottage cheese and grapes. I’m finishing up my first mug of tea. Lunch … I have leftover soup and prolly enough stuff to throw together a salad, so that may be it.

Tali’s Fan Club has not had a report for some while. Tali is taking her time about settling in. She often comes to my lap, but she needs to stand up, instead of settling in. She’s free with her purrs, and occasionally delivers herself of little nips to my fingers, which — I appreciate the thought, but having your fingers nipped while you’re trying to type is … disconcerting at the least. Her Complicated Relationship with Rook continues to develop. I would say he’s her closest friend in the clowder. She and Firefly are cordial, and they both share the couch with me for the evening reading — Firefly against my right hip, and Tali against my left knee — but they don’t see each other out. She defers to Trooper, and I’ve seen her seek him out to wash his ears for him, or to just sit nearby.

We had a Major Breakthrough the other night, when Tali — at last! — seemed to figure out the Red Dot, and joined in the riot of trying to catch the damned thing before it got into the wall vent. She’s previously sat on the edges of the game, a puzzled observer, though she’s an enthusiastic cat dancer (I try to switch out the evening games).

She has gained about a pound in the two months she’s been here, and her daily cat wrasslin’ and back hall races with Rook are keeping her in shape. She’s still not sure I’m allowed to brush her, but we’re making some progress there, as well.

Summing up: Tali is being conservative in her approach but does not seem displeased with her new arrangements.

My first order of business today is to transcribe the scene I wrote out yesterday, after which I shall Cast About Me to see if any other scene catches my eye.

How’s everybody doing?

Below, Tali interrupted by the paparazzi:

You can make or break; you can win or lose

Notice:  Today’s blog post is picture-heavy.  Some days are like that, Mrs. Miller.

What went before ONE:  So, here in Maine, where it’s snowing, the US Government has pulled the funds that pay for school lunches in Maine, because there are trans students in school sports, and! it has just pulled correctional funding because there’s a trans prisoner in a women’s prison.

This, according to the US Government’s Speaker to Animals in the service of “protecting women.”

What fun.

What went before TWO: This of course makes it very easy to type…

What went before THREE: Snowing harder. Hands still hurt.

1260 new words today, and that’s the end of the new scene.

Trooper is yelling his head off, which is going to get tiresome RSN, and won’t make Happy Hour happen faster. It’s just — clocks, man. SO disobliging.

I was able to schedule a mammogram at Thayer in September, and therefore cancelled the one at Sebasticook. There were a couple of confusing points, such as — Where do you want the report sent. Which, given my PCP has gone or will shortly go, poof! was a puzzler. I finally recalled to mind my surgeon at the cancer center, so that’s who will receive the report. The other one was — Have your records sent over to us. Oh, yeah, sure. How? Oh, just call their file room, they do this all the time. Uh-huh.

I ended up calling the women’s health department, explaining what I was told and they were able to send the electronic files on while I was on the phone with them.

I also signed a service agreement, which will take care of my lawn mowing and the upcoming winter’s snow removal.

So, yanno — progress made on several fronts. Go, me.

Speaking of progress — I did wash the sheets, but now I have to fold them. So, I guess I’ll do that, and let Trooper yell out here all by his onesie.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Wednesday. Sunny and cold. About 2.5 inches of snow on the front step; trees coated with white. Ref pic below.

The Weatherbeans are calling for sun and 40F/4C today and warmer tomorrow. Already, the snow’s falling off the trees. Friday should be quite pleasant. Saturday and Sunday, you ask? Mixed snow and rain. What else?

Given Conditions, today will be more writing, lucky characters; also ASL homework. I should also Scrutinize my travel arrangements, and nail down an appointment in Corning to make some glass.

Breakfast was cream cheese on rice crackers, with a side of grapes; second mug of tea to hand. Lunch will be soup and salad, because I’m lazy.

On the Fashionista Front, the pearl studs worked out well yesterday, so I may put in the sapphire studs today. They’ll look nice with my green-and-black-check flannel shirt.

It appears that the morning wrassle-and-scream session is now a Tradition for Rook and Tali. They have at it mightily for, oh, six minutes? Then Rook rolls over and shows his belly, Tali licks his head and they go off to their morning nap spots. Cats, man. They passeth understanding.

Oh, another thing to do today. I’ll be attending AlbaCon remotely, if I can figure out how to tell Zambia that.

. . . and that’s really all I’ve got. As a spectator sport, writing is even more boring than chess. No, I misspeak. Chess isn’t boring at all, to an informed onlooker. So I’ve been told. Golf, then. Writing is more boring than golf. There’s a tshirt.

What are you doing today that’s boring?

Here, have a picture of Trooper the Wise. And Grumpy. Can’t forget Grumpy.

Today’s blog title brought to you courtesy of Mr. Glenn Fry, “The Heat is On.”

In which the harpoons are removed

Sunday. Raining, coolish.

Breakfast was salmon cake on multigrain whole wheat bread and the last orange. Lunch will be the chicken breast from the freezer, likely stir fried with rice and veggies.

Yesterday was a V. Quiet Day here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory. It did not snow, but it did kind of grumble and sleet and grumble some more, so a good day to be in the office comfy chair with a manuscript and cats scattered about, napping. I wrote 750ish new words yesterday, and I think I have the timeline going forward straight in my head at least, which where we need to start to keep in straight in your heads.

I took the hole-making titanium studs out of my ears yesterday — yes, three days early! Call me a rebel. This was a Rather Difficult Operation. For a minute or two there I thought they were going to be For Always. I did finally get them out, discovering that they’re nothing but little peace-bonded harpoons, which I will not be putting back in my ears, TYVM. I replaced the harpoons with my old and comfortable sterling silver studs, and in a couple days — or, who knows? this afternoon — I’ll put in a pair of “real” earrings and see how that feels.

I bought a new space heater for the bathroom. The ancient of same, circa 2005, will be swathed in plastic and go downstairs with the tower fans, against need.

I also bought a bread slicing guide, since I’m not getting any better at slicing straight pieces off the loaf. This one is notable for being made out of bamboo rather than plastic, has guides for two sizes of slice — East Coast Sandwich and Texas — and has a crumb catcher built in. I’m looking forward its arrival.

The Long Back Yard is Once! Again! snow free, and the snowdrops have doubled their numbers.

I slept short and bad Friday night, so was in bed early last night with my mug of chamomile tea, my book, and three cats — Firefly, who is really getting the hang of this reading in bed thing; Tali, who seems to think she remembers something like this, somewhere else; and Trooper, who clocked out by my knee and wasn’t heard from again. Rook obviously had first shift of night watch. This morning, he was solidly asleep against my back when I woke up.

Today, I’m back with the manuscript, and ASL homework. Dr. Bill at lifeprint.com delivers our homework and you, too, can watch his videos and learn Sign, does something that I really like. He reviews the lesson with an assistant drawn from the off-camera class, but he also hams it up, introduces words that are not in the lesson in his answers, and gives you the feeling of being immersed. The first two lessons, he stuck pretty close to the syllabus, but by lesson four, he’s apparently decided if we’ve stuck it this long, he can pick up the pace.

I will finish my re-read of Night’s Master … probably over lunch. Next book up is another Grace Burrowes, speaking of whiplash — the first in the Bad Heirs series, because I’m a sucker for a Bad Pun.

You are now All Caught Up.

What’s up with you guys?

Sunday morning cat census.

The red basket that Rook’s tucked into has a History.  Ten years ago, it was manuscript basket on my desk at the Cat Farm’s previous, country, location.  Sprite took it over as a cat basket.  Trooper then claimed it — the conflict that decided his precedence is what gave it that Interesting Bend.  I bought another box, ceding the first to cats, but then there were two boxes, so Belle claimed that one…Anyhoots when we moved, Steve took the red basket, put a towel in it, and announced it an Official Cat Place.  It was used by all of the cats while Steve was still working at his desk.  Rook now uses it, and sometimes Trooper.

Physician, have you nothing to ease the pain of living?

What went before: So, Northern Light Hospital in Waterville is trying to refer all its patients to Maine General. I know this because the office of a Maine General Spine Surgeon called me to tell me that I had been referred by someone I’d never heard of for neck pain. In the course of sorting that out, I actually spoke with someone at my PCP’s office, and she did confirm that, not only the hospital, but ALL the clinics, and specialty offices attached to the hospital (with the exception of the continuing care facility on the hospital’s campus) are closing down dead on May 27. This means, among other things that I will be driving 120 miles, round trip, to see a PCP, if one can be found at Eastern Maine Medical. Inland will also happily fix me up with Reddington Fairview, in Skowhegan, which is chronically overworked, or, oh MDI Hospital, which is very nice, but — it’s on Mount Desert Island.

The FAQ on the We’re Abandoning You Page (it’s not called that; it’s called The Transition Page), chirpily informs us that making sure any on-going prescriptions are up-to-date is very important, because the hospital realizes that it may “take some time” for people to find a new PCP.

The hospital also acknowledges that one of the several reasons it’s shutting down is because of staff shortages, so one wonders where the hell they think the people its abandoning are going to find doctors, since a bunch of them are BEING FIRED, and probably moving out of state.

What a freaking mess.

Well.

I guess I’d better make some lunch, hey?

Some time later: Got some reading of the WIP done. Will do more tomorrow while Ashley is here, and I’ve pulled back to Steve’s office to give her room to wield her equipment.

One of the Afternoon Thoughts was that Steve’s cardiologist is going down with the hospital, and that I was glad Steve didn’t have to stress through that. Of course, he’s also my cardiologist, but that seems much less of a *particular* blow. I’ll miss my PCP more. That Thought led to the subsequent thoughts, that I’m glad Steve is missing, oh, yanno, the dissolution of Democracy, and the general demise of the world. I kinda wish I could miss it, too, but — I told the characters I’d do this book for them.

In other news, Trooper is telling me that it’s Coon Cat Happy Hour and he’s pretty nearly right, so I’d better go see if I have enough plates and cocktail napkins, and little paper umbrellas.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Thursday. It’s…raining, and the temps are just above freezing. Supposed high temps for the day in the upper 40sF.

I had taken all the cat toys up from the living room floor and piled them up on top of the ball racer, and put the pile on the sofa so Ashley’s vacuum has a free run. Rook has cleared all the toys off of the ball racer and is playing with it. So, there, Mom! Oh, and now the girls are interested. Photomentary at eleven.

Again! I thank everyone who has left a review for Diviner’s Bow. Keep ’em coming! Also? You guys read hella fast.

Breakfast was sausage gravy on whole wheat/multigrain toast. Kettle’s on for my second mug of tea. Lunch will be — eh. I’ll check the freezer and see if I have any soup. If today’s weather has a Theme, soup is what it’s good for.

Ashley texted that she might be a little late, which, given the weather, is prudent. I’m here until 5:00 anyhoot.

I? Am never going to learn how to count in ASL. Or maybe I mean to say that I’ll never learn how to count fast in ASL. Which is OK. I mean, I don’t particularly count fast in English. I count slightly faster in Spanish, because it became music for me somewhere along the line, and more about matching cadences than counting. Also, it’s my contention that you don’t need to count in sign. If somebody asks you how many kids you have, and you have three, you pat three invisible heads. If somebody asks how many cats you have, you make the sign for “cat” until you’re done.

As soon as I dispatch this letter, I’ll be pulling my work back to Steve’s office, where I’ve activated the heat pump, so it ought to be nice and toasty.

How’s everybody doing today?

Today’s blog title is brought to you by The Star Fox by Poul Anderson.  I attribute the quote to Cynbe ru Taren, but it’s been at least 60 years since I’ve read The Star Fox, so I could be wrong.  Great quote, though.

Reading and writing and counting o! my

What went before: So, at end of writing today, the WIP weighs in at 23,075 words OR 113 double-spaced pages. It has been printed out and we’uns will be getting together tomorrow to see where everything is, what pieces are missing (I mean, yes, three quarters of a book is missing, but where’s it missing from? Eh? I. Riddle. You. THAT.)

For right now, I’m straightening up the disaster area called my desk, and trying One! More! Time! to learn how to count in ASL. This is not going well. Part of it is that my fingers are none so limber as they were 50ish years ago, when I learned this stuff the first time, and honestly? I don’t remember being taught how to count. How to say stuff, oh, yeah. Number of stuffs? That’s what the “many” sign is for.

I do remember from the past that one of the very first signs we were taught was “Bathroom” In this iteration “Bathroom” is in Lesson Three, which seems — harsh.

Of course, my first sign teacher was herself deaf, and the most practical woman I’ve ever met. I remember when I forgot the sign for “dear” and substituted “deer,” which made sense to me, but not so much to her, and she demanded to know what I was thinking. I explained that they sounded the same. And She. Just. Stared. At. Me. until I meekly asked, “D-E-A-R, how sign?” Whereupon she signed it for me, LARGELY. . . SSSLLLOOOOOOWLY. So I’d Get It.

A major motion picture, that woman. She was born to conquer worlds, and the Luck gave her me.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

#

Wednesday, sunny and warm-ish. We here in Maine once again stand, battered but unbowed, beneath the threat of a Winter Storm.

Before we go any further, the ebook edition of Diviner’s Bow on Amazon has cracked the top ten list for Science Fiction Adventure. So make of that what you will.

Thank you! to those who have starred and! reviewed! *smooch*

So. Breakfast was Cabot cream cheese on Lundberg rice and red quinoa cakes. The Cabot cream cheese was good (better than Philly cream cheese, which I have been bored with for years, but which has been, except for a brief period when a local dairy operation produced its own cream cheese, the only game in town), the rice-and-quinoa cakes were — OK. Not much different to me than their plain rice cakes. Second cup of tea is with me here at the desk. Lunch will be fish of some kind. Maybe I’ll make good on those salmon cakes that I didn’t make last week. That’ll give me leftovers.

Today, I have some work to do on behalf of the Ribbon Dance audiobook, since I’ll be traveling about the time book prep will be going on, but mostly I’ll be sitting with the WIP, reading what’s there, making notes, and hopefully not yelling, “This is hopeless — HOPELESS!” FWIW, I don’t think that’s where we are.

Last night, I started (re)reading Night’s Master (because of course everyone read Tanith Lee Back In The Day), and being soothed by the lushness of it. That used to be a fantasy thing, all that Imagery and soft, unlikely, specific words, told in that dreamy once-removed voice.

I ran out of socks, so I started doing the laundry, and the sun is pouring into my office, making it toasty warm. Rookie had decided to make Tali’s life a misery and a burden, and once again Firefly stepped in on Tali’s side. I’m finding this evolving dynamic fascinating, and to the point. Rookie’s going to be way too big a cat to allow him to be a bully. And the fact that he’s already bigger than Firefly and she’s whaling the Bast outta him is apparently making an impression. I hope he draws the Right Conclusion.

And that’s what I’ve got for the early report.

What’s everybody doing today?

Firefly, during yesterday’s Gala Book Day Celebrations:

Burned all my notebooks; what good are notebooks?

What went before:  Home again, with a very large black kitten on my lap, purring like this: Purr. Purr. Purr. Purr.

I have gotten Trooper’s meds. I have taken on another box of Delectables Bisque to hide the meds in. I have sworn at stupid drivers who don’t think that stop signs in parking lots count. I have updated the software in my car. I have determined that the CD player in that same car works (it only plays one CD at a time, but here we are. At least I will have music when the phone is connected to the car, because I can either have the map from the phone speak to the car, OR I can have Sirius XM, but I can’t have both. This is a problem on a long trip, such as the one coming up, because I need both.

All duties having now been discharged, Imma order in lunch for the next three days and then sit down with my WIP.

#

As predicted, Asian Cafe has provided me with multiple meals, which means I can focus on things other than wondering what the heck I’ll be eating for a few days.

I jumped ahead and wrote a scene that I’ve been thinking about, so that’s 1200-ish words today, bringing the total rough, Oh-so-very rough WIP to +/-20,500. Another 5,000 words gets me to 100 pages, at which point, I’ll print out everything and See What I See.

The weather . . . We’re under an Active Weather Advisory, with snow/sleet/freezing rain said to be starting around midnight tonight and ending for realies around 6 am on Monday. Snow accumulations, it says here, between 3-5 inches; sleet accumulations around three quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations between one tenth and four tenths of an inch.

I’m not liking all that ice, but here we are.

Right now it’s sunny and blue, and all the snow in the Long Back Yard has melted yet again.

#

Saturday. Snowing. I am drinking a mug of tea.

Woken up just before 6 by an insistent beeping and the cats On Alert. I tried turning off the alarm I didn’t remember setting — that wasn’t it. I told Google to turn off music. That wasn’t it. I turned off the stupid heart phone. THAT wasn’t it. It came to me about then that it was my chest that was beeping.

Now, yes, they gave me an instruction manual, and yes, I read it. But yanno? I didn’t actually remember at 6am and just roused out of a sound sleep what the beeping and the red light meant. It occurred to me, as it must, since I was wearing a heart monitor, that I might be having An Event. Which woke me right up.

Long story short, the monitor was convinced that it hadn’t had skin contact for more than 6 hours and it was needy. The instruction manual suggests removing the tape and installing another monitor.

I did remove the tape, but guess what? I am not replacing the monitor. This thing is going back in the box. It’s been glitchy from Day One and I for one would suspect ANY data it managed to gather in its enfeebled state.

So, I’ll write a note to send with it, pack everything back into the box, and whenever I’m able to get out to the UPS store (Monday? Tuesday?), it’ll be on its way to Boston.

Minus stars. Will not do again.

Breakfast will eventually be a waffle with sausage gravy, probably an orange, and more tea.

On the list today is changing out the cat boxes, and vacuuming the basement. I hope to write, but I may instead make a blanket fort. We’ll see how it goes.

Re the weather — apparently we’re looking for very light amounts of snow today, to soften us up for the BIG storm, which is to arrive sometime tomorrow.

So! what’s everybody having for breakfast?

#

So, I’m charging Steve’s Chromebook. The plan is to see if I can install the Sirius app on IT, then run it off the car’s wi-fi hotspot, thus allowing me to have both GPS and music while I travel.

fingers crossed

Waffle and sausage gravy was a little bit of all right. Of course, I now have leftover sausage gravy for the ages. Could be worse, I guess.

The cats have been Sorting Out. Rookie was oppressing Tali, and Firefly intervened, apparently tutoring Tali on the one-paw power-smack between the ears, and the Ol’ Knock Him Over and Kick Him in the Stomach Routine.

Firefly and Rook just had a bite together, and Tali is lounging beneath the dining room table. As soon as my second cup of tea is finished, I’m for my chores in the basement.

Still snowing. The City Plow went by a couple minutes ago.

Today’s blog title brought to you by The Talking Heads, specifically one of the songs that Agent of Change was written to, “Life During Wartime.”

Here’s Rook, being appalled that I didn’t save him any breakfast: