Tag: coon cat logic

To infinity, and beyond!

What went before:  Business first; list of title affected by price increases

We now return to your regularly scheduled frivolity.

It is Thursday in Central Maine; cloudy, damp, and warm(ish).

Breakfast was cottage cheese, grapes, and toast. Second cup of tea to hand. Lunch will be a sweet potato because I have two left and I’d better eat them before I leave to go walking up and down in the world.

Ashley will be by in half an hour, more or less, and I’ve picked up the house, except for the kicker that Rook and Tali keep dragging off the sofa so they can play kicker-ball. Kicker-ball seems to have much in common with Calvin-ball, and Tali is quicker at the rule shifts than Rook, though I fear the moment he realizes How It Works.

Tonight is ASL class; today, I have correspondence to answer and things to put in piles in prep for said walking up and down. Yes, I’m starting to pack already. If I try to do it all on Monday, or, as Steve would do, Tuesday, I’ll hurt my back (no, I don’t know why, I just know that’s what happens), and we’re trying to avoid that, since I’m driving.

I also need to recheck the routes/maps. No, they didn’t move Cooperstown or Baltimore (though Baltimore is sinking, so that’s exciting), but I’m running without a navigator (yes, I Keep Saying That, and it continues to be true).

Tali is now on my lap, nibbling my fingers as I try to type — and, gone.

What’re y’all doing today?

Ah.  Today’s blog post title is of course attributed to Mr. Buzz Lightyear

Adventuring for the faint of heart

Convention Business: The BaltiCon Program is now live. Word is that it’s still being tweaked. I was, for instance, double booked for Saturday evening, and have been moved from the panel discussion of how to make your characters relatable. Here’s the link. Note that you can search the schedule by day, and by person, and you can create your own list of things to do and see.

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What went before: So, that’s 636 new words on the day, along with some retrofitting of old words. The WIP Entire now weighs in at +/-39,597 words.
For a book that has quite a large cast of characters, Salvage Right is amazingly tight, and I have to keep going back and refreshing myself on what happened when and to whom, as well as what was left over.

Also, prep for BaltiCon, including the travel details, and speeches, and reservations at Corning — not to mention the stupidity with the insurance company and! something else that landed on my desk today — is all kind of borking my concentration on the story. Well. Maybe I’ll have time to write at the con.

Yeah, who am I kidding?

The rain has stopped and the wind has come up. Word is that tomorrow will be sunny and beautiful.

We’ll see, she said darkly.

In the meantime, everybody stay safe.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Sunday In Two Parts

ONE
Oh, my gods and goddesses.

Rookie fell out of the bathroom window.

SPOILER: He’s OK; I’m — a little stressed, and so very VERY pleased that he didn’t run away, but just sat in the garden under the window and YELLED. Firefly and Tali came to get me, both looking very worried, and I had heard a cat calling, but thought it was Trooper singing the song of his people downstairs, as is his habit.

But Trooper was on the copilot’s chair. I ran to the bathroom; the screen was awry and I could hear a cat YELLING. I closed the bathroom door, ran outside — and there was Rook, staring up at the window and YELLING. I called him and he came to me, just like the spoiled kid he is, and I picked him up and told him how brave and smart he was, and brought him back into the house, where we both collapsed onto the couch. He’s only just gotten up to grab a snack.

I pushed the screen all the way out, closed and locked the window. I’ll figure out how to put it back in later.

Offerings to Bast are in order.

TWO
Sunday. Sunny and still a little chilly, though warm enough that I opened the bathroom window for the edification of coon cats.

Breakfast was … eggs scrambled with tomato and onion and rice. I guess I ate about half of it before Adventure overtook me. I hate cold eggs. I did finish my toast and jam. Lunch will be chicken tender and mashed potatoes out of a bag and, oh, peas, why not?

I have a letter to write, but mostly I want to write. I really hope that isn’t too much to ask.

I … am still a little shaky, and so glad that Firefly and Tali came to get me instead of following Rook out the window. I might’ve talked Firefly in, but Tali’d be halfway to the mall in Augusta by now. Fans of Trooper will be pleased to hear that he slept through the entire thing.

So! Who’s up for Adventure today?

Picture of Rook after the fall:

In which the writer is v. tired

What went before: So, sewing group was fun, though perhaps a little short. I got to meet Carty McFly, a utility cart complete with wheels and enormous googly eyes. The official start time is 5:30 and the library closes at 7, so clean up was happening 6:30ish. However! We had a good group, especially for a first time. Two crocheters, two knitters, one quilter, and yours truly on the needle and hoop.

The cats were trying to get the Northeast Committee Cat on the phone when I got home, but technically Happy Hour was not late. In point of Actual Fact, it was Exactly on Time.

Still raining. And cold. Too cold.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

#

Wednesday. Raining. In case anybody cares, I’m really tired of rain. And? I accept no responsibility; the weather gods are NOT jealous of my lovely new sun chair.

Breakfast was cottage cheese and toast. Waiting for my second cup of tea to brew. Lunch — I bought some chicken tenders which need to be baked and then parceled out into the freezer, so I’m guessing chicken and veggie will do.

I? Am a Very Tired Woman.

I have a Generated Letter from Maximus, which is charged by the Federal Government to make sure that Medicare is Following The Rules. Maximus makes it Very Clear that they are only interested in The Rules. Which means they’re ignoring the substance of my appeal, as Martin’s Point before them. So, I’ll be calling the state insurance bureau today and see about getting an advocate. If there is no advocate, then I guess it’s the papers.

<grumble>Just what I wanted to be doing with my time</grumble>

The gentleman I spoke to about painting my garage is supposed to stop by today and stare at the project under discussion.

I need to renew my library card, which if I’d known, I coulda done that yesterday.

There are three cats sleeping in my office, and one cat on the back of the couch, attempting to influence the flow of random event.

And that’s what’s happening here.

What’s happening there?

. . . the rain’s gonna wash away, I believe this

What went before ONE: Contact made with painter. Letters writ. Duty to the cats retired. Car vacuumed; mud trays removed, rinsed off, and drying in the breeze.

I may not have mentioned this before, but … I have a snow shovel hanging on a coat hook in the foyer. And Rook has decided that bumping the shovel with his cheek (which makes the shovel swing slightly and go “bump-bump-bump”) is An Announcement that Coon Cats Are OR Should Be About To Be Fed.

Which is cute, even though he’s pretty often wrong. However, he’s right often enough that the other cats recognize the bump-bump-bump as treats and come rushing in from wherever they were to make sure they don’t miss out.

This brought to you by, I just put my dinner on to warm, Rookie decided turkey breast smelled good to him, hit the shovel — and I was awash in coon cats. None of whom are getting my turkey, and they’ve already had treats.

What went before TWO: Got a little bit of work done — +/-840 words, bringing the WIP to +/-38,690.

Still need to sort out my sewing basket, and one of my letters has generated a couple things I need to watch, so I think I’ll do the pots ‘n pans, serve up happy hour, pour a glass of wine and watch those.

#

Tuesday. Damp and grey and chill.

Trash and recycling at the curb.

Breakfast was a raisin bran muffin. Kettle on for my second cup of tea. Lunch…I think there’s leftover quiche.

Chatting a little with the gentleman who will be interviewing me at Balticon (11:30 Saturday morning in the Maryland Room, immediately after the Friends of Liad Breakfast), and he mentioned that he may talk about the Carousel books, which is very cool. But, that inspired me to go back to find when the Carousel books were published — Carousel Tides, 2010; Carousel Sun 2014; Carousel Seas 2015. So the newest was published a decade ago.  I was in Old Orchard Beach in September of 2012, the year and month that I turned 60, writing Carousel Sun. Leaving aside the obligatory How Is That Possible? — that’s eleven Liaden books ago.

I dunno. Maybe we weren’t slackers, after all.

So, today I’m going to record my adjusted reading to make sure I fall within time, sort out my sewing basket, perform one’s duty to the cats, answer a couple letters and remember to go to the library this evening.

That doesn’t seem to be too difficult a day.

What’s your day look like?

Blog post title brought to you by Matchbook 20, “3 a.m.”

Pictures: daffodils and Rook (who was helping me watch those youtube samples)

The roads must roll

What went before: Still writing, but it will only be a matter of a couple hundred words. Spent most of the day on my reading for BaltiCon. It appears — and things are still in flux, so it might change — that I will be sharing a reading hour with a colleague. My reading was just a smidge under 30 minutes, so I needed to cut it to make sure I don’t go over time. I’ll have to time it again, but I’m pretty sure it’ll be fine.

I’ve also reviewed ASL homework, spent some time with the cats, taken a walk, and eaten lunch. Still need to do dishes.

I’ve read the sample of The Glassmaker: A Novel, by Tracy Chevalier, which was interesting, especially given my own interest in glass. I do have to consider if I want to go on, because…on the one hand, it’s always interesting to see what straight people — by which I mean Mainstream Novelists — do when they decide to use science fiction in their work. OTOH, it’s occasionally more infuriating than interesting, and that’s a fine, fine line to walk. I don’t wish the author ill, but I don’t want to watch the fall (if there is one), either.
Well. It’s not like I don’t have anything else to read at the moment. This one can sit in the wishlist.

So! I’m going to break here to wash dishes and torment Maine Coon Cats, after which it will be time to set up Happy Hour and I can come back to my keyboard and type another couple paragraphs to get me to the end of this minor scene.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll check in tomorrow, but possibly not until the afternoon.

Monday. Sunny and warm.

I’ve been to Charlie’s Subaru, where Skylark the Forester was pronounced ready to travel to Baltimore and back. Tires are good, and have been rotated. Brakes declared “practically new,” all fluids topped off. A picture of the underside of the car was taken, for some reason. The undersides of cars are ugly. However! No rust, nothing broken. Ref “ready to travel.”

I jettisoned the idea of going to Lisa’s for breakfast and shopping at the cool Hannaford at Cony Circle because the entirety of Augusta is being torn up by road crews, and I dared not risk myself trying to cross town. So I went home through Sidney and Oakland, which was fine until I hit Oakland, which is also being destroyed and rebuilt by road crews.

Not hitting Lisa’s meant breakfast was a KIND bar at Charlies, with the tea I had packed in, and cottage cheese when I got home from foraging at the KMD Hannaford.

Lunch will be a premade and now-defrosted chicken breast and butter beans.

I have a phone call to make and some outstanding correspondence to answer. I need to dump the lees of winter out of the car, and also poke around in my sewing box in anticipating of going to the sewing circle at the library tomorrow evening. Otherwise, and aside one’s duty to the cats, I will be trying to concentrate on writing.

Speaking of writing, I did misreport a couple days ago — I thought I’d appended a scene to the master document that I had not yet appended to the master document. So!

As of last night, total wordcount for WIP is +/-37,850. Which isn’t to bad, I guess, and it would be nice if a title suggested itself. Just sayin’.

The cats got up when I came home, and made a case for gooshy food. They have since gone back to their Usual Rounds, disappointed.

And that’s the Start of Monday at the Confusion Factory.

How’s Monday starting out for you?

In which the writer is not a cinephile

First things first:  This is for the purposes of planning the Friends of Liad Breakfast on Saturday morning of  Balticon at 8:45 am

If you are planning to attend the breakfast (you do not need to be a member of the con to come to breakfast): say “Yes” in comments.

Things you need to know about the Friends of Liad Breakfast:  (1) This is a family gathering to catch up with each other and news. Everybody pays for their own breakfast.  (2) It is not a con event.

Go!

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What went before ONE: Old/new snippet: “Was that too long?” Theo snapped, worry sublimating into temper by a process he understood intimately. “You smashed the rack-and-tile array with a starbar. The doc had to do repairs at the cellular level! You should be dead, except you got lucky.”

Lucky. Of course, he had gotten lucky.

What went before TWO: So, lost +/-230 words on the day, bringing the total WIP to 34,440, more or less. And! I have a follow to a new scene that did not appear in Salvage Right, and which will address something that we glossed over in Salvage Right because deadline and if we kept on going we’d have written a 200,000 word book and, just — no.

There are already /1/0 15 people who say they’ll be attending the Saturday morning Friends of Liad breakfast at BaltiCon. Hoping the in-house restaurant is more amenable to reservations than the Boskone hotel, which, the last time Steve and I hosted a FOL breakfast, adamantly refused to take a reservation, and therefore doomed themselves to constantly rearranging the room for two hours, as folks kept arriving.

I am scheduled to be interviewed at 11:30 on Saturday at the con, according to the Less Drafty Schedule, so that’s something else to bear in mind.

Trooper was unfortunately messily ill this morning, which means that there will be no Happy Hour this evening. Because explaining to cats that they need to not gorge on gooshy food because it will make them sick isn’t exactly an Easy Sell, I think I will be on the couch watching Dr. Who and ignoring the protests of felines whose throats have been cut, rather than trying to read, or write, or do ASL homework.

And that’s all I’ve got on the day.

#

Saturday. The ‘beans claim it’s raining. The weather over the Long Back Yard is mostly sunny and a trifle cool. I’ve set the Awesome Chair up on the deck.

Breakfast was a ham and cheese sandwich (which finishes the ham, which I am now tired of, so it will be easier — for a while, anyway — to resist temptation) and veggie chips. Yes, that does sound like lunch. Actual lunch will be quiche and salad.

Thanks to everyone who pitched in on the name of the movie. Kill Bill it was. Nasty piece of work. Bearing in mind that I also did not think Thelma and Louise was “funny.” I think I may have mentioned that I am not the person they make movies for.

Speaking of movies, I watched The Church on Ruby Road, and the difference between now and 1997 is … wow. The cats all joined me, and we had a lovely viewing. Firefly has already asked that we do it again this evening, so I’ve got that inked in.

I stayed up a bit late last night, to finish The Teller of Small Fortunes. I also made the executive decision not to finish the book club book. This is slightly awkward, because I’m going to listen to the author read from this book in a week or two. OTOH, there always exists the possibility that I’m reading it wrong — reading protocols are A Thing, after all — and that the author’s performance will inform me.

Having gone to bed late, I slept late, and woke up to the realization that I need to start Making Lists for my upcoming perambulations, and for my duties to the con. Since I will apparently not be doing itinerant readings, I think I will read Blays and Majel’s Excellent Adventure officially, and perhaps carry with me “The Last Train to Clarkesville,” in case there’s another opportunity to just sit and read for an hour (it’s a long story).

This still leaves me with packing (1) the big suitcase full of con stuff and (2) the duffel bag, for my mini-vacay on the way home. I have engaged one of those apartmenty things, with a kitchen, and there’s a Wegman’s somewhere in Corning which I’ll try to hit before I check in. I have my tickets for two days at the museum, and two classes booked — one at the museum, and one at a studio in-town.

I still need to come to terms with how to get out of Baltimore. I’m thinking that Steve and I left BaltiCon 50 at, like, 4 o’clock in the morning and just shot out the Jones Falls well ahead of rush hour. That may be my best plan.

Today, I intend, mostly, to write. I have a few chores, as per usual, and one’s duty to the cats, and I will honor Firefly’s request for Moar Dr. Who. Oh, and I have to find something to read. I think I have the most recent Sebastian St. Cyr in the electronic TBR pile, the second Bad Heirs, a couple of cozies, and a Celia Lake to test drive. Yeah, I won’t starve.

What’s everybody reading today?

Oh. There are four cats in my office.

I wanna find one face that ain’t lookin’ through me

What went before ONE: I put together the new space heater, despite my fingers are still not working properly from yesterday’s abuses, and why don’t they just make screws bigger? But! Magnets are our friends. The assembled device was set to warming the bathroom, which it did with great efficiency and practically no noise. The elder space heater ROARED, so that will be a nice change, too, though I’ll have to be Extra Vigilant to be sure I’ve turned it off.

Am now taking a break for some fig newtons and Trooper lap time before taking the old heater down to the Goblin Room and wrapping it in plastic.

What went before TWO: For those following along at home, the chapbook I’ve been talking about now and again will include: “Neutral Ground,” written in September 2021 as a short story, which we/I then held because … Because. — a chapter pulled from Ribbon Dance, written in July 2023, and “Core Values,” written in February 2025, and posted to Splinter Universe. The stories amount to 27,485 words, and there will definitely need to be Author Commentary, so call it 30,000ish words.

No date yet — much needs to be done, aside from writing the commentary, but I said I’d keep people Informed.

What went before THREE: Rook, the “baby,” weighs 12 lbs, 6 oz.
Trooper, the patriarch, weighs 13 lbs 1 oz.
Firefly weighs 11 lbs, 3 oz.
Tali has declined the opportunity to be weighed at this time.

Since this time last month, Trooper and Firefly have lost minor ounces; Rook has gained minor ounces.

So, that’s actually good news.

What went before THREE-ANNA-HALF: Tali weighs 11 lbs 6 ounces.

What went before FOUR: 662 new words today, bringing the WIP to 33,487. I have signed up for Disney+, figuring Doctor Who will keep me busy until it’s time to pack, and then manifest at BaltiCon.

Still need to do my ASL review, so I guess that’s what I’ll be doing after I lay out Happy Hour.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Here’s a picture of Firefly staying safe, in case you need a role model:

What went before FIVE: I’m to give a speech at Balticon, accepting the Heinlein Award. It’s a short speech, and the current plan is to put it in the back of the chapbook discussed earlier today.

Thursday. Sunny, blue, and still.

Breakfast was eggs scrambled with ham, tomato, onion, the last spoonful of potato salad, and parmesean cheese. Which was quite a lot, actually, so light lunch will be in order. I still have a little bit of chicken salad, so that may be the solution, right there.  Tali stopped by as I was finishing up to have her ears massaged:

 

 

 

Things went slightly sideways last night, where I hit a wall — and bounced. I went to bed early, and slept, but I’m still kind of groggy and half-functional, so am planning a half-collapsed day. The comfy chair, a pad of paper, and a pen are looking good, so that’s where you’ll find me until it’s time to go to class.

How’s everybody doing today?

Today’s blog title brought to you by Mr. Bruce Springsteen, “Badlands”

Here’s the official cat census:

 

I made a pilgrimage to save the human race

What went before ONE: Back from errands. I purchased many needful things, including 15 ozs of blueberries covered in dark chocolate separated into 15 (now 14 — had to do a Quality Check) little bags, which are going to come in right handy on my upcoming road trip. TripS.

I also got the car washed, checked the po box, bought Trooper’s Sort of catfood at the vet, and hit the grocery for milk, gooshy food, and succumbed to temptation, which is to say, I bought some deli ham so I can have ham-and cheese sandwiches, which I’m not supposed to eat, but! I have rye bread. That’s it. That’s my excuse.

I possibly should have bought one of the fancy new traveling lunch boxes, which would let the drinks stand up (both of those in-house you have to lay the water bottles on their side. However, I have time to consider this and return to the store if it’s found I made an error.

And? It is now suddenly lunch time, and I still don’t know what I’m going to eat. Oh. How about a ham and cheese sandwich?

What went before TWO: That . . . was not what I wanted to see today — or any day, really.

I went outside to look at the front garden and think about weeding strategies and found — a dead kitten.

I’ve committed her to Bast, but — dammit…

What went before THREE: So … no new words today. I have just a few moments ago been informed that I’m doing a podcast this evening at 9:00 my time.

So there’s that.

I did get my tickets to the Corning Glass Museum and scheduled a time to make a blown glass ornament. The other place I want to make glass at — a hot glass paperweight — isn’t open today and they require a phone call. I guess I’ll register the washer and dryer and … find my headphones.

Eep.

What went before THREE: Ready to go cast pods. As you can see, I found my headphones, and it doesn’t matter that I need a haircut.

What went before FOUR: Aaaand back.

The podcast is Blasters and Blades and best guess is that it will air +/-May 30. They’ll let me know when, and then I’ll let you know when.

I had a good time. Trooper helped out on some of the hard questions, and now I’m going to go find a glass of wine.

#

Tuesday. Sunny, breezy, and pleasant. Trooper insisted that I wake up at 5:00, but I overruled him, since I didn’t get to bed until midnight. Still got up earlier than I wanted.

Breakfast was chicken salad and grapes. Drank my first mug of tea on the deck in the shade of my Awesome! New! Chair!, then cleaned up a pile of leaves that had accumulated in a corner of the deck near Steve’s grill, which is another thing I’ve got to decide what to do about, ’cause I ain’t grilling nothin’. OTOH, I do have extra propane cylinders, and I guess it might be useful in the coming apocalypse.

So, today, I need to make a plan regarding how to weed the garden and, err, do same. It looks like the morning, when the sun is falling thick and rich into my office would be the best time to hit the garden out front. I really need to keep on this so it doesn’t get overgrown again.

NOTE TO SELF: HAT! No, really. HAT.

What else? Writing. Didn’t get any writing done yesterday, which was disappointing. And also calling the other glass studio in Corning. And ASL homework. One’s duty to the cats. The watch wants me to walk, but it’s getting weeds pulled instead. That’s looking like a full day, right there, not to mention I’ll need to eat at least one more meal. Pfui.

What’s everybody doing today that’s fun?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Modern English, “I Melt with You”

Pics below of aforesaid Awesome chair, and also my breakfast visitor:

Don’t you want your daddy to feel all right?

What went before: I forgot to mention earlier that On This Date in 2018, the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory moved from its long-term country location to the city.

So, that’s 1,056 new words, including having to stop for the fun game of Name The Scouts. WIP now more-or-less 31,620 total words.

I have confirmed that Steve named Captain yos’Thadi’s ship at least partially for his high school English teacher — thanks, Shirley!

Quitting now in order to serve Happy Hour in about half and hour, then reviewing ASL homework again.

In the meanwhile, I’ve got some tidying up for the evening to do, including grabbing Tali and brushing her, which is — eh 50/50 chance. She cannot be shamed, and the fact that All The OTHER Cats have been groomed today means nothing to her.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Monday. Sunny and warm, heading for warmer. It was a struggle to get out of bed this morning. Woke up twice, went back to sleep, and was seriously tempted to try for a personal best of three naps before officially getting up.

Breakfast was PB&J on a toasted English muffin, accompanied in part by the Dead’s “Good Lovin'”. I have not one clue about lunch; hate to do a salad again, because, while veggies are Good for Us, boring meals do not fill one with a desire to eat.

So, this morning I was planning on going out to the Agway and foraging for eyelets so I could make my webbing in the laundry room closet. However! I was in Steve’s office, muttering about this plan, and opened the closet door for — I have no idea, really — and a wire shelf that I guess had been leaning against the wall, fell out on me (no worries; it’s not a big shelf). And I stood there like a dummy, staring at it for two long minutes before I picked it up and took it to the laundry room, where I slid it easily into the upper space where Steve’s stacking had failed under unusual stress, and I was going to install rope webbing.

. . .by the way, that thready organ line in the background of “Rebel Yell”? Is worth the whole song, right there.

Anyhoots, problem solved and I don’t have to go out to Agway this morning, but! I do need to go out to get milk, and while I’m at the shopping center, I may do a tour of TJMaxx, just because it’s there.

There are various other items on the to-do list, including getting the trash into the garage in preparation for the Grand March to the curb, tomorrow morning. Calling to reserve a place in a glass-blowing class while I’m at Corning — yes, I decided that I will regret it forever, if I don’t at least TRY to blow glass — gathering up the pieces of that possible chapbook, and registering the washer and dryer. Also, writing. I want to finish the section I started yesterday, which is, for those who are curious, the prologue.

My mailbag has been interesting these last couple days. Today’s question is: Why did I “have” Tekelia go to Visalee with All Those Stops? Boorrrrriiiiiinnnngg.

Short answer: Like it says in the book, Tekelia had to go to Visalee (by the way, I do not advise anyone who values their peace of mind to attempt to “have” Tekelia do anydamnthing) to bring Blays back to Ribbon Dance Village. The reason there were so many stops is that Tekelia is not a superperson — Visalee is a long distance, and refueling was required.

Longer answer: Because not only did Blays need to be fetched, and the fact that Tekelia has limits established, but The Reader had to become familiar with the Counsels to Chaos, and the geography of Colemeno beyond the city, as well as to set up Wildege. I’m actually fairly proud of using that trip to accomplish multiple pieces of work that would be important later on in the book.

Slightly snarky answer: It’s always wise to recall that one person’s too much cake/meetings/trading/accountants/icky-kissy-stuff is another person’s Oh, perfect! Since there is no possible chance that I’m going to please everybody, I aim to please myself.

All righty, then! Who else is out of milk?

Yes, today’s blog title from the Grateful Dead, “Good Lovin‘”

Yesterday’s coworkers:

. . . and whether pigs have wings

What went before: Sigh.

No fewer than three people have wished me to know that Amazon is holding its Really Big Sale this year during Independent Booksellers Week.

Thank you all for your concern. I am aware that the Large Waterway is scum. I am aware that there is nothing to stop them from having their sale whenever they want to have their sale, even if they’re knowingly playing dirty pool.

However.

Why do writers write? *shrugs* Probably there are as many reasons as there are writers, though I suspect we all share two reasons: We want people to BUY our books and! We want people to READ our books. Note the order of those two items.

Like lesser mortals, writers need money to pay for food, for heat, for rent, for meds, for cat food, and all like that. They therefore put their books on sale everywhere that will pay them a percentage of each sale — big markets, little markets, libraries…wherever.

As a private person, I can deplore a market’s morals. As a writer, am I going to pull my books from said market, so long as they pay me? I am not. Am I a Bad Person, my pool cue as dirty as said market’s table? No. I’m not.

And why is that? Here you go —

I can put my books on sale wherever I please. But I can’t make you buy them  from any particular market. Witness the folks who would rather buy books from Enormous River rather than from the Uncle. The point here is not so much author choice (sell books widely; maybe make the rent this month) as it is buyer’s choice (Big Market Bad; I shall buy from a market that is more pleasing to myself).

Asking me to pull my books from a market that accounts for 90+% of my sales is asking me to live outdoors, or starve my cats, and I won’t willingly do either of those things. Buy my books someplace else — your favorite indie bookstore, for an example.  You Have the Power!

End of this lecture in Writer Economics 101.

#

Sunday. Raining and chilly. Steve’s good, heavy, red-and-black flannel shirt is once again pressed into use. This garment has been endlessly useful.

Breakfast was refried grilled veggies with cheese. Lunch will be a salad and soup.

Rook’s tail was following him around and he decided to blame it on Tali, so they’ve been wrasslin’ through three rooms. Firefly is acting as ref. Trooper is visiting Steve in his office.

Did some plotting yesterday. Today I hope for new words.

From the mailbag: Do I have my BaltiCon schedule yet?

Short Answer: Er. No. I received a draft schedule, which was … inadequate …  mostly due to the fact that I had not been given a login to the scheduling program, and so couldn’t choose faces. I thought that was straightened out, but I haven’t heard anything else.

Expansion: I would sort of like to have a schedule ahead of arrival, since I like to, oh, prepare. And, also, this is very likely the last time I’ll in-person at a convention, and I also know from the mailbag that there are people who are coming only to see me, or waiting to see the schedule before deciding (which is flattering, but BaltiCon’s a good con; lots more things to do than hang out with an aging, taciturn SciFi writer, so you should definitely come, if you’re thinking about it at all).

In regard to planning ahead, I’m thinking that, if I turn out to be basically on my own, I could wander about the convention doing pop-up readings. My memory of the space isn’t great, but there must be corners, nooks, back tables in the consuite where people could gather and I could read for a bit.

So, here’s the place where you guys can help me out: If you have a favorite scene or story that you would like to hear read aloud, let me know in comments.

Other than all of that — what’s going on with you today?

Today’s blog post from Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, “The Walrus and the Carpenter.”  Yes, I do quote from Alice rather a lot.

Photograph from last night’s special Hall Blocker’s Meeting, in  which Hall Blocker Emeritus Kelimcoons Sooper Trooper tutors the club’s youngers in Basic Short Hall Technique.