Tag: coon cat logic

Saturday writer

So, that was a day. Eleven hundred fiftyish new words written, bringing the WIP to +/-5700 total words. We’re smokin’! Ahem.

Stir-fry for lunch, fresh batch of hummus made, last load of clothes in the dryer. Getting ready to pour a glass of wine and read a bit before Happy Hour and my own dinner–hummus, I think, since I’ve got fresh.

Tomorrow, with luck, will be another writing day.

Looking ahead to next week, that’s book club on Monday, crafts on Tuesday, and a morning run to Bath to see the doctor on Wednesday. That was a quick turnaround on the appointment, FWIW.

I remind myself that I really want to achieve a whale watch this summer, so I guess I’d best cast around me for a likely cruise.

Rookie has employed Tali as his agent, to inform me that it is now time for Happy Hour, and, indeed, it’s later than I thought it was.

So! Everybody have a good evening; stay safe.

I’ll check in tomorrow.

The rain in Maine

Friday. Raining and … sticky. House has been picked up in anticipation of Sarah’s arrival in about an hour. The peonies may have to do without me this year. Ah, well.

Today is My Day 666 of playing Finch. Make of that what you — and the rain has just decided to become a downpour. I do like windows that don’t leak — will. Yes.

I started listening to Ghost Ship last night — yeah, publication order is down the tubes, I’m afraid. I hadn’t recalled how fleeting and yet deeply unsettling Theo’s introduction to Clan Korval had been, not to mention her last interview with her father. I was also amused to note Val Con calling his father on his baloney.

Also, the universe seems to be conspiring to deny Theo any simple small joy (Maiko’s paperwork approach to the achievement of first class, as an instance. “She can requisition her jacket, just like ANY first class pilot.” I think Steve hit the mark fairly there regarding corporate soullessness. Steve being a person who very much believed in celebrating any and very nearly every small achievement. In another life, he’d have been an Aeslin mouse.)

Ah.  I’m also reminded that Ghost Ship is where we saw the split between those readers who had found us during the days when we were publishing Fledgling, then Saltation, a chapter a week to the web, and those who had been with us since Agent of Change.

The “Theo” people were baffled, and somewhat offended, by this “new guy” — Theo’s brother — in whom they were interested not at all, and who seemed to them to be introduced by the whim — and not a good whim — of the authors.  Perspective?  Is everything.

What else? Breakfast was homemade bread with cream cheese and the last of the grapes.

Which reminds me that I have in the last two days lost two packages of sliced cheese to mold — one pack unopened, the other opened, but sealed. I can’t afford to be losing food to mold, and I hope this isn’t because the fridge is thinking about getting done. Because a new fridge absolutely isn’t in the budget. Thermometers have been deployed throughout the interior and the cold setting adjusted to 34F, which is the lowest I’m allowed.

Given the rain and all like that, it appears that today is a writing day, so I’ll be hitting the office as soon as I finish up here.

I did drop a note in the medical portal yesterday, because my once-appallingly-low blood pressure has been running officially high for a couple months now. On the one hand, given It All, high blood pressure shouldn’t be surprising. On the other hand — advertancy. I’m promised an appointment by the medical assistant, and given an instruction to go to ER if Symptoms arrive. Argh. Also, fast work, really on behalf of the medtech.

So! How are you doing at the end of the second week in June?

Cat census at this link

And so it’s June

Business first! The Fey Duology, including dark fantasy novels Duainfey and Longeye, is now available for purchase in electronic format from!  Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and Baen.

The paper edition is for sale at the Amazon link.

Go forth, Big Book, and Find Your Audience.
#

So! Monday. Sunny and cool-but-not-cold.

Did some good start-up work on the new novel. I still have to find a few names of planets and locate a couple spaceships, but so far, all the Signs and Portents are positive.

The cats were very supportive.  Photographic proof.

A couple people asked me what I “usually” do with a completed jigsaw puzzle, and the answer is!

The puzzle the cats completed for me yesterday is, I believe, the very first jigsaw puzzle I have assembled as an adult. My spatial sense — by which I mean, the ability to recognize what will fit into where — does not exist. So! While it’s very lowering to read that a 500-piece puzzle ought to take, eh, up to five hours to assemble, I’m kind of astonished I actually got one together At All, despite it very likely absorbing 3 times that many hours (I didn’t time myself, really, but I do know that yesterday alone, it took 4 hours to finish.)

The completed puzzle is taped up safely in its portfolio. It being an Accomplishment of its kind, I may glue it together eventually, as a trophy.

Lunch has been et, and in a moment or two I will start in with emptying trash cans, and staging the trash bags and recycling, so that it can easily be moved from the garage to the curb tomorrow morning. Also up for my exciting afternoon is doing my duty to the cats, taking a walk, and making two phone calls. Sigh.

Since last week, I’ve listened to Georgette Heyer’s Cotillion and Black Sheep. Yesterday, I started listening to The Talisman Ring, and I’m … a little shocked at how very menacing Basil “The Beau” is, listening to him being read, professionally. Of course, I read Heyer as comedies, and the narrators are obliged to read them as if they were serious.

So, that’s me caught up on the first day of Back To Work.

How’s everybody doing?
#
So, that’s enough excitement for one day. All the to-do list items are crossed off, including the one where I had to remove Steve’s name from the sock-drawer credit card (new cards arrived in the mail today; I’d forgotten he was even on it).

Also? The altered state that newly bereaved people exist in is an impressive coping mechanism. I made dozens of those calls right after Steve died, and they were hard, but today was gut-wrenching.

And, apropos of nothing much, I don’t talk to many people from Texas, and that accent falls odd on the ear.

So, anyway. Knocking off for the day, having Done Great Deeds. I have a mid-morning dental appointment tomorrow, and after that? We’ll see.

Everybody stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Radio Rolanni Off-Line for Scheduled Maintenance

Saturday — sunny and cool.

I have finally found the Sekrit to making an enjoyable (as opposed to merely an OK) cup of Harney’s Chocolate Chai Supreme, which is! (1) Realize that there is more than one cup, but less than two cups of leaves left, and just brew it all, leaving the cup 1/3(ish) empty. (2) After tea is brewed, fill the rest of the cup with milk, and dump in the last spoonful of Ghirardelli’s Cocoa Powder. The result is something like spicy hot chocolate, and really quite tasty. That said, I will not be re-upping my supply of chocolate chai.

Today, as previously reported, I’ll be finishing my packing, making sure the laptop is functional, and flipping a coin to see if I’ll be taking one of my crazy keyboards. Speaking of over-packing. I’m really bad on a flat keyboard anymore, but! I don’t intend this to be a Writing Retreat. On the Gripping Hand, if I’m suddenly Struck by Inspiration (which is almost guaranteed to happen exactly when one is intending Not To Write), I want to be able to type, not flail. I think I have Steve’s Special Flipping Coin around here somewhere…

Also today, I need to swap out the cat fountains (not the cat boxes; I did that earlier in the week), and decide how to adjust station air for the cats. It’s going to be in the mid-50s a couple days, but what worries me more is the warmer days in the middle of the week. I believe I’ll be setting station air at 72 COOL, which should keep things comfortable for them. They really don’t get the Go Downstairs strategy when the upper house gets too warm, and they have plenty of blankets, not to mention each other, to snuggle with if it’s cool.

I think it fair to say that from this point on, Radio Rolanni in all of its iterations will be transmitting intermittently, and possibly not at all. The conference areas will be open, and the kitchens stocked with snacks. Feel free to meet and talk among yourselves, or bring games and crafts.  We’ll be back on the air next weekend.

I append a picture of The Long Back Yard, with lilacs and those low-growing purple weeds that the bees like so much. I’m pleased to see such a lush patch of those.

Writer’s day on…

Business first: Preorders for the The Fey Duology stand at! Amazon 204; Apple 30; Kobo 16 (BN, from which the title has been delisted, 8).

I have today read Steve’s narrative and notes for Trade Lanes, and started making notes of my own. Which I guess means that, indeed, Trade Lanes will be the next Liaden book.

It was a very calm and fulfilling day, just sitting with my art and letting the ideas bubble and flow. This is how writers are seduced into writing the next book, even writers who have written many books and really ought to know better.

I am more or less packed for my vacation. Overpacked, of course. I always overpack, and I’m just going to have to live with that reality. People who arrive for a week — 10 days! — away with a single duffle bag — amaze me.

Tomorrow, I have a few last-minute things to do — change out the cat fountains, make sure I’m current with passwords and such on the laptop, and have another Talk With the Cats about how Deb will be taking care of them and the house. I’ve told them this three times already, but they don’t believe me; you can just tell they don’t.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.
#
Well, look. I am behind in announcing that! My pleasant chat with Sean Hazlett was broken into two parts for the Baen Free Radio Hour. I had no idea I’d talked so much.

Part One aired last week, and Part Two has just appeared.

The grape escape

Business First: Draft2Digital this evening has let me know that The Fey Duology is available from Kobo.

. . . and, indeed, it is listed here

No, I have no idea what’s going on
#
Today, in my capacity as General Factotum and Cat Mom, I have retrieved from under the bed and the bureau, thirteen springs and one floofy pink ball.

I went to Marden’s and purchased half-a-yard of material that I hope will form the basis of a future embroidery project. I also topped off the gas tank, and stopped at Hannaford for a smol run of supplies — wherein lies a tale.

One of the things in my smol run of groceries was a plastic cup of grapes, so-called KidSnaks. As I was putting my stuff on to the conveyor at the cashier’s station, the cup of grapes staged a Thrilling EScape, darting from the cart to the floor, where the cup exploded and grapes went everywhere.

Surprisingly enough, I did not swear. But I did say, “Well, there’s a tragedy,” as I creakily began to bend over to gather up the carnage.

And the guy behind me said, “I’ll pick those up for you, ma’am.” And so he did, putting all the escapees back into the cup, and standing up to hand it to me. “If that’s the only thing goes wrong today, we’re both lucky!” he said.

I thanked him and waved him ahead of me, since he only had two beers and a pizza, and I was discommoded. Besides, who am I to stand between a helpful person and their well-earned treat?

When it was my turn with the cashier, I explained what happened, and she told me that I didn’t want those grapes, took the cup out of my hand, and dispatched “Ben,” to “go get this lady another cup of grapes, please.” And so it was done.

I have not got any reading of Trade Lanes done today, so that will be tomorrow’s task. Right now, since I’m finished retrieving springs, I’m going to go make the bed.

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

Wednesday evening

Business first: The Fey Duology, Dark Fantasy by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, stands at 196 pre-orders at Amazon.  In addition to Amazon, Apple and Smashwords are accepting preorders.  It will be available from Baen on June 1.

Long short day. The laundry’s done. I need to change the bed, but not today. I also need to mop, ditto.

I have read some, but by no means all, of Steve’s last draft of Trade Lanes. It’s being tough going. I’ll take another swing at it tomorrow.

In the meantime, Rook has made a motion, seconded by Tali, that it is Happy Hour. The chairwoman has tabled the motion. Rook has now moved that the chairwoman be removed. Tali declines to second, because, as I understand her to say, the Junior Member is Stoopid.

Everybody have a good evening. I ‘ll check in tomorrow.

Tuesday morning relavations

Tuesday. Sunny and warm, heading for the high 80sF. Trash and recycling are at the curb.

Already done a day’s work and my back isn’t going to be thanking me, realsoonnow, so! The kettle’s on for tea. Second breakfast will be an oatmeal cookie, mug of tea, and two Tylenol.

It’s kinda looking like I’m going to have to give up the house in the next year or so, unless I find someone willing to go on retainer to do upkeep, or I enter into a marriage of convenience with a much younger and more ambitious person.

And then I can go looking for a condo-ish situation that will let me have THREE cats, the magic number for Allowed Cats (when they’re allowed at all) being two.

Well. Those are happy thoughts. But it doesn’t have to be solved today.

Amazon this morning reports 190 preorders for The Fey Duology — many, many thanks to everyone who is still with me at this point in the proceedings.

After Second Breakfast, I’m for a comfy chair, preferably one in a window, where I will continue reading Fair Trade.

What has Tuesday morning brought to you?

Tali is giving me relaxing in the window lessons.

Monday with car chase and cookies

Business first! KDP has helpfully removed The Fey Duology from “SF-First Contact,” lest readers be “confused.” Gee, thanks, KDP.

Also, as of two seconds ago, the Amazon pre-orders for The Fey Duology stands at 173, which means I need to start shouting.

Obligatory Shouting Starts Here: The Fey Duology, Dark Fantasy by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller is available for preorder now from Amazon, Apple, and Smashwords!

Parenthetical:  If you preordered from Kobo, best look to see if your order’s been canceled.

Baen will be releasing the ebook edition on June 1, which is the day that Amazon promises to release the paper edition.

Shouting ends here.

Thanks to everyone for your patience. I really did not expect this to be so hard.
#
So, having decided to do all my morning business across town, since I had to go to the Post Office, thereby avoiding the stolen car, the high speed chase down KMD, and all the rest of that, I wound up in Wal*mart. Second time this year. My excuse was that I wanted cheap flipflops/beach sandals/watershoes. Which I found. I also found a new sloped scratcher for the spot in my office dedicated to such things, because the triangular scratcher that Steve had bought for that space has had an enormous hole excavated in it, which Firefly has been protesting by using my rug as a scratcher.

While I was there, I bought cookies and cheese and bread, which takes care of the foodstuffs I absolutely need to get me through this week.

If I get really ambitious, I can fill out my ballot and drop it off at City Hall when I go out for the book club.

Well. Let’s see what happens.

How’s everybody doing this morning?
#
Note:  I filled out my ballot and dropped it off at City Hall.
#
Let’s finish up the day with!   A test!

What is your favorite story* collected in Liaden Universe® Constellation, Volume 6, and!

Why?

Yes, an Essay Test.

Go!
____
*The stories included in Volume 6 are: “Standing Orders,” “Gadreel’s Folly,” “The Last Train to Clarkesville,” “Wise Child,” “Songs of the Fathers,” “From Every Storm a Rainbow,” “Our Lady of Benevolence,” “Chimera,” “Neutral Ground,” “Mother’s Love,” “Core Values.”