Tag: everybody talks about the weather

Not Mother’s Day

Sunday. Rainy and chill.

Woke up naturally at a little after six and decided I was Up. Wished Tali a Happy Mother’s Day*, and threw a spring for her. Rook brought me his ball and I threw that for him. After I’d found pants and a sweater, and brewed the morning’s first cuppa to have with the Happy Lite, Firefly jumped up into my lap and gave me all the cuddles.

Breakfast was leftover mashed potatoes, leftover corn, leftover sausage, onions, parmesan cheese, and an egg all scrambled together. Whatever it was, it was good.

Threw in a load of laundry when I woke up, because I could, and I’ll have to shift it to the dryer in a couple minutes.

Regarding the morning cuppa. I had been drinking Russian Caravan tea for my first cup, which I liked very much, but then it was gone, so I moved on to the next envelope (these teas having been part of a Holiday Gift of Tea), which happened to be Lapsang Souchong, and I liked that even more. I ordered in more of both sorts, but while I was waiting, I opened the smaller envelope of Darjeeling. I’ve never much cared for Darjeeling, but, tastes change.

I can now report that, whatever it is that makes those first cups of Russian Caravan and Lapsang Souchong so satisfying, Darjeeling has it not. Perhaps it has a place as an afternoon tea, but I tend to switch over to non-caffeinated teas in the afternoon in the interests of getting some sleep on the overnight.

. . . and that’s my Tea Report.

Lunch will be soup, in honor of the rain, rain, rain, and I’m on my way to Steve’s office to get some work done. After I detour to the laundry room and switch the wet clothes to the dryer.

What’re you doing today?

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*No, today is not Mother’s Day, which I am now sufficiently caffeinated to realize.  In my own defense, the number and urgency of internet communications I’ve been receiving on the topic of Mother’s Day led to me to believe it must be upon us.  Steve and I did not celebrate Mother’s Day; he would send flowers to his mother, but otherwise, it was just another Sunday in May.

My cat is purring, it scratches my skin

The reason for yesterday’s trip to TJ Maxx was to acquire summer weight lap coverings to accommodate the cats. (Firefly and Tali prefer a blanket layer.  Rookie doesn’t appear to care.)

Here you see the lap covering, AKA beach towel, for the comfy chair in my office.

You also see the Tali seal of approval in play.


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LOL!!! Local peeps! If you get the Bangor Daily News, take a look at the Top Maine Towns you Should Live In. Not only does Waterville not make the graphic, but Kennebec County doesn’t even show up on the graph!

Oh, wait.

*whispers* . . . did . . . did Canada adopt us and I missed the memo? Huh? Is that what happened? Tali’s standing on my desk right now, telling me she won’t at all mind being a Canadian Coon Cat.

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So! Tuesday. Which I was for a moment convinced it was Wednesday, but Firefly straightened me out. Sunny and breezy. We here in Kennebec County, Canada, are laboring under a Fire Warning, due to dry air incoming, pushed by excess breeze. Well, there.

Trash and recycling are at the curb, and breakfast has been et.

Today has been A Week, and it’s just past 9 am.

Last night, I noticed that my left ankle, which I had sprained back in God, She Knows. When were we GOHs at ChattaCon? Then. (January 2012; I looked it up. Also — how long ago?) Anyhow, I noticed that ankle was aching last night, but I put it down to having actually been on my feet quite a bit yesterday, In Between It All. Sleep would fix it, I thought.

Well. I woke up this morning and said ankle was swollen, and still, yeah, achy. So I searched out the ankle brace and got that on. Came out and started a cup of chocolate tea, got out the milk while I was waiting for that to finish brewing, opened the windows, prepped the comfy chair, came back to my tea, took it into the kitchen, picked up the milk, absently shook it and!

You’re ahead of me, I can see the smirks.

Yep. Milk everywhere. I did a mop-up, but I still have to wash the utensils (puddles of milk in the kitchen tool holder by the stove. ick.), and make sure I got all the milk, oh, off the wall. Yeah, this may qualify as a Personal Best. I’ll check the record book.

OTOH, there are daffodils.

And how’s Tuesday treating you?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by The Scorpions, “Rock You Like a Hurricane”

 

 

Starting the day with sunshine

Monday. Sunny and already warm. All the windows are open and the cats are lounging in the breeze from the sliders in Steve’s office.

The first load of towels needs to be taken out of the dryer and the second load put in.

The area rugs and runners are outside and over the rails, taking the sun. My deck chair and table are set up and ready for use.

Regarding the deck chair. When I got it out of the closet where it overwintered, there were five springs taking shelter beneath its skirts. FIVE.

For book club, I’m reading A Gentleman in Moscow, which I’m enjoying. It strikes me that this may have been what Theo of Golden was striving for, and, err, didn’t achieve.

Since I just recently read Balance of Trade, I started Trade Secret last night, wherein I note that the Young Gentleman reveals to us The Plan. I believe that Jen Sin reviled the Young Gentleman’s clan in Salvage Right, and also said something about The Plan, which I will need to check.

Honest to ghu, this universe is tight. The authors must’ve have a million databases. *cough*.

I have a couple titles that will fit in the small blank stars on the front of the Starry Shirt, so I’m getting those ready to be embroidered.

And! I have not yet heard from D2D customer service, which is not surprising, and I really don’t expect to hear from them this week.

I believe I need to step out for a few minutes to hit the TJMaxx in-town, and also the Hannaford. P’rhaps I’ll get the car washed. I have a pass, after all.

How’s everybody doing this fine Monday morning?

Hittin’ the books

Saturday. Sunny. The weatherbeans give it as their opinion that it will achieve “warm” today.

Found one of Rookie’s whiskers — I don’t find them nearly as often as I find the long white sort favored by the girls — so that was exciting. Also, he managed to bank two out of three possible new balls, so I ordered in nine more (3 additional cards) from Petsmart, which declares that they will deliver these essential items today. Guess somebody in Augusta thinks it’s a nice day for a ride.

Next up, putting the kettle on and rustling up some breakfast before I hit the books.

What’s on the books for Saturday at your place?
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And, in celebration of a sunny Saturday, one of my favorite character interactions, in which we learn that Clonak isn’t … quite … a fool, after all. From I Dare:

“You fed me to them,” [Val Con] said, and his voice was, perhaps, not quite steady. “The scouts gave me to the Department.”

Clonak stared at him as if he’d taken leave of his wits. “Well, *of course* we gave you to them, Shadow! Who else did we have more likely to trump them than a first-in, pure-blood yos’Phelium scout commander? Concentrated random action. Would we waste such a weapon? Would you? I didn’t think so. Besides,” he finished, crossing his arms over his chest. “It’s the duty of the Captain to protect the passengers. Er Thom can’t have missed telling you that!”

“As close-kin, I ask that you not kill him,” Daav said into the silence that followed this. “I allow him to be twelve times an idiot. But he is also my oldest friend, and I value him.”

For a fee, I’m happy to be

Sunday. Grey and damp, but not snowing yet.

This morning while taking my shower, I learned that Joan Jett had covered “Dirty Deeds,” which, had I taken a Moment’s Thought, I would have said, “Of course she did,” but there we are.

I am, let it be known, Very Fond of “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap,” AC/DC, and here we find the fundamental problem with humankind. It’s a song about a hitman soliciting business, and assuring customer satisfaction through a variety of means. It is, in a word, a terrible song. And yet, yes — I do love it. Why do I love it?

Well. Beyond the fact that it is of course always a pleasure to hear someone who is happy in their work (I’m especially fond of the list at the very end of AC/DC’s version: “Concrete Shoes. Cyanide. Neckties. Contracts. High Mountains!”); it’s manic; and, so I choose to believe, meant to be a parody. Also, because it may remind me of home — gently raised as I was in a blue collar family in a violent, ugly, port city.

I also learned that I need to find a source for the particular fuzzy little balls that Rookie dotes on and then hides so effectively I can’t find any to throw for him, leading to Sadness of the Tiny, Abused Coon Cat variety.

And! I’ve also learned that my tea has brewed, and Firefly is waiting for me on the comfy chair.

What’s one of your favorite songs — and why?
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Had a lovely chat with Sean Hazlett for the Baen Free Radio Hour. We talked about Liaden Universe Constellation Six, Duainfey and Longeye, The Wire, and had a fine time.

Rook and Tali joined me for moral support, and even Google chimed in at one point, thinking, apparently, that I had asked it a question.

For the curious, it has not snowed, but the skies have opened several times to let St. Peter dump out his washtub.

I’m off for the rest of the day, I think.

Everybody stay safe.

Look at these guys; are they pros or what?

Today’s blog post title from, of course, AC/DC, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap“

Proof of Spring

Friday. Cloudy, damp, temps forecast to rise into the mid-60sF.

A thunderstorm rolled into town at bedtime last night. I got up from the couch, moved to the comfy chair in my office, opened the curtains, cracked one of the windows, and watched the storm for an hour. We don’t get nearly enough thunderstorms at this location, so we need to celebrate those we do get.

House has been picked up and Sarah’s due in at 9ish. I’m about to retreat to Steve’s office and start working on getting the Fey Duology ready for prime time.

What’re you doing today?

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Out to the post office and back. Lunch prepared and et. I have done some research and it may be — that is may be — possible to offer a softcover edition of the Fey Duology through Draft2Digital that does not involve Amazon’s marketing arm. I’ve always found D2D … kinder than Amazon. I will continue exploring.

Perusing the reviews for Duainfey and Longeye (I’m looking for a — one — glowingish professional pull quote, and it’s being tough going — I’m again struck by things like the reviewer complaining about made-up words, and I’ve gotten the distinct feeling that some had decided what the books were going to be about, and then were thrown off by them being, err, different.

There are also the odd reviewers who remark — back to back — on the fact that the two books have different voices (yes?  this would be why there were two books), and complaining that they were forced to buy two books when a “rigorous editing” could have pared the entire tale into one book.

And then there are the reviewers who found Our Heroine Useless and Too Stupid to Live because she managed to survive a completely alien situation, learn the workings of said alien situation, make her way through trauma and fear back to love and morality — a lengthy road that I believe rightly passes through Anger. Those folks remind me of the people who found it Unbelievable that a woman as brilliant as Aelliana Caylon was “supposed to be” would have allowed herself to be abused.

That said, I’ve been sitting for some time with the problem of how I’m going to survive, going forward, especially as a writer, because I can’t simply just bear down and do everything that both of us did (ref Useless and Too Stupid to Live, above) without becoming a Rolanni-sized ember. Sarah’s visit this morning illuminated my situation. When I needed help cleaning the house, I hired somebody to help me. When it became clear that I couldn’t cope with the website that Steve had maintained, I hired somebody to help me.

So, it will be no shame to hire somebody to help me with PR, and possibly other administrative tasks, so I can write, meet my deadlines, interact with my readers, and Have A Life. You wouldn’t have thought that coming to this realizaton would have taken this long, but here we are.

It’s a pretty day outside. I have all the windows that will open, opened, and now it’s time to go back to Steve’s office and format me some more manuscript.
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So! I’m a third of the way through the Easy Part of the job. Tomorrow I may not be so speedy, as I do fully intend to spend at least an hour in The! Studio! with my glasswork.

Fans of Rookie will be interested to know that he conned me out of a tidbit of hardboiled egg at lunchtime and snabbled it right down.

Tali, offered her own bit of egg was — confused.

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

Proof of spring:

Anything can happen day

. . . came in on the overnight.

Wednesday. Sunny; snow slowly melting out of the trees.

Slow, even very slow, morning. Sat for an hour or more in the window, with Tali, then Firefly, on my lap, trying to decide if it’s Me or the World. Or, yanno, both.

Discussed the matter with Tali, and decided, yeah, it’s both, and with Firefly’s help deleted all of the newsfeeds that come directly into my mail queue (with the exception of the local news, which I need for things like, how long is my road going to be closed to southbound traffic?). I have apps. If I feel like reading the news, I know where to find them.

I also ordered some tea, to top off dwindling supply.

Today is more ordering/straightening. I’m thinking stirfry for lunch.

How’s everybody doing this morning?  Firefly really wants to know.

 

That ain’t workin’

Lazy Monday. Glary and already warmer than it was yesterday. The weatherbeans have put all their tokens down on 60F/16C.

I slept “late,” had a leisurely shower, sat in the window while Tali stood on my lap and slapped me with her tail (in her defense, there are a zillion crazy little brown birds hopping around the lawn). Had cottage cheese and some grapes and called it breakfast. Not sure what I’m going to do about lunch. Take out? I finished a book, after all. That used to be an excuse — like we needed one — to celebrate.

Made a list of things to do after I finish up the bookkeeping parts of Kin Right, and it turns out that I have A Number of things to catch up before I have to start the next book, in addition to having time to bake, so that’s a relief.

Today’s plan, as soon as I’m finished here, is to start putting my working Weird Words List into some kind of order, and to finish the laundry. In re the latter, I can report that the first load of towels is in the washer, and the cats are in Steve’s office, doubtless writing a Memo to be placed in my file.

How’s Monday starting out for you?

And today’s blog post title is of course brought to you by Dire Straits, “Money for Nothin‘”

Could be Sunday

I believe it may be Sunday but don’t hold me to it. Sunny and said to be warm today.

First load of laundry is in. After my few moments here with the happy light and Firefly deciding whether or not she’ll be on my lap, I shall eat a carton of skyr, fill my thermos with tea and go back to Steve’s office to enter corrections into Kin Right. I hope to have that part done today.

I attach photographs to this letter. It’s been kind of a chaosy zoomy day here at the cat farm so far.

Hope everyone’s doing well.

Dictated to my phone
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So. That was a long day, but! Kin Right, the book, is done. Says me. It weighs just about 138,000 words and 632 manuscript pages.

I. Am. Fried.

But in a good way.

Tomorrow, I’ll take a whack at straightening out the Working Weird Word list so it can be comprehensible to people who Aren’t Me. Tonight, I’m up for emptying the dishwasher, making some rice so I have something to eat this evening, and putting away the laundry that’s on my bed so I have someplace to sleep.

Tomorrow, according to the weatherbeans, it will be SIXTY DEGREES F here in Central Maine, crashing to, oh, 34F on Tuesday.

Ahem.

Weather gods? A word, if you please. Make up your minds, ‘k? Thx.

How’s everybody holding up?

Snowy Sunday

It started to snow right around 8 am, and it’s still snowing as I type, at 7:15 pm.

Split the day between reading Kin Right, which — I’m about 100 pages in and it’s holding my interest — and locating the top of my desk again.  Order has been restored, and lists have been made.  I have a lot of phone calls to make, because the reason I write is so I don’t have to talk on the phone.  However, tomorrow, I really need to make those calls.  And read Kin Right.

I really don’t have much else to report, except that my editorial team was topnotch.  Here you can see them, editing: