everybody talks about the weather – Page 6

Adulting

The Long Back Yard.

I got up early, convinced I’d be shoveling, because we didn’t have so much snow yesterday. But when I got up, the drive had been plowed and the steps cleared.

Best plowguy ever.

Oh, let’s see — Friday?

I guess we’d better go with Friday. Sunny and colder’n . . . yeah. -4F-feels-like-minus-11F. That’ll do.

Breakfast was the left over half of the yam from yesterday’s lunch, fried, with a side of cottage cheese. Right now, I’m eating a chocolate chip cookie with my second cup of tea, because I Am An Adult. Lunch will be (some of) the now-defrosted chicken breasts and, oh, maybe stuffing. Because I Am An Adult.

Sarah is due in about half an hour.

Speaking of viewpoints — yes, yes, but bear with me. It’s a craft thing that really interests me. I live for the scenes in our own work where someone meets Miri or Val Con, or both of them, and gives the reader their conclusions drawn on what they think they’re seeing. It never gets old. (Oh. Or Shan. I Love It when people tell us about Shan.)

That said, on Wednesday, the New Yorker calendar served me up a cartoon of Santa speaking to a herd of reindeer, or possibly to the one in the foreground, with the big nose. And Santa is saying: “Remember! No matter how different you are, if you prove yourself useful, you can still earn the privilege of being forced to work with your bullies.”

I didn’t get it at first, because brain/morning/cats, but yanno? That retelling is genius. Genius.

And it also reminds me of something I heard on the internet not too long ago — paraphrasing here, “I have never wanted to trade lives with anyone who bullied me.”

So! Today is about doing Real Life Chores, which is a bore, but I need to cope. Because I Am An Adult.

Who else is Adulting today?

It’s been so long, eating and drinking and making merry

The Long Back Yard this morning. Perhaps not obvious from the picture: It was snowing at the time.

OK. Thursday. Snowed about an inch this morning, just enough to freshen yesterday’s snow. Intermittently sunny — or cloudy, if you prefer it that way — at the moment.

Breakfast was eggs scrambled with spinach and onions and cheese, with a biscuit and strawberry jam on the side. Lunch…I may go back to my original plan of ham and yam, because I’m not sure those chicken breasts are thawed, actually.

Wrote about 930 words this morning, concluding a scene that I really like — Yes, this is going to be a book totally comprised of Scenes I Like. Rookie and Tali kept me company in the office, while Firefly is keeping a Very Close Eye on the bedroom.

I’m getting ready to start a loaf of bread to rise, after which it’s PT homework, one’s duty the cats, and lunch, one way or the other.

Hope everybody’s having a good day.
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Yanno? “Wonderful Christmastime?” Paul McCartney, celebrating all the lovely, lovely things that “Only happen at this time of Year” And I am Up To Here with that.

First of all — it’s a real dud on the lyrics, but so are most Christmas songs, so I guess I can’t take points off for that. But honestly? Aren’t we all supposed to be together and sharing joy and magic all the time?

Why, why does it only “happen at this time of year?” Why is it not a lifestyle choice? What is it about cruelty that is so attractive that it gets 363ish days while Joy, Magic, and Fellow Feeling only get 2ish, and only if we’ve spent enough money?

Yes, I do feel better now. And the bread’s in to rise.
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OK…The bread is really good. I had wanted a dense, seedy loaf and this one delivers. I cut it in half — one piece for the freezer and the other to eat now. Ahem. Over the course of the next couple days.

In between It All, I seem to have written 2,320 words today, which is … a lot, as we count words around here. On the other hand, as Jen Sin today observed to Miri, Traders talk A Lot. The WIP entire is somewhere around 113,480 total words.

I will mention that I wrote that many words and STILL had time to fall down the rabbit hole of Mongolian Techno. Some years back now there had been a Mongolian metal rock band — HU? HUU? — and they were doing some interesting things, but Mongolian Techno? Who knew.

Tomorrow, I have Real Life Business I have to take care of first (Well. “First,” after clearing snow, so Sarah can get in and also picking up so she can do her thing) having successfully put it off for more than a week (procrastination; it’s not for sissies).

I did read some few pages of Agent of Change, and will probably read some more after the cats stop shouting at me to deliver them their Happy Hour. What’s really interesting, is that I can remember which bits Steve wrote, and which bits I wrote, and which bits Steve wrote and I changed. I don’t think — but will be testing the proposition — that I can do that with later books. But you never forget your first, amirite?

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. Watch out for windblown snow and ice on the roads.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Today’s blog post title brought to you by The Hu, from their 2019 Billboard hit, “Yuve Yuve Yu“

And the good girls are home with broken hearts

So here I am in the comfy chair: Listening to music, checking email, and basking in the Happy Lite.

Several kind people sent me tea over the last few days, and I now rejoice in two infusers, where I previously had none. This morning, in celebration of the weather, I am enjoying Russian Caravan tea.

Ah…”and all the bad boys are standing in the shadows/and all the good girls are home with broken hearts.”

The Long Back Yard

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Taking a break to do PT homework, start washing the curtains and take out some chicken breasts to hopefully defrost in time to be cooked for tomorrow’s lunch and! follow up baked chicken sandwiches. The Forbidden Food List includes all lunch meats and … that’s an ongoing hardship. But, there’s no prohibition against sliced chicken off a home-cooked breast.

It’s still snowing a bit, and I’m measuring just 5 inches on the deck.

UPS is still insisting it’s making a delivery today, and I found a place to tell the driver to PUT THE BOX IN THE GARAGE, and I opened the garage door. Fingers crossed.

I got an automated call saying that the local Senior Center, which serves lunch to a good many people, is closed today on account of Weather. Reopening on Friday. I hope everybody who depends on that lunch is OK.

I’ve explored the new door configuration again and what I think is that I need to go to Home Despot next week and Stare at Stuff.

The cats are Visibly Relieved to have their Safe Room back. The last couple days were tense for all of us. But! It’s behind us now. Just gotta settle the bill. (eek! and yes, I can settle the bill, and I don’t depend on the Senior Center for lunch. Which makes me a very fortunate woman.)

How’s everybody doing today?
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Well done UPS!

The Ring went off, which meant that somebody had approached the front door, and I said to Rookie and Tali as I got up from my keyboard. “That’s UPS, and they didn’t put in the garage.”

There was a car in the driveway when I got to the door, and the box was on the front step, and I was opening the door, when the driver of the car got out, and came rushing back to me, “I’m so sorry; I only just saw that you wanted it in the garage. I’m really sorry.”

And I said, “Thank you for coming back. Since you got it this far, can you just put it inside the door?”

“Oh, yes. I can certainly do that! I’m sorry.”

And he put the box in the house; we exchanged Happy Holidays and he drove off.

So, praise where earned. Well-done, UPS!

And, indeed, this is what was in the box: #
Wrote +/-1160 words today, and reviewed several scenes that I considered “problematical,”which are, in fact, perfectly fine and actually do belong in this book. The WIP entire is more or less 112,200 words.

Coon Cat Happy Hour has occurred. I have discovered that I bought some frozen dumplings, and that will be my evening meal. Tomorrow, my intention is to write and to bake a loaf of bread, perhaps not even in that order.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll be around tomorrow.

Oh! Today’s blog post title from Mr. Thomas Petty, “Free fallin’“

Aaaaand Done!

Sounds like the lads are packing up. I hope they haven’t forgotten that they have some furniture to move.

In other news, UPS has changed the delivery date of what I assume to be a box of paperback Diviner’s Bow from today (when it is not snowing) to tomorrow (when accumulations will be between 3 and 5 inches), because, yeah . . . I’m really over UPS dumping boxes of books into the snow and against the door, but I can’t seem to instruct them to put it in the garage unless I become a Premium Member for $19.99.

In coon cat news, Rook has retired from the stairs to the basement. Tali is still on top of the bookcase in the bedroom, and Firefly — is seeing ghosts. She seems perfectly comfortable with this, and I’m kinda jealous. I’d like to see comfortable ghosts. Just sayin’.

I should eat lunch, but I’m pretty much guaranteed to be interrupted, so I’ll hold off until I can get the crew sorted.

Tali has an appointment at the vet in mid-February, which is in the middle of the January shot and the March physical.

I’ve been poking at the WIP, and put back in +/- 5,000 words that I had pulled earlier, now that I know that they (1) belong in this story and (2) where they go.

. . . and they didn’t forget. I can go back this afternoon and get the desk back in order. And there was much rejoicing.
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And that’s a wrap. I’ll need to put up curtains again, but for the moment, we’re good.
The stuffies are back where they belong. The computer is online. All I need to do is move my files and I can go back to work tomorrow morning. I can see the curtains are going to be a challenge, but Imma call today a victory.

All righty, then. The WIP now weighs in at +/-111,050. I may have already said that, but better said twice than not at all.

The cats have done a Thorough Inspection and pronounce the Safe Room Acceptable. Firefly seems to be in Transports re the new windows. Honestly — she fell on her head and showed her belly to the window and purred so loud Rook went over to see What Was She Getting?

Coon Cat Happy Hour has happened, only a little early, and I have a glass of wine to hand, but it occurs to me that, absent breakfast, I may not have had anything to eat today. Better fix that before too much wine is had.

It’s looking like I’m going to have to install miniblinds or…something in the new doors, because the new trim is of a — waves hands — different configuration than the old. We are now well into territory of which I wot not, but!

I have doors that the winter wind does not howl through, and UV coating and gee they’re pretty. I’ll figure something out. Later.

It’s looking like our snow will be on the overnight, with 3-5 inches expected. South from here, they’re looking for maybe 12 inches.

I? Have no place to be. My plans for the next couple days are to write, to read, and to bake a loaf of bread. Maybe two loaves of bread. Yes, I do know it’s Christmas, and I have had some people Look at me and say, “But what will you do?” And what I’ll do is what I do. I have mentioned before that Steve and I often did not “do” Christmas, because, in later years, we often had a book due at the end of the year, or in January, so we were working, with maybe a half-day or a slightly fancy meal. Depending, yanno, on how late we were.

On that note, I’m going to go find something to eat.

Everybody stay safe. Have a good evening. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Door replacement, Day Two

The Long Back Yard:

Where are we? Tuesday! Trash and recycling are at the curb. The weather ghods spent all last night loading the outgoing clouds with snow, and are now sweeping the spilled flakes out of the warehouse and into the downward breezes.

Breakfast was a cheese muffin and an orange. I’m on, like, my third mug of tea.

The lads have not yet arrived. The cats are letting me know that they much prefer this, and did I know that the door to Steve’s wing is closed? (Actually, they’ve opened it twice now, but they can’t quite manage the door to Steve’s actual office. Thank goodness for double-sealing.)

Questions from yesterday, which I saw, didn’t answer immediately, and now can’t find.

QUESTION ONE: Would I consider coming back to COsine?
Honestly, I loved Colorado, and had a good time at the con, but I’ve put a moratorium on both conventions and long train trips for right now.

QUESTION TWO: “What’s a Black Knight?”
Many years ago, the internet put forth a medieval village populated by people according to their Myers-Briggs type. According to the conceit of the webpage/game, Steve was the Benevolent Despot; I was the Black Knight. Which at the time generated quite a discussion on the Friends of Liad list about how this was a perfect pairing. If the smile didn’t convince; the sword surely would. A quick look-around doesn’t locate that particular website. FWIW, I’m INTJ.

Funny story: Way Way back in time (pre-Steve, which in truth is Way Back), I applied to be a college student. Because I was coming from a non-standard direction, and seeking a non-standard curriculum, I had to talk with a Guidance Counselor and Take Tests. The Guidance Counselor was cute. as. a. button. He had a nice voice and a British accent. And he was friendly. Remember these plot points.

So the tests — an IQ test and a Myers-Briggs; take them home and bring them back before our next meeting, so they can be scored, and we’ll talk about your aptitudes at our next meeting.

Next meeting arrives. My tests had been scored and the results placed in my file, which my poor Guidance Counselor had obviously failed to look at before our meeting, and so my heart was broken.

He visibly paled. Looked at me. Looked at the folder. Flicked a couple pages. Looked back at me. Cleared his throat. Folded his hands on the desk, and said, “Well! These are Quite Interesting.”

Turns out the tests had revealed me for Very Smart and also?

An axe murderer. Or, as I prefer, a Black Knight.

. . . I think that’s it. If you asked a question and I haven’t answered you, please ask it again in comments and I’ll try to be more mindful this time.

On today’s to-do, I need to call the vet and schedule Tali in for her three-year distemper shot and her physical. I’m also hoping to sit with the WIP. I don’t think I’ll be going out this evening. I’m sorry to miss needlework, but I’m already tired and the exciting part of the day hasn’t started yet.

So! How’re y’all doing today?

Door replacement day one

So! It’s being an exciting old day here at the cat farm. Not only do we have monsters in Steve’s Safe Office, but the pest control guy came to check his traps. After he left, I went downstairs to make sure he’d shut all the doors, and realized that I had not seen either Rook or Tali, both of whom I’d assumed were in the basement (Firefly is in my office, in Trooper’s box, napping, and occasionally raising her head to make sure I’m still here.)

Anyhoots, I went on a Kitten Hunt. I found Tali at the bottom of the bed under the spread. Rook. . .

Rook was squinched up into the TINIEST LITTLE BLACK FURBALL IT WAS EVER POSSIBLE TO BE, between the dresser and the wall, with his head shoved *behind* the dresser.

Reader, I thought he was dead. That he had, I dunno, gotten his head stuck and couldn’t breathe, and, and, and . . .

I knelt down, kicking Tali in the process and now I don’t know where she is again, and I whispered, “Rookie?”

He pulled his head out and looked at me. You’ve never seen such big eyes. Never.

I talked to him and he came to me, and I snuggled him and now he’s in my bathroom with some water and a plate of crunchies.

And I? Ought to have some lunch, I guess…
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Tali joined me for lunch and is reposing beneath the dining room table.

I went back to visit Rookie in his safe place, and at his insistence, I let him out. He made a belly-to-the-floor dash into the living room and is now under the sofa.

Frankly, I’m amazed he can still fit under the sofa.

Firefly is sleeping in the box on my desk.

I had foolishly thought I was going to be able to get some work done
today, but that’s clearly not happening.
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OK. The lads are leaving, and will be back tomorrow to do the inside trim.

The other thing I thought I do today was run out to the store for, oh, yeast, and milk, and parmesean cheese, but, yanno? I really don’t want to go from “There are MONSTERS in our safe room!” to: “AND THEY ATE OUR MOM!”

So. . . maybe tomorrow? I’d really admire having yeast and milk in the house before everything stops for The Big Day.
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Crew is gone. I have Doordashed my needs (including Tylenol. This is no time to be out of Tylenol.) And again, my thanks to everyone who thought/thinks of me with Doordash gift cards, because My Ghod they are a lifesaver.

I’m exhausted and I didn’t do any work.

Well. The new windows will be great. I think even the cats will appreciate them.

Eventually.

. . . I guess I ought to go see if Rookie is still under the sofa.
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Yeah. I’m just going to have to come to terms that I’m not getting anything useful done today (well. I made hummus. And tuna fish, because tonight I will be having tuna melt for dinner.), and will try for tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, it’s supposed to start snowing a little after noon, accumulating about an inch, and keep on snowing through the night, accumulating another 3 to 5 inches,

So, I’m in for the foreseeable. Which is fine.

Oh. Doordash. Happened in record time. Mary was awesome, and I have all the Necessaries.

Cats all accounted for, and mad that I will let them into the back hall but not into Their Room.

I do believe I’ll have a glass of wine.

This was not supposed to be quite so stressful an undertaking.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll check in tomorrow.

All present and accounted for

Saturday Challenge

You may wish to refer to the photo page for today

OK, so kind of a loss of a day, viewed through the writing lens, but I had expected that.

Seen through the RL lens, I got myself back and forth to the hospital in Brunswick without mishap, saving the wear and tear on my nerves (ref the wear and tear on my nerves, the rock sculpture in the Imaging Lobby probably brought my blood pressure down 50 points. Well played MaineHealth. Well played.), did the hour in the tube without having a panic attack, waited until I was in the car to scream (yes, that’s a real thing; I have claustrophobia; remind me to tell you some other time about the first time Steve and I went cross country by train), was reasonable and let my friends do all the heavy work that was only going to hurt my back (which already hurt; they need nicer mattresses on MRI machines), ate my lunch, which was terrific, took time off to read and relax, took down the pictures over the doors to be replaced.

Tomorrow, all I need to do in Steve’s office is take down the drapes and use them to cover the Stuff against the Dust of Construction.

Tomorrow will be a writing day. Monday, sometime between 8 and 10am will see the arrival of the Andersen crew to start with the replacing of doors. I have some business stuff to do on Monday, but if I have my way, writing will happen then, too. Tuesday is supposedly the finish of the installation. Not sure if I’ll be going to needlework that evening. We Shall See.

In the meantime, the cats keep checking in with me — is this OK? — and I really can’t blame them. I keep telling them I’ll put it back the way it was real quick, but I can tell they don’t believe me.

Google wishes me to understand that we will be having rain and snow tonight, but I don’t find any evidence that this opinion is based on reality. It will be cold, though. That, we’re all agreed upon.

All that said! Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe. I’ll check in tomorrow.

Weather makin’

The Long Back Yard, with sublimating snow:

Friday. Raining like heck, heading for the mid-50s. All the dampness will freeze overnight of course. I am so not looking forward to driving to Brunswick tomorrow in the early AM. Yeah, chicken, here.

Dishwasher doing its thing.

Half hour with the Happy Lite has been had while I made notes for the Unending WIP. Breakfast was oatmeal with walnuts and a handful of semi-sweet chips, because I had them. Lunch will probably be soup, to celebrate the rain. That may not be the right word. Oh, and I bought a bag of those lovely little oranges, so I can have an orange for dessert.

Today’s to-do list includes Glaring at the WIP; stripping the bed, washing the sheets, and putting the bed back together; changing out the cat boxes; getting the WIP and all its attendants onto a portable hard drive so it can be attached to my laptop and work can continue in the face of progress. Also, the usual fidgets of hanging stuff away and poking at piles.

I am remiss in reporting that I really like my new glasses, and am wearing them. The old glasses — and I should’ve minded this better — had gotten to the point that I preferred not to wear them; they just made everything worse.

Someone asked where I got my glasses — apparently places like Lenscrafters no longer carry titanium frames, which — What? I get my glasses at the retail side of my optometrist’s office — Eye Care of Maine. SPOILER: They cost the earth, and I’m not really sure how much of that is the blue light coating and the no-line progressive lenses, and how much is the frame.

All that said, and the to-do list, I better get myself busy.

What’s happening with you today?

The cat wants to sleep with Anthony, not with me

Supervisors be supervisin’

Not a very satisfactory afternoon, alas.

Back and knees hurt from PT, which meant that it was hard to concentrate, and though I did write a scene, I fear it is the wrong scene, but I’ll look at it tomorrow.

I clipped Tali’s front claws, but when I tried to do the same for Rook, he hissed at me, which was very lowering. For both of us, apparently. He’s now trying to pretend that it never happened, but his claws still need to be clipped. Tomorrow, I’m thinking.

Speaking of tomorrow — the ‘beans are calling for mid-50sF and rain, with an overnight low of 23F, so that‘s going to be a fun 6am drive on Saturday morning.

I believe I will be having an Early Night and a sleep-til-I-wake morning.

Everybody have a good evening. Stay safe.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Today’s blog post title brought to you by! “Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day,” written by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Ray Cruz.

And yet again it is Thursday

. . . this keeps happening. Must investigate.

So. Thursday. Sunny 40!F!/4C.

Breakfast was the last of my homemade hummus and naan. Am munching on cheddar cheese pretzel pieces as I type this, because (1) they’re addictive and (2) I’m snackish. Lunch will be the other piece of lasagna.

PT has been accomplished, as well as a PO run, and a stop at the grocery store. I filled the car up with gas, so I’m ready to go flying outta here on Saturday morning on a heading for Brunswick.

I have not been able to get excited about Doing Something for Christmas. I did pick up a ham slice, and I have yams on hand, so, yanno, ham and and a yam for dinner on the day could be a thing. I also picked up a frozen so-called single pizza (Screamin’ Sicilian, for those who keep track of such things), in case that’s something I’ll be wanting. Oh, and canned chick peas, on account of I am making hummus again.

Mostly, though, it’s looking like next Thursday will be nothing any more or less special than all the days have been lately.

The plan going forward is to heat the oven so I can have warm lasagna for lunch, then hit the WIP.

Tomorrow, I need to do a cat box changeout, and also get all my working files off of Steve’s computer, where I’ve been diligently writing, so I can continue to write while his office is upside down and the French doors are being replaced.

I need to decide if I’m just going to set up my laptop in the living room, and write there, or bring it totally back into my office. I’m leaning toward the living room, which will keep the task-spaces separate, and which I’ve been finding really useful.

Saturday, of course is the pre-dawn trip to Brunswick, two MRIs and home again, where kind neighbors have volunteered to come over and help push furniture around, because the window people require a six-foot clearance. For which I can’t blame them and there’s no denying that’s a full office experience.

. . . I think that’s all the news at the moment.

How’s Thursday treating you?