Tag: five minutes of fame

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:

 

Sunny Thursday

BUSINESS FIRST!  Diviner’s Bow by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller, the 27th novel set in the Liaden Universe® of their own devising (ignore Amazon; it doesn’t know how to count) premiers at #13 on the Bookscan new release bestseller list!

We couldn’t have done it without you, so! Give yourselves a hand!

#

What went before ONE: The snow is melting nicely, and I’ve sketched in the beginning of a scene, and washed my robe, which may need to get washed again, considering the amount of cat fur still clinging to it. On the other hand, fur is warm amirite?

I was listening to the Spectrum Channel on Sirius, and the host was discussing the new crop of artists who are up for inclusion in the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, which is one of Sirius’ Big Things. This year INXS is on the list (I mean, why isn’t INXS already in the Hall of Fame?), and the host, who is not someone who goes out of her way to speak ill of people, mentioned that she was pleased with the inclusion of INXS, and then said, “You know, I do try to separate the art from the artist — in my business, you sort of have to — but I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Neil Gallagher of Oasis, for his acceptance speech. You remember the one — Mike Hutchence (of INXS) was giving the award and Gallagher, in his speech said, “Has-beens shouldn’t be giving out [fucking] awards to gonna-bes.” That, said mine host, and she wasn’t wrong, was cruel. It was, in fact, ungracious, and then, she added, “A year later Mike Hutchence was gone, so I hope Neil Gallagher felt good about that. Anyway! Here’s INXS — ”

Wow.

So! I guess I’d better empty the dishwasher and start warming up my soup for lunch.

How’s everybody doing at the half-way mark on the day?

What went before ONE-point-FIVE: Just thinking about the acceptance speech thing, and — I’m going to be giving an acceptance speech in a little over a month.

Mine’s better than Noel Gallagher’s.

Just sayin’.

What went before TWO: I’m not really sure what I got done today. Bits of this and pieces of that.

Got some correx entered — oh. I had to rewrite a scene to make it plain that Val Con’s being sneaky, for those who may have forgotten his core values.

Spent some time looking for something that I never did find. I hate that. And now I need to practice my speech again (trying to do this long enough so that it’s more or less committed to memory by the time I actually have to stand up on a stage and speak), and do some ASL review. I’m of the opinion that the days aren’t long enough, because it can’t be that I’m wasting time. Sigh.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

#

Let’s see. Thursday. Sunny and bound for warm. Last class of ASL Session One this evening.

Breakfast was potatoes fried with onions, cottage cheese, and grapes. Lunch will likely be a fish sandwich.

ASL review this morning. There’s a load of laundry washing, because the basket was full and it offendeth me.

I have more correx to input, and some more scenes to draft by hand, so it’s not like I lack for occupation.

So the book I’m reading is The Dreadful Duke, by Grace Burrowes, in which Our Hero is a sculptor. He’s been doing this for a long time, and as he was in the position of having to do art in exchange for money, he has worked long hours and demanded much of himself. When the story opens, the second thing we are told about the man is that his hands hurt. And this remains an undercurrent of the story, that one’s art may be beloved, but it will in the end break you.

This brought to you by, my hands hurt.

What’s everybody doing today that’s fun?

Below:  The Long Back Yard, this morning; obligatory cat pics

There’ll be laughing, singing, and music swinging

Friday. Sun trying to break through the clouds. I’ve been up for a while, but the day’s starting slow. In Garmin-speak, yesterday was very stressful and though I slept well, it was insufficient to renew my body battery.

Whatever.

Breakfast was rice-and-quinoa cakes with cream cheese and the penultimate orange. The name of my next band will be Penultimate Orange. Lunch will be … prolly a leftover salmon cake sandwich with whatever veggies come to hand when I open the freezer.

So! Diviner’s Bow — is it “bow” as in archery, or “bow” as in Liadens are always bowing? Here’s the history, one! more! time!

Because the Padi arc is basically an internal trilogy, I/we decided to give the titles a sequence, to, yanno, Clue People In? Thus we have: Trader’s LEAP, Ribbon DANCE, Diviner’s BOW.

I know, I know — too opaque. I’m reminded of That Time Steve wanted to title a novel Writ of Replevin, and Toni said, “Err. No.”

This afternoon, I have an interview with Griffin Barber for the Baen Free Radio Hour. Which means I have to find my invitation email. Which is why I’m on my third mug of tea. I had Soft Plans to go to First Friday downtown this evening, so I’ll see where I am when we get there.

Last night’s ASL class was short a few people and we kinda flew through the lesson, and had time for side excursions. It was fun. I haven’t yet paid my money for the follow-on course. I will have to miss the last lesson by reason of BaltiCon, but I’ll be able to attend the rest.

What else?

Honestly? I think that’s it.

Who has Friday night plans?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Messers Jagger and Bowie, riffing off of Martha and the Vandellas’ 1964 hit, “Dancing in the Street“

The History of The Stuffed Animal Tea

What went before: So, I decided to take advantage of the nice day, and drove down to Belfast. There was a surprising amount of traffic — I forgot it was Maine Maple Weekend — and when I say “surprising amount of traffic,” that’s for Maine values of traffic.

The public landing was full when I got there, so I parked in the lot on Prospect Street, and had a walk around town. Bought a meat mallet to replace the mallet Steve got rid of (I don’t remember why, and because when I had to pound the chicken breasts, I used a can, and that didn’t work out well for the can) and a set of measuring spoons at The Good Table, and some jewelry cleaner at Coyote Moon.

I love Coyote Moon; it’s been in Belfast since we first drove into town, and probably longer. This is not the timeline where their clothes fit me, but they also stock a sufficiency of Interesting Other Things, which makes it a fun place to visit.

Had a sandwich and a cup of tea for lunch at the co-op, and bought a bag or Bob’s Red Mill oatmeal, because I’m almost out of oatmeal, and I can’t find Bob’s reliably in the Hannaford. Also bought some dried pineapple rounds which is a treat that I love beyond reason. I was sad to find that they no longer carry the Lundberg black rice, which had (briefly) become a favorite of mine.

This was the first time I’d been in the co-op since they FINISHED finished the make over. It’s now a very handsome, well-lit modern facility that still retains an air of the older space. Very well done. I spent a good bit of time just wandering around, admiring everything. VERY much appreciated are the updated bathrooms. She said prosaically.

The shopkeepers were all happy to see customers and chatty — the proprietor at Yo Mama! showed me pictures on her phone of the snow they had in Belfast yesterday, instead of our torrential rains. I wandered around the Green Store, and the alpaca store (full! sized! plushy! alpaca! in the window (not for sale) and! I managed to resist buying one of the very much smaller ones that were for sale).

So, anyhoot, I’m home again, have eaten a scone, and need to do some minor chores, like emptying the dishwasher and taking the cat litter that was delivered to the garage yesterday downstairs, after which I believe I will — read.

Yeah — a Compleat Writer’s Day Off. How daring.

#

Sunday. Sunny. Chillier than it was yesterday, as we prepare for tomorrow’s snow.

My subject this morning is The Stuffed Animal Tea and how it came to be.

It started, then, with Lord Black Cat.

Steve and I were at Boskone (which Boskone, you ask? It was during our Very Busy Traveling Years, and was in fact the Boskone where Robert Silverberg came into the dealer’s room during set up, saw me behind the Meisha Merlin table and told me that he hoped I wasn’t going to be selling books. This has been years ago, and I still can’t figure out if he was kidding.). We were in fact in the dealer’s room, talking to a group of people, and Steve was saying that he missed the cats. I happened to look aside, and there, on the table right next to us, was a cat stuffy. I picked it up and brought it over to Steve, who immediately demanded to know where I’d gotten it and if it was for sale. And it turned out that the owner of the table was among our group of idle chatters and she sold it to him on the spot.

Steve arranged his new friend in his camera bag, so the cat could look out, and off we went to the con.

Many people stopped us to admire the cat, which did not yet have a name, and, I confess that we didn’t know we had a particular cat until a fan stopped, eyes on the cat, bowed, and said, “Kuroneko-sama, welcome to Boskone.” (Number Eight Million Twenty-One on the list of Why I Like Fans.)

We were quickly put into possession of several facts: Kuroneko was from a manga called Trigun, and his name roughly translated was Lord Black Cat.

So, now the cat had a name.

We continued our conly rounds and duties, and people stopped us every so often to say hello to the cat, and were introduced, and pretty often said, “I miss my cat/dog/hamster/parrot.” So, we got to asking people if they hadn’t considered bringing a stuffy with them.

This is where it got interesting. Most of the people we spoke to said that they had a stuffy in the room. I started to ask why they didn’t bring their friend with them, and most said something on the order of “Oh, well, they’re shy, and there’s nobody for them to talk to, anyway.”

On the way home, I remember saying to Steve, “You know? It would be really cool if there was an event for the stuffies, so they could meet each other and not just be by themselves in the room.”

Fast-forward a bit and we’re invited to PenguiCon 4.0. And they want us to do an “event.” An event? And Steve said, “Well, what about your idea of the stuffed animals having a party?” So, we told PenguiCon that we would like to host a Teddy Bear Tea.

Now, it happened that the Looney Lab folk were also Guests of Honor and unbeknowst to us, Alison Looney traveled with several bears and hosted Teddy Bear teas at cons. So, our first Stuffed Animal Event was co-hosted.

It was notable for a few things. One was that someone who had gotten married at the con the day before had donated what was left of her wedding cake to the tea. The other was that the Event was held in an open lobby space directly across from a room being used for readings. The Stuffed Animals, I’m not sorry to say, were a little, um, loud, and the acoustics of the space were what you would expect of a hotel lobby. I’m going to say it was John Scalzi, and he will of course amend my memory if it’s wrong, who was reading, sent one of his listeners to find out what was going on. Said listener came out, asked questions, was given a piece of wedding cake, and went back to report that it was a reception.

So, as it is truly said, In Fandom, if A Thing happens once, it’s a Tradition, whenever Steve and I were Writer GOHs, going forward, and if we were asked to host An Event, we said that we would be pleased to host a Stuffed Animal Tea.

It’s been a lovely tradition; so beautiful to see the stuffies bloom as they’re introduced to each other. And it’s also been interesting to see how the various conventions have interpreted the concept of “Tea” — from a panel room with an electric tea pot, some paper cups and tea bags on the back table with the water, to full-out formal teas, with cucumber sandwiches, and scones. In Pittsburgh, our hostess pulled out her mother’s china and tea service and we had homemade cookies and tea cakes. At — I don’t remember where, and I’m sorry for it, there were tots of sherry on offer. At Heliosphere, we had The Works.

Here ends the history lesson. Below, a picture of Lord Black Cat in his camera bag, and from his attendance at the PenguiCon 4.0 tea.

Updates and speeches, oh my

What went before (late morning edition): Have foraged. Came home, put away the perishables, made myself a cup of cocoa, and retired to the Command Chair to finish reading The Tomb of Dragons. I may need to go back to Witness for the Dead and reread all three in one go, but not right now. Right now, I believe I’ll move on to The Orb of Cairado.

I’m presently waiting for prospective lawn guy to show up to view the Long Back Yard and give me a price and a plan.

After that I’ll have lunch and see what I feel like doing.

I note that Informed Delivery tells me I have a personal letter from the SSA unit here in the city. Which isn’t terrifying at all.

Fans of the The Rookie will be pleased to know that he continues to come when he’s called, which is fine by me and convenient for him as well. I inadvertently shut him in the hall closet. A little later, as I was giving out treats, I noticed that there was no Rook present, which is highly unusual. I called out, as one does, “Rook? Where is that Rookie?” heard a loud AaaRW! from the foyer and went to let him out.

What went before (evening edition): So, I got involved in trying to update korval.com, which is one of those tasks that will never end, but I got some stuff brought into this year, and some other stuff brought into the current decade.

I also made a rough start on my acceptance speech, and added a little bit to a scene, so the WIP can’t complain that it’s been ignored.

Prospective lawn guy came, toured the Long Back Yard, and promises to send me a couple of plans with prices.

Tomorrow, I’m meeting a friend for lunch, and I should probably bake a loaf of bread either before or after. I still need to tinker with the directories on korval.com, but that may be all I’m up for.

The letter from the local SSA office that I was worried about was only the annual reminder that I have filed an Advanced Designation of Representation with them, so that was a relief.

Coon cat happy hour happened early so I could finish updating the webpage I was working on, and now it’s time for me to review my homework again (see what happens?), and then segue into the evening.

. . . onward . . .

Wednesday. Sunny and warm.

Breakfast was rice crackers and cream cheese and one of Those Little Oranges. Lunching at Portland Pie Company with a friend. Need to make a pot of rice so I’ll have it on-hand.

Tali and Rook are Working Something Out. The entails a lot of Tali smacking Rook in the head, lashing tails, and face-making. Occasionally, Rook will throw himself at Tali, using his extra weight to knock her over, but that’s not a Winning Strategy. Tali just wraps herself around him, latches into his sides with her front claws and kicks the heck out of him with her hind feet.

. . . I think she’s done this before.

Anyhow, this will either teach Rook Science, or not to mess with Tali. Or possibly both. I haven’t heard any bad words, so I am assuming that this has to do with the Feline Organizational Chart, and the eventual deployment of contractual tasks regarding the care and keeping of the thumbs, whose well-being is necessary to the comfort of cats.

Trooper is lazing in the sun. Firefly was on the back of the sofa, and available to receive pets and soft words of admiration, which were of course forthcoming.

I figured out that one of the reasons I like the Garmin watch is because it’s not … cute. Frequent readers will recall that I have a Limited Capacity for cute, most of which is used up by the birb and his adventures. The Garmin is friendly; it explains itself, but it’s not … huggy. Our relationship is well within my comfort zone.

Last night I read the teaser for Ministry of Time, which was — all right? I mean, if I had had the whole book, I would have kept on reading, but I don’t know that I’m motivated to go out and buy the rest of the story.

And that’s all I’ve got here in my very small and insular corner of the world.

What’s going on in your corner of the world?

Talkin’ trash

What went before: It was an intermittently awful afternoon. I blame the rain. Tali and Rook both had a go at lap-sitting, and were a little tentative. Trooper then stepped in to show them How It’s Done, which — may not have made things better.

Writing, by which I mostly mean rewriting, happened. I now know what needs to happen next on all three lines, which is a great relief.

I was also able to find CJ Cherryh’s remarks on the occasion of her receiving the Heinlein Award, and now I have an idea of how long I might be expected to Say Things, which is also a great relief.

Tomorrow, I need to forage, and then there will be more writing.

Tuesday. Cloudy and chilly. Trash day. I’ll cope with moving bags from the garage to the curb after I have finished this letter to the internets.

Trooper woke me up at 5, for reasons yet to be discovered, though he did allow me to curl up around him and go back to sleep for an hour.

Breakfast was toast and cottage cheese, upgraded from None for Me, Thx, and again from, Oh, well, a piece of toast is breakfast. Don’t even start with me about lunch.

I had sorta kinda wistfully thought that I’d drive down to the ocean today, but that ain’t happenin’. I will be foraging, then doing some picking up around the house. Now that I know that 3 minutes of Remarks is acceptable, I can begin drafting mine.

(Apparently nobody else in the world has to draft their Remarks ahead of time — Steve could certainly do that, and when I had him to feed me lines, or be the straight man, I could ad lib — to a degree — and I’d still be shaking like your linden leaf at the end of it. When it’s Just Me, I need to Plan. So, yes, a huge relief to find that I’m not supposed to stand up in front an auditorium full of people for 20 minutes and talk.)

I’m still fine-tuning the Garmin watch, and this morning realized that it had a Secret Life. I have set bed-and-waking-up times from 10:30 to 7:00, and of course this morning I was up well before 7. And when I looked at my watch face it was not the one had chosen, but the face that had come with, which I had vehemently rejected. Apparently that face is its party clothes. In any case, the minute I looked at it — it blushed, the face flickered just exactly like it was pulling a shirt over its head — and became the one I had chosen.

I hope this moment of embarrassment hasn’t set us back, as I’ve been enjoying our association thus far.

I’m still reading The Tomb of Dragons, which I’ll probably finish this evening. I have The Orb of Cairado in my library, and I’m thinking that will be next.

Who else is foraging today?

Shot from a couple days ago.  Rookie making sure I’ve eaten all my lunch: