Tag: life after the apocalypse

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

From the mailbag

What went before:  CONTEXT: Last night after I said good-night, I made the mistake of checking my mail in which there were not one, not two, but no less than four . . . ill-worded “requests” that I do Just This One Thing that would make the asker’s life “easier.” And I snapped. Because it’s not like I don’t have Stuff to Do.

Response follows posted to FB follows.

Sigh.

Apparently, it is again time to remind (some) people that, just because it would make life easier for you if I did X, does not mean that I will do X. In fact, it pretty much guarantees that I won’t do X, because I’m Just. That. Contrary.

Also? I am not the Nice One. I have never been the Nice One. That would have been Steve. Who you pushed at your peril, I might add. Black Knight in this corner, and the only things that keep me from knifing you rather than look at you are Good Manners and a disinclination to clean up the blood.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. My apologies to all the perfectly reasonable, kind, and polite people out there who did not need this reminder.
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Monday

Oh. A question regarding last night’s TED Talk: “Did Steve know you are mean?”

Good question.

ANSWER: No, he did not know that. Because? I’m not mean. As a measuring stick we can use the fact that Steve did not, in fact, care for mean people. I believe this was because he thought meanness was banal. I also think that Steve — who believed that we only get to do this life once — thought that meanness was a waste of time and resource.

Now, while that was a good question, a better question would be: Did Steve know I am a Black Knight?

And the answer to that is: Yes. Yes, he did. And he celebrated that. I am for instance today wearing a pair of tights he gave me — stick with me, now — which have a graphic on the right thigh. Of a dagger thrust through a garter.

So, yeah, Steve knew who I am. Thank you for asking.

Relative to the notion of nice.

Some time ago, I was part of a panel — I think it might have been at COsine — dedicated to remembering the late Anne McCaffrey, as a person, and a force of nature, a mentor and friend to younger writers, and so on. The idea that came around more than once was how generous Anne was with her time, and how kind and accessible she was to those writers who were younger than she in our craft.

And as I was leaving the panel, a man deliberately stepped out into the aisle, blocking me on my way out (Why me? is the question I always ask at times like this), and said, rather belligerently: “You were all up there talking about how nice Anne McCaffrey was (NOTE: We were not. Anne was not nice. I say this with love.) and not one of you mentioned that she took a guy’s house away from him! That’s not what I’d call nice!”

ASIDE for those who may not know the story: This is true, as far as it goes. Which wasn’t quite the whole distance. The guy in question was infringing on Anne’s work, and she was legally bound to stop him.

CONTINUING: “That’s right, she did,” I said to Belligerent Guy. “She told him to stop or she’d take his house. He didn’t stop, she took him to court, and he lost his house. Being ‘nice’ doesn’t mean you let people steal from you.”

. . . which was about the time that Steve arrived at my side and the guy withdrew, apparently not willing to continue this discussion with another guy present.

Circling back a moment to Steve . . .

One of Steve’s Gifts was that he took people as he found them. If he liked you — or if he was interested in you — he tried to help you . . . strengthen your reality; to be the best You you could be. It was my great good fortune that he liked and was interested in me. He stood between me and YOU SHOULD. He gave me room and time to learn and to grow into myself . . .

. . . while also making sure I knew exactly how hard it is to get blood out of a carpet.

Here endeth today’s discursion.

For want of a yeast, the loaf was lost…

Well. I wrote 1,475 words today, but I only got to keep 900 of them, bringing the WIP to 106,725. More or less.

The curtains are down in Steve’s office and have taken up their temporary role as dustcovers. Firefly emphatically does not approve of this development.

Boy, am I glad I cleared this with the committeecat first.

In other news, my yeast is dead and I’m unhappy. I took it into my head to bake a cheese loaf, only it didn’t rise. My yeast, living in the freezer, is God She knows how old. However! the back-up yeast has a sell-by in 2021. I feel in my heart that I should just buy a new bag of yeast and not even try the back-up bag.

I still wanted cheese bread, though, so I made cheese muffins, which are cooling as I type.

I have some notes to write re the WIP, and then it will be Coon Cat Happy Hour.

I will therefore take this opportunity to bid everyone a good night. Stay safe. I’ll look in tomorrow.

Solstice Sunday

Sunday. Sunny and warmish, for values of +/-38F/3C.

Breakfast was peanut butter and semi-sweet chocolate bits in oatmeal and that? Was good. At this rate, I’m going to have to buy another bag of chocolate chips. Dinner will be leftover potatoes, some way or another.

Towels are in the dryer; half-hour with the Happy Lite has been had.

Today is a writing day, so I guess I’d better get to it.

Whatcha doin’ today?

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?