Tag: reading

“Anything” is just a . . . suggestion

So, that’s 1,080ish new words this morning, for a WIP total of 52,570ish.

I may — that’s may — have figured out how to write two books at once, so I’ll be setting up the framework this afternoon, after I pay my tithe to the house.
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So, the cats are expecting a Chewy order, which will arrive via FedEx. While I was paying my tithe to the house, I happened to look out the window, and there was a FedEx truck in my driveway, which stayed there for, oh, four minutes? I went to another part of the house to get something, came back, and the truck was gone.

Well, I said, said I, noticing the lack of heavy box on the steps. I guess it’s in the (open) garage.

Only it wasn’t. That’s right! In a new Personal Best, FedEx not only failed to follow the long-filed instruction to leave packages in the garage, but! Failed to unload a package at all.

I? am actually Impressed.

I’ve been plodding along through the bookclub book — it’s interesting, but not a page-turner — and I just reached the part where Our Hero had realized that the actions he takes as an Official (in this case a high-level law enforcement admin) Actually Impacts people in addition to those who have fallen under his jurisdiction, and — this is the important part — that he, as a representative of The System, needed to do better. I salute Our Hero. Really, I do. And I wish that more people in positions of influence were not only able to have that insight, but gather the courage to act on it.

In other news, I think I have the method figured out for working on two writing projects at the same time. I think I’m going to be helped by the fact that the two projects are completely dissimilar. I guess We’ll See.

Taking a break now to do my duty to the cats and PT homework. Then! To the couch with me, notebook and pens in hand.
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. . . Dolly Parton and Tim Curry?

Puzzling Thursday

So, yeah, Facebook is apparently broken, returning to Firefox the following error code:

Error Code: SSL_ERROR_RX_RECORD_TOO_LONG

I’m advised to tell them this, but, yanno, don’t really have a clue how.

The app isn’t broken, but for communication purposes, I prefer to access FB via desktop.

That aside, and moving on to the Important Stuff:  1,350 new words written today, in two shifts, bringing the wordage of the WIP entire to 44,490. Ish.

In and around the writing, I renewed the stock at the Flying Fish Saloons, performed my duty the cats, and did PT homework, as much as Conditions Allow — I broke a toe yesterday, go me.  Taped all the toes together with paper tape, so I’m in pretty good shape, and no more nor less than the clinic might do. Yeah, I’ve broken toes before.  Inconvenient things, toes.

I’m almost finished listening to Carousel Seas, and I’m lost in admiration for the writer.  The characters, big and bit, are terrific through the whole series — I especially like Vassily.  And Anna Lee.  And Jess Robard.  And — well.  Also, the slow reveals and the interconnectedness of the plots are excellent.  In my completely impartial opinion.

I may have done myself — we may have done ourselves — a disservice by not making time to reread our own work.  It might have helped us not fall into the expressed opinion that we were cheesy writers of cheesy, shallow scifi and fantasy.

Well.

Aside from all that. . . we’re keeping on keeping on, me and the cats.

And hoping you’re the same.

 

Lookin’ to the weekend

Friday. We here in Central Maine reside under a Heat Advisory until 8pm. Tomorrow, thunderstorms are forecast and may bring some relief.

Sarah came by this morning and cleaned the house, and there was much rejoicing.

The last couple days, I’ve been sitting with the WIP, sharpening this and that, and doing some research (beta readers will recall the uppercase HERE’S and/or IS THIS RIGHT?), so, only about 900 new words so far, but I intend to go back to it this afternoon, now that All The PT homework, one’s duty the cats, and lunch is accomplished.

I seem to be Unsupervised until Tuesday, which means I not only have a Big Chunk of time to write, but also to read. In Between It All, I’ve barely cracked the bookclub book, and I really need to get to that. I did read it before, but it’s been 10 years or so, and I’m particularly interested in seeing how it holds up. I was riveted the first time I read it.

Speaking of reading, last night I finished reading Diviner’s Bow, which brings me to the end of the Liaden Universe® novels. On the whole? I’m impressed, and while it’s not by any means Perfect, it’s pretty damned good, and I will be proud to say so to anyone.

We did tend to err on the side of thinking people are basically honorable, and we’re attached to the ideas of equality for everyone, as well as this notion that love is neither cheesy, nor a bug, but a Feature that encourages people to rise to, and maintain, their best selves.

Well. What can I say? It’s fiction.

I think that’s all I’ve got. Oh. I need to decide if I’m actually going to go see Hadestown again. I’m inclined, and if I’m going to, I need to buy a ticket, so I’m committed.

And that is all I’ve got.

What’re your plans for the weekend?

From Facebook:

Rookie, August 5 2024

Rookie, August 5 2026

Monday Evening

So, Rookie is at the vet. I stopped at the food store on the way back and took on supplies. Came home, put said supplies away (It had used to be, in the Beforetimes, when only one of us went to the store, that, when they returned, they would call, “Lucy! I’m home!” and thus gain assistance in the Putting Away, which also served to inform They Who Had Not Shopped what was new in inventory. Hard habit to break).

I have consulted with Firefly in her melant’i as Top Cat, confirming that staffing is reduced, but that I will be away for parts of the day, so the workload balance for those present will still be within the Union guidelines. I also confirmed that she is not required to redraw the Organizational Chart at this time.

Since I was at the store, I bought cookies, that being one of the necessities I was out of, and have performed a Quality Control test consisting of half a cookie (they’re big cookies), and will now proceed with Monday’s chores, of which the first is!

Writing to my physician.
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Sigh.

Meant to say that the perambulating package is on the truck to be delivered today.

Also meant to say that both Hummer Bars are enjoying good patronage.
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Home from bookclub. Our next book is Edison’s Eve by Gaby Wood. I have read this before, but it’s been a decade, so I’m looking forward to re-reading. I was Riveted when I first read it.

I have! An appointment for a haircut on Saturday at 9 am.

I have! One very damp and extremely cranky black Maine Coon Teenager, who reportedly sat in the vet’s back room and swore non-stop the entire time he was there, and growled at his vet.

The good news — there’s nothing wrong with his mouth or throat. He has a lot of gas, and theory at this point is that he has — a stomachache. Vet administered an anti-nausea, and I’m to report in tomorrow morning.

It’s hot out.

I should probably get a little something to eat…
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Who had “sent back to the sorting center” in the Perambulating Package Pool? If it was you, hold onto that ticket!

When last we heard from the package, it was inside my local post office, and this morning it was promised to be delivered by 9 pm.

However! In a shocking turn of events! When the mail arrived, the package was not among the pieces delivered.

I came back into the house, brought up Informed Delivery — and found that the package was on its way to Augusta — South, in other words.

I have spoken with a live human at the local post office, who has the tracking number, my name, and phone number and is going to be “monitoring” this delivery for me.

Whatever that means.

In other news, we’re to the chopping and freezing onions part of the festivities. Rookie came up to my lap on his own and let me dry him off. He’s still drooling but only a very tiny amount, so maybe the anti-nausea was what he needed.
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We were just having a conversation about home inspections for what was called when we moved to Skowhegan “town housing,” the direct descendant, as I believe I understand the matter, of the “town farm.”

In any case, housing inspections, and the things inspectors might look for — holes in the walls, garbage just lying around, too! much! stuff! imperiling foot traffic, dirty dishes in the sink…

All of which seems reasonable, except — I’m going to need to leave dirty dishes in the sink for the second day in a row — those being yesterday’s dishes — because my back wishes to register a complaint. I will therefore remake the bed, so I can sleep in it tonight, and then retire to a comfy chair with a heating pad, a book, and a glass of iced tea.

And remember to be grateful that I am not in a situation that means I have housing inspectors in my life.
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Evening wrap-up.

Fans of Rookie will be encouraged to learn that he has stopped drooling, his stomach is soft, and he had sweet words of flattery in his mouth when he came into my lap as I was reading. Apparently, I’m to be rewarded as a Hero for breaking him out of That Place. I was also allowed to comb the random sticky bits out of his mane. He and the girls have just finished a good happy hour and are now taking their ease in Steve’s office.

Back pain is slightly above the Ignorable Level, which is not what we prefer, and I’m kind of tired, so it will likely be an Early Night for This Hoomin.

The Perambulating Package is “processing” at the USPS in Augusta, 20 miles in a southwardly direction.

Tomorrow, I need to organize my reading. I have a little less than 100 pages left to read of Horngard before I may craft a quote that is a little more substantive than “Read this book, it’s good!” I also need to read the WIP to date and start (re)reading Edison’s Eve. Hopefully, I will be able to attend the craft meeting tomorrow evening. Oh. And I need to do the dishes.

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

Saturday morning

Saturday, dim and damp. First cup of tea — Russian Caravan, for those keeping track — to hand. Firefly is curled up in the comfy chair here in my office. Breakfast may be another cup of tea at the computer in Steve’s office.

Many thanks to the people who found Uncle Rusko’s given name. I wonder why everybody calls him Rusko? Maybe he doesn’t like Benin.

I last night finished reading Sourdough, which was fine until I got to the (what feels to me to be tacked on, and is probably the reason the writer wrote the book and the conceit that vaults it to brilliance, if only I were Clever Enough, which I so rarely am, and now we know why I write mere space opera) suitcase clone.

I also finished reading Dragon in Exile, which remains rough throughout, which leads me to wonder what was happening in 2014, when it would have been written. Possibly that was one of the years that Steve was in Baltimore on family business. Well. It gets the job done, though I guess I could have wished for a more attentive editor.

So! First cup of tea is gone. I am not feeling the breakfast love, so I do believe I’ll brew a second cup of tea and head for the writing desk.

What’s everybody doing today?

Steve Miller conversing with Ur Sid.  Trade Secret book tour 2013.  Photo by Christie Meierz.

Episodic Monday

Foggy Monday morning at the Cat Farm:
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I have a rosebud!

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Monday. The fog’s burned off and the morning is sunny and cool.

I’m a little drifty this morning, for some reason. OTOH, yesterday did have its Moments.

Breakfast et — the last two slices from the loaf, toasted, with cheese, and the last of the cherries. A theme. Bread, I can do something about — all the ingredients are measured out and sitting on the countertop, warming to room temperature. I’ll commence in mixing and kneading and whatnot after I sit with my notes and glower at the screen. Cherries will wait on the morrow.

I’m nearly finished writing the scenes I had, ahem, “plotted” and now I need to sketch in some scenes going forward, so I can go forward.

Why is writing a novel like crossing a stream on stepping stones?

Started reading Dragon in Exile last night, which — the beginning is a little rockier than I recall. Of course, I recall that the first scene I wrote was of the traveler arriving at the front door amidst a light summer snowfall, and taking a moment to decide if it would be better to use the palm plate or pull the bell rope.

And! That’s the bell for the third cup of tea, which shall accompany me back to Steve’s office to assist in the Glowering at Screens.

How’s your Monday starting out?
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Did some glaring, did some editing of what I wrote yesterday, added some new words. WIP currently stands at 13,610 words, more or less.

Bread’s in for the first rise, and I? need to find something to eat.
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And Useful Internet Find of the Day: King Arthur — how much does it weigh?

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Does anyone here trade with crows? I seem to have a family in the big pine tree and we might as well get to know each other.

How do I set up a trade station?

What are the drawbacks?
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Yeah, this’ll do

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OK! By request, this is the recipe for the loaf I made today, and by Gumby, Imma make it again, so this is for me as much as it’s for you. Again, I have taken a “Harvest Grain Bread” recipe from King Arthur and adapted it by (1) decreasing by .5 cups the unbleached flour, (2) increasing by .5 cups the wheat flour, and (3) subbing in 1.25 cups of lukewarm milk for .25 cup of dry milk and 1.25 cups of lukewarm water.

If you want the actual recipe, it’s here

BELOW IS WHAT I DID; reflecting the changes discussed above.

2 cups (240 g) (King Arthur) unbleached bread flour
1 cup (113 g) (King Arthur) golden wheat flour (this is what used to be called white whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup (74 g) (King Arthur) Harvest Grain Blend
1.5 teaspoons (9 g) table salt
2.5 tablespoons (28 g) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1.25 cups (283 g) lukewarm milk (I used skim, cause that’s what I had)
3 tablespoons (43 g) unsalted butter, softened (OR 3 tablespoons (35 g) vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients and knead (via hand, electric mixer or bread machine) until the dough is smooth, elastic, and satiny.

Put dough into a lightly greased bowl, cover bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap, allow the dough to rise for an hour (or let the bread machine complete its cycle). The dough will be puffy, but it will not have doubled. That’s OK.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, shape a loaf, put it in a lightly greased 9×5 loaf pan, cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and let the bread rise until the top is about an inch from the top of the pan — between 1 and 1.5 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350F

Bake bread for 35 minutes or until an internal thermometer registers 190F. Take the bread out of the oven, and out of the pan to cool on a rack.

Try not to slice it before it’s cool.

Store leftover bread (yes, there is such a thing), well-wrapped, at room temperature for three days. Freeze for longer storage.

NOTE: The foregoing is canon, but honestly, after the loaf’s cool, I put it in a plastic bag and tuck it in the fridge. If I know I’m gonna be slow on bread use, I sometimes cut the loaf in half, put half in the fridge and half in the freezer.

Sunday, with thunderstorms

So, this rolled in this morning:

Great thunderstorm.

Yesterday, Wunderground had told me to look for “violent” thunderstorms today, but this morning Google wimped out with “rain showers.” I pick my teeth at you, Google.

I am reminded to be So. Very. Thankful. that we managed to afford to put new windows in my office, and that I followed through with the new sliders in Steve’s office. The rain is much nicer when it stays where it belongs and/or when I can open an oblique side window and sit in the comfy chair and have the Rain Experience, and taste the ozone on the wind.

The rain’s slowing down, now, which I guess is just as well. I need to go do my duty to the cats and then find something for lunch.

1,255ish new words today, for those keeping track at home, bringing the WIP entire to five-ish words short of 13,000.
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So that was a little less fun. I noticed a puddle on the kitchen floor in front of the oven, figured I’d spilled something and in the process of reaching for a paper towel, saw a big puddle on top of the (happily glass-topped) stove. Seems the rain came in through the vent. That’s special.
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So the big farmhouse up the street from me apparently has an offer on it, asking price in the neighborhood of $525,000. Because I’m incurably nosey, I took the photo tour on Zillow. It’s in pretty good shape, but, as I said, big, also old; and big, old houses are hard to heat. Sits on about 2.5 acres, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, gorgeous library with built in shelves and a fireplace, swoopy driveway that must cost a fortune to keep plowed. Possibly — I’m not as up on neighborhood history as I might ought to be, but as the house bears A Name — it was the farmhouse that had been in place before the land was sold for a development, and here I am, and all our neighbors.

On t’other side of me, down a few doors, another single-level house, though not so Interestingly Configured as, and on a slightly larger lot than, the Cat Farm, about 10 years older, newly fixed up by the people who only bought it a couple years ago. Asking price just about twice what we paid for this house, 8 years ago. I hear it’s a seller’s market. That’s news, I guess.

I’m wondering if Amazon warehouse soon to be built very nearby is going to bring housing prices up or down. When the mall went at Owings Mills, house prices skyrocketed, because all the folks who came down from New York with Macy’s saw bargains, and bought two — one to live in and one to rent, pricing the locals (which Steve and I were at the time) outta the market.

Well. That was interesting. Time to change the second cat fountain, and then make some rice to have on-hand. I’m bumping bread-baking to tomorrow.

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So, I finished reading/listening to Necessity’s Child last night. I very much like Necessity’s Child, though finding out that the one thing I thought was Absolutely Rock Solid going in — wasn’t. That said — wow is that a tight book.

I don’t remember much about writing it — except the ending which fought me because, as above, I was insisting on the wrong ending. I do remember that Toni wanted me to give her a … proposal thingy, which I did to the best of my (very) poor ability, and then, as she and I were discussing what I had proposed in email, I Thought of Something that I had overlooked, which altered the direction of the story, and thus the proposal, threw that into the discussion and said, “And, see? Already it’s changing.”

Toni threw up her hands at that point, I think. And, yeah, the story does bear some small relationship to that proposal: The Bedel and the steam tunnels. And I think the school.

Speaking of proposals — trying to get lesson plans into shape for my class in the fall, I am once again confronted with the inherent dishonestly of classes that promise to “teach” worldbuilding or voice or characterization or any other fiddly little bit of craft. The bald truth is that you can’t just teach one piece of writing a story; you’ve got to teach it all, just like you have to write it all. Characters live somewhere — that’s worldbuilding — characters are doing something, hopefully for a reason — that’s plot. Yes, breaking the Fourth Wall is a Bad Thing. Only? Every single first person story written since the Dawn of Forever breaks the Fourth Wall at the very first “I” — because who is that character talking to, exactly? Herself?

Well.  It’ll be interesting.

Time to say g’night, folks.

I’ll see you tomorrow.

Saturday’s plans are peaceful and calm

Saturday. Raining for a change. Another good, long night of sleep, and my blood pressure where it “should” be. I am inclined to regard all medications with suspicion, and experience has shown that I am wise to do so. Levothyroxine has tested beneficial — a rare exception. I may have to make a second exception for Lisinopril, if this keeps up.

There has been a Question regarding the current book club selection, which is Sourdough by Robin Sloane, not Angela Slatter.

I don’t honestly know who Angela Slatter — no, wait, here she is. Australian. Graduate degree in Creative Writing, started doing the commercial fantasy thing in 2005, a number of titles under her byline, including Sourdough and Other Stories. I do believe her work has eluded me thus far. This does not mean it’s bad work — I can’t have an opinion, having not read it. So many books, as they say, and so little time. Also — old age speaking — it always give me pause, when I realize that someone who started doing something in 2005 (say) — the year I turned 53, and Agent of Change, 16 — has had a 20+ year career.

The morning so far was my first cup of Russian Caravan Tea while I sat in the glow of the Happy Lite with Tali on my lap, and Firefly on the back of the chair. Breakfast toasting now. I’m going to have to make bread — I’ll put that on tomorrow’s list.

Today, I plan a lazy day of writing, much like yesterday.

What are your plans for the day?

Marchin’ Monday

What went before:  So, Sunday afternoon. I’m a bit late getting lunch, which I guess will be hummus and crackers, because — easy, and late.

The WIP now stands at +/-8,230 words, which might make some arithmatically gifted persons to suppose that I had written 2,500 words today. While I grant the appearance, the fact is that I only edited two pieces of Steve’s work to fit them into the frame I’m building. Still, progress is progress, and it’s looking like — ow!

Sigh.

Tali likes to sit under the lip of my stand up desk and nip my elbow occasionally, to keep me on my toes. I think that one was a little harder than she had intended.

Continuing — progress is, indeed, progress, and — fingers crossed — it’s looking like the WIP will be breaking 10,000 words this week, by hook or by crook.

So! Lunch, then correspondence, including filling out my “paperwork” for Wednesday’s doctor’s visit.

No, the fun never does stop. Why do you ask?

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Monday. Raining like a raining fool when I got up, now sullen and damp.

Wrote a couple hundred new words, to kick an existing scene into a shape that will align with the next scene upcoming. Outlined the next two scenes so I can hit the keyboard typing on Thursday, which will be my next writing day.

Out to bookclub in 90 minutes or so, then back home to bookkeeping and getting the trash and recycling into the garage so it can acclimate itself before it’s moved to the curb tomorrow morning.

. . .brief pause while I go outside to Speak Sternly to the groundhog, who is as big as a baby black bear, stoopid rodent.

I finished reading (listening to) Ghost Ship yesterday and am into Dragon Ship. I hadn’t recalled that Joyita appeared so quickly, and I’m reminded again about Cresthaller, which I really ought to rectify. In my spare time.

The listening to the books is working out amazingly well. Lately, my vision is too blurry by the end of the day, when I typically read for pleasure, to even focus on an ebook (I had to give up paper books a couple years ago, because I couldn’t focus on the page), and — bonus! I can “read” and do something else, or just sit resting my eyes. I suppose I ought to try listening to a new-to-me book at some point, to see if that exercise is as pleasant, else I’m going to have to find another way to read. Always exciting, life.

So! How’s the beginning of the week looking from your side of the world?

Here’s how Firefly’s Monday is going so far:

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?