technology threat or menace – Page 2

Late Saturday check-in

Well, then. That was Saturday.

I drafted my Remarks for my library event. I think they may be the wrong Remarks, but you can’t revise what you don’t write down. Still need to figure out how I’m going to handle the reading/what I’m going to read. I’m torn between several small scenes or one big one. May have to resort to flipping a cantra piece.

Spent part of the day loading the apps I usually use on my phone to my Samsung tablet, where they will be larger, which — in theory — will help with this current bout of eyestrain.

I also made a couple more adjustments to the new toy. It did a very credible job of reading several chapters of Getting Rid of Bradley to me last night while I just laid in the dark with ninetyleben pounds of coon cat on me, eyes closed and listening. Rookie, predictably perhaps, has really bonded with Zach.

What else? Oh, Had an email from the owner of Oliver and Company who will be handling the sales table during my event, and it seems we Have A Plan. Always good to have a Plan.

Happy Hour was a touch early tonight, and now the cats have scattered. In solidarity, I have a glass of wine with me here at the computer, and my stomach is informing me that I need to rustle something up for dinner RSN.

Tomorrow starts a Warming Trend, with temps soaring into the mid-twenties and thence into the! thirties! By ghod, it’s practically summer!

Speaking of tomorrow, next week is going to be busy. Yes . . . busy.

Tomorrow, now that my knees and hips don’t hurt enough for me to notice, I’ll change out the cat boxes, only a couple days late.

Monday, first thing, I have a PT appointment. Tuesday morning, I have a haircut scheduled, and needlework in the evening; Wednesday, I need to visit the vampyres, which may be an excuse to have breakfast out; Thursday, I have a podiatry appointment, and I should probably go to the grocery somewhere in all of that. Friday morning Sarah comes by to clean, and in the afternoon, I want to go to the tea at the library. I have a pretty flowered skirt and a top hat, so clearly the sartorial part of the venture is well under control.

Tomorrow, I will also be starting my read of the WIP, so that’ll be fun.

And that? Is the state of affairs at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

Rabbit Hole Thursday Part II

And my tablet has arrived. Thank you, Robert of FedEx for ringing the bell, and wishing me a good day. Screen signed and package inside. 11:37 am

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New tablet. OMG so cute!

Of course, I have no idea what I’m doing and I’ll need to find a translation for what the icons mean, but I repeat: OMG so cute!

Ahem.

So, after a brief, doting new-parent, delay, dinner is in the oven — a chicken breast patty with a slice of mozzarella on top, and crushed tomato sauce on top of that, under a tin foil hat in the oven.

Leftover peas for veggies, I think, and maybe a slice of bread.

Yeah, that sounds like lunch…
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Well. Speaking of rabbit holes. I sat down with the Boox, which has made Many Assumptions about how people deal with their devices. I’ve managed to figure out how to annotate, which is, along with the e-ink tech, what I wanted the thing for, so that’s a plus. Having figured it out, I’m not sure how useful it will be, but it’s early days.

I increased the font, monkeyed with the refresh rates, got the stylus paired, and a bunch of all those other things that you do when you get a new device. I’m still a little hazy on what the symbols on the navigation bar mean, but I halfway solved that by changing them out for symbols that I recognize.

I’m baffled by the absence of what is to me a recognizable home screen, but there’s probably a way to finesse that, too. Later.

The biggest frustration so far is that the on-board manual ain’t on-board. It helpfully gives you an address where the document ought to be on the device, but it’s not there, and the web download instructions simply make no sense. Oh, and I just tried that address from this machine, and there isn’t a manual for the B&W Go-7, which would explain why it can’t be downloaded, hey?

Well.

Tomorrow is, they say, another day. However, I really can’t play with my new toy all day tomorrow. No, I mean that.

I did a second go-over of the tax questionnaire, but I didn’t make my phone call, so that’ll have to happen tomorrow.

The cats have been checking in on me. Tali has made it her habit to join me here in the business office after lunch, which is very pleasant. Rook usually checks in a couple times, but he really does love his basket back on Steve’s desk. It’s funny that Firefly will use the basket on my desk — last known as Trooper’s Basket — but neither of the new kids use it anymore, though they liked it a lot when Grandpa was still with us.

So, I guess that it’s for the day.

Everybody stay safe.

I’ll check in tomorrow.

Rabbit Hole Thursday

This never happens

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Thursday. Sunny and cold.

Firefly came to join my in the comfy chair this morning, and spent some time gazing up into my face, and kneading, and rubbing her cheek on my hand, and offering her chin and belly for rubs. She’s never this demonstrative. After she had expressed her devotion, she curled up on my lap and went to sleep, which, yes, also never happens. She’ll sleep next to me on the couch or on the bed, but she hasn’t been a lap-sitter.

Needless to say, I spent an extended time in the chair, thinking thoughts, and trying just to Breathe. It was nice. She did finally stretch and jumped down, with a very high tail, and we both got something to eat.

Before I forget: Chocolate tea is much improved by a dash of half-and-half, but I think it will not become a favorite with me.

Today, I am on FedEx Watch. They’re being cagey, and will only say that the package is on a truck and will be delivered “today.” They usually come by between 11 and noon — in fact, yesterday’s note was left at 11:11, so — fingers crossed. I don’t, of course, dare to go into the back of the house or downstairs, but it’s not like I don’t have things to do.

. . . like go down the rabbit hole of new Motorola phones, because I have never bonded with the free Pixel 9 Pro. I mean, it’s a phone, and it does the phone-like things that I need done. It weighs too much, and it gulps down battery power like a chimp with a crate of bananas, but apparently all the new phones are power-hogs, and Seven! Days! Between! Charges! is a thing of the oh-so-long-ago.

I was briefly tempted by the Moto G Power, but — yanno, the Pixel works, and whatever it did yesterday to produce that spark of “Yanno? You can be replaced.” has already faded.

So, late getting started here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory — call it half a writer’s day off. I do very much need to call the CPA, and work on my talk for the Waterville Public Library in a couple weeks. And play with my new tablet if/when it arrives.

Realsoonnow, I’m going to have to start doing my read of the WIP, but that can wait another day or two. I also need to put some serious thought into how I expect to stay solvent after this contract is finished — that was one of the subjects Firefly and I touched on. She likes this house, as I do, and wanted to make sure I wasn’t thinking about moving. I’m not. I mean, yeah, it’s too big for one old woman and three cats, because ghosts don’t take up that much room, but the reasons for the house — this house (all on one level, in town, near shopping, the cats’ vet, and the not-exactly-a-hospital) — are still good. Plus the ghosts. Steve put a lot of care into making this a Lee-and-Miller History House.

So, that’s where I am at mid-morning.

How’s everybody doing?

More morning pics:

People of the Internets, I greet you!

Tuesday, chilly, damp, and dim. Trash and recycling at the curb.

Richard the Fidium Guy is on Upper Main Street and called to let me know he’ll arrive in the next few minutes. “Is this the Miller residence?”

Sigh.

Hopefully, my next communication with you will not be through the good offices of my phone.
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So, the problem was bandwidth piracy. Someone had gotten into the central box, took “my” cable, and plugged it into “their” feed. Richard has put it back, and all lights are green.

I hope he also rigged it so the next time the fiber thief tries to steal my bandwidth, they get a healthy shock for their trouble.

What a world we live in.

Firefly stayed right here in my office, and kept a Very Close Eye on Richard, from a distance, while he was here. Tali retired to the top of the bookshelf in Steve’s office, and I think Rook is in the closet in Steve’s office.

I — am sorting the thread and getting my needles ready for my next embroidering project. Yes, yes — I know. Stained glass. Embroidery. Writing. Is there nothing this woman can’t do?

cough

Today is election day in Maine. I voted via absentee ballot, as is my right and my privilege. Yes, it’s “only” a local election, but — please make time to vote today. Thank you.

So! How’s Tuesday shaping up in your piece of the world?

Sorry ’bout that

I didn’t mean to drop off the face of the earth quite so suddenly, and I thank everyone who wrote to check if I was OK, while I was locked out of the blog here.

For the record: I am OK. For values of which include an almost functioning back, but completely non-functional connectivity. The problem is apparently mine own, and is somewhere between my router and the street, which requires The Fidium Guy. Who has a V. Busy Schedule and will not be able to get to me until Tuesday. Yes, even though I work at home. Sigh.

In the meantime, I’ve been flailing around with my phone, trying to mobile-hotspot-it, and — yeah. An adventure.

Yes, I’ll have to figure out an Emergency Protocol, for if this happens again. But not today.

Saturday. November 1. Cloudy, cool, and breezy.

So! The Closers held. It was a near thing, though.

Last night I poured a glass of real wine, and lit the electric candle, since I seem to no longer have any wax candles. Digression: I could have sworn that I had a pack of beeswax tapers, but — the old woman who lives with me may have put them Someplace Else. Or I may have given them away when I was clearing the house in preparation for joining Steve at the New Place.

In any case — glass of nice red, candle. Firefly came up on my lap, which she hardly ever does, and we told the kids stories of those who had gone ahead: of Steve, and Sprite, and Belle, and Trooper; Scrabble — yes, even Archie. It was a peaceful evening, and I slept well, after.

This morning, I found something on my phone called “Extended” and toggled that on. It seems to be helping with connectivity — I’m typing this on my office computer, using the phone as a hotspot, and things are moving along right sprightly. So — fingers crossed that this just isn’t an artifact of nobody else is awake and on their computers yet.

Breakfast was scrambled eggs and toast. Drinking my first cup of tea.

As soon as I’m finished here, I’ll be brewing another cup of tea and putting my attention on the contract that arrived yesterday, hoping to get it back in the snail today.

I also hope to get at least some foiling done. I forgot that this week’s class will be on Wednesday, not Thursday, so there’s no way I’m going to be able to foil all those itsy pieces before class. Last week I missed soldering, so — yeah, I’m really behind.

I ALSO need to go through the desk in this office, create some order and Deal with . . . whatever’s under — waves — All Of This.

I remember back when I was a kid and Catholic — today, November 1, we went to church for All Soul’s Day. And — weird kid, remember — I always thought it was because we were praying a lighted path to guide those who had come out for Halloween back home again. Which, actually, is a lot more gracious than the Catholic Church had ever likely been, but — weird kid, remember.

What did you do, last night?

Proof of life and test of technology post

This is a test of the Chromebook voice typing system. We’re having a little bit of a problem, which is to be expected, but I’m pretty sure we can work it out. I did okay last night using my phone’s speech-to-text on Facebook but using the Chromebook this morning is being a little bit of a hassle.

The back pain situation is improving, though less than optimal. The pain makes it hard to eat, and I’ve kinda been subsisting on toast, breakfast bars and cottage cheese. I may see if I can get it together to make some tuna after I finish here. I do need to be safe to drive 130 miles round trip to the cancer center in Brewer on Wednesday at Jupiter clock.

. . .and my electronic friend has rendered ‘stupid o’clock’ as Jupiter clock. Well why not?

The cats did gang up on me and I slept for about 10 hours woken by the noise next door around 9:30 which was the Anderson renewal people coming to put in new windows. I’m guessing that Peter is getting ready to sell.

I’m going to stop the update here i’ve already gotten a little better with the speech to text, but I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to write fiction with it simply because I’m so very bad at talking and the whole process of writing involves thinking and fingers instead of having to run it through the speech centers.

Everybody stay safe.

But you and I, we’ve been through that

Begin as you mean to go on…

SNIPPET ONE:
The red was beyond excellent. Jen Sin closed his eyes, the better to savor it, and heard Val Con speak.

“I see you’re refining Theo’s taste. But, the jade, Brother? Surely you might have taught her to drink something a bit less dear.”

“It’s not quite so dear,” answered the rich voice of his cousin Shan, “when you have a connection, and a discount. And the jade suits her.”

What went before: So, that’s 1,121 new words written today in two shifts, bringing the WIP entire to +/-56,880 words.

Had a good chat with my friends at Holy Cannoli, where I can attest that the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are still delicious.

I thought it was going to rain, and it did drizzle a little, but I had been promised a thunderstorm, to usher in a cooler tomorrow, and I’d still kinda like that, please.

Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served up and consumed, and I’m about to pour myself a glass of wine and go see if I’m still annoyed with Dr. Who, or if I can finish watching the episode I bailed on — a week ago? Two? Whatever.

I have an early appointment with the chiropractor tomorrow, and then I’m pretty much Free until Tuesday.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Friday. Sunny and cooler. Windows OPEN. Station air is convenient, but I really prefer ambient conditions.

Woke up earlier than I had planned. Turns out that all four cats were low on snuggles, so we did that for a while before I got up and found, yanno, clothes.

The rosebush has survived another night; no sign of digging activity, though it did rain a little last night, so I’ll have to re-up the hot pepper.

Breakfast was a peach cut up into cottage cheese with tea. More tea to hand, and probably more tea after that. I’ll probably make salmon cakes for lunch; which is, among other things, guaranteed leftovers.

My phone updated itself last night, always an exciting time. The best new toy is a button that will allegedly identify music playing nearby. I used it successfully twice, but now it’s not working, or maybe Google doesn’t recognize Bon Jovi’s “Lay Your Hands on Me,” which I would say the chances of that are…low.

Anyhoots — it’s still early, so I guess I’d better do some of the chores I was going to do later, so I have more time to work, later.

I do have a doctor’s appointment at 10, and a short stop at the grocery after, but that’s all I’ve got to write about.

I can share another SNIPPET, for those who may be interested. Shan and Val Con are in rare form, I fear:

“However, if Val Con wishes to come the disapproving banker – “

Val Con raised his hands. “Acquit me! The red is everything that is wonderful, Master Trader, and I will prove my word by shortly having another glass. I thank you for your generosity on behalf of us all.”

Shan eyed him. “I sense an upcoming bid for my cook.”

“That,” Val Con returned primly, “is not for me to decide.”

“I believe you enjoy saying that,” Shan said.

“I believe I do, too,” Val Con answered, cordially.

And that said! What’s everybody doing today?

Today’s blog post title brought to you by Mr. Jimi Hendrix, “All Along the Watchtower”

Cat tax Rookie and Firefly being coy, each in their own manner

The day in review

What went before: Monday. Sunny and already hot.

Breakfast was oatmeal and walnuts. Lunch will probably be a salad, because — easy and cool.

I remembered something I wanted to add to the scene I wrote yesterday, and wound up writing a quick 300 words. Much better now. “Cory Robersun,” indeed. Oh! And now I know why that’s going to be important — makes note. Yeah. That’s good.

So! getting ready to go out to see the chiropractor, then back to do chores, eat lunch, and then out again to meet friends for a catch-up.

What’s everybody else doing today?

Where are my mariner/weather radio experts?

I have here in my hand a CCrane Skywave AM/FM/WX/SW/Air radio. I want to listen to the weather radio, in particular the polling of the lighthouses off the Maine coast and the report from Mt. Washington.

I know that the weather bands range from 162.3625 to 162.5875 MHz. My little radio has seven possible channels under the WX setting: 1 (162.400 MHz); 2 (162.425 MHz); 3 (162.450 MHz); 4 (162.475 MHz); 5 (162.500 MHz); 6 (162.525 MHz); and 7 (162.550 MHz). One of these has in the past been the correct channel, but all I’m getting on any of them is static.

My assumption is that I’m doing something wrong, but such is the scope of my ignorance, that I don’t know what it is.

Could someone please educate me? I’d really like to listen to the lighthouses.

Spanish Aunts.

So took a couple bags of fiction books including a number by some scifi writers named Sharon Lee and Steve Miller to the library for the book sale. No sense them cluttering up the basement until it’s time to clear the house and they end up in the dumpster, after all.

Met my friends, and had a lovely catch-up.

Came home to find that Maximus Medicare has decided Martin’s Point made no error in deciding well after the fact that the treatment they told me was covered, wasn’t, and I am liable for the entire bill. No one seems to care that this does not particularly make me willing to trust Martin’s Point ever again, and I suppose they have a point. If I need a medical intervention, I’m probably going to have it done and worry about being bankrupted by medical bills later.

Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served and devoured. Trooper is sitting on my lap. Tali is lounging on the edge of the desk. I have poured a glass of wine.

Tomorrow, I’ll go to the grocery early, I think, then come back for a solid several hours of writing before it’s time to go to the needlework meeting.

I think that’s it for the day. I’m glad I got in a tiny bit of writing before the day started.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Here are the coon cats, ignoring me and my silly, leafy lunch

Damp and Dim for the Win

What went before: Had a lovely and informative chat with Alex Picard, the narrator for the Ribbon Dance audiobook (coming to you in August!). She was kind enough to suggest the title of a nonfiction book about the deaf communities on Martha’s Vineyard, backaways — Everyone here spoke sign language: Heredity deafness on Martha’s Vineyard, by Nora Ellen Groce — I’m on page 6 and already fascinated.

I also remembered that when we were going on a long road trip, Steve used to take on those tuna lunch packs — which just about saved our lives on two separate train trips over the years — when the train was so late, the various on-board provisioners not only ran out of food, they ran out of booze — so I went out and grabbed some of the tuna things, because Murphy is real, and his Law is the great leveler.

Losing Steve really did tear my brain in half. My memory has never been my most robust mental function, and it’s just gone to wood shavings on some stuff. I’m glad I decided to pack slow, because the act of getting things together to go to a convention is kicking Old Habits to the surface. I guess I should also say, if I don’t immediately remember you at the con — it’s me, not you, and the Ghods of Conventions in Their infinite wisdom give us name tags for a reason.

Tomorrow, I’m taking a break in the early afternoon to go to the library and listen to Ron Currie read from The Savage Noble Death of Babs Dionne. Before and after, I’ll continue to do those chores that will make coming home easier, putter at my packing, study the maps/routes. And not freak out. That’s very important. I even wrote it on the to-do list.

Right now, the first 194 pages of the current WIP is printing out, so I’ll have that ready to read and get back into the right headspace.

It got Quite Warm today; tomorrow is supposed to be significantly cooler, though still springlike.

The coon cats have had their Happy Hour, and are each sitting in an open window, admiring the evening breeze (not the bathroom window — they’re using the Considerably Safer crank windows, in my office).

And that’s the news from the Cat Farm.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Saturday. Damp and dim. Which really ought to be the name of my next band. Or — I dunno. Maybe Damp and Dim reported on those Sites that Wu and Fabricant deemed not worth their time? Though if Wu and Fabricant wrote an entry on Star Well…

… and now you know why writers stare out of windows.

All righty, then! Breakfast was sausage patty and cheese on a buttermilk biscuit, with grapes. I Regret Nothing. Second cup of tea to hand. Lunch is in question, because of the timing of the reading at the library. I will not starve, and honestly? This opens up the possibility of ice cream.

Quitting time got a little extended last night due to Shenanigans on the part of Steve’s printer. By the time I was done clearing paper jams, I was, frankly, beat. Firefly put in a Very Clear Request for reading in bed, so we read read The Elusive Earl until I fell asleep.

Speaking of updates from the road! I will of course have my laptop with me, and I’ll be able to update to Facebook, but I won’t be able to update my blog at sharonleewriter, which is where I point people to for daily updates.

The Plan at the moment is to post to Patreon and set access to Public. This would be easiest for me, and I’ll test the proposition today, to see if Public is, indeed, accessible to anyone who wanders by, and if said merry wanderers of the internets may leave comments.

UPDATE: Only PAID members may comment on public posts, says Patreon, which may actually be the best path, as the moderator will be engaging in Other Activities.

So! Who has Plans today?

Damp and Dim cat census:

Well the cops busted Madame Marie for tellin’ fortunes better’n they do

What went before: So, a low-key day. I did some This, some That, read, put the finished sampler into the embroidery book, ironed some con clothes. I’m still trying to decide if I’ll wear black-and-grey, or black-and-maroon for Opening Ceremonies, a decision I can put off for a few days yet, as both outfits will be coming with me.

For those who are coming to BaltiCon — I have Interesting News. We have a possible location for the Stuffed Animal Tea, but! We don’t have a time or day. So, at this point, it’s kind of a Heisenberg Tea. More news will be forthcoming, possibly on Wednesday. As soon as I know something firm (bearing in mind that I will be spending a large amount of Wednesday and Thursday driving), I’ll let y’all know.

We’re getting up toward ASL time, and I still need to close the windows.

Everybody stay safe; I’ll see you tomorrow.

Friday. Dim and damp.

Letters dispatched. Finished reading The Mysterious Marquess, and have pulled The Elusive Earl up for tonight’s reading, unless it turns out to be a Dr. Who night. Zoom call upcoming, and a couple other such things as people are suddenly realizing that I’m going to be away. Laundry needs to be sorted, laptop charged and systems brought up to date

I have more this ‘n that to do, including puzzling out some bits for the book after the current WIP, which may not be Jethri after all, if I’m gonna do mumblemumble with the current WIP, which I think may be Forced, given that I need to at least produce a soft landing, if not a Hard Wrap Up, and there are only three books remaining under contract (Current WIP, WIP After, Jethri Big Finish). And now you know why writers stare out of windows.

I’m slowly remembering the convention traditions — pins, con clothes, tote bag, pens, ribbons, badge jewelry… For those who are coming to the con, I will have with me some “I Met Steve Miller” ribbons, so that those present who had, in fact, met Steve Miller may acknowledge that connection.

The cats are being very snuggly and maybe even a little clingy, which I’m guessing the memo I sent out has hit. If the teleporter worked, I’d bring them with me, but the geezinfluke is still on backorder.

I think that’s most of what’s going on here at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

How’s everybody doing today?

Today’s blog post title courtesy of Mr. Bruce Springsteen, “4th of July, Asbury Park”

After breakfast cat census: