Tag: the writing life

Last Saturday of the year

Saturday. Cloudy, warmer, and heading for the giddy high temp of 35F/2C.

Breakfast was cream cheese on rice crackers with cherries. I have the second mug of tea and the last two sugar cookies here with me at the desk. Lunch will be spaghetti (yes, yesterday’s lunch was supposed to have been spaghetti, but then Plan B went into effect. As it does.).

Today, there will be writing. Given yesterday’s experience, I make no predictions whether or not this will produce a finished draft. I also have a roll of cookie dough in the fridge, so there may be cookie baking, ref “last two sugar cookies” above. P’rhaps a blog post. At some point, I need to Seriously Look At the tax packet, but today is not that day.

Several people have asked me now if I’ll be at Boskone in February. I thought I had answered this, but, in the interests of clarity — No. No, I won’t (will not) be at Boskone. There are several reasons for this — the Actually Getting There being one, and the fact that I’m not much good on panels anymore, between the whole Old thing, and being out of touch with Current Enthusiasms. I’m always happy to read to people, but it’s a long, heartbreaking trip for 30 minutes of pleasure.

I do hope to read to people, and possibly even to chat, online next year. More on that, pending productive thought.

And that’s all I’ve got, on this, the last Saturday of 2024.

What’ve you got?

Accidents will happen

Friday. Sunny and Cold.

Went to bed at midnight — not something I’ve done for awhile — and therefore slept until 8. Breakfast was cream cheese on an English muffin with cherries. Second cup of tea at hand. Lunch will be … I have spaghetti left over, and so A Plan is born.

Rook and I have had a miscommunication. He was chewing on my jeans, and I slid my finger into his mouth to make him stop — which is how we’ve been handling “don’t chew on that” for months with no problems on either side. This morning, however, instead of opening his mouth, he bore down, and broke the skin, very slightly. It bled freely and I encouraged that, then cleaned and bandaged. It’s quite a small wound, and Rook is very apologetic. I will be keeping an eye on it.

In other news, I need to at least start changing out the cat boxes this morning, while also not screwing up my back again, so that’s change one each day for the next four days. Slow and steady wins the race. Sigh. I also need to fetch in last night’s mail, but it can warm a little before I undertake the hike across the tundra. The glamour. Truly, I don’t know how anyone survives at these heights.

Mostly, today, I’m going to write, with an eye to finishing the first — well. Draft 2.5 — of the story today. I note that the story has wriggled around sufficiently that the working title no longer fits, so I’ll also be looking for a new title,

And that’s it, from the sunny middle of Maine.

What’ve you got going today?

Today’s blog title brought to you by Elvis Costello, “Accidents Will Happen”

Below, a sunny morning in Maine:

Sunny morning with oatmeal

Um. Thursday (not Monday). Sunny and heading for a high of 30F/-1C on the day.

Breakfast was oatmeal with raisins and walnuts. Second cup of tea is brewing, and I have a sugar cookie standing by. Ashley’s due in at 10, so I should pick up cat toys and such-like in a bit. I have leftovers in the fridge, and! salad stuff, so — Choices for lunch.

Last night, I figured out (I mean, it’s not hard; the instructions are right there on the internet) how to forward calls coming in to the so-called “landline” to my cellphone, in an attempt to solve the one-handset-short problem. It will also serve as a test-run, i.e. Do I really need the landline? I think it’s just part of the Fidium package, so that will be more informational than, “Gee, I can save some money by getting rid of this.”

Last night, I also finished reading Alliance Unbound, and if you couldn’t hear me yelling, “NoNoNoNOOOOO — DO NOT– oh HELL, JR!” you must’ve had the music up ‘way loud.

I have this morning updated my Books Read in 2024 List. I doubt I’ll finish another book between now and the changing of the year. I have A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times cued up, so it could be that I’ll finish it in a couple days. As matters stand at the moment, I read 59 books in 2024 — that includes three separate post-submission readings of Diviner’s Bow, and a prep reading of Salvage Right). For those who are curious about what else I read, the list is here

Today’s to-do includes picking up for Ashley, writing a letter, working on the short story — and of course, performing one’s duty to the cats. That’s it. Almost a lazy day.

I will pause here to ask for an end-of-year present. If you have read any Lee-and-Miller, Miller, or Lee book during 2024, please consider leaving a review — or several reviews. Thank you for your help.

And now, the question! What’s going on with you today?

And their eyes full of tinsel and fire

Wednesday. Google would have me believe it sunny. Google has an interesting take on “sunny.” Cold, yes. We agree on cold.

First mug of tea is to hand, and I’m again indulging in sugar cookies while I type this missive. Breakfast will eventually be a scrambled egg and an English muffin. P’rhaps even a scrambled egg on an English muffin, with a slice of cheese — yeah, that sounds good. Planned lunch is spaghetti and meatballs. Because I like spaghetti and meatballs.

Read a little late last night, with Classic Vinyl playing in the background. Kudos to Earle Bailey, who stuck to hoary old rock ‘n roll, with perhaps two seasonal songs, one of those being “I Believe in Father Christmas,” of which I happen to be rather fond. Thank you, Earle, for a pleasant evening.

The Thing that I Most Want To Do today is! Write. Truly, I haven’t been able to write anything for weeks now and that’s not how to Stay the Course *or* Stay on Target. So, today, I’m going to devote to writing new words, even if it means eating a cheese sandwich for lunch today and spaghetti tomorrow. Merry Christmas, from me to me.

I am going to have to go outside at some point after it “warms up” to deal with the snow berm against the garage door; fingers crossed that will be relatively easy.

Trooper is asleep in the copilot’s chair. Firefly and the Lord High Rookifer are back in Steve’s office, singing carols, I think.

I hope everyone has a pleasant day, doing what you most want to do.

Today’s blog title brought to you by Greg Lake, “I Believe in Father Christmas”

Below, a picture of the author in all her winter sartorial elegance.  Blessed Be.

In Which the To-Do List is Rewritten

What Went Before:  Yesterday saw the delivery of the proof copy of the hardcover Sea Wrack and Changewind, which I Examined With Interest, Found Good, and removed the hold on publication at Amazon.  Remember this plot point.

Also yesterday, I took delivery of my Yule present to the Pixel 9 Pro, which for some inexplicable reason does not have a headphone jack — a pretty blue JBL wireless headset, which is a Thing of Wonder, and I am at its feet.  Figuratively, since headsets, no matter how Awesome, do not of course have feet.

Also, I did not rewatch Red One last night; I read, and played with my new headset.

Which brings us to!

Monday. Cold. Grey-blue skies.

I did wake up early, but I did not leap out of bed to go to the grocery store. I can go out in 2F/-17C, but milk is not an emergency.

Breakfast was the last cinnamon bun, with a chaser of cottage cheese. Second cup of tea brewing.

Have performed one’s Duty to the Cats. Dishwasher in operation. Trash and recycling is in the garage, awaiting tomorrow morning’s trip to the curb.

I have a very early appointment tomorrow with the cardiologist, which — I’d kinda been hoping that they’d call it off, since the doctor has already informed me, through a proxy, that afib reports from toy watches are NOT reliable, I should get myself a kardia, and also he’s ordering in another 30-day monitor, and will call when it’s in. But — no. Appointment still on. This will be with, I may add, Steve’s cardiologist, so — lots of fun tomorrow morning.

Amazon reports Many, MANY Problems with the formatting of the hardcover Sea Wrack…, all of which relate to Amazon’s comfort and have nothing to do with the viability of *the book* which, as reported, is fine. I may or may not be able to fix these issues, and in either case, Not Soon. There are many things in queue before it. I apologize for Raising Hopes, but we’re back to — The Hardcover May Not Happen.

So! The Amended Plan for Today:

DO: Chiropractor at 10:30, stop at PO, stop at grocery, call bank, log typos. Cuddle cats.

DO NOT: Throw things.

TRY:  There is no try.

What’s on your To-Do List?

Obligatory cat picture:  The Rookie at home

A minute a day

Sunday. It’s cold, and very bright. Tiny bit of snow on the ground, which ought to please the Season Purists.

Breakfast was a slightly overdone biscuit with sausage patty and cheddar cheese, with one of the little oranges on the side. Rookie is having the time of his life with the sticker that came off of the little orange and hit the floor sticky side down. … eventually, I’ll have to do something about that, but let the kid have his fun.

Lunch — I think there’s black bean soup in the freezer downstairs. Will forage later.

I was up early and stripped the bed, then got involved in buying audiobooks on sale. My strategy is to buy in audio books that I’ve re-read multiple times. This has thus far netted me, in addition to The Goblin Emperor — Cuckoo’s Egg, The Masqueraders, Brat Farrar, Witness for the Dead, Agnes and the Hitman, These Old Shades, Getting Rid of Bradley, Fakin’ It, The Grand Sophy, and so forth. I was … surprised to find These Old Shades for $0.00/included with my membership, but — OK.

It occurred to me this morning that The Plan Steve and I had regarding replacing the windows in this house — while a Good Plan of its kind — is not something I’m not going to be able to finish. We managed the big windows in the living room, and my office windows. But that leaves a helluva lot of windows left to do, this having previously been a Temple to Lugh. My pockets are not quite to let, but I don’t want to get there. Well. A project for the next owners. I’m sure they’ll thank me for thinking of them.

Today’s To-Do List includes, but may not be limited to! Logging Tyops, re-sheeting the bed, signing the accountant’s Letter of Engagement and getting it ready to mail, baking a batch of frozen sugar cookies, setting up the 2025 electronic accounting — and that may be it. Setting up the accounting is going to be … hard. Depending on how long all this takes, it might be a good idea to re-watch Red One.

So, that’s what’s going on at the Cat Farm and Confusion Factory.

What’s going on at your place?

Below is a picture of Trooper and Firefly simultaneously taking advantage of the snuggly new blanket and holding me firm on the couch.  We get a lot of random gravity fluxes hereabouts, and if I’m stuck to the ceiling, I can’t perform my Primary Function of Feeding Cats, so this is a very practical move of their part.

Winter is coming

What Went Before:  Wednesday was a Day of Surprises, the upshot being that I won for myself the Coveted Visit with the Cardio Doc, for Christmas Eve.  In an Unrelated Incident, I also threw out my back and have spent the last two days on the sofa, in that unpleasant land between zoned out and hurting.

Which brings us to!

Saturday. Snowing and cold. Winter is back.

Well. That’s one way to lose four pounds. I’m exhausted, but not hurting. Am debating a maintenance dose of muscle relaxants, but I’ve already been mainlining the damn’ things for two days, and as we all learned in biology — the heart is a muscle.

Breakfast was oatmeal with raisins and walnuts, which actually — tasted good, which is another reason to stop with the muscle relaxants, ref “lose four pounds” above.

. . . and the jury is back. A maintenance dose of muscle relaxants, it is.

On today’s to-do list is! Tyop logging, swapping out the cat fountains — which, no, can’t wait, because someone lost their balance and spilled crunchies into the pool, thank you, muscle relaxants — packing a go-bag* (Most Important Decision Made: Hassan the Assassin will be representing the Stuffies. Also, I can use my old phone as a tablet, so it will be in the pack, stuffed with all my books, and earphones. Hmm. May want to download a few more audiobooks…), and figuring out what to eat for lunch.

One benefit of the last two days of forced inactivity and zonieness is that Rook has earned his Advanced Lovebug badge, which, as you all know, is usually not awarded to cadets who have under a year in grade, so — quite an accomplishment, there.

And, I think that’s all I have to report. Trooper is on the copilot’s chair, snoring and raring to go after these last few days of sofa duty.

How’s everybody doing?

________
*I have never before bothered with a go-bag, but here we are.  I don’t really expect to need it soon, but, then, we really didn’t expect Steve to be sent to the ER DO NOT pass ‘Go’ when he’d just dropped in for a routine cardio check.  Better safe than without anything to read.

 

In which Time is broken

“Time is what keeps everything from happening at once.”

Hah.

UPDATE:  Finished my tyop read of Diviner’s Bow last night.  Received a anonymous gift of Walker’s Mince Pies in the mail, and! the Tax Packet in email.  Collapsed in the Command Chair and listened to The Goblin Emperor because my eyes wouldn’t focus.  Went to bed early so I could ditto get up, this morning.

Wednesday. Up before the sun. I say this in literal truth. Warm already, going to be warmer.

Breakfast was pumpernickel bread with cream cheese; finishing up the first cup of tea.

Tax Packet printing as I type — no, I take that back. Paper jam. Print job stalled and restarted. Welcome to the Tax Packet, and the first of many ggggrrrrrrrs.

. . . and another paper jam.

. . . and another.

Finally back in business as Rook has appointed himself Overseer of the Print Job, and has turned his Fell Gaze upon the machinery.

Today’s plan is to start the tyop log, go to gym 9:30ish, get my hair cut 10:45ish, go to the grocery and maybe the post office, assuming I can find a place to park, then come home and get back to work.

As I plan, it doesn’t have much to recommend it, and I’m still behind on things I WANT to do, some of which I may have to jettison.

All together now — Adulting is Hard.

Everybody have a good day. Please feel free to talk among yourselves.

Below, the fruits of the hunt, and a candid portrait of Firefly.

      

Kit Kat

The ebook edition of Sea Wrack and Changewinds: All of the Archers Beach short stories, by Sharon Lee has dropped in all markets, and! AFAIK. Thank you and happy reading to all.

Monday Catchup:  I got out some of the glass trees from MOMA and put them up, along with the daily birch trees, and the old yellow tree that used to be in my office.  The lighted stand for the crystal ball arrived, and all lit up they make a … comforting display.

Tuesday. Rainy and warm. Trash and (some) of the recycling at the curb. (The open bin can’t go out, ref “rainy”)

Breakfast was pb&j on a whole wheat English muffin. Lunch will be the leftover pork chop and the leftover veggies.

After I finish writing and posting this communication, I will be mixing together the pumpernickel bread kit from Steve’s stash (Steve bought kits; I think, after the pumpernickel, there’s a multigrain bread kit, and a crepe kit), and setting it to rise. Then I will be about reading the last 50 pages of Diviner’s Bow’s galleys, and opening a correction log.

<whine> I had really wanted to feel good about this book, but all I feel at the moment is tired and lonely</whine>

Aside one’s duty to the cats and so forth, I think that’s all I got on for the day — baking and reading.

What’s on for your day?

Lifters never fall

Sunday Catchup:  I took the day off, did some embroidery, played with cats, read, watched Red One, which I really enjoyed, and will probably watch again.

Monday. Cloudy, now.

Breakfast was a cinnamon roll, because I could. Lunch — dunno. Mac ‘n cheese, maybe.

Stayed up late because Firefly wouldn’t let me get up until we’d seen Ross fairly settled on Finity. Then I had to open the next book to show her that they’d kept their word. Honestly, four years old and nothing but suspicion.

In the Realm of Shameless Self-Promotion! Sea Wrack and Changewind ebook has broken 400 the hard way! Amazon, 367; Apple, 15; BN, 3; Kobo 16. The ebook drops on December 17 — that’s tomorrow!

Today it’s back to the proofing mines. Firefly has already checked in, and Rook arrived for his after-breakfast lap-sit and cuddles. Trooper is in his box on my desk, snoring.

And that? Is all I have. Yes, yes, the non-stop glamour; how do I keep it from ruining me?

What’s everybody up to, today?

Today’s blog title from Diviner’s Bow.