I'm not sure if it's information overload or being around people 24/7 during a conference that exhausts me, or maybe a combination of the two, but man, I've been next to useless this week.
Good Stuff:
- General cleaning and maintenance around the house, but only the barest of bare minimums. The big stuff that got done was because Eric said we really should, so I dragged my butt upstairs to help.
- Remembered to mail Alex's rent check.
- Did some church Powerpoints.
- Made a long-term To Do list for the next 2 weeks. I have 11 days before the in-laws arrive, and my family won't be far behind.
- Finished reading 1 1/2 books, mostly because I couldn't motivate off the couch to do more productive things. They are books I have to give to my bard mentor when I'm done. One of our friends gave them to him, but he wants me to research Guinevere (they're Arthurian novels), so I got them first. But he's waiting for me to read them so he can.
- Did manage to get to judo one evening, and I went to my first Zumba class. I might go again, but I want to try a different teacher. She assumed a level of competence I'll have to work up to. Exercise is getting easier, and my endurance and flexibility have improved.
- Started getting stuff together for the clan tent. Our first Games is the weekend after graduation. I'll have 2 1/2 days tops to pull it together once everyone leaves.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Forgot about the Scottish society newsletter, even though it was on my list.
- Didn't get as much writing in as I would have liked. It requires thinking, and that's been hard.
- The lawn mower is falling apart. I want to buy electric because I can't start a gas mower the first time. Once it's been running, I can restart it, but I never have been able to get that initial fire-up. Eric doesn't want to pay what they want for an electric mower. We have to make a decision soon because of the afore-mentioned family visit, and because with the rain we've gotten and are forecast to get, we're going to have to mow again soon.
- It's been raining a lot. That hasn't helped matters. It's way too tempting to settle in with a cup of chai and a book.
This Week:
- Mark stuff off the long-term list.
- Newsletter.
- Powerpoints.
- Write. I made changes to my plot while I was away last weekend, so I'm more or less starting from scratch, although I wasn't that far into it, so the rewriting shouldn't take long.
- Figure out what I'm going to wear for graduation. Alex's girlfriend already has her dress and has told Alex, "It's peach, and you have to match." ;-)
- Try to stay dry. To that end, I need to grab my raincoat and boots out of the trunk of Eric's car. I was wearing them when I left for Memphis.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Bad penny!
And I'm back! Just like the proverbial bad penny. Although I've never really understood that expression.
Last week:
- Worked on Murder by the Mile.
- Worked on a book for one of my clients that Many Rivers Harbor should publish in November.
- Worked on Undying.
- Worked on two clients' websites and updated them.
- Wrote and posted the News at Three on Facebook Monday through Friday.
- Took Thursday night off because I was so stressed that I thought I was going to flip out. Felt better afterwards.
- Household chores, chores, chores.
- Continued A-Z Posts and NaPoWriMo, although I'm running behind on both, but hope to catch up this weekend.
- Prepared the writers group meeting agenda, minutes, poems for study, and program.
- Conducted the writers group this morning and took them on a "field trip" to attend a writer's book signing that was being held in the library. We met a nice author from the eastern Oklahoma, and I invited her to come by and talk to the group after her signing, and she did. We had a good question and answer with her.
- Worked on the yard and my flower garden.
- Learned how to burn YouTube videos onto DVDs so that I can present programs to the group. Today we watched a TED lecture from David Kelley on Creative Confidence during the meeting.
- Fought a cold/allergies all week.
This week:
- Work on Murder by the Mile.
- Work on my client's book.
- Work on Undying.
- Write and post News at Three on Facebook.
- Household chores.
- Finish A-Z Posts and NaPoWriMo, thank God.
- Clean and "spring decorate" my books at the downtown store.
- Write and publish April family newsletter. (Yes, I'm that far behind.)
- Try to squeeze in some downtime in there somewhere.
- Get over this cold/allergies or whatever it is that's dragging me down.
Hope you have an awesome week.
Last week:
- Worked on Murder by the Mile.
- Worked on a book for one of my clients that Many Rivers Harbor should publish in November.
- Worked on Undying.
- Worked on two clients' websites and updated them.
- Wrote and posted the News at Three on Facebook Monday through Friday.
- Took Thursday night off because I was so stressed that I thought I was going to flip out. Felt better afterwards.
- Household chores, chores, chores.
- Continued A-Z Posts and NaPoWriMo, although I'm running behind on both, but hope to catch up this weekend.
- Prepared the writers group meeting agenda, minutes, poems for study, and program.
- Conducted the writers group this morning and took them on a "field trip" to attend a writer's book signing that was being held in the library. We met a nice author from the eastern Oklahoma, and I invited her to come by and talk to the group after her signing, and she did. We had a good question and answer with her.
- Worked on the yard and my flower garden.
- Learned how to burn YouTube videos onto DVDs so that I can present programs to the group. Today we watched a TED lecture from David Kelley on Creative Confidence during the meeting.
- Fought a cold/allergies all week.
This week:
- Work on Murder by the Mile.
- Work on my client's book.
- Work on Undying.
- Write and post News at Three on Facebook.
- Household chores.
- Finish A-Z Posts and NaPoWriMo, thank God.
- Clean and "spring decorate" my books at the downtown store.
- Write and publish April family newsletter. (Yes, I'm that far behind.)
- Try to squeeze in some downtime in there somewhere.
- Get over this cold/allergies or whatever it is that's dragging me down.
Hope you have an awesome week.
Rain on the Scarecrow
I can only hope. We supposedly have rain coming our way, but I'll believe it when I see it. It keeps Mr. L glued to his weather app on his Toshiba tablet, periodically calling out messages of impending doom. Yeah. Right. He's like the boy who cried wolf with that thing. But heaven forbid I poo-poo his fears about hail and we actually get hail if I didn't listen to his recommendation to take the trucks to the shop. I'd never live that down.
The Good Stuff:
The Good Stuff:
- Had a couple of good sessions with Sneaky/Sneakers this week (I'm kind of liking Sneakers as a name for her but haven't decided for sure)
- Tracked, did morning pages, rode two days, mowed three days, read
- Looked at Cat Eyes and added more to the next scene
- Zette's offering a short story class at FM, so I'm going to work through that.
- GYN follow up went fine. He discounted back pain being related.
- Got the store mowed, even if it took three days instead of the usual two (I was thwarted by a brief rain shower on the second day)
- As of Friday, my sister is unemployed. She knew it was coming, but her efforts to find something in the last few months have not paid off. She's going to spend time with her kids, grandsons, and my folks this summer (she did get a severance package). I presume she's also going to be looking for work (she's the lone breadwinner; her husband is on disability).
- I'm still tired a lot. Getting along well with Mr. L but I seem to be experiencing some personal dissatisfaction that I can't put my finger on.
- Heading to San Antonio on the first to do about a week's worth of yard work and vote in the local election on the 11th before heading back this way afterward
- Assuming weather permits, get house yard mowed and trimmed here before I go
- Do Zette's class and exercises for it
- Track, move, read, and do morning pages.
- Continue work on some kind of writing
Monday, April 22, 2013
Flirtin' With Disaster
No particular reason. I just got a whim to channel some Molly Hatchet.
The Good Stuff:
The Good Stuff:
- Completed my CHL (Concealed Handgun License) refresher course and shot one of my best groups ever on the practical part of the course. Sending off the paperwork tomorrow for my updated license.
- I got front hedge by the door trimmed, a couple of fledgling hackberry trees hacked out below the ground, and the "weedy" part of the SA yard mowed.
- I did morning pages, tracking, and weeding
- Mom's home from the hospital
- We had little trouble with Rossie for transitioning. It was Ruby who found a place to hide down in SA that took us a while to find.
- What a week! Boston and West. Boston was terrible for the national security implications and West was terrible for the concentrated community impact. But, if you really think about it, these just received national media focus. If you look, there's something equally horrible going on somewhere in the world every day. On the bright side, for each horrid act, there are people pulling together and making good things happen.
- I didn't get much done in San Antonio.
- I'm feeling tired all the time. Since the beginning of the year (mid-December, really), I've either felt sick, dragged out, or just blah. I'm not sure what's going on. If this is just "normal aging" and I have to push through it, it sucks. Resting doesn't seem to help. I have my six-month check up with my primary doctor the first week of June. I'll add it to the list of things to ask.
- Dad's on the wait list for a back surgery, and Mom's still having trouble breathing. One of my nieces will be serving as their transport after Dad's surgery, so I don't have to make the trip up there this time, but they won't be able to come to OK for my nephew's graduation and the follow-on visit with us they had planned. (But getting these health matters taken care of is more important.)
- Nada on writing.
- Follow up on Wed with GYN regarding the surgery. I'm going to ask him about the back pain and a few other things that have flared up since the surgery to rule out any relationship.
- Track, read, morning pages, and exercise.
- Finish A-Z challenge posts.
- Survive?
Quick break
I got home from the Kiss And Tell conference last night. Also scheduled in the same hotel was a big gathering of National Guardsmen of various types. Romance writers and men in uniforms in the same hotel? Good thing we're Christian romance writers, most of whom are married! The funniest part is that some of the staff didn't realize the conference was about learning to write romance. They were speculating that we were a bunch of lesbians coming out!
Good stuff:
- I got all the little fiddly details taken care of early in the week--oil change, laundry, etc. That left plenty of time in the middle of the week for beauty shop stuff and packing.
- The ultrasound went well. I got someone more experienced and she was faster and gentler than the gal I had in December.
- The drive both ways was pretty easy. It's about 5 1/2 hours from here to Olive Branch, MS (about 15 minutes south of Memphis).
- The conference itself was the most intense I've ever done. I thought Deep Thinkers was intense since it's 5 days jam packed with craft lessons. Kiss And Tell was on par with Deep Thinkers but crammed into 1 1/2 days. By Saturday night I was THIIIIIIISSSS close to swearing off writing romance forever! A peach daiquiri and a few hours' sleep brought me off the ledge. I also learned I have more endurance than I give myself credit for and should push myself more.
- Since this was the first Kiss And Tell, we were able to give Susie May good feedback to improve the next one.
- Because I was sitting in a classroom all weekend and eating more than I should, I took stairs instead of elevators most of the time. I didn't get winded until the 4th flight, which is an improvement. Judo must be working. I might have to give running another shot now that the weather is warming.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Um, let's see. Oh! The house wasn't spotless when I came home. Not that I expected it to be, but it would have been nice. Yeah, really, I got nothing. It was a pretty darn good week.
This Week:
- Write
- Shift part of my focus to more serious decluttering. I'm not worried about cleaning as such--Merry Maids will be here right before the family comes in 3 weeks, and they're doing all the rooms except our offices. I just need to get stuff out of their way, and that alone might take 3 weeks!
- May Powerpoints for church.
- Clean my desk. It's getting junky again.
- Remember to hit Post when I want to post stuff. That's twice today I've left stuff hanging...
Good stuff:
- I got all the little fiddly details taken care of early in the week--oil change, laundry, etc. That left plenty of time in the middle of the week for beauty shop stuff and packing.
- The ultrasound went well. I got someone more experienced and she was faster and gentler than the gal I had in December.
- The drive both ways was pretty easy. It's about 5 1/2 hours from here to Olive Branch, MS (about 15 minutes south of Memphis).
- The conference itself was the most intense I've ever done. I thought Deep Thinkers was intense since it's 5 days jam packed with craft lessons. Kiss And Tell was on par with Deep Thinkers but crammed into 1 1/2 days. By Saturday night I was THIIIIIIISSSS close to swearing off writing romance forever! A peach daiquiri and a few hours' sleep brought me off the ledge. I also learned I have more endurance than I give myself credit for and should push myself more.
- Since this was the first Kiss And Tell, we were able to give Susie May good feedback to improve the next one.
- Because I was sitting in a classroom all weekend and eating more than I should, I took stairs instead of elevators most of the time. I didn't get winded until the 4th flight, which is an improvement. Judo must be working. I might have to give running another shot now that the weather is warming.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Um, let's see. Oh! The house wasn't spotless when I came home. Not that I expected it to be, but it would have been nice. Yeah, really, I got nothing. It was a pretty darn good week.
This Week:
- Write
- Shift part of my focus to more serious decluttering. I'm not worried about cleaning as such--Merry Maids will be here right before the family comes in 3 weeks, and they're doing all the rooms except our offices. I just need to get stuff out of their way, and that alone might take 3 weeks!
- May Powerpoints for church.
- Clean my desk. It's getting junky again.
- Remember to hit Post when I want to post stuff. That's twice today I've left stuff hanging...
Aw, crap, it's Monday already!
2 am Monday, at least for me. :)
SPORE went out Tuesday. I may or may not get initial reactions from The Assistant this week, but I don't expect to hear from The Agent until sometime in mid-late May.
I am still brain fried and have accomplished little more than napping, exercising, eating, and sleeping. I'm okay with that.
Oh, and laundry. Because with a toddler in the house, there's always plenty of laundry. ;)
We're good, everything's good, weather is wet, which is GOOD.
Have a happy week, everyone! {{hugs}}
SPORE went out Tuesday. I may or may not get initial reactions from The Assistant this week, but I don't expect to hear from The Agent until sometime in mid-late May.
I am still brain fried and have accomplished little more than napping, exercising, eating, and sleeping. I'm okay with that.
Oh, and laundry. Because with a toddler in the house, there's always plenty of laundry. ;)
We're good, everything's good, weather is wet, which is GOOD.
Have a happy week, everyone! {{hugs}}
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Since I'm getting tired of line edits... ;)
My week has been fairly typical, especially for this stage in the revision/about to go out the door process, which means I've mostly been a stressed out basket case weepy PITA.
I sincerely apologize to anyone who has to deal with me either this past week or the one coming up. I'm a mess and I'm trying not to let it spill out, but it defeats me and my best intentions, sometimes.
Anyway, here's my update. :)
Weight was down about half a pound - yay! However, due to book-stress-eating, I'm finding myself munching more, often on things that aren't really points friendly (like pizza, egg rolls, etc). That said, my bathroom weight is DOWN another 2.2 lbs. I think it's the stress. I am pretty hyper/wound up. And not in a good way. It's giving me, um, bowel issues, which started before I decided to just eat what I want until this frantic time is past. I'm still tracking, though, and exercising every day (and, really, I'm only going 5 or so points over for the day, so it's not like I'm pigging out on the stuff).
Took a 'day off from the book' Saturday to go to a quilt show and fabric shopping with my friend Deb and her mom. I spent too much money at The Quilted Forest in Forest City, but I'm totally okay with that. I love everything I bought and have zero buyer's remorse for any of it. Bill's happy I had such a fun time, so screw the budget, I bought jelly rolls and layer cakes! lol (for you non quilters, a jelly roll is a roll of 40 2.5-inch strips and a layer cake is 40 10-inch squares, all different but coordinating fabrics. Neither are actual pastry items. ;) My granddaughter is gonna get a couple of VERY girly quilts for her big-girl bed. I swear, that child will be set for life in the girly-quilts department. lol
We've had some rain - yay! - and snow - yay! - and more rain - YAY! So glad we're getting the moisture.
City council meeting went well, but I'm having a bit of a quandary. Sort of. There's some money left in the general budget and the city clerk wants to spend it on updating the council room with new furniture and carpet. She's supposed to give us estimates for both next month, but I think we'd be better served replacing the community center floor and painting in there, maybe doing some repairs or expansions to playground equipment, that kinda thing, since we really don't need fancier furniture for the 2 hours or so we meet every month. I fear, tho, that I will be the lone vote of 'nay' on the expense.
Still waiting on line edits for the last 4 chapters, and I have 3 (so far) more tweaks to chapter graphics, but otherwise SPORE is DONE. Which means it's not really done, but SOON. Which is a very good thing. My hubby keeps treating me like I'm about to break. This may or may not be true - I spent pretty much all of Wednesday/Thursday bawling - but it's still annoying to be handled that way. Once I get the line edits and other teensy things on my list done, I'll take the remainder of that day to review it, then I shall SEND IT OUT. This week.
I'll be so relieved when it's off my desk, at least for a while.
Then I shall SEW. And it'll be pink and flowery and full of perky cheer! :)
Have a happy week, everyone!! {{hugs}}
I sincerely apologize to anyone who has to deal with me either this past week or the one coming up. I'm a mess and I'm trying not to let it spill out, but it defeats me and my best intentions, sometimes.
Anyway, here's my update. :)
Weight was down about half a pound - yay! However, due to book-stress-eating, I'm finding myself munching more, often on things that aren't really points friendly (like pizza, egg rolls, etc). That said, my bathroom weight is DOWN another 2.2 lbs. I think it's the stress. I am pretty hyper/wound up. And not in a good way. It's giving me, um, bowel issues, which started before I decided to just eat what I want until this frantic time is past. I'm still tracking, though, and exercising every day (and, really, I'm only going 5 or so points over for the day, so it's not like I'm pigging out on the stuff).
Took a 'day off from the book' Saturday to go to a quilt show and fabric shopping with my friend Deb and her mom. I spent too much money at The Quilted Forest in Forest City, but I'm totally okay with that. I love everything I bought and have zero buyer's remorse for any of it. Bill's happy I had such a fun time, so screw the budget, I bought jelly rolls and layer cakes! lol (for you non quilters, a jelly roll is a roll of 40 2.5-inch strips and a layer cake is 40 10-inch squares, all different but coordinating fabrics. Neither are actual pastry items. ;) My granddaughter is gonna get a couple of VERY girly quilts for her big-girl bed. I swear, that child will be set for life in the girly-quilts department. lol
We've had some rain - yay! - and snow - yay! - and more rain - YAY! So glad we're getting the moisture.
City council meeting went well, but I'm having a bit of a quandary. Sort of. There's some money left in the general budget and the city clerk wants to spend it on updating the council room with new furniture and carpet. She's supposed to give us estimates for both next month, but I think we'd be better served replacing the community center floor and painting in there, maybe doing some repairs or expansions to playground equipment, that kinda thing, since we really don't need fancier furniture for the 2 hours or so we meet every month. I fear, tho, that I will be the lone vote of 'nay' on the expense.
Still waiting on line edits for the last 4 chapters, and I have 3 (so far) more tweaks to chapter graphics, but otherwise SPORE is DONE. Which means it's not really done, but SOON. Which is a very good thing. My hubby keeps treating me like I'm about to break. This may or may not be true - I spent pretty much all of Wednesday/Thursday bawling - but it's still annoying to be handled that way. Once I get the line edits and other teensy things on my list done, I'll take the remainder of that day to review it, then I shall SEND IT OUT. This week.
I'll be so relieved when it's off my desk, at least for a while.
Then I shall SEW. And it'll be pink and flowery and full of perky cheer! :)
Have a happy week, everyone!! {{hugs}}
Normal, or what passes for it.
It's been significantly slower around here in the last week. Oddly, I don't feel any better rested.
Good Stuff:
- Mowed the hay, er, lawn this afternoon. Yeah, it really needed it.
- Got some words in. Still not enough, IMHO, but they were pretty consistent, so that's something.
- Collected some paint samples for my office. They're jammed into the trim around the door. A couple have potential, but I haven't yet found the perfect shade of turquoise. Everything I've found is either too blue or too green.
- No one I know had any damage in the tornado that went through St Louis last Wednesday. Vicky weathered it under the stairs with her cat, the boyfriend not being home from work yet. Thank goodness she has a house with a basement. She's better protected against storms than we are!
- The cats were clingy on and off all week but seem to have gotten past that, just in time for me to leave Thursday for Memphis. :-) Daddy will be home with them this time, so it shouldn't be too traumatic. He knows how to open cat food cans. (I'm going for another writing retreat. Might be the last time to hang out with writers this year.)
- So far my allergy medicine is working. Only a couple minor headaches so far, and I haven't had to break out the neti pot.
- Started getting my raised beds into shape. The older of the two will need to be replaced next year I think.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Female issues for which I will be having another ultrasound this week. I'm sure Stephen doesn't want more details!
- The weather, while typical for the area this time of year, has been eclectic. Temps ranging from 50 to high 70's. Today is warm but windy. Rattle the windows and chase the cat under the couch windy.
- I had a fender bender in the commissary parking lot. A teenage boy was backing his parents' van out behind me, and I didn't see him until I heard the crunch. Minimal damage--a dent in his quarter panel, and a broken tail light on my van. We're both USAA customers so it was handled quickly. Getting it fixed shouldn't be a big deal.
This Week:
- Get the oil changed in the van, and talk to my mechanic about getting the tail light fixed.
- Pack.
- Go to two judo classes instead of just one, which is all I've managed per week since I started. It's getting less scary, and it is a good workout.
- Drive safely to Memphis and back.
Good Stuff:
- Mowed the hay, er, lawn this afternoon. Yeah, it really needed it.
- Got some words in. Still not enough, IMHO, but they were pretty consistent, so that's something.
- Collected some paint samples for my office. They're jammed into the trim around the door. A couple have potential, but I haven't yet found the perfect shade of turquoise. Everything I've found is either too blue or too green.
- No one I know had any damage in the tornado that went through St Louis last Wednesday. Vicky weathered it under the stairs with her cat, the boyfriend not being home from work yet. Thank goodness she has a house with a basement. She's better protected against storms than we are!
- The cats were clingy on and off all week but seem to have gotten past that, just in time for me to leave Thursday for Memphis. :-) Daddy will be home with them this time, so it shouldn't be too traumatic. He knows how to open cat food cans. (I'm going for another writing retreat. Might be the last time to hang out with writers this year.)
- So far my allergy medicine is working. Only a couple minor headaches so far, and I haven't had to break out the neti pot.
- Started getting my raised beds into shape. The older of the two will need to be replaced next year I think.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Female issues for which I will be having another ultrasound this week. I'm sure Stephen doesn't want more details!
- The weather, while typical for the area this time of year, has been eclectic. Temps ranging from 50 to high 70's. Today is warm but windy. Rattle the windows and chase the cat under the couch windy.
- I had a fender bender in the commissary parking lot. A teenage boy was backing his parents' van out behind me, and I didn't see him until I heard the crunch. Minimal damage--a dent in his quarter panel, and a broken tail light on my van. We're both USAA customers so it was handled quickly. Getting it fixed shouldn't be a big deal.
This Week:
- Get the oil changed in the van, and talk to my mechanic about getting the tail light fixed.
- Pack.
- Go to two judo classes instead of just one, which is all I've managed per week since I started. It's getting less scary, and it is a good workout.
- Drive safely to Memphis and back.
Defenders of the Flag
If you pay attention to politics, it's a depressing time. I entered the military during the Cold War Era -- an era I never thought to see the end of in my lifetime. We defeated Communism. Or, rather, I thought we did. Instead, we seem to have defeated it in the former Soviet Union and associated Block countries only to welcome it in our own. I swore to uphold the Constitution, and our President, half the Congress, and some of the Supreme Court seem determined to do everything in their power to disregard or undermine the Constitution. Twenty-eight years of my life given freely in defense of this nation only to be considered an extremist and a threat in my own country for being a Christian and a veteran.
The Good Stuff:
The Good Stuff:
- We got two trailer loads of trash loaded and taken to the city dump for our annual clean up day (a $160 value). Mattresses, box springs, rusted cabinetry, an upholstered chair, headboards, water damaged end tables and other assorted furniture items all dumped.
- We loaded two washers and a dryer onto the trailer for the second load, and when we got in the dump line for our turn in front of a house, a guy flagged us down and asked if he could have the appliances. We told them to go ahead. That was my preferred disposition for those items all along, so that made my day. (Made me wish we'd decided to load the still working dryer on the trailer as well, but we decided not to. We can always stop by that house and see if they want the dryer when we're done with it in a month or so.)
- I'm feeling fairly good this week, although my lower back started locking up on Thursday night. I'm not sure if it's related to the procedure or if it's coincidental and more related to me not doing my stretching exercises.
- Got the lawn mowed today
- Tracked on Lose It! (actually showed a loss for part of the week), read, rode the bike a couple of times, and did my morning pages
- Sneaky and I sat together for a little while on the porch last night. It's a start. She was a lonesome kitty last night. Still no sign of Peaches or Little Orange.
- A-Z entries are scheduled through M and O and a draft is in the works on the next letters.
- I got a haircut.
- Taxes are filed.
- Mr. L is continuing decluttering. He's doing well.
- I spent no time on Cat Eyes this week
- My mom's in the hospital with breathing troubles
- I'm supposed to take my concealed carry renewal class on Saturday (at least, I paid for it), but I haven't gotten the email from the place with details yet. They said it would arrive a few days before the class, so, in theory, I shouldn't be worried yet, but I am mildly annoyed to only have a PayPal receipt so far.
- I'm doing a lousy job of decluttering
- I think the A-Z Blogging Challenge will be my last blog challenge. It's fun to do, but I don't have time to frantically run by and check other blogs. Some people have been kind enough to stop by mine, but you can tell they are rushed, too.
- This year will be my tenth NaNoWriMo. I regretfully believe it will be my last. It's been a great source of first draft material, but I think it has reached the point where it's counter productive for me. I dash off a first draft during NaNo, then it sits and waits for me to get around to revising it. Revision is where I need to work. I've proven I can do a first draft. Nice. So many people can't. Now, I need to move forward from that and produce something readable. That's where my focus needs to be. Theoretically, I shouldn't do NaNo this year, but I do want to be able to say I did it for ten years straight. Silly as that may be.
- Be it morning pages, NaNo, or other sundry things, I have the tenacity to stick with it, but these things, ultimately, are not productive to achieving the goal of publication. I have other things I should be doing.
- Continue morning pages, tracking, getting exercise (we'll be transitioning to SA for a week, so no riding), and reading.
- Plug away at the yard work. I feel as if I'm behind the power curve on it.
- Complete CHL refresher class.
- Get back to writing/revising. Do SOMETHING.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Very productive weekend.
I'm back! We got in about 7:30 last night, tired and dusty and a little sunburned. Apparently, last week was the darkness before the dawn.
Good Stuff:
- I won't keep you in suspense. The warrior queen set went very well. I didn't vomit or trip, and I got positive remarks later. The band had fun, too! I'm now the Official Bard of Pictus. About half-way through the first story, the terror subsided enough for me to hear the little voice in my head say, "This is FUN!!!!" Eric video taped it. We're in the process of trying to figure out how to post it online. Vicky even came to see it. She's the one who took the pictures I posted on Facebook.
- Immediately after the last story a lady asked me for a business card. I didn't catch all of what she said since the band was playing, but apparently she's interested in having me come tell stories at a pagan picnic in St. Louis. I don't know any details yet. Turns out we have a mutual friend who told her about me and warned her that I'm Christian so I might not be interested. I figure John Wesley went to taverns to preach to the lost, and one pagan picnic won't turn me! If it's a paid gig, even better!
- We had more people come by the clan tent than Jeff and the girls usually get in a season. Hopefully, some of those names will translate into people who come and help and become active in the clan. (Have I mentioned that my bard mentor, Jeff, is also the State Commission for Clan Campbell in Missouri? The girls are his regular helpers (keepers) and have been doing games with him for years.)
- The cats didn't seem to be too traumatized by being left alone all weekend. In the past we had one of our kids' friends come in to feed them and give scritchies, but we're going to be away several weekends this summer and it seemed more cost effective to buy feeder. They're all a little twitchy this morning, but not much more than usual.
- The weather was lovely. A bit windy on Saturday, but it died down before we left the festival for the night. We had a great turn-out, especially given that last year was virtually rained out.
- I did a lot of baking last week, considering I don't bake much these days. I offered to take dessert to a meeting last week, and my scone recipe was so well received that I was told I needed to take some to the festival. I ended up making a total of four batches of scones and six dozen mini cupcakes. I might have a few cupcakes left. I have to say it was a joy to work in a kitchen with ample counter space.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Jeff threw his back out early last week, so he didn't come out until the day the festival started. (He lives in Kansas City.) Consequently, we didn't get as much time to visit with him as we may have had. Not that we didn't visit the entire weekend, so it wasn't that big of a deal. He was pretty miserable by the end of each day, though.
- My dryer was supposed to be fixed (again) today. Not gonna happen. Our repair guy was in a car accident and dislocated his shoulder. I don't know when, but it must have been recent. He talked to Eric, so I got all the info second-hand. What it boils down to for me is that I'll be air-drying laundry again, although the weather is supposed to be nice, so I might move the drying rack outside.
- Allergy season is upon us. 'Nuff said.
Over all, it was a decent week and a great weekend. In a couple days I should stop slipping into the brogue at random times. :-)
Good Stuff:
- I won't keep you in suspense. The warrior queen set went very well. I didn't vomit or trip, and I got positive remarks later. The band had fun, too! I'm now the Official Bard of Pictus. About half-way through the first story, the terror subsided enough for me to hear the little voice in my head say, "This is FUN!!!!" Eric video taped it. We're in the process of trying to figure out how to post it online. Vicky even came to see it. She's the one who took the pictures I posted on Facebook.
- Immediately after the last story a lady asked me for a business card. I didn't catch all of what she said since the band was playing, but apparently she's interested in having me come tell stories at a pagan picnic in St. Louis. I don't know any details yet. Turns out we have a mutual friend who told her about me and warned her that I'm Christian so I might not be interested. I figure John Wesley went to taverns to preach to the lost, and one pagan picnic won't turn me! If it's a paid gig, even better!
- We had more people come by the clan tent than Jeff and the girls usually get in a season. Hopefully, some of those names will translate into people who come and help and become active in the clan. (Have I mentioned that my bard mentor, Jeff, is also the State Commission for Clan Campbell in Missouri? The girls are his regular helpers (keepers) and have been doing games with him for years.)
- The cats didn't seem to be too traumatized by being left alone all weekend. In the past we had one of our kids' friends come in to feed them and give scritchies, but we're going to be away several weekends this summer and it seemed more cost effective to buy feeder. They're all a little twitchy this morning, but not much more than usual.
- The weather was lovely. A bit windy on Saturday, but it died down before we left the festival for the night. We had a great turn-out, especially given that last year was virtually rained out.
- I did a lot of baking last week, considering I don't bake much these days. I offered to take dessert to a meeting last week, and my scone recipe was so well received that I was told I needed to take some to the festival. I ended up making a total of four batches of scones and six dozen mini cupcakes. I might have a few cupcakes left. I have to say it was a joy to work in a kitchen with ample counter space.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Jeff threw his back out early last week, so he didn't come out until the day the festival started. (He lives in Kansas City.) Consequently, we didn't get as much time to visit with him as we may have had. Not that we didn't visit the entire weekend, so it wasn't that big of a deal. He was pretty miserable by the end of each day, though.
- My dryer was supposed to be fixed (again) today. Not gonna happen. Our repair guy was in a car accident and dislocated his shoulder. I don't know when, but it must have been recent. He talked to Eric, so I got all the info second-hand. What it boils down to for me is that I'll be air-drying laundry again, although the weather is supposed to be nice, so I might move the drying rack outside.
- Allergy season is upon us. 'Nuff said.
Over all, it was a decent week and a great weekend. In a couple days I should stop slipping into the brogue at random times. :-)
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Medieval
It's been a busy writing week for me. Besides participating in the Blogging A-Z April Challenge and the National Poetry Writing Month (30 poems in 30 days), I'm also working feverishly on Murder by the Mile and Undying: Poems of Fantasy and Science Fiction. So basically all I've done is write, household chores, upkeep on the various blogs, and try to sleep.
However, I broke routine to attend the Medieval Fair of Norman, Oklahoma, yesterday. Thousands of people attend this annual festival. I've gone several times, but always enjoy it, although I usually I go on Friday, which is less attended. Saturday was people, people, people, and that got me very nervous and freaked. I still had a good time, though, enjoying Scottish music from Brizeus, roasted turkey legs, fresh-squeezed lemonade tart enough to make your eyes waters, tumblers and stilt walkers, Brother Donald the Storyteller, and, of course, looking at all the arts and crafts. A great day.
Next week will be more of this week, without the Medieval Fair, and capped by a writers group meeting Saturday in which I have to give the program.
I hope you have a great week. Oh, in the comments, I'm copying in my seventh poem for NaPoWriMo, inspired by the Medieval Fair and the Scottish music of Brizeus.
Some photos from the Fair:
However, I broke routine to attend the Medieval Fair of Norman, Oklahoma, yesterday. Thousands of people attend this annual festival. I've gone several times, but always enjoy it, although I usually I go on Friday, which is less attended. Saturday was people, people, people, and that got me very nervous and freaked. I still had a good time, though, enjoying Scottish music from Brizeus, roasted turkey legs, fresh-squeezed lemonade tart enough to make your eyes waters, tumblers and stilt walkers, Brother Donald the Storyteller, and, of course, looking at all the arts and crafts. A great day.
Next week will be more of this week, without the Medieval Fair, and capped by a writers group meeting Saturday in which I have to give the program.
I hope you have a great week. Oh, in the comments, I'm copying in my seventh poem for NaPoWriMo, inspired by the Medieval Fair and the Scottish music of Brizeus.
Some photos from the Fair:
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| My friends Matt, his mom Marie, and me. |
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| Chain mail. Incredibly heavy and no use against English archers. |
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| Various decorative items from the Vikings |
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| Wooden shields to be bought and painted. I nearly did, but I have too much to do as it is! |
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| Pendants of copper, bronze, silver, gold, and tin |
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| Brizeus |
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| All sorts of kilts and shirts. I bought a kilt shirt, but no kilt. |
Take It Easy
That's been my theme this week. Thank you for your good thoughts, prayers, and well wishes this week. My discharge instructions weren't specifically for my procedure, but they were close enough. No lifting heavier than 5-10 pounds (the laundry basket was 15 this morning -- oops), do not drive for two weeks (What! The nurse who called the next day said that probably didn't really apply to me as long as I wasn't still taking the hydrocodone), and no vacuuming or lawn mowing (as I discovered this morning, that means riding mowers too -- I was exhausted and had to take a break part way through the job -- really!). Rest when you are tired. Got that down. I slept a lot this week. The worst part the first couple of days was my throat, neck, and jaw (they shoved an anesthesia tube down my throat and tilted my head back at what must have been an unnatural angle). I did take the hydrocodone for a couple of days, though, because it definitely helped. I've been down to Tylenol for the last couple of days (I needed to drive), and the pain's pretty manageable (but why does my left knee hurt when it never hurt before -- what did they DO with me once they knocked me out? -- don't answer that; I don't think I want to know).
The Good Stuff:
The Good Stuff:
- I'm still here, and with the post-surgical results I've been reading about lately, that's not a guarantee
- I think Lady is recovering from her mites (or whatever it was) pretty well. I re-treated her this morning, and I did a precautionary treatment on top of Ajax's head yesterday in a spot that looked suspicious. I'm watching all the cats for signs of irritation. Lady goes back for her followup exam tomorrow. Mr. L thinks she's worse, but she has no scabby areas, and the skin looks healthy. She needs to regrow some fur around her ears.
- Even Rossie got her Revolution treatment this month. I was dosing all the cats, and Mr. L managed to catch her, so I applied her dosage as well. She handled it pretty well. Last night, I offered Rossie cheese, but she preferred to be scratched behind the ears instead. I swear, she's like a socially inept kid who thinks she doesn't fit in but really does. When she figures it out, I probably won't be able to get her away from me.
- I managed a slow bike ride this week, tracked on Lose It!, did my reading, and morning pages.
- I did a very little work on Cat Eyes this week. It feels flat to me.
- The yard sale went okay. We definitely needed to advertise (but I didn't want to in case I didn't feel up to doing it. In hindsight, I'd have advertised and dealt with the consequences). Some stuff is no longer a hassle for us to deal with, and I think it will do the people who got it some good.
- I haven't seen Peaches since before I went to San Antonio last month. I haven't seen Little Orange since January. There's a new Tarzan-look-alike cat across the street. Has there been a territorial shake-up? Was Sneaky so friendly last week because she was lonely? Was it because she was in heat or about to give birth (my bet is on the latter). I haven't seen Sneaky all week. My suspicions are that we have a new mama who cannot leave babies for very long and doesn't want to reveal her hiding place. Food is disappearing overnight, so I'm hopeful she's sneaking away to get some when she can. I don't want to get too nosy, because if she is under the house and I disturb her, she'll feel a need to move the kittens, and that would be less desirable. (On the bright side, we don't have a lot of neighborhood mooch cats eating the food from the feeder.)
- I've decided that M&Ms do not agree with me. When I eat them, I feel sick. In a way, this is a good thing. I need to move them to the category of donuts (don't care about them, but when I eat them, I eat too many, so I just avoid them) and wine (a sure-fire way to induce a hot flash, so I've mostly cut it out).
- Time is flying by. So much to do. So little time. Arghhh. It's an intellectual sense of foreboding, but I'm noticing it more lately. Need to deal with it somehow.
- I feel like I'm going to have to deal with a psoriasis break out again. Groan.
- The standard, read, write, track, and exercise.
- Our community's annual clean up day is Saturday the 13th. We can haul all kinds of stuff to the dump for free. Last year, we took half the mattresses from the shop, and they just scooped them off the trailer. This year, we want to take the other half and some busted up furniture, also from the shop. We have to figure out how to do it without me lifting more than ten pounds at a time.
- I need a haircut.
- Try to build some stamina to get some things done, but I'll continue to rest as needed.
And so it begins...
Since it's right at midnight and I am very tired, I'll try not to be too long winded tonight.
Things... she is wackydoodle busy. That's sort of like Yankeedoodle Dandy, but without the cool hat.
SPORE is done, still waiting to get final notes from a couple of pre-readers. I am strangely happy about it, it's like I've passed through the terrified and landed softly on the other side. This, tho, may change at any moment, but for now I'm enjoying it.
I have a omelette breakfast to attend in the morning (Sunday) as part of a fundraiser for our local fire department. I have a city council meeting Monday, a quilt guild meeting Tuesday, the book to turn in (hopefully) by Friday, and a quilt show to attend with a friend on Saturday. A week after that, on Sunday, I have a pancake breakfast to benefit the local Lions Club, then, that following Monday, a Lions Club meeting. Apparently they're very, very short on members (currently just 5) and can't continue to do events for the kids like Easter Egg Hunts, Halloween Parties, Christmas Parties, etc, nor maintain the veterans memorial or the park or do library fundraisers, etc, unless they get more people. They will just close up and stop. Like all of the other nearby communities have done.
I REALLY LIKE having things like this in our teensy community. Like it GOBS.
GAH!! Like I don't have enough going on already!!
GAH!!
I was up this week by 1.6 lbs, not too unexpected since I was on the road a lot (trips to Des Moines, etc) plus book stress, plus hormones, plus just life. But I'm back to tracking and exercising and being good so it ought to come off this week. Want to be 50 lbs down by my birthday and I'll need to lose about 8lbs a month to get there. Which is doable, but tough, so we'll see. I've exercised every day since the middle of last week. I can do it, especially if I can stop injuring myself over-doing the exercise. ;)
I sewed. A little. Sort of. On Friday. See, I'd already made 49 blocks for a huge quilt and I sewed most of them together in pairs. Pretty exciting, eh? At least it's something.
I have lost a sweater I really like. No idea where or how, but I cannot find it, anywhere. Poof! It's been vaporized. My house is not that big, nor are there many places for a teal green pullover sweater to hide, but I can't find it. I've totally emptied my dresser, gone through every hanger in the closet, every piece of luggage, Bill's dresser, little miss's room, Laura's room, every everything.
Poof.
Maybe I'm just losing my mind. ;)
This next week, I mostly just want to keep my mental eggs in their basket as I send SPORE off to The Agent and get through all of the 'events' already on my schedule.
Oh, and sleep. I'll try to do some of that too. Starting right now. ;)
Have a happy weekend!! {{hugs}}
Things... she is wackydoodle busy. That's sort of like Yankeedoodle Dandy, but without the cool hat.
SPORE is done, still waiting to get final notes from a couple of pre-readers. I am strangely happy about it, it's like I've passed through the terrified and landed softly on the other side. This, tho, may change at any moment, but for now I'm enjoying it.
I have a omelette breakfast to attend in the morning (Sunday) as part of a fundraiser for our local fire department. I have a city council meeting Monday, a quilt guild meeting Tuesday, the book to turn in (hopefully) by Friday, and a quilt show to attend with a friend on Saturday. A week after that, on Sunday, I have a pancake breakfast to benefit the local Lions Club, then, that following Monday, a Lions Club meeting. Apparently they're very, very short on members (currently just 5) and can't continue to do events for the kids like Easter Egg Hunts, Halloween Parties, Christmas Parties, etc, nor maintain the veterans memorial or the park or do library fundraisers, etc, unless they get more people. They will just close up and stop. Like all of the other nearby communities have done.
I REALLY LIKE having things like this in our teensy community. Like it GOBS.
GAH!! Like I don't have enough going on already!!
GAH!!
I was up this week by 1.6 lbs, not too unexpected since I was on the road a lot (trips to Des Moines, etc) plus book stress, plus hormones, plus just life. But I'm back to tracking and exercising and being good so it ought to come off this week. Want to be 50 lbs down by my birthday and I'll need to lose about 8lbs a month to get there. Which is doable, but tough, so we'll see. I've exercised every day since the middle of last week. I can do it, especially if I can stop injuring myself over-doing the exercise. ;)
I sewed. A little. Sort of. On Friday. See, I'd already made 49 blocks for a huge quilt and I sewed most of them together in pairs. Pretty exciting, eh? At least it's something.
I have lost a sweater I really like. No idea where or how, but I cannot find it, anywhere. Poof! It's been vaporized. My house is not that big, nor are there many places for a teal green pullover sweater to hide, but I can't find it. I've totally emptied my dresser, gone through every hanger in the closet, every piece of luggage, Bill's dresser, little miss's room, Laura's room, every everything.
Poof.
Maybe I'm just losing my mind. ;)
This next week, I mostly just want to keep my mental eggs in their basket as I send SPORE off to The Agent and get through all of the 'events' already on my schedule.
Oh, and sleep. I'll try to do some of that too. Starting right now. ;)
Have a happy weekend!! {{hugs}}