Happy New Year!

Today I went and walked at the gym for the first time in about nine months. I didn't see anyone I knew besides my insurance agent. The gym was mostly empty, although there were a lot of cars in the parking lot. But I didn't go into the basketball court or the swimming pool area, so maybe they were there.

I did okay. I've lost a lot of stamina, but I did walk a mile. I will be back there tomorrow. It's all part of my personal New Year resolutions. (It's my personal New Year because my birthday was yesterday.) Here are my resolutions for my personal new year.

1. Walk at the gym at least 200 times this year. Which, since I walked today, means I only have to walk 199 times more.
2. Take a photo each day.
3. Write 500 words each day.
4. Eat a salad and green veggie a day.

That's it. There are in addition to my regular chores and routines, but it doesn't sound like much. I mean, it sounds like I can do these things. So I'm going to try.

Here's my first photo. It's of an OSU sock monkey that a friend gave me for my birthday.

And here's the second photo. It's me at the end of this very long day.

Yes, I look tired. That's because I am. And I still have a couple hundred words to write before I can call it a night. That’s okay. I find writing – especially when I have no particular goal – to be relaxing. It’s like wandering around outside or browsing the shelves at the library. Just looking about and seeing what catches my interest. Sometimes a poem, sometimes a scene for book, whatever is interesting.

Too many times, I have forced myself to write. I have a deadline. Or I have a project. I need to make money. So I write because I must rather than because I want to. Writing needs to be fun for me. I don’t mind hard working fun or serious fun, but fun nonetheless. I’ve been thinking of writing as a chore, and it’s supposed to be enjoyable. So that’s what I’m working on with these writing rambles. Rediscovering my joy of the written word. Learning how to soar again instead of trudging on the ground. You can get a lot of places by trudging – and no writing life will ever only be soaring – but the miles can be hard on your spirit. They wear you down. Eat away at your soul and your hope.

You would think that particular epiphany would be counter to my resolution of writing 500 words a day, but since it’s writing for me to enjoy – writing for the sake of writing as opposed to any other reason – it’s actually a commitment to joy. Besides, I’ve trudged too long to completely give it up.

So those are my Personal New Year Resolutions. I’ll share my progress with you as the year goes. I hope I keep them. Your support and encouragement will be appreciated.

Ashes & new fires

I'm walking away.

Leaving the black dogs behind in the blackened ashes of old schemes and failed ambitions.

Walking toward Jericho.

No, I'm not sure exactly what that means. Maybe nothing in the grand sweep of time. But maybe something more. Yeah, that's the mood I'm in.

It's not a bad mood. Not a dark mood. More of a reflective one.

My New Year starts Tuesday. My birthday. Another year of life. More failures. More adventures. More successes. More life.

What more could I ask from this world?

What more could I want?

I feel the breath of a changing wind. I feel the ghost of wings on my shoulders. I feel my world open up.

But what does that mean in practical terms?

Well, it means this: Creations 2013: 40 Ways to Look at Love has launched. And that anthology is my creation in many ways. I'm proud of how it looks. I'm proud of my short stories -- two of which are romances! And I'm proud of my poems. I've started to make a little money from it as I've sold the copies I purchased. Not much money, but that little bit of income seemed to open me up a bit. Suddenly it seemed like I could make money from writing. I could complete a project and have people enjoy it. I made my first sale, and I held that little bit of money, and I felt something ... loosen in me. Weird, eh?

And it means Murder by the Mile will be finished this year. Probably by the end of September. I had hoped I would have it done by my birthday, but that's not going to happen. But finally ... finally I believe ... I know I can finish the book. And I can finish it this year.

Undying: Poems of Fantasy and Science Fiction might even be finished this year. Poems have started to present themselves to me at odd times. I had a great time working with Wendy on "Highlands" and might even have convinced her that poetry can be fun. Or at least presented that possibility to her.

This week, I will work on:
- Murder by the Mile.
- Undying.
- Household chores.
- Publicity for Creations 2013.
- And so on.

Oh, yeah, there's a birthday in there, too. Happy New Year!

gearing back up

The 'boring,' such as it was, ends tomorrow. Not much of note has been going on this week.

Good Stuff:
- The lovely weather has continued. It's made running so much easier.
- I'm getting stuff ready to head north. I talked to my mom yesterday, and she does not have every day planned. Only half of them. ;-) That's my mom.
- I'm going to stop on the way to see my grandma. She'll be 97 next month and her biggest complaint is arthritis. She's on her third pacemaker. Just goes to show German stubbornness goes a long way!
- Vicky's car is fixed. There were a few other fiddly bits that needed to be fixed--safety issues like bare wiring and a broken motor mount. It was expensive, but not as expensive as a new car. Or even a used car. She should be able to get several more years out of it with the new engine.
- We were out and about yesterday and went a little crazy. We bought a toaster oven. I know--somebody stop me. The best part was the marked price we $54.99. When we got to the check-out, it was $29.99. I'm thinking about going back to get them for the kids for Christmas.
- Got my hair cut. It's off my neck again, so I'm ready for the return of hot weather.
- Two of my friends became grandparents this week. One lives in Colorado, though, so I'm pretty sure it's not something in the water. At least I hope it's not.
- The second story telling went well, although I got yelled at by someone in another room because I was too loud. I laughed and took it down a notch. I have lived with hecklers most of my life. They don't faze me.
- We saw Red 2 the other day. It was pretty good, although it struck me a little as an homage to Quentin Tarentino. Overkill on the firepower, but it was entertaining. If you wait for it on Netflix you won't miss much.

Not So Good Stuff:
- I'm so scattered right now. It's like I just realized I'm leaving in 2 days, and all the things I have to do to get ready are cascading on me.
- I ordered some new running shoes from Zulily, and they aren't due to get here until 8/7. I didn't realize that the reason they offer things at a discount is because they take orders, and then buy in bulk, and after it gets to them, they ship to the customers. So, yeah, the price was great, but I would have liked to have taken them with me. First world problem.
- Even with the realization that I have to write scenes that aren't going to be in the book, word count was low. I'm hoping to figure out the rest of my middle this week. I'll take the iPad and some notecards with me, just in case I have a quiet hour on the deck. It could happen. Just have to put Mom down for a nap. :-)
- My Uncle Carl--the one with non-Hodgkins lymphoma--had some problems with his blood work last week. I don't know all the particulars, but it appears that he has cancer cells in at least some of his lymph nodes. He's having a biopsy Tuesday. Prayers for him and his twin brother, Carel (my step-dad), are appreciated.

This Week:
- Pack, drive, visit.
- Be nice to my brother.
- Get some exercise, even if it's weeding Mom's flower beds.

Have a good week, y'all. I'll be late next week.

Back to the Island

Yep.  We're back on our little island in Texas.  Land-locked, of course.

The Good Stuff:

• I got all the properties mowed this week.  I still have weed whacking and shrub trimming at the Central Texas house to do.  Everything else is done.  Whew!
•  Stephen and Holly both released anthologies this week, and I'm pleased to have been able to purchase both of them.
• We survived and enjoyed the Grant Tour 2013.  It went pretty well.  Mr L was the model husband at my class reunion.
• Easy slow cooker recipe:  Package of country pork ribs and your favorite BBQ sauce.  Mix well, cook on high for six hours.  Tender and tasty.  I roasted a couple of ears of corn to serve with it, but you can do whatever works for you.  Leftovers nuke up nicely.
• I pulled PBOTL out of the drawer before we left on vacation to make sure it was front and center when we got back.  I also committed to finishing Lesson 13 of HTRYN by August 31.  I began working on it last night.
• I was worried about Sneaky while we were gone.  While there was no sign of her in the afternoon when I got back to town, by 9 that night, she was at the parlor window begging for attention.  Mr L had suggested I turn the side porch light on for her.  I did.  No idea if it made a difference, but we're going to choose to believe it did.
• All the other kitties survived two weeks at the vet.  Natasha danced in excitement in her cage when I walked in the door (boarding cages are in a vestibule in the front of the clinic, so everyone gets to see the kitties when they come in).  Ajax began pacing in his cage.  Everyone else looked at me like I'd subjected them to the most horrible experience possible.  Natasha, Lady, and Tarzan have been at my side since I got home.  Everyone else has resumed normal activities.

The Not So Good Stuff:

• We got rain in Texas while we were gone, and a tenth of an inch last night here in Central Texas.  We need more.  San Antonio is planning to go to Stage 3 watering restrictions for the first time ever.  If San Antonio goes, Alamo Heights (where we really live in SA) will be right behind them.  Generally speaking, if we can get through July, the grass will do well the rest of the year, and I think we'll be okay, but the larger issue of water in South and Central Texas is a growing one.
• Mr L was greeted by a jury summons in the hold mail after we got home.  He was not thrilled.

The Week Ahead:

• Work steadily and regularly on PBOTL
• Finish catching up the yard work
• Make sure I get exercise and stretching (left ankle and right glute are giving me trouble)
• Stephen, I hope you have a wonderful birthday.
• Prepare to head to SA for a couple of weeks next weekend.

TIme keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping...

Somehow the weekend  got past me, although I did think about y'all yesterday. That counts, right?

Good stuff:
- The story telling went well. I wasn't out of the building before at least 1 resident asked the staff to have me back, so I'm scheduled to go again next month. I have another session in another facility this week. The only thing I would have changed last week was a cooler costume option. The AC wasn't very effective.
- I found tomato plants at Home Depot. They're not the heirlooms I wanted, and they were getting to the point of needing to be re-potted. One in particular was pretty puny and I'm hoping it will make a comeback.
- Between running and walking, I did about 10 miles last week. The shocking part is that I'm not sore. My knees twinge a bit on the stairs, but that's about it. I guess that means I have to push more.
- Because the humidity has been driving up the temperatures, even early in the morning, I decided to try running on the treadmill at the Y this morning. I think it went all right, and I did like that it figured out all my stats for me so I could log it easily. I still got super sweaty, but I cooled down a lot faster.
- For various reasons, I found myself out and about a few afternoons this week during my low ebb time. As a result, I spent less time in front of the TV snacking.
- Between the reduced snacking and increased exercise, I dropped a couple pounds. Funny how success breeds motivation.
- My fencing teacher has gone back to doing drills with me instead of the free-for-all bouts we've been doing. In these drills, I'm either attacking or defending, so I can see openings better. The best part is I'm not so bruised!
- July birthday shopping is done, and I did a little Christmas shopping while I was at it. Honestly, I think I could have done almost all of Vicky's Christmas shopping on ThinkGeek.com.

Not So Good Stuff:
- We managed most of last week with one car, but this morning 5:45 came awfully early. Driving in with Eric at 6:15, I was praying for an engine. Not sure I've done that before. I don't remember thinking, "This sucks," so many times in an hour before. Hopefully we'll get Vicky's car back in a few days.
- I got more words in last week, and I thought I might make my weekly goal, but then I ran out of plot. Drat! I've backed away a bit and started reading James Scott Bell's "Conflict And Suspense." Hopefully it will help me to increase the drama level so I can sail past the muddle in the middle. Resisting skipping this and moving on to the end, which is what I've done several times in the past and have ended up with pieces of stories.
- My 'boring' time is drawing to another temporary close. I leave next Tuesday to visit my folks in MI. I'm sure Mom will have the week jam-packed.
- I signed up for a session with the personal trainer at the Y last week and he hasn't called me yet to set it up. The gym area was closed two days last week so they could install new equipment, so maybe he's just behind, but I've had communication issues with him before. I followed up this morning and the people I talked to thought that sounded unusual. I told them I'm giving him until Friday to set it up or I'm asking for my money back. It's not like I need a lot of his time. I just need him to set up a game plan for me combining the cardio and weight training. I think I could figure out how to use the machines on my own if he would just tell me which machines, how much weight and number of reps.
- I learned that one of the gals in the praise band has serious mental issues. I thought she was just high strung and tense (like Chihuahua in a past life), but it turns out she has a genuine mental disorder and doesn't think she needs medication. She's been increasing inappropriate with staff members to the point that she's been told via certified mail to stay away from one of the pastors, and she thinks she's being persecuted. She's left the church and I want to tell her I'm praying for her, but I'm afraid she'll imprint on me. That would be really bad. I'm such a mother hen and it's gotten me into trouble, so I know as much as I want to, I can't have contact with her. It's just sad.

This Week:
- Increase my run time and push a little harder.
- Get words in, for heaven's sake!
- Read. I'm going to have to work up stories for next month.
- Get my hair cut. It's too hot to have hair on my neck, and it's not long enough to put up yet.

Have a good week, guys!

Oh dear

Oh dear, it's time for another post where where I list my accomplishments last week ... I don't even hear crickets ... I do hear mosquitoes, though. My area is clouded with those bloodsuckers. I went out to sweep my front porch and made the mistake of wearing shorts. I killed six on my legs in just a couple of minutes. Went back inside and put on protective gear. Sweep front porch.

Cleaned house yesterday, too. Killed a depressing number of spiders. Probably not dangerous, but I don't like them. I know people who will capture them and set them free outside. I squash them. This is probably bad karma.

My roomie's oldest grandson spent Saturday night and most of today with us. He's a lot of fun. And so smart. I played Jeopardy with him on the Wii. He did great. I was amazed how he could figure the answers out. Smart boy. Loves to read. Is reading the Percy Jackson books now.

The anthology for the writing group has been published and shipped. It should go on sale this week, probably Thursday. The cover turned out nice. I'm pleased with it.

This week:
- Continue to work on Murder by the Mile.
- Chores.
- Haircut.
- Doctor visit, which I dread.
- Start walking program again. Going to have to pay for a gym membership. Something about the gym kept me exercising.
- Plan writing group meeting for this coming Saturday.
- Filing.

And that will be my week. Hope you have a great one.

Roll On Down the Highway

Or, in our case, the railway.  This will catch up last week and this week, in case I don't get logged in on Saturday or Sunday.

The Good Stuff:

• Had a good reunion. Out of a class of 230 (with about 200 of us still around), we had thirty attendees with a few spouses.  Apparently, we didn't have the "usual" group (obviously, since I attended!), and there were several people who, like me, either hadn't attended before or hadn't attended for a long time.
• Was able to touch base with a few friends in the Washington, DC, area.  
• We planned this trip well (see below).

The Not So Good Stuff:

• If it could be delayed on this trip, it was.  In fact, this trip has been a comedy of delays, from the three hour delay out of San Antonio while we waited for the other half of the train to arrive from LA (among other things, they were delayed by a freight train being hit by a vehicle), to the re-route around a straight-line wind freight train derailment in western Ohio that took us all over Ohio before finally getting us into Pittsburgh eight hours late.  We left Pittsburgh about half an hour late but arrived in DC on time only to not have our class of car available, but we got two levels upgraded for only $10 more a day (and got the vehicle we really wanted in the first place, which we couldn't have gotten if we'd tried).  We'll see how the rest of the trip goes, but it's been amusing so far.  We planned for things like this to happen when we built the trip, so everything really worked out to our advantage, but other people weren't so happy.
• We were unsuccessful in finding a laundromat in Falls Church, VA, (the hotel didn't have guest laundry facilities), so we washed out a few things to see us through to the end of the trip last night.  When it was still damp this morning, I was using the iron to get everything as dry as I could before we checked out of the hotel this morning. Mr L, in attempt to dry one of my new bras over a lamp this morning, apologized and showed me the hole that burned into it.  I had to laugh.  The lengths some people will go to to obtain that "Peek-a-boo" look.  Really.
• I had a lot of trouble with the extended walking this week (my pedometer said we walked 7.5 and 8 miles respectively, so I don't feel quite so bad).  I pulled out a folding cane for yesterday, and that helped a little.  I also remembered to take some Aleve yesterday to augment the Tylenol.
  

The Week Ahead:

• Enjoy the rest of the trip (New Orleans)
• Mow the lawn in SA on Tuesday
• Head back to Central TX on Wednesday to pick up the kids from boarding (I hope the place is still standing)
• Mow the lawns in Central TX
• Begin, in earnest, decluttering in the house
• Begin teardown on my recumbent bike to determine what parts I need to repair it (Mr L may ask me to wait for him to get back before I do that, so it could be delayed)
• Establish a walking and riding program to increase my stamina in preparation for our October trip.

Trying not to be a mess

Hey.

I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel the weepies nibbling at my edges and there's no good reason for it. We're all fine.  Laura found a part time job - she starts Tuesday! - and interviewed for a couple more jobs, plus she's dropping off an ap for a full time one tomorrow morning. That's all excellent. Bill's been getting a *little* overtime, just enough to pad the check a smidge, not enough to wear him out. Little Miss is getting over a misc fever/infection thing that's going around the kidlets, but other than mostly sleeping and whining for a couple of days, she's back to her normal energetic and chatty self. Pets are all fine. Got plenty of groceries. I lost 3.2 lbs last week (that's a 43.2 lb loss so far, only 6.8 until I get my 50b charm!) And even the querying stuff is going all right.

Maybe it's because I'm not sleeping? I dunno. I'm in bed 5-8 hours a night, but I feel like I spend most of it tossing and turning. I'm eating okay (been REALLY HONGRY!!! though) and walking 2 miles or more a day. I just don't know. But, maaan, I really want to CRY!

And, yes, I am taking my Vitamin D. I never, ever miss my Vit D.

Tidied up my sewing space this evening and sorted out some fabric to start a table runner for my friend Trina, but my heart isn't in it. I read what I have for the next Dubric novel (about 25k) and found it 'meh' at best. I know what happens next in both main storylines, but really don't give enough of a crap to write it out. I had another request for a full for SPORE, and a request for a partial for Morgan, plus five very, very nice declinations. So nice I want to send thank you notes. But that's not appropriate, I guess. I have about 4 loads of laundry to fold and put away, but I have zippo ambition to do it. Probably ought to clean the kitchen, especially the under side of the microwave, it's kinda greasy/sticky, but again, zippo ambition.

My doc put me on progestin to help control some of the PITA preimenopause symptoms I'd been having, and I'm not as itchy (definite YAY for that!), but it's the only thing I can think of that'd impact my mood so strongly. I can't think/focus, can't sleep, and all I want to do is either sit and do mindless stuff (like play stupid FB games that I don't even like) or eat or cry. And I'm trying not to eat or cry. So I sit and waste time and energy on mindless crap.

Gah!

I take the last pill in this month's series tonight (might just go ahead and skip the dang thing) and I'll see her again in 2 weeks. Maybe things need adjusted? Maybe I should just deal with the OMG ITCHINESS and insomnia (itchiness better, insomnia NOT, and my libido has taken a definite dive - sorry, Stephen, that was surely TMI, but GAH!!!). If my problem isn't the hormone pills I don't know what I'm gonna do. Maybe it's my age. Maybe I'm not getting enough protein. Maybe it's just the world's cracking apart with hatred and crushing the weak and helpless while greed and power run amok without end and I can't stop worrying about it. I dunno.

I can't go on like this, though. And it's not a black dog, I've had the black dog, this is not the same at all. I'm not pulling anything IN, not running endless tapes of self loathing through my head, not blaming myself for anything, nothing like that. This is just endless, quivering SORROW. And it really sucks.

I hope you all have a good, safe, happy week.  {{hugs}}

So quiet...

The Boys have gone home. Alex went back to college today. Let the boring begin! I have about 2 weeks before I head to MI for a few days with the parents. I did see on Facebook this week that Southwest Airlines is starting non-stop service from St. Louis to Grand Rapids, MI in August. That's on the west side, and my parents are on the east, but the fares are cheap and I could rent a car, go see Grandma (on the west side, less than an hour south of Grand Rapids) and head east. Pretty excited about that prospect and it will be a great option if I have to get up there in a hurry.

Good Stuff:
- Obviously, the best part was that the Boys were here. We saw quite a bit of Vicky, too, considering she was back to work and school last week.
- We went to see Despicable Me 2, which I thought was very cute. No one else was too impressed. The plot left a lot to be desired but it was funny.
- The Egyptian exhibit at the Science Center left a lot to be desired, too, but it was geared more for kids. It would have been great when we first got here and were homeschooling. The movie that went with it was better.
- I got Danny and Greg in the back yard with the practice swords. That was entertaining! They were scared to hit me. I actually had to give them permission and promise to hit them back. Danny went with me to fencing class yesterday and got one on one instruction. He went in November, too, and learned the basic attacks and defenses. He's been shadow fencing for six months. The problem with practicing alone is that you don't get hit in your weak spots, so you practice them, too. He has a better idea now of what to work on, and I encouraged him to look around for a combat fencing group in his area. With instruction and regular practice, he could kick butt and take names.
- I got a call from a lady I met when I went to talk to the nursing homes about story telling. She's moved to a different facility and called to ask if I would come there, too. They have a breakfast one Saturday a month, and the soonest we could agree on is November, but I'm good with that. The exciting part is that she called me!

Not So Good Stuff:
- I gained another 5 lbs. That puts me within 6 lbs of my delivery weight with Alex. It's time to get serious again about logging food and stepping up the exercise. The Couch To 5K app has been downloaded to my phone, and Greg and I are going to run a 5K when he comes back for Thanksgiving. I need to lose 10 lbs, but I'm shooting for 20. I have jiggly bits that have never jiggled before and I don't like that!
- The only writing I've gotten done in the last 2 weeks was to flesh out a plot bunny. In true form, I got my ideas down and started research. After a little preliminary reading that allowed me to tweak the idea a little, I started looking on Amazon for resource material before I remembered that I have a book to finish first. :-P
- I have my first nursing home story telling this week and haven't started practicing. I do have an idea of what stories I want to tell, but some of them I've never told before.

This Week:
- Watch calories and exercise.
- Rehearse for story telling.
- Write. Need book words. My dreams are getting more bizarre by the night.
- Laundry, dishes, etc.

Last but not ... well, mostly just last

How are you? Good, I hope. I hope this coming week is good. Mostly I worked on MBTM and did chores last week. That's what's coming this week. Writing group meeting on Saturday. Finishing the anthology. That's about it.

Thought I would share a post from 51313 Harbor Street. Don't know if you read it. But this post ... it's still how I feel right now.

Bitter

Sometimes I get bitter. Angry at myself. For my past decisions. For all things I did and have yet to do. The blind mistakes that hurt people. The loves I lost for not loving enough or loving too much. The financial mistakes that I compounded by making more.

After a while, you begin to doubt yourself. You become afraid of doing anything because you can't see beyond your actions; the unintended consequences branch out of control.

It's an illusion, you know. Control isn't possible. We have such power, but not the wisdom or the foresight to use it safely.

Eventually you end up motionless. Paralysed by the unknown. You can plan. You can scheme. You can hope. But ultimately you cannot know what comes next. Only the fools rush in. Or those blinded by their desires. And you no longer have the comfort of blindness.

That old saying. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." It carries more wisdom than we want to acknowledge.

So we sit, powerless. Perhaps complaining. Perhaps in ignorance. Perhaps in sorrow, but we sit. Trying to see our way clear of the morass of bitter knowledge.

Don't you ever wish you didn't know what you do now? Do you ever long for those blissful days where you strode through your life as if you owned it? When failure seemed so unlikely that it never ended into your mind? When it seemed like the sun would forever shine on your innocent heart?

I do. God, how I do.

On the Road Again!

Yes, we're heading out.  Hitting the rails.  But, first, the week in review:

The Good Stuff:

• Yard work is done.
• The vet had our reservations.
• Bills are paid (and I found a little extra to tack on to my annual donation to my favorite charity)
• Mr. L is so fun to watch while he prepares for our train trip.  He's nearly giddy with excitement.  For two weeks, he's been saying, "This time, X, we'll be X."  He has everything packed and repacked and inventoried. It's the only time he allows himself to relax, because he literally cannot do anything else but ride the train.  No matter what other work he "should" be doing, he can't do it, because he's on the train, so his brain lets him relax.
• Sneaky's food feeder is loaded, the batteries still appear to be in good shape (they're supposed to last a little over a year), and she has fresh water in her water tower.  She should be set for the duration.  Mooch has been hanging around.  I followed him when he leaves, and he appears to go in the direction of the house my mailman indicated he may have belonged to (but that man moved to Temple to an extended care facility a couple of months ago).  I'm not certain is the new residents of the house do anything for him or not.  He cuts through a driveway on my street to appear to go one street over.  I not about to walk through someone's yard to follow a cat, so I'll have to keep an eye in that direction.  If the opportunity presents itself, I'll ask.  While on a short walk last night, I noticed several kitties in yards and on porches.
• Did a little more filing this week.

The Not So Good Stuff:

• I'm still at a loss for what to write while on the train, so maybe it's brainstorming time?
• Since Mr. L left for San Antonio, Ruby has been out and about quite a bit.  I'm beginning to think she doesn't care for Mr. L.  Of course, Rossie avoids me at all costs, and she will only talk to Mr. L. So, I guess we have parity.  Floyd runs from Mr. L about half the time.  Delta seems to like us both.
• My Air only has 15G of free space on it (64G SSD -- I was afraid this would happen).  I may not be able to get it to last until 2015.

The Week Ahead:

• Capture all the cats in the morning and get them dropped off at the vet for their boarding.
• Try to get a little walking in on extended stops on the train.
• Survive my class reunion.  I haven't been to one in twenty-five years (I went to the tenth), but a lot of us have gotten back in touch via Facebook (we have a private page for our class) .  People I barely knew have turned out to be interesting.  One even lives in Universal City (a suburb of San Antonio), and we're going to see each other for the first time in forever at the reunion.  Maybe he and Mr L will find something in common?  Who knows.  I'm sure all will go well.  I get nervous before any outing with people, no matter how much I like them.  (Even you guys, to a certain extent.)
• Enjoy time with Mr. L, riding on the train, and exploring the town I went to high school in.

back from WI

Just popping in for a sec since I have a house full of company and I have to get downstairs shortly to get my part of dinner going. We spent the weekend at the Bristol Renaissance Fairre in Wisconsin. A good time was had by all and we didn't spend as much money as we thought we might. Vicky went with us, sans the boyfriend, so she got good bonding time with the Boys (aka The Uncles), including getting tossed around in the swimming pool last night. I found a bard cup and a stout walking stick. Now all I need is rehearsal time and I'll be ready to tell stories in the nursing homes.

The only fly in the ointment is that I bought a leather vest for Eric yesterday, and USAA thought it was fraud since the company is based in PA. I appreciate their diligence and I can't get mad about it, but it's taken two tries to get my card unblocked. I've had similar things happen before and it has been fraud so it's worth the trouble. At least I don't have to contact all the people who debit my card on a regular basis to change the number. Again.

That's about it from here. I'll get pictures from the ren fairre up on my blog tomorrow. I'm pretty brain fried right now. Looking forward to a good meal and my bed. Have a great week!

I can't possibly be first

Hey everyone.

I'm fine, we're all fine, I hope you're fine too. And that you all enjoyed the Independence holiday.

I've been trying - and mostly failing - to stay offline because so much of the oppressive political power grabbing garbage gets me all upset lately. Oh well, in time this shall pass, or I'll learn to ignore it.

I'm still trying to get an agent for SPORE and maybe Morgan (sent 18 queries this past week) but no nibbles yet. Since I need to work on something, I dragged Dubric out of the trunk today so I can poke his old carcass with a stick.

We're all in the lingering stages of respiratory viruses but improving every day.

Been trying to simplify things, get rid of stuff, and generally clear out the crap, but I'm not doing very well at it.

I'm already tired of this heat. Gah.

I hope you all have a lovely week! {{hugs}}

A Subplot Too Far

I felt much better about Murder by the Mile after I decided that there would be at least one more book. I was trying to wrap all the subplots mentioned and developed in the first two books, and the goal was making the third book clumsy and lumpy. I was trying to shoehorn everything in, and it just didn't work.

Sounds weird, but by removing about 10,000 words and several scenes, I'm back on schedule. Yeah, I know. I wouldn't thought it, either.

This isn't a promise to write the fourth book, but it is an realization that I don't have to wrap everything up. Life doesn't.

Otherwise, not much else to tell you.
- The new anthology from the writing group is on track. It should publish in the middle or end of July. If you'd like a copy, you can get a signed one from me for $12 plus $3 for shipping. Let me know.
- MBTM should go to the proofers on August 1st. I'm aiming for an official publication date of September 1st, but it should be out sooner than that if all goes well.
- Undying: Poems of Fantasy and Science Fiction should go the proofers on September. It's "official" publication date is October 1st, just in time for Halloween. These poems quite dark and unnerving. Or at least my first readers have found them so, and that was my intention.
- Got a lot of chores done. Been using my 20 List again. Has helped a lot.

This week:
- Continue to work on MBTM.
- Enjoy the 4th of July.
- Chores.
- A doctor's checkup for my diabetes.
- Continue the diet and be better at it.
- Swim in my little pool a few times.

Hope you have a great week.