Today I walked among the dead.
Not my dead.
Strangers in an old cemetery a few miles from my house.
Thought I might take photos...that the late winter sun might illuminate a particular stone or give a halo to an old weathered angel.
Instead I just carried my camera and walked among the rows of graves. Stopping to read a date or name. My feet crunched the old brown leaves. The few trees were bare except for a row of bedraggled evergreens along one side of the cemetery.
And I thought about life and how it goes so fast. How we can't hold our dead no matter how much we try, no matter how much we cry, they slip away when we're not looking.
I thought about those who have left us and how I miss them. My grandparents, my parents, aunts and uncles, cousins ... my baby brother ... My mother was so sharp, so smart, she would see right through your soul, and my father loved to laugh and loved to make me laugh. All those losses. Is that why we're ready to go at the end of our lives? Do the losses pile on until our spirit is ready to fly, to escape the burdens of sorrow? Or maybe we're just ready to meet them again. Maybe we're tired of not being with them. Maybe we're just tired of this earth.
I sat down in an old concrete bench beside an empty tree.
Across the rows, I heard a mockingbird and saw a robin. I watched a lonely cloud make its way across the pale blue sky. And I felt the stillness settle into me, the quiet calm that I call peace for the lack of a better word. I stopped thinking for a while, stopping imagining, stopped remembering.
For a few moments, the horizon held me. That beckoning sky. The endless heavens beyond.
Then I took a deep breath of the cool wind. I smiled for no particular reason other than it felt better than not smiling. I stood, walked back to my car, and drove back to my life.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Cautious Man
Cautious man, because that's what we are after coming home to a house ruled by cats for two and a half days while we went to Dallas for a swap meet and to see the kids. So far, so good. We closed off the den and the bedrooms upstairs before we left, but the cats jimmied their way into the front bedroom and the closet door was open. Someone appeared to be desperate to vomit onto the bed. Joy.
Mr. L suspects our inappropriately peeing kitty is sending a message that he or she does not like the World's Best Cat Litter I've switched the household over to. And, frankly, if they are going to pee outside the box, I guess I don't much care for it either. I'd far prefer to have cats using the litter box, and if that means using a litter I'm less happy with, so be it. Despite that, I plan to keep making World's Best available for a little while, I also selected two other litters from PetSmart earlier today to try. One is recycled paper, and the vet uses it or something like it. The other is a walnut shell-based product. Maybe it has a more clay-like consistency? I got a small bag of each to try to see if it's better received. Before we left, I made up a fresh box with only Tidy Cat in it, and that was the box used the most by the time we got home. The other World's Best and World's Best/Tidy Cat mix boxes were used far less -- maybe by two or three cats, and Lady was boarded this weekend, so that means five or six (at least) cats prefer Tidy Cat.
I didn't want to leave Lady in a cage while we weren't home -- the other cats think it's great fun to stretch a paw to pull her food bowl to the side of the cage and eat her food, so we'd have had a hungry kitty when we got home. Plus, I could see her water getting tipped over, and that might not have ended well either. Since last week's experiment with leaving her loose while we were gone for almost twelve hours resulted in us arriving home to a cat fight in progress, we decided it would be best for everyone to board Lady while we were out of town. This should have worked out well, because her medication came in (Reconcile -- kitty Prozac), so they planned to start her on it, so she'd be used to it by the time I get her on Monday morning. I feel better about that, because if she has a bad reaction, they'll be there to help her. I haven't heard from the clinic, so I presume all is going well with that process.
I got all the CDs fed into my Mac Mini and iTunes. I did a little bit of database clean up (several albums imported as compilations when they weren't really compilations). I haven't tested to make sure everything imported properly. I have 384 albums (!) and 4587 items taking up 20.89G of hard drive space. I can listen for 20.5 days before getting a repeat. I was surprised to find that many CDs. I found four bad CDs. I found one I decided I didn't want, but I suspected Stephen might, so he now possesses that one. One of the bad CDs, I kind of want, so I'm looking at replacing it with a different CD that contains all but one of the songs I want. I may make an individual iTunes purchase for the other song, or I may not worry about it. I mean, I have 4587 others. Do I really need that one? Probably not. I'll copy the iTunes folder to an external hard drive, and I'll have the full library available for either the Air for the Pro when desired. I don't listen to music much, because I consider listening to music a private thing, so I don't do it when anyone else is around. Also, Mr. L doesn't like ANY of the music I like (one insurmountable problem from being from two completely different eras on the cultural timeline).
I did a scene from Polar Bear on the Loose. It's all wrong. I need to redo it. I did a little other puttering for my short stuff, but overall, it wasn't a stellar writing week. Talked with Stephen about the Secret Project alluded to last week. Thinking and mulling.
I got the bare essential winter tree stuff done. I still have plenty that should be done, but I got the critical stuff done. I took the shredding upstairs but have to actually shred the stuff.
I do have an extra George Strait album (found a dupe) if anyone like George and wants the CD, I'll mail it to you. I believe it's the "Somewhere Down in Texas" CD.
Mindful eating is going well. I wore a pair of jeans one size smaller this weekend (haven't been able to wear them for a year or more). I have an older, bulky Tanita body fat scale. I've been hankering for a fancy WiFi scale, and today I sprang for the Withings Smart Body Analyzer. This thing is supposed to do weight, body fat, heart rate, and room air quality, automatically transmitting it to my app. I synced the Fitbit and LoseIt! apps, and it should feed the weight and body fat data to those apps -- not sure how much of the other data it will share.
The week ahead sees us traveling to San Antonio to do spring tree work and other sundry items around the house down there. We'll spend about 2.5 weeks down there, and I'm going to try to not have to go again for a while after this trip, but who knows what will happen. That reminds me, I need to gather a few items for Goodwill and Half Price Books. Those are two things I should focus between now and Tuesday morning. That and getting the yard here squared away -- it needs mowing and bagging. I got a new litter pan today, and I believe I'll bring that down there with us for this trip -- we only have two litter boxes down there, and the kitties might appreciate a third option.
Mr. L suspects our inappropriately peeing kitty is sending a message that he or she does not like the World's Best Cat Litter I've switched the household over to. And, frankly, if they are going to pee outside the box, I guess I don't much care for it either. I'd far prefer to have cats using the litter box, and if that means using a litter I'm less happy with, so be it. Despite that, I plan to keep making World's Best available for a little while, I also selected two other litters from PetSmart earlier today to try. One is recycled paper, and the vet uses it or something like it. The other is a walnut shell-based product. Maybe it has a more clay-like consistency? I got a small bag of each to try to see if it's better received. Before we left, I made up a fresh box with only Tidy Cat in it, and that was the box used the most by the time we got home. The other World's Best and World's Best/Tidy Cat mix boxes were used far less -- maybe by two or three cats, and Lady was boarded this weekend, so that means five or six (at least) cats prefer Tidy Cat.
I didn't want to leave Lady in a cage while we weren't home -- the other cats think it's great fun to stretch a paw to pull her food bowl to the side of the cage and eat her food, so we'd have had a hungry kitty when we got home. Plus, I could see her water getting tipped over, and that might not have ended well either. Since last week's experiment with leaving her loose while we were gone for almost twelve hours resulted in us arriving home to a cat fight in progress, we decided it would be best for everyone to board Lady while we were out of town. This should have worked out well, because her medication came in (Reconcile -- kitty Prozac), so they planned to start her on it, so she'd be used to it by the time I get her on Monday morning. I feel better about that, because if she has a bad reaction, they'll be there to help her. I haven't heard from the clinic, so I presume all is going well with that process.
I got all the CDs fed into my Mac Mini and iTunes. I did a little bit of database clean up (several albums imported as compilations when they weren't really compilations). I haven't tested to make sure everything imported properly. I have 384 albums (!) and 4587 items taking up 20.89G of hard drive space. I can listen for 20.5 days before getting a repeat. I was surprised to find that many CDs. I found four bad CDs. I found one I decided I didn't want, but I suspected Stephen might, so he now possesses that one. One of the bad CDs, I kind of want, so I'm looking at replacing it with a different CD that contains all but one of the songs I want. I may make an individual iTunes purchase for the other song, or I may not worry about it. I mean, I have 4587 others. Do I really need that one? Probably not. I'll copy the iTunes folder to an external hard drive, and I'll have the full library available for either the Air for the Pro when desired. I don't listen to music much, because I consider listening to music a private thing, so I don't do it when anyone else is around. Also, Mr. L doesn't like ANY of the music I like (one insurmountable problem from being from two completely different eras on the cultural timeline).
I did a scene from Polar Bear on the Loose. It's all wrong. I need to redo it. I did a little other puttering for my short stuff, but overall, it wasn't a stellar writing week. Talked with Stephen about the Secret Project alluded to last week. Thinking and mulling.
I got the bare essential winter tree stuff done. I still have plenty that should be done, but I got the critical stuff done. I took the shredding upstairs but have to actually shred the stuff.
I do have an extra George Strait album (found a dupe) if anyone like George and wants the CD, I'll mail it to you. I believe it's the "Somewhere Down in Texas" CD.
Mindful eating is going well. I wore a pair of jeans one size smaller this weekend (haven't been able to wear them for a year or more). I have an older, bulky Tanita body fat scale. I've been hankering for a fancy WiFi scale, and today I sprang for the Withings Smart Body Analyzer. This thing is supposed to do weight, body fat, heart rate, and room air quality, automatically transmitting it to my app. I synced the Fitbit and LoseIt! apps, and it should feed the weight and body fat data to those apps -- not sure how much of the other data it will share.
The week ahead sees us traveling to San Antonio to do spring tree work and other sundry items around the house down there. We'll spend about 2.5 weeks down there, and I'm going to try to not have to go again for a while after this trip, but who knows what will happen. That reminds me, I need to gather a few items for Goodwill and Half Price Books. Those are two things I should focus between now and Tuesday morning. That and getting the yard here squared away -- it needs mowing and bagging. I got a new litter pan today, and I believe I'll bring that down there with us for this trip -- we only have two litter boxes down there, and the kitties might appreciate a third option.
looking up
Not much, really, to report this week. The only thing of note I did, apart from baking a batch of scones, was visit the associate pastor at our new church. I was hoping he could point me in a direction so I can get out of this gray haze surrounding me. Instead, we uncovered some deeper issues. Lucky for me, the church also has a counseling ministry, and the counselor gets paid by the church, not her clients. My first visit is in two weeks. Can't say I'm really looking forward to it, but having been around that block a couple times I know it will be for the best.
Oh, we did have more excitement with the roof leak. It stopped most of Sunday. Not surprising since the maintenance guy cleared most of the water, and what was up there froze again. What was surprising was that it started again Monday night. I woke up about 2 and heard it dripping. Tuesday morning I found water dripping out of two more pot lights, one in front of the stove and the other over the sink, and the drywall around the air vent starting to discolor. The roofers got here a couple hours later. Once I figured out the spot on the roof that correlated to the leak in my kitchen (and almost locking myself outside on the balcony with no cell phone), they were able to clear enough snow and ice to find the weak spot. They swept as much of the water away from those spots as possible and used a roofing torch to dry and patch them. Yes, Stephen, it was cool to watch. We've been dry since then, although the drywall on the ceiling might need patching. At the very least it will need sealing and painting. Not my problem. Being a renter is quite liberating, I must say!
Y'all have a good week.
Oh, we did have more excitement with the roof leak. It stopped most of Sunday. Not surprising since the maintenance guy cleared most of the water, and what was up there froze again. What was surprising was that it started again Monday night. I woke up about 2 and heard it dripping. Tuesday morning I found water dripping out of two more pot lights, one in front of the stove and the other over the sink, and the drywall around the air vent starting to discolor. The roofers got here a couple hours later. Once I figured out the spot on the roof that correlated to the leak in my kitchen (and almost locking myself outside on the balcony with no cell phone), they were able to clear enough snow and ice to find the weak spot. They swept as much of the water away from those spots as possible and used a roofing torch to dry and patch them. Yes, Stephen, it was cool to watch. We've been dry since then, although the drywall on the ceiling might need patching. At the very least it will need sealing and painting. Not my problem. Being a renter is quite liberating, I must say!
Y'all have a good week.
Friday, February 21, 2014
I'm gonna be really early. I think. ;)
Glad this week's done.
I finished revisions to MORGAN'S RUN. Overall, it was very easy, except for one scene. I fought the darn thing for three days. One little thousand word scene. Stress galore. I know that sounds silly, stressing out over a measly thousand words, but I did.
It's done now. I don't like it - I loved the initial version - but it was, as far as I can tell, the best solution to the problem my agent had with the scene. Not sure when she'll get back to me on it, probably sometime next month, but it's done and I can move on to other things.
I admit to eating far too much to cope while stressing over the scene, and I got virtually no sleep, but I've slept quite a lot the past two days and have eaten comparatively little, so maybe things will even out. My weigh in is Saturday morning and I fear it'll be ugly.
We had a February blizzard this week which ended up being more of a February slush storm. I spent a good hunk of today shoveling ice. It was very heavy and tiring.
Things here are pretty much the same otherwise. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and an even better next week! {{hugs}}
I finished revisions to MORGAN'S RUN. Overall, it was very easy, except for one scene. I fought the darn thing for three days. One little thousand word scene. Stress galore. I know that sounds silly, stressing out over a measly thousand words, but I did.
It's done now. I don't like it - I loved the initial version - but it was, as far as I can tell, the best solution to the problem my agent had with the scene. Not sure when she'll get back to me on it, probably sometime next month, but it's done and I can move on to other things.
I admit to eating far too much to cope while stressing over the scene, and I got virtually no sleep, but I've slept quite a lot the past two days and have eaten comparatively little, so maybe things will even out. My weigh in is Saturday morning and I fear it'll be ugly.
We had a February blizzard this week which ended up being more of a February slush storm. I spent a good hunk of today shoveling ice. It was very heavy and tiring.
Things here are pretty much the same otherwise. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and an even better next week! {{hugs}}
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Listing
Listing today.
On my desk
Scentsicles, white winter fir
Tape dispenser
Swingline Stapler
Uniden cordless phone
Gooseneck lamp
Four (4) pen and pencil holders, including two I made with cans and art paper
Alaway allergy eye itch relief drops
Systane Ultra High Performance Lubricant Eye Drops
Oklahoma State University ceramic coaster
Two (2) copper rounds
Keys
Billfold
Ship deck prism
Choicemmed oximeter
Creative desktop speaker
Last Week
- Nearly finished the writers group anthology formatting. Need to put in two more items from the group and then decided what I'm going to have in there.
- Did household chores.
- Bought a walking DVD from Leslie Sansone, the walk-at-home fitness expert that Tammy pointed my way.
- Had lunch with a couple of friends, including my friend Gail who stopped by unexpectedly. We had a great three hours discussing poetry and life in general. Wish she lived closer.
- Survived yet another Valentine's Day without hurting anyone -- mostly because I couldn't shake that pesky police surveillance. Doing to have to up my game.
- Took a sack of books to the library to donate.
- Did better on my diet.
This Week
- Finish anthology formatting.
- Print proofs for writers.
- Print contacts for writers.
- Make agenda for writers group meeting Saturday and print.
- Edit and print last meeting's minutes.
- Hand out proofs at meeting.
- Get contracts signed.
- Work on a dang cover for the anthology.
- Update laptop and charge battery before meeting so one of our members can Skype in.
- Household chores.
- Lunch with a couple for friends.
- Work on Murder by the Acre. Even if I can't yet figure out how they're going to catch him, there are some Plot B scenes I can write.
- Read a chapter or two in the Bible each day.
- Walk with Leslie (see above) each day.
- Take more photos for my Year in Photos project.
- Talk to Jean about secret project.
- Post on Createslate, Stephen B. Bagley's Books, and 51313 Harbor Street.
That is all. Carry on. Walk proudly. Don't spit tobacco in public.
On my desk
Scentsicles, white winter fir
Tape dispenser
Swingline Stapler
Uniden cordless phone
Gooseneck lamp
Four (4) pen and pencil holders, including two I made with cans and art paper
Alaway allergy eye itch relief drops
Systane Ultra High Performance Lubricant Eye Drops
Oklahoma State University ceramic coaster
Two (2) copper rounds
Keys
Billfold
Ship deck prism
Choicemmed oximeter
Creative desktop speaker
Last Week
- Nearly finished the writers group anthology formatting. Need to put in two more items from the group and then decided what I'm going to have in there.
- Did household chores.
- Bought a walking DVD from Leslie Sansone, the walk-at-home fitness expert that Tammy pointed my way.
- Had lunch with a couple of friends, including my friend Gail who stopped by unexpectedly. We had a great three hours discussing poetry and life in general. Wish she lived closer.
- Survived yet another Valentine's Day without hurting anyone -- mostly because I couldn't shake that pesky police surveillance. Doing to have to up my game.
- Took a sack of books to the library to donate.
- Did better on my diet.
This Week
- Finish anthology formatting.
- Print proofs for writers.
- Print contacts for writers.
- Make agenda for writers group meeting Saturday and print.
- Edit and print last meeting's minutes.
- Hand out proofs at meeting.
- Get contracts signed.
- Work on a dang cover for the anthology.
- Update laptop and charge battery before meeting so one of our members can Skype in.
- Household chores.
- Lunch with a couple for friends.
- Work on Murder by the Acre. Even if I can't yet figure out how they're going to catch him, there are some Plot B scenes I can write.
- Read a chapter or two in the Bible each day.
- Walk with Leslie (see above) each day.
- Take more photos for my Year in Photos project.
- Talk to Jean about secret project.
- Post on Createslate, Stephen B. Bagley's Books, and 51313 Harbor Street.
That is all. Carry on. Walk proudly. Don't spit tobacco in public.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
It's a smidge better than it was. Maybe. I guess.
Hey, everyone. Things here are still things. I am still blue. Diet is meh - I was down a pound this week, but probably didn't deserve it. Mutinous Cyst is still mutinying. Writing is still sorta stalled.
Meh.
I have written one little SLIPPAGE scene - about 2 pages long - so that's something.
I've received edits from my agent for MORGAN'S RUN, which is great, but I'm unnaturally slow going through them. I just can't seem to find brain focus. So far, all are merely line edits and little clarifications, except for one particular scene. Not sure how to fix it, yet, so I'm letting it stew.
I offered to go to Chicago to meet up w/ agent during an upcoming conference she'll be at and she was not really interested. I mean, she was accommodating, more 'okay, if you insist on coming, I guess I'll find time to see you,' not 'Sure! Sounds cool! I'd love to meet up!' Maybe it's a waste of time and money, I dunno, and it's not like we have a pile of business to discuss. Either way, we can't afford it unless something's sold by then so I probably won't get to go anyway.
Sewing machine is still screwed up. I have little hope for improvement there until a book sells, frankly. A couple of people have offered to loan or give me their sewing machines. I'm considering it, to help me stay sane, if nothing else.
Laura's been working a lot which means I've been babysitting a lot which means I'm tired. lol
That's pretty much it for me, I guess. A whole lotta 'meh'. {{hugs}} and have a happy week.
Meh.
I have written one little SLIPPAGE scene - about 2 pages long - so that's something.
I've received edits from my agent for MORGAN'S RUN, which is great, but I'm unnaturally slow going through them. I just can't seem to find brain focus. So far, all are merely line edits and little clarifications, except for one particular scene. Not sure how to fix it, yet, so I'm letting it stew.
I offered to go to Chicago to meet up w/ agent during an upcoming conference she'll be at and she was not really interested. I mean, she was accommodating, more 'okay, if you insist on coming, I guess I'll find time to see you,' not 'Sure! Sounds cool! I'd love to meet up!' Maybe it's a waste of time and money, I dunno, and it's not like we have a pile of business to discuss. Either way, we can't afford it unless something's sold by then so I probably won't get to go anyway.
Sewing machine is still screwed up. I have little hope for improvement there until a book sells, frankly. A couple of people have offered to loan or give me their sewing machines. I'm considering it, to help me stay sane, if nothing else.
Laura's been working a lot which means I've been babysitting a lot which means I'm tired. lol
That's pretty much it for me, I guess. A whole lotta 'meh'. {{hugs}} and have a happy week.
Take It As It Comes
Everything's fine. Everything's awful. Nothing's really wrong, and nothing's really right. That's kind of where I'm at right now.
Here's what's good, I think:
Here's what's good, I think:
- Got some work done on Polar Bear on the Loose this week.
- Got some writing done.
- Paperwork seems to be gathered for taxes
- I enjoyed seeing my niece play soccer last weekend
- Did a session on the recumbent bike -- oh, my knees needed that. By the end, they were moving fairly well.
- I'm still pleased with the minefield navigation of mindful eating.
- I'll be meeting another writer from Germany in Mid-March who is traveling to San Antonio, triggering more Texas writers to travel to San Antonio to meet her, too, so I can look forward to meeting several Texas writers next month.
- Traveling to Dallas next weekend for a swap meet and to see the kids.
- Got the corner crape myrtle bushes trimmed and cut back in preparation for spring
- I'm not sure which is worse, living with ten cats or an unhappy husband. Lady is still terrorizing Rossie, but Rossie has remained out in the open more despite that. We think Delta is our peeing/spraying cat -- she's in the cage now to help verify. Mr. L has a sore back, a sore right knee (welcome to my world), isn't sleeping well, and is frustrated with nearly everything -- mostly me, it seems.
- Just general dissatisfaction with a lot of little First World Problems. I'll work my way through them -- no reason to worry. For example, we have a trailer plate that expires in April, 2014. We're not sure which trailer it's supposed to go on. Obviously, one of two trailers out at the ranch we haven't used in a while, but it's the niggling administrivia like that. (The good thing is the renewal notice will arrive in the mail soon, and we'll be able to figure it out.)
- At the end of this month, we'll be spending two and a half weeks in San Antonio followed by a weekend in Houston for another swap meet. We have lots of spring yard and tree work to do in San Antonio.
- Make reservations for two for boarding -- Lady and Delta for different reasons can't be left loose and can't be caged while we're out of town, so the safest option is to board them while we're in Dallas.
- Get more work done on Polar Bear on the Loose.
- Continue work on A-Z Challenge posts
- Finish the bare essential winter tree work here in Central Texas
- More decluttering -- I have a box of shredding downstairs to take upstairs and shred, for instance, but there's so much more.
meh
Good Stuff:
- Bank accounts are set up. The guy at the bank was a hoot. He told me to give the city six months before fleeing to the 'burbs. Not hard; we're in our lease until October 1, and the thought of moving again makes me queasy.
- I haven't eaten all of my Valentine's candy. Not that we got a lot. There's a Fanny May store across the street, and we got a box to share. Really, really trying to limit sweets, but keeping it out of the house isn't easy.
- I drove to the commissary yesterday and chose the route home. Eric navigated when he needed to. I'm learning my way around.
- There's a place about a mile from here that advertises southern barbecue. Southern IL, maybe; not the vinegar-based Carolina sauce I was envisioning, but they do a fabulous BBQ Eggs Benedict. I think manna must have tasted like Hollandaise.
- I found Whole Foods and a Caribou Coffee shop.
- Words were good this week. Friday was an especially good day. For me, not for my heroine. :-)
- The car didn't get towed.
- Eric figured out how to get all of our TV-related devices on one remote. So nice to have that back again.
Not So Good Stuff:
- The towing company didn't just knock the car out of alignment. They bent the adjustment bar on the left rear tire. Lunch last Sunday cost us about $700 when you consider towing fees and repair costs. Yeah. Welcome to Chicago. FWIW, it's cheaper to park illegally on the street, and if the city tow truck damages your car, the city pays for repairs. The one bright spot is I found our mechanic, and he's at the other end of our block. You can't beat that for convenience, especially when the car isn't safe to drive. Thank goodness he's trustworthy.
- Our roof sprang a leak yesterday. This winter has been hard on roofs in general. The snow and super cold form ice floes that don't allow water to shed, so it soaks through the shingles. I know this because I saw a report about on the news a couple days ago. The maintenance guy came and did when he could to stop the leak but a roofer will need to do a permanent fix. Yeah for being the tenant!
- I'm probably just being hormonal, but it feels harder this week. I've been convinced for a couple weeks that my kids made me brave. Even when we moved to Italy I was able to hunker down and get things done. If I had to drive them to school, I just did it. Now that I don't have that motivation and don't HAVE to do things, I'm afraid to do them. I tremble when I have to drive. I avoid going places alone if I can't walk there. I'm skipping church today because Eric has a migraine. That never stopped me before. I hate this. I want to be that fierce woman, that mama bear, again, but I don't know where she went. If you've seen her, tell her to get her butt home. Now!
This place is a paradox. On the one hand, every single person I've met has been nice. I have yet to talk to one grouchy person, which is more than I could say downstate. OTOH, it seems like the city has an atmosphere of screwing people. The towing company is a case in point. I read the reviews of that company on Yelp, and they got all one star reviews, mostly because you have to give them at least one star. They have a reputation for towing everything in sight, even cars that are legitimately in the lots they monitor. I can't reconcile the two in my brain. I think I might have to find a job just so I can get out among people who will help me understand the culture here.
Here's to hoping the lack of hormonal tidal wave brings clarity and bravery.
- Bank accounts are set up. The guy at the bank was a hoot. He told me to give the city six months before fleeing to the 'burbs. Not hard; we're in our lease until October 1, and the thought of moving again makes me queasy.
- I haven't eaten all of my Valentine's candy. Not that we got a lot. There's a Fanny May store across the street, and we got a box to share. Really, really trying to limit sweets, but keeping it out of the house isn't easy.
- I drove to the commissary yesterday and chose the route home. Eric navigated when he needed to. I'm learning my way around.
- There's a place about a mile from here that advertises southern barbecue. Southern IL, maybe; not the vinegar-based Carolina sauce I was envisioning, but they do a fabulous BBQ Eggs Benedict. I think manna must have tasted like Hollandaise.
- I found Whole Foods and a Caribou Coffee shop.
- Words were good this week. Friday was an especially good day. For me, not for my heroine. :-)
- The car didn't get towed.
- Eric figured out how to get all of our TV-related devices on one remote. So nice to have that back again.
Not So Good Stuff:
- The towing company didn't just knock the car out of alignment. They bent the adjustment bar on the left rear tire. Lunch last Sunday cost us about $700 when you consider towing fees and repair costs. Yeah. Welcome to Chicago. FWIW, it's cheaper to park illegally on the street, and if the city tow truck damages your car, the city pays for repairs. The one bright spot is I found our mechanic, and he's at the other end of our block. You can't beat that for convenience, especially when the car isn't safe to drive. Thank goodness he's trustworthy.
- Our roof sprang a leak yesterday. This winter has been hard on roofs in general. The snow and super cold form ice floes that don't allow water to shed, so it soaks through the shingles. I know this because I saw a report about on the news a couple days ago. The maintenance guy came and did when he could to stop the leak but a roofer will need to do a permanent fix. Yeah for being the tenant!
- I'm probably just being hormonal, but it feels harder this week. I've been convinced for a couple weeks that my kids made me brave. Even when we moved to Italy I was able to hunker down and get things done. If I had to drive them to school, I just did it. Now that I don't have that motivation and don't HAVE to do things, I'm afraid to do them. I tremble when I have to drive. I avoid going places alone if I can't walk there. I'm skipping church today because Eric has a migraine. That never stopped me before. I hate this. I want to be that fierce woman, that mama bear, again, but I don't know where she went. If you've seen her, tell her to get her butt home. Now!
This place is a paradox. On the one hand, every single person I've met has been nice. I have yet to talk to one grouchy person, which is more than I could say downstate. OTOH, it seems like the city has an atmosphere of screwing people. The towing company is a case in point. I read the reviews of that company on Yelp, and they got all one star reviews, mostly because you have to give them at least one star. They have a reputation for towing everything in sight, even cars that are legitimately in the lots they monitor. I can't reconcile the two in my brain. I think I might have to find a job just so I can get out among people who will help me understand the culture here.
Here's to hoping the lack of hormonal tidal wave brings clarity and bravery.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Horizon
Didn't want the week to start without updating even if there's not that much to tell overall.
Progress:
-- Worked quite hard on the writers group anthology. It's around 90 percent done. Still need to format and place 12 works and develop some sort of cover. While there are several pieces in it that aren't to my taste, there are more that have surprised me. The quality overall is better. We have some excellent poems in particular.
-- Been reading Write. Publish. Repeat. by Platt, Truant, and Wright, three successful self-published authors of ebooks and serial fiction. The language is a bit rough--the f-word is used in many ways--but the advice is interesting, informative, and even inspiring. I recommend it. They also have a podcast, the Self Publishing Podcast. Tune in to get their flavor and see if it's to your liking. Here's link to their show: Self Publishing Podcast. You can also watch them on YouTube. Warning: NSFW.
-- More decluttering. Made more progress in the garage and in my room. Also, my desk. It's better to not look at what still needs to be done. One decluttering task at a time.
-- Wrote a good poem.
Standstill:
-- Not doing as well on my diet as I have in the past. Cold weather seems to make me hungry. Hungry and sleepy.
-- Hate the ice and snow. And the cold, but the ice and snow in particular. We have been hammered in Oklahoma. Well, not as much as farther up north, God help them, but enough to keep me in the house. I am longing for spring, summer, sunlight, and warmth, oh blessed warmth.
-- Murder by the Mile. Sigh. I did a few things, wrote some words, cut some words, and ended up with less than when started. If I keep working on it, only the title will be left.
-- Had a couple of painful heart episodes. Less painful than what I've had in the past, but enough to ruin a couple of days.
-- Skipped my meds a couple of times. I shouldn't do this, but I hate the side effects. Not mature at all.
-- Have NO ideas for cover for anthology. It's open theme, which makes it tougher.
This Week:
-- Work on the writers anthology. Need to have the proofs available by the next meeting February 22.
-- Work on Murder by the Mile. Make actual progress.
-- Household chores.
-- Keep diet.
-- Exercise more.
Good News:
-- Weather is supposed to improve starting Wednesday. That will really help my mood.
Hope you have a great week!
Progress:
-- Worked quite hard on the writers group anthology. It's around 90 percent done. Still need to format and place 12 works and develop some sort of cover. While there are several pieces in it that aren't to my taste, there are more that have surprised me. The quality overall is better. We have some excellent poems in particular.
-- Been reading Write. Publish. Repeat. by Platt, Truant, and Wright, three successful self-published authors of ebooks and serial fiction. The language is a bit rough--the f-word is used in many ways--but the advice is interesting, informative, and even inspiring. I recommend it. They also have a podcast, the Self Publishing Podcast. Tune in to get their flavor and see if it's to your liking. Here's link to their show: Self Publishing Podcast. You can also watch them on YouTube. Warning: NSFW.
-- More decluttering. Made more progress in the garage and in my room. Also, my desk. It's better to not look at what still needs to be done. One decluttering task at a time.
-- Wrote a good poem.
Standstill:
-- Not doing as well on my diet as I have in the past. Cold weather seems to make me hungry. Hungry and sleepy.
-- Hate the ice and snow. And the cold, but the ice and snow in particular. We have been hammered in Oklahoma. Well, not as much as farther up north, God help them, but enough to keep me in the house. I am longing for spring, summer, sunlight, and warmth, oh blessed warmth.
-- Murder by the Mile. Sigh. I did a few things, wrote some words, cut some words, and ended up with less than when started. If I keep working on it, only the title will be left.
-- Had a couple of painful heart episodes. Less painful than what I've had in the past, but enough to ruin a couple of days.
-- Skipped my meds a couple of times. I shouldn't do this, but I hate the side effects. Not mature at all.
-- Have NO ideas for cover for anthology. It's open theme, which makes it tougher.
This Week:
-- Work on the writers anthology. Need to have the proofs available by the next meeting February 22.
-- Work on Murder by the Mile. Make actual progress.
-- Household chores.
-- Keep diet.
-- Exercise more.
Good News:
-- Weather is supposed to improve starting Wednesday. That will really help my mood.
Hope you have a great week!
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Kickin'
I headed to College Station yesterday to hang out with my brother and his family. Their daughter was participating in the Olympic Development Program Soccer event held there this weekend with the Oklahoma Select team. She plays the goalie position, and she's pretty good. Mr. L and I headed back today to watch her third and final game for the weekend. Having a life really cuts into productivity around the house. I guess I'll quit doing that for a while.
Ajax came through his dental work just fine. Tarzan is a healthy kitty, and Daphne is back to being an active, bright eyed kitten again -- Thank, God! Lady is healthy as far as we can tell, but something is clearly bothering her. Dr. Val is researching appropriate treatments to deal with her aggressiveness, with her preferred choice being a well known fibromylalgia medication -- assuming it can be safely given to cats and it is thought to be effective for cats. If that won't work, she has a few other ideas.
Lady has gotten along quite well with the cats she's interacted with over the last couple of days. Mr. L suggests we try exposing her and Rossie to one another with supervision about every ten days to see how things go. Since my last experiment was ten days ago, we'll try again tomorrow. Rossie's confidence seems to have grown, and we think that will help with the experiment. She didn't regress last time, and we think if we continue to leave a time span between experiences, we may eventually find an acceptable point that will allow them to live peacefully together. We hope, anyway.
I had a mixed bag writing, no progress on revising novels, but I did work on some shorter stuff.
While we were in College Station, we picked up some groceries and used $24 in coupons -- thanks to some coupon clipping Mr. L did down in San Antonio while he was there.
We're nearly halfway through February. How did that happen?
I've been forgetting to take some of my photos with meals -- usually the ending photo. I'm trying to figure out what to make of it, but I do think the process has served me well. Many of our meals are repetitive, so I've made most of the adjustments I intend to make in them for now. The key of course, is to take a look at the meal and decide if there's anything I don't want from it. I also want to taste and evaluate it for whether it's worth my time and effort and whether I like it enough to not only eat it this time but to eat it again. I've been doing a pretty good job of doing that. The other aspect the photos were helping with was timing, which is why the final photo is important. The time stamps gives me the total time it took me to eat, and I can decide if that was reasonable or too fast. (So far, too slow hasn't been a problem.) If I forget to take the final photo, that piece of data is missing. I'm also more aware of whether I'm hungry or not and when I'm likely to get hungry, so I can do better at only eating when I'm hungry. I think I still need more work in this area, and I'm trying to decide what the best way to handle that might be -- short of the recommended process of making a note of it. I just haven't done a good job of doing that.
Bills are paid and shredding is caught up. Yay for that!
Sneaky has been hiding from us since we released her yesterday. I'm sure she's fine, but I do worry.
The week ahead:
Ajax came through his dental work just fine. Tarzan is a healthy kitty, and Daphne is back to being an active, bright eyed kitten again -- Thank, God! Lady is healthy as far as we can tell, but something is clearly bothering her. Dr. Val is researching appropriate treatments to deal with her aggressiveness, with her preferred choice being a well known fibromylalgia medication -- assuming it can be safely given to cats and it is thought to be effective for cats. If that won't work, she has a few other ideas.
Lady has gotten along quite well with the cats she's interacted with over the last couple of days. Mr. L suggests we try exposing her and Rossie to one another with supervision about every ten days to see how things go. Since my last experiment was ten days ago, we'll try again tomorrow. Rossie's confidence seems to have grown, and we think that will help with the experiment. She didn't regress last time, and we think if we continue to leave a time span between experiences, we may eventually find an acceptable point that will allow them to live peacefully together. We hope, anyway.
I had a mixed bag writing, no progress on revising novels, but I did work on some shorter stuff.
While we were in College Station, we picked up some groceries and used $24 in coupons -- thanks to some coupon clipping Mr. L did down in San Antonio while he was there.
We're nearly halfway through February. How did that happen?
I've been forgetting to take some of my photos with meals -- usually the ending photo. I'm trying to figure out what to make of it, but I do think the process has served me well. Many of our meals are repetitive, so I've made most of the adjustments I intend to make in them for now. The key of course, is to take a look at the meal and decide if there's anything I don't want from it. I also want to taste and evaluate it for whether it's worth my time and effort and whether I like it enough to not only eat it this time but to eat it again. I've been doing a pretty good job of doing that. The other aspect the photos were helping with was timing, which is why the final photo is important. The time stamps gives me the total time it took me to eat, and I can decide if that was reasonable or too fast. (So far, too slow hasn't been a problem.) If I forget to take the final photo, that piece of data is missing. I'm also more aware of whether I'm hungry or not and when I'm likely to get hungry, so I can do better at only eating when I'm hungry. I think I still need more work in this area, and I'm trying to decide what the best way to handle that might be -- short of the recommended process of making a note of it. I just haven't done a good job of doing that.
Bills are paid and shredding is caught up. Yay for that!
Sneaky has been hiding from us since we released her yesterday. I'm sure she's fine, but I do worry.
The week ahead:
- Write and revise
- Hope all goes well with the internet upgrade tomorrow
- Declutter
- Lots of rain predicted for this week and chilly weather, but I need to find a window to begin trimming crape myrtles
Adjusting
Got a nice mixed bag today.
Good Stuff:
- We saw Monuments Men yesterday. Really, really good movie. There was enough action and one liners to keep Eric engaged, and I love the history. Can't tell you anything else without spoiling it except that it was a big success for George Clooney, who starred, directed, produced and wrote the screenplay.
- I got a few more boxes out, some pictures hung up, etc.
- Cooked every night except Friday, when we went down the street for schawarma. I'd never had it before, and it was yummy! Think chicken fajita meat on a bed of rice, with salad, hummus, and pita on the side. Oh, a falafel.
- We're both starting to lose a bit of weight. I'm chalking it up to eating home cooked food on a regular basis. Eric doesn't have a handy place to go for lunch, so he's been taking it with him, and it's starting to show.
- On Jean's advice, I looked into a couple of Lift programs. I signed up for 3 Months To A New You and 30 Days To A New You. I did them every day during the week, but not at all this weekend. Not that I need to worry about exercise today. More about that in a minute.
- I wrote every day except yesterday. I'm getting close to the end. My hero has had his PTSD breakdown and is in the hospital. Now I just need my heroine to do everything she can think to do to help him to no avail, break her heart, and then I can wrap things up. ;-)
- One of my writer friends said something on Facebook the other day about not being ready to go to the retreat in Destin I went to last year. She Skyped me today and we talked out what she has of her plot. I think it's going to turn out to be a fun little romance, but more importantly, it seems that our processes are very much alike. She's got the best part of two weeks before the retreat to get it figured out, and I've left the door open to help her again if she needs it.
- I got out with people other than Eric three times this week. Wednesday I had brunch with my next-door neighbor, who is turning out to be my go-to person when I need to find something here. Wednesday evening, Eric and I went to a bible study at the church, and on Friday I ventured into the Loop to have lunch with another lady from the church. I'm feeling very much like the country mouse at this point!
- Read "Divergence" this weekend. It's a YA novel, along the lines of "The Hunger Games," but set in Chicago, so that was neat. The movie comes out next month. The 20th, I think.
Not So Good Stuff:
- After church today we went to Panera for lunch, just like we used to downstate. We parked in a shopping center across the street, and neither of us saw the signs that said the lot was for customers of that shopping center only. When we came out less than half an hour later, the car had been towed, and whoever loaded it knocked it out of alignment. We had to walk home to get the van so we could get the car out of impound, and that was the best part of a mile, trudging through slush in 10-ish degree weather. Thank goodness I've barely unpacked my cute shoes and was wearing my wellies. That was an expensive lunch, and we're not done paying for it. Eric is going to take the alignment bill to the towing company, but I don't have a lot of faith that they'll do anything about it. It's our word against theirs that the car was fine when we parked it.
- After trudging the best part of a mile in the slush, I'm over winter. We're not even half-way through February and I'm over it. I'm starting to wish I was going to Destin with my friend!
- My GPS cannot be trusted in the Loop (the central business district). I think the tall buildings interfered with the signal because it kept telling me to turn onto streets I'd passed two blocks ago. The moral of the story is when going downtown, go old school: sticky note on the steering wheel. Or figure out how to take the train. That could be easier now that I've figured out Google Maps does public transportation.
Overall, it wasn't really a bad week, but definitely some frustrations, some wondering why I thought living in the city would be great, and some bad words said. Lots of them, actually. I wish I could say I'd work on that this week, but I don't really see that improving for a while. Not much I can do but gut it out, sleep enough, eat well, get some exercise, and write.
Good Stuff:
- We saw Monuments Men yesterday. Really, really good movie. There was enough action and one liners to keep Eric engaged, and I love the history. Can't tell you anything else without spoiling it except that it was a big success for George Clooney, who starred, directed, produced and wrote the screenplay.
- I got a few more boxes out, some pictures hung up, etc.
- Cooked every night except Friday, when we went down the street for schawarma. I'd never had it before, and it was yummy! Think chicken fajita meat on a bed of rice, with salad, hummus, and pita on the side. Oh, a falafel.
- We're both starting to lose a bit of weight. I'm chalking it up to eating home cooked food on a regular basis. Eric doesn't have a handy place to go for lunch, so he's been taking it with him, and it's starting to show.
- On Jean's advice, I looked into a couple of Lift programs. I signed up for 3 Months To A New You and 30 Days To A New You. I did them every day during the week, but not at all this weekend. Not that I need to worry about exercise today. More about that in a minute.
- I wrote every day except yesterday. I'm getting close to the end. My hero has had his PTSD breakdown and is in the hospital. Now I just need my heroine to do everything she can think to do to help him to no avail, break her heart, and then I can wrap things up. ;-)
- One of my writer friends said something on Facebook the other day about not being ready to go to the retreat in Destin I went to last year. She Skyped me today and we talked out what she has of her plot. I think it's going to turn out to be a fun little romance, but more importantly, it seems that our processes are very much alike. She's got the best part of two weeks before the retreat to get it figured out, and I've left the door open to help her again if she needs it.
- I got out with people other than Eric three times this week. Wednesday I had brunch with my next-door neighbor, who is turning out to be my go-to person when I need to find something here. Wednesday evening, Eric and I went to a bible study at the church, and on Friday I ventured into the Loop to have lunch with another lady from the church. I'm feeling very much like the country mouse at this point!
- Read "Divergence" this weekend. It's a YA novel, along the lines of "The Hunger Games," but set in Chicago, so that was neat. The movie comes out next month. The 20th, I think.
Not So Good Stuff:
- After church today we went to Panera for lunch, just like we used to downstate. We parked in a shopping center across the street, and neither of us saw the signs that said the lot was for customers of that shopping center only. When we came out less than half an hour later, the car had been towed, and whoever loaded it knocked it out of alignment. We had to walk home to get the van so we could get the car out of impound, and that was the best part of a mile, trudging through slush in 10-ish degree weather. Thank goodness I've barely unpacked my cute shoes and was wearing my wellies. That was an expensive lunch, and we're not done paying for it. Eric is going to take the alignment bill to the towing company, but I don't have a lot of faith that they'll do anything about it. It's our word against theirs that the car was fine when we parked it.
- After trudging the best part of a mile in the slush, I'm over winter. We're not even half-way through February and I'm over it. I'm starting to wish I was going to Destin with my friend!
- My GPS cannot be trusted in the Loop (the central business district). I think the tall buildings interfered with the signal because it kept telling me to turn onto streets I'd passed two blocks ago. The moral of the story is when going downtown, go old school: sticky note on the steering wheel. Or figure out how to take the train. That could be easier now that I've figured out Google Maps does public transportation.
Overall, it wasn't really a bad week, but definitely some frustrations, some wondering why I thought living in the city would be great, and some bad words said. Lots of them, actually. I wish I could say I'd work on that this week, but I don't really see that improving for a while. Not much I can do but gut it out, sleep enough, eat well, get some exercise, and write.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
Coming Around Again
Yep. Just like clockwork, Saturday is here again. We also seem go be on an interesting temperature rotation down here. It rotates from freezing to 70s to freezing to 70s this will be the third week of it kicking off now. I'm not complaining. Just observing. It's strange.
January is in the books, and this week was reasonably productive -- could have been better. Could have been a lot worse. I got the rest of the CDs boxed up, then, to have an easy inventory of sorts, I took pictures of all the spines. Then I compared the pictures to my iTunes library and discovered I have over 160 CDs to copy onto the hard drive yet. Oh. My. That will take a few weekends out of my life.
Natasha and Daphne came through their respective procedures just fine but got to spend an extra day at the clinic when they were closed for ice. Natasha got to keep all her teeth. Floyd came through his annual exam with flying colors, weighing in at just over 13 pounds. Ajax is set for his dental procedure next week. When I go to pick him up, Lady and Tarzan will accompany me for their annual exams and shots. We'll continue the discussion about Lady's behavior issues.
I finished the beta of Holly's Worldbuilding Clinic videos and video worksheets this week. Based upon the frustrations I experienced getting simple five minute videos downloaded and viewed, I investigated whether I could upgrade my high speed internet connection. The existing connection is 1.5Mbps -- the fastest I could get in this town in 2008 when I set up the service. I can now get 6Mbps if I get ATTs U-Verse service. Bundling the phone with that, I can get it all for $40 a month for twelve months and $71plus taxes, fees, etc. after that, which will put it close to the current $95 a month I'm paying. For quadruple the speed of the service. They install on Feb 10th, so I hope all goes well. (I could do a self-install for the internet but the phone requires a service technician and supposedly 4 hours! I cannot imagine.)
Got a few half short stories started this week. A couple have possibilities. I signed up for the A-Z Challenge in April, and these short stories are going to be posted for that, with one being used as a preview for my Fiction Club members. The next issue is slated for March 1, and I want to provide a sneak peek for everyone.
Discovered some issues with the mobile aspect of my website, and I think I've fixed that -- I had a dumb setting selecting in my theme.
I got more shredding done. I think I'm down to one and a half boxes of paper to shred.
Sneaky was inside for the early part of the week, and we're making progress at getting her comfortable with the idea of inside. She went out the door under her own power on Wednesday morning. She's still fearful of the door, but she's been sitting at the door and crying until I open it, then she runs. Yesterday, I managed to open the door slowly enough so she didn't run, and she came back about half way when I opened the screen door, but she's not quite ready yet. We'll keep working. I don't think it will take long before she figures out how to use the door.
Finished the Lift Eating Mindfully program, and I'm rolling into the second month of the program. I lost nine pounds in January and at least one inch off my waist (I didn't measure until about a week and a half into the program). I have a total goal of where I am today of losing 100 pounds and 15 inches off my waist. This will not happen rapidly, and I think January's results are on the high side of what is reasonable to expect, but I'm more than pleased.
I expected to get more revision done this week, but I guess expecting doesn't make it happen.
The week ahead:
January is in the books, and this week was reasonably productive -- could have been better. Could have been a lot worse. I got the rest of the CDs boxed up, then, to have an easy inventory of sorts, I took pictures of all the spines. Then I compared the pictures to my iTunes library and discovered I have over 160 CDs to copy onto the hard drive yet. Oh. My. That will take a few weekends out of my life.
Natasha and Daphne came through their respective procedures just fine but got to spend an extra day at the clinic when they were closed for ice. Natasha got to keep all her teeth. Floyd came through his annual exam with flying colors, weighing in at just over 13 pounds. Ajax is set for his dental procedure next week. When I go to pick him up, Lady and Tarzan will accompany me for their annual exams and shots. We'll continue the discussion about Lady's behavior issues.
I finished the beta of Holly's Worldbuilding Clinic videos and video worksheets this week. Based upon the frustrations I experienced getting simple five minute videos downloaded and viewed, I investigated whether I could upgrade my high speed internet connection. The existing connection is 1.5Mbps -- the fastest I could get in this town in 2008 when I set up the service. I can now get 6Mbps if I get ATTs U-Verse service. Bundling the phone with that, I can get it all for $40 a month for twelve months and $71plus taxes, fees, etc. after that, which will put it close to the current $95 a month I'm paying. For quadruple the speed of the service. They install on Feb 10th, so I hope all goes well. (I could do a self-install for the internet but the phone requires a service technician and supposedly 4 hours! I cannot imagine.)
Got a few half short stories started this week. A couple have possibilities. I signed up for the A-Z Challenge in April, and these short stories are going to be posted for that, with one being used as a preview for my Fiction Club members. The next issue is slated for March 1, and I want to provide a sneak peek for everyone.
Discovered some issues with the mobile aspect of my website, and I think I've fixed that -- I had a dumb setting selecting in my theme.
I got more shredding done. I think I'm down to one and a half boxes of paper to shred.
Sneaky was inside for the early part of the week, and we're making progress at getting her comfortable with the idea of inside. She went out the door under her own power on Wednesday morning. She's still fearful of the door, but she's been sitting at the door and crying until I open it, then she runs. Yesterday, I managed to open the door slowly enough so she didn't run, and she came back about half way when I opened the screen door, but she's not quite ready yet. We'll keep working. I don't think it will take long before she figures out how to use the door.
Finished the Lift Eating Mindfully program, and I'm rolling into the second month of the program. I lost nine pounds in January and at least one inch off my waist (I didn't measure until about a week and a half into the program). I have a total goal of where I am today of losing 100 pounds and 15 inches off my waist. This will not happen rapidly, and I think January's results are on the high side of what is reasonable to expect, but I'm more than pleased.
I expected to get more revision done this week, but I guess expecting doesn't make it happen.
The week ahead:
- Ajax, Lady, and Tarzan to the vet.
- Write and revise
- Declutter and shred
- Prepare for another cold snap
- Continue eating mindfully, continue looking for rewarding techniques
- Time to pay the bills
- Begin compiling a "best of" collection from the blogs
#667
Tammy, did you know your Mutiny post was #666? Ironic.
So, not a terrible week. I've been inside a lot because of the cold, but it's warmed up today. It's 32* and snowing, which, in my book, is an improvement, especially since I have nowhere to be and more than ample provisions.
Good Stuff:
- I got words in! Taking the best part of 3 weeks off really put a dent in my vacation time. I'm going to have to work some weekends to make it up.
- The trip downstate wasn't a terrible as I'd thought it would be. The kids have started shifting stuff around. They've hung some swords and pictures. It looks different, but that's good. I want them to make it their own.
- The bonus was they were actually there, and Justin was a big help getting things loaded. We call him the Tetris Master for a reason. I managed to get the last chair and my grandmother clock (the one my grandpa built) in the van along with a dozen or so boxes and the big wicker basket with our kilts. I had hoped to get the gear for the Scottish Games, but we won't need it for a few more months. It'll keep until the weather gets better.
- Just when I started to despair, the living took shape in front of my eyes. Getting the clock in made a big difference, which I can't explain.
- We found a new place about a quarter mile up the road that makes pizza Italian-style in a wood oven. So good! They have a nice variety of Middle Eastern food too, and it's close enough to walk, even in weather as cold as we've been having. The limeade alone is worth the walk.
- I found out I can buy a reloadable bus pass across the street at the drug store. Too bad I didn't do the research before I went to the drug store earlier that day!
Not So Good Stuff:
- I had no idea the downstate pantry held as much as it did. My pantry here is full to overflowing and there are tubs of food in the storage closet. So, yeah, ample provisions.
- I haven't looked into gym membership yet. Yeah, I know, I'm busy, but I'm also grazing, and we won't talk about the clothing that's getting tight. It's February now, so the Fitness Resolution people should be out of the way.
This Week:
- Press on getting settled.
- Continue to think out of the box when it comes to finding homes for things.
- Inquire about gym membership.
So, not a terrible week. I've been inside a lot because of the cold, but it's warmed up today. It's 32* and snowing, which, in my book, is an improvement, especially since I have nowhere to be and more than ample provisions.
Good Stuff:
- I got words in! Taking the best part of 3 weeks off really put a dent in my vacation time. I'm going to have to work some weekends to make it up.
- The trip downstate wasn't a terrible as I'd thought it would be. The kids have started shifting stuff around. They've hung some swords and pictures. It looks different, but that's good. I want them to make it their own.
- The bonus was they were actually there, and Justin was a big help getting things loaded. We call him the Tetris Master for a reason. I managed to get the last chair and my grandmother clock (the one my grandpa built) in the van along with a dozen or so boxes and the big wicker basket with our kilts. I had hoped to get the gear for the Scottish Games, but we won't need it for a few more months. It'll keep until the weather gets better.
- Just when I started to despair, the living took shape in front of my eyes. Getting the clock in made a big difference, which I can't explain.
- We found a new place about a quarter mile up the road that makes pizza Italian-style in a wood oven. So good! They have a nice variety of Middle Eastern food too, and it's close enough to walk, even in weather as cold as we've been having. The limeade alone is worth the walk.
- I found out I can buy a reloadable bus pass across the street at the drug store. Too bad I didn't do the research before I went to the drug store earlier that day!
Not So Good Stuff:
- I had no idea the downstate pantry held as much as it did. My pantry here is full to overflowing and there are tubs of food in the storage closet. So, yeah, ample provisions.
- I haven't looked into gym membership yet. Yeah, I know, I'm busy, but I'm also grazing, and we won't talk about the clothing that's getting tight. It's February now, so the Fitness Resolution people should be out of the way.
This Week:
- Press on getting settled.
- Continue to think out of the box when it comes to finding homes for things.
- Inquire about gym membership.