Good morning. It's morning and I'm still waiting for the coffee to kick in. Bear with me.
Writing - I laid down 12695 words last week. It should've been over 14K, but I took Friday off. As of last night, Sleeping Ugly is sitting at 43833 words. Everything feels rushed right now. Natch, because I'm trying to get this on paper before I get distracted with the edits for Wish Hits the Fan. Which I don't actually think I'm going to get 100% of this first draft done by then, so I really need to chill out.
I received the preview of the cover for Wish Hits the Fan. It's so shiny and pretty. It has Jo. It has a magical swirl. It's red this time. And that's all I can tell you until she gets it all finished up.
Reading - I started Jennifer Lyon's Savaged Vows. It's awesome. It's also harshing my ability to sleep, so I had to set it aside for a few days. Maybe after Monday I'll be able to take some time and finish it.
Fishing - See yesterday's post.
Yesterday we saw a doe leading three fawns out of the woods. I suspect we have our first set of triplets. Whitetail does do have triplets about 15-20% of the time, so it's not outside the realm of possibility. They're not identical fawns, though, which is why I'm not totally certain. Two look alike and the third one is a bit bigger. Still possible, though. How exciting.
We have a little baby raccoon visiting the yard all by itself. I'm pretty sure they aren't supposed to leave their moms this early, so it makes me kind of sad, but it's eating and it looks healthy, so we're keeping our fingers crossed.
Okay, time for me to infuse some more coffee into my system and wake up a little. Have an awesome day everyone.
How are things in your world? Anything to update?
Sunday, July 30, 2017
Saturday, July 29, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 7/28/17
Welcome back to the Saturday Fishing Report.
I went fishing a lot last week. Mainly, I just needed to get out of the house, get some fresh air and exercise, and flush the system. I didn't expect great things. It was too hot for one thing. Bleh.
Anyway, Monday and Wednesday were pretty much the same - hot and sunny with a little wind. I was catching bait fish. Loads of baby bluegills and punkinseeds and sunfish - if I used a small enough hook. Otherwise, they were just stealing my bait. I did have an interesting thing happen on Wednesday, though. As I was reeling in to check whether I had any bait left on my hook, a big bass tried to eat my bobber. He blew up out from underneath a ledge. Needless to say, he did not eat my bobber and I did not catch him.
So, I went back to the same place on Thursday armed with bobber colored lures. I used an orange, yellow, and white stick bobber. Anyway, I did some fancy lure work out there on the ledges. The little fish were chasing them, but no big fish. Then it started to rain. It's hard to do lure work in the rain because I don't want to keep opening the tackle box to change lures - especially since I hide my cell phone in there to keep it dry, and opening the box defeats that purpose. So, I went to worm and bobber again. The first fish I caught was hanging out in a hole in the ledges (lucky I know where it is from when the lake level was really low). I got the bait dangling right over that hole and WHAM. A big bluegill. I'm guessing about 9". (I have to guess. He wriggled off the hook, flopped down the bank, and made his escape.) Then I caught two little punkinseeds. Then the rain started to come down harder, so I moved my gear and myself to underneath a tree. Threw out and sat on a log watching my bobber. Caught two big gills there and got those on the stringer. Moved down a little when the rain lightened up and caught another big gill.
Oh, I nearly forgot! I was throwing out on the lake side of some bushes where I'd been getting some bites when suddenly my bobber disappeared. I set the hook and began reeling. And reeling. And reeling. Whatever it was, it was big! When I finally got it close to the surface, it was a big ol' turtle. Probably 10-12" worth of it. I dragged it up on shore, grabbed the pliers, and went to work getting the hook out of its mouth. Which would've been easier if it wasn't hissing and snapping and jerking its head back into its shell. I finally managed to pull its head out and got a firm but gentle hold on its neck. Popped the hook out easily enough. (Turtles don't have a lot of soft tissue around their mouths, so hooks don't go deep.) Anyway, it was a big ol' eastern river cooter. I picked it up, said hello and put it back in the water. It swam off like a bat out of hell, never - I hope - to be caught again.
Anyway, I fished there some more until I had to use the bathroom. Lucky for me, the park is open. I stopped in there but I didn't stay because the park is full of campers. I went to my old go-to spot. Good thing I did, too, because I wasn't out there ten minutes when a jet ski approached. My first thought was: asshole. My second thought as he got closer was: I wonder if he's going to ask for directions. Turns out the second was correct and not the first. He shut the ski off and shouted the name of a nearby town. Well, he was hell and gone from there and headed in the wrong direction. I got him turned around, told him where he was and how to get back to where he wanted to be. Of course, it's raining and his map was soaked to the point of near-disintegration, but I managed to find the piece that showed where we were and where he needed to be. Off he went, spraying water out the back of his infernal machine right at where I'd been standing only seconds before. (I moved because I know those damn things shoot water out the back.) He yelled an apology and off he went. I hope he made it back. :sigh: Tourists.
I did catch one more fish to bring home. Unfortunately, I also caught a sycamore and after popped my gear off in a tree I didn't feel like re-rigging. I went home instead. Cleaned the four fish and they're in the freezer.
That's it for me this week. Have a fun week and I'll see ya next Saturday.
I went fishing a lot last week. Mainly, I just needed to get out of the house, get some fresh air and exercise, and flush the system. I didn't expect great things. It was too hot for one thing. Bleh.
Anyway, Monday and Wednesday were pretty much the same - hot and sunny with a little wind. I was catching bait fish. Loads of baby bluegills and punkinseeds and sunfish - if I used a small enough hook. Otherwise, they were just stealing my bait. I did have an interesting thing happen on Wednesday, though. As I was reeling in to check whether I had any bait left on my hook, a big bass tried to eat my bobber. He blew up out from underneath a ledge. Needless to say, he did not eat my bobber and I did not catch him.
So, I went back to the same place on Thursday armed with bobber colored lures. I used an orange, yellow, and white stick bobber. Anyway, I did some fancy lure work out there on the ledges. The little fish were chasing them, but no big fish. Then it started to rain. It's hard to do lure work in the rain because I don't want to keep opening the tackle box to change lures - especially since I hide my cell phone in there to keep it dry, and opening the box defeats that purpose. So, I went to worm and bobber again. The first fish I caught was hanging out in a hole in the ledges (lucky I know where it is from when the lake level was really low). I got the bait dangling right over that hole and WHAM. A big bluegill. I'm guessing about 9". (I have to guess. He wriggled off the hook, flopped down the bank, and made his escape.) Then I caught two little punkinseeds. Then the rain started to come down harder, so I moved my gear and myself to underneath a tree. Threw out and sat on a log watching my bobber. Caught two big gills there and got those on the stringer. Moved down a little when the rain lightened up and caught another big gill.
Oh, I nearly forgot! I was throwing out on the lake side of some bushes where I'd been getting some bites when suddenly my bobber disappeared. I set the hook and began reeling. And reeling. And reeling. Whatever it was, it was big! When I finally got it close to the surface, it was a big ol' turtle. Probably 10-12" worth of it. I dragged it up on shore, grabbed the pliers, and went to work getting the hook out of its mouth. Which would've been easier if it wasn't hissing and snapping and jerking its head back into its shell. I finally managed to pull its head out and got a firm but gentle hold on its neck. Popped the hook out easily enough. (Turtles don't have a lot of soft tissue around their mouths, so hooks don't go deep.) Anyway, it was a big ol' eastern river cooter. I picked it up, said hello and put it back in the water. It swam off like a bat out of hell, never - I hope - to be caught again.
Anyway, I fished there some more until I had to use the bathroom. Lucky for me, the park is open. I stopped in there but I didn't stay because the park is full of campers. I went to my old go-to spot. Good thing I did, too, because I wasn't out there ten minutes when a jet ski approached. My first thought was: asshole. My second thought as he got closer was: I wonder if he's going to ask for directions. Turns out the second was correct and not the first. He shut the ski off and shouted the name of a nearby town. Well, he was hell and gone from there and headed in the wrong direction. I got him turned around, told him where he was and how to get back to where he wanted to be. Of course, it's raining and his map was soaked to the point of near-disintegration, but I managed to find the piece that showed where we were and where he needed to be. Off he went, spraying water out the back of his infernal machine right at where I'd been standing only seconds before. (I moved because I know those damn things shoot water out the back.) He yelled an apology and off he went. I hope he made it back. :sigh: Tourists.
I did catch one more fish to bring home. Unfortunately, I also caught a sycamore and after popped my gear off in a tree I didn't feel like re-rigging. I went home instead. Cleaned the four fish and they're in the freezer.
That's it for me this week. Have a fun week and I'll see ya next Saturday.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Thursday This n That
I have two notepads on my desk that I'll probably never write in. They're too pretty.
It's been hot and grody here, but I've been going fishing anyway. I need to get out of the house and away from this computer, if only for a couple sweaty hours. I go out, I sweat, I drink a lot of water, and I come home. It's better than sitting here and slowly expanding. Be nice to catch something bigger than bait, though.
I've been having some really craptastic nights of sleep lately. Not sure what's up in my head, but as soon as it hits the pillow, it starts attacking me. As I wrote in yesterday's post, it was attacking my writing. Last night, it was attacking my parenting skills. Fun, fun.
The deer we refer to as 'the skinny twins' (aka Oliver and Annie - because we suspect they're orphans) are not so skinny anymore. Yay. They're still not fat deer, but they're on the road to recovery. They're almost up to the same size as the yearlings we call the 'not-so skinny twins'. Each set, btw, has one doe and one buck.
We have three fawns this year. A set of twins and a single. We suspect they're all from the two mature twin does who hang around here.
I have two things that aren't crossed off on my last to-do list. They're the same things that never got crossed off my last to-do list. Dusting and sending out a new newsletter. My motivation to do either is about equal.
The mice in the garage discovered the bag of sunflower seeds. So Hubs put the seeds in a tub, but the tub was cracked. He repaired it with Gorilla tape. The mice have been chewing through the Gorilla tape. So I put a bunch more traps out there, baited with peanut butter and sunflower seeds. The mice have stolen all the sunflower seeds without snapping the traps. Except for one. The last one must've had the seed stuck on there better because it got the mouse. Next time I'm at Wallyworld, I'm buying a new tub. And maybe a different bait. Do they sell sunflower butter?
And I'm spent. What's up in your this n that world today?
It's been hot and grody here, but I've been going fishing anyway. I need to get out of the house and away from this computer, if only for a couple sweaty hours. I go out, I sweat, I drink a lot of water, and I come home. It's better than sitting here and slowly expanding. Be nice to catch something bigger than bait, though.
I've been having some really craptastic nights of sleep lately. Not sure what's up in my head, but as soon as it hits the pillow, it starts attacking me. As I wrote in yesterday's post, it was attacking my writing. Last night, it was attacking my parenting skills. Fun, fun.
The deer we refer to as 'the skinny twins' (aka Oliver and Annie - because we suspect they're orphans) are not so skinny anymore. Yay. They're still not fat deer, but they're on the road to recovery. They're almost up to the same size as the yearlings we call the 'not-so skinny twins'. Each set, btw, has one doe and one buck.
We have three fawns this year. A set of twins and a single. We suspect they're all from the two mature twin does who hang around here.
I have two things that aren't crossed off on my last to-do list. They're the same things that never got crossed off my last to-do list. Dusting and sending out a new newsletter. My motivation to do either is about equal.
The mice in the garage discovered the bag of sunflower seeds. So Hubs put the seeds in a tub, but the tub was cracked. He repaired it with Gorilla tape. The mice have been chewing through the Gorilla tape. So I put a bunch more traps out there, baited with peanut butter and sunflower seeds. The mice have stolen all the sunflower seeds without snapping the traps. Except for one. The last one must've had the seed stuck on there better because it got the mouse. Next time I'm at Wallyworld, I'm buying a new tub. And maybe a different bait. Do they sell sunflower butter?
And I'm spent. What's up in your this n that world today?
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Stuff n Junk
Stuff n Junk is sort of like This n That, but it's Tuesday.
I'm totally scatterbrained right now. I could blame writing, but I don't think it's that. I could blame the heat and humidity which seems to be sapping my energy for anything but laying around. All I know is things are scattered. I thought I had a blog post written and scheduled for yesterday, but no. I have a note on my desk - PAY BILLS - which I wrote on Sunday but have not done. I really need to get my head out of my armpit.
Are there Spanish-language songs in the Top 40 right now? Two of my 'hits from today' radio stations intermittently play Spanish-language songs. It's really confusing because I don't speak Spanish and when I land on those songs it makes me wonder if 1) the radio stations changed their format in which case I would need to find new stations for those car buttons or 2) I accidentally screwed something up and landed on a Spanish-language station by mistake (we have plenty of those around here) OR 3) the gremlin who lives in my dashboard has changed my button sets again (it happens about twice a year - I'm driving down the road and my buttons are all set to stations I know damn well I didn't set them to, and it ain't Hubs doing it either).
It's tourist season here. Part of tourist season means reading about unnecessary accidents happening to foolhardy people. A teenage girl seriously injured when she flew off the tube she was riding on that was being dragged behind a boat (that was probably going way too fast). A teenage boy who rolled the golf cart he was driving on a road (who was too young to drive a car on a road and how the hell do you roll a golf cart???). The two people who were injured when their boat's gas tank blew up (who weren't paying attention to the fact that they'd spilled gas when they refueled and who were also keeping empty gas cans on their boat... Boom.) I just try to stay out of their way when I'm out and about. I hope they don't act like this in their everyday lives, but I suspect wherever they live they're a real treat for their neighbors.
I keep reminding myself that tourists are the reason the park stays open. We almost lost the park a couple years ago when the Army Corps of Engineers decided not enough people were visiting it and closed it. Lucky for me, the state took it over and reopened it. I love that park. I can fish elsewhere, but that's the only place with bathrooms, so not having it open seriously puts a crimp in my day.
Okay, that's it for me. Any stuff and junk you want to share? Any comments on my stuff and junk?
I'm totally scatterbrained right now. I could blame writing, but I don't think it's that. I could blame the heat and humidity which seems to be sapping my energy for anything but laying around. All I know is things are scattered. I thought I had a blog post written and scheduled for yesterday, but no. I have a note on my desk - PAY BILLS - which I wrote on Sunday but have not done. I really need to get my head out of my armpit.
Are there Spanish-language songs in the Top 40 right now? Two of my 'hits from today' radio stations intermittently play Spanish-language songs. It's really confusing because I don't speak Spanish and when I land on those songs it makes me wonder if 1) the radio stations changed their format in which case I would need to find new stations for those car buttons or 2) I accidentally screwed something up and landed on a Spanish-language station by mistake (we have plenty of those around here) OR 3) the gremlin who lives in my dashboard has changed my button sets again (it happens about twice a year - I'm driving down the road and my buttons are all set to stations I know damn well I didn't set them to, and it ain't Hubs doing it either).
It's tourist season here. Part of tourist season means reading about unnecessary accidents happening to foolhardy people. A teenage girl seriously injured when she flew off the tube she was riding on that was being dragged behind a boat (that was probably going way too fast). A teenage boy who rolled the golf cart he was driving on a road (who was too young to drive a car on a road and how the hell do you roll a golf cart???). The two people who were injured when their boat's gas tank blew up (who weren't paying attention to the fact that they'd spilled gas when they refueled and who were also keeping empty gas cans on their boat... Boom.) I just try to stay out of their way when I'm out and about. I hope they don't act like this in their everyday lives, but I suspect wherever they live they're a real treat for their neighbors.
I keep reminding myself that tourists are the reason the park stays open. We almost lost the park a couple years ago when the Army Corps of Engineers decided not enough people were visiting it and closed it. Lucky for me, the state took it over and reopened it. I love that park. I can fish elsewhere, but that's the only place with bathrooms, so not having it open seriously puts a crimp in my day.
Okay, that's it for me. Any stuff and junk you want to share? Any comments on my stuff and junk?
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 29
Hello again. There you are. Here I am. Thanks for stopping by my little hermitage. :waves:
Last week...
Well, I wrote a bunch of words. Then I deleted a bunch of words. Then I rewrote a bunch of words. All told, on this manuscript which last worked on in April of 2013, I've added over 17K words. About 14K of those in the last week. I'd been averaging about 2K a day until Friday when I got into a meh spot and couldn't work my way past it. A thousand words later, I gave up and went to the notebook to try and ferret out what wasn't working. I think I hit on it. Saturday went way better. And I'm ready to write the next scene tonight, so it's all good. As of last night, I was at 31K. I still hope to have this first draft done by the end of the month.
Still haven't been reading much. This sometimes happens when I'm focused on writing new words. I'll jump back into reading soon. On the bright side, I was way ahead on my reading goal for the year anyway.
It's been so hot here. Ugh. The heat index yesterday for here was 103F. I went out in the morning to get groceries and then I didn't leave the house again. Everything I have to do outside right now is getting done in the mornings or at dusk, or it's not getting done. (And the only stuff I'm doing at dusk is watering the gardens. My poor plants. =o\)
I'm also trying to do inside things first thing in the morning. I did some housework last week and I was a sweaty mess before 8am. Yuck. And that's with the AC. Gross.
The deer are all doing well despite the heat. They've got plenty of food and water. The fawns are frisky. The two thinner twins are fattening up. They all have their lovely nut-brown summer coats. It's awesome.
That's it for me. What's it for you?
Last week...
Well, I wrote a bunch of words. Then I deleted a bunch of words. Then I rewrote a bunch of words. All told, on this manuscript which last worked on in April of 2013, I've added over 17K words. About 14K of those in the last week. I'd been averaging about 2K a day until Friday when I got into a meh spot and couldn't work my way past it. A thousand words later, I gave up and went to the notebook to try and ferret out what wasn't working. I think I hit on it. Saturday went way better. And I'm ready to write the next scene tonight, so it's all good. As of last night, I was at 31K. I still hope to have this first draft done by the end of the month.
Still haven't been reading much. This sometimes happens when I'm focused on writing new words. I'll jump back into reading soon. On the bright side, I was way ahead on my reading goal for the year anyway.
It's been so hot here. Ugh. The heat index yesterday for here was 103F. I went out in the morning to get groceries and then I didn't leave the house again. Everything I have to do outside right now is getting done in the mornings or at dusk, or it's not getting done. (And the only stuff I'm doing at dusk is watering the gardens. My poor plants. =o\)
I'm also trying to do inside things first thing in the morning. I did some housework last week and I was a sweaty mess before 8am. Yuck. And that's with the AC. Gross.
The deer are all doing well despite the heat. They've got plenty of food and water. The fawns are frisky. The two thinner twins are fattening up. They all have their lovely nut-brown summer coats. It's awesome.
That's it for me. What's it for you?
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 7/22/17
Hello again. Welcome to the Saturday Fishing Report.
It's hotter than blue-billy blazes outside. Which means the water temps are around 85F. Which means the good fish are either down deep or they aren't hungry. Which means I'm not bringing home stringers full to fillet and put in the fridge.
I went out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday this past week. The park is open and the campers were minimal, so I managed to get to my favorite place in the park to fish - the ledges. And since the water level was super low last year, I know approximately where all the underwater obstructions are right there.
Still did really catch myself anything major. One keeper bluegill - 8.5", 8oz. He's filleted and in the freezer with the others until I'm ready for a fish fry. I got skunked Tuesday. Wednesday and Friday, I caught about a half dozen little panfish each day and that one keeper on Wednesday.
The really fun thing while I was out was fish and bird watching. It was like being inside my own private aquarium / aviary. So many fish of all different sizes. And the birds! So fun.
Speaking of watching fish, a curious thing happened both on Tuesday and on Wednesday between 9:30 and 10:00am. I was standing on the ledges watching my bobber when a school of bass swam by. They were only a couple feet deep and only a couple feet off the water's edge. And they totally weren't interested in my worm, which kind of stank, but what're ya gonna do? Hubs is perplexed because big fish shouldn't be that shallow in this heat, but there they were. Tuesday there were about a half dozen of them. Wednesday they doubled in number. And the biggest was a whopper. Oh, man, what I wouldn't have given to hook into that guy. Get in my belly. Here's hoping no one else catches him before I do. ;o)
I didn't see the school on Friday because I left earlier than they usually swim by. It was scorching hot by 9:30 and even the little fish had stopped biting. Bleh.
I'm not even going to suggest you try to get outside. It's gross hot right now. Monday, though. Monday it's supposed to get down into the upper 80s again. Cold snap! LOL
Have a great week, folks. See ya next time.
It's hotter than blue-billy blazes outside. Which means the water temps are around 85F. Which means the good fish are either down deep or they aren't hungry. Which means I'm not bringing home stringers full to fillet and put in the fridge.
I went out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday this past week. The park is open and the campers were minimal, so I managed to get to my favorite place in the park to fish - the ledges. And since the water level was super low last year, I know approximately where all the underwater obstructions are right there.
Still did really catch myself anything major. One keeper bluegill - 8.5", 8oz. He's filleted and in the freezer with the others until I'm ready for a fish fry. I got skunked Tuesday. Wednesday and Friday, I caught about a half dozen little panfish each day and that one keeper on Wednesday.
The really fun thing while I was out was fish and bird watching. It was like being inside my own private aquarium / aviary. So many fish of all different sizes. And the birds! So fun.
Speaking of watching fish, a curious thing happened both on Tuesday and on Wednesday between 9:30 and 10:00am. I was standing on the ledges watching my bobber when a school of bass swam by. They were only a couple feet deep and only a couple feet off the water's edge. And they totally weren't interested in my worm, which kind of stank, but what're ya gonna do? Hubs is perplexed because big fish shouldn't be that shallow in this heat, but there they were. Tuesday there were about a half dozen of them. Wednesday they doubled in number. And the biggest was a whopper. Oh, man, what I wouldn't have given to hook into that guy. Get in my belly. Here's hoping no one else catches him before I do. ;o)
I didn't see the school on Friday because I left earlier than they usually swim by. It was scorching hot by 9:30 and even the little fish had stopped biting. Bleh.
I'm not even going to suggest you try to get outside. It's gross hot right now. Monday, though. Monday it's supposed to get down into the upper 80s again. Cold snap! LOL
Have a great week, folks. See ya next time.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Thursday This n That
Got a new 5-star review for Blood Flow. Yay!
I went out fishing on Tuesday and yesterday - in my favorite spot in the park. First off, YAY! I got to be in my favorite spot in the park after almost 3 months. I had to wait for the park to reopen after the flood and then I had to wait for all the campers to depart, but I got to the ledges. Second, while I was there, on both days, I saw a school of bass swimming about a foot off the ledges. Slowly making their way south both times. The first time, they ignored my bait entirely. The second time, they got to my bait turned around and went back. In the school is the hugest bass I've ever seen that wasn't on TV. It was cool and disappointing all at the same time. I'd really like to catch that big ol' bugger.
Between the clear water and my polarized sunglasses, I can see all the fish. Big ones, little ones, itty-bitty ones. It's like my own private visit to an aquarium.
It's also like a visit to an aviary out there. So many birds. I had a kingfisher swoop down toward my bobber right in front of me. He must've thought it was something he could eat and then realized his mistake at the last minute. =o)
I really need to cut my fingernails. They're pretty long right now and it's making typing a bit of a pain in the buns. So many typos. Ugh. Back when I cared, I used to paint my nails - they've always been easy to grow and maintain. Now they're just an easy way to open packages and I guess they'd be handy for self-defense if it ever came to that. Still, off they go.
I rolled over 25K words last night. Of course, that was after deleting everything I'd done the night before. Three steps forward, one step back. It's the Writer Tango!
That's it for me. What this n that items do you have to share?
I went out fishing on Tuesday and yesterday - in my favorite spot in the park. First off, YAY! I got to be in my favorite spot in the park after almost 3 months. I had to wait for the park to reopen after the flood and then I had to wait for all the campers to depart, but I got to the ledges. Second, while I was there, on both days, I saw a school of bass swimming about a foot off the ledges. Slowly making their way south both times. The first time, they ignored my bait entirely. The second time, they got to my bait turned around and went back. In the school is the hugest bass I've ever seen that wasn't on TV. It was cool and disappointing all at the same time. I'd really like to catch that big ol' bugger.
Between the clear water and my polarized sunglasses, I can see all the fish. Big ones, little ones, itty-bitty ones. It's like my own private visit to an aquarium.
It's also like a visit to an aviary out there. So many birds. I had a kingfisher swoop down toward my bobber right in front of me. He must've thought it was something he could eat and then realized his mistake at the last minute. =o)
I really need to cut my fingernails. They're pretty long right now and it's making typing a bit of a pain in the buns. So many typos. Ugh. Back when I cared, I used to paint my nails - they've always been easy to grow and maintain. Now they're just an easy way to open packages and I guess they'd be handy for self-defense if it ever came to that. Still, off they go.
I rolled over 25K words last night. Of course, that was after deleting everything I'd done the night before. Three steps forward, one step back. It's the Writer Tango!
That's it for me. What this n that items do you have to share?
Sunday, July 16, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 28
Okay, so I messed up last week and it said Week 47 and no one noticed, including me. It's fixed now. Week 27 there, Week 28 here. Yay.
So, for the past week...
I didn't know what the hell I was going to write as of my post on Thursday. As usual, I no sooner say something like that and I resolved it. That night, I went back to a book I'd started in 2013, read the 51 pages I'd written and got to work. Wrote 3 more pages on it before I figured out something - I had taken a wrong turn at about pg 45. I gave myself a good talking to and brainstormed with myself for a while. Then I deleted back to pg 45 and started forward again on a better path. As of last night I'm up to pg 61 and 16699 words. It's all good, baby. (And I didn't really delete those pages. Snipped and in a file. I rarely delete anything substantial.)
What book was it? Oh, that. Sleeping Ugly. It's about a gal on the rise toward becoming a supermodel when she does something that gets her cursed. Every morning she wakes up ugly. She gets prettier over the course of the day, but midnight hits and BAM - ugly. Then the one night stand she was with that night shows up, and he's cursed, too. Yep, ugly - from sunset to sunrise. Together they have to figure out who cursed them and why and how to get rid of the curse. Which would be hard enough by itself except the police are looking at her as a suspect in the disappearance of her estranged brother.
I'm pretty excited.
I haven't really done much else this past week. Fished some. Did some yard work. Watered the gardens. Shopped for groceries.
I finished the anthology I was working on - Masterpieces of Mystery and Suspense. It had some really good stories in it. And some dogs that I didn't finish reading. And one or two meh pieces I read all the way through but meh. Up next? No clue. I'm writing again, so that takes precedence.
Oh, and I got copies of Natural Causes. They look awesome. I should be announcing a contest for one of those soon. Speaking of contests, you can enter to win a free copy of Up Wish Creek thru Goodreads starting tomorrow. It'll be open until the end of the month, so you have plenty of time.
That's about it for me today. What's up in your world.
So, for the past week...
I didn't know what the hell I was going to write as of my post on Thursday. As usual, I no sooner say something like that and I resolved it. That night, I went back to a book I'd started in 2013, read the 51 pages I'd written and got to work. Wrote 3 more pages on it before I figured out something - I had taken a wrong turn at about pg 45. I gave myself a good talking to and brainstormed with myself for a while. Then I deleted back to pg 45 and started forward again on a better path. As of last night I'm up to pg 61 and 16699 words. It's all good, baby. (And I didn't really delete those pages. Snipped and in a file. I rarely delete anything substantial.)
What book was it? Oh, that. Sleeping Ugly. It's about a gal on the rise toward becoming a supermodel when she does something that gets her cursed. Every morning she wakes up ugly. She gets prettier over the course of the day, but midnight hits and BAM - ugly. Then the one night stand she was with that night shows up, and he's cursed, too. Yep, ugly - from sunset to sunrise. Together they have to figure out who cursed them and why and how to get rid of the curse. Which would be hard enough by itself except the police are looking at her as a suspect in the disappearance of her estranged brother.
I'm pretty excited.
I haven't really done much else this past week. Fished some. Did some yard work. Watered the gardens. Shopped for groceries.
I finished the anthology I was working on - Masterpieces of Mystery and Suspense. It had some really good stories in it. And some dogs that I didn't finish reading. And one or two meh pieces I read all the way through but meh. Up next? No clue. I'm writing again, so that takes precedence.
Oh, and I got copies of Natural Causes. They look awesome. I should be announcing a contest for one of those soon. Speaking of contests, you can enter to win a free copy of Up Wish Creek thru Goodreads starting tomorrow. It'll be open until the end of the month, so you have plenty of time.
That's about it for me today. What's up in your world.
Saturday, July 15, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 7/15/17
Hello again and welcome to the Saturday Fishing Report. This week is less about my fishing and more about fishing related things I've heard or seen in the news.
First, me. I went out Monday morning. The park was packed, so I moved north to a boat ramp area on the main lake. Didn't catch a thing. I did have a nice conversation with a couple who were pulling their boat in for the morning, though.
Thursday morning. It was hot and sunny. I went to the park and fished in the cove where I caught that 12.5" smallmouth. Nothing was biting. Had a nice chat with an older gentleman who was camping with his grandchildren. Then I moved to my go-to area. My favorite spot was full sun, so I moved over to the cove there, too. Tiny fish were stripping my worms like crazy without even moving the bobber, so I went deeper and farther out. They were moving my bobber out there, but I wasn't sealing the deal until I went with a small hook. Caught 4 tiny bluegills, so it wasn't a skunker day.
Now for other news...
While I was chatting with those nice folks on Monday, the gentleman happened to mention how he was doing 70 (mph, I assume) up the lake coming back when he saw a large log floating in the middle of the lake. He told me the story in relation to the fact that there is still a lot of junk floating in the lake, despite the fact that the water is coming down. I really didn't think much about it until I saw a news story yesterday - an angler had taken his wife and daughter out for some late fishing when they were struck by another boat. The other boat had two tournament contestants zooming back to make weigh-in. Both the stationary boat with the family and the tournament boat had their safety lights on, so it wasn't like the tournament boat couldn't see - plus it happened just before 9pm and since it's still light here at 9pm, I'm guessing this lake in TX (west of here) is still light at 9pm. But I assume, the tournment boat driver was so intent on making it back for the weigh-in, he didn't pay attention to the lake in front of him. Anyway, the father was killed and the mother was injured. The tournament guys were thrown into the water, but they're fine. The 10-yr old daughter was the only one uninjured and sensible enough to call 911.
Which brings me around to my point. Slow the fuck down. It's not the International Speedway out there. There are no lanes. People drive their boats all over in all directions, and sometimes they park right in the middle of the lake. Plus, there might be floating logs in the way.
Also, this morning, I saw a news story about two heinous assholes stealing fishing gear over the 4th of July weekend. They recovered like 100+ fishing poles, 50+ tackle boxes, and assorted fish finders. WTF? We've had occasional reports of gear thefts here. If it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it. Derp.
Now, I carry gear in my car. Two poles and a tackle box. One pole and the tackle box go with me. The backup pole stays in the car. It's worthless. It's a 5.5" pole from the 1970s with a beat up old Daiwa spincaster on it. The bale doesn't close on its own. You have to hold the line against the pole when you cast or it falls all over the ground. But I know how to work it, so it works for me as a backup. Don't break into my car to steal it. No one will pay you anything for it.
And that's it for me for now. Go, get out in the world sometime this week - some morning if it's too hot otherwise. See ya next time.
First, me. I went out Monday morning. The park was packed, so I moved north to a boat ramp area on the main lake. Didn't catch a thing. I did have a nice conversation with a couple who were pulling their boat in for the morning, though.
Thursday morning. It was hot and sunny. I went to the park and fished in the cove where I caught that 12.5" smallmouth. Nothing was biting. Had a nice chat with an older gentleman who was camping with his grandchildren. Then I moved to my go-to area. My favorite spot was full sun, so I moved over to the cove there, too. Tiny fish were stripping my worms like crazy without even moving the bobber, so I went deeper and farther out. They were moving my bobber out there, but I wasn't sealing the deal until I went with a small hook. Caught 4 tiny bluegills, so it wasn't a skunker day.
Now for other news...
While I was chatting with those nice folks on Monday, the gentleman happened to mention how he was doing 70 (mph, I assume) up the lake coming back when he saw a large log floating in the middle of the lake. He told me the story in relation to the fact that there is still a lot of junk floating in the lake, despite the fact that the water is coming down. I really didn't think much about it until I saw a news story yesterday - an angler had taken his wife and daughter out for some late fishing when they were struck by another boat. The other boat had two tournament contestants zooming back to make weigh-in. Both the stationary boat with the family and the tournament boat had their safety lights on, so it wasn't like the tournament boat couldn't see - plus it happened just before 9pm and since it's still light here at 9pm, I'm guessing this lake in TX (west of here) is still light at 9pm. But I assume, the tournment boat driver was so intent on making it back for the weigh-in, he didn't pay attention to the lake in front of him. Anyway, the father was killed and the mother was injured. The tournament guys were thrown into the water, but they're fine. The 10-yr old daughter was the only one uninjured and sensible enough to call 911.
Which brings me around to my point. Slow the fuck down. It's not the International Speedway out there. There are no lanes. People drive their boats all over in all directions, and sometimes they park right in the middle of the lake. Plus, there might be floating logs in the way.
Also, this morning, I saw a news story about two heinous assholes stealing fishing gear over the 4th of July weekend. They recovered like 100+ fishing poles, 50+ tackle boxes, and assorted fish finders. WTF? We've had occasional reports of gear thefts here. If it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it. Derp.
Now, I carry gear in my car. Two poles and a tackle box. One pole and the tackle box go with me. The backup pole stays in the car. It's worthless. It's a 5.5" pole from the 1970s with a beat up old Daiwa spincaster on it. The bale doesn't close on its own. You have to hold the line against the pole when you cast or it falls all over the ground. But I know how to work it, so it works for me as a backup. Don't break into my car to steal it. No one will pay you anything for it.
And that's it for me for now. Go, get out in the world sometime this week - some morning if it's too hot otherwise. See ya next time.
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Thursday This n That
I have absolutely no idea what to write next.
I saw one of those things on FB this morning 'If you could spend the rest of your life on the beach, who would you spend it with?' My first thought was 'Hubs'. Second thought? 'Ew, the rest of my life on a beach?' I hate sand. It gets into EVERYTHING and it seems like no matter how hard you try, you can't get rid of it all. I think this stems from when my daughter was young and would come home from school covered in sand because the dips there would let her sit in the sand box at recess and cover herself with sand and then I'd have to deal with it when I got home from work.
Because we've arrived at the hot part of summer, Hubs and I are tag-teaming when we mow the lawn. He does some, then I do some, until we're done. It's good exercise, but I really hate our lawn mower. :shrug: When it dies eventually somewhere down the road, I'm buying a cheap ass light lawn mower without all the fancy shit. I miss the days of not having to hold that bar to keep it running and that other bar to engage the thing that's supposed to make it easier to push but just ends up stalling out the mower on hills. (And our yard is about a third of an acre and all hill, so you can imagine.)
Hubs spoils me by bringing the coffee pot into the office and topping off my mug whenever it gets low. Sometimes I notice my cup is getting low, but rather than get up off my buns, I wait for him. =oO
I'm reading this huge anthology of mystery and suspense short stories (650 pages worth). So far, the stories are pretty good except for a couple. The Stephen King one was boring, And another one by some gal I'd never heard of started off bashing cops, so I skipped it. I mean, I did start reading it, but the whole time I couldn't stop thinking about the bashing cops thing, so I DNF'd it and moved on. Life's too short. And that review by the little girl I talked about in another post? I read one of the stories she mentioned. It was a good story, but yeah, not for 11-12 year old girls.
I skidded past sunrise writing this post, but I really do want to go fishing this morning. Now I have to wait until the sun gets a smidgen higher so it's not right in my eyes while I'm driving. I hate that, too. ;o)
Okay, that's it for me. Any comments? What have you got on your this n that list today?
I saw one of those things on FB this morning 'If you could spend the rest of your life on the beach, who would you spend it with?' My first thought was 'Hubs'. Second thought? 'Ew, the rest of my life on a beach?' I hate sand. It gets into EVERYTHING and it seems like no matter how hard you try, you can't get rid of it all. I think this stems from when my daughter was young and would come home from school covered in sand because the dips there would let her sit in the sand box at recess and cover herself with sand and then I'd have to deal with it when I got home from work.
Because we've arrived at the hot part of summer, Hubs and I are tag-teaming when we mow the lawn. He does some, then I do some, until we're done. It's good exercise, but I really hate our lawn mower. :shrug: When it dies eventually somewhere down the road, I'm buying a cheap ass light lawn mower without all the fancy shit. I miss the days of not having to hold that bar to keep it running and that other bar to engage the thing that's supposed to make it easier to push but just ends up stalling out the mower on hills. (And our yard is about a third of an acre and all hill, so you can imagine.)
Hubs spoils me by bringing the coffee pot into the office and topping off my mug whenever it gets low. Sometimes I notice my cup is getting low, but rather than get up off my buns, I wait for him. =oO
I'm reading this huge anthology of mystery and suspense short stories (650 pages worth). So far, the stories are pretty good except for a couple. The Stephen King one was boring, And another one by some gal I'd never heard of started off bashing cops, so I skipped it. I mean, I did start reading it, but the whole time I couldn't stop thinking about the bashing cops thing, so I DNF'd it and moved on. Life's too short. And that review by the little girl I talked about in another post? I read one of the stories she mentioned. It was a good story, but yeah, not for 11-12 year old girls.
I skidded past sunrise writing this post, but I really do want to go fishing this morning. Now I have to wait until the sun gets a smidgen higher so it's not right in my eyes while I'm driving. I hate that, too. ;o)
Okay, that's it for me. Any comments? What have you got on your this n that list today?
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Prime Day
Last week as I was driving down to Wallyworld, I listened to a couple radio announcers bantering back and forth about Amazon Prime. The guy was saying how he'd signed up for Prime under their '30 days Free' campaign and then, because he didn't cancel before the 30 days were up, he got charged $120 for the whole year. And now he can't cancel because he can't remember his password.
The gal was telling him all the awesome things he could do with his Prime account. None of which, he assured her, he would ever actually use. Free two-day shipping, which was the reason he signed up in the first place, was pointless for him. He told her he doesn't spend $120 a year on shipping for Amazon, so it wasn't worth it. And he rarely ever needs anything inside of 2 days.
Why he ever signed up for it in the first place? I missed that part. And I'm not sure what the resolution ended up being because I got bored and changed the station.
Today is Amazon Prime day. Apparently, if you're paying for Prime (or sign up for their free 30 days promotion right now), today you'll have access to all kinds of discounts and sales and special offers. I'm with the radio dude. I have no use for it. Right now, I have everything I want or need, so even browsing their sales and what have ya wouldn't do me any good.
I heard other stores are also supposed to be having sales extravaganzas today, so check your favorites and see what they have. You might find some deals elsewhere without a Prime membership. If you're into that thing.
I used to be. Believe me. I'd see a sale and I was SO there. Even if I didn't need what was being sold. Even if I didn't really have the money. (That's what credit cards were for, doncha know.) I reined all that in years ago. Now, if I don't need it, I don't get it. And if I don't have the money, I don't get it even if I think I need it. Which is probably why I'm driving a 2003 Cavalier.
Okay, I have to admit, I'm still pretty sale-driven when it comes to food. I probably didn't really need that packet of single serve coffee things, but it was marked down 20% in the clearance area, and I do love me some flavored coffee. Hazelnut. Yum.
Hello. My name is B.E. and I have a shopping problem. It's been years since my last binge shopping trip...
Which is why I'm avoiding shopping today. So, if you're a Prime member, have at it. If you're not and you want to still catch the sales, sign up for the 30-day thing - just remember to cancel unless you want to be billed like that radio dude. I heard today is supposed to be the biggest shopping day next to Black Friday. I'll be here, sitting in my cabin.
Speaking of sales, what's the best deal you ever got on anything? I found this awesome dress once for $3. It looked like nothing on the hanger, but when I put it on, I was a goddess. I loved that dress.
The gal was telling him all the awesome things he could do with his Prime account. None of which, he assured her, he would ever actually use. Free two-day shipping, which was the reason he signed up in the first place, was pointless for him. He told her he doesn't spend $120 a year on shipping for Amazon, so it wasn't worth it. And he rarely ever needs anything inside of 2 days.
Why he ever signed up for it in the first place? I missed that part. And I'm not sure what the resolution ended up being because I got bored and changed the station.
Today is Amazon Prime day. Apparently, if you're paying for Prime (or sign up for their free 30 days promotion right now), today you'll have access to all kinds of discounts and sales and special offers. I'm with the radio dude. I have no use for it. Right now, I have everything I want or need, so even browsing their sales and what have ya wouldn't do me any good.
I heard other stores are also supposed to be having sales extravaganzas today, so check your favorites and see what they have. You might find some deals elsewhere without a Prime membership. If you're into that thing.
I used to be. Believe me. I'd see a sale and I was SO there. Even if I didn't need what was being sold. Even if I didn't really have the money. (That's what credit cards were for, doncha know.) I reined all that in years ago. Now, if I don't need it, I don't get it. And if I don't have the money, I don't get it even if I think I need it. Which is probably why I'm driving a 2003 Cavalier.
Okay, I have to admit, I'm still pretty sale-driven when it comes to food. I probably didn't really need that packet of single serve coffee things, but it was marked down 20% in the clearance area, and I do love me some flavored coffee. Hazelnut. Yum.
Hello. My name is B.E. and I have a shopping problem. It's been years since my last binge shopping trip...
Which is why I'm avoiding shopping today. So, if you're a Prime member, have at it. If you're not and you want to still catch the sales, sign up for the 30-day thing - just remember to cancel unless you want to be billed like that radio dude. I heard today is supposed to be the biggest shopping day next to Black Friday. I'll be here, sitting in my cabin.
Speaking of sales, what's the best deal you ever got on anything? I found this awesome dress once for $3. It looked like nothing on the hanger, but when I put it on, I was a goddess. I loved that dress.
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 27
Hey All. My eyes are full of grit and I'm kind of brain fried. And the coffee is working its magic sloooow this morning. But here we are...
After a few days of marathon editing, the end is in sight. As of the time of this posting, I have 5 pages of edit notes spanning the last 72 manuscript pages left to go. Considering I wound up with 19 pages of edit notes, I'm gonna say it's a definite possibility I will be finished by tonight. I don't think there's anything major left to do. Could be wrong. Like I said, I'm brain fried.
In other news, the paperback copies of Up Wish Creek arrived. I was going to set up a Goodreads contest, but I discovered I never set up a paperback page for that book. That has to be done first and right now, it's on a back burner. Monday, I'll do that and set one up for Natural Causes. Then I'll set up a contest for UWC. Once the NC copies arrive, there'll be a contest for one of those, too.
Speaking of contests, Deb Salisbury will have a copy of Blood Flow headed her way once she confirms her address via besanderson at gmail dot com. It's a copy with the original cover, which I still think is totally cool. I just had to change it to match the ebook cover, which I changed to be more 'in line' with what readers are expecting to see on a political suspense cover these days. Anyway, congratulations Deb!
I didn't do any reading last week because of the looming deadline thing. I fully expect to be reading tomorrow. First up, Silver James' latest Harlequin - Claiming the Cowgirl's Baby.
I managed one good morning of fishing.
And lastly, not but leastly, we saw the first fawn of the year last Sunday. Since then, we've seen two others - twins. Here's the single:
That's not the back of her mother, btw. Mom's off to the right. That's her older sister - a 2016 model.
Well, that's it for me this week. Whazzup with you?
After a few days of marathon editing, the end is in sight. As of the time of this posting, I have 5 pages of edit notes spanning the last 72 manuscript pages left to go. Considering I wound up with 19 pages of edit notes, I'm gonna say it's a definite possibility I will be finished by tonight. I don't think there's anything major left to do. Could be wrong. Like I said, I'm brain fried.
In other news, the paperback copies of Up Wish Creek arrived. I was going to set up a Goodreads contest, but I discovered I never set up a paperback page for that book. That has to be done first and right now, it's on a back burner. Monday, I'll do that and set one up for Natural Causes. Then I'll set up a contest for UWC. Once the NC copies arrive, there'll be a contest for one of those, too.
Speaking of contests, Deb Salisbury will have a copy of Blood Flow headed her way once she confirms her address via besanderson at gmail dot com. It's a copy with the original cover, which I still think is totally cool. I just had to change it to match the ebook cover, which I changed to be more 'in line' with what readers are expecting to see on a political suspense cover these days. Anyway, congratulations Deb!
 |
| New Cover |
 |
| Original Cover |
I didn't do any reading last week because of the looming deadline thing. I fully expect to be reading tomorrow. First up, Silver James' latest Harlequin - Claiming the Cowgirl's Baby.
I managed one good morning of fishing.
And lastly, not but leastly, we saw the first fawn of the year last Sunday. Since then, we've seen two others - twins. Here's the single:
Well, that's it for me this week. Whazzup with you?
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 7/8/17
Welcome to the Saturday Fishing Report.
Well, it was another hot and wet week in the Ozarks. The spawn is over and the lake level is holding steady at about 920-921ft.
I really only got one good day fishing. I went out twice, but the first time was a bust and I didn't even get the rods out of the car. I went out Monday. The park was open, but it was packed, and I was too chicken to try any other places for fear they were also packed with holiday weekenders. Plus, I got a late start, so going anywhere else would've put me that much more past the time of good morning fishing.
Then I went to the park on Thursday morning. It was about 50% less packed than Monday. I tried a couple spots on the creek side. Got a few bites, but those were worm-stealing panfish. Then I went over to the lake side, where all the campers were. I found a camper-free spot in a cove, parked the car, and fished from the parking spot. Sat right on my car. It was kind of awesome. Caught three little punkinseeds and one 12.5" smallmouth. I also managed to attract what felt like every kid in the park. They'd ask 'did you catch anything?' as they walked or rode their bikes past me. Sometimes they stopped for longer conversation periods. When several of them stopped after I'd put the smallmouth back, I told them about it. One boy who seemed about 10 years old informed me that largemouth only have to be 8" to keep. I set him straight - nicely, of course. All bass have to be 15" on this lake. No exceptions. He looked embarrassed and a little shocked. Poor kid. Some adult somewhere must've steered him wrong.
Which brings me around to an important point. Kids look to the adults for guidance in anything. In this case, the legality of keeping the fish they just caught. He didn't just pull the number 8 out of the sky. Somehow or other, he learned from someone that was the size of a keeper largemouth. Shame on them. Shame on them if they steered him wrong and shame on them if they told him 8" was okay because they were ignorant of the fishing laws in this area. (I don't think 8" is a keeper bass in any area, but I could be wrong. Except rock bass, maybe, and those aren't really bass anyway.) And shame on them if they allowed him to keep a too small fish because they didn't want him to feel bad about throwing it back. Before you go fishing in a strange area, learn the rules. Teach kids the rules. And obey the rules in front of children, so they learn to be upstanding fishermen, too.
Well, that's it for me today. Have a great week and spend some time outdoors if you can. Also, take a kid fishing if you can. Kids and fishing go great together.
Well, it was another hot and wet week in the Ozarks. The spawn is over and the lake level is holding steady at about 920-921ft.
I really only got one good day fishing. I went out twice, but the first time was a bust and I didn't even get the rods out of the car. I went out Monday. The park was open, but it was packed, and I was too chicken to try any other places for fear they were also packed with holiday weekenders. Plus, I got a late start, so going anywhere else would've put me that much more past the time of good morning fishing.
Then I went to the park on Thursday morning. It was about 50% less packed than Monday. I tried a couple spots on the creek side. Got a few bites, but those were worm-stealing panfish. Then I went over to the lake side, where all the campers were. I found a camper-free spot in a cove, parked the car, and fished from the parking spot. Sat right on my car. It was kind of awesome. Caught three little punkinseeds and one 12.5" smallmouth. I also managed to attract what felt like every kid in the park. They'd ask 'did you catch anything?' as they walked or rode their bikes past me. Sometimes they stopped for longer conversation periods. When several of them stopped after I'd put the smallmouth back, I told them about it. One boy who seemed about 10 years old informed me that largemouth only have to be 8" to keep. I set him straight - nicely, of course. All bass have to be 15" on this lake. No exceptions. He looked embarrassed and a little shocked. Poor kid. Some adult somewhere must've steered him wrong.
Which brings me around to an important point. Kids look to the adults for guidance in anything. In this case, the legality of keeping the fish they just caught. He didn't just pull the number 8 out of the sky. Somehow or other, he learned from someone that was the size of a keeper largemouth. Shame on them. Shame on them if they steered him wrong and shame on them if they told him 8" was okay because they were ignorant of the fishing laws in this area. (I don't think 8" is a keeper bass in any area, but I could be wrong. Except rock bass, maybe, and those aren't really bass anyway.) And shame on them if they allowed him to keep a too small fish because they didn't want him to feel bad about throwing it back. Before you go fishing in a strange area, learn the rules. Teach kids the rules. And obey the rules in front of children, so they learn to be upstanding fishermen, too.
Well, that's it for me today. Have a great week and spend some time outdoors if you can. Also, take a kid fishing if you can. Kids and fishing go great together.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Thursday This n That
I love it when Kira walks into a room we've just left and meows like she's been abandoned. We're in the next room, silly. Now that we're back to our regular places, she's laying on the floor next to me purring.
I spent a large chunk of yesterday making edit notes. Halfway through now and 9 pages worth of notes. To be done and entered by Sunday night. Realizing that, I started working on entering the notes last night. Two hours, two pages worth of notes finished. This weekend might be a marathon. This morning, though, I'm probably going fishing.
Yesterday was a weird day. It would pour rain for an hour and then be totally sunny for 30-45 minutes. Then it would pour again. Then sun again. Off and on, all afternoon. The sun sparkling off the raindrops on the cedar tree was beautiful, though.
I saw someone on FB this morning saying something about how someone in a hotel fitness room had snotted off to him about him showing of his 'macho-ness'. Dude was working out in a place designed for working out, for petesakes. I'm constantly amazed at the rude shit people say to perfect strangers in public. Maybe I was just raised better. :shrug:
Okay, enough of this falderal and ballyhoo. I'm off to drown some worms. What's up with you?
I spent a large chunk of yesterday making edit notes. Halfway through now and 9 pages worth of notes. To be done and entered by Sunday night. Realizing that, I started working on entering the notes last night. Two hours, two pages worth of notes finished. This weekend might be a marathon. This morning, though, I'm probably going fishing.
Yesterday was a weird day. It would pour rain for an hour and then be totally sunny for 30-45 minutes. Then it would pour again. Then sun again. Off and on, all afternoon. The sun sparkling off the raindrops on the cedar tree was beautiful, though.
I saw someone on FB this morning saying something about how someone in a hotel fitness room had snotted off to him about him showing of his 'macho-ness'. Dude was working out in a place designed for working out, for petesakes. I'm constantly amazed at the rude shit people say to perfect strangers in public. Maybe I was just raised better. :shrug:
Okay, enough of this falderal and ballyhoo. I'm off to drown some worms. What's up with you?
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Happy Independence Day
This copy of the Declaration of Independence is hanging on my office wall. All I have to do is look to the right and there it is, reminding me of our freedom every day.
Happy Independence Day. Celebrate your freedoms, today and every day.
Personally, I have work to do today, if I want any chance of getting this manuscript to my editor on time. Isn't it a wonderful thing? I'm free to write and to work and to publish my books. I'm free to work on a holiday if I choose to do so. No one's going to stop me. No one's even going to try. And that's freakin' awesome. Yay for the U.S. of A.!
What are you up to today?
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 26
Here we are at halfway through the year. Time flies, eh?
Okay, so for the halfway week of the year, here's how it went down...
I'm motoring my way through the edit notes on the 2nd draft of Wish Hits the Fan. Oh my god, it's so bad. Well, not bad, per se. The story is still awesome. The writing? Definitely needs a lot of work before any other human sets eyes upon it. Not sure exactly where I'm at in it - since I'm working off the Kindle and I don't remember the last percent number and I'm too lazy to walk across the house - but I'm getting there. Plan is to have these notes done and input into the manuscript, so I can send this off to JC on the 9th. Still on target for a September release, good lord willin' and the creek don't rise.
I ordered copies of Up Wish Creek and they've shipped. I also have proof copies coming of the new Blood Flow cover and of the print copy of Natural Causes. Once those get approved, they'll be available for sale and I'll order copies. Why I'm doing this when I haven't sold a print copy in a long freakin' time? I'll write about that tomorrow on Outside the Box.
Not sure what's up next for actual writing. I should be finishing Early Grave, but the current social climate in America is making that an uncomfortable proposition. And I'm a coward. I mean, I should be able to write about whatever I damn well please, but the people on the other side are scary and I don't want them visiting my house. Know what I mean?
I did some fishing last week. It's getting too hot and too summer-peopley to be out for too long. If you read yesterday's Fishing Report, I did go out and I did drive by the park. It was still closed. The bait shop gal told me the opening was planned for noon. Ugh. I fished elsewhere for an hour. But the river traffic was annoying and the fish weren't biting anyway.
I've been reading stories from Masterpieces of Mystery and Suspense. It's a big anthology of short stories, so it's taking a while. I think I'm about a third of the way through. It's been a good break from longer stories and loads of fun. I read a story, wander off and do other stuff, then read another story. All without having to maintain the thread of a whole book in my head.
Well, I think that's about it. Enjoy your Independence Day holiday if you're here, enjoy Canada Day if you're up there, and otherwise, enjoy your week.
Okay, so for the halfway week of the year, here's how it went down...
I'm motoring my way through the edit notes on the 2nd draft of Wish Hits the Fan. Oh my god, it's so bad. Well, not bad, per se. The story is still awesome. The writing? Definitely needs a lot of work before any other human sets eyes upon it. Not sure exactly where I'm at in it - since I'm working off the Kindle and I don't remember the last percent number and I'm too lazy to walk across the house - but I'm getting there. Plan is to have these notes done and input into the manuscript, so I can send this off to JC on the 9th. Still on target for a September release, good lord willin' and the creek don't rise.
I ordered copies of Up Wish Creek and they've shipped. I also have proof copies coming of the new Blood Flow cover and of the print copy of Natural Causes. Once those get approved, they'll be available for sale and I'll order copies. Why I'm doing this when I haven't sold a print copy in a long freakin' time? I'll write about that tomorrow on Outside the Box.
Not sure what's up next for actual writing. I should be finishing Early Grave, but the current social climate in America is making that an uncomfortable proposition. And I'm a coward. I mean, I should be able to write about whatever I damn well please, but the people on the other side are scary and I don't want them visiting my house. Know what I mean?
I did some fishing last week. It's getting too hot and too summer-peopley to be out for too long. If you read yesterday's Fishing Report, I did go out and I did drive by the park. It was still closed. The bait shop gal told me the opening was planned for noon. Ugh. I fished elsewhere for an hour. But the river traffic was annoying and the fish weren't biting anyway.
I've been reading stories from Masterpieces of Mystery and Suspense. It's a big anthology of short stories, so it's taking a while. I think I'm about a third of the way through. It's been a good break from longer stories and loads of fun. I read a story, wander off and do other stuff, then read another story. All without having to maintain the thread of a whole book in my head.
Well, I think that's about it. Enjoy your Independence Day holiday if you're here, enjoy Canada Day if you're up there, and otherwise, enjoy your week.
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Satuday Fishing Report - 7/1/17
Hey all. Welcome back to the Saturday Fishing Report.
I managed to get out to the lake three times last week. First thing in the morning because it gets up near 10am and it's too hot for the fish to bite. And for me to stand out there in the sun. Whoof.
Sunday - got out early and went to my 'main lake' spot. The water level has decreased sufficiently so that I can get back by the ledges and still be able to cast without hooking trees. The ledges are, of course, still underwater, though. Saw a lot of fish jumping but the water temp is driving the bigguns into deeper water than I can cast to and the ones that are in shallow aren't interested in worms. Did catch a nice, fat 8.5" bluegill. He's in the freezer.
Tuesday - went to my old go-to spot. The water is almost out of the parking lot now, so fishing there is a little iffy because there aren't many spots to cast past the trees. The ledges there are beginning to open up, though, so I tried that. First thing in the morning there is hard because it's full sun. Little fish stole my worms and I was getting hot, so I moved to the cove side where there was still mostly shade. Caught a 17" channel cat. Funny thing about that... I'd never caught a catfish before, so I had to call Hubs on the cellphone and ask him which parts were the ouchie parts. Once that was settled, I couldn't find a place to pop the stringer through its mouth, so I let it go. After I put it back, I thought of several ways I could've kept him. Oh well, live and learn.
Thursday - Back to the cove at the go-to spot. Got out there about quarter to eight, but the fish weren't biting. Well, fish big enough to actually get on my hook weren't biting. Little fish were hammering the hell out of my bait and stealing the worms. I did that until a little after nine and then I packed all the stuff back in the car. Then I grabbed a garbage bag and started cleaning. Some dipstick camper person had left a pile of trash in one of the old parking spots. I picked all that up. Then some other dipshits - or maybe the same one - had left fireworks trash all over the ledges. I picked all that up. Then I walked the water's edge in the parking lot and picked all that garbage up - including the top to someone's bikini. (I don't want to know.) Filled a big black plastic bag with the detritus of inconsiderate morons. I don't want to think about how trashed the parks will be after this holiday weekend because people, in general, are pigs.
In happier news, there's a rumor floating around that the park will be open starting today. Yay! I miss the park. I haven't been in there since the day before the big rain. April 28th was the last time I was in there. Of course, it'll probably be crawling with people this weekend, but I am sorely tempted. Tune in next week to see if I braved the crowds to get into my park.
Until then, have a great week and an enjoyable holiday. And I hope y'all get to spend some time outdoors.
I managed to get out to the lake three times last week. First thing in the morning because it gets up near 10am and it's too hot for the fish to bite. And for me to stand out there in the sun. Whoof.
Sunday - got out early and went to my 'main lake' spot. The water level has decreased sufficiently so that I can get back by the ledges and still be able to cast without hooking trees. The ledges are, of course, still underwater, though. Saw a lot of fish jumping but the water temp is driving the bigguns into deeper water than I can cast to and the ones that are in shallow aren't interested in worms. Did catch a nice, fat 8.5" bluegill. He's in the freezer.
Tuesday - went to my old go-to spot. The water is almost out of the parking lot now, so fishing there is a little iffy because there aren't many spots to cast past the trees. The ledges there are beginning to open up, though, so I tried that. First thing in the morning there is hard because it's full sun. Little fish stole my worms and I was getting hot, so I moved to the cove side where there was still mostly shade. Caught a 17" channel cat. Funny thing about that... I'd never caught a catfish before, so I had to call Hubs on the cellphone and ask him which parts were the ouchie parts. Once that was settled, I couldn't find a place to pop the stringer through its mouth, so I let it go. After I put it back, I thought of several ways I could've kept him. Oh well, live and learn.
Thursday - Back to the cove at the go-to spot. Got out there about quarter to eight, but the fish weren't biting. Well, fish big enough to actually get on my hook weren't biting. Little fish were hammering the hell out of my bait and stealing the worms. I did that until a little after nine and then I packed all the stuff back in the car. Then I grabbed a garbage bag and started cleaning. Some dipstick camper person had left a pile of trash in one of the old parking spots. I picked all that up. Then some other dipshits - or maybe the same one - had left fireworks trash all over the ledges. I picked all that up. Then I walked the water's edge in the parking lot and picked all that garbage up - including the top to someone's bikini. (I don't want to know.) Filled a big black plastic bag with the detritus of inconsiderate morons. I don't want to think about how trashed the parks will be after this holiday weekend because people, in general, are pigs.
In happier news, there's a rumor floating around that the park will be open starting today. Yay! I miss the park. I haven't been in there since the day before the big rain. April 28th was the last time I was in there. Of course, it'll probably be crawling with people this weekend, but I am sorely tempted. Tune in next week to see if I braved the crowds to get into my park.
Until then, have a great week and an enjoyable holiday. And I hope y'all get to spend some time outdoors.
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