I'm not good with remembering what day it is anymore. Not for the whole day, anyway.
I hate talking to customer service. Anywhere. But I volunteer to do it because better me than my loved ones. I mean, I did phone stuff for work from my telemarketing job in college to my secretarial job right before I quit working for other people and began writing seriously. About 14 years worth. I've encountered just about every kind of call - irate people, ignorant people, heavily-accented people, argumentative people, and, lest you think all phone calls are bad, incredibly competent people. So, it just makes sense for to throw myself on that grenade, ya know?
Anyone else ever notice that Hallmark sympathy cards are $2-3 more expensive than similar sized birthday cards? If that don't just cork your tomaters. Freakin' gouging. Really makes me think less of Hallmark, lemme tell ya.
They're having a big 'pick up trash around the lake' day on Saturday. Umm... Yah. They do this every year. One day where everyone goes and picks up trash. The sponsoring organization provides trash bags and bottles of water and has dumpsters set around so people can throw the trash somewhere other than their own garbage cans. I find this mildly irritating. It's something I do all the time. But if I go sign up, I can do it on Saturday and get pats on the head and free stuff. Oh well, at least someone else will be doing something, if only for one day. I have encountered others like me, picking up trash on a regular basis, and I say kudos to them. Kudos to us all, I guess. I'd just like it all better if people would quit leaving trash all over the damn place so we all wouldn't have to pick up after them. Jus' sayin'.
We're cereal mixers here. My go-to is half Honey Bunches of Oats and half Life. Hubs prefers Honey Bunches of Oats and Crunch Berries. Sometimes Cheerios end up in there somewhere. Sometimes I put a peach cup in mine (after I slurp the juice out).
Well, that's it for me. Any this-n-that for you today?
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
Doncha Hate It?
Doncha hate it when you get home from the store and realize you forgot something really important? Exacerbated by the fact you live 20 miles from the store? So you have to schedule another trip?
Doncha hate it when you spell a word so wrong that Word has no clue and only offers up SCATTERBRAINED as a suggestion?
Doncha hate it when you forget to put coffee in the coffee maker and end up with a pot of hot water?
Doncha hate it when you think you're hilarious, but no one else gets it, so they look at you like you're nuts?
Doncha hate it when you walk out of the house with your t-shirt on inside out?
Doncha hate it when other people hate a book you loved?
Doncha hate it when you go to say one word but another word pops out of your mouth and everyone looks at you like you're nuts?
Doncha hate it when you're dressed to go out and you look awesome and then the cat walks by and magically throws cat hair all over your black outfit?
Doncha hate it when you're way out somewhere and you rip a hole in the seat of your pants?
Doncha hate it when you decided to go commando that day?
Doncha hate it when you call someone by the wrong name? "Hi, Connie! ... Oh, oops, I mean Claudia."*
What's a 'doncha hate it' for you?
*In my defense there, Claudia really reminds me of someone I used to know whose name was Connie.
Doncha hate it when you spell a word so wrong that Word has no clue and only offers up SCATTERBRAINED as a suggestion?
Doncha hate it when you forget to put coffee in the coffee maker and end up with a pot of hot water?
Doncha hate it when you think you're hilarious, but no one else gets it, so they look at you like you're nuts?
Doncha hate it when you walk out of the house with your t-shirt on inside out?
Doncha hate it when other people hate a book you loved?
Doncha hate it when you go to say one word but another word pops out of your mouth and everyone looks at you like you're nuts?
Doncha hate it when you're dressed to go out and you look awesome and then the cat walks by and magically throws cat hair all over your black outfit?
Doncha hate it when you're way out somewhere and you rip a hole in the seat of your pants?
Doncha hate it when you decided to go commando that day?
Doncha hate it when you call someone by the wrong name? "Hi, Connie! ... Oh, oops, I mean Claudia."*
What's a 'doncha hate it' for you?
*In my defense there, Claudia really reminds me of someone I used to know whose name was Connie.
Sunday, March 26, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 12
Hello again.
This past week was an exercise in toadness. Not even sure what happened there. It was Sunday and then it's Sunday again.
I'm up to about 93% done with making edit notes for Wish Hits the Fan. I'll get that done this morning, then start inputting those edit notes. One of the chapters near the end will be pretty much a rewrite. Since I was a moron and didn't number my chapters while I was writing the book, I have no clue which one. All I know is that it's lame. Other than that, I like how it's coming together.
I spent most of the week hypnotized by the Dr. Pol marathon. It wrapped up last night with his 100th episode, so I should be able to shake myself off and do something this week. I did learn few things, though. 1) Familiarity really does breed contempt. By about halfway through, everything Charles did irritated me. 2) If I really had to, I could probably repair a left displaced abomasum. 3) How to treat milk fever. 4) Goat polio is a thiamine deficiency. None of this will be useful in my life. (Except maybe #1.)
Still dry on the reading front. Reason? See the paragraph about editing. Then remember that I edit on my Kindle. Which isn't really an excuse, because I have paper books and another Kindle. I keep picking up paperbacks and setting them on my end table, then returning them to the shelves. Nothing's sparking my interest - because I'm editing, I think. :shrug:
Spent a lot of time fishing. Even caught a couple keeper bluegills. Not enough for a meal, but it's a start. It's just nice to have fish in the freezer again. (Fish that didn't come from Gorton's, that is.)
Well, that's it for me. You got anything to crow about?
This past week was an exercise in toadness. Not even sure what happened there. It was Sunday and then it's Sunday again.
I'm up to about 93% done with making edit notes for Wish Hits the Fan. I'll get that done this morning, then start inputting those edit notes. One of the chapters near the end will be pretty much a rewrite. Since I was a moron and didn't number my chapters while I was writing the book, I have no clue which one. All I know is that it's lame. Other than that, I like how it's coming together.
I spent most of the week hypnotized by the Dr. Pol marathon. It wrapped up last night with his 100th episode, so I should be able to shake myself off and do something this week. I did learn few things, though. 1) Familiarity really does breed contempt. By about halfway through, everything Charles did irritated me. 2) If I really had to, I could probably repair a left displaced abomasum. 3) How to treat milk fever. 4) Goat polio is a thiamine deficiency. None of this will be useful in my life. (Except maybe #1.)
Still dry on the reading front. Reason? See the paragraph about editing. Then remember that I edit on my Kindle. Which isn't really an excuse, because I have paper books and another Kindle. I keep picking up paperbacks and setting them on my end table, then returning them to the shelves. Nothing's sparking my interest - because I'm editing, I think. :shrug:
Spent a lot of time fishing. Even caught a couple keeper bluegills. Not enough for a meal, but it's a start. It's just nice to have fish in the freezer again. (Fish that didn't come from Gorton's, that is.)
Well, that's it for me. You got anything to crow about?
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 3/25/17
Saturday 3/18 - It was a beautiful day. I went out in the afternoon with Hubs and got skunked. Noteable part of the day: That guy a while back who was shouting expletives at the top of his lungs was back on the creek. Umm, yah. I think he needs to find a new hobby before he bursts an aneurysm.
Sunday - Another gorgeous day. I went to my go-to spot, but there were campers, so I left. Went to another spot. Got skunked.
Tuesday - The last gorgeous day before a Wednesday cold snap. I got right out at the go-to spot by 8am. Unfortunately, it's east-facing and the sun was in my eyes on and off. I did catch a 12" spotted bass. They were biting like crazy. Too bad for me, a storm blew in. I saw lightning before I heard any thunder close by. Not wanting to get zapped, I said goodbye to the fish and went home. Of course, it cleared up about an hour or so later. I went back out in the afternoon. It was warm and sunny, and windy as all get out. I tried the go-to spot again, but the wind was so bad I couldn't get a good cast out. I went to a different locale where there wasn't any wind, but there also weren't any bites. I did find a brand-new looking lure (research shows it's a Spro Rockcrawler 55 in Red Crawfish - retails at $9.29* - cha ching), though, so not a total loss.
Thursday - I had an errand to run up north of here, so I took my gear. Hit the lake about 9am. It was the actual lake near a boat ramp and a highway bridge. I fishing from the bridge to the boat ramp to the cove beyond the ramp. Not a solid bite anywhere. Another gorgeous day, though. Found two lost spinner baits, a few hundred yards of line, hooks, and sinkers.
Friday - Perfect morning for fishing, but I got out later than I planned. Hit the go-to spot about 9am again. Winds were SSE at 18mph, which meant the wind was blowing up the river toward the creek. What was weird was that the current of the creek was slamming into the wind blow current of the river and making an interesting spot on the surface. As soon as I started throwing my bait there, I started getting hits. Bluegill only, but man, was it fun. Caught 5 bluegill - 5.5", 6", 7.25", 8" and 8.25". The last two I brought home and filleted. I should've kept the 7.25", too, but I've gotten spoiled on 14" bass. Boy howdy was that 7 a fighter, though. I thought I had a spotted bass on the line. Nope. So, I guess it earned its right to not be food. It might not be so lucky next time. I left the river about 11am - running from a storm I could see headed my way.
Well, that's it for me. Not sure what the week ahead will bring. I'm on deadline and I have a lot of editing to do before the 30th. Still, fishing is a great way to take a break. We'll see how it goes. ;o)
Have a great coming week, and get outside a little if you can.
*This might explain why the expletive shouter shouts like he does. If he's paying $10 a lure and losing them, that is. I get mad when I lose a $1.98 lure - which I did on Sunday - but I swear under my breath. Just a very soft shiiiiit.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Thursday This n That
I'm really not sure where my head has been lately. I totally screwed up Sunday's post. I totally missed Tuesday's post. But I'm here for Thursday. That counts, right?
Monday got into the 80s here. Tuesday was in the 70s. Yesterday? Freakin' 50s again. Yuck. As of typing this post last night, I felt gross. I blame the rollercoaster weather.
I've been watching the Dr. Pol marathon all week this week. (It's a daytime thing, so if you're not seeing it, that could be why.) I've watched so much Dr. Pol, I can now predict what the diagnosis will be for quite a few of the cases. The other day, I was watching a different vet show and telling the TV vet there that he needed to call Dr. Pol because the doc had experienced that very thing several times and knew just what to do.
When I was a freshman in high school, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I even joined the local Explorer post for veterinary medicine. I stayed with the Explorers - which ended up being kinda lame - longer than I should've because there was this guy in the post who was way hot. The only thing other than the guy that I remember is a trip to visit a local dog breeder. I was really excited about going and then it turned out to be this chick who was breeding bulldogs in her basement. It was creepy and dark and smelled like poo. Oh, the dogs all looked fine and were well kept and socialized, so not a puppy-mill, but totally not anything to live up to my excitement. Totally wrecked the last vestiges of my excitement over the Explorers, though. Plus, the guy totally wasn't interested in me. Harsh.
Then I wanted to be a clinical psychologist. Totally into delving into the human psyche. Totally not into a lifetime of daily contact with mental people, though. I switched majors my sophomore year in college.
I really should've been an engineer, but I suck at math. I am awesome at figuring out ways to do things, though. I was the one who built dams out of rocks and sticks. I dug canals to move other water from where I didn't want it to elsewhere - usually out of the driveway and into the ditch. When I'm trying to fall asleep, sometimes I try to puzzle out the problem of turning water into a usable, safe and cheap fuel. H2O - hydrogen and oxygen both extremely flammable gases merged into something totally non-flammable. If we could find a way to separate those atoms in small amounts to make the explosions minuscule, we could drive anywhere without relying on gas stations. Yeah, I think about these things sometimes.
What about you?
Monday got into the 80s here. Tuesday was in the 70s. Yesterday? Freakin' 50s again. Yuck. As of typing this post last night, I felt gross. I blame the rollercoaster weather.
I've been watching the Dr. Pol marathon all week this week. (It's a daytime thing, so if you're not seeing it, that could be why.) I've watched so much Dr. Pol, I can now predict what the diagnosis will be for quite a few of the cases. The other day, I was watching a different vet show and telling the TV vet there that he needed to call Dr. Pol because the doc had experienced that very thing several times and knew just what to do.
When I was a freshman in high school, I wanted to be a veterinarian. I even joined the local Explorer post for veterinary medicine. I stayed with the Explorers - which ended up being kinda lame - longer than I should've because there was this guy in the post who was way hot. The only thing other than the guy that I remember is a trip to visit a local dog breeder. I was really excited about going and then it turned out to be this chick who was breeding bulldogs in her basement. It was creepy and dark and smelled like poo. Oh, the dogs all looked fine and were well kept and socialized, so not a puppy-mill, but totally not anything to live up to my excitement. Totally wrecked the last vestiges of my excitement over the Explorers, though. Plus, the guy totally wasn't interested in me. Harsh.
Then I wanted to be a clinical psychologist. Totally into delving into the human psyche. Totally not into a lifetime of daily contact with mental people, though. I switched majors my sophomore year in college.
I really should've been an engineer, but I suck at math. I am awesome at figuring out ways to do things, though. I was the one who built dams out of rocks and sticks. I dug canals to move other water from where I didn't want it to elsewhere - usually out of the driveway and into the ditch. When I'm trying to fall asleep, sometimes I try to puzzle out the problem of turning water into a usable, safe and cheap fuel. H2O - hydrogen and oxygen both extremely flammable gases merged into something totally non-flammable. If we could find a way to separate those atoms in small amounts to make the explosions minuscule, we could drive anywhere without relying on gas stations. Yeah, I think about these things sometimes.
What about you?
Monday, March 20, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 11
Yes, I know this isn't Sunday. Unfortunately, I didn't realize yesterday was Sunday until it was afternoon and by then I couldn't muster the gumption to write an update post.
Writing... Nope.
Editing... Well, I did do a little, but not really worth noting.
Reading... Also nope.
Cover and Blurb... Both done and ready to upload to Goodreads. I'll talk more about that on Outside the Box.
Fishing... Went Thursday - Sunday for 2-3 hours each day. It's been gorgeous here. Not great for catching fish, but great for the soul.
Gardening... I got the hollyhocks in the ground and moved a couple iris bulbs.
What did I do with my time? :shrug: I spent a lot of time watching the Dr. Pol marathon this past weekend.
I had a major meltdown Saturday night. It was spectacular in a very quiet and individual way. I had the thought the other day that I was like the Enterprise (Star Trek) in a battle against the Romulans with Scotty shouting from engineering that he wasn't sure how much longer the shields were going to hold. Well, they fell. Which is how I ended up outside putting hollyhocks in the ground after sunset after much wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Hey, it's my process. I also did the dishes and would've vacuumed but I didn't want the noise.) The shields are back up again. Not full strength, but enough to stop from leaking atmosphere into space and having tiny crewmen bodies floating away. If that makes any sense.
I've also had a low-grade headache for the past week. I thought maybe it was my eyes. (I do need to get new glasses, after all.) I noticed something this morning about that, though. I didn't have a headache when I woke up and I didn't have a headache for about an hour afterwards. But I was on Facebook, reading the newsfeed when I saw a friend had made angwy face to something I was about to heart. Instant headache. And while correlation is not causation, I think there's a pretty good bet of where my headache has been coming from. Yes, now that I think about it, my headache disappears when I'm fishing, too. The world has gone stark-raving mad and I'm subconsciously reacting to it. Exposure to insanity = background headache. Tada.
I commented yesterday to Hubs, being funny, that it's gotten to the point where I would rather watch commercials than the news. And we both laughed. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it's true. Which isn't funny at all.
And another thing... Wait, this was supposed to be an update post. Well, that's really all I've got for you this morning. Do you have anything to update?
Writing... Nope.
Editing... Well, I did do a little, but not really worth noting.
Reading... Also nope.
Cover and Blurb... Both done and ready to upload to Goodreads. I'll talk more about that on Outside the Box.
Fishing... Went Thursday - Sunday for 2-3 hours each day. It's been gorgeous here. Not great for catching fish, but great for the soul.
Gardening... I got the hollyhocks in the ground and moved a couple iris bulbs.
What did I do with my time? :shrug: I spent a lot of time watching the Dr. Pol marathon this past weekend.
I had a major meltdown Saturday night. It was spectacular in a very quiet and individual way. I had the thought the other day that I was like the Enterprise (Star Trek) in a battle against the Romulans with Scotty shouting from engineering that he wasn't sure how much longer the shields were going to hold. Well, they fell. Which is how I ended up outside putting hollyhocks in the ground after sunset after much wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Hey, it's my process. I also did the dishes and would've vacuumed but I didn't want the noise.) The shields are back up again. Not full strength, but enough to stop from leaking atmosphere into space and having tiny crewmen bodies floating away. If that makes any sense.
I've also had a low-grade headache for the past week. I thought maybe it was my eyes. (I do need to get new glasses, after all.) I noticed something this morning about that, though. I didn't have a headache when I woke up and I didn't have a headache for about an hour afterwards. But I was on Facebook, reading the newsfeed when I saw a friend had made angwy face to something I was about to heart. Instant headache. And while correlation is not causation, I think there's a pretty good bet of where my headache has been coming from. Yes, now that I think about it, my headache disappears when I'm fishing, too. The world has gone stark-raving mad and I'm subconsciously reacting to it. Exposure to insanity = background headache. Tada.
I commented yesterday to Hubs, being funny, that it's gotten to the point where I would rather watch commercials than the news. And we both laughed. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it's true. Which isn't funny at all.
And another thing... Wait, this was supposed to be an update post. Well, that's really all I've got for you this morning. Do you have anything to update?
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Saturday Fishing Report - 3/18/17
Hello and welcome again to my Saturday Fishing Report.
It was a slow week for fishing because the weather pretty much blew. And blew. And got cold. It was gross. Lucky for my sanity, that changed on Thursday.
Thursday - It was in the mid-60s, so I talked Hubs into going fishing with me in the afternoon. We went out about 2:30pm. The first place we tried - what we call 'the ledges' - no bites. So, we moved to another place off a feeder creek - no bites. So we went to our go-to spot. Hubs caught two 6" bluegills and almost got a third. I caught two 6" bluegills and a 13" spotted bass. Got home about 5:30.
Friday - Another warm day and totally overcast, so I went out in the morning. I got to the go-to spot about 8am. Tried several areas, with the worm set about 6.5' deep. Nada. But I knew the fish were out there because I kept seeing them surface. I set the hook shallower - about 3-4' deep - and started getting hammered. A 14" spotted bass was the first to make it to shore. (I lost what I could tell was a bigger fish before it got close enough for me to see.) Then I caught about four 6" bluegills. At that point, though, I ran out of worms. It was about 11:30. I took another 30-40 minutes picking up trash again. I must've pulled several hundred feet of line out of the shore, along with numerous rusted hooks, sinkers, etc. Plus, beer cans and assorted garbage. It's a never ending battle.
I thought about going out again in the afternoon, but my body needed a break. Maybe I'll be back out by the time you read this.
Have an awesome week next week, and take a kid somewhere outside. Fishing, hiking, birdwatching... anything.
It was a slow week for fishing because the weather pretty much blew. And blew. And got cold. It was gross. Lucky for my sanity, that changed on Thursday.
Thursday - It was in the mid-60s, so I talked Hubs into going fishing with me in the afternoon. We went out about 2:30pm. The first place we tried - what we call 'the ledges' - no bites. So, we moved to another place off a feeder creek - no bites. So we went to our go-to spot. Hubs caught two 6" bluegills and almost got a third. I caught two 6" bluegills and a 13" spotted bass. Got home about 5:30.
Friday - Another warm day and totally overcast, so I went out in the morning. I got to the go-to spot about 8am. Tried several areas, with the worm set about 6.5' deep. Nada. But I knew the fish were out there because I kept seeing them surface. I set the hook shallower - about 3-4' deep - and started getting hammered. A 14" spotted bass was the first to make it to shore. (I lost what I could tell was a bigger fish before it got close enough for me to see.) Then I caught about four 6" bluegills. At that point, though, I ran out of worms. It was about 11:30. I took another 30-40 minutes picking up trash again. I must've pulled several hundred feet of line out of the shore, along with numerous rusted hooks, sinkers, etc. Plus, beer cans and assorted garbage. It's a never ending battle.
I thought about going out again in the afternoon, but my body needed a break. Maybe I'll be back out by the time you read this.
Have an awesome week next week, and take a kid somewhere outside. Fishing, hiking, birdwatching... anything.
Friday, March 17, 2017
Fiction and Lying for a Living
Let me start out by making one thing perfectly clear... I am a fiction writer. I don't 'lie for a living'.
Never once have I tried to imply that the fiction I write is in any way the truth. That's what liars do. They try to convince you that what they're telling you is, in fact, the truth. No fiction writer I know does that. We write fiction and we proclaim loudly that this is fiction. It's not reality. That would be non-fiction. Or journalism...
Wait. Scratch that. Actual journalism is about facts and reality. You know, TRUTH. Not sure what's going on with what they're calling journalism these days. I'd call it fiction, but I don't want those people associated with my profession.
Remember back when the so-called memoirs of a certain person caused a hullabaloo because it was revealed that his non-fiction had been mostly made up?
Remember back when that news anchor got caught making shit up about his experiences and foisting them off as the truth?
Remember when news networks used to carry reports of those embarrassments?
Well, now it seems the news networks have become the very embarrassments they used to report on. :sigh:
Anyway, fact is fact. Truth is truth. Reality is reality. Nothing anyone says or does changes that. "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away." - Philip K. Dick. It also doesn't go away just because someone has tried to replace it with a homemade reality cobbled together out of whims and assertions and bullshit.
Journalism and news - whether in written or verbal form - should stick to the facts and to truth. Leave the fiction to the fiction writers, please. We have enough competition amongst ourselves, thank you very much. And just as we novelists don't lie for a living, you shouldn't be lying for your living either.
Never once have I tried to imply that the fiction I write is in any way the truth. That's what liars do. They try to convince you that what they're telling you is, in fact, the truth. No fiction writer I know does that. We write fiction and we proclaim loudly that this is fiction. It's not reality. That would be non-fiction. Or journalism...
Wait. Scratch that. Actual journalism is about facts and reality. You know, TRUTH. Not sure what's going on with what they're calling journalism these days. I'd call it fiction, but I don't want those people associated with my profession.
Remember back when the so-called memoirs of a certain person caused a hullabaloo because it was revealed that his non-fiction had been mostly made up?
Remember back when that news anchor got caught making shit up about his experiences and foisting them off as the truth?
Remember when news networks used to carry reports of those embarrassments?
Well, now it seems the news networks have become the very embarrassments they used to report on. :sigh:
Anyway, fact is fact. Truth is truth. Reality is reality. Nothing anyone says or does changes that. "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away." - Philip K. Dick. It also doesn't go away just because someone has tried to replace it with a homemade reality cobbled together out of whims and assertions and bullshit.
Journalism and news - whether in written or verbal form - should stick to the facts and to truth. Leave the fiction to the fiction writers, please. We have enough competition amongst ourselves, thank you very much. And just as we novelists don't lie for a living, you shouldn't be lying for your living either.
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Thursday This n That
Every day it gets a little more difficult to not post what I really want to post.
The weather here has been cold. Which means no fishing since last Thursday. I really really hope I can get out today. My sanity needs to drown worms for a few hours.
The jury's still out on whether the cold snap affected my gardens. My peonies already had small buds before the snow and cold. =o\
I really hate Windows 10 and I don't even have it. But someone I help with computers via the phone does and it really sucks. I have to google screen shots of things because I tell her where to click and it's not there anymore. It's over there, or over there, or gone entirely. But I am NOT going to load that crap on my computer even if having it here makes it easier to support her there. What I'd really like is for MS to stop 'fixing' things that weren't broken to begin with. And stop 'idiot-proofing' things so they're damn near impossible to do. Gah.
I wrote this last night and I was feeling particularly bitchy. I've been feeling bitchy for days. And sometimes a gal's just got to let it out. (Lord knows, Hubs has heard enough.)
On a happier note, I noticed one of our deer is pregnant. I mean, most of the big does probably are, but this is the first time this year one of them is noticeably pregnant. She's still carrying up around the ribs - natch, because they don't drop fawns until May - but she's getting wide in the sides. Yay!
Okay. Tell me something happy. Or just give me your this n that.
The weather here has been cold. Which means no fishing since last Thursday. I really really hope I can get out today. My sanity needs to drown worms for a few hours.
The jury's still out on whether the cold snap affected my gardens. My peonies already had small buds before the snow and cold. =o\
I really hate Windows 10 and I don't even have it. But someone I help with computers via the phone does and it really sucks. I have to google screen shots of things because I tell her where to click and it's not there anymore. It's over there, or over there, or gone entirely. But I am NOT going to load that crap on my computer even if having it here makes it easier to support her there. What I'd really like is for MS to stop 'fixing' things that weren't broken to begin with. And stop 'idiot-proofing' things so they're damn near impossible to do. Gah.
I wrote this last night and I was feeling particularly bitchy. I've been feeling bitchy for days. And sometimes a gal's just got to let it out. (Lord knows, Hubs has heard enough.)
On a happier note, I noticed one of our deer is pregnant. I mean, most of the big does probably are, but this is the first time this year one of them is noticeably pregnant. She's still carrying up around the ribs - natch, because they don't drop fawns until May - but she's getting wide in the sides. Yay!
Okay. Tell me something happy. Or just give me your this n that.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Thought for the Day
Some days I just want to run around the countryside smacking people in the back of the head.
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 10
Last night was the time change, so my clock says I'm writing this at 6:47am, but my body feels like it's 5:47am. What a dirty trick those politicians played on the people of the world. But they bought it and now we have this stupid clock resetting thing that doesn't actually do anyone any good.
'Nuff said.
Okay, so last week...
Natural Causes is finished with that round of editing. In a marathon from 7:30am to 7:45pm Wednesday, I got 'er done. Now it's with my editor for the next three weeks. Which means I can stop thinking about it. Kinda. It topped the scales at 66620 words. I doubt much will be added or deleted in the next round.
I got into editing Wish Hits the Fan yesterday. Chapter One has been read-through and notes have been taken. I meant to get to it Thursday night, but we had storms. And I was supposed to get to it on Friday night, but ended up in a marathon phone call with the Kid right as I was getting ready to work. Sooo, I did some work Saturday night when the snow had shut the satellite TV down to 2 channels.
The weather has been weird. We had thunderstorms and tornado warnings Monday night and Thursday night. We had heavy, thick snow on Saturday.
Reading's been slow still. I did finish that non-fiction I was working on. And then I read Silver's latest Redeemed by the Cowgirl. Awesomesauce.
I cranked out a crappy blurb for Natural Causes to go with the not crappy cover. You can see those over at Outside the Box.
Hubs and I did some major yardwork - pulling weeds for the first time since fall. They were taking over. But we got the majority of it done over the course of two days. All that's left is along the side of the garage and along the back of the house. Easy peasy. Good thing it snowed, though, because I need some recuperation time.
I bought some hollyhock bare roots to put in on the south side of the garage, but the snow prediction put that off until next week. I also ordered butterfly bushes, lavender plants, and some grab bag type mix of sun loving bulb plants. Not sure when those will ship.
As always, you can see what fishing I got up to on the Saturday Fishing Report.
That's it for me. How was your Week 10?
'Nuff said.
Okay, so last week...
Natural Causes is finished with that round of editing. In a marathon from 7:30am to 7:45pm Wednesday, I got 'er done. Now it's with my editor for the next three weeks. Which means I can stop thinking about it. Kinda. It topped the scales at 66620 words. I doubt much will be added or deleted in the next round.
I got into editing Wish Hits the Fan yesterday. Chapter One has been read-through and notes have been taken. I meant to get to it Thursday night, but we had storms. And I was supposed to get to it on Friday night, but ended up in a marathon phone call with the Kid right as I was getting ready to work. Sooo, I did some work Saturday night when the snow had shut the satellite TV down to 2 channels.
The weather has been weird. We had thunderstorms and tornado warnings Monday night and Thursday night. We had heavy, thick snow on Saturday.
Reading's been slow still. I did finish that non-fiction I was working on. And then I read Silver's latest Redeemed by the Cowgirl. Awesomesauce.
I cranked out a crappy blurb for Natural Causes to go with the not crappy cover. You can see those over at Outside the Box.
Hubs and I did some major yardwork - pulling weeds for the first time since fall. They were taking over. But we got the majority of it done over the course of two days. All that's left is along the side of the garage and along the back of the house. Easy peasy. Good thing it snowed, though, because I need some recuperation time.
I bought some hollyhock bare roots to put in on the south side of the garage, but the snow prediction put that off until next week. I also ordered butterfly bushes, lavender plants, and some grab bag type mix of sun loving bulb plants. Not sure when those will ship.
As always, you can see what fishing I got up to on the Saturday Fishing Report.
That's it for me. How was your Week 10?
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Satuday Fishing Report - 3/11/17
Welcome back again to the fishing report for less than competent anglers.
First off, let me make something clear. I bank fish. For the most part, I use worms. I catch plenty of fish. And I enjoy myself immensely. Which, I would think, is the point. Apparently there's some kind of boat vs bank bias. Meh. We have a boat. We use it sometimes. But when I'm by myself, which is most of the time, I don't take the boat. I've actually had better luck from the shore. And WAY better luck with worms than lures. :shrug: As long as you're catching fish and enjoying yourself, it shouldn't matter.
Saturday 3/4 - It was a gorgeous morning, so I went to the park. The idea was to go to that spot where I almost caught the whopper walleye. Too bad for me, someone was already there. I went elsewhere in the park, but no bites. Then I had to use the facilities, and noticed that guy had moved, so I went to the spot I had originally intended. But by then, it was too late. I got a few bites, but no fish. Still, enjoyed myself and it was, like I said, gorgeous out.
Sunday - Woke up to gray skies and 50+ temps. Perfect. I went to my main go-to fishing spot. Got there at like 8:50am. (Just in time for the wind to start gusting, btw.) By 9am, I already had a fish on. It fought like a champion and I wasn't really sure what I had hooked. Turned out to be my first good-sized smallie. 14.5" smallmouth bass. Felt like a male (no fat egg-belly). About 10am, I caught an 11" spotted bass. Long about 10:30, I hooked into another big fighter. When I got it in, it was a 16" spotted. My biggest bass yet. Fat with eggs. I swear she had to be over 2lbs. With great sadness, I put her back. Finally, about fifteen minutes later, I caught a little 4-5" bluegill. By 11, I was tired of fighting the wind, so I went home. 2hrs/4 fish. On worms.
Monday - Went out in the morning. It was cooler and sunny. And windy, of course. I tried that spot where I almost caught that hog walleye. Nope. Not a bite. Then I went back to the go-to spot. Nope. So I wandered around. I finally got some back deep in a little cove, but they were all worm thieves. So I put the pole down and pulled line. Came home with a half dozen sinkers and a weird lure.
Thursday - Tried the afternoon fishing thing again. The temps were in the mid-70s and the breeze was nice. It was blowing north, which works better for me at the go-to spot. Got out there around 3:30pm. Didn't catch anything until almost 5. An 11" spotted bass. Shortly after, I almost got what I guess was a 12-13" inch spot. It shook it's head about two feet from shore and got off. The only other things biting were little worm thieves. I left at 5:20 because a storm was rolling in. Thunder and standing on the bank with a graphite rod in your hands do not mix.
That's it for me this week. Have a great next week and get out in nature, if you can.
First off, let me make something clear. I bank fish. For the most part, I use worms. I catch plenty of fish. And I enjoy myself immensely. Which, I would think, is the point. Apparently there's some kind of boat vs bank bias. Meh. We have a boat. We use it sometimes. But when I'm by myself, which is most of the time, I don't take the boat. I've actually had better luck from the shore. And WAY better luck with worms than lures. :shrug: As long as you're catching fish and enjoying yourself, it shouldn't matter.
Saturday 3/4 - It was a gorgeous morning, so I went to the park. The idea was to go to that spot where I almost caught the whopper walleye. Too bad for me, someone was already there. I went elsewhere in the park, but no bites. Then I had to use the facilities, and noticed that guy had moved, so I went to the spot I had originally intended. But by then, it was too late. I got a few bites, but no fish. Still, enjoyed myself and it was, like I said, gorgeous out.
Sunday - Woke up to gray skies and 50+ temps. Perfect. I went to my main go-to fishing spot. Got there at like 8:50am. (Just in time for the wind to start gusting, btw.) By 9am, I already had a fish on. It fought like a champion and I wasn't really sure what I had hooked. Turned out to be my first good-sized smallie. 14.5" smallmouth bass. Felt like a male (no fat egg-belly). About 10am, I caught an 11" spotted bass. Long about 10:30, I hooked into another big fighter. When I got it in, it was a 16" spotted. My biggest bass yet. Fat with eggs. I swear she had to be over 2lbs. With great sadness, I put her back. Finally, about fifteen minutes later, I caught a little 4-5" bluegill. By 11, I was tired of fighting the wind, so I went home. 2hrs/4 fish. On worms.
Monday - Went out in the morning. It was cooler and sunny. And windy, of course. I tried that spot where I almost caught that hog walleye. Nope. Not a bite. Then I went back to the go-to spot. Nope. So I wandered around. I finally got some back deep in a little cove, but they were all worm thieves. So I put the pole down and pulled line. Came home with a half dozen sinkers and a weird lure.
Thursday - Tried the afternoon fishing thing again. The temps were in the mid-70s and the breeze was nice. It was blowing north, which works better for me at the go-to spot. Got out there around 3:30pm. Didn't catch anything until almost 5. An 11" spotted bass. Shortly after, I almost got what I guess was a 12-13" inch spot. It shook it's head about two feet from shore and got off. The only other things biting were little worm thieves. I left at 5:20 because a storm was rolling in. Thunder and standing on the bank with a graphite rod in your hands do not mix.
That's it for me this week. Have a great next week and get out in nature, if you can.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Thursday This n That
I was this close to dipping into full edit-insanity mode yesterday. I was walking around going 'thatthatthatthatthatthatthat...' Then I made up a little song. It went something like this, 'know know know, knowing, knowing, know, knowledge, know know, acknowledged'. I stopped edits around 7:45 last night and sent the manuscript off to my editor. That may have saved what little sanity I have left.
Today, I plan to do yard work. The weeds are starting to take over the driveway and the paths.
This new keyboard is a pain. I keep hitting the caps lock when I shift. Derp.
We had an immature eagle circling the house yesterday. No, he wasn't acting like that wheel of cheese on those commercials. Bald eagles don't actually get their white feathers until around 3 years old, if I remember right. This bird must've been like 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 because he had some white, but not all of it.
I've been so focused on editing, that I only just now noticed my calendar says February. Derp.
Today's Bird of the Day is a bearded reedling. Cute and unusual looking. Definitely not one I've ever seen.
Okay, that's it for me. Time to rejoin the real world and see what's happening out there. Or maybe I should just go fishing. LOL
What about you?
Today, I plan to do yard work. The weeds are starting to take over the driveway and the paths.
This new keyboard is a pain. I keep hitting the caps lock when I shift. Derp.
We had an immature eagle circling the house yesterday. No, he wasn't acting like that wheel of cheese on those commercials. Bald eagles don't actually get their white feathers until around 3 years old, if I remember right. This bird must've been like 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 because he had some white, but not all of it.
I've been so focused on editing, that I only just now noticed my calendar says February. Derp.
Today's Bird of the Day is a bearded reedling. Cute and unusual looking. Definitely not one I've ever seen.
Okay, that's it for me. Time to rejoin the real world and see what's happening out there. Or maybe I should just go fishing. LOL
What about you?
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Stormy Weather
In case anyone was wondering, yes, we did get storms last night, and we are fine.
Of course, we were sleeping when the big one arrived. The wind woke Hubs up around 11:30. The thunder woke me up around 12:30. Then we both went back to sleep. (Not sure if he was awake from 11:30 to 12:30, but I know I wasn't awake all that long.)
We like to say we live in the sweet spot. In the past four years, many storms have blown through, but they all seem to miss hitting us directly. :fingers crossed:
This morning, I scrolled back through the local news' FB posts. Appears like our county was never 'storm warned' or 'tornado warned' or anything. Of course, they care very little for us down here away from the more heavily populated counties, so there could've been a warning or two and we didn't make it to the FB feed. :shrug:
I woke to a message on FB this morning from my oldest brother warning me that the storm was on the way like quarter inch hail. Didn't get that either.
Hubs said it sounded like we got rain. We needed that. He'll check the rain gauge once it gets light out. Then we'll both give the property a cursory once-over to make sure we didn't get any damage anywhere. (Not out in the woods, though. It's warm enough for ticks and snakes, so the trees out there are on their own.) I do wonder if the big limb that's been hanging by a vine out in the canopy has finally fallen. Usually we watch it swing in the wind, but it hasn't fallen in three years, so I'm giving it a 50/50 shot.
Anyway, it's all good here. We didn't even lose power. Yay. And now I can finish editing Natural Causes because after last night's push, I'm like this close. Or maybe I'll go fishing. Cuz that's how I roll.
What about you? Storms last night? Are you getting them today? Hang in there and stay safe if you are. :hugs:
Of course, we were sleeping when the big one arrived. The wind woke Hubs up around 11:30. The thunder woke me up around 12:30. Then we both went back to sleep. (Not sure if he was awake from 11:30 to 12:30, but I know I wasn't awake all that long.)
We like to say we live in the sweet spot. In the past four years, many storms have blown through, but they all seem to miss hitting us directly. :fingers crossed:
This morning, I scrolled back through the local news' FB posts. Appears like our county was never 'storm warned' or 'tornado warned' or anything. Of course, they care very little for us down here away from the more heavily populated counties, so there could've been a warning or two and we didn't make it to the FB feed. :shrug:
I woke to a message on FB this morning from my oldest brother warning me that the storm was on the way like quarter inch hail. Didn't get that either.
Hubs said it sounded like we got rain. We needed that. He'll check the rain gauge once it gets light out. Then we'll both give the property a cursory once-over to make sure we didn't get any damage anywhere. (Not out in the woods, though. It's warm enough for ticks and snakes, so the trees out there are on their own.) I do wonder if the big limb that's been hanging by a vine out in the canopy has finally fallen. Usually we watch it swing in the wind, but it hasn't fallen in three years, so I'm giving it a 50/50 shot.
Anyway, it's all good here. We didn't even lose power. Yay. And now I can finish editing Natural Causes because after last night's push, I'm like this close. Or maybe I'll go fishing. Cuz that's how I roll.
What about you? Storms last night? Are you getting them today? Hang in there and stay safe if you are. :hugs:
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Sunday Update - Week 9
Back around again to the Sunday Update.
First, I screwed up and did not post every day last week. In fact, I totally missed Monday and Tuesday, thereby breaking my resolution to post every day in 2017. Derp. And then I posted twice on Wednesday, which was another derp moment. In my defense... never mind, I have no defense.
Okay, so here's the dealie-bob on Week 8...
I got my edits back for Natural Causes on the 1st. I finished that day as my last day off and then got to work on the 2nd. As of last night, I'm 122 pages in on the 238 page total in the line by line edits, and I have a couple pages worth of edits notes I'll have to apply after I get the line by line thing done. (I learned to do the line by line thing first, otherwise I make changes and can't find the lines she thought needed edits.)
I also did the very first things I needed to do to start editing Wish Hits the Fan - I emailed it to my Kindle and set myself up in the living room with a big notebook and a red pen. I will start on that sometime today.
In reading, I didn't really do jack. I'm slogging my way through a non-fic hardcover. But that'll be put on hold until I get a handle on my double book editing thing.
I did go fishing. Caught one keeper and we ate it.
Spent some time trying to maintain my sanity when it seems like the whole damn world has gone crazypants. And that's no small feat, lemme tell ya. Acronym of the week? FFS (for f*ck's sake). As in, 'Oh, FFS.'
Got my shot, so that'll help keep my sanity on an even keel for the next twelve weeks. You do not want to be around me when the hormones run out. Of course, it wasn't a smooth experience this time. First, there was a paperwork snafu at the office wherein they thought I hadn't gotten my last shot and I had to prove it to them (thank goodness for billing). Then my regular nurse was on vacation, so I got a temp nurse who was 'in training'. Yeah, I cringed, too. Then the PA tried to convince me that no, I didn't want the shot in my arm like I always get. I'm like 'I have to have it there because I can't have it in my hip because...' I really hate having to explain all that when it should already be in my chart which they should've already read before I got there. :endrant: Suffice it to say, my nurse should never be allowed to go on vacation again when I'm scheduled for an appt. ;o)
Other than that, we had the first thunderstorm of 2017. That was interesting. The rest of the week was lovely, though.
How was your week?
First, I screwed up and did not post every day last week. In fact, I totally missed Monday and Tuesday, thereby breaking my resolution to post every day in 2017. Derp. And then I posted twice on Wednesday, which was another derp moment. In my defense... never mind, I have no defense.
Okay, so here's the dealie-bob on Week 8...
I got my edits back for Natural Causes on the 1st. I finished that day as my last day off and then got to work on the 2nd. As of last night, I'm 122 pages in on the 238 page total in the line by line edits, and I have a couple pages worth of edits notes I'll have to apply after I get the line by line thing done. (I learned to do the line by line thing first, otherwise I make changes and can't find the lines she thought needed edits.)
I also did the very first things I needed to do to start editing Wish Hits the Fan - I emailed it to my Kindle and set myself up in the living room with a big notebook and a red pen. I will start on that sometime today.
In reading, I didn't really do jack. I'm slogging my way through a non-fic hardcover. But that'll be put on hold until I get a handle on my double book editing thing.
I did go fishing. Caught one keeper and we ate it.
Spent some time trying to maintain my sanity when it seems like the whole damn world has gone crazypants. And that's no small feat, lemme tell ya. Acronym of the week? FFS (for f*ck's sake). As in, 'Oh, FFS.'
Got my shot, so that'll help keep my sanity on an even keel for the next twelve weeks. You do not want to be around me when the hormones run out. Of course, it wasn't a smooth experience this time. First, there was a paperwork snafu at the office wherein they thought I hadn't gotten my last shot and I had to prove it to them (thank goodness for billing). Then my regular nurse was on vacation, so I got a temp nurse who was 'in training'. Yeah, I cringed, too. Then the PA tried to convince me that no, I didn't want the shot in my arm like I always get. I'm like 'I have to have it there because I can't have it in my hip because...' I really hate having to explain all that when it should already be in my chart which they should've already read before I got there. :endrant: Suffice it to say, my nurse should never be allowed to go on vacation again when I'm scheduled for an appt. ;o)
Other than that, we had the first thunderstorm of 2017. That was interesting. The rest of the week was lovely, though.
How was your week?
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Saturday Fishing Update - 3/4/17
Hey all, and welcome to the fishing report for less than competent anglers... Let's jump right into it, shall we?
Sunday 3/5 - It was overcast and cool when I started fishing about 2:30pm. The bank thermometer said 47F. No wind here at the house, but a pretty good breeze going out at the river. Hit the go-to spot again, because, hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sure enough, the bass were biting. I was on the river proper for about 10 minutes with no bites, so I moved to the feeder creek where it enters the river. Wham! 12" spotted bass. Then nothing so I moved to the river just off where the creek enters it. Got some bites. Then I got hung up and my feet were beginning to hurt from standing, so I rigged back up and went to my favorite spot where there's a good sittin' rock. Nothing farther out, but up close wham! 12.5" spotted bass. Put it back and threw out again. Nibbles and a 6" bluegill. Threw out farther and wham! 13.5" spotted bass. Then nothing. Went back to the creek a little ways in from where it enters the river and there's a bit of a sandbar. Wham! 14" spotted bass. Nothing for a little while, so I threw out into the creek away from the sandbar as far as I could cast. It drifted about 5-10' closer and wham! 15.25" spotted. Kept her. Since each successive catch was bigger than the last (excepting the bluegill) I kept fishing, but they stopped biting. About 5:30pm I went home. Cleaned that fish and discovered it was a girl. Full of eggs. Crap. So, that's the last keeper I'll be keeping until after the spawn. Gotta make sure we have loads of babies for future years of fishing, doncha know. Kinda sucks, cuz I do love me some panfried spotted bass. Yummers.
Monday - went to the same place with Hubs. Got there about 3:30pm, fished until 5:30. It was a little warmer and a little windier, but otherwise same same. Not a ding dang bite.
Tuesday - ate Sunday's fish. It was awesome.
Thursday - out in the afternoon to the same place. It was in the low 60s with a stiff wind, blowing in the opposite direction as Monday. This made for some really awesome long casts and I got some major bites. Something out there was nailing my bait. I suspect walleye. Anyway, whatever it was, I didn't catch it. But I didn't get skunked. I landed one 5-6" bluegill. Go me. As I was leaving at 5pm, a man arrived with his kids, a little boy and a little girl. They had their little rods. It was so cute. I told him things were starting to bite and he asked what I was fishing for. I told him anything I could get, then I mentioned that I'd caught a bluegill. Upon hearing this, the little boy lit up. "BLUEGILLS? I LOVE BLUEGILLS!" then he took off running toward where I'd been fishing with his sister behind him. So cute.
If you've got kids, take them fishing. I wish I'd done that with the Kid. Looking back, it makes me sad I didn't.
Sunday 3/5 - It was overcast and cool when I started fishing about 2:30pm. The bank thermometer said 47F. No wind here at the house, but a pretty good breeze going out at the river. Hit the go-to spot again, because, hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Sure enough, the bass were biting. I was on the river proper for about 10 minutes with no bites, so I moved to the feeder creek where it enters the river. Wham! 12" spotted bass. Then nothing so I moved to the river just off where the creek enters it. Got some bites. Then I got hung up and my feet were beginning to hurt from standing, so I rigged back up and went to my favorite spot where there's a good sittin' rock. Nothing farther out, but up close wham! 12.5" spotted bass. Put it back and threw out again. Nibbles and a 6" bluegill. Threw out farther and wham! 13.5" spotted bass. Then nothing. Went back to the creek a little ways in from where it enters the river and there's a bit of a sandbar. Wham! 14" spotted bass. Nothing for a little while, so I threw out into the creek away from the sandbar as far as I could cast. It drifted about 5-10' closer and wham! 15.25" spotted. Kept her. Since each successive catch was bigger than the last (excepting the bluegill) I kept fishing, but they stopped biting. About 5:30pm I went home. Cleaned that fish and discovered it was a girl. Full of eggs. Crap. So, that's the last keeper I'll be keeping until after the spawn. Gotta make sure we have loads of babies for future years of fishing, doncha know. Kinda sucks, cuz I do love me some panfried spotted bass. Yummers.
Monday - went to the same place with Hubs. Got there about 3:30pm, fished until 5:30. It was a little warmer and a little windier, but otherwise same same. Not a ding dang bite.
Tuesday - ate Sunday's fish. It was awesome.
Thursday - out in the afternoon to the same place. It was in the low 60s with a stiff wind, blowing in the opposite direction as Monday. This made for some really awesome long casts and I got some major bites. Something out there was nailing my bait. I suspect walleye. Anyway, whatever it was, I didn't catch it. But I didn't get skunked. I landed one 5-6" bluegill. Go me. As I was leaving at 5pm, a man arrived with his kids, a little boy and a little girl. They had their little rods. It was so cute. I told him things were starting to bite and he asked what I was fishing for. I told him anything I could get, then I mentioned that I'd caught a bluegill. Upon hearing this, the little boy lit up. "BLUEGILLS? I LOVE BLUEGILLS!" then he took off running toward where I'd been fishing with his sister behind him. So cute.
If you've got kids, take them fishing. I wish I'd done that with the Kid. Looking back, it makes me sad I didn't.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Thursday This n That
We have hard water here. Since the build up is white, I'm going with excess calcium. Maybe magnesium. Not a big thing, since I prefer the taste of hard water over soft water, but it does mean I have to spend time cleaning the coffee maker. I run vinegar through it whenever it gets really slow and chugs/sputters. It makes the whole house smell like pickles, but we're willing to put up with that to get our coffee faster.
Vinegar is one hell of a cleaning tool, btw.
Since I can't take anything I read in the news at face value anymore, I'm spending a lot of time cross-checking. And a lot of time ignoring shit.
Speaking of ignoring shit, I decided to stop watching Jeopardy until they stop with the slanted answers. Facts, people. Not opinions. Also, I think they really need to stop having kids on the show. The maturity level just isn't there for them to compete. First the thing last year with the little girl who was crying because she didn't make Final Jeopardy. Then this latest thing with the college student who flipped the bird at Alex on camera, and then later said it was a political statement. Personally, I think he was just being an asshole and then thought he could get away with his disrespectful behavior by saying it was a statement, because as we're all learning, certain people can say anything and do anything if they spin it as a political statement.
Barf.
Anyhoo, I got my edits back last night. I wasn't ready for them. I mean, I am ready to get back to work, but I wasn't ready to see how imperfect Natural Causes would be. On the bright side, the notes aren't that bad. I'm setting a target date for publishing this at April 15th. Could be sooner, but I don't want it to be later. Keep your fingers crossed.
One of the things my editor pointed out is that Accidental Death has chapter titles and the draft of Natural Causes didn't. Truth? I forgot. I mean, I did think about it. I meant to add them in. And then I forgot. Derp.
I ordered plants. Michigan Bulb Co. is having a sale - buy one, get one for .99. I got 2 butterfly bushes, 6 lavender plants, and a freebie mixed bag of sun-loving bulbs. I'm also planning on picking up some hollyhocks at the Wallyworld. Maybe some daisies. I want daylilies, but I think the deer will eat those, so we'll see.
Well, that's it for me again this week. Howz 'bout you?
Vinegar is one hell of a cleaning tool, btw.
Since I can't take anything I read in the news at face value anymore, I'm spending a lot of time cross-checking. And a lot of time ignoring shit.
Speaking of ignoring shit, I decided to stop watching Jeopardy until they stop with the slanted answers. Facts, people. Not opinions. Also, I think they really need to stop having kids on the show. The maturity level just isn't there for them to compete. First the thing last year with the little girl who was crying because she didn't make Final Jeopardy. Then this latest thing with the college student who flipped the bird at Alex on camera, and then later said it was a political statement. Personally, I think he was just being an asshole and then thought he could get away with his disrespectful behavior by saying it was a statement, because as we're all learning, certain people can say anything and do anything if they spin it as a political statement.
Barf.
Anyhoo, I got my edits back last night. I wasn't ready for them. I mean, I am ready to get back to work, but I wasn't ready to see how imperfect Natural Causes would be. On the bright side, the notes aren't that bad. I'm setting a target date for publishing this at April 15th. Could be sooner, but I don't want it to be later. Keep your fingers crossed.
One of the things my editor pointed out is that Accidental Death has chapter titles and the draft of Natural Causes didn't. Truth? I forgot. I mean, I did think about it. I meant to add them in. And then I forgot. Derp.
I ordered plants. Michigan Bulb Co. is having a sale - buy one, get one for .99. I got 2 butterfly bushes, 6 lavender plants, and a freebie mixed bag of sun-loving bulbs. I'm also planning on picking up some hollyhocks at the Wallyworld. Maybe some daisies. I want daylilies, but I think the deer will eat those, so we'll see.
Well, that's it for me again this week. Howz 'bout you?
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
The Process
Every writer has their own process. Correction, every writer has a process and adjusts it as needed. Or maybe the adjusting is just me. Anyway, here's how the process is working out for me...
Step One: First draft - write as many words as I can every day so that it takes me about a month to get the first draft done.
Step Two: Set the first draft aside and work on something else for a week or two.
Step Three: Read the first draft all the way through on the Kindle, taking notes as I go in a big 5-subject notebook of anything I see that needs fixing. This can be as small as a comma or as big as noting that I need to rewrite an entire chapter.
Step Four: Second draft - Input notes all the way through.
Step Five: Read through the second draft, taking notes as I go and inputting them when I take breaks. If I did my job in step three, this should be small to medium things.
Step Six: Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until I know I can't make it any better on my own.
Step Seven: Send to my editor. Wait a month. Work on something else while I'm waiting.
Step Eight: Receive edit notes back from editor and input those. Takes a week or two depending on how bad it was and how driven I am.
Step Nine: Send the manuscript back to the editor. Wait 2-3 weeks. Finalize cover and blurb while I'm waiting and find something else to work on.
Step Ten: Receive final edit notes from the editor. Input those. Also takes a week or two depending.
Step Eleven: Read through the book on the Kindle again, checking for mistakes I made or missed.
Step Twelve: Format book for publication.
Step Thirteen: Publish
There are probably things I missed, but that's the gist. And it seems to be working for me.
I started this particular process back in November, I think, with Natural Causes. Step 1 was the month of November, then I jumped into Step 2 almost immediately. Went through Steps 2-6 from the end of November until February 1st, when it was due at the editor. Then I spent February doing Step 1 for Wish Hits the Fan. Step 8 for Natural Causes begins this week. After I send NC back to the editor again, I'll be hitting 2-6 for WHTF and hope to have it ready to send to the editor by May 1st, which will be after the launch of NC in April. :fingers crossed: While she has WHTF, I'll be working on finishing the first draft of Early Grave.
Good lord willin' and the creek don't rise.
Now, you may notice I don't have early readers anywhere in there. Yeah, I don't have any of those. I have a couple people I could send to if things got really bad and I needed an ear, but those people are also really busy themselves, so they're for emergencies only. Anyway, I'll talk more about that Friday, I think. (If I remember.)
Any questions? Thoughts? What's your process like?
Step One: First draft - write as many words as I can every day so that it takes me about a month to get the first draft done.
Step Two: Set the first draft aside and work on something else for a week or two.
Step Three: Read the first draft all the way through on the Kindle, taking notes as I go in a big 5-subject notebook of anything I see that needs fixing. This can be as small as a comma or as big as noting that I need to rewrite an entire chapter.
Step Four: Second draft - Input notes all the way through.
Step Five: Read through the second draft, taking notes as I go and inputting them when I take breaks. If I did my job in step three, this should be small to medium things.
Step Six: Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until I know I can't make it any better on my own.
Step Seven: Send to my editor. Wait a month. Work on something else while I'm waiting.
Step Eight: Receive edit notes back from editor and input those. Takes a week or two depending on how bad it was and how driven I am.
Step Nine: Send the manuscript back to the editor. Wait 2-3 weeks. Finalize cover and blurb while I'm waiting and find something else to work on.
Step Ten: Receive final edit notes from the editor. Input those. Also takes a week or two depending.
Step Eleven: Read through the book on the Kindle again, checking for mistakes I made or missed.
Step Twelve: Format book for publication.
Step Thirteen: Publish
There are probably things I missed, but that's the gist. And it seems to be working for me.
I started this particular process back in November, I think, with Natural Causes. Step 1 was the month of November, then I jumped into Step 2 almost immediately. Went through Steps 2-6 from the end of November until February 1st, when it was due at the editor. Then I spent February doing Step 1 for Wish Hits the Fan. Step 8 for Natural Causes begins this week. After I send NC back to the editor again, I'll be hitting 2-6 for WHTF and hope to have it ready to send to the editor by May 1st, which will be after the launch of NC in April. :fingers crossed: While she has WHTF, I'll be working on finishing the first draft of Early Grave.
Good lord willin' and the creek don't rise.
Now, you may notice I don't have early readers anywhere in there. Yeah, I don't have any of those. I have a couple people I could send to if things got really bad and I needed an ear, but those people are also really busy themselves, so they're for emergencies only. Anyway, I'll talk more about that Friday, I think. (If I remember.)
Any questions? Thoughts? What's your process like?
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