Sunday Update - Week 40

Well, that week flew by.  Let's see if I can rebuild it.

I didn't do any writing, but I have been back at making edit notes on Untitled Fantasy.  If I remember right, I'm at 61% now.  I don't even want to think about how many pages worth of notes that is.  Lots.  Lots and lots.  I'd like to have these done and input by the end of the month, then do another pass through and have it ready to send to other human beings by Thanksgiving.  We'll see how that works out.

I still haven't done any marketing, but by some happy quirk, someone bought the entire genie series in ebook and someone bought a ebook copy of Up Wish Creek, then someone read Blink of an I all the way through in Kindle Unlimited.  It was the best sales week I had in a long time.  Sad, but true.

As for reading, I'm still working my way through A Brief Darkness - an Alfred Hitchcock anthology.  So far, I've only DNF'd one story.  The beginning left me meh.

In baking news, I made zucchini bread and oatmeal butterscotch cookies.  The cookies were just made with my regular recipe, substituting butterscotch chips for the raisins.  Hubs approves.

On the activity front, I did something active 5 out of 7 days.  Sunday was a flurry of cleaning, after which I took apart my container garden.  Tuesday was vacuuming the entire house.  The rest was outside stuff.  I haven't weighed myself since last Sunday, but the scale was kind.  Weight: 179.4.  That's down 2.2 lbs from the beginning of the year and down 7.6 lbs from my highest in June.  Yay.

Yes, I took apart my container garden.  It was time.  Well, time for everything but the two biggest tomato plants - one still has tomatoes and the other still had flowers that might turn into tomatoes.  Everything else edible got pulled.  I thought the deer might like the plants, but they ignored the pile of greenery.  :shrug:  I repotted my elm tree - Elmer - and my two little cedars.  We'll see how they overwinter.  

In regular garden news, I redid what I refer to as 'the cedar bed'.  I dug the whole thing up, set aside the iris bulbs and threw everything else out.  Then I leveled it out, covered it in pine mulch, and stuck a bird bath in the center.  Except we put seed in the bird bath instead of water.  The birds are enjoying it muchly.  And the squirrels are SOL for now.

We also took down tippy tree.  Last December, a cedar tree just off the yard began slowly falling over.  When it fell far enough to lean against the next cedar, it stopped.  But it was harshing the growth of the other cedar and making us leery of walking anywhere near it.  So, Hubs and I took matters into our own hands,  He used a saw and an axe to whack it off the stump, then we pulled the damn thing down because it wouldn't fall on its own.  Since then, Hubs has been cutting it into manageable lengths for burning in a wood stove.  By the time we get one of those, it should be seasoned enough to burn.  I helped with some of the stacking.  

Note:  peanut butter removes cedar sap from your skin when soap and water won't.  Smear it on, let it set for a few seconds, wash it off.  Then wash the peanut butter residue off with soap and water.  Easy peasy.

I did a bunch of other honey-dos this week, catching back up with the things I'd let slide while I was otherwise occupied.  I only have two things left on my to-do list - thoroughly cleaning the kitchen counters and then washing the kitchen floor.  Then I can start my front flower bed project - wherein I dig the whole thing up, set aside the plants I want to keep, and then redirt and replant.  By the time I'm done with that, it should be time to get into the woods again for my usual winter woodswork.  Yay.

How are things in your neck of the woods?  

Thursday This n That

So, let me see if I have this right...  I, a person who has never owned slaves and hates the idea of slavery of any kind, will be forced based on my skin color to pay reparation money to people... people who have never actually been slaves... based on their skin color, because I am automatically guilty of things my ancestors may or may not have done to their ancestors who may or may not have been slaves.  Makes perfect sense.  :note sarcasm:  While I'm at it, let me whip out some money to pay reparations for the branch of my family tree that split off sometime in the late 1800s and became Nazis after my direct ancestors left Germany.  Makes about as much sense.

Shit like that makes my brain hurt.

We're having some beautiful weather this week.  I hope this doesn't encourage the trees and plants to sprout and bloom and then we have another cold snap.  It did that one year and all the blossoms on my redbud tree died.  That was sad.

I've started following the comedian JP Sears on FB and MeWe.  He's a hoot.  

In other happy news, I was contacted by an author I follow.  He messages me when he has a new book out.  YAY!  I snapped that sucker right up.  Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of edits on my Kindle and I'm trying to be all adult and junk so I can't read his book right yet.  If I weren't being adult, I'd set my editing aside (heh, like I need a reason) and inhale his book.  However, and utnostly, I made promises to get this book done and I will do that before I treat myself.  :dangles carrot:  

Yesterday morning, I was at loose ends - taking a break from editing and not wanting to just sit around - and I mentioned to Hubs that I might go out and finish some yardwork stuff.  He reminded me that we were going to do windows sometime this week and asked if I wanted to put that off until Friday.  Well, nope.  Windows and yardwork... same same.  Something to do that needs doing.  So I started working on the windows while he finished up his work and then he joined me.  I did the insides, he got a ladder and did the outsides.  Took about three hours to do the five windows in the sunroom - inside and out.  (Those are not tilt-in.  Thunderation!)  I'll get through the rest of the house windows by myself today and tomorrow.  

Thunderation... Have you seen the new Geico commercial with Captain Ahab helping a woman find a parking spot?  When he says 'Thunderation!' I about fall over laughing.  Every time.  Too funny.  And so now I've been saying thunderation because it's funny and it makes Hubs laugh.  Gotta find the fun where you can these days.

Okay, that's enough out of me.  What's the this-n-that skinny in your world?

Sunday Update - Week 41

Not sure where the week went, but here we are again at another Sunday.

Okay, so most of the week disappeared into edit hell.  Lucky for me, edit hell is not pink*.  I am this close to having this edit pass done.  Like 177 pgs out of 189**.  I worked on it every day, but it wasn't a quick process.  I hope to have those last twelve pages done today.  Right now, the book is at 63390 words.  I don't expect that to change too much.  Unless the proofers tell me they hate the beginning.  

I'm thinking about doing a sale on the genie books next week.  I need to stop thinking about it and make it happen.  I'll schedule a sale for the model books once I know when I'll have this last one published.

Alas, with all the editing going on, reading fell by the wayside.  I didn't finish any books.  I am making progress on an Agatha Christie short story paperback, though.

In baking news, I made chocolate chip cookies and granola bars and zucchini bread.  We're full up on baked goods right now.  Yay.

On the activity front, I did manage to get something active done 6 out of 7 days.  Okay, some of the activities weren't super active, but they weren't 'sitting on my ass in front of the computer', so they count.  Weight:179.4.

The trees are starting to turn here.  And the bucks are starting to come around.  We seen three now.  The main one, Arthur, was looking kind of puffy faced on the right side last week.  This week, we know why.  He must've had an abscess.  And it burst.  He's kind of gnarly looking right now, but he's healing and it's not affecting his ability to eat.  Other than the gnarly face, he looks beautiful.

I have some spreadsheet work to do today - both my own and payjob stuff.  I also have a blurb to work on for a friend and one to work on for myself.  Then there's dusting and vacuuming and I probably should get a walk in there somewhere.

I think that's about it.  What about you?  How did your week go last week?

*You'd understand the pink thing if you read Ugly and the Beast.
**The number of manuscript pages does not reflect the number of published pages.

Thursday This n That

Well, yesterday didn't go as well as planned, but I did mention I was going to Wallyworld, so it shouldn't be surprising.  Shopping is tiring, more so when you have to breath through a mask.  Trying to brain afterwards was not happening.  Better luck today. 

I had planned to not get as much stuff as last time, and while that was a little bit true, I think I'm still stuck in hoarder mode, so I ended up with a full cart again.  At least it wasn't two carts like a couple of those months there.

The bird picture of the day is a female common merganser with two babies on her back.  That one makes me happy.

In all this, you have to work to find something that makes you happy.  It's imperative.  Personally, I need to go fishing.  Maybe today. 

Is it just me or do certain phrases always bring a song to mind?  Like 'maybe today' - it always puts the song Jumper in my head.  "Maybe today, you could put the past away."

Gah, I need to do the dishes.  I usually leave them until the morning.  It's a thing.  But this morning, I am so totally not in the mood.  Unfortunately, I am also not in the mood to look at them every time I go into the kitchen, so I'll suck it up and do them after Hubs gets out of the shower.

Damn, the shower just shut off.  Maybe after one more cup of coffee and another cigarette.  ;o)

We have a doe that has a large lump along the left side of her jaw.  Like an abscess, but it's been there about a year now.  She doesn't seem to have a problem with it.  She eats and drinks fine.  Her coat is glossy and she's a good weight.  She's raising two healthy twin fawns.  She just has this weird lumpy jaw.  So, we call her Lumpy Jaw or Lumpy for short.  Yeah, not original, but it works for identification.  Every morning, she shows up with the kids and they get first dibs on the corn before the rest of the herd shows up.  =o)

I saw a post on FB this morning about how a 7-year-old boy and his siblings had a lemonade stand and raised money for a young gal who makes teddy bears for the children of fallen police officers - Blue Line Bears.  It was a happy amongst so much bullshit. 

Find the happy, my friends.  It's out there.

What on your this n that today?  What's your happy today?

Lots of Work, but No Writing

It's the 6th day of 2020 and my 'new year, new resolve' thing is going along.  Not quite the gangbusters I had on 1/1, but still going. Yesterday, I derailed myself on the writing part of it, though. 

You see, I mentioned to Hubs that I needed to wash the windows.  I even went to the store to get plenty of paper towels for the activity.  Well, he took the idea and ran with it, so we spent the afternoon washing windows - inside and out.  Him up on the ladder doing the outside ones.  Me doing the inside ones and handing him supplies through the open windows. 

And, of course, some of the windows had to be taken apart - screens out, storm windows down and out.  Brush the screens, wash both sides of the storms, put them back in after Hubs did his thing.  Not an easy job.  I mean, the ones we did look awesome, but we're both feeling it today.  We were feeling it last night, too, which is why no writing got done.

Stuff happens. 

There are still four outside-wall windows to do and three interior windows.  (We have this weird thing where there are windows inside the house, from the office into the sun porch.)  I'll get those today, aches permitting.

I also happened to mention to Hubs that it's time to wash all the glass on the light fixtures again.  Good thing we were both too tired to start that yesterday or it would've been tackled, too.  Probably a 'later this week' project.

So, where's all this put the writing?  Well, one day off isn't a deal breaker.  I'll get back to it tonight, even if I don't wanna.  Last night was less a matter of 'I don't want to' than 'I literally can't'.  Body tired, brain fried, vegetative state.

Not sure what I'll do when all the honey-dos are completed around the house.  Start the list over again?  Gah.  Sit my ass down and work on writing for eight hours a day?  Not likely.  I'd like to find a happy balance.  We'll see.

All in all, I'm happy to be getting stuff accomplished again.  I'd be happier if there was more writing going on, but I can make that happen. 

What's on your honey-do list?  How's your new year so far?

Sunday Update - Week 23

Well, it's Sunday again.  Before I forget...  Happy Father's Day to them what are fathers. 

Now, here's a look at the week that was.

I'm up to about 6800 words on Ugly and the Beast.  I have an idea for the next scene but the gumption to write is pretty weak lately. 

As for reading, I finished 4 books last week.  The three that are on my Saturday Reading Wrap Up and the one I mentioned as having started.  I finished that one last night.  So good that I spent the majority of yesterday in my recliner, reading it.

It's too hot to garden and it's too hot to fish, for the most part. I did go fishing once and caught a couple small fish, then the sun came out and the heat went up and the people came out, so I went home.  As for the gardens, they're growing right along.  I have to water at least every other day right now, because it hasn't rained in like 10 days and the futurecast ain't looking too good either.

I only managed 5 out of 7 days on the 'do something active every day' thing.  But Tuesday was a 3 actives day - exercised for 26 minutes, walked a mile, and went fishing.  Wednesday I was too pooped to do anything but water the gardens (which counts as active since I have to drag the hose all over our large yard.)  The scale showed 189.6 on Friday, so I must've done something right.  Eight tenths of a pound in a week is okay by me. 

Yesterday was the beginning of a mad cleaning spree.  (I cleaned all morning and read after that.)  Today will be more of the same.  We're supposed to have company coming sometime this week.  We never have company, so this'll be an event.  On the bright side, however this company thing goes, the house will be really clean.  But right now, I'm walking around going 'GAH!  Where did all this dust come from???'.

Haven't seen the itty-bitty bunny again.  But we now have a turtle stopping by the feeding area every day.  Still seeing the adult bunnies, so there's that.  And the deer, but they haven't started bringing babies yet.  The wait continues.

And that's about it for my week.  How was yours?