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?
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
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?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)