BitterSuites

eBay Sales: none

#MilWordy Update: 115,006 words (4,733 words/day to complete)

Dragged my father on a roam around the manmade lake in the center of our housing complex. It was a nice enough walk, but the path is seriously damaged by roots and frost heaving. It needs repair pretty badly, but I doubt that’s going to happen this year. I haven’t heard anything about it from the HOA. (As if the HOA sends out actual newsletters or something. I don’t remember the last time I even saw a sign for a meeting. I mean, Zoom is a thing that they could use….)

Met a sweetheart of a puppy today. Tiny thing that was smaller than the last cat we had, but a sweetie that was very friendly and its humans who were nice. I vaguely recognize them, but not enough to actually strike up a conversation beyond, “cute puppy.”

I took several pictures around the lake and I think that brings me closer to my goal of a picture for every day of the year. It’s the principle of taking more pictures, rather than the number of pictures that I’m pushing myself about. Some of them are “art shots.” At least one of them I think will end up being the cover of a book. Not sure which book, but it seems appropriate to use my own photos for that. Even if I throw them through a few filters and modify them that way.

The auction that I’ve been working on is finally over. Now we need to organize everything by person and by time that they’re coming. Only a handful of items didn’t sell and I’ve got plans for them. A couple will go in the box lot for next time and a couple will end up on eBay because I think I can grab a few dollars that way.

In a random eBay whine — since they’ve gone to managed payments, the fees seem to be steeper. One simply cannot make money on $0.99 items at all anymore. There’s a $0.30 fee per transaction + a percentage of the sale that includes *shipping*. And so, when I charge accurate shipping and don’t pocket a few dollars there, I lose money. Seriously, eBay, way to live up to the Fee-Bay title you used to have. I haven’t hung out on the Trust and Security group for awhile, but I might have to wander my way back into the bulletin boards.

I think that’s about it. I’m a little over-caffeinated and eager to see invoices pop up as paid on the auction site so that I can get things ready for Sunday’s pick-ups.

• Goal: Finish 2 books & 12 short stories — 3 short story complete. 1 in edits.
• Goal: Keep a journal, even if it’s only one line per day — I need to catch up with this
• Goal: Take a photo every day and make myself a book at the end of the year. — a few days behind, but I’m catching up.
• Goal: Complete MilWordy. — Progress, but the goal seems just out of reach for every day.
• Goal: Blog every day. — Third in a row, can we make it 4?
• Goal: 15 eBay listings a day while I’m not working elsewhere — got 12 done today by 1500. That’s pretty darn close. I’m pleased with it.

eBay Sales: plush bear, Disney collectable

#MilWordy Update: 114,639 words (4,709 words/day to complete)

Picked up an instant collection of troll dolls today. I don’t think I ever actually had any back in the day. I’m not sure exactly when they got popular, but it was somewhere between the 1980 and 2000…. which doesn’t really narrow it down.

I am almost done with another short story. So, that’s a step in the right direction.

I’m participating in a reading challenge, so you might notice a theme of books each month. You can find the challenge here on StoryGraph. You can join the challenge or just get some ideas from the books people have been tagging to the different words. It’s a lot of fun and really helped me focus in on the books to read for the month. March’s theme is “Time.” So there needs to be a reference to time somewhere in the title: “Time,” “Minute,” “Second,” “Year,” etc. That’s it. Simple as pi. (That’s a Doctor Who reference, for your edification. Old school DW too.)

I’m diving hard into books recently in a vain attempt to tame my To Be Read (TBR) shelves. My TBR is somewhere along the lines of “good luck sucker” and “heat death of the universe” in length. I’ve tried my best to call a moratorium on buying any new books. And I haven’t gorged myself at the library. (because it’s closed for browsing, not out of some form of guilt or self-punishment.)

• Goal: Finish 2 books & 12 short stories — 2 short story complete. 1 in final edits.
• Goal: Keep a journal, even if it’s only one line per day — I need to catch up with this
• Goal: Take a photo every day and make myself a book at the end of the year. — a few days behind again.
• Goal: Complete MilWordy. — Progress, but the goal seems just out of reach for every day. But, I know that I can devote a weekend to writing soon. That should be a way to do it.
• Goal: Blog every day. — Second in a row
• Goal: 15 eBay listings a day while I’m not working elsewhere — got 8 done today by 1500. That’s half-way. I might get a few more in once my phone recharges.

eBay Sales: 4 books, 1 frame, 1 comic, 1 doll, 2 photo album covers, 1 pottery piece

#MilWordy Update: 113,777 words (4,689 words/day to complete)

Got more than 10 listings done today for eBay. I consider that a win.

On Monday, I gathered with friends to celebrate the completion of a joint reading of a book. Believe me when I tell you that this book barely deserves the name. And I have read slush. I have read literary slush. short story slush. novel slush. And none of those unpublished works, no matter how bad or disjointed, were as bad as this piece of publishing that someone has the temerity to charge money for. I have read more entertaining letters from people with schizophrenia in the midst of an episode which causes word salad. (This is an industry term for completely disjointed thought-streams which are poured forth onto paper. It’s a diagnostic tool actually.)

But this book. This book makes me wish I could drink until I forget its existence. It has occasionally made me attempt to summon Cthulhu from his slumber in the water depths, because the madness created by the lingering gaze of the old ones is actually an improvement on the madness which this book induced.

This book induced our intrepid team of readers to keep track of such things as “gross,” “F**K YOU!!! to the infinity to the infinity power!,” “That’s not how this works. That’s not how ANY of this works,” and “unutterable stupidity and the inability to plot.”

There are fan-fics which are famous for being so bad they’re enjoyable. Unfortunately, this book was not enjoyable to that level. It was not “Plan 9 From Outer Space” levels of camp to be made fun of.

It was an endurance race.

And I will not grant the author the courtesy or ignominy of being named. If it were possible, I would blot the existence of all of its copies out of the world.

I put the file in a separate folder on my computer so that it would not infect anything else with its stupidity.

It has so firmly lowered the bar of readable that I wish I could grant it negative stars.

But, I must dwell happily in the knowledge that it’s over. And I pray that I will never see anything as insipid, disgusting, or infuriating again.

My blood pressure couldn’t handle it.

• Goal: Finish 2 books & 12 short stories — 2 short story complete.
• Goal: Keep a journal, even if it’s only one line per day — I need to catch up with this
• Goal: Take a photo every day and make myself a book at the end of the year. — a few days behind again.
• Goal: Complete MilWordy. — Progress, but the goal seems just out of reach for every day. But, I know that I can devote a weekend to writing soon. That should be a way to do it.
• Goal: Blog every day. — Ha ha. that is, to laugh.
• Goal: 15 eBay listings a day while I’m not working elsewhere — got 11 done today! That’s close at least.

eBay Sales: GS Badge, MCM prints, 2 plush, rolling pin, 6 books, 1 figurine, blood pressure cuff, Madame A box, reel to reel tape, McCoy planter, board game, tea infuser (It’s been awhile hasn’t it?)

#MilWordy Update: 113,385words (4,570 words/day to complete)

I have been intensely working on a downsizing project for the last week. Organizing, photographing, and drafting up 175 lots of items for auctioning off and pick-up in a week. It’s been an adventure. My legs ache from getting the proper pictures. My back aches from moving items. But it’s done and ready to launch as soon as the managing group lets it go live. It’s going to make a significant difference, but dear GODS, I should not have given myself this short of a timeline. Next one will take more than a month to line up. I swear. I think it’s going to be the end of March, but maybe it will be April, just to give myself some downtime. On the other hand, it makes a quick difference in the house.

Sadly, there’s probably enough stuff for two or three more auctions too. And that’s with lots as well as individual pieces. Too many years of not moving, not sorting.

Obviously, I have not gotten my eBay listings goal met. No way was I going to spend another hour listing eBay stuff on the day that I spent 8 hours or so doing auction listings.

My writing has also been… non-existent. However, I finally figured out the soundtrack to one of my sequels and I should be able to get to the end of that one. It needed some sea shanties. *grins*

Well, that’s been my life for the last 11 days in a nutshell. What have you been up to?

• Goal: Finish 2 books & 12 short stories — 2 short story complete.
• Goal: Keep a journal, even if it’s only one line per day — I need to catch up with this
• Goal: Take a photo every day and make myself a book at the end of the year. — a few days behind again.
• Goal: Complete MilWordy. — Progress, but the goal seems just out of reach for every day. But, I know that I can devote a weekend to writing soon. That should be a way to do it.
• Goal: Blog every day. — Ha ha. that is, to laugh.
• Goal: 15 eBay listings a day while I’m not working elsewhere.

eBay Sales: 3 books, McDonald’s toys, figurine, 1 play,

#MilWordy Update: 112,914 words (4,327 words/day to complete)

I haven’t really met the 15 items every day goal with eBay. On the other hand, at least I have been listing on a regular basis.

I’m considering making a habit of not doing anything “productive” on Sundays. Just reading or doing a craft or streaming a movie or something instead. I have a hard time shutting myself down most of the time. And not working makes me twitch, which is a bad sign. I think I’m losing my ability to focus and that’s a stress signal that I need to pay attention to.

On the other hand, I have gotten to the point of posting on Medium for the first time. The interface is pretty good. Mostly plug and play. I still haven’t figured out how to properly add in photos yet. I’m also parsing through the rules on fair use about grabbing a screen cap to add to my game reviews. I think it’s necessary, but I’m not sure if I should grab the start screen or if I should snap a gameplay section. Do you have any thoughts on that?

I am trying to get ready for an auction, but the auction house has not emailed me back yet. If I don’t get a response from them, I think I’ll be doing a bunch of selling on Facebook marketplace or ebay local pick-up only. The stuff needs to go and I’d rather get a few quid… erm… bucks for it rather than just giving it away. Every penny you can towards debt right?

The printer is still not working and I was not in the mood to fuss with it today. I need to figure out how to install it on my network, it seems and I do not want to carry my printer down to the basement when it should be able to connect to the f’ing wifi with no issues. The wifi sees it. My computer sees it. I don’t understand why it’s not connecting. Grrrrr…..

• Goal: Finish 2 books & 12 short stories — 2 short story complete. 1 ready to send to beta.
• Goal: Keep a journal, even if it’s only one line per day — I need to catch up with this
• Goal: Take a photo every day and make myself a book at the end of the year. — a few days behind again. But not leaving the house makes it a challenge. (I do think a few I’ve taken are worthy of selling as prints though b/c they came out really well.)
• Goal: Complete MilWordy. — Progress, but the goal seems just out of reach for every day. But, I know that I can devote a weekend to writing soon. That should be a way to do it.
• Goal: Blog every day. — Ha ha. that is, to laugh.