10-17-20
eBay Sales: Stuffed toy, pattern, vintage doll
Craft Projects Completed: 0 and none attempted
#MilWordy Update: 68,551 words (2920 words/day to complete on time)
Had to get up at a horrible hour this morning in order to travel home. I’m not even close to unpacked and I haven’t even pulled out my keyboard from the suitcase. It’s not as though that is an excuse for not writing. It’s just the tiredness from traveling. I took a three hour nap this afternoon and I’m still tired. Maybe it’s not enough caffeine in my system or something. At least – knock on wood – I might not get airplane-crud because everyone had to be wearing their masks and there was enough bleach on the airplane to kill almost anything. I feel that this is the point where I should be warning people about not mixing the wrong cleaning agents, but I don’t have the list handy.
Just bleach + ammonia = BAD. Do not do this. It is deadly.
I have, however, figured out at least one plot point for one of my sequel books and I think I might be able to get that one finished by the end of the year and ready for publication.
Two of my short stories are back from beta with very minor edits needing to be made. I should be able to get them turned-in for my Patreon requirements sooner rather than later. I’ve made progress on one of my supernatural crime stories too. (I have recurring characters who pop up in my short stories. Some day I should be able to publish those stories in collections. I’ll be able to put them into chronological order too. Even if that’s not the way they’ve been written.)
I suppose I should get to doing something vaguely productive before the end of the night. So, at least one good sprint today, I think.
TTFN.
Filed under Uncategorized
Writing from Prompts: Demon (Orig Pub 8/6/2017)
Smallis leaned back in his chair. It had taken a long time to learn the arcane symbols needed to program a video slot machine, but he’d finally done it. He’d created the most powerful summoning program ever created. He was going to be famous. He spun the chair around twice, then clicked to send the app live.
He put his hands behind his head. “Suck it, you archaic dicks.”
Filed under Uncategorized, Writing
10-14-20
eBay Sales: Vintage Doll, Japanese Music Box, book
Craft Projects Completed: 0. Not even contemplated any
#MilWordy Update: 68,510 words (2,893 words/day to complete)
A nice lazy day today. Took a nap randomly. Had a full brunch. Nice soaking bath. All the de-stressing activities. 🙂
Filed under Life in Random
10-12-20
EBay sales: candy dish
Craft projects completed : insert laughter here
#MilWordy Update: I will catch up with this tomorrow. No significant progress since Friday though.
Things of random notice so far on this trip:
- The power chair we rented is worth every penny. I don’t have to push. Mom doesn’t feel guilty and has more autonomy. The cast members are making a point of talking to her rather than me as well, which is a subtle but significant change that makes her happier too. I don’t know if she’s actually noticed that yet
- The bus service to the resorts is sketchier than usual. They have a restricted number of seats available and not enough extra buses to cover for that. The couple at the head of our line had been waited over an hour and a half by the time the bus got to us.
- The buffets have come up with an excellent way of continuing. The food is still all you care to eat, but they bring your party a platter with a selection of everything that is on offer and if you want more of anything you just ask for it. I think this must reduce the amount of food waste too because people don’t take stacks of food. I have greatly enjoyed them.
- I burn like crazy even when I use sun screen. I know this and still I was surprised when my pale skin turned red on the shoulders. I went to Hawaii and got a sunburn during the two rainiest weeks they had ever experienced.
- I don’t like crowds
- A baby’s lungs are stronger than the elevator / resort sound system.
- I am getting old and my knees do not appreciate me getting up and going from a mile a day to five miles with no in between.
- I am much more interested in taking pictures now that I can use an on-line photo book company rather than trying to scrap it myself.
- The Battlestar Gallatica theme song (original series) is in my head know that it was randomly playing near an attraction with absolutely no connection to BSG.
Regularly scheduled madness will resume next week, I think. Right now: sending healing vibes to a friend who has been to the ER and Urgent Care this weekend. Additional positive thoughts would be welcome.
Filed under Uncategorized
10-10-20
Traveling today, so I am going to just leave this quote here instead:
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige, and even his life for the welfare of others. In dangerous valleys and hazardous pathways, he will lift some bruised and beaten brother to a higher and more nobel life.
-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
10-09-20
eBay sales: cookie cutters
Craft Projects Completed: 0
#MilWordy Update: 67,982 words (2,850 words/day to complete on time)
I am a bear of very little brain tonight. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.
Remember honey is a great anti-bacterial. And it tastes good too.
Filed under Life in Random
10-08-20
eBay Sales: None
Craft Projects Completed: 0
#MilWordy Update: 67,533 words (2843 words/day to complete on time)
I suppose I really ought to start titling these things something more interesting. I just don’t have that many clever titles. Ask anyone who’s been on one of my email lists. Normally it’s “update” or “new submission call” not anything clever. Still, people open those emails and they serve their purpose, so they’re not suffering.
The spam bots and I seem to have hit a creative slump today. They weren’t even trying to copy and paste essays today. It was very sad. I would love to tell you something interesting, but my main accomplishment for the day was getting my email under 300 and typing up meeting minutes. Meeting minutes are the bane of my existence and the equivalent to the weekly journal review you might have to write for your theory classes. Not my favorite subject or even anything I’m particularly interested in.
The problem, not just for me, but for many people, is that we’re rather good at whatever we’re hired to do and people interpret that as being interested or loving the job. No. This is a job. You hired me to do it. I have been trained by my 18 years of schooling to do the assignment I have been given to the best of my ability. The brainwashing is strong. That doesn’t mean I enjoy what I’m doing. Or that I sought it out. I fell into my career when my actual *plans* for a career careened into a health issue and I lost my way for awhile.
It seems to me, that these days, I could probably circle back to some of what I was planning. Even if I just do it on-line and for fun. It’s not as though I’m not competent or actually credentialed on the subject I want to explore. Hmm… You might see something a little more interesting in the future, but I don’t want to 1) spoil the possible surprise or 2) disappoint myself when this new plan smashes up against something else. It would be nice if I could actually find a way to leverage myself into one of the R&D tracks that my old company was doing. I think I still have the cards of some of the folks who were working on it.
I could wax poetic about the Northern Lights that I got to see once when I was shorter than I am today. Or I could blather on about some sort of writing thing. But the reality is, I’ve got a headache and I really just want to sleep. So, goodnight, my someones, goodnight. (Song cue!)
Filed under Life in Random
10-07-20
eBay Sales: book, Disney memorabilia
Craft Projects Completed: 0 (no not even a row)
#MilWordy Update: 64,600 words (2843 words/day to complete on time)
I finished another short story today. #MilWordy has been very successful in getting my word count up and my number of open projects down. *Please insert laughter here* Let’s look at that slightly differently: I have completed 3 short stories and developed a series of at least six books, one of which will probably end up being my NanoWriMo project for the year. Unless I can’t stand it and then, it will be the sequel to To Market. All joking aside, I am actually doing really well at blogging every day. (Almost) Some of those blogs might actually have useful content for someone too.
I have have been working through a series of lectures on writing as well, rather than just spiralling uselessly through YouTube content as is my wont. I’m even considering making another foray into the wild world of journalism. Or at least, into non-fiction. I have a concept, I just have to see if I can write convincingly and happily about it for a few thousand words at a time. I’ll post links here if I decide to do that. And maybe you can tell me what you think of the topics.
To be honest, I started taking a vitamin supplement packet about a week ago. And somehow, even if it’s placebo, it seems to be helping with my stress levels. I’ve been a lot more capable of getting stuff done. Maybe it’s the vitamins, maybe it’s the process of just doing something every day that seems to have gotten me into a better process. Whatever it is, it’s working and I’m not going to question it.
I’ll just keep on keeping on then.
Pumpkins, leaves, and laughter, my loves.
Filed under Life in Random
BitterSuites 