Archive for previous entries this month
February 1, 2007
Winter is back....
And it's about to get much worse. We have a wind chill advisory from 2 am on Friday until 7 am on MONDAY. I have never seen a wind chill advisory that went more than 24 hours, let alone for days. I am not looking forward to this at all. It's cold back here already!
Maybe I'll spend most of the next few days curled up in bed with books. It sounds like a reasonable plan to me!
Medusan Mutation is very close to 40k already. I've lost about 2000 words in the rewrite so far (matching where the story is now to where it was in the original), but it certainly flows better for it. I'll have it done by the end of the month.
The editing is going well, too, though somewhat haphazardly compared to usual. Even still, I feel like I'm getting more of it done by doing it in chunks rather than at the 5 page minimum of the last few years. It's working for me.
Wind chill is already -14 or so.
I am so looking forward to spring.
February 2, 2007
Pip at work
Yes, it is cold. And getting colder. I'm going to get my work done and scurry off to bed. I'm tired, so I don't mind the cold so much tonight. I can just go sleep and ignore it for a few hours!
I have to say that in the over all scheme of things, the last few days haven't been bad at all. I've gotten a good amount of work done -- though I did fall down on the job tonight so that I could do some art stuff. I still have to update the 2YN classes, which I will do right after I post this. I would like to write a bit more on Medusan Mutation so that I have a good start when I get up tomorrow, but I think that's not going to happen.
Not that it matters. I'm doing fine anyway. What I really want tonight is to get done here and sleep!
So, I guess that means I don't have anything else to say.
Stay tuned. More of the same tomorrow....
February 3, 2007
Thinking of Summer
I'm thinking a lot about summer right now. It's way too cold, and I don't like cold like this. I'm going to go retreat somewhere warm and even abandon my computer tonight. I've gotten my writing done. I've managed to get a little bit of work and a little bit of art done. Learning more there everyday.... but today I'm going to stop.
I think it's supposed to be colder tomorrow.
Gah.
It's hard to concentrate on anything when I'm this cold. I've a real bad problem with that sort of thing. So this is it for tonight. I'm not going to have anything else interesting to say.
February 4, 2007
Arrival
I finally got my office up to a warm enough temp that I could stand to be here. This does not mean I really got anything done. I ended up playing with graphic programs and doing a bit of writing, but no other work.
Well, not much anyway.
I've been putting together a Daz picture that has taken almost all day to get anywhere near what I want. I enjoy those types of pictures. I'm learning about better light placement, for instance. And how to handle fog, which is really tricky and can take a long time to render... so you want to have it right the first time.
But, other than that... not really much going on, as usual. We had another cold day, but I stayed warmer than the last few. I have a cold, of course, but I'll survive it. I just wish it was going to warm up soon!
You know, I really think my brain has kind of gone on hold for a while. I'm sure there are interesting things going on, but I'm not looking at reality for a while. Give me my stories and my art, and I'll be just fine.
Spring is coming. I'll be ready.
February 5, 2007
Cold
Actually, it's not as cold today as it has been. I feel better for it, though I'm still sneezing like mad.
The writing is going very well. I love this new schedule and how well it is working for me. The 1000 before I start anything else is wonderful. I'm over half way through Medusan Mutation, and the story is flowing very well. I need to change the name of one of the secondary characters though. I only now realized how much alike two names are. Isn't that odd, after all the rewrites of done on this one?
I've been working on a very difficult piece of art for three days now. It doesn't look like it would be that hard... but for some reason, it just wouldn't go together the way I wanted. I think I might mostly have it now, but I'm going to save it and look again after some sleep. I'm apt to make odd, quick decisions when I'm tired. And I also tend to want the art stuff to go quickly, not like the writing. (grin)
We're supposed to have a little snow tonight. It shouldn't be much at all.
And I think I'm ready to head off to bed!
February 6, 2007
Pretty sunset
I spent a good amount of today in bed, ill. I don't know that I really feel much better now, but I am getting work done. I hope to be back in bed soon.
The writing is still going fine. I'm over half way through Medusan Mutation. I've started wondering what I'll work on next, in fact.
But tonight... just get this done, finish up a little more work, and get to bed!
February 7, 2007
Fish
You know, it makes me nervous to keep saying that the writing is going well, even when it is. I not only have the current novel going well, but I think I have some ideas for the next one as well. This makes me a little nervous, to be honest.
But I am having fun with it.
I'm going to spend some time tonight doing some art, though. I have an idea or two that I want to try out, and since I'm caught up on writing, I'm going to take a couple hours. Yes, there are other things I should be doing, too -- but it's after midnight. I think I can take a couple hours away from both writing and work to do something like this, right?
See, I knew you wouldn't argue with me.
And there... a mess of pictures are copied over to the hard drive, so I can work with them now. Time to go have some fun.
February 8, 2007
Painted Lioness
(Oops. Forgot to upload last night!)
I have been experimenting with Painter ever
since I got it at Christmas, and I have to say that it's a joy to
work with. I thought I was going to have considerably more trouble
with it than I have. Sure, I'm no where near proficient at it -- and
I haven't even considered doing any sort of art from scratch -- but
I'm starting to get a feel for things. I even bought a small Wacom
tablet on Ebay. It's perfect for me because I have very little
space.
Tomorrow I'm going to the zoo. It's a rare occasion because the
class Russ will teach starts after the zoo opens -- which makes it
possible for me to go, even in this weather. (Did I mention the
snow?) I don't mind sitting outside the zoo in the spring and summer
waiting for it to open, but not when it gets cold. I have the
camera charged up ad ready to go!
I think I forgot to mention that I took over 10,000 pictures the first year I owned the new camera. So, I'm off to take some more tomorrow!
November 9, 2007
I went to the zoo!
Had a great time at the zoo today, but now I'm so tired all I want to do is go crawl off to bed for a few hours. Or days. It's a good thing I got my writing done last night before I went to bed or I'd be in trouble now! I am quite wise some days.
It was warmer in Omaha than it is here. My fingers and toes are freezing.
But I had a great day. Got some good pictures, and really enjoyed the quiet of the place. It was good to get away for a little while!
February 10, 2007
Long day at the zoo....
And a long day here, too. I can't say that I got much done, but at least I haven't fallen any farther behind.
Tell me one thing, though... how can you have drizzle at 17f. That's just too strange.
I'm still getting the 3k a day done. That's strange, too. It's been a little harder today, but mostly because I'm tired. I'm going to retire early, maybe read some in bed, and try to sleep for a few hours. That probably doesn't sound like it would be so tough, but there's this little problem called Zaphod. He's started getting very aggressive about getting into the bedroom. This morning he kept throwing himself at the door knob until he knocked the door open. Then, of course, I had many furry little friends come to keep me company.
Anyway, I'm closing in on the end of Medusan Mutation. My people are about to head into the heart of the trouble. It's going to be such fun!
Ah. I had to take a break there to handle something for DTF that absolutely needed to be done right away. And, of course, it took longer than I expected.
But now, really, off to bed.
Unless there's something in the email that I need to do.
February 11, 2007
Flamingo Painting
You'd think I could get more done in a day, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, not. I seem to be falling back instead of getting ahead lately. I'm not sure why, either. I think I must just spend a lot of time staring at the computer screen rather than doing something with it.
I am still fascinated with Painter. The picture above is an experiment of many different brushes, and based on a bad original picture that was out of focus. I think it came out rather nice, really.
Besides that, I'm still working away on Medusan Mutation. In fact, I think I have about 25k words left to go. Which, by the way, will make it much shorter than the previous version, and I'll have to go back through and work it up toward 90k again. That's all right -- I've been noticing a lot of spots where adding in more detail wouldn't hurt at all. (grin)
And that's it, really. It's been a quiet day. And warm! Well, if you can call 31f warm... and yes, given the weather lately, I think you can. I even turned the heat down today.
Okay, off to do some more writing work and make up my list for tomorrow!
February 12, 2007
Mother and Child
I do love going to the zoo and getting pictures like that one. I have several of this pair, and many of them are really nice. I hope I get a chance to work with them and update my zoo blog soon.
Maybe I should put that on my never ending list from hell.
It's snowing here! Snowing quite a bit, in fact. But it's going to be colder tomorrow and much colder on Wednesday. Sigh. I like the 'warm' snow days, not the cold ones.
Okay, time for me to get back to work on writing. I need some work done before I go to bed tonight so that I can do work on other things tomorrow. It's amazing the circle of my life. (grin)
I hope to devote a bit more time to the graphic stuff soon. I just need to get my schedule back into line and get some extra stuff cleared up. Right now I have a couple editing jobs which must be completed, plus the work on Vision coming up.
But, the novel is going well so I can't complain too much. I just wish I could concentrate a little better the last few days. Maybe tomorrow?
February 13, 2007
Snow Lines
I spent most of today sorting out some Vision stuff... and becoming increasingly ill. I'm crawling off to bed now without having nearly enough done.
Maybe tomorrow.
February 14, 2007
Peacock
I feel better tonight, at least, though I'm still very tired. I hope to get my work done and go crawl into bed with Russ and as many cats as want to join us. It's cold tonight. I want them to all come in and stay warm.
It's supposed to be 40f on Sunday. Yay! Warm! (Is that pathetic, or what?)
Getting closer to done with Medusan Mutation. I'm almost up to 80k -- I think I'll make that before I go to bed tonight, in fact. It sounds like a good plan to me, so that I have less to do tomorrow. I have sorted out most of the Vision stuff today, and tomorrow I will do the contracts.
Unless I feel worse again.
So, off to write. Really, nothing going on here at all.
February 15, 2007
Golden Lion Tamarin
It's cold again. And the weather won't be as nice on Sunday as they said. Still, twenties is better than the negative numbers we've been having lately. Russ and I figure that we only have a couple more weeks of this and we'll be hitting the warmer weather. There might still be snow storms, but it shouldn't be long stretches of cold like this.
The writing went very well today. I'm very nearly done with Medusan Mutation. I have one completely new set of scenes that I still need to write, but I'm going to go all the way through the end of the original material first, so I can fit it in the best spot.
Besides that, nothing much going on here. My feet are going numb from the cold. That's the problem with having a house with no basement... there's just a little space between my floor and the frozen ground. I can really feel it tonight.
But, all in all, it's going fine. Time to get a bit more writing done, though!
February 16, 2007
Blizzard
Yeah, we're having weather again, though it's not as bad now as it as when I took that picture. Russ was in Omaha and got home very late, too, so I was worried. But he made it, so all is well.
I can't say I really got much done today except some writing and some work at FM. It was one of those days where I could have just slept all day if I had let myself. I can't say I would have been any worse off for it. (grin)
Waiting for Russ to get done with his work so we can have a very late dinner.
Medusan Mutation is almost done. I think I know what I want to work on next, so things are going fine. And that's it for tonight. I have got to get something interesting going or we're all going to be bored to death.
February 17, 2007
Winter River
It won't be that way for much longer. They're calling for 40f temps by the end of the week, so I think we've seen the last of the bitter cold, and likely the last snow storm as well -- though sometimes it can surprise you. We've had some of our worst storms in April, and a few years ago in snowed in parts of Nebraska on the last day of summer.
So you never know.
I have spent a good amount of tonight working out a problem with Medusan Mutation that I only barely recognized at the last moment. I'm very close to being done with the book, though.
Which is good. I have so much else piling up, even though I spend most of every day hammering away at it. Sure, I let some of it slip past me, but for the most part, I do make an effort to get the work done. It just... doesn't, somehow.
And here it is, late again. I didn't sleep well last night, and I suspect I'll be just as bad tonight. But for the moment, I need to get back to work!
February 18, 2007
Pretty
I am within a few pages of finishing Medusan Mutation. I'm not going to get there tonight because I'm just way too ill, but I should have it tomorrow.
Pip is ill, too, and I'm really worried about the poor little guy. He goes to the vet first thing in the morning, but it's going to be a long night for me. I'm heading into bed right now, in fact, so that he can come and snuggle with me, and maybe feel a little better.
That's it for me tonight.
February 19, 2007
Snow, snow, snow....
The snow here is melting! It was up in the 40's today and it will be for the next few days. Then we'll look at some freezing rain/drizzle and maybe snow on Sunday, but I doubt it. I think we're starting to look at spring coming.
Pip is ill. He went back to the vet today and had another shot and has some medication he has to take twice a day (i.e., we have to risk bodily injury to get it into him. How can a sick cat have that much energy?).
And I just finished Medusan Mutation. Yay! I'll let it sit for a bit and then go over it again. But for now... done!
So, as usual... what's next?
February, 20, 2007
Signs of the coming of spring
I am working on the final book in the Dark Staff series. I didn't like the last version, and it's held me back from finishing the series. Well, that and being so busy with everything else. But I am going to have it done this time.
I'm also on the final edit of the book prior to the end. It will be done in no time at all.
Anyway, that's the plan.
I could fall over asleep right now, though. It sounds like a good idea. Soon....
February 21, 2007
Downtown
I really like the colors in this one. That's straight out of the camera, too, only resized for the web site.
I'm still writing. It was warm today. It's going to be cold this weekend. The weather, in fact, looks rather bad for the weekend. Glad to know that I'll be staying home and... well, writing, I suppose.
I have not had a chance to get back to any of the art work, which is kind of annoying me now. But if I get a couple things done, I'll have more time. For a little while. I am making progress on Vision, at least!
But beyond that... I can't really say that I have a life.
I guess I might as well just go back to imagining someone else's for a while.
February 22, 2007
February Sunset
Apparently we have one day before the storm from hell descends upon us. As it happens, Russ has to go to Omaha tomorrow to deliver a resume, so I'll be going down with him. I might go to the zoo for a couple hours. We'll see.
Then, on Saturday, it sounds as though a storm is going to hit. I'll believe it when I see it, because normally when they start warning us this far out, it doesn't hit at all. Still, better to be safe.
The work on the last Dark Staff book is picking up. I'm pleased so far. And the editing on the one previous to it is going well.
And that, really, is all my news today. Hey, at least it looks like something interesting might happen over the next few days!
February 23, 2007
Bat-Eared Fox
I went to the zoo today!
Actually, it's more accurate to say I went to the desert and the caverns -- and a swamp -- today. Since we got there later than usual, I spent the entire trip in one building, with the desert dome at the top and the caverns and swamp underneath, in the Kingdoms of Darkness.
There was an amusing moment when I came back out. I told Russ that I hadn't taken as many pictures as usual. He thought that meant maybe forty or fifty. I had 'only' taken 126, which, really, is half of what I would normally take on a zoo visit. Of course I had less than half the usual time there, so I guess I did all right anyway.
There are a couple that are very nice. I think the one above is going to make a very nice painting. (grin)
We are apparently going to get hit with some kind of weather this weekend. Right now it's very windy, but that's about it. We didn't even have too bad of a drive home, I'm glad to say.
But I'm tired and sniffy. Russ has a horrible cold. I hope he's better soon.
February 24, 2007
The start of the storm
That's what we had at about 2:42 pm this afternoon. It was amazing to hear it hitting, too. It came down fairly hard... but it wasn't long until it started turning to snow.
This was about 3:14 Pm. The snow was already falling on our back yard. Note all the branches down from the wind earlier this winter, too. The snow only melted yesterday. And here it is coming back.
And coming... this was out the front door at about 5:56 pm.
6:05 PM out the back window from my office.
The bushes out front at 6:49 pm. Russ knocked the snow off them so the branches didn't break... but it was back within the hour.
And out the back window again... a timed shot (about 3 seconds) at 8:46 pm.
It's now 12:30 am, and it's still snowing.
It's made an interesting day!
February 25, 2007
Pretty Snow
So, it was still snowing this morning. In fact, it snowed for a solid 24 hours, though most of today's was very light and didn't amount to much more than we already had. It was pretty amazing, though!
We have one big branch down next door, but the rest of the trees appear to have come through alright. Russ knocked the snow off the lilac bushes last night -- twice -- to save them. We haven't been away from the house, but I see an increasing number of people out on the road again.
I didn't realize how late in the month it was, and how short the month is besides. Tomorrow I'll be doing a lot of work on Vision. (grin)
It's a good thing it snowed, or I might have been boring or something....
February 26, 2007
Alligators at the zoo
I fear I'm coming down with the flu, which his really annoying and bad timing. I've been trying to work on Vision all day and not getting far. I still need a few hundred for my 3k for the day too, but I'll get that pretty quickly here, if I can just focus.
Which, apparently I can't, because I started this a couple hours ago and didn't get any more done. I think, maybe, it's time to upload and go to bed.
February 27, 2007
In the snow
I'm putting Vision together. Yay!
I have the backache from hell. Boo!
It's been very hard for me to concentrate today, and I'm looking forward to going to bed, to be honest. I have a little more work that has to be done, but at least I've gotten a good amount done today, and I can feel like I have a chance here.
Hope in Hell is going well still. Almost up to 20k, in fact. If I hadn't needed to write a workshop (which is over 2k!), and various other things for Vision, I'd be farther. But still, it's going well.
I hope to get this work done and soon, though. I need a break!
Russ leaves town for a couple days on Thursday. I had hoped I could go with him, but it never works that well for us. It would have been a nice early birthday present, just to get away for two days and see things. I'll survive, of course, but you know... a few days away from the house wouldn't have exactly killed me. Lately, my exciting 'away from home' times has been to go to the grocery store and sit in the car and take pictures while Russ picks up a few things.
Not exactly the most exciting life.
February, 28 2007
Magic
Am I done yet? Gah. I've been pounding away at things on this computer all day, and I still have more things to do. We are now officially over the edge into March. Or maybe it's just over the edge, because Russ is over at his place doing much the same sort of things as I am here.
I do have Vision virtually finished and about to go up. I have to do some updates on Forward Motion, still, but that shouldn't take too long, I hope.
I may go with Russ tomorrow, in which case I'll be away for a couple days. The mind boggles at the thought of being out of the house that long. Of course, a lot of it depends on the blizzard that's supposed to hit in a couple hours and go far into the time when we're supposed to leave.
I still have some more writing to get done tonight, too, so I had better get this uploaded and get over to FM and do the work there!
I am never bored, at least. I don't have time to do everything I want to do, let alone waste time being bored. (grin)