October 1, 2008
Yes, this is a drastic change from the clunky older version of this journal. I've even -- Gods of the Internet help me! -- finally been working with style sheets and dynamic web templates. I can't say that I like them any better than I did before, but I do finally have a clue what I'm doing with them.
Sometimes.
So why the big change? Today marks the 10th anniversary of when I started this journal. I have had a post for every single day, though they are not all posted here. I do have them in various backups, though.
One of the big changes with this version is going to be that the picture will only be up for the day. Since I delete them all at the end of the month anyway, this will just make it easier to deal with. I've changed the layout of the archives I have on hand, and I may add some others in as they turn up on the backups. Eventually, I might have all ten years available, if I can track them all down.
I'll likely go through a lot more changes for awhile as I figure this stuff out. I've enjoyed playing with it though -- at least when I have the time.
It's been an odd ten years. Writing, not so surprisingly, is still the mainstay of my life. I have written several novels and shorter work over the years. I've sold a few, and enjoyed just about every minute of it so far. The hardest time I've had with writing was the first half of this year while I worked on a nonfiction book that really gave me trouble. It's done, though, and all is well. The rest of the writing is finally going better.
I have made incredible improvements in my writing ability over the last then years. That has happened because I've been willing to learn. I plan to keep on learning. I sometimes think that's something writers forget. They get comfortable. They get older. They forget that writing is always about discovery, and that goes beyond merely the discovery of a new story.
When I started, I hadn't sold anything. I've had over 60 publications since then, and I'm still doing well. I NEVER would have imagined myself running something like Forward Motion or publishing Vision for eight years. I certainly never would have imagined myself doing cover art, especially for books others than my own -- but I have done a couple now.
Other things have drastically changed. Russ has been working in New York since last November. My plans had not ever been to live on my own, but I'm doing all right with it. I don't like it -- I'd much rather have Russ back home! -- but I'm surviving. Russ should be home for a couple days in about a week.
There have been many cats who have come and gone over the last ten years, but two of them are still here -- Lady Jane Pudge'ums and Pip. Lady Jane, who is 17, is not doing well just now, but Pip is still going strong. There is also Willow and Wind and Zaphod and Edmond. They're a good bunch.
In the last ten years, I've done more photography and loved working with the digital stuff. It's very freeing. I always took a lot of pictures, but with the digital age, I no longer have to worry about processing. I hope to do a few pages for my favorite locations soon.
And I moved over into the world of digital art as well. I've been having more fun with that than I expected to. It's wonderful to find a new avenue of expression, especially one that is brand new. I cannot draw, but I can still create a vision of something from my mind.
So here we are, ready to start another ten years. I haven't missed a day yet (though some have been late because of power outages and vacations). Let's see if I can make it for another ten years.
October 2, 2008
I am trying to get a lot of writing done over the next few weeks. I didn't have a good year, but I'm doing better now, and I want to make the best of it. The new book is going well, so that helps. I'll need another one like this afterwards, though.
And I need to work on the outlines, too. Outlines take longer to write, though, and so I leave them for later in the day. I don't know if that's wise or not!
Anyway, the book is nearly done. I'm having a lot of fun with it, and I think I'll be done by this weekend. Then I'm going to have to find another major project. I'm amazed at how well this is going through!
October 3, 2008
I've had another good writing day. That always puts me in a good mood. But I also have a lot of work that I need to get done still, so I'm going to have to put the story aside and go to work on it now. I think the story will be done tomorrow. I might spend a little time writing a bit of an outline to do a second one to it, and make it a two part story. I like the group. I might be able to come up with something for them to do. And maybe they'll even survive it.
I wonder if I could team them up with Devlin's team. That might be a fun little story. They are both IWCS groups, and it could be fun to have something where they find themselves working side by side.
Let's see -- not a whole lot else to report today. The weather is getting cooler. The leaves are changing. I go out hunting for new ones every day. I love this time of year. Beautiful colors everywhere you turn. I hope I can get out a bit when Russ arrives next week. He's going to be very busy, though.
What else? I need to get outlines done. Really. NaNo is going to be hard enough to do this year as it is. I need all the help I can get for it, and it is coming up very quickly. I wish there was some way to do the DAZ Newsletter ahead of time so that I could get a little bit of extra time there, but at least I should have one done right before NaNo starts.
Russ will be home that week though, too. That's going to cut down on my word count. I don't care! I am really looking forward to him being here for a few days! And this coming week, too. He's going to be busy both times, but I think we'll still have fun.
And now, I have to get back to work!
October 4, 2008
(Yes, forgot to post this yesterday!)
I am almost done with the story. I've cut so much of it, though, that it's not going to be 50k. It's a good story, though. I really like the characters, especially Del and Allie. Kip -- who is the POV character -- needs a little more 'character' to be memorable. The other two are interesting.
I'm not certain what I'm going to work on next. I think I might add a bit to the end of this story, though. I even think I might have an encounter with Devlin's Team -- they both work for the same people -- just for the fun of it.
I think that's maybe what I need for the rest of this month -- fun stuff. Oh, and outlines.
Russ will be home on Thursday and leave on Sunday. We have some things that have to be done this time. Even though he'll be home again in a couple weeks after that, I'm too low on cat food and such to go that much longer. He's going to be busy all Saturday and part of Friday, so we'll only have Thursday and part of Friday to get things done. It's going to be a real rush-rush-rush couple days!
October 5, 2008
I have spent nearly the entire day working on the DAZ newsletter, though I have gotten a few words on other things in here and there. I like having the extra time to work on the newsletter, though, and I don't want to waste it. If I can keep working ahead, I won't feel quite so overwhelmed during NaNo.
And I'm tired tonight, so I'm going to cut this short and go crawl off into bed. I'll get more done tomorrow.
Thunk.
October 6, 2008
Today you get something a little different -- the opening to Summer Storm, a NaNo novel from a couple years ago that I decided to rewrite this month. I don't know why I decided to rewrite it, but there it is.
I like this opening, though I'll be tightening it up a bit more still. I've already cut about 3k out of the first few pages. I do tend to wander about a little too much at first.
But here it is.
Chapter 1
Lightning flashed so brightly that for one heart-pounding second I
thought a bomb had gone off over the city.
I hit the brakes at the same time thunder shook the world and the
wind picked up with a frantic gust, bouncing my Subaru.
I still thought it might be the end of the world until the hail
started hitting the car.
Just a storm after all.
Although just didn't appear
to be a good word for the sudden fury unleashed around me.
I had gotten lucky.
If I hadn't played the good son and gone out to help with some paperwork
at my parents' house that morning, I would have been walking to work in
this mess.
Hail the size of nickels began to fall, and then got larger.
I hit the gas and darted for the underpass beneath the railroad
crossing about two blocks ahead while hunks of ice pinged against the
roof. The car slid on the
hail-slick street, and came to an ungraceful stop beneath the old
corroded bridge. The ding
of hail stopped on the roof though I could still see if falling in
droves outside my little shelter, turning my view up 13th
Street into a veil of running colors, swirled by a vicious, erratic wind
that changed direction with each gust.
Dangerous storm -- lightning hit a tree somewhere not far ahead.
Even through the torrential rain, I could see it shatter and
blinked in the after image.
Odd patterns played across my eyes, and for a moment I thought I saw odd
shaped things racing across the intersection a couple blocks away.
I blinked: They
disappeared. Good.
I had enough weird in my life.
I
leaned back, intending to wait it out, and turned on the radio.
The lighting still brightened the early morning day, and trailed
static on the stations, but I could finally hear voices.
"....totally unexpected. An
unusual cold inversion along the Missouri River came out of nowhere, and
the warm front hit it and... chaos," a woman said, her voice breathless.
"We're getting some of the wildest readings on Doppler that I've
ever seen!"
Static rose over her words.
The storm didn't look any less wild.
".... Laka Manawa," a man said.
"Damndest think I ever saw!
The sky lighted like a bomb went off --"
"There was no bomb," the announcer said so quickly he cut the man off.
Wise man to stop that one before it went very far.
"Just a very unusual storm.
We have another call..."
"... angels calling out to hold tight, to hold back.
It's the apocalypse..."
My.
The storm had obviously unsettled a few people.
I fiddled with the controls a little, watching hail build up on
the ground like a fall of hard snow, though the winds didn't seem as
strong now. A huge limb
swept past me in the growing rush of water which had begun gathering in
the depression beneath the bridge where I sat.
I'd have to go soon.
Lucky for me I only have about five blocks left to get to work.
"... flying through the sky..."
When another limbed wedged into my little sanctuary, I started to ease
the car forward, despite the hail.
The road was slick, the hail immediately chipped my windshield,
and the rain came in torrents.
"... Adams Park," a woman said, her voice breathless.
"And it's raining huge rocks!"
I
glanced upward and discounted that one.
The hail was bad enough.
I fought the wheel of the car and pushed down on the gas, fearing
I would be swept up with the fallen limbs and other debris --
And my cell phone went off; Age of Aquarius rang out, startling me into
a breathless curse that was more sound than words.
My boss calling, of course. She has an incredible knack for
calling at the entirely wrong time.
I ignored it for a couple rounds of 'This is the dawning...'
before I pulled over to the curb and yanked on the emergency break.
I had made it a little more than a block. My hands shook as I
took out the phone.
"Julia," I said, hoping I didn't sound too breathless.
"Summerfield." She sounded
distracted, and I could hear the police band radio in her office
squawking in the background. Things sounded pretty lively, too.
I turned down my radio and could still barely hear her.
"Where are you?"
"About four blocks from the office."
"Walking?"
"No. I drove out my
parents' house today."
"Well, Bless the Lady for that one," she said.
I heard her lean closer to the police band, but the feedback made
me yank the cell phone away from my ear.
I thought I had heard someone talking about Valkeries this time,
though. Damned odd weather
when you can get the Angels of God and the Valkieries in the same storm.
"You still there?"
"Yes. Just waiting the
storm out."
"What's that odd pinging noise?"
"Hail hitting the car." I
could count the insurance money with each of those pings.
"It's hailing here, too," she said.
"Five blocks away. What are the odds?" I smiled.
"I
don't know. I'll have to
find someone who can find that one out."
Irony is lost on this woman.
"I'm glad you have your car," she said.
"Tessa told me last night in a reading that today would be
important. Hold on.
I have to check something."
Tessa, the astrologer, had a little shop about two blocks from the
office of Wolton World News, where I worked.
Julia ran the small, but rather well known (or maybe infamous),
privately owned newspaper.
Wolton World covers stories on the unusual side... and Tessa had been
right predicting this one.
Angels and Valkaries...and falling rocks.
Julia Wolton, owner and publisher of Wolton World News, had a knack for
smelling out good stories that fit the paper, even here in Omaha -- not
exactly the arcane capital of the world.
She had people who reported to her from several places around the
world had two reporters locally -- me and Jacobs.
Well, if you could call Jacobs a reporter.
I knew he got far too many of his stories from the bottom of a
beer bottle, and I don't think he went out to investigate anything
unless he feared he might get caught skipping out on it.
There would be an accounting for his actions someday, I knew.
Karma. I'd seen it
work too often in the past to doubt that Jacobs wasn't setting himself
up for a good fall. I would
try not to snicker.
October 7, 2008
Russ will be home tonight. Yes tonight, a day earlier than I expected, which is really nice! I am so looking forward to seeing him! I'm really trying to get a lot of stuff done tonight, though, since I have less time than I thought!
The book is going very well. I have a couple ideas for new scenes, which will help a great deal, since the book was short and getting shorter as I rewrite it. Amazing how that keeps happening. But the story is good so far, and I think I'm going to have something exceptional when I get it done this time. Just going to need more additions and fewer subtractions!
And that's it for tonight. Russ will be here soon!
October 8, 2008
We went to the refuge today! And now you get pictures! I'll post more tomorrow, too. And not much in words because It's late already and I want to go to bed!
Having a nice time, though!
October 9, 2008
As soon as I get a chance, I'm going to do a site for the De Soto Wildlife Refuge pictures that I've collected down through the years. I've got quite a few really lovely shots.
I had a nice day with Russ today. We ran around town, got a few things done, then went up north to Le Mars to have dinner with a friend. I'm not getting a lot of writing done, but I'm doing okay.
Here are a couple more pictures from De Soto. I'll have one more set tomorrow. Hope you like them!
October 10, 2008
This is the last of the De Soto pictures. After this I'm going to have to come up with real stuff again!
Russ is going to be busy all day tomorrow, alas. And he leaves about noon on Sunday. But he'll be back home soon, so that's nice!
I haven't gotten much done since he came home, of course. But I don't care. I'll get caught up later. It's always great for him to be here for a few days.
I really am tired tonight, though. Going to post this and get a few other things done!
October 11, 2008
Russ will be leaving in about 12 hours. It was nice to have him home for so many days, and I'm even going to see him, briefly on the 25th. He is flying into Omaha to get the car, and driving from there to Minneapolis with an overnight stay here.
Then he'll come home on the 31st and stay for nine days! Wow!
This was an odd few days. We've had two sick cats -- Pip and Janey. Jane is doing much better today. She's finally eating and able to walk without her legs giving out. Pip is having a few problems tonight, but I think he'll be better soon.
I have not gotten a lot of writing done over the last few days. Between the problems with the cats and Russ being home, I just could not concentrate on much of anything. I don't care. I'll get there. I did take the Pocket PC with me yesterday in the car and did notes on the one outline. I haven't transferred them over yet, but I think they got the story moving a little. I'm running out of time for NaNo preparation.
I'll get there. We'll see how I do.
October 12, 2008
Russ should be about back in New York by now. Pip is in the kitty hospital, and we hope that he's going to recover. He just kept getting worse all day until Russ decided he just couldn't leave him and hope that he was still okay in the morning. So it has not been a good day. I'm worried about poor Pip and I wish Russ hadn't had to leave.
As you can imagine, the combination has made it difficult to do anything.
October 13, 2008
Pip is in the kitty hospital tonight. He's very ill, but the tests have come back that show it isn't any of the big four -- feline leukemia, cancer, liver failure or kidney failure. He does have a very very high white blood count, which most likely means an infection, but they can't find it. We're hoping that antibiotics will clear it up and he'll be coming home in a day or two.
October 14, 2008
That is Edmond curled up in the bottom of my tee shirt while I type. It was hard to get that picture, holding the camera up and unable to see the screen. The new camera I have been looking at has a moveable screen. I'm looking forward to it. Yes, he has one paw over his eyes because I kept using the flash.
Pip is not doing well. I don't think he'll be coming back home, which is very hard to take. It's making this a very difficult few days.
October 15, 2008
We lost Pip today. This is just horrible.
October 16, 2008
It's not a better day. There is nothing that can make it better.
I hate this.
October 17, 2008
I really don't have anything to say today, either. It's almost a little easier today. I know that Pip had 14 great years, that he would not have survived his first night without us (the neighbors saw him thrown into the weeds and brought him to us. He was maybe four days old). I am even grateful that he didn't have a long illness.
But I want him back. I just want him back. Pip had never been more than a few feet away from me. I miss him.
October 18, 2008
Things are a little better today. I'm trying to get past this. Edmond made me laugh. It's amazing what he will put up with sometimes, like this picture, which was not easy to get.
Trying to get work done. Trying just to believe that this will get better, but I can't quite make myself believe it. It's been a lousy year. I don't see how next year is going to be any better, either.
October 19, 2008
I have spent most of today trying to get caught up on work. It didn't happen. I am closer, though, despite crashing computer programs and a general apathy toward everything. I know that I'm running out of time. I have a number of things to get done before the end of the month.
Let's not even discuss NaNo. If there was ever a year I shouldn't do it, this is it. My story ideas aren't 'there' and I can't seem to get fired up about the ideas. I am enjoying the work on Summer Storm, though. I've already added about 7k to the story, and I think I can get it up to at least 90k without too much trouble.
I just need some enthusiasm. Unfortunately, it's hard to find.
October 20, 2008
I got some work done today. Now I'm waiting on a quick render of a picture, and then I'm going to bed. It's cold tonight. Edmond is curled up in my lap again, making it harder to type, but he gets cold far too easily.
Russ and I have to make a decision on whether or not I'm going to the other house soon. Right now, I'm tending toward yes, as long as we can get the water pipe fixed, the gas turned on, and the Internet transferred there with no trouble. I'm cold here already, and it's not even really winter yet. It's 42f tonight -- still ten degrees above freezing, but my fingers are cold.
And I want a change. I think it would help. Since it's only next door, that means very little really has to be moved. There is a stove and fridge over there. The fridge works, but we're not certain about the stove. The bed would have to go over there. So would the computer, of course. Maybe the larger microwave. But everything else is small enough, and less important, so I could move them a little at a time as I needed things. If I stayed there from November until it warmed up -- probably March -- then I could come back to this house.
The other house has better heat, better insulation, better windows... and a washer and dryer. If the water is working, then I could use them. (If the water isn't fixed, I'm obviously not going over there, and I'm back to hand-washing everything here again.)
Russ has most of his things at the other house. Some of them would have to be moved to safer places because of the cats. If he were still living here, this would not be something I would even consider. I don't want to take the place he enjoys so much. If he gets a job locally, I can always come back to this house.
I don't want to be cold this year. And... I need something to change, so that I don't spend weeks staring at the same walls. When Russ was here, there was always change. We did things. We went places and we talked. A year of spending 99% of my time here is starting to get to me. However, there are things that could stop us. If this looks like it won't be too expensive to get set up, and too much work to move me over there, that's what I'm going to do. I think.
You'd think this should be an easy decision. Nothing is easy any more.
Right now, though, the picture is nearly done, Edmond has moved on, and I'm getting tiredOctober 21, 2008
Today, while looking through some of the pictures, I realized how much I miss going to the zoo. I am going to put together some new zoo pictures for the blog, though. I have a lot of them I haven't gone through. It's time I did.
Busy day. I got the cover art done I had promised someone. I am doing quite well on Summer Storm. I have not done any work on the outlines. I'm not sure if that should worry me or not.
(And I forgot to upload this last night.)
October 22, 2008
It is snowing in parts of Nebraska, but not here. Not yet. It's cold enough though. I had hoped the warm weather would hold on a while longer, but it rained all day. It stayed above freezing -- it's 41f right now -- so it could be worse.
Russ will be home for a few hours on Saturday and leave on Sunday. We're going to have to make some real decisions on where I am for the rest of the winter. I am up and down about the other house. I think it would be good in a number of ways, including better heat. And a change. I so need a change for a little while.
Ugh. Just too much to think about.
I am closer to being finished with Summer Storm. Right now I'm working my way through it for the final edit, and adding a few more scenes in, more description -- all the usual things I do in a last edit. It's still shorter than I want, but I think I might still have a chance to get it up to about 90k. And I like it. I think it has some of the best, fun lines I've written in years.
I'm also working on an outline that has been sitting around for about four years. I wrote a story called Written in the Sand. It was meant to be the first of a set, but I never got the next one done. This is the time, I think. I pulled up the very short first story -- less than 40k, and I'm doing a quick rewrite of it. I'm also looking over the outline for story 2, and I think I can make it into a full novel, or at least 50k for NaNo. I even think it will be fun. I have the other outline as well, so that gives me two -- and if I can get the outline to Broken Journey done, I'll have three good, solid stories.
But I am running out of time. Other things to do, too, like Vision.
It's late. I need sleep.
October 23, 2008
I got a considerable amount of work done today on various projects, including completing one of the outlines for NaNo. This gives me hope of actually being able to do it this year.
Not much else to say tonight, though. I have a few other things to get done and I'm not really making progress on them. I need to focus better.
And sleep. Almost 4 am again!
October 24, 2008
First I want to thank Holly Lisle for helping me out with some great sales at the Holly Shop on my work. She's been wonderful, as has been everyone who bought things. It's really going to help get everything ready for winter.
Second, I learned that my story No Beast So Fierce has been sold. More on that a bit later!
It's late. Russ will be home, briefly over Saturday night before he heads out on Sunday. I need to get to bed so I'm awake to talk with him when he gets here!
October 25, 2008
Russ is home, but only for the night. Tomorrow he drives up to Minneapolis. It's good to see him, though! I wish he was staying longer, or I was going with him, but that's just not possible this trip. I could stand to get away from the house for a day or two... or four or five.
I can't go, but...
I have a new camera. I don't know that I should have done it. Russ had been trying to get me new camera last Christmas, and then for my birthday, and he hoped for this Christmas -- but it's unlikely he'll be home for the holidays again this year.
I found out I made a good story sale yesterday. I'll have over $100 from it. Russ had saved $200 for the camera, and that was nearly the cost of it right there. Of course, I couldn't have done this without the wonderful help of Holly and the people buying at the store. The money we had been saving was going to try and get either some car or some house repairs done -- we could not do both, and we couldn't have done all the work we needed to. I feel like I shouldn't have done this... but I needed something fun. It's been a horrible year. And my poor camera is starting to give me problems. I do have some hope of making money from this one, too. I'm going to go back to Café Press, among things, and start doing calendars and such. I used to make fairly good money at photography, but I haven't had the kind of camera I could use to get back into the market. This one will get me there.
I loved my Sony DSCH1, but I am VERY hard on cameras. I've had the DSCH1 for Almost four years and I've taken well over 36,000 pictures with it. It is starting to have little problems, especially if I took too many shots at once... Something I'm apt to do quite often. Russ is going to take it now since he's really wanted a camera for a long time.
What do I have?
Canon SX10 IS. No, I didn't go for a DSLR -- I just can't see myself carrying around bags of equipment any more, and I couldn't have afforded one anyway. And no, it doesn't shoot RAW format, which does limit my ability to do professional shots. And, for the first time since I bought my first Digital Camera over ten years ago, I've moved away from Sony.
Oh my. The very first picture I took, straight out of the box and with no knowledge of what I was doing, was very nearly perfect. It's a picture of Russ -- he doesn't like it, so I won't post it. But the two pictures up there -- those are with the new camera. It has a nifty turning Live View Screen that allows me to point the camera in just about any direction and still see what I'm shooting.
The bells and whistles on this thing are fantastic.
Oh, and when Russ comes back from Minneapolis next week (1st through the 9th!) he wants to go down to Omaha to see some people. I am going to the zoo! By then, I might have a clue of what I'm doing.
This is the first truly happy thing that has happened all year since Russ left.
October 26, 2008
Russ left about 5:30 this morning. I got up to see him off, and didn't get back to bed until 9 am or so. Can't say I really got anything done in that time, though. I slept for a while and got back up. Wrote. Played with the camera. Studied the camera for future business enterprises. As Holly pointed out, it's an investment and a tax deduction. If I can make even a little money on the side with it, it will help. It's not like I'm not taking pictures every day anyway.
I did get my writing done for the day. It's coming up on midnight, so I think I'll do tomorrow's as well. I even got a few more notes done on Broken Journey. Yay! I might have a full outline for that story by the first as well..
October 27, 2008
I've been doing more work on zoo pictures. I shouldn't be, of course. I have things that I need to get done before November. Lots of things.
But it's been fun.
I'm also learning more about the camera. Once you get the knack of which buttons to hit for what you want, and how to change the settings once you get there, it's a relatively easy camera to use. I really love the flash control. It isn't a stable as the Sony for handheld shots, but I'll get used to using the tripod more often.
Russ will be back home on Friday. I'm looking forward to having so many days with him! I know he's going to be busy for a lot of it, but it will still be more time together than we've had in a year. Oh, I need to make a list of things to buy at the store for dinner.
I am definitely a bit scattered today. I'm getting things done, but it's been really slow work on some of it. I need to focus the next few days. I suspect it's not going to happen.
October 28, 2008
The camera and I went for a walk today. I suspect it's going to be one of the last good days we get for a while. I'm learning the tricks of the new camera, and I got a few nice shots. Still a ways to go before I really feel comfortable with it, though.
For reasons I can't begin to name, I worked on the zoo blog picture site today. Actually, I've been working on pictures to post for a couple days. They're about ready to go up now.
I am having a problem with focus. I keep jumping from one thing to another. I need to get something finished!
October 29, 2008
I did get a few things done tonight. Now I'm working on the outline I want to finish. It's moving along alright, but I keep getting distracted. Cats. Camera. Cats. Cats and camera.
It's a vicious circle.
But who could not grab a camera when looking into a face like that?
I did get outside a couple times today, too, though.
I really like this camera. I'm still learning a lot about it, but I'm starting to get a feel for the basics. I can't wait for Russ to get home so I can take it out on a test run somewhere.
He'll be home on Friday, but I don't think we'll have a chance to really do anything for a few days. I'll have to keep entertaining myself here.
Now I have to get back to work on that outline!
October 30, 2008
One more day to NaNo. I am not ready. Not at all. I haven't finished the outline I want done... but I am closer.
I can't stay focused on anything. This is getting to be quite a problem! I hope that I can manage to write the words during the NaNo stuff! But you know... it really doesn't matter in the long run. I'll write a book. It will be fun. That's all I really have to think about. And I'm close enough on the outline that I could write it based on what I have now and not have a problem. So I guess I should stop worrying about stupid stuff like that.
And start worrying about the fact that I don't have the material for Vision yet. And I don't have the stuff set up for next month's FM changes. Oh... and how about the fact that I should be moving to the other house in a couple days and I haven't even considered getting ready for that.
Russ will be home tomorrow, though. That's really the most important part. I'm looking forward to having several days with him! It should be fun!
I think I better get back to work now, though!
October 31, 2008
I started the Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia on April 15, 2004. I just finished the final (13th) volume a few minutes ago. It took me about 55 months to read the entire set. I was not reading them steadily, of course. But still, that's not bad at all.
They were fascinating. I have every intention of going back and reading certain sections again. Or maybe the entire series in a few years. You never know! I've done odder things!
Russ is home! Yay! He'll be home for a few days this time. It's so good to see him again! We have all kinds of work to get done, and he has things he needs to do besides, so we'll be very busy.
Which brings me to NaNo, which starts in about 20 minutes. Ack. I have an outline ready, at least. But I'm really not focused on it just now. I hope that once I get going I'll do better. Right now though... need to get some other last minute work done. Then I'll write some before I go to bed.
Running out of time! Ack!