January 1, 2012

Yeah, that's about it for the new year!  A bit chaotic and not a lot of things making sense.  Like why this is at the end of December's month. 

It's late.  I'm not starting a whole new section today.  Maybe tomorrow.

Other than that, not much to say!

January 2, 2012

Last day Russ is home. Sigh.

We went for a nice drive and saw two bald eagles and four hawks.  We stopped in Wayne, Nebraska - where Russ used to have an office -- and ate at a favorite little oriental place.  This was really the first meal I'd had in days, and it didn't kill me.  I stayed away from anything too spicy, so I was safe there.

Back home. Tried to get the weather station set up, but there's something not working quite right, so I'm going to have to try and figure that out later.  It will be warmer in a couple days, so I might have a chance.

But . . . . sigh. 

January 3, 2012

Russ is already back to New York and back to work.  Poor guy. That has to be miserable.

I'm still ill, but not like I was.  Drinking a lot of tea today, so that is helping a bit.  Just ate a couple crackers, too.

I haven't talked much about work yet this year.  I have been writing on Water/Stone/Light -- but I'm not connecting well yet, and I know what's both illness and depression.

The story is there.  I like the feel of it.  I just have to find my way to it.

January 4, 2012

Russ just sent me this info:

"Sioux City hit 58 degrees this afternoon, which breaks the old record high of 54 for this date set in 1964. Tomorrow's record high is 61 from 1956. It appears we may break this record too."

So yes, we are having odd weather.  It looks as though next week might drop back down towards normal again, though.  What an odd start to the year.  Anytime you can go outside in January without a coat around here, you know something is wrong.

I am trying to get caught up on stuff before this weekend and then just relax a bit again.  I suspect I won't make it because I am not feeling all that great yet.  Also dealing with the depression of Russ being gone again.  I wish I could believe he really will get a job back here soon.

Writing is okay.  I think it will do better once I get other stuff done and can focus there again.

I think that was my mantra for most of last year, though, wasn't it?  Not a good way to start 2012.

January 5, 2012

Still working at getting caught up and not getting so tired I have to go back to bed to nap.  I'm starting to feel better, at least.  But all the work stuff is taking so much of my time that I'm barely getting 500 words a day for writing.  That's a bad way to start out the year.

My hope is to have everything in place by this weekend and just devote myself to some writing then. Really.

January 6, 2012

 Problems with the newsletter (not on my end!) meant I had to redo all the links again.  I think I am pretty much done, though.  It's off for inspection.

Next up is some work at Forward Motion, but that will be just a few preliminary things as we start the big change.

What other things?  Really, not much at all.  I want to get some writing done.  I think I'll feel better once I get to that kind of work.  Meanwhile, time to get caught up on a few things first.  Yeah, there's always something else.

January 7, 2012

I just had to deal with a blown fuse.  Not the worst problem in the house, but annoying.  Especially since it took out the two main heating systems and the electric blanket.  So no going to bed and dealing with it in the morning.

I got some writing done today, finally.  I hope for more tomorrow.  I need to get my writing brain back.  I also got some ACOA work done and a couple other things.  And now I'm tired.  Which is good.  Sleep is a good plan.

I want to get back to my writing schedule now that I can actually stay up and work.  Water/Stone/Light is really calling to me finally.  A shame I don't think I can get anything done on it tonight.  I just don't think my brain is up for it.

So -- time to be done with this and off to bed.  Drink the last of my tea and think good thoughts for tomorrow.

January 8, 2012

Getting back to work on my stuff just doesn't seem to be working as well as I had hoped.  Granted, this is the first day I've managed to write over 1000 words so far this year, but still -- ack.

I need to get my attention back to where it belongs -- the novels!  This is about the worst start of a year I've every had!

January 9, 2012

My computer went completely crazy on me tonight and it's taken me about an hour to get it back up and running again.  That was certainly no fun at all.  It started when I tried to run a show.  Even something I watched the other night wouldn't come up properly and the computer would just completely go out of touch each time.

Russ and I were both going to watch something.  I hope he enjoyed his copy!

Just seems about right for the way things are going for me lately, though. 

January 10, 2012

Well, okay.  A third of the way through he month already, so that's good.  The bad part?  It's going to be 30 degrees colder tomorrow than it was today, and with some really bad winds.  The worst part?  The blown fuses was because one of my heaters went bad.  Of course.  Right before it went cold.  Did I mention blowing two more fuses in the last day?  Maybe not. 

I think 2012 is going to be a problem for me.  I really do. 

But we'll see.  Maybe I'll be surprised in a good way for a change.

Yeah.  Right.  We all believe that one, right?

January 11, 2012

It's cold.  I'm cold.  I hate this weather.

But I'll survive it.  I just won't be happy about it.  My brain shuts down when it gets cold.  I'm fighting against that now and trying to get work done.  Pretty much any work at this point. Writing is going so slowly and I just can't seem to focus on much of anything.

So we can expect about a month of this sort of thing before we start getting warmer again.

Ack.  I'm going to need to change something to make this work.  I can't keep up for a month like this.

January 12, 2012

Okay, yes, this is cold.  Far colder than yesterday.  When I got up the room was 44f/7c.  I turned on water to heat on the stove, kicked the oven on and went back to bed under the nice electric blanket.  About an hour later it was up to 50f/10c, so I bundled up and got to work. 

The computer had restarted during the night and never made it all the way through the cycle, so I had to get that going, too.  Eventually was able to get to work on the newsletter.  Which is good, since at the restart it lost everything I had done.  I know I saved it.  Who knows where it went to?

So that was my day.  Cold and redoing the newsletter.  It's supposed to be a bit warmer tomorrow.  I sure hope so.

January 13, 2012

I started having trouble with my one good heater.  Not what I want this winter.  This is just going to be such a long winter in some ways.  Perception.  I am going to be miserable and that always makes things seem longer.

I also came to realize that I can't think we'll when I'm cold.  This makes writing kind of difficult.  So yeah, probably not going to be in the best of moods for a couple months.  Just so you are warned.

January 14, 2012

Warmer weather.  Better writing.  Side ache, but at least not ill.  Not much of a headache, either.

So, all in all, not a bad day.  I have made progress on two projects and I'm pretty happy with both so far.  Can't complain about that!

But there is cold weather coming in a few days again.  Back down to really cold.  I need to be prepared for it this time.  That might help with my attitude.  Be prepared.

Right now I want to get back to work, though.

January 15, 2012

Okay, half way through the month and I don't feel as though I am getting much of anything done.  At least the month is going fast, but that isn't helping me in other ways.  Newsletters done, at least.  That's good.  But I need to focus on some other things, like the 2nd 2YN set.

I don't know why I'm having such trouble with this year.  Or I do, but there's not much I can do about it.  I need an attitude adjustment.

January 16, 2012

I spent most of the morning getting the new boards created at Forward Motion and then the rest of the day mostly working on the 2YN set.  I got it done, too.

So there.  That's better at least.  I also got a bit of writing done and overall, I think everything went well enough.

Tomorrow is supposed to be really cold again. That's likely going to slow me up.    I don't work well in the cold.

January 17, 2012

I'm cold.  The cats are cold.  I'm working at getting the place warmed up, but I regret getting out of the nice warm bed.  I really do.  And I haven't gotten much done except to wander around and mumble about the cold.

The cats aren't any happier than I am.

Oh well.  Time to get some Newsletter work done anyway.  The room is 4 degrees warmer now  and above 50f, so I can work now.  I can't work when it's below 50f.  My brain just refuses to do anything at all.

But you know, we really haven't had a lot of very cold weather.  In fact, we've had just the opposite, so I can't complain since my furnace isn't working.  I need to stop whining about this and just get to work.

Ah.  Up another degree.  I think my brain is unfreezing!

January 18, 2012

I got some work done today, which is good.  Now I am going to get some writing done if I can get my brain to cooperate.  It's starting to get cold here.  I don't like cold and my brain has decided it doesn't work when it drops to certain temps.

I am so NOT looking forward to tomorrow.  High of 9f, low of 7f.  Just cold all day.  I am not going to be a happy person.

January 19, 2012

Ah, winter, so there you are

We had an incredible run of nice weather in early January.  We broke 'heat' records by hitting temperatures near 60f (15c) on several days.  For someone without a working furnace, this was wonderful. 

That's gone now.  It's almost 2pm and the temperature is 1f (-17c) and it is going to drop down quite low tonight.    There is ice on the inside of my windows (because I boil water to help keep things warm).  I have my heater on and I'm bundled up here at the computer.  Bundled means two pairs of socks, two pairs of pants, a pullover sweater, fleece vest, robe and a knitted cap on my head.  I also have a set of fingerless gloves that plug into the computer to keep my hands warm.  They work okay but on days like this I wish they were thicker! 

The cats are all getting colds.  The temperatures are not supposed to drop this low in their protected little world. 

I do not work well when I'm cold.  I get bad-tempered and slow.  Obvious connections disappear.  Even notes on outlines stop making sense after a while.  So, during the coldest part of the day I'm just editing mostly.  Looking at sentences one at a time and making them work.  I hope.

January 20, 2012

Too cold today. The house refuses to warm up.  it is supposed to be warmer tomorrow, though, so I think we can survive until then.

I am not getting a lot done, though.  A little here, a little there.  Just get through the day, I guess. 

January 21, 2012

Is it bad when you find yourself saying 'Okay, I only have about 50 more days of this weather.  That's not too bad.'

It really wasn't that bad of a day.  I was able to cover up in blankets at the desk and actually get a few things done.  I edited. a good amount of The Servant Girl, which makes me think that I might get it done this month, even with other things going on.  Even with my brain half frozen and not cooperating.

Getting the story done reminds me that I need to start looking at doing a cover, too.  Lucky for me that I have at least a basic idea in mind.  We'll see how it goes.   

January 22, 2012

Cold and then not cold.  Miserable weather.  I'm still doing my countdown until Spring.

Work has been odd but moving anyway.  A little here, a little there.  I did get the second 2YN book out so I will have to start on book 3 next month.  I want to get The Servant Girl done before then.

Too much to think about, really.  My brain is frozen and doesn't want to cooperate.

January 23, 2012

I made significant progress on The Servant Girl today.  I'm doing better than I had hoped, in fact.  A shame that other things are not going to work as well.   I also work on the cover, which is getting close to what I want already.  I think this is a good sign.

Yes, we are already looking at the last week of January here.  Well, that's okay.  I'm happy to get as much past winter as possible.  Really.

Back to work.

January 24, 2012

Yes, okay.  Actually posting things is good.

I'm having one of those days where I am sort of leaping from one project to another, trying to get an idea of what to get done and out of the way.  I would like to get stuff out of the way if possible, but you know, maybe I need to stop thinking in terms of time so much.  Seasons, that's better.  And right as I typed that, Weather Bug went off to say we have a Winter Weather Advisory tonight.  LOL

So I'll just hide out here in the house for the next few weeks.  Yeah, I'll need to go get the mail now and then, but I don't see any reason to go farther than that.

Time to get back to writing.  Maybe next winter I can have enough money to winter in Fiji, right?

January 25, 2012

I am within a few pages of finishing The Servant Girl, or at least this round of editing.  I have a couple notes to handle for it and then a run through on the grammar checker just to see if it catches anything I did not purposefully do.

The question is when to put it out.  I might still hold off until February.

So many things to get done.  So much stuff I just don't want to do.

Ugh.  But the weather isn't half bad, at least.

January 26, 2012

I am still almost done with The Servant Girl.  I don't know where my brain is today, but it's not working on that book, that's for certain.  Okay, a lot of today was spent working on the newsletter, so that's good, too.  But still.

The book will be released in February.  I'm looking forward to it.

Other than that?  Not a lot going on here.  I need to get things done.  That's all.

January 27, 2012

I finished the newsletter.  I am editing, editing, editing The Servant Girl.  It's going very well, but gah.  Tired.  I want to have it done.

But I am happy with what I'm getting.

Hard to believe it's almost the end of the month already.

I so need to get more stuff done.

January 28, 2012

Oh my.  Last weekend of the month.  So much to do.  So much I will NOT get done.

But, all in all, I don't have much to complain about.  The editing is going nicely, really.  Slower than I like, but I am getting there.

So much else to do, though.  ACOA.  FM.  Clean house.

Okay, I can skip that last one, right? 

January 29, 2012

No, can't say that I'm getting much done today, either.  I just want to know where all the time goes.  There must be a leak somewhere.  Really.

I am trying to come up with an idea for a new novel that I can outline before my birthday in March.  I have little bits of ideas, but nothing falling together well.  Ack.

But I'll get there. 

January 30, 2012

Hello, spring.  A shame you are not going to stick around for long.

Yeah, we had 64f temps today, on January 30th.  Wow.  What a really odd winter this has been, but I have to say that I'm grateful since it means I'm not freezing here with the furnace not working.  I've discovered that I really don't do well in cold weather.  My brain shuts down.  I can't work. So this heat wave has been very helpful.

That's about it, though.  Getting stuff done, finally.  A bit late, but at least it's something! 

January 31, 2012

Hello, last day of the month.  And another day with not bad weather -- up in the 50's today.  I got even more stuff done.  I feel like I've made progress.  Yay!

We have about two days left of this and then snow/ice stuff.  That's okay. Winter has to show up at some time again since this will only be February.

So, off I go to get the last of the stuff done for the month!