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Has it been that long?
My only excuse is holiday madness, plus I will now freely admit I did too much during WFC. I had no business trying to have a party -- because I think the people who came enjoyed themselves, but I couldn't enjoy it. I didn't know the banquet was Saturday night, or I would have had a much smaller affair -- gotta have two nights for editors and agents to do their thing with clients. (I don't currently have an editor, and my agent never comes to these things. So I don't do that sort of thing.) and I never do banquet because I can't eat most of that they offer. So --
Party went well, enjoyed meeting people, and IncanDragon and BevHale were excellent hostesses, too, and I thank them for their care of my friends and acquaintances.
Got to talk with Ginjer Buchanan during the convention, and she's interested in seeing anything I have to show her. I have passed this on, and I hope that my agent has sent the new outline and chapter of the new Allie novel (SPIRIT TRACKS) to her. Ginjer did ask if I had the rights back to the other two, and I am pleased to say we did that.
I had a reading (there are advantages to knowing the concom) and to my amazement the room was nearly full. I stopped counting at 30 and tried to read well. It was the first chapter of SPIRIT TRACKS. Then I promptly panicked and fled, since I wasn't doing well and didn't want people to see the stress aphasia. But Inky tells me the reading was a good one. Maybe there are people who want to see another book.
Last week I broke down and bought a membership to WFC 2007. I don't know if I will go, but I hope to have a sale by then, and be back in The Game.
Much too tired at the convention. End of September/October was exhausting, even little things. Scared me a bit -- I was finally contemplating filing for disability. (I'm pleased to say that I had three very good weeks in December, very good, except for arthritis troubles, so I am no longer panicking.) But I had to close my massage therapy business in early October. My hands just were hurting all the time after a session -- I was up to 3 pain pills a day, which is nothing for some people, but it was dehydrating me, so I was very aware of it. Now, I work on one client a week -- two, if W wants a session -- and am on stand-by for friends having problems. Web has slowed to a crawl, allowing me to catch up on things not done for months.
One good side effect of the party, though -- we cleared the living room! Hurray! I have a living room! (And I shall recover it again after this sick phase wears off...)
Thanksgiving was spent under the gracious wing of hospitality provided by Oliana0. If you are ever invited to one of her "dos" you MUST go. But be prepared -- I won't eat tiramisu anywhere else, she has spoiled me for all others. And her candied orange peel and fruitcake, oh my! (You don't eat fruitcake? That's all right, dear, I'll take care of it for you, not a problem...) SparkyLibrarian brought a pecan pie I could try (cane syrup, not corn!) and I kept stealing pecans. The pumpkin cheesecake she made was DIVINE, and I can't believe I was so bird-witted as to not ask for some to take home. She was well within her rights to deliver some the next day, but I suspect Madspark's department and her library gang finished off the lot. W wants me to make turkey gumbo, so I must ask Sparky for the recipe.
The day after Thanksgiving was Stupid Mall Fest, also held at Oliana0's. We decorated her tree, watched some movies, the gang had gumbo (I passed -- the roue and I are not friends; if I'm going to eat wheat, it will be sourdough bread!) And I got lots of sweet potatoes, which is always A Good Thing.
I took the holidays slowly, getting family presents in the mail a bit late, and making spiced nuts for all who deserve little surprises from the Nut Elves. I wish I could have done more, but last year was the Bad Medical Year -- and I finished it off by doing a crown, a filling and surgery, staying one night in the hospital. And then popping a stitch and sitting up until 3 am trying to gauge if I was losing too much blood... Not fun. Glad it is past. W also had surgery, but his was a week before mine, so he could drive when I could not. I tried to sit on the couch, but I felt remarkably well. Dipped in energy, but then slowly improved.
Dreading the next Visa bill, and I haven't even been billed for my part of the hospital charges. Can you say five grand in medical bills coming in right now? If you're stuttering, let me make it better -- yes, I HAVE insurance, if poor insurance. Which is going up in price A-gain...
It finally occurred to me that I had not only the LBb to contend with, but infection at three other places in my body. Those other three have been dealt with, which means (I hope) that my immune system can get back to strengthening itself against the LBb.
With all of this, we didn't try to join my family in Arizona for the holidays. We'll see them next summer (I hope money isn't so tight by then.) Friends want us to go to Britain with them, and we'd love it -- but we're talking another $10,000 in medical coming our way (over the previous mentioned amount) and I do not currently have much of an income stream. Yes, this is what savings are for -- I am grateful to have money for this, without breaking any stocks or mutuals.
It will not surprise you if I mention that since September I've done a new maniford bonnet for my car, a new radiator...and now it wants a new or overhauled transmission. Oh, joy. The car is 12 years old. I asked Kevin (competent mechanic/owner of KC Automotive) to evaluate as he did diagnostics -- because if I have 4 grand to be done, then I'm going to have to decide whether to fix it or give the car to a local high school for their students to work on, and then either buy a used car or do without a car for a while. (Which may stop me from attending AggieCon, since I won't have transportation. Can't leave W in the lurch.)
New Years weekend started with a Hugs and Ginger party at Oliana0's place. We all brought several tasty ginger things (I made a new cake, and am quite pleased with how it came out), and traded a good quality of hugs. New Year's eve we got together to watch HOODWINKED with IncanDragon, Inky, our gentlemen Lycangeek, W and D/L, and friend MW, and were fairly lazy New Year's Day, passing on the movie with friends. Slept very late, which was probably a good thing.
I actually started a new story -- it's coming out tiny pieces at a time. We'll see where it wants to go. I'm still in the darker parts of the story, in my head, and it swirls. I wanted to write something with humor in it. Just calling it the Curse Book for now.
And that's what has been happening...
Party went well, enjoyed meeting people, and IncanDragon and BevHale were excellent hostesses, too, and I thank them for their care of my friends and acquaintances.
Got to talk with Ginjer Buchanan during the convention, and she's interested in seeing anything I have to show her. I have passed this on, and I hope that my agent has sent the new outline and chapter of the new Allie novel (SPIRIT TRACKS) to her. Ginjer did ask if I had the rights back to the other two, and I am pleased to say we did that.
I had a reading (there are advantages to knowing the concom) and to my amazement the room was nearly full. I stopped counting at 30 and tried to read well. It was the first chapter of SPIRIT TRACKS. Then I promptly panicked and fled, since I wasn't doing well and didn't want people to see the stress aphasia. But Inky tells me the reading was a good one. Maybe there are people who want to see another book.
Last week I broke down and bought a membership to WFC 2007. I don't know if I will go, but I hope to have a sale by then, and be back in The Game.
Much too tired at the convention. End of September/October was exhausting, even little things. Scared me a bit -- I was finally contemplating filing for disability. (I'm pleased to say that I had three very good weeks in December, very good, except for arthritis troubles, so I am no longer panicking.) But I had to close my massage therapy business in early October. My hands just were hurting all the time after a session -- I was up to 3 pain pills a day, which is nothing for some people, but it was dehydrating me, so I was very aware of it. Now, I work on one client a week -- two, if W wants a session -- and am on stand-by for friends having problems. Web has slowed to a crawl, allowing me to catch up on things not done for months.
One good side effect of the party, though -- we cleared the living room! Hurray! I have a living room! (And I shall recover it again after this sick phase wears off...)
Thanksgiving was spent under the gracious wing of hospitality provided by Oliana0. If you are ever invited to one of her "dos" you MUST go. But be prepared -- I won't eat tiramisu anywhere else, she has spoiled me for all others. And her candied orange peel and fruitcake, oh my! (You don't eat fruitcake? That's all right, dear, I'll take care of it for you, not a problem...) SparkyLibrarian brought a pecan pie I could try (cane syrup, not corn!) and I kept stealing pecans. The pumpkin cheesecake she made was DIVINE, and I can't believe I was so bird-witted as to not ask for some to take home. She was well within her rights to deliver some the next day, but I suspect Madspark's department and her library gang finished off the lot. W wants me to make turkey gumbo, so I must ask Sparky for the recipe.
The day after Thanksgiving was Stupid Mall Fest, also held at Oliana0's. We decorated her tree, watched some movies, the gang had gumbo (I passed -- the roue and I are not friends; if I'm going to eat wheat, it will be sourdough bread!) And I got lots of sweet potatoes, which is always A Good Thing.
I took the holidays slowly, getting family presents in the mail a bit late, and making spiced nuts for all who deserve little surprises from the Nut Elves. I wish I could have done more, but last year was the Bad Medical Year -- and I finished it off by doing a crown, a filling and surgery, staying one night in the hospital. And then popping a stitch and sitting up until 3 am trying to gauge if I was losing too much blood... Not fun. Glad it is past. W also had surgery, but his was a week before mine, so he could drive when I could not. I tried to sit on the couch, but I felt remarkably well. Dipped in energy, but then slowly improved.
Dreading the next Visa bill, and I haven't even been billed for my part of the hospital charges. Can you say five grand in medical bills coming in right now? If you're stuttering, let me make it better -- yes, I HAVE insurance, if poor insurance. Which is going up in price A-gain...
It finally occurred to me that I had not only the LBb to contend with, but infection at three other places in my body. Those other three have been dealt with, which means (I hope) that my immune system can get back to strengthening itself against the LBb.
With all of this, we didn't try to join my family in Arizona for the holidays. We'll see them next summer (I hope money isn't so tight by then.) Friends want us to go to Britain with them, and we'd love it -- but we're talking another $10,000 in medical coming our way (over the previous mentioned amount) and I do not currently have much of an income stream. Yes, this is what savings are for -- I am grateful to have money for this, without breaking any stocks or mutuals.
It will not surprise you if I mention that since September I've done a new maniford bonnet for my car, a new radiator...and now it wants a new or overhauled transmission. Oh, joy. The car is 12 years old. I asked Kevin (competent mechanic/owner of KC Automotive) to evaluate as he did diagnostics -- because if I have 4 grand to be done, then I'm going to have to decide whether to fix it or give the car to a local high school for their students to work on, and then either buy a used car or do without a car for a while. (Which may stop me from attending AggieCon, since I won't have transportation. Can't leave W in the lurch.)
New Years weekend started with a Hugs and Ginger party at Oliana0's place. We all brought several tasty ginger things (I made a new cake, and am quite pleased with how it came out), and traded a good quality of hugs. New Year's eve we got together to watch HOODWINKED with IncanDragon, Inky, our gentlemen Lycangeek, W and D/L, and friend MW, and were fairly lazy New Year's Day, passing on the movie with friends. Slept very late, which was probably a good thing.
I actually started a new story -- it's coming out tiny pieces at a time. We'll see where it wants to go. I'm still in the darker parts of the story, in my head, and it swirls. I wanted to write something with humor in it. Just calling it the Curse Book for now.
And that's what has been happening...