Category: about me

Weekly Roundup – What a Summer!

Weekly Roundup is an update on what’s going on in my world. Welcome!

I cannot express, in polite words, how relieved I am to see the end of summer. Hot weather, work hassles, financial woes, writing issues – yikes! It’s time to put it all behind me and focus on what promises to be an interesting fall. I welcome the cooler weather, despite being hay-fever season, as my personal life and writing enter a different phase.

I’m moving again. Yes, you heard me correctly. In about five weeks I’m relocating to another part of the metro area. I was able to secure an apartment which not only offers more amenities for less, but is closer to my jobs and my son. This move will be well worth the hassle, as it should improve my living situation, reduce commute times, and make it easier to see my grandson.

I got a second job. What? Yep, I’ve taken on a Saturday job cleaning offices to help sort out my finances. Last weekend was my first solo appearance and it just about killed me! Cleaning sounds easy, but my body reminded me of all the muscles I hadn’t been using. Aside from aching head to foot and being bone tired, I slept poorly two nights in a row. Reporting for work on Monday looked iffy at best, but thanks to pain medication I made it. Hopefully I’ll get used to the new routine quickly and be able to enjoy at least a little of my weekends in the future. More important, the extra money will relieve some financial pressure and provide much-needed breathing room.

Given the above, it’s no surprise my writing has taken a hit. I don’t expect much to change until after the move, but a lot depends on how much overtime is required at my full time job. It will be a challenge just to produce a weekly post, let alone anything else. I’m going to focus on completing the Rise of the Draman series, including a very thorough edit & polish. The tentative goal is to have it finished by December, and if I have the funds, publish the stories as one volume. Anything else I might have time for is simply gravy.

Things are a bit crazy right now, and certainly not what I wanted, but I know the sacrifices will be worth it in the end. Margo Channing knew what she was talking about when she said, “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

I’ve Been Tagged – 11 Essential Questions

My thanks to H.R.R. Gorman for these choice queries into my life!

 

  1. What’s the most recent book you’ve read, and did you like it?

Surprisingly, this is difficult to answer! I usually read 2-3 books a week, but lately the offerings have been disappointing. Implausible plots, dark characters, and foul language seem to be common fare, and I end up deleting many books from my tablet within the first chapter. At the moment, I am reading “Rewind” by Rowan Shaw.

  1. How long do indoor plants stay alive in your abode?

I got rid of my plants during the last move and have not yet replaced them. I tend to fuss over the greenery and I had a spider plant which did so well it kept outgrowing its pot!

  1. How long does your laundry wait until it is folded?

Normally, five minutes or less. As a necessary evil, I like to get it done and put away so I can move on to more enjoyable tasks.

  1. A masked madman puts a gun to your head and says, “You are going to time-travel to a year prior to 1900 and live there for the rest of your life, or I will shoot you. You can choose the year and country of residence.” When/where do you travel to, or do you just let this mysterious person shoot you?

I find this question both intriguing and disturbing! I have no desire to live out the rest of my life in another time or place, so go ahead and shoot me. (There’s a book plot in there somewhere…)

  1. Do you have pets?

Not at present. I’ve had cats, dogs, parakeets, and gerbils, but have been pet-free for a long time (too many moves). Some day, I would enjoy adopting a small dog to keep me company.

  1. What is your favorite thing to cook?

Chicken vegetable soup. It’s delicious, nutritious, and saves me a boat load of money and time. What’s not to like?

  1. Off the top of your head, what book would you recommend right now?

“If I Live To Be 100” by Neenah Ellis. It’s on the top of my “to be read” list, and comes highly recommended.

  1. Should toothpaste be squeezed from the bottom, middle, or top for maximum comfort? Do you follow your own advice?

Any reasonably sane adult will squeeze from the bottom, and, yes, I follow my own advice! This question should always be included in pre-marital counseling sessions.

  1. What are your opinions on breakfast?

I’m a fan. Simple is best and I rarely skip it. Blueberry waffles with real maple syrup are a favorite, but I hardly ever indulge.

  1. What is your optimal bedtime?

If I had a choice, I would stay up late and get up late. Working second shift means I usually get to bed around 1:30.

  1. Who is your favorite historical figure (must currently be dead)?

The first who comes to mind is Abraham Lincoln. I seriously need to read some good biographies, though.

 

Weekly Roundup 11-7-18 Ten Unusual Things About Me

Weekly Roundup is an update on what’s going on in my world. Welcome!

Today I’m responding to an unofficial tag from H.R.R Gorman, who published a list of unusual things about himself. Check out his blog – he always has interesting things to say! Anyway, the challenge sounded like fun, so I’m going to give it a go.

  1. I come from a family of eleven children. This was something my parents planned right from the beginning, and if my mother hadn’t miscarried once, they would have had twelve. I have eight sisters and two bothers and am number nine in the lineup. OK, enough math.
  2. I really hate getting lost while driving, as in stressed out worried I will never find my way back to civilization. It’s even worse if I’m running late, the weather is bad, or I’m in a strange city. If you’re ever riding with me when this happens, you may hear some colorful words!
  3. Not sure what the percentages are, but I never had my tonsils or appendix removed. Sad to say, this is not true of my perfectly healthy gall bladder which was mistakenly yanked from my insensate body at the hands of an HMO physician (don’t get me started!).
  4. I learned to drive on a Ford Pinto, a stick-shift gas-saver without any amenities which my father purchased new and kept running well beyond its normal lifetime.
  5. Since leaving home for college, I have moved a total of thirty times. Yes, I’m getting too old for this, and no, it won’t be the last.
  6. As far as I know, I have only wet the bed once. I was nine years old, and my family was vacationing in Minnesota. On the very last morning, I did the deed thinking no one would notice – including my older brother who shared the bed with me. You must understand; we were staying in a cabin by the lake where it was pitch black at night and a family of skunks was living under the outhouse. There was NO WAY my nine year old scared of the dark (and woodsy creatures) self was going to venture out to pee! I certainly didn’t get any sympathy from my mother, who was forced to delay the trip home while she dashed to the laundromat in town to wash the sheets.
  7. I have a master’s degree which I used for less than a year and will never need again. Yeah, I would definitely do some things differently if I could go back in time.
  8. At one time, I was serious about becoming an actor or a singer. Later came the nature photography phase, followed by the current author career track. Hey, at least my recent choices are a bit more exciting than the mailman or garbage man I wanted to be when I was kid!
  9. People who are afraid of heights normally stay away from them, yet I still enjoy riding roller coasters. The worst part is the slow clink-clink-clink up the long hill to the top. Once you drop over the edge, the certainty of plunging to a gory death outweighs the mere fear of heights. Go figure…
  10. I feel lost with out access to a clock. I not only wear a wrist watch but have clocks in every room of the house. I think it’s part of a need to feel in control of my day and avoid being late. Perhaps I should have been a horologist.

And there you have it -all my weirdness in one list! Well, the list probably could have been longer, but I don’t know you well enough to reveal anything else.

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I wish I could report some progress on Traitor’s Moon, but I’ve been swamped with work and getting settled in my new apartment. Except for wall art, I’m almost done unpacking boxes and finding new homes for things. While I like my kitchen, its layout is opposite of the last one, and I find myself turning in circles trying to find things which used to be next to the stove but are now on the other side of the fridge. Light switches also have me goofed up, and if it weren’t for strategically placed nightlights, I would be slamming into walls in the middle of the night.

I dearly miss writing, and my poor book cries out for me to finish it! Now that I’m getting used to my work schedule and the move-in is almost complete, I should be able to make some progress. My goal is to start again tomorrow, or as soon as I can get caught up on changing addresses and paying bills. Tune in next week to see what happens!