Apparantly I missed everyone last night

But I am trying to spend time with my baby sister who has Thanksgiving off but not Christmas.

Finally got Java fixed on IE. And then discovered I am missing the Notepad replacement program I liked. Opened multiple windows without opening multiple versions of the program; came in wonderfully with web editing. Now apparantly is no longer available for download and I don't think I have the setup file anymore. Yes I am burning copies of that stuff now.

I also learned how you save your saved emails with Outlook Express. Too bad I learned it AFTER I lost everything that was in it when I reformatted the harddrive.

After reading "Novelist's Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes" and "Novelist's Essential Guide to Creating Plot," I'm trying to work on the Chosen's plot according to the workshop practices. I have a better idea where it's headed now, but I still need to iron things out. And having written stories with and without plot outlines, I have to agree with Davis' assessment: those that say they don't plot have the entire plot (or nearly the entire plot) worked out in their heads.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

I'm officially finding therapy

... once I have time for sessions. Last night was not a good night, and I'm going to leave it at that. No sense ruining a new day with old mess.

On an introspective note, I guess I'm just too high strung for everyone. And I can't figure out how I've gotten this way or why it's the first thing to come out when I get home. Which is why I think I need professional help.

In the meantime, I'm going to start enforcing the "leave me alone for 30 minutes" rule.


Read Free!
The BookWorm

Back to work

Monday morning and time to get back into the shortened groove of things. That's right only 3 days at the paying job this week, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Course my holiday is really only one day because I have to go work the non-paying job at the RenFaire.

"Write a little everyday" is the advice I got yesterday. I'm going to work harder at it.

"There's theater and there's firearms." A patron got under my skin critiquing how I was using the dueling pistol that is one of my props for my pirate captain. Good thing I don't load it. :p Anyways, that's the new reply we came up with after he moved on. I will be more careful with the dry firing that I do, but I do need it cocked when I have to put it in a patron's face. And yes, I had to do that with different patrons going where they're not supposed to be. Had one smart-alek point out I couldn't shoot it uncocked.

Onward to what I have to do.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Where I disappeared to

*SIGH* Where to start. I pulled a stupid while trying to install Windows XP on my D: drive. I ended up having to backup everything and reformat the harddrive in order to fix it. Only that screwed me up worse because I don't have any of the emails that I had saved (as well as my setting for Outlook Express) and the downloaded programs don't want to work now. I will be burning copies of those installations next.

While I was still dealing with that crisis (and having no modem connection as a result), my cousin was killed in Texas. He was drunk and walking on I-59 and was hit by an 18-wheeler early Sunday morning. We've been dealing with that since then. The funeral was today. He would have been 33 in December; I can't remember the date now.

So I'm slowly getting my computer back to its former operational status. I'm back online now, but still no real vacation.


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The BookWorm

Slow starting days

I do like this. Not having to rush. Unfortunately, just because I have time off doesn't mean I'm not working. I've been putting in a lot of physical labor at the Faire site, getting ready for our two student days. Today I have to go help move more benches and make sandwiches. I'll be sure to tell you when my arms fall off.

But before I go, I will be cleaning my office. This is ridiculous. The stacks are going to attack me.

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The BookWorm

Nothing like being clean

Technically today is a state worker holiday, so unofficially the first day of my vacation. Got sleep, had bath, now I get to go build benches. Yes, I know, rather silly to take a bath before a construction project but when I get home it will be a "soak away pain and dirt" bath and I didn't want to shampoo my hair.

Other plans: clean office (at least find my desk again) and work on the Chosen.

And I can't hate the radio station anymore. I complained last week that they had changed formats without warning. Well they also brought back my fave morning DJs Bo and Beth. I wasn't the only one who missed them. :) So I can deal with all the mellow music.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

What I Would Like to Get Done on My Vacation

1). SLEEP!
2). A chapter of the Chosen
3). Finish the graphic work on the Library & Alt. BM
4). Benches
5). Sandwiches
6). Cleaning my office
7). Cleaning the back porch
8). Cleaning my car
9). Massage
10.) Write a few more tutorials

*Snort* I'll get 2 things done at least.

And I may finally be on TV!!!!!!! The Brit Chicks from the Scott Rogers show came to the Faire and taped the entire joust. I hope I'm not edited out.

My vacation starts Wednesday, but I got an extra day since Veterns' Day falls on Tuesday. Yeap, we've got it off. I'll be building benches, so how much of vacation will I get, I don't know.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Okay nothing is going to happen

I said that renewal season is in high gear. You see everyone that is licensed to sell insurance in Louisiana have to renew their license every two years. Which means we get to process checks every year, because Life&Health get even years Property&Casualty get odd. 40,000 Life&Health due before Jan 1st, 2004 and they were just mailed out Nov. 1st, and the smart people sending in now.

But what this means is no more fifty projects to work on while at work. I simple don't have the time anymore. So just bringing the Chosen and some reading material and that's it.

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The BookWorm

Almost done with the week

I had trouble getting to sleep last night and feel like blah. The fog doesn't help. And yes, I'm talking about actual fog.

Renewal season is kicking into gear.

My sister will be with us the entire week of Thanksgiving, probably at my house.

Writing News: Got the book buying page set up. Just have to add a few more books with the new tutorials. Going ahead and coding the new ones now, and working on a few things for Alt. BM Site. Then working on the Chosen.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Another night off

I hadn't planned on it, but I didn't get home until 6:40ish, after waiting for over 30 minutes on a pizza. Tuesday night bad for pizza, got it already. So I ate and watched Labyrinth, and was struck of the similarities between Jared the Goblin King and Eric the Phantom of the Opera.

Speaking of Phantom, I know what I want for Christmas! It's coming to New Orleans from Dec. 10th - Jan 4th. The last time it was in New Orleans was my senior year of high school, and trying to get the tickets for my birthday fell apart. Hell, I even tried to organize a field trip show and that fell apart. I am going this time even if I have to sit under the chandelier.

Well it wasn't a total night off, I did get a few more chapters of The Complete Guiding to Editing Your Fiction read. Found the chapter on pacing too.

Writing News: Finished typing GG#6. Now I have to create the selling book page. Also did a little brainstorming on the Chosen, not as much as I like but I have an idea of how the antagonism is going to work. Is it possible to come together and function as a team without liking one another? Now having typed that, I realize it's close to the premise of the crossover, and that I haven't ironed out my premise for the Chosen yet. Add that to noddling pile.

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The BookWorm

Tuesday is the suckiest day of the week

What the heck is wrong with radio stations? Just yesterday 92.3 was Awesome 80s. We don't have any other stations that play all 80s music. This morning they're lite rock. We have a gazillion stations for lite rock. I so wanted to call in and complain but didn't have a number. Probably a good thing.

Internet News: Did hear from my friend Jazz, so she is okay. :D And it looks like some of the plans for the Alt. BM Site are shaping up. Since it is now officially November, I have to get cracking.

Writing News: Well, I was confused yesterday. Had brought the commuting notebook in a different pocket of my satchel, but left the notebook with GG#6 at home. Today I have both.

Typing GG#6, planning and research on the next tutorials, website work, and the Chosen.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Monday Owies!

RenFaire Update: Saturday's gate count was 935, which is really good considering that the competition was the day after Halloween parties, All Saints Day activities, LSU Homecoming game, Voodoo Fest in New Orleans, and probably something else I'm forgetting. Don't have any numbers for Sunday. The experiment around the lake is great. We just want the bloody temperatures to drop.

And I want to stop hurting. I can't remember if I took a muscle relaxer last night. I think I did, but woke up with calf muscles that didnot want to move. On top of feeling like I could use another hour or two of sleep. Just get me through this week and next week I think I only have to come to work one day.

I still have to check on my pirates. One of them went down either Saturday night or Sunday morning and his friend took him home. A guard in my area had fun on the Front Gate and dislocated his shoulder. And one of my squires's broken boots gave her a hairline fracture. Well that's one way to get a new pair of boots for Christmas.

Internet News: FoxFire's Palace isn't the only site not working on the host, but I'm still annoyed about it. My friend Jazz has canceled her blog, but I haven't deleted the link yet. She hasn't answered my email either and I'm worried. I can't fly to England this month.

I think I can put pictures in this blog, but I haven't figured out how yet. May work on that tonight. Will be working on uploading the Palace if I can get the info, graphics if I don't.

Writing: I took Friday off, and no writing will get done during the six weekends of Faire (one down, 5 to go). Today, I want to do a little bit of editing on a fic in a mailing group I'm in. I think I'm typing GG#6. And I need to write ahead on the Grammar Guides, Editing Lessons, and Miscellanous Concerns like I am with Writing Tutorials. Less posting work I think. Need to work on the Chosen, at least brainstorm on how I want the opening to go.

I did find my commuter notebook, under the car seat where I had checked when I got gas. :p But I have left it at home today. D'uh!

Read Free!
The BookWorm