tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59368012024-03-07T21:48:33.366-06:00Intentionally Left BlankStress therapy to improve my bill-paying job and my writing. *Shrug* Some times whining leads to profound ideas. Also known online as KLCtheBookWorm.KLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.comBlogger1592125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-39843526797364941642018-01-25T13:45:00.000-06:002018-01-27T13:53:53.473-06:00Health Update First of 2018<p>Monday was my check-in with the endocrinologist. Last check-in was early November 2017 and I had just started the <A HREF="http://www.carbohydrateaddicts.com/">Carbohydrate Addict's Diet</A> just then and we wanted to see what would happen. I didn't stick to the eating plan during the holidays, but I did show good numbers at the beginning.</p>
<p>However, my A1C crept up: 8.0 from 7.7 in August 2017. So my doctor said I have to get my morning numbers under 150 in a month by going back on the eating plan and increasing my exercising. Otherwise, I'll have to start taking bedtime insulin. My family history is once started on insulin, they never got off of insulin. So naturally, I'd rather not be on insulin especially since there is no other method of delivery other than injections. *Shudder*</p>
<p>Eating plan: Chose a meal to have carbs with, lunch or dinner. You can have whatever you want but you have to eat it in one hour, otherwise your body pushes out another dose of insulin and then the cycle starts all over again. In my pre-holiday experiments, I found lunch worked best for having normal blood sugar on my after-supper check.</p>
<p>Beginning weight is 191 lbs. My muscle tone is pitiful flat. My fasting blood sugar level on lab day was 188.</p>
<p>Monday: I made the carb meal breakfast. That was a mistake, I was ravenous for supper and the dressing I put on the salad shot my sugar up. Tuesday: I saw it was the salad dressing because I ate the exact same meal for supper minus the salad. Wednesday: Since I was leaving early for my chiropractic appointment, I thought about changing the carb meal to supper. I changed my mind by lunch and ordered a taco salad. It got made with refried beans and rice in the salad. I never order it with them, but decided to eat it like that rather than cause a fuss plus the chocolate cake I picked for desert. Even though I finished in the hour time frame, my blood sugar shot up and stayed there. Supper ended up being chicken noodle soup because I had convinced myself I had carb-free meals in my freezer and I didn't need to stop for a salad. I didn't. Thursday today: the blood sugar came on down over night 159 is higher than we want, but better than what it was when I went to bed. I had a carbs in my Chinese lunch but I didn't go get any chocolate. And I will pick up a salad on my way home tonight.</p>
<p>NOTE: Carb or carbohydrates is my short-hand for food that sends the blood sugar skyrocketing. It's a list of starches and certain vegetables and fruits.</p>
<p>Exercise: I had made up a routine of yoga and body-weight routines and then refined it with actual rest days back in December and promptly didn't do it. I dusted it off, refined it again, so I know what I want to do, but I still have the issue of when.
<UL>
<LI>The alarm is set for 4:30 a.m.</LI>
<LI>I have to leave the house between 5:45 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. to miss the worst of the commute traffic and get to work on time</LI>
<LI>paying job is 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and once I eat lunch there's no time to workout then</LI>
<LI>usually get home between 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.</LI>
<LI>supper, writing, or a little unwinding</LI>
<LI>bedtime at 8:30 p.m. for 8 hours of sleep. </LI>
</UL></p>
<p>Seriously, if we had the <i>Flintstones</i>' push cars so I'd have constant exercise on the commute, I'd be the healthiest damn person on the planet. :p</p>
<p>Right now, my plan is to do my most involved workout on Saturdays and do the others as soon as I wake up on workdays. Hopefully, I won't have to shift my wake-up time.</p>
<p>Also my chiropractor fussed about how I'm sitting too much while at work. "Forty minutes you need to get up and move." I experimented two days with slotting in a stretch after thirty minutes of sitting/two of my fifteen micro-sprints and that worked. I found some office appropriate yoga moves so I will add those in next week.</p>
<p>I'm tagging Monday, February 19th as my monthly check-in with the blog and my doctor. See you then.</p>
<p>Read Free!<BR>The BookWorm</p>KLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-87157514777641755922018-01-21T12:26:00.000-06:002018-01-27T12:29:39.731-06:00But we already had snow?<p>This past week was so off-kilter and it wasn't just due to me fighting off a head cold all weekend.
<UL>
<LI>1/15 = Off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day</LI>
<LI>1/16 = back to work because I didn't have a fever despite the head cold making me miserable since Friday. I didn't realize how bad the weather was predicted to get. We were sent home at 2 p.m.</LI>
<LI>1/17 = Louisiana iced over. Didn't lose power this time, but all the interstates and major bridges were shut down.</LI>
<LI>1/18 = The temperature was so cold we still didn't thaw out until the afternoon. Paying job remained closed.</LI>
<LI>1/19 = Everything opened up so back to work. It felt like a Monday and I forgot to do my Friday updates. Driving was dicy with ice in a few spots on the surface streets that had been shaded all three days.</LI>
</UL></p>
<p>The weirdest thing is we don't get two freeze events like this in one winter. I'm troubled that it's a climate change sign that we can't recover from.</p>
<p>Or maybe the ice zombies are coming for us all.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCs5ie74etzEBFMqQk5FMuB8LwJkf7hnGpNy90ozHNI8ln-9WCS3T2Sy7Cl_y6V4S2ra9PgXCjc8XckHP0hSE67I7uYCt3iaLlRoZ7_HjMz4PcjNHLgKKbXk63mpJf3fKfKB7b/s1600/got_winter_is_coming.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCs5ie74etzEBFMqQk5FMuB8LwJkf7hnGpNy90ozHNI8ln-9WCS3T2Sy7Cl_y6V4S2ra9PgXCjc8XckHP0hSE67I7uYCt3iaLlRoZ7_HjMz4PcjNHLgKKbXk63mpJf3fKfKB7b/s320/got_winter_is_coming.gif" width="320" height="114" data-original-width="850" data-original-height="303" /></a></div>
<p>Read Free!<BR>The BookWorm</p>KLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-29257022784785703452018-01-17T20:06:00.001-06:002018-01-17T20:06:50.196-06:002017 My Year In Fic<CENTER><H3>2017 My Year in Fic</H3></CENTER>
<p><B>2017 Fiction Word Count</B><BR><IMG SRC="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=102381&target=217800"><BR>Progress Bar from <A HREF="http://www.writertopia.com/toolbox/meters">Writertopia</a></p>
<UL><li>January: I spent mostly on the <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> with a sprinkle Zy's Universe at the end of the month. All I did with Zy's Universe in 2017 was moving the background material I'd corralled in TiddlyWiki into Scrivener, and I don't think I finished that job.</li>
<li>February: Writing <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> and Zyverse moving.</li>
<li>March: Writing <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> and Zyverse moving. Writing <i>Rescue the Farmboy AU</i> on a few days at the end of the month.</li>
<li>April: Dropped working on Zyverse for the rest of the year, so it ended up being all <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> with two days of <i>Rescue the Farmboy AU</i>.</li>
<li>May: <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> and 1 day of <i>Rescue the Farmboy AU</i></li>
<li>June: only <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i></li>
<li>July: had a few blank days but I also started my dental implants process, so we'll just assume my jaw hurt too much to write. I did finish <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> first draft and started editing.</li>
<li>August: Editing <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> and at the end of August I got started on putting my website, <A HREF="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us">the BookWorm's Library</A>, back online.</li>
<li>September: Editing <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> and the Library.</li>
<li>October: I started tracking how much time I was spending on the different projects by using the fifteen minutes on each task and writing down the time on my calendar. I found more time this month to write <i>Rescue the Farmboy AU</i> while I was still editing <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i>. <A HREF="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us">The BookWorm's Library</A> went live, so my continuing Library editing focused on recreating <A HREF="http://referencewiki.bookwormlibrary.us/index.php?title=Main_Page">the Reference Wiki</A>. Also during this month, I read Chris Fox's book <i>5,000 Words Per Hour</i>. He uses micro-sprints to add up to 5,000 words per hour. So I put the fifteen minutes I was doing into the micro-sprint idea.</li>
<li>November: I started using Chris Fox's spreadsheet to track my progress in micro-sprints and across projects. His idea is you have to know what you are writing before you can increase it. At this point, I'm still tracking and haven't put much effort into increasing my word count. Progress on writing <i>Rescue the Farmboy AU</i> and Tumblr posts, editing Reference Wiki and <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i>.</li>
<li>December: Writing <i>Rescue the Farmboy AU</i>, Reference Wiki, and Tumblr posts. Editing <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i> and started posting it in AO3 on 15th.</li>
</UL>
<p>*Snort* I don't think I like the breaking month-by-month format, so I doubt I'll use it next year. But hey, I did not burn out and skip a whole month of writing! This is solid progress. I'm much stronger on tracking what I'm doing, but I'm putting way too much on my daily plate.</p>
<p><b>Stories I Finished: </b></p>
<p><A HREF="http://archiveofourown.org/works/13028262/chapters/29799213"><i>Star Wars: My Home Is You</i></A> still needs some beta-reading at the end, but it's finished enough to post for people to read.</p>
<p><b>Stories I Didn't Finish: </b></p>
<p><b>Zyverse:</b> I need to finish the moving it into Scrivener, so I can edit what I already have written and move into new stories in that universe.</p>
<p><b><em>Rescue the Farmboy AU</em>:</b> I found the movie script online for <i>A New Hope</i> so I no longer had to depend on me transcribing the YouTube snippets! Writing is moving so much faster now on that, but I do think I will have to rewatch during an editing pass so I can describe the sets.</p>
<p>Never touched <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i> for the whole year.</p>
<p><b>My favorite story this year: </b> <i>Star Wars: My Home is You</i></p>
<p><b>Story most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: </b><i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i> because I keep forgetting to write it!</p>
<p><b>Most fun story: </b> <i>Rescue the Farmboy</i>. Luke and Biggs go to the Imperial Academy, and Luke ends up with both Vader and the Emperor wanting him alive and dead respectively. They hitch a ride back to Tatooine with the Senator of Alderaan, but Vader ends up with Luke despite their best efforts.</p>
<p><B>Stories I wrote that I never thought I'd write: </B>Still <i>Star Wars</i> fanfic. After an awful fix-it fic I wrote back in high school when Kevin J. Anderson ruined Yavin 4 and a missed chance to write for the <i>Star Wars Adventure Journal</i>, I figured I was content to just read, watch, and cosplay. Episode VII awakened more than just the Force.</p>
<p>And I reread that filed high school fix-it fic, it <strong>is</strong> awful. The only believable part is the petulant teenager because I was a petulant teenager writing it.</p>
<p>And now I feel Disney-Lucasfilm ruined the sequel trilogy they started. I have no idea how this petulance will come out.</p>
<p><b>Hardest story to write: </b><i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i> because I keep setting it aside.</p>
<p><b>Biggest disappointment: </b> That I forgot about Zy's Universe. Again.</p>
<p><b>Biggest surprise: </b> Micro-sprints and tracking them! I've been doing micro-sprints my whole writing life, but tracking them is the secret of keeping myself focused on the writing task at hand and how I can tell my defective brain that yes, I have accomplished <b>this much</b> today.</p>
<p><b>What's your favorite piece of dialogue you wrote this year? </b>From <i>Rescue the Farmboy</i>'s version of <i>A New Hope</i> (I haven't decided if I should keep the movie titles or not):
<blockquote><em> Telepathy works easiest between Force users and Force sensitives. It takes effort and concentration, but less effort than if you’re trying to send something to someone who isn’t a Force user. Form the words you want to say, speak out loud if that helps, and push the words into the connection between us.</em><br/>
His eyes were already closed, but he squeezed his eyelids tighter. “Hi I’m sorry.” Then he shoved the words and just his words into the connection that still looked like a wire.<br/>
He felt the words hit her like a blow and a headache began. Her mental voice shook a bit when she responded. <em>Not so much effort. Kriff, you’re powerful.</em></blockquote>
<p><b>What's your favorite piece of description or narration you wrote this year?
</b>From <i>Rescue the Farmboy AU:</i>
<blockquote>
Nothing distracting was happening, kest! Damn the Empire! Her hands curled
and her fingernails dug into her palms. She thought she had hated the Empire
before with its brutality against non-humans and its rigid tyranny against
democracy and its subjugation of any protest with callous military might.
Now pain lanced her palms but that didn’t halt the shaking vibrating her arms.
This was hate, a hot fire under her skin, wanting to seize the Emperor in
his black robe and set him alight with it. Her ears under her hair buns were
already aflame.<br/>
“Leia,” General Kenobi said.<br/>
She twisted to stare at him, not that she could
see in the dark. But why take the chance of giving away their hiding place?
The entry ramp was extending down with a hiss of hydraulics.<br/>
<em>We do not need voices, Padawan.</em> General
Kenobi’s voice in her head was amused by her confusion, but soon it turned
grave. <em>Do not let hatred dwell inside you, Leia. Hate leads to suffering.</em><br/>
She couldn’t articulate her feelings into words
as the boots marched over their heads. That sound and the idea of the Empire
just elicited an inner howl of grief that pierced like the hunting cry of
a stalking bird now extinct with the rest of Alderaan. The vortex was numbing
the fire, but felt like it was pulling her down into the never-ending cold.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<p><b>Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would, less,
or about what you predicted? </b>I reached about 47% of my goal, which is ended
up being more words than I wrote last year, but it only turned out to be 282 words per day.</p>
<p><b>Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? </b>Tracking is so useful for shutting up my brain that keeps swearing I never do enough of everything (writing, chores, etc.). I feel good that I'm not wasting my free time at the paying job, but I need to transfer it to the weekends and holidays.</p>
<p><b>Did you meet last year's goals? </b></p>
<p><CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/fifth_element/leeloo_laughing.gif"></CENTER></p>
<p>That's a no, and boy, how is it a no.</p>
<UL><LI><B>Reach 130,000 words in the stories in Zy's Universe.</B>
<UL><LI>Edit Stellar Gift of Death to a draft ready for beta reading -- didn't start</LI>
<li>Edit "Words of Parting" according to the feedback I got -- didn't start</li>
<li>Edit "Blue Man on the Porch" to a draft ready for beta reading -- disn't start</li>
<li>Write a short story on Xeryl's background -- didn't start</li>
<li>Write the Ail 12 on vacation case that ended in a shootout (new take on the "Case of the Hideous Medallion") -- didn't start</li>
<li>Plot two sequels to Stellar Gift of Death -- didn't start</li>
<LI>Begin writing the next novel in the series -- didn't start</LI>
<li>Move story projects into Scrivener -- started, didn't finish</li>
<li>Pay for more Dropbox storage</li> -- Done</UL></LI>
<LI><strong>Finish rough draft of <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i></strong>
<UL><li>Move what is already done into Scrivener -- didn't start</li>
<li>Finish rough draft according to beat sheet -- didn't start</li></UL></LI>
<LI><strong>Finish rough drafts of <i>Star Wars</i> AUs</strong>
<UL><li>Write <i>Star Wars: My Home Is You</i> (<i>Dark Empire</i> AU</i>) -- FINISHED, posting now</li>
<li>Write <i>Star Wars: Rescue the Farmboy</i> (Original Trilogy AU) -- continuing to write this one</li></UL></LI>
<LI><B>Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank</B> -- I didn't keep up with this.</LI>
<LI><B>Redevelop FanFiction Garret</B> -- This remains lowest on the list of priorities here. -- Never worked on this.</LI>
<LI><B>Set up a professional website</B> -- This is in the research stage. -- Never researched this.</LI>
<LI><B>BookWorm's Library maintenance</B> -- Had to reinstall the entire site from my backups this year.</LI>
<LI><B>Add the <i>Part of the Night</i> series to FF.net</B> -- Finished</LI>
<LI><B>Add more fanfics to AO3</B> -- Never started.</LI>
<LI><B>Work on home concentration.</B> -- Namely I need one day of the weekend with a solid chunk of writing in it. I'm thinking of trying a day off a week to forestall my taking a whole month off instead around May. <b>Results:</b> I didn't work every day, but I didn't set an official day off. So with tracking, I didn't lose a month of productivity.</LI>
</UL>
<p>My daily writing plans to help the above list of goals get done:</p>
<UL>
<LI>Write 600 daily words. Can be split among the projects. -- After much trial and tribulation, I finally got the formula correct on my Excel spreadsheet to count when I made my daily word count goal. (It is so saved on the template now.) I had 58 days of meeting or exceeding 600 words a day.</LI>
<LI>Schedule a day off during the week; maybe why I fade out by May is because I don't. -- I didn't schedule days, but with tracking I kept a better focus on what I was doing all year. I missed some days writing, but never a whole month.</LI>
<LI>Spend 45/15 after I get home editing <i>Stellar</i> by Ali Luke's Two-Year-Novel Plan. -- This did not happen. I'm really sure it won't with my schedule the way it it.</LI>
<LI>Work in meditation time with Brain FM. -- Didn't try this at all.</LI>
<LI>Do more chores in the morning so I have evening time for writing. -- More chores in the morning is just a good idea all the way around.</LI>
<LI>Reward myself when goals are reached. -- 2017 was a bad year for reaching all my goals.</LI>
</UL>
<p><b>Do you have any goals for the coming year? </b> The goals from my 2018 one-page business plan are: </p>
<UL><LI><B>Reach 130,000 words in the stories in Zy's Universe.</B>
<UL><LI>Edit Stellar Gift of Death to a draft ready for beta reading. Use Ali Luke's Two-Year-Novel Plan.</LI>
<li>Edit "Words of Parting" according to the feedback I got</li>
<li>Edit "Blue Man on the Porch" to a draft ready for beta reading</li>
<li>Write a short story on Xeryl's background</li>
<li>Write the Ail 12 on vacation case that ended in a shootout (new take on the "Case of the Hideous Medallion")</li>
<li>Plot two sequels to Stellar Gift of Death</li>
<LI>Begin writing the next novel in the series</LI>
<li>Finish putting story projects into Scrivener</li>
</UL></LI>
<LI><strong>Finish rough draft of <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i></strong>
<UL><li>Move what is already done into Scrivener</li>
<li>Finish rough draft according to beat sheet</li></UL></LI>
<LI><strong>Finish rough drafts of <i>Star Wars</i> AUs</strong>
<UL><li>Write <i>Star Wars: Rescue the Farmboy</i> (Original Trilogy AU)</li>
<li>Write Lucinda's story</li></UL></LI>
<LI><B>Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank</B></LI>
<LI><B>BookWorm's Library maintenance</B></LI>
<LI><b>Add Media Center to BookWorm's Library</b></LI>
<LI><B>Post to Tumblr</B></LI>
<LI><B>Add more fanfics to AO3</B></LI>
<LI><B>Work on home concentration.</B> -- I want a day of nothing but writing on the weekends unless I have other plans.</LI>
</UL>
<p>My daily writing plans to help the above list of goals get done:</p>
<UL>
<LI>Write 600 daily words. Can be split among the projects.</LI>
<LI>Work in meditation time with Brain FM.</LI>
<LI>Do more chores in the morning so I have evening time for writing.</LI>
<LI>Reward myself when goals are reached.</LI>
</UL>
<p>Here's to 2018. We'll get through it together.</p>
<CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/hot_fuzz/hot_fuzz_feel_like_saying_something_smart.gif"></CENTER>KLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-69977910534268371352018-01-04T12:24:00.000-06:002018-01-27T12:25:13.305-06:00Not Really a Resolution<p>Generally, I gave up on sweeping resolutions that will change my life for the better that usually fall apart in March. I have goals I want to accomplish this year, noticed I need to rely on my checklist more often, and left it that.</p>
<p>Then yesterday I had to file a month's worth of paperwork that I had piled up in my inbox at the paying job. Today I'm chipping away at my receipts and other financial paperwork that I piled up at home.</p>
<p>*Snort* The saddest realization is if I had used my checklist daily, neither of these things would have had time to build up where it takes all day to deal with them.</p>
<p>So today is a catch-up on everything but writing day because I'm away from home for the weekend. 90 minutes spent on the budget and bills and I'm not done yet. So I'm looking forward to finishing tomorrow. Not tonight because I have dish-washing and cooking to deal with.</p>
<p>Read Free!<BR>The BookWorm</p>KLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-42714775090476641562017-12-09T18:00:00.000-06:002018-01-27T12:21:25.089-06:00Surprise Sneaux!<p>Guys, it snowed all day Friday, December 8th. The weather people had said it wouldn't accumulate and once again Mother Nature proved them really, really wrong. It finally ended around three or four. Fortunately, the powers that be told all us state workers to stay home so we didn't have a repeat of <A HREF="http://klcthebookworm.blogspot.com/2008/12/snowstorm-jack-2008.html">Snowstorm Jack 2008</A>. Unfortunately, the power went out around 7 am and it hasn't been restored yet (when I started writing this around 9am 12/09/17). My uncle has a generator and that's where I'm charging the phone and laptop. My house has natural gas for the stove and a heater in the living room, so I can cook and stay warm.</p>
<p>However, listening to the desktop computer's battery beep for hours and losing the internet (which was more a problem for the phone) makes me want to get a whole house generator. That's probably a 2019 or 2020 goal.</p>
<p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mSu2kCeEEF-T8QBuT2YE1DKBiefnZ8Wuo7aDYOCNgEyVRGJVzzZAyKqbgLX3DhO1wTzOlyzy6-ZlKfGKBCmyYL-qcgq8x81dODQW-A02Bqkn8kRQw5_c8q8sgAY0DdE_UlBI/s1600/20171208_070537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mSu2kCeEEF-T8QBuT2YE1DKBiefnZ8Wuo7aDYOCNgEyVRGJVzzZAyKqbgLX3DhO1wTzOlyzy6-ZlKfGKBCmyYL-qcgq8x81dODQW-A02Bqkn8kRQw5_c8q8sgAY0DdE_UlBI/s320/20171208_070537.jpg" width="180" height="320" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOe8iH1H2lgyXfmo4bxj0DlTajuBPC8clGg2o-S1fGBQzhLv1H1IhZnPmvkwdO1Y11TmLx2MUO2zgeyOs8Djmd1__YQ80Y8EmJJMiqtXKwgU36iNx0XBsxzbPkZhOAROl5cNR/s1600/20171208_070409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyOe8iH1H2lgyXfmo4bxj0DlTajuBPC8clGg2o-S1fGBQzhLv1H1IhZnPmvkwdO1Y11TmLx2MUO2zgeyOs8Djmd1__YQ80Y8EmJJMiqtXKwgU36iNx0XBsxzbPkZhOAROl5cNR/s320/20171208_070409.jpg" width="180" height="320" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqH2XAOOkYf0yDA-ak1eWxZobqXtJa2yM6ev97amIqNCAIx2rmbekX5MVAMTe7B1-yPAebovjxqZJK3NtKKv7wyaCPuNHqyUN2W0PTDa6YlZopP9eT9EQkdokLiy5o7UwErJGI/s1600/20171208_070401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqH2XAOOkYf0yDA-ak1eWxZobqXtJa2yM6ev97amIqNCAIx2rmbekX5MVAMTe7B1-yPAebovjxqZJK3NtKKv7wyaCPuNHqyUN2W0PTDa6YlZopP9eT9EQkdokLiy5o7UwErJGI/s320/20171208_070401.jpg" width="180" height="320" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2VfZm9Z-aRQ9b0l3xLU6jcZKqA88_igGpVnny3qWUPDzb8zQE5EfKPpVcIisC498VxfiyAU_1Lb3Y30bUVuqH5WYgdlGOoJ4YFKLEdK1Qtxo3OhjCrEuPicAAo4e4gsW0U3m/s1600/20171209_084103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA2VfZm9Z-aRQ9b0l3xLU6jcZKqA88_igGpVnny3qWUPDzb8zQE5EfKPpVcIisC498VxfiyAU_1Lb3Y30bUVuqH5WYgdlGOoJ4YFKLEdK1Qtxo3OhjCrEuPicAAo4e4gsW0U3m/s320/20171209_084103.jpg" width="180" height="320" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4JrPz7dPdWUVBHk3gApPn1vLzo5FnpKn9X7sF_wgvXQx3C6UV5Ylzm5STxkPDdooKA2aAfTaf-8ywBQrV3IVtlx8m6-N1jz5xC_NkpIqHYEl3sw1Nxa7oa3fiz4PlcEbohWO/s1600/20171209_084524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4JrPz7dPdWUVBHk3gApPn1vLzo5FnpKn9X7sF_wgvXQx3C6UV5Ylzm5STxkPDdooKA2aAfTaf-8ywBQrV3IVtlx8m6-N1jz5xC_NkpIqHYEl3sw1Nxa7oa3fiz4PlcEbohWO/s320/20171209_084524.jpg" width="180" height="320" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRJ8LaEwZJuPNQsrSc_1FelsQBby-IUqLNcxljZozWurfCEyE54LokPX9b828KKcrNpSzFESLsb3BkWjH3Yex12sD-6EKFzzvZSMTW9d-RziwXJ7cEW2WQI9fMZE_hmuY-Vxq/s1600/20171209_084602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRJ8LaEwZJuPNQsrSc_1FelsQBby-IUqLNcxljZozWurfCEyE54LokPX9b828KKcrNpSzFESLsb3BkWjH3Yex12sD-6EKFzzvZSMTW9d-RziwXJ7cEW2WQI9fMZE_hmuY-Vxq/s320/20171209_084602.jpg" width="180" height="320" data-original-width="900" data-original-height="1600" /></a></div></p>
<p>The tree behind my uncle's tractor: I have never seen steam from tree bark like that but all the trees were doing it Saturday morning. Power restored 4:10pm on December 9th. That wasn't a long wait at all.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-22531623622846971712017-09-17T19:22:00.000-05:002017-09-17T19:22:26.069-05:00Mustard is gone<p>He stopped eating Friday, so I brought him to the vet Saturday. They kept him overnight to get him re-hydrated to do blood work. He perked up and ate food last night, but today he went back down again. Not eating and barely moving. The bloodwork came back that his kidneys were failing. So I made the decision to let him go. 6:14 p.m. today September 17, 2017.</p>
<p>Read Free!<BR>The BookWorm</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvF2e2ZzTWjQ9SwrNTwQdiIaZErfnCQU9-upPOKoFlJZwO1X2bN6HlktubqoMBYxuv7Bn3zwc23Ux4GYqgcx2WK5Qs7tYMvXN1EtJtQ0Rb2g1ysjZlhrxfS6EKTZ2r668eegit/s1600/mustard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvF2e2ZzTWjQ9SwrNTwQdiIaZErfnCQU9-upPOKoFlJZwO1X2bN6HlktubqoMBYxuv7Bn3zwc23Ux4GYqgcx2WK5Qs7tYMvXN1EtJtQ0Rb2g1ysjZlhrxfS6EKTZ2r668eegit/s320/mustard.jpg" width="320" height="240" data-original-width="400" data-original-height="300" /></a></div>KLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-81273959066769153952017-06-24T11:48:00.000-05:002017-06-24T11:50:05.089-05:00Mustard has congestive heart failure<p>So here it is, the end of June and for the year I was going to pay off my debts and finish the house improvements, I'm not doing to well on that score. In May, I had a termite swarm inside my house so now I have a three-year contract with Orkin. Mustard had his annual check up, lost weight since he had stopped eating. I thought it maybe due to needed a Senior formula food. He's 13 years old now, which according to the chart in the vet's office means he's the equivalent of 68. I started him in Iams Active Senior and he woofed it down.</p>
<p>By June, Rizzo the car has a suspicious rattle that sounds like I lost a another strut. Thanks to boneheaded financial decisions on my part, I have to push it getting repaired until July.</p>
<p>June 14th, I came home with steaks. Mustard has stopped being interested in his food again but is all over me to get some beef. Yell at Mustard for trying to trip me. Heard and felt sound in my teeth. Thought "Oh shit, I've chipped one" and ran to the bathroom. The bridge on my right side fell out. The back anchor tooth is broken off at the gum line. Most of what's left of my canine that is its front anchor point comes out of the crown. I've lost count how many of these bridges have destroyed my underlying teeth and fallen out. I knew they wouldn't be able to glue back on and I was completely leery of losing my virgin front tooth like I lost the one on the left and one of my back molars in just a few years (if that long). Thursday, the first words the dentist tells me after looking at the X-rays, "I think implants are the way to fix this."</p>
<p>What I would use a time machine for: Go back to when we started the bridges in my mouth and suggest just three implants for the missing teeth we wanted to hide. Give undergraduate college me the knowledge about Primal and Paleo eating and how mashed potatoes and white bread and sodas were what will pack on the pounds. Fly on an airplane before deregulation of the airline industry happened. Go to the future when everyone is aghast over how stupid Americans in the 2016 - 2017 election cycles and petition to live there.</p>
<p>So by July 21, I have everything worked out for the dental implants surgery-wise and financial-wise. My check-in with my endocrinologist could have been better, but that was my fault for not eating properly or exercising. We came up with some solutions and I'm incentivized to work on them because I'll heal faster if my blood sugar is under control.</p>
<p>July 23: came home to Mustard having labored breathing and alternating between hiding from me and just laying down in the room I was in and not moving. He refused to eat the canned cat food, which has never happened before. I mixed together dry and canned Thursday night and he ate that. Saturday morning, we're at the vet's office at 8am. Mustard can't be bothered my the usual fit he shows them.</p>
<p>So the diagnosis ended up being fluid in his lungs from congestive heart failure. He's home now with two prescriptions to take that don't cost a fortune and an appointment next week to see if the prescriptions need to be tweaked. He ate, peed, and drank water once I got him home and now he's hiding from me again. I have no idea what his life expectancy is at this point, so I have to remember to ask that with the follow up visit.</p>
<p>Right after that I'm scheduled for a well woman's check up and probably my first mammogram. Then the week after that, dental implants. Then I should be able to perform bill catch-up on the next payday.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-12427500352496301172017-01-09T10:07:00.000-06:002017-02-09T10:11:46.341-06:002017 Resolutions<p>How best to sum up 2016?</p>
<figure>
<img src="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/celebrities/john_oliver_explodes_2016.gif" alt="image" />
<figcaption>It will be a while before this image gets old.</figcaption></figure>
<p>Since I fell off the keep people informed of what’s going on in my life goal, I’m going to go through 2016 in personal events for an overview to figure out my 2017 resolutions and plans.</p>
<dl>
<dt><strong>Back Bedroom Remodel:</strong></dt>
<dd>Started in December 2015 after my new roof was installed. I figured it would be finished in a few months. Now it’s January 2017 and I still don’t have a back bedroom or a living room. <strong>2017 Plans:</strong> Finish this project.</dd>
<dt><strong>March 2016 Flood:</strong></dt>
<dd>This event has been overshadowed by the August flooding. Personally, I found my back porch still leaked with the new roof and raked out the ditch in front of my house to help the drainage, which was then attributed to the hard workers who maintain our parish roads. (Thanks, Mom.)</dd>
<dt><strong>Mustard’s eye:</strong></dt>
<dd>In May, Mustard’s eye got scratched and then infected. There was only a thin bit of membrane holding it together by the time I got him to the veterinary ophthalmologist, but he saved his eye. By the end of June, the cone was off and his eye is fine.</dd>
<dt><strong>Front and Back Porches Refresh:</strong></dt>
<dd>So this spring I discovered the carpenter bees drilling nests into my new back porch rafters. They had also drilled into my front porch ceiling and rafters. I got the back porch rafters painted by May 30th, but painting the front porch got delayed due to summer monsoons and smaller projects to make the spaces pretty and functional multiplied every weekend. In October, it finally dried enough for me to finish the major painting (front porch ceiling and the columns on both porches). Poisoned the carpenter bees and then spray foamed the holes. Finished trimming the spray foam snot and painted over that in November. Then I moved onto refinishing rocking chairs. <strong>2017 Plans:</strong> Finish this project.</dd>
<dt><strong>August 2016 Flood:</strong></dt>
<dd>I watched the waters rise and finished insulating the back bedroom. Luckily, my family and I were not affected. However, my mother’s friend Irene was flooded and was then put on hospice. My parents took her in and we rallied to work on her house in spurts.</dd>
<dt><strong>Irene’s House:</strong></dt>
<dd>We cleaned everything in the house, but not before Irene died on November 19th. The clean-out officially ended December 4th when All Hands Volunteers showed up and gutted the house. <strong>2017 Plans:</strong> I’ll be roped into dealing with the contents of the out buildings, but I don’t forsee having to take off work again.</dd>
<dt><strong>Money Annoyances:</strong></dt>
<dd>So Mustard’s eyes surgery and two unexpected car issues pretty much tapped out my savings and left me in debt to my father (buying building supplies didn’t help either). So this weekend found me very disconcerted about my finances. The money I earn means I shouldn’t be in a mad, penny-pinching scramble every payday. The next step will be to analyze my spending habits to see where I can cut back. <strong>2017 Plans:</strong> Stick to my budget, pay off my debts, reward myself when goals are met.</dd>
</dl>
<p>Basically my 2017 plans are to finish the outstanding projects I have started. Of course once I wrap something, a new project will take its place. For example, when I move the back bedroom stuff into the finished back bedroom, I have a new TV to mount on my wall and must replace the entertainment center to do that. By the end of the month, we’ll see how much progress I’ve made on them.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-24543283174261290262017-01-09T10:00:00.000-06:002017-02-09T10:06:22.496-06:002016 My Year In Fic<CENTER><H3>2016 My Year in Fic</H3></CENTER>
<p><B>2016 Fiction Word Count</B><BR><IMG SRC="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=95536&target=130000"><BR>Progress Bar from <A HREF="http://www.writertopia.com/toolbox/meters">Writertopia</a></p>
<p>This year was a dumpster fire. I had started and put aside a blog post titled "What the Hell Did We Do to You, 2016?" and just awful stuff kept happening after that point, so I never finished writing it--much less posting it. So the less said about it, the better.</p>
<P><CENTER><img src="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/celebrities/john_oliver_explodes_2016.gif" width="500" height="220"></CENTER></P>
<p>So I did maintain a writing tracking calendar all year. That is a positive. It took me until March to realize that I needed to add what project the words were generated for. *Wince* I took the entire month of May off and have no idea why or how that happened. June started the <i>Star Wars</i> focus that has lasted all the way into 2017. I didn't finish anything on my business plan, but I improved my tracking. But I did discover an addition mistake back in January that threw off my total of words written for the year, so next year I need to check my spreadsheet on a monthly basis.</p>
<P><CENTER><img src="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/writing/message_09.png"></CENTER></P>
<p><b>Stories I Finished: </b></p>
<p>I didn't finish <b>ANYTHING!</b> I didn't even post <A HREF="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/batman/rule/rule_00.html"><i><b>Part of the Night: The One Rule</b></i></A> or <A HREF="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/batman/legacy/legacy_01.html"><i><b>Part of the Night: The Wayne Legacy</b></i></A> at FanFiction.Net like I said I would. FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR!</p>
<P><CENTER><img src="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/celebrities/john_oliver_explodes_2016.gif" width="500" height="220"></CENTER></P>
<p><b>Stories I Didn't Finish: </b></p>
<P>I'm still stuck on that I wrote a novel's worth of words and didn't finish anything between four stories and their outlines.</P>
<p><CENTER><img src="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/stephen_colbert/headdesk.jpg" width="400" height="300"></CENTER></P>
<p>Okay, I finished the outline beat sheets, but people can't read those. <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i>'s writing bit lasted from January through February. March and April were spent editing Zy's Universe only to be dropped along with everything writing related in May.</p>
<p>Why did all writing stop in May? Was it painting the porches? Mustard's eye surgery? Alas, I can't find any notes I left myself about it.</p>
<p>June saw my writing resume with handwritten pages of the <i>Star Wars</i> AU I had plotted out in January: a rewrite of the original trilogy I've given the series title <i>Rescue the Farmboy</i>. These rough draft pages were slow going because of rewatching movie scenes. Paying job cut off access to YouTube where I was watching the scenes and progress halted as soon as I got the <i>Falcon</i> to the Death Star.</p>
<p>September gave me a writing challenge from Tomi Adeyemi to write 600 words a day for two weeks. Instead of working on <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i> or <i>Rescue the Farmboy</i>, I wrote the beat sheet for another <i>Star Wars</i> project, a rewrite of the <i>Dark Empire</i> storyline. By the time I finished it and beat the challenge, I was writing the narrative. I've been working on it and typing up <i>Rescue the Farmboy</i> into Scrivener. I had to rewrite <i>Rescue the Farmboy</i> beat sheet from Bespin through Endor, but I haven't touched that narrative since.</p>
<p><b>My favorite story this year: </b>I'm torn between my <i>Star Wars</i> fanfics, but both of them have the same reason: Luke Skywalker is just as big a smart ass as Han Solo and it's been fun giving him dialogue that reflects that. The EU Legends got far too caught up in solemn Jedi Knight.</p>
<p><b>Story most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: </b><i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i> because I keep forgetting to write it!</p>
<p><b>Most fun story: </b> <i>Rescue the Farmboy</i>. Luke and Biggs go to the Imperial Academy, and Luke ends up with both Vader and the Emperor wanting him alive and dead respectively. They hitch a ride back to Tatooine with the Senator of Alderaan, but Vader ends up with Luke despite their best efforts. The Emperor's Hand also fails to kill Luke thanks to a pillow. I need to get back on this story.</p>
<p><B>Stories I wrote that I never thought I'd write: </B><i>Star Wars</i> fanfic. After an awful fix-it fic I wrote back in high school when Kevin J. Anderson ruined Yavin 4 and a missed chance to write for the <i>Star Wars Adventure Journal</i>, I figured I was content to just read, watch, and cosplay. Episode VII awakened more than just the Force.</p>
<p>And I reread that filed high school fix-it fic, it <strong>is</strong> awful. The only believable part is the petulant teenager because I was a petulant teenager writing it.</p>
<p><b>Hardest story to write: </b><i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i> because I keep setting it aside.</p>
<p><b>Biggest disappointment: </b> That I forgot about Zy's Universe. Again.</p>
<p><b>Biggest surprise: </b> Scrivener! I've heard raves about it for years, but always mentally filed it away as a program I couldn't afford to buy. Microsoft Word's custom dictionary broke on me and they wanted to sell a subscription for updated Office programs. Nope. Polaris works on my smartphone and desktop, but I have to spend money to add it to the laptop. Nope. Scrivener was cheaper and its license is good on multiple devices. So in September I began giving it an honest trial and now I'm hooked.</p>
<p><b>What's your favorite piece of dialogue you wrote this year? </b>This was a hard choice. From <i>Rescue the Farmboy</i>'s version of <i>A New Hope</i> (I haven't decided if I should keep the movie titles or not):<blockquote> "The Academy locked me up and then stormtroopers came after me." Luke snapped his mouth shut. His indignation over the treatment blazed in the Force.<BR> "And you turned to the Senator of Alderaan for assistance."<BR> "She wasn’t appointed by the Hutts."</blockquote>I hope you're all quivering in anticipation for Vader's response to that declaration.</p>
<p><b>What's your favorite piece of description or narration you wrote this year? </b>Easier choice. From <i>Star Wars: My Home Is You</i>:<blockquote> Luke smiled as he followed Tarask to the second door on the left. And the smile strangled on his face as soon as he entered the room. A floor-to-ceiling mural of Tatooine covered the wall shared with the office showing Beggar’s Canyon and the Stone Needle with a glimpse of the desert plains and Tatoo I and II shining in the bright blue sky. And underneath them positioned in the center of the wall was a baby bed with high-slated sides to keep the infant safe inside and a mobile of starfighters dangling over it.<BR> They were all wrong, all the theories were wrong. His father bought the building and closed off this apartment because it was HERS. It was his mother’s. The Force sang out the truth and it sounded like a sandstorm howling in his ears. This was their secret home and this room they had prepared for their baby.</blockquote>One of the many tragedies of <i>Revenge of the Sith</i> is we never get to see Padmé making this nursery.</p>
<p><b>Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would, less, or about what you predicted? </b>I reached about 74% of my goal which is better than what I managed in 2015. Too bad none of the words added up to one completed novel.</p>
<p><b>Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? </b>I participated in the writing challenge and learned I can fit 600 words a day into my schedule. Also I got better at carving writing time out of my free time at the paying job. However, I found myself less able to concentrate on writing at home. It's not a case of having used up all my willpower/creative juice at work, because it happens during the weekends and my vacation time.</p>
<p><b>Did you meet last year's goals? </b></p>
<p><CENTER><img src="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/fifth_element/leeloo_laughing.gif"></CENTER></p>
<p>That's a no, and boy, how is it a no.</p>
<UL>
<LI><B>Reach 130,000 words in the stories in Zy's Universe.</B> -- I touched Zy's universe back in February, but I have no idea what I did and it wasn't enough to knock any of these to-do's off the list. I might as well say I never touched any of this.</LI>
<LI><strong>Finish rough draft of <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i></strong> -- Still not finished.</LI>
<LI><strong>Establish a dedicated writing hour</strong> -- I'm declaring this a win. While it's not a truly dedicated time frame, I'm spending 45 minute chunks on the laptop during the day twice a day and sometimes three times a day.</LI>
<LI><strong>Post 12 updates on Facebook.</strong> -- Nope, I'm accepting the fact that I hate the damn thing and save the posts for the next time I have to tell people I survived the next natural disaster.</LI>
<LI><B>Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank</B> -- This fell to the wayside too. Will try to do better next year.</LI>
<LI><B>Redevelop FanFiction Garret</B> -- Didn't work on at all.</LI>
</UL>
<p><b>Do you have any goals for the coming year? </b> The goals from my 2017 one-page business plan are: </p>
<UL><LI><B>Reach 130,000 words in the stories in Zy's Universe.</B>
<UL><LI>Edit Stellar Gift of Death to a draft ready for beta reading</LI>
<li>Edit "Words of Parting" according to the feedback I got</li>
<li>Edit "Blue Man on the Porch" to a draft ready for beta reading</li>
<li>Write a short story on Xeryl's background</li>
<li>Write the Ail 12 on vacation case that ended in a shootout (new take on the "Case of the Hideous Medallion")</li>
<li>Plot two sequels to Stellar Gift of Death</li>
<LI>Begin writing the next novel in the series</LI>
<li>Move story projects into Scrivener</li>
<li>Pay for more Dropbox storage</li> -- Already started doing this.</UL></LI>
<LI><strong>Finish rough draft of <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i></strong>
<UL><li>Move what is already done into Scrivener</li>
<li>Finish rough draft according to beat sheet</li></UL></LI>
<LI><strong>Finish rough drafts of <i>Star Wars</i> AUs</strong>
<UL><li>Write <i>Star Wars: My Home Is You</i> (<i>Dark Empire</i> AU</i>)</li>
<li>Write <i>Star Wars: Rescue the Farmboy</i> (Original Trilogy AU)</li></UL></LI>
<LI><B>Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank</B></LI>
<LI><B>Redevelop FanFiction Garret</B> -- This remains lowest on the list of priorities here.</LI>
<LI><B>Set up a professional website</B> -- This is in the research stage.</LI>
<LI><B>BookWorm's Library maintenance</B></LI>
<LI><B>Add the <i>Part of the Night</i> series to FF.net</B></LI>
<LI><B>Add more fanfics to AO3</B></LI>
<LI><B>Work on home concentration.</B> -- Namely I need one day of the weekend with a solid chunk of writing in it. I'm thinking of trying a day off a week to forestall my taking a whole month off instead around May.</LI>
</UL>
<p>My daily writing plans to help the above list of goals get done:</p>
<UL>
<LI>Write 600 daily words. Can be split among the projects.</LI>
<LI>Schedule a day off during the week; maybe why I fade out by May is because I don't.</LI>
<LI>Spend 45/15 after I get home editing <i>Stellar</i> by Ali Luke's Two-Year-Novel Plan.</LI>
<LI>Work in meditation time with Brain FM.</LI>
<LI>Do more chores in the morning so I have evening time for writing.</LI>
<LI>Reward myself when goals are reached.</LI>
</UL>
<p>Here's to 2017. We'll get through it together.</p>
<CENTER><img src="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/hot_fuzz/hot_fuzz_feel_like_saying_something_smart.gif"></CENTER>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-65570864762466819792016-03-11T21:21:00.000-06:002016-03-11T21:21:26.368-06:00Not Time to Build an Ark Yet<p>This was not supposed to be my next free weekend.</p>
<IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/star_trek/DataLaughing_gif.gif">
<p>Why do I bother making plans some times? I was supposed to go to Lafayette this weekend, but that was planned before Mother Nature unleashed severe weather to cause flash flooding and regular flooding on us. The paying job sent us home early Thursday and told us not to come in Friday, I canceled my plans for the weekend and treated myself to a normal bedtime. Meaning I set up Brain.fm on my cell phone and tried to go to sleep.</p>
<p>Only for the flash flood warnings from the National Weather Service to keep interrupting the program. Don't get me wrong, overall I like the warnings and think they are an excellent idea, but not when I'm trying to sleep. Not only did the emergency signal wake me up most of the time, it also just stopped the Brain.fm music. When my regular Friday alarms went off, I still had half of the eight-hour session to go.</p>
<p>Most of the major rain happened overnight and the system didn't stall over us like it did Texas and north Louisiana. The bad news is all the rain that north Louisiana got has to come down through us. Places that usually don't flood flooded this time and the rivers have just gotten started.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I found leaks in my new roof. I called my roofers, but they're all flooded in too. They'll probably reach me Monday or Tuesday.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrY4Y3z_JP9QKX7mx6zGdQFJFe5iSLqj3kz4j2D4hD23Ww48VWyLHPoy2sA5Ekoy7HtSkxW7KKePtCoGvrZsysFq3JSllhy3WEF_P9qAioZ5pjcbH7cP4CY3WFbKDD2C6qftMI/s1600/20160311_142150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrY4Y3z_JP9QKX7mx6zGdQFJFe5iSLqj3kz4j2D4hD23Ww48VWyLHPoy2sA5Ekoy7HtSkxW7KKePtCoGvrZsysFq3JSllhy3WEF_P9qAioZ5pjcbH7cP4CY3WFbKDD2C6qftMI/s320/20160311_142150.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SMVlFLB6mXXJi5UziMvoyZKW2odVawLxmMtmrkyIHcVel_QFiMo2RXgdn375SkMqqLMX5EZEQPDDzdSafRz3-Sk2F9dAfWq5w_JKchCsxMbdcSE5H-huzeY2HjLdmutIJ_rr/s1600/20160311_142158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SMVlFLB6mXXJi5UziMvoyZKW2odVawLxmMtmrkyIHcVel_QFiMo2RXgdn375SkMqqLMX5EZEQPDDzdSafRz3-Sk2F9dAfWq5w_JKchCsxMbdcSE5H-huzeY2HjLdmutIJ_rr/s320/20160311_142158.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjX-OaTlZB3czHz_mbw0V9fTZxyfni5hvn-L4V3z8AYbI2QZhOM5s0LS1J1XotNyOtEJhBvLpvd-wot5kjTXCalbVM7r_XLDvHOS4HbWA6KdSPbJ1AQPdVkRIIhL9X9qG5wI3m/s1600/20160311_142204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjX-OaTlZB3czHz_mbw0V9fTZxyfni5hvn-L4V3z8AYbI2QZhOM5s0LS1J1XotNyOtEJhBvLpvd-wot5kjTXCalbVM7r_XLDvHOS4HbWA6KdSPbJ1AQPdVkRIIhL9X9qG5wI3m/s320/20160311_142204.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkq2TazJKPDMhnF_f_SJGSeFVV9I1Hpjjo_o9JrxCZ3LlywoqUWRCNF7XUA3k2gOS6EsqPgNYEO25HHZKhbqIFmjdnyT1CbVDboFtB_kC9c3CgRKxKs0lW48bbtLktuu0bJsD/s1600/20160311_190511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkq2TazJKPDMhnF_f_SJGSeFVV9I1Hpjjo_o9JrxCZ3LlywoqUWRCNF7XUA3k2gOS6EsqPgNYEO25HHZKhbqIFmjdnyT1CbVDboFtB_kC9c3CgRKxKs0lW48bbtLktuu0bJsD/s320/20160311_190511.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>The rain eased up and I hit the yard to see how bad the water is around me. These two pictures show how high the creek and Natalbany River are behind the house. It's hard to see through the undergrowth, but the water is right there.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy05HaXhQvDJ5PwvYrdXq5gE2s83n8sRCEZa9iPImvGQBhI1oOfQwImvacVAS-VIP9XVG9n0owTn8CO2AC3e6k2lFx1kHVe914I8xZMlw_2mvPrYcKrFWIp1SAGfuWoTQ7Gsw/s1600/20160311_142413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiy05HaXhQvDJ5PwvYrdXq5gE2s83n8sRCEZa9iPImvGQBhI1oOfQwImvacVAS-VIP9XVG9n0owTn8CO2AC3e6k2lFx1kHVe914I8xZMlw_2mvPrYcKrFWIp1SAGfuWoTQ7Gsw/s320/20160311_142413.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5c8VOqsTCN7d826rivMeLr-ctcDFRY6LAEwocjeYyg7rXZI_hBhxd9vzhRJ6YhpOnwgLN-5dwqTA2gZIjmFFjbJ7UUK4A8tVIoH9JG8yTmR_vg3Ws2vaamUQ23dWp3avOfEg/s1600/20160311_142349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5c8VOqsTCN7d826rivMeLr-ctcDFRY6LAEwocjeYyg7rXZI_hBhxd9vzhRJ6YhpOnwgLN-5dwqTA2gZIjmFFjbJ7UUK4A8tVIoH9JG8yTmR_vg3Ws2vaamUQ23dWp3avOfEg/s320/20160311_142349.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>I had to rake out the ditch before I hiked down to see how bad the bridge was. It counted as my workout today. The black mounds are the leaves and pine straw that I pulled out of the water's way.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGaO8S3kkalI28UmywJ68-gEJyofj9Wljokeybh91_0zWnPxOFARHerZJaLK3xkHt_nz1GpsV7bsVgYGVCy_pTurTCC6czz_2D1eClAZVJj5-1p7CB9J9x3GQH-_KVsvJXxta/s1600/20160311_144852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGaO8S3kkalI28UmywJ68-gEJyofj9Wljokeybh91_0zWnPxOFARHerZJaLK3xkHt_nz1GpsV7bsVgYGVCy_pTurTCC6czz_2D1eClAZVJj5-1p7CB9J9x3GQH-_KVsvJXxta/s320/20160311_144852.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>After that was done, I hiked down to the high water blocking the bridge and chatted with my neighbors down there and the DOTD worker and State Trooper that also swung by to check on us. The neighbors had used their vehicles to block their driveways because stupid motorists keep driving until it's obvious they can't go any further and then they peel out trying to turn around. That's bad enough, but they always fly down Pumpkin Center Road like it's the Interstate. Even with weather like this, even with knowing everything is flooding.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sfWUN9FxzmtFbwR1QaVLhe3MCOjR29zqFVd1XFc32IZcIzQ-b4g1FkkQUP_IhUdLhuLZlt6zZV80-5EZ5GmHlvzxfXQq6dIBZvZCV6GZlWtCDflTyJyU5sngMJl5wyWC5V4V/s1600/20160311_145351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sfWUN9FxzmtFbwR1QaVLhe3MCOjR29zqFVd1XFc32IZcIzQ-b4g1FkkQUP_IhUdLhuLZlt6zZV80-5EZ5GmHlvzxfXQq6dIBZvZCV6GZlWtCDflTyJyU5sngMJl5wyWC5V4V/s320/20160311_145351.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCs2XkxEeXeZokR9Gs7IME4KUmNaGEaW0ak7X52wCn4kF1pzP4KMDSqeJ_eT8cFA6nD-guBqrOPVxuYnIEq3nWafgjzYpZb4HzTWgdzCDTWSpKXMFxeho3SXBn985qO2skTbe0/s1600/20160311_145635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCs2XkxEeXeZokR9Gs7IME4KUmNaGEaW0ak7X52wCn4kF1pzP4KMDSqeJ_eT8cFA6nD-guBqrOPVxuYnIEq3nWafgjzYpZb4HzTWgdzCDTWSpKXMFxeho3SXBn985qO2skTbe0/s320/20160311_145635.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyQaCntTb7p9NZll6QTyDXEETOIdud5qJv43T108yXq_UbWipqKBqUUx65-7pFG6bffdvHuN4iJUwtwrigP4MhBUEPUOWbafMuZJqyFin30bHgBeTlHuZ6SbZaNW5YnZKU58J/s1600/20160311_145646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyQaCntTb7p9NZll6QTyDXEETOIdud5qJv43T108yXq_UbWipqKBqUUx65-7pFG6bffdvHuN4iJUwtwrigP4MhBUEPUOWbafMuZJqyFin30bHgBeTlHuZ6SbZaNW5YnZKU58J/s320/20160311_145646.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvDCvm5blIJ1WJnKzw8CYIZM7rEUXP4D_BpPOlNkO217WwDgvj_spMHG8CS0Pi8cEJ8_Ko8viMBH_AqTkUcirxCvXYcPb6CLqQ1xPT2zaLyszAZnsMtzdlz-Mbzyst-q8K1so/s1600/20160311_144916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXvDCvm5blIJ1WJnKzw8CYIZM7rEUXP4D_BpPOlNkO217WwDgvj_spMHG8CS0Pi8cEJ8_Ko8viMBH_AqTkUcirxCvXYcPb6CLqQ1xPT2zaLyszAZnsMtzdlz-Mbzyst-q8K1so/s320/20160311_144916.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>The water wraps around the back of the yellow house until it ends up across the street from my house.</p>
<p>My parents kept their weekend plans so now I have to take care of Mom's chickens. My dryer died last weekend, so that's going to make doing laundry interesting if it keeps raining. I need to pick up a few supplies and I hope I can reach a store tomorrow. And then I get to concentrate on Zy's Universe and the computer upgrades I need to do all day.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-16974573604474304182016-03-04T20:15:00.000-06:002016-03-11T20:21:48.325-06:00Skinny Little Book Got Me Thinking<p>So it's been a weird time at my house. Writing went kaput about mid-February. I sunk a lot of energy into the back bedroom demolition project, so I figured I just needed to recuperate from that. I learned from the 21 Day Primal Challenge in January that I wasn't getting enough sleep, so I figured writing energy would come back once I got that back under control. The low level stress from testing computer changes/updates at the paying job is having more of an effect than I thought but that can't last much longer, please deity over computer stuff. Between Mardi Gras and my birthday, I made poor food choices and that's why I feel like sluggish crap and don't want to write.</p>
<p>Of course NOT-writing leads to all the crappy feelings too. I did get one day of rough draft writing this past Wednesday. And it's possible that I've piled too many changes on myself all at once. Any ways, I came across some writing advice to churn out a smaller project when you're feeling stuck on the big one and that seemed like an excellent idea for this weekend. So I started a few blog posts to update on life things.</p>
<p>The shipments from my Amazon shopping spree have almost all trickled in (I'm still waiting for the most expensive book to come in next week). My new full spectrum sun lamp came in right before the box of a lot of new books and I switched it out for my regular lamp on the timer February 22nd. The idea behind it is to get 15 minutes of full spectrum light within two hours of getting up so you reset your circadian rhythms, which people who don't arrive at their paying jobs before dawn can get from the sun. I think it's helping me be sleepy at 8:30 p.m. I also started <A HREF="https://www.brain.fm">Brain FM</A> to help me get a deeper sleep through the night and hopefully be able to use the Focus tunes to help me concentrate on writing. Only I lost the time to turn that on, lost the time to do chores, and have confirmed that I only have one pair of earbuds that do not fall out of my head when I sleep but still hurt after so many nights using them consistently. This weekend includes a trip away from home and without the stress of housework I'm hoping to rest and relax away whatever that has led to me yawning my head off all week. At this point, I don't know what it is but I'm yawning now so as soon as the focus music ends I'm going to bed.</p>
<p>Moving on, since I couldn't find any time to write and the paying job went through a deadline so I had more to do and couldn't use it to catch up, I pulled out one of the books I had bought on the Amazon shopping spree to read when I had some free time that wasn't getting spent on the manuscript: <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/The-Pursuit-Perfection-Harms-Writers-ebook/dp/B00BI88VGI"><i>The Pursuit of Perfection and How It Harms Writers</i></A>. I don't have a Kindle and just got the Kobo app for the new actual smartphone, so I bought the print book and was perplexed by the end product. "Ten bucks for a fifty page book, really?" It had been raved about on the <A HREF="http://www.thecreativepenn.com/">Creative Penn</A> podcast and my issues with perfectionism are plentiful, but I thought I got cheated.</p>
<p>I was wrong.</p>
<p>I ended up highlighting so much in this book, and I'm planning on prettying up some of the quotes with graphics for some motivational posters. But what I highlighted on page thirteen gave me a new spotlight on my writing issues.<BLOCKQUOTE>Many writers don't believe what I just wrote, and that's fine. You need to define it four yourself. Set a limit on revision, set a limit on drafts, set a time limit. (My book must be done in August, no matter what.) Then release your book on the unsuspecting public. … At some point, you must simply let go of that book or story or play and move to the next. – Kristine Kathryn Rusch page 15</BLOCKQUOTE>If you're following along on <A HREF="http://disciplineunderfire.blogspot.com/">Discipline Under Fire</A> you know I'm still working on the first draft of <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i>. <I>Stellar Gift of Death</i> is waiting for edits, which it needs. So why did this piece speak to me so strongly that I needed to post about it? It brought into sharp focus the issue between my original fiction and my fanfiction.</p>
<p>Unleashing what I've written onto the unsuspecting public, I've gotten that down cold with fanfiction. When it comes to original fiction, I freeze up and go let it sit until it can become perfect and I move onto something else and just forget about it and all the anxiety buttons taking the next step hits. I've got plans and know the next steps I need to take, but I haven't forced myself into the stairwell yet.</p>
<p><A HREF="klcthebookworm.blogspot.com/2015/01/hot-bod-third-try-fifth-month-update.html">The biochemical causes strengthening the Jerkbrain and how it relates to writing I identified already,</A> but I didn't make any headway on my publication goals last year despite learning this information. So what else is under all this? Kristine Kathryn Rusch had this to say about my degrees: <BLOCKQUOTE>So if we're not training writers to be professionals who make a living at their chosen career, what are we training them to be?<P>Critics.</p>We're training critics and editors (kinda, but there are actual degree programs in editing/publishing) and professors. – page 26</BLOCKQUOTE>After I became the ask-first-on-computer-issues-before-going-to-I.T. girl at the paying job, I made a joke of the situation. "If I had a time machine, I'd go back to tell myself to go major in computers and be making a whole lot more money now." Too bad Rusch published this analysis after I went back for my M.A. because not only would it have me consider a different major and keep writing on the side without Jerkbrain strengthened with critical tools, there's a few classes I may have performed better in knowing that they wanted a critic not a writer.</p>
<p>*Snort* I came to the same conclusion as Rusch back when I was in the thick of the classes. But I thought I would shake off that training because it didn't help me write. Well, it's obvious how well I did that by how much publishing success I've had since I earned my M.A. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret my education but I will have to work harder to overcome the mental blocks I have to releasing my words on the unsuspecting public.</p>
<p>It's not just the training of critics that is a problem. Rusch identifies two levels of harm done to writers; personal is "a God-given right [talent] versus a craft that can be learned [skill]" (page 39) and professional is concentrating so much on producing perfect work that a career in writing isn't possible due to a lack of stories. "Writers with this attitude never try to have a career because they believe a career is impossible. Therefore, the writer will do stupid things they would never do in their real life." (page 40)</p>
<p>The silver lining to my stalled writing output (measured by novels and stories out there to read) is that I haven't signed horrible publishing contracts or gotten scammed by a con artist posing as an agent or publisher.</p>
<p>So how does this change my plans for the year? Double checking my business plan on a page, I found that writing <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i> was set as a secondary priority. First priority was establishing a dedicated writing hour, which has fallen apart and it's just now March, and establishing Zy's Universe as a series with new stories and editing what I already have written. I've ran across a new strategy for managing my writing time (fortunately because the paying job decided to get really strict on what we're doing in our cubicles so I can't count on making up time during their time), so I'm going to start implementing it next week. Next free weekend I have, I'm dedicating a day to Zy's Universe.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-16169848115282572132016-02-21T20:08:00.000-06:002016-03-11T20:15:02.556-06:00Back Bedroom Rehab Project Progress 3<p>I took a long break before I got back to the back bedroom rehab this weekend. In between posts, my new actual smartphone arrived so I took pictures with it. These were taken after cleaning everything off the ceiling and vacuuming the debris off the floor but before taking off the wall sheet rock. So you can see why I put the paneling up in the first place.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONHmXV2XMQ3nhUmSSjofd908zPk4jx86cJwbeUtbZxnF_C55M6oU32GfkXusjkXx-yLjdyoya2H3udqsJXOm41T7bH72rnlYxxf4yVovHGFWQ-ikqUbwZghgP7pwgjqCKz19W/s1600/20160220_152513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONHmXV2XMQ3nhUmSSjofd908zPk4jx86cJwbeUtbZxnF_C55M6oU32GfkXusjkXx-yLjdyoya2H3udqsJXOm41T7bH72rnlYxxf4yVovHGFWQ-ikqUbwZghgP7pwgjqCKz19W/s320/20160220_152513.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguS9QUr6YOGV2B464mW1-Go6l9sc0HDTV5LRlF__4lhXMAGLFNlRWxBSbROEnpdh-zY8VlZiuskuengctqpFZrBwgQSJVF7l4hg0H82URyVppZFOlKZFvOwWEUQSE8CNbxxaJy/s1600/20160220_152505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguS9QUr6YOGV2B464mW1-Go6l9sc0HDTV5LRlF__4lhXMAGLFNlRWxBSbROEnpdh-zY8VlZiuskuengctqpFZrBwgQSJVF7l4hg0H82URyVppZFOlKZFvOwWEUQSE8CNbxxaJy/s320/20160220_152505.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGZfHRwyaxHID__edHrfPDoxb20lybIjg_RTWonoe65dEO2b-iNNqYYV06VoSCqmNc3TUjzV1dOIdEfhsX8lsqw7QyZPM9UxFYxpD82AouhIQLksVy4rXigItltZj4Nkwnd1k/s1600/20160220_152457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGZfHRwyaxHID__edHrfPDoxb20lybIjg_RTWonoe65dEO2b-iNNqYYV06VoSCqmNc3TUjzV1dOIdEfhsX8lsqw7QyZPM9UxFYxpD82AouhIQLksVy4rXigItltZj4Nkwnd1k/s320/20160220_152457.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulydXLISAaau9o7y9vA9rFmzvWmDJsH0z3RSh8RqrwWb2Kvo5g6-fzO2hfn0rD4BwKatY3JADxL9KZAjvbLYkiTPBrRrDHzHPr1SgZJxt4liu9nXvmdfbAL3MXXKcFjry6v72/s1600/20160220_152450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhulydXLISAaau9o7y9vA9rFmzvWmDJsH0z3RSh8RqrwWb2Kvo5g6-fzO2hfn0rD4BwKatY3JADxL9KZAjvbLYkiTPBrRrDHzHPr1SgZJxt4liu9nXvmdfbAL3MXXKcFjry6v72/s320/20160220_152450.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Here's some shots of the termite damage I found on the ceiling.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmbc4bZWTeiNKvAkJZ-oLuLq2kt6SOK3U4W5Lq-VWfKb_NM35Xw7iPF-UyiGjf7EjeFKHB2PGBrrIPAKVO0XKuHqWMJvDzxw7TRi20_-TzcnC1V-QE7mVkpVjMh0xnXGXqspo/s1600/20160220_152747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNmbc4bZWTeiNKvAkJZ-oLuLq2kt6SOK3U4W5Lq-VWfKb_NM35Xw7iPF-UyiGjf7EjeFKHB2PGBrrIPAKVO0XKuHqWMJvDzxw7TRi20_-TzcnC1V-QE7mVkpVjMh0xnXGXqspo/s320/20160220_152747.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwt7Zn4vTAbWynjUsgNtimhzTMPCSuozI2ZFvcN9wJokK_so1b85je-_K49YYig9l_u0DskcJVeYGDgzusCF-58B5_3pGA1q7PrFBq_2E03xXgUsYvPlaWSeRZiEhx85dyV5_H/s1600/20160220_152730.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwt7Zn4vTAbWynjUsgNtimhzTMPCSuozI2ZFvcN9wJokK_so1b85je-_K49YYig9l_u0DskcJVeYGDgzusCF-58B5_3pGA1q7PrFBq_2E03xXgUsYvPlaWSeRZiEhx85dyV5_H/s320/20160220_152730.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Started ripping sheet rock off at the door and found a few surprises. Surprise number one, the boards lifting the sheet rock off the flat pine boards. Surprise number two, was there a door into the kitchen? This piece of wood doesn't match the pine boards surrounding it and at the floor the 2"x2" that the sheet rock rested on is missing just at the spot. I questioned the parental units and neither one of them remembered a door or heard about a door. Surprise number three, an old termite nest in the corner.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGKezAykHPxjyg_o-lsZ8evu1FHiDAudAriPDtM3sOhCKN7Q0dw-6jTHbbQ9fp_6x6dYHSRM0oa1QlryRvYN9taI2-HyGJt2fwadw9GLt__-VHbPYyL6ttJ3xFdTCUgVV-4u8/s1600/20160221_111835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGKezAykHPxjyg_o-lsZ8evu1FHiDAudAriPDtM3sOhCKN7Q0dw-6jTHbbQ9fp_6x6dYHSRM0oa1QlryRvYN9taI2-HyGJt2fwadw9GLt__-VHbPYyL6ttJ3xFdTCUgVV-4u8/s320/20160221_111835.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7JBZJHV14iAPn7cKsEkGrwYHgXUhxWv4u2sTZ6yTdRQo9YBoOatfdDJVYo2l9-95zj1xQ8D_VFUrY1pMgGCQK_srQ1LFZcYt78aRaZVI1TfZHZKrSJL5d1csiq5_-m5ZPyz_/s1600/20160221_111911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7JBZJHV14iAPn7cKsEkGrwYHgXUhxWv4u2sTZ6yTdRQo9YBoOatfdDJVYo2l9-95zj1xQ8D_VFUrY1pMgGCQK_srQ1LFZcYt78aRaZVI1TfZHZKrSJL5d1csiq5_-m5ZPyz_/s320/20160221_111911.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJm-J_mE09vpMctyc_AN0KBUzpJMCA7aKG0yrY1MBxUlPS501V5n9abpyNtLgAUaY3gpXWc8AH6B0GlU76FpelvjlIEfwicEFL4Y6g1-Z4y9-S-4BIzyzYXfZ4Arcv8vd1vCzV/s1600/20160221_111845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJm-J_mE09vpMctyc_AN0KBUzpJMCA7aKG0yrY1MBxUlPS501V5n9abpyNtLgAUaY3gpXWc8AH6B0GlU76FpelvjlIEfwicEFL4Y6g1-Z4y9-S-4BIzyzYXfZ4Arcv8vd1vCzV/s320/20160221_111845.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Moved onto the back wall and that's where the termites had a subdivision. According to my parents, my great-grandmother had an issue with termites when she lived in my house that was treated and never had another issue. She died when I was eleven, so this damage is decades old. Luckily, the termites didn't want to eat the pine boards so yeah, I don't have to rebuild stuff holding up the roof. But they did eat off the paper-backing of the sheet rock, so the only thing holding this stuff together was the paint. It crumbles as soon as I pull it down.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-NRzrCsO28xH1SS1w2chPaXsv6mCxW1uCr2ECzIZll8TPTiyhAMXpcu1YPBethozX-ZOJ9HNIQ-Yx_sowNPyXv2mGHVa1aTYVBdq87-_YesWR04TyjX_iQhIN6o5pklUxjRP/s1600/20160221_134838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-NRzrCsO28xH1SS1w2chPaXsv6mCxW1uCr2ECzIZll8TPTiyhAMXpcu1YPBethozX-ZOJ9HNIQ-Yx_sowNPyXv2mGHVa1aTYVBdq87-_YesWR04TyjX_iQhIN6o5pklUxjRP/s320/20160221_134838.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvP4TLS-shpb44t1RDrZdzYRA-BIma2kzNhfRH62XzMnuvMJWWodIbplBcqfo3MhjK8Sjb1bcG9vbPM3Bbs28d2LWKe5ooldp-LXMX1uLl6vavAYdNelroGmVWlG3F3GQXfHP/s1600/20160221_134820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvP4TLS-shpb44t1RDrZdzYRA-BIma2kzNhfRH62XzMnuvMJWWodIbplBcqfo3MhjK8Sjb1bcG9vbPM3Bbs28d2LWKe5ooldp-LXMX1uLl6vavAYdNelroGmVWlG3F3GQXfHP/s320/20160221_134820.jpg" /></a></div>
I yanked out the spray foam repair I had made because a squirrel was pulling out all the insulation and found they had a back door into the room. I blocked it with cardboard for now until I can buy some wood to patch it properly.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLNfeU14__aUvo0grY9Q9cHJNfXTVBJLCfQYXkgtMihHumdQSllFraSH58x_0iFR9PETnFemnPfoXjbXQTDK71zIpY9GEI89r40x3rmpJK3Mhc0-YUgTt4eS3DUHEnLB6IBEs/s1600/20160221_123214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikLNfeU14__aUvo0grY9Q9cHJNfXTVBJLCfQYXkgtMihHumdQSllFraSH58x_0iFR9PETnFemnPfoXjbXQTDK71zIpY9GEI89r40x3rmpJK3Mhc0-YUgTt4eS3DUHEnLB6IBEs/s320/20160221_123214.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Once I cleaned the back wall of sheet rock and termite dirt, I realized that I had planned to put my sewing machine against this one when I move back in. There's no electricity there. The only outlets in the room are the one under the window and one someone put in the light fixture. If you can tell from the photo, it looks like the fixture should hold three bulbs but only has two. The third prong ends in an outlet; never seen that before. I'd rather not have multiple extension cords, so I need to add more outlets. The sheet rock had been put flat on the back wall without any spacers and had been given a funky angle where the ceiling met the wall. New idea: put up a new wall in front of the outer back wall to get rid of that angle and to give me room for the electric. Plus I can add insulation against the back wall that nothing will want to build a nest in.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFacHIYknunzCmUul7uHqQCXMmwry2EghpOgkfS9xr7LeBd7dwC4ZkT0yGbgsExKCj__Cj4OrJIRN8akxHsKwa-HFkcODztqVFW-dC5lzlVS3l48_hXqzp9U1mtfwkJudxKsM/s1600/20160221_173212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKFacHIYknunzCmUul7uHqQCXMmwry2EghpOgkfS9xr7LeBd7dwC4ZkT0yGbgsExKCj__Cj4OrJIRN8akxHsKwa-HFkcODztqVFW-dC5lzlVS3l48_hXqzp9U1mtfwkJudxKsM/s320/20160221_173212.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>The last wall proved interesting. The window trim had been installed properly on top of the sheet rock, which surprised the hell out of me. I managed to get off without damaging it. The spacers behind the sheet rock turned out to be 2"x4"s. And there was this lizard creature that wasn't having any luck running away and hiding from my destruction of its hiding places. But I got it off before full dark. At this point the lack of interior insulation wasn't surprising me; the back bedroom and kitchen were never constructed with the same care as the rest of the house. See the visible gold between the pine boards?</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6WxqI6QMoN60Bfui712dnGk1DeDmKR1mAzVvUhTjYWfeH3qo3oi9c7n6PXZRWwicN5g9dSZCDq8IXzDnuRC-4HKBsiGMqK1z0sENQW2ASjaIVsmfKJdSjaCr4ieVxg2aCOH_/s1600/20160221_173235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6WxqI6QMoN60Bfui712dnGk1DeDmKR1mAzVvUhTjYWfeH3qo3oi9c7n6PXZRWwicN5g9dSZCDq8IXzDnuRC-4HKBsiGMqK1z0sENQW2ASjaIVsmfKJdSjaCr4ieVxg2aCOH_/s320/20160221_173235.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>That is the back of the aluminum siding that covers my house. The exterior of a house is supposed to be wrapped in a vapor barrier or some kind of moisture protection. I was thinking tar paper, given how long the siding has been up. No such luck.</p>
<p>So insulation of some type all around the room is now added to the rehab project. Since I have a lot of weekends already planned with things that are not the rehab project, I'm guesstimating my finish time for the end of April. Depending on how much supplies cost.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-73411860632517130042016-02-09T12:35:00.000-06:002016-02-09T12:35:34.432-06:00Happy Mardi Gras 2016<p>This was the parade I got today when I left the house around noon.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-KkNc8f6SeoLzFUjpi5z40kAbiYcIiigpk3VzunSrjdRcC2I9DIfrj2lNdpCj4m1mG4pfRBWA4WJl3GKTEzVEH4qAVxnDcVylRoQrCi3DbkpaUvUQ5XmkJER-Cx4J-9WWtgQ/s1600/100_1773.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-KkNc8f6SeoLzFUjpi5z40kAbiYcIiigpk3VzunSrjdRcC2I9DIfrj2lNdpCj4m1mG4pfRBWA4WJl3GKTEzVEH4qAVxnDcVylRoQrCi3DbkpaUvUQ5XmkJER-Cx4J-9WWtgQ/s400/100_1773.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnTlqnvr5k0vFI4hsJANmtzmhzVu0N7hpsIfG-iN1oxf8qRJp5ay7ijzW-iU7a_HBmRAFf8_9Dbx75fKyqhDZ-UiOGHEeCEsxhvvduoDXlwKK0tnoLX6U0U6OyYiq866r9jCz/s1600/100_1774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnTlqnvr5k0vFI4hsJANmtzmhzVu0N7hpsIfG-iN1oxf8qRJp5ay7ijzW-iU7a_HBmRAFf8_9Dbx75fKyqhDZ-UiOGHEeCEsxhvvduoDXlwKK0tnoLX6U0U6OyYiq866r9jCz/s400/100_1774.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqpYpNqBnxvBr9yzkYpD3_MhJD_9ufq4c7aqOxy31TH-3Gyrdz-iEEVxemWBnC6uzBIqVeYrk1RtlGWEwswIK4vwtTWdsDyPINhVOipmnU4iONIoKbdvflbnBPIo78atRGgff/s1600/100_1775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqpYpNqBnxvBr9yzkYpD3_MhJD_9ufq4c7aqOxy31TH-3Gyrdz-iEEVxemWBnC6uzBIqVeYrk1RtlGWEwswIK4vwtTWdsDyPINhVOipmnU4iONIoKbdvflbnBPIo78atRGgff/s400/100_1775.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz4v3wcgjBEjjGOp8f1sFOK1Pz31bUXsj5OB-R7I9R5q9wtUKvA8JbwAv2kIPPHwwcA3e9SMw1HdMuzC4nmPZP_TR-QGaSq3elQfHNM1NafB-yx4uimtqJtTeTfwB8mhxtzZJ/s1600/100_1776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNz4v3wcgjBEjjGOp8f1sFOK1Pz31bUXsj5OB-R7I9R5q9wtUKvA8JbwAv2kIPPHwwcA3e9SMw1HdMuzC4nmPZP_TR-QGaSq3elQfHNM1NafB-yx4uimtqJtTeTfwB8mhxtzZJ/s400/100_1776.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Our flock of wild turkeys! They nest in the creek bottom behind my house and have been coming up in our yards to eat grass or bugs in the grass. For those not familiar with these birds when they're alive, the tall lean ones are the hens and the tom is the one with the spreading tail feathers. And my cat Mustard stalking forward, the idiot. And then standoff in the third picture, which soon had four of the hens watching my cat. I finally got him away from them before bloodshed.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-45798102397770503862016-01-10T20:01:00.000-06:002016-03-11T20:03:14.444-06:00Back Bedroom Rehab Project Progress 2<p>I didn't keep great notes or photos for the work I did in January. I do remember doing an Internet search to learn that once paneling warps there is no way to flatten it back out. All of it was covered in mildew, so yanking out was the way to go. I started with the sheet rock on the ceiling and got what was left up there down.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6FYSPhDE795ehSJN5L1-h2sYxw2wV_qc4NNQ715gbDgUQXLd23knWp6tvzmxvXg63Mm5_8U2QmRn87W3ArBn9HyK6cLSOjBhn3Tvus1I4JizMr9qVPjPiX0JFTQVD9AaeZVa/s1600/100_1772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6FYSPhDE795ehSJN5L1-h2sYxw2wV_qc4NNQ715gbDgUQXLd23knWp6tvzmxvXg63Mm5_8U2QmRn87W3ArBn9HyK6cLSOjBhn3Tvus1I4JizMr9qVPjPiX0JFTQVD9AaeZVa/s320/100_1772.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>And then the camera started being a butt again, so I didn't take any pictures of tearing off the paneling. But I found old termite damage on the ceiling, so the scope of the project expanded. The rest of the sheet rock need to come down so I can see if there is any structural damage to the wood holding up the roof.</p>
<p>Plenty of nasty stuff hit the floor, so I borrowed my parents' shop vac for the duration. Oh boy, I'm going to be so spoiled going back to the regular vacuum cleaner. I'm so tempted to clean the whole house with the shop vac.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-31183060488535895462016-01-05T12:47:00.000-06:002017-11-15T10:16:17.938-06:00The Force Awakens<CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/star_wars/force_awakens_can_talk_to_me.jpg" width="500" height="498"></CENTER>
<p>Once, a few decades ago, here in this galaxy… my father took me to see <i>Return of the Jedi</i> in the theater. So when <i>the Force Awakens</i> was given a December 2015 release date, it was inevitable as a Sith apprentice killing his master that I was taking him to it for Christmas. We went Saturday Dec. 19th and it has taken me this long to blog about it. :p</p>
<p>And here's the obligatory warning for spoilers and relentless gushing of my first fandom. Turn back at the Death Star and proceed back to hyperspace.</p>
<CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/star_wars/star_wars_no_moon.gif"></CENTER><BR><BR>
<CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/star_wars/death_star_goes_boom.gif"></CENTER>
<a name='more'></a>
<p>So I stayed away from all the speculation and film news rumor mill other than the broad stroke stuff. The sale of the franchise to Disney was a relief after cringing through the prequels and proclaiming I would have wrote better material for free because of my love for <i>Star Wars</i>. Nothing could be worse than them. I knew J.J. Abrams was a <i>Star Wars</i> fan first and when they pulled together veterans like Kathleen Kennedy and Lawrence Kasdan, so I trusted the Force would guide them.</p>
<p>And guide them it did. Not only is it good <i>Star Wars</i>, it's a good movie that blockbusters so rarely have been. Maybe the tide is finally changing? And DIVERSITY! Women and POC men sprinkled everywhere along with old alien friends, and some of them were even X-Wing pilots! <A HREF="starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Nien_Nunb">Nien Nunb</A>, I squealed when I confirmed that was you in the credits. Excuse me while I flail a bit because I've been thinking about making an X-Wing pilot costume for close to a year. Now we have a canon female pilot character, <A HREF="starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jessika_Pava">Jessika Pava</A>!<BR><BR>
<CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/star_wars/starwars_ecard_event_may4_lando.gif"></CENTER></p>
<p>The following is randomly generated by what I think, not in order of what was shown on the screen, so I'll try to be coherent about the stream of consciousness but make no promises.
<UL><LI><B>Blue lightsaber = Anakin's lightsaber that Luke lost when he lost his hand in Cloud City, Bespin.</B> This was a point I picked up in the trailer with the shots of Finn igniting it and a lightsaber was shown being passed around. "Luke gave Finn his lightsaber," was the commentary. I don't remember seeing anyone point out that the blue one that Ben Kenobi gave him was lost in the Cloud City duel along with his hand. So vindication when Maz Kanata confirmed that it was the same one and there was no time for the story of why she was keeping it for Rey. Why I think this is significant? Besides the fact that it called out to Rey through the Force, in the Legends Extended Universe, the Empire got a hold of the lightsaber and Luke's hand and built a clone from the DNA. The First Order guys said they had cloning for stormtroopers instead of the steal them as babies and raise them. And all the Internets to the commentor on Tor.com that recognized that's exactly what the Jedi did before their fall in the prequels.</LI>
<LI><B>FINN!</B> All the woobies for Finn, all the love for Finn, "we've got the Force" Finn! I adore Finn, in case you missed that. I'm not sure what the monomyth term is for a protagonist realizing he is on the wrong side (TVTropes gave me Heel Realization but I doubt that is the academic term for it), but his story arc beginning struck that monomyth chord. Then he meets Poe and Rey and BB-8 and he's all in for his friends. He's pretty handy with the lightsaber. I'll be happy with either it's just stormtrooper training or he's Force Sensitive too.<BR><BR>
<CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/star_wars/finn-stormtrooper-star-wars.gif" width="500" height="207"></CENTER></LI>
<LI><B>Rey is an awesome badass and will kick even more ass once she's a full on Jedi Knight.</B> And if any wankers call her a Mary Sue in my presence, I won't bother with arguing how she is the hero of the monomyth including the refusal of the call to adventure, I will just cut you with the Disney licensed SHIELD branded pocket lightsaber. (Come on Disney, you own <i>Star Wars</i> and it was in <i>Captain America: Winter Soldier</i>. Put some money into R&D; it's got two franchise selling feature!)</LI>
<LI><B>If Rey isn't a Skywalker, I'll eat my new <i>Star Wars</i> shirt.</B> We can safely infer that she was a baby apprentice that survived the destruction of Luke's Jedi School from her abilities and the memories the lightsaber unlocked for her. And she built a fighting staff that resembles a lightsaber. But I'm on the side of we got more clues than that. Her piloting skills; both Anakin and Luke were renowned for their piloting. My mouth fell open when I realized what I had assumed was Han and Chewie flying the <i>Falcon</i> in the trailer was Rey. Han offered her a place on the <i>Falcon</i>, which as far as I know he has only done for Luke before. The blue lightsaber called out for her. Artoo woke up when she arrived at the Resistance base. Kylo Ren pulled her dreams of an island in the ocean (where she found Luke) out of her head, which is a pretty weird dream for a kid raised on a desert world.</LI>
<LI><B>Why did you abandon Rey, Luke?</B> If the above is true, I hope Luke has a damn good reason for leaving her behind. I will accept: "What happened to Guardian 1 and Guardian 2? They left you on Jakku! But I left the trail starting with Lor San Tekka and he was supposed to keep an eye on you and the lightsaber for you guys to find me." Or "You were supposed to live in Tuanul with Lor San Tekka. Okay, you got bored there and then got stuck with the scavengers. Never did earn enough to get back to Tuanul." Or "Look, our family history sucks. Your grandfather fell to the Dark Side, but he turned back before he died! But he didn't raise me and Leia and we turned out okay. Leia, Han, and I all tried to reach your cousin Ben and he fell to the Dark Side and helped kill your mother. So maybe we Skywalkers shouldn't raise the next generation. And I did pick awful guardians for you, I'm sorry but that kinda proves my point."</LI>
<LI><B>I blame Obi-Wan and Yoda for Luke's exile.</B> Obviously, the lesson Luke picked up via example is when you have a disastrous set-back, you go hide yourself as penance. I hope the next movie gives us some more detail of just how bad the massacre and destruction of Luke's school was. My headcanon is Luke was concentrating on teaching children—remembering Yoda's pointed statements of how Luke at <i>Empire Strikes Back</i> was too old—but not cradle-robbing like the old Jedi Order did. I want Luke to find a different way, a third way, so badly. But the point being is no other adults around but him and Artoo. Ben Solo born right after the Battle of Endor may have been one of the older students and once he teamed up with the Knights of Ren, it was the Youngling Massacre all over again because the children weren't ready to fight. Oh double points if Supreme Leader Snoke told Ben about the Youngling Massacre and Ben decided this was another way to prove he's just as bad as Darth Vader.</LI>
<LI><B>The kids can speak Droid, except for Finn.</B> I don't know why I get such a big kick out of that.</LI>
<LI><B>Poe is an awesome, strutting X-Wing pilot</B> and I can't wait to see more of him with Finn and Rey.</LI>
<LI><B>Kylo Ren has all of Anakin Skywalker's worst traits.</B> The temper-tantrums destroying equipment make Vader look restrained in comparison. He keeps feeling a pull to the Light Side, and for giggles I really hope it's redeemed Anakin trying to tell him to stop talking to the mask. Really, it's creepy and the Empire is wrong and murdering your loved ones is bad.</LI>
<LI><B>My theory is Ben Solo was a compromise name suggested by Luke.</B> I've seen some stories/theories that say Han picked it, which I can see. But my first thought was Leia and Han bickering over baby names, each wanting one the other couldn't stand. And then Luke points out if it hadn't been for Ben, none of them would have met (and he suggested it before they decided to name the kid after him!).</LI>
<LI><B>"There's always a way to blow these things up."</B> Yeah, another superweapon, the Empire really doesn't have any new ideas, so I really appreciated Han the smartass pointing it out.</LI>
<LI><B>General Leia!</B> *Fist pump* I hate that her and Han didn't work out, but without getting into the new Extended Universe I don't know what their marriage faced. Other people have made good points that Leia's duties to the Alliance and then the New Republic and whatever Han had to do after going AWOL to free Kashyyk probably made them bad parents to Ben, not maliciously but they just couldn't give him the time he needed. Their kid died by falling to the Dark Side and they buried themselves in what they knew best to deal with it. Sad but believable, and I got the feeling that they still love each other.</LI>
<LI><B>Death of Han Solo</B> Actually, I got spoiled to this despite my care in not looking for any spoilers. As part of the Christmas present, I took Dad out to eat before the showing. The father at the table behind me said loud enough to carry, "When they killed Han Solo—" That's as far as he got because I started flailing in my seat to twist around and yelped, "Spoilers! We haven't seen it yet!" Luckily, my father missed hearing what he said, but I went in knowing Han was going to fall. Damn, that was still brutal. And Chewie's reaction was gut-wrenching. I have to applaud the film makers at how well the scene and the sequel were put together. Chewie had spent the whole movie so clearly not-putting up with Han's shit and actively calling him out on it, but we all know that with both the life-debt and the Han's bond to the Wookie that Chewie would never leave Han. So Han falls, Chewie goes berserk but manages to shoot Kylo Ren and then sets off the bombs they had been setting up to destroy the exhaust port (I think that's what they were in). The kids who had been watching the scene, escape the blast and then the camera stays with them. I'm left reeling with "OMG, Chewie blew himself up because Han died. Oh Chewie, oh Chewie." But then Chewie arrived in the <i>Falcon</i> and saved the kids! Oh thank God, more Chewie!</LI>
<LI><B>The complaints that <i>the Force Awakens</i> negates <i>Return of the Jedi</i>'s happy ending.</B> Wait? What? Okay, I can kinda see where people with this complaint are coming from if I squint really hard. And I'm tempted to say it's due to me being a fanfic writer ("And then what happened" is the curse of our kind), but I really don't think it is. Just because our heroes of the original trilogy had some heartbreaking personal set-back does not change <i>Jedi</i>. THEY WON! Vader was redeemed and died before he had to worry about that pesky atonement for everything evil he had done. The Emperor died. They established a new government and pushed the Empire to the backwater and most of the Empire got over that except for the die-hard fanatics of the First Order. Strike up "Yub Nub" and dance people! And in the universe, Finn and Rey's reactions when Han tells them all the stories are true. A guy raised and indoctrinated from birth to be a stormtrooper and a desert feral child KNOW these stories. Leia, Han, and Luke are fucking LEGENDS in their own lifetimes. Because of <i>Jedi</i>'s happy ending. So yeah, that. And I'm going to close this with cheering Ewoks because my heroes became legends and because I love those cannibalistic teddy bears.</LI></UL></p>
<p><CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/star_wars/happy_ewoks.gif"></CENTER></p>
<p><B>Other People's Thoughts That Made Me Nod</B><BR>
<A HREF="http://scifigrl47.tumblr.com/post/135445568441/scis-spoiler-free-reaction-to-sw-tfa">Sci's spoiler free reaction to SW: TFA</A><BR>
<A HREF="http://www.tor.com/2015/12/21/one-fans-blow-by-blow-reaction-to-star-wars-the-force-awakens-or-how-episode-vii-made-me-sob-continuously-in-front-of-my-friends-forever/">One Fan's Blow-By-Blow Reaction to <i>Star Wars: The Force Awakens</i></A><BR>
<A HREF="http://www.tor.com/2015/01/26/this-is-why-obi-wan-lied-to-luke-skywalker-about-his-father/">This is Why Obi-Wan Lied to Luke Skywalker About His Father</A><BR>
<A HREF="http://pvponline.com/news/the-force-awakens-no-spoilers">PVP: The Force Awakens – No Spoilers</A><BR>
<A HREF="http://www.retrozap.com/padme-didnt-die-of-a-broken-heart/">Padme Didn't Die of a Broken Heart</A></p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-51915871377481081792016-01-04T09:37:00.000-06:002017-02-09T10:18:54.647-06:002015 My Year In Fic<CENTER><H3>2015 My Year in Fic</H3></CENTER>
<p><B>2015 Fiction Word Count</B><BR><img src="http://picometer.writertopia.com/words=37637&target=124000"><BR>Progress Bar from <A HREF="http://www.writertopia.com/toolbox/meters">Writertopia</a></p>
<p>This year was interesting. It seems like I forgot my plans halfway through the year and then lost that time. And I did this while having the plans plastered eye-level at my desk right where I couldn't miss them.</p>
<P><CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/naked_gun/Naked_Gun_Facepalm.gif"></CENTER></P>
<p>It also explains why after I wrapped up edits around November, I got that restless antsy feeling. Luckily, a conversation with a friend made me remember that <I>Strix: Forget the Sun</I> was outlined and ready to write, so I dived into its rough draft to make the antsy go away. But it was only this week as I pulled my trackers and metrics together that I realized I hadn't wrote anything since May!</p>
<P><CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/writing/message_09.png"></CENTER></P>
<p>Yeah, I'm lucky I didn't go bonkers on people way earlier than that. Other
changes to this year: working on the laptop. In all honesty, I can't point to
more words written as proof of improvement and there was a time period where
I didn't pull it out while at the paying job (crossing fingers that the layoff
merry-go-round is finished for the next four years at least). But overall, I
think it helps not having my progress ground to a screeching halt whenever I
travel. We'll say 2015 was my learning year and see what my results are in 2016.</p>
<p><b>Stories I Finished: </b></p>
<p><A HREF="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/batman/trinity/trinity_01.html"><i><b>Signs and Portents: Trinity</b></i></A> was finished and published at the Library, AO3, and FF.net.</p>
<P><A HREF="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/batman/rule/rule_00.html"><i><b>Part of the Night: The One Rule</b></i></A> is posted at the Library. My edits are done for it to go up at FF.net and new copy is ready to go up at AO3.</P>
<P><A HREF="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/batman/legacy/legacy_01.html"><i><b>Part of the Night: The Wayne Legacy</b></i></A> is posted at the Library. My edits are done for it to go up at FF.net and new copy is ready to go up at AO3.</P>
<p><b>Stories I Didn't Finish: </b></p>
<P><i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i> counts here because I picked it up again. The Zy's Universe counts here because I dropped it so utterly.</P>
<p><b>My favorite story this year: </b><A HREF="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/batman/trinity/trinity_01.html"><i><b>Signs and Portents: Trinity</b></i></A>. It's a <i>Man of Steel</i> fix-it fic, but I love the little things in it so much. And the flash mob reenacting "Welcome Christmas."</p>
<p><b>Story most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: </b> <A HREF="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/batman/trinity/trinity_01.html"><i><b>Signs and Portents: Trinity</b></i></A> hasn't gotten the reviews that other stories in the series had, but the reader I dedicated it to saw it so it's all good.</p>
<p><b>Most fun story: </b> <i>The Wayne Legacy</i>, I had so much fun Nolan-izing the Batman canon.</p>
<p><B>Stories I wrote that I never thought I'd write: </B> <A HREF="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/batman/trinity/trinity_01.html"><i><b>Signs and Portents: Trinity</b></i></A> took me way too long to come up with a framework for the story.</p>
<p><b>Hardest story to write: </b> </p>
<p><b>Biggest disappointment: </b> That I forgot about Zy's Universe.</p>
<p><b>Biggest surprise: </b> Having gone from May to December without writing anything.</p>
<p><b>Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would, less, or about what you predicted? </b>WAY less.</p>
<p><b>Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? </b>I learned how to best use my laptop.</p>
<p><b>Did you meet last year's goals? </b></p>
<UL>
<LI><B>Reach 130,000 words in the stories in Zy's Universe.</B> -- I never finished my read-throughs and didn't get to edits.</LI>
<LI><B>Submit a horror short story to an anthology.</B> -- I must have missed
all the deadlines for this.</LI>
<LI><B>Finish <i>The Wayne Legacy</i></B> -- Done, except for posting at FF.net</LI>
<LI><B>Finish the last story in <i>the Signs and Portents</i> series</B> -- Done</LI>
<LI><B>Post 12 updates to Facebook</B> -- I set this one up to get over my dislike of using Facebook. Yeah, that didn't work.</LI>
<LI><B>Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank</B> -- That just didn't work but I'm not sure why.</LI>
<LI><B>Make changes to the BookWorm's Library</B> -- Okay, I did do these.</LI></UL>
<p><b>Do you have any goals for the coming year? </b> The goals from my 2016 one-page business plan are: </p>
<UL><LI><B>Reach 130,000 words in the stories in Zy's Universe.</B><UL><LI>Edit Stellar Gift of Death to a draft ready for beta reading</LI>
<li>Edit "Words of Parting" according to the feedback I got</li>
<li>Edit "Blue Man on the Porch" to a draft ready for beta reading</li>
<li>Write a short story on Xeryl's background</li>
<li>Write the Ail 12 on vacation case that ended in a shootout (new take on the "Case of the Hideous Medallion")</li>
<li>Plot two sequels to Stellar Gift of Death</li>
<LI>Begin writing the next novel in the series</LI></UL></LI>
<LI><strong>Finish rough draft of <i>Strix: Forget the Sun</i></strong></LI>
<LI><strong>Establish a dedicated writing hour</strong></LI>
<LI><strong>Post 12 updates on Facebook.</strong> Proving I am a glutton for punishment,
this is back on the list. But I did give myself an out by just cross posting
stuff I wrote in the blog.</LI>
<LI><B>Post regularly to Intentionally Left Blank</B></LI>
<LI><B>Redevelop FanFiction Garret</B> -- Basically it died because I couldn't
keep the back end updated. I've got new tools now, and it's also lowest on
the list of priorities here.</LI>
</UL>
<p>Here's to 2016. It can only get better.</p>
<CENTER><img src="https://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/simon_pegg/simon_pegg_thumbs_up.gif"></CENTER>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-74376063699692927192015-12-29T14:26:00.001-06:002015-12-29T14:42:17.897-06:00Decision Fatigue, this is a thing?<p><A HREF="http://bemorewithless.com/decision-free/">Create a Decision-Free Closet to Reduce Decision Fatigue</A></p>
<p>Decision fatigue, this is a thing? As in there is a real reason why I can't face paying bills or writing or figuring out food for supper beyond crashing blood sugar and it's not just a manifestation of how worthless and unproductive I am as a human being on this planet? It's not laziness or worthlessness or any other derogatory term the Jerkbrain wants to come up with to experience contemptuousness over the rest of me? My brain is just TIRED, that's all, and that's not a fatal character flaw.</p>
<p>Luckily, my closet isn't the source of my decision fatigue since I've been using the Project 333 technique for a couple of years now. But this has implications for my 2016 schedule so I needed to put it down where I'll remember it.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-55145104187330796212015-12-27T19:29:00.000-06:002016-03-11T19:38:04.847-06:00Back Bedroom Rehab Project Progress 1<p>I finally went down the aisles in Lowe's. Sheet rock is my cheapest option compared to everything else. So the plan currently is sheet rock on the walls, Styrofoam ceiling tiles, press-and-stick tiles on the floor, and paint what needs painting.</p>
<p>Everything that usually lives in the back bedroom has been stacked into the living room and the hall. Luckily my house was originally built as a double-shotgun, so the four original rooms have multiple doors to the other rooms. I left myself a path through the living room to my bedroom door. Actually, the living room photos are missing one element. I first hung up the clothes I'm not wearing on the shower curtain pipe, but that lasted until I needed to shower. I borrowed a closet-on-wheels from Mom and squeezed it into the living room. The only things I left in the back bedroom was the extra mattress and box springs, which blocked the closet doorway.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawXO0Z-xuDlDfG3rsjDBjayIomknl_srrntsDYkZfZ8XMUCa1DD6yHJAZROZRf8-ssMzXsP0M02oWzWfGZZRmf6dEGGB7XcXLDrro4JnE3GOZek6jUNlGF3vvbJwOPgDoiWQA/s1600/100_1761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjawXO0Z-xuDlDfG3rsjDBjayIomknl_srrntsDYkZfZ8XMUCa1DD6yHJAZROZRf8-ssMzXsP0M02oWzWfGZZRmf6dEGGB7XcXLDrro4JnE3GOZek6jUNlGF3vvbJwOPgDoiWQA/s320/100_1761.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx2Xe8hIanfSrqwT9_PeNTQF7bFWJEFyxLwUcuM9UdPmAw2WHw5x5CbXJhUjmofoK1PgVxpcC3-wA9TKYr0iIO7LrTmL8NyRODqaWazjwipbE_z1B0RisnTRUd3w82etsQwbP/s1600/100_1762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx2Xe8hIanfSrqwT9_PeNTQF7bFWJEFyxLwUcuM9UdPmAw2WHw5x5CbXJhUjmofoK1PgVxpcC3-wA9TKYr0iIO7LrTmL8NyRODqaWazjwipbE_z1B0RisnTRUd3w82etsQwbP/s320/100_1762.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-aj2Q74AxmmfPkt-Ic0ntIW1He4RPXBhqyUs8LwtNEU_oCYv7fKjIu-LMn_JZhrAlB6TAyDPmgNpf7bl4V71iiB5t99goZv4wvGyvuOGFpNPctwrcBaKsCXlZBnNABg0HCHc/s1600/100_1763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-aj2Q74AxmmfPkt-Ic0ntIW1He4RPXBhqyUs8LwtNEU_oCYv7fKjIu-LMn_JZhrAlB6TAyDPmgNpf7bl4V71iiB5t99goZv4wvGyvuOGFpNPctwrcBaKsCXlZBnNABg0HCHc/s320/100_1763.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>The furniture I didn't want to drag too far ended up in the hallway blocking my bedroom door there, but the path is clear to the bathroom and back bedroom.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl7trIfBBQWQqd8izOYd5FlXu7W9IDclzEqJ74nOSo60VW_RiFyqP1_a6m_Q3oZzE2omHHnRbESgrKITCSrBjWTPmJ_egwptHNIqyFJ7ZbT1ygkUxv3MKMPptMrSgOACt_R8B/s1600/100_1764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDl7trIfBBQWQqd8izOYd5FlXu7W9IDclzEqJ74nOSo60VW_RiFyqP1_a6m_Q3oZzE2omHHnRbESgrKITCSrBjWTPmJ_egwptHNIqyFJ7ZbT1ygkUxv3MKMPptMrSgOACt_R8B/s320/100_1764.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Once everything was out of the way, I took the Closetmaid shelving system down after taking plenty of pictures and measurements so I can put it back up in the same configuration. It works well in the room. The plastic-coated wire shelves went to the back porch so I can scrub the mildew off when the weather warms up enough for the job.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXRRB7uA3eVBz41v4WvVw7FlKlcNvNJZX77tIe5NkbcNhoeSP-6QGvhPqssvVEfNcIJr75legIzJpz8AwkXgZI-j-C4hg1SQ8dF8IbaEdtXTFyF7aGULzlWy9lgUsND-IYevo/s1600/100_1765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXRRB7uA3eVBz41v4WvVw7FlKlcNvNJZX77tIe5NkbcNhoeSP-6QGvhPqssvVEfNcIJr75legIzJpz8AwkXgZI-j-C4hg1SQ8dF8IbaEdtXTFyF7aGULzlWy9lgUsND-IYevo/s320/100_1765.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Remember when I said the mattress and box springs were blocking the closet doorway? The doorway is taller and Mustard climbed up them and got stuck in the closet last night. The only other way out of that closet is over the wall between it and the bathroom's closet that doesn't reach the ceiling. While there's nothing in the back bedroom closet for Mustard to hurt—I'm tearing it out to enlarge the bathroom so I never got used to using it as storage—I do store lots in the bathroom closet.</p>
<p>Mustard decided that my hands, the towel, and the broom were all evil enemies that must die while he had the high ground. I got him down without major blood loss and remembered I have an extra door, currently stored in one of the sheds. Went to bed planning to pull it out and use it to plug the closet doorway.</p>
<p>The next morning I figured out how to get everybody to leave me alone while I'm working on this project: get up early in the morning, find the door at the rear of the shed, and pull it out without taking out anything else all by myself. Trust me, I didn't want the help and the aura I put out compelled everyone to leave me alone.</p>
<p>The door needed scrubbing once I got it out in the sunlight. It was warm enough to not turn my hands into bleached-icicles and the mildew died. While the door dried, I trimmed the spray foam snot off the siding wall. I still need to clean off spots where it dribbled with some acetone, but that can wait for later.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjrInvcI-jnfvpC3-eu0GhwheqxmIN0Jy2n6vAGrVghpJIH6VBsbxH6oyFYxKyNL2Hi3dKL_NjURNEcLzQica95Qs9q1r2Lt7uxFAq-p9u6ApiMRMYBalIOGmO4jrzG_IrTyb/s1600/100_1766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjrInvcI-jnfvpC3-eu0GhwheqxmIN0Jy2n6vAGrVghpJIH6VBsbxH6oyFYxKyNL2Hi3dKL_NjURNEcLzQica95Qs9q1r2Lt7uxFAq-p9u6ApiMRMYBalIOGmO4jrzG_IrTyb/s320/100_1766.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>I thought I'd have to hang the door but it didn't fit well enough to hang by the hinges. Propping it in the doorway blocked the top above the mattresses. WIN!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYL9IdsuJPdiQ1abIFkqY-ctHH-de18GRrWvcDXbI5KRRIuZDFA1qO9G34WKa9gLLBWobZ8ZNZkonPg7HnCHYw1OCzeo8EwNjMPS8rRPDMHCmUqRAjPBX08gTBHO6jjuUpAq1b/s1600/100_1767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYL9IdsuJPdiQ1abIFkqY-ctHH-de18GRrWvcDXbI5KRRIuZDFA1qO9G34WKa9gLLBWobZ8ZNZkonPg7HnCHYw1OCzeo8EwNjMPS8rRPDMHCmUqRAjPBX08gTBHO6jjuUpAq1b/s320/100_1767.jpg" /></a></div>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-51061902878544017602015-12-23T11:32:00.000-06:002015-12-23T11:32:31.203-06:00This Tortoise Could Save a Life<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HkiMz-e2ZcE" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
KLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-13171313013343885872015-12-21T17:17:00.000-06:002016-03-11T20:00:41.260-06:00Usable Space vs. the Dream Plan<p><b>Date: 12/13/15</b></p>
<p>New roof has already improved the temperature in my house (yeah for more insulation!), so today is trying to get everything inside the back bedroom out for a while, scrub the back bedroom, and reorganize everything I keep in there. The leak encouraged mildew to grow so scrubbing. The leak also encouraged me to toss things away from getting wet so reorganizing.</p>
<p>Mom peeked in while I moved things and suggested laminate flooring to put on the ceiling once I finished tearing off the sheetrock. I gave a despairing look at the paneling I put on the walls to cover the nasty sheetrock (a job finished back in <A HREF="http://klcthebookworm.blogspot.com/2006/04/back-bedroom-part-one.html">2006</A> when I tore out the built-in closet). It has all warped under the leak's humidity and as I move more things out of the way, the warping goes all the way around the room. It all needs wiping off with bleach and nailing down and securing parts of the Closetmaid system again. "I haven't made plans yet," I tell my mother just so I can keep working without her in my hair.</p>
<p>But the having no plans isn't exactly true. I have made plans. This plan in fact:</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJzeOwdLsKGGAlgQ6Tkgujw0E-IYMIUzbOF4sg53WaIEwdiCX01a26ywMmaD8-WT9rG75FLqQcNUWbgSeiOUHbprbMR7Jnn5KzBmP4vvncKtrVr8X3T4q8br6mFhMaPVUsDgs/s1600/2013_floorplanner_remodel_design_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJzeOwdLsKGGAlgQ6Tkgujw0E-IYMIUzbOF4sg53WaIEwdiCX01a26ywMmaD8-WT9rG75FLqQcNUWbgSeiOUHbprbMR7Jnn5KzBmP4vvncKtrVr8X3T4q8br6mFhMaPVUsDgs/s320/2013_floorplanner_remodel_design_01.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>This plan calls for the horribly constructed back bedroom and kitchen to be torn off and rebuilt, better, stronger, faster (cue the <i>Six Million Dollar Man</i>'s theme song). This plan is also somewhen five, ten, maybe twenty years away.</p>
<p><IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/marvel_comics/exasperated_loki.gif"></p>
<p>Since I know this plan is so far away, my unthinking response is to keep the back bedroom shut off so I don't have the constant desire to go get a wrecking ball right now. Out of sight, out of mind.</p>
<p>And right now as I move things out of the way to clean the room, I recognize that is dumb, wasteful idea. I'm already using it as a giant closet. That is storage I must have. I have sewing I'd love to have a more dedicated space for. Ignoring the room is more wasteful than spending a little money now to spruce it up.</p>
<p><U>Ideas</U>
<UL>
<LI>A real file cabinet for sewing patterns about 48-inches tall.</LI>
<LI>Move all the Acadiana Faire stuff to the C-can. More floor space after that.</LI>
<LI>The butcher block table I put the sewing machine on in the living room will fit under the bottom shelf on the west wall next to the fourth stud.</LI>
<LI>Fix mission chair and move to the living room.</LI>
<LI>Dresser holds keepsakes, garb props, and magic gear and is doing a great job.</LI>
<LI>Need to rip out paneling but replace it with what?</LI>
<LI>Like doubling up the pine shelves for deeper shelves.</LI>
<LI>Use the big storage totes that were under all the Closetmaid shelves to keep the mattress and box spring propped against the wall.</LI>
<LI>Will the hats and wigs fit on the shelf above the long closet rod?</LI>
<LI>Put medieval bed together again. Medieval bed needs sanding so the pegs will come out easier. Add medieval bed to the C-can.</LI>
<LI>I really like the Styrofoam ceiling tiles that look like pressed tin that Epbot used for their ceiling. I need to take better measurements of the back bedroom for ceiling, floor, and walls.</LI>
<LI>Small boxes and craft projects go on the Closetmaid shelves.</LI>
<LI>The tub I was keeping weight plates in glued itself to the floor with mold. Buy a plate rack.</LI>
<LI>Chalkboard paint on Gram's old slate so it's functional again.</LI>
</UL></p>
<p><b>Date: 12/21/15</b></p>
<p>So what's the progress a week later? Not much. Truth is, I don't want to do heavy demo after coming home from work and the weekends have been booked with other things before the holidays.</p>
<p>I still don't know what to put on the walls and ceiling. I haven't been on that aisle in a home improvement store for over a decade and there are a lot more products available. The websites would be helpful if I had a clue what I want to put up and what will let me install my Closetmaid system without destroying it. So I have to make time to go look in person.</p>
<p>What I do know is I want to work in purple in the room and the walls are what I have to work with. So what I buy needs to be paintable and cheap because I don't mind spending money to make the room usable, I don't want to go over $500 in total. That's including flooring and ceiling rehab too.</p>
<p>Mom's first suggestion: laminate flooring. The con she stated a week ago: "You'll be looking at more wood."</p>
<p>Like my house really needs more wood on the walls. In fact, the back bedroom has a focal wall that was the back siding of the house. Okay, the mattress and box springs covers half of it, but it is there! Yeah, there are some cheap options in laminate flooring, but the colors I like are more expensive. And then drilling screws through it will be difficult and painting won't happen, so next choice. Oh right, I need to see other choices in person.</p>
<p>So before Dad and I left for his Christmas present, I mentioned how my house doesn't need more wood and I need to find cost effective solution because the paneling must go.</p>
<p>Mom's next suggestion: "Pallets! You can go to the local paper and get them for free and people on TV do beautiful walls."</p>
<p>"I just said the last thing my house needs is more wood. Let's go to <i>Star Wars</i> now."</p>
<p><IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/No_Thanks_appreciate_your_input_on_that.gif"></p>
<p>Half the things destined for the C-can are inside it. I ran out of daylight Sunday before getting the rest and I have another box to pack. At least I hope I can fit it all in one box. Heavy storage totes had to go back into the back bedroom to hold up the mattress and box springs. I hadn't wanted to put stuff in until after I got to do some demo. :p Not that it's made a difference in how upside down my house looks with the stuff that's still out.</p>
<p><IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/labyrinth/goblin_king_not_this.gif"></p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-24956698013444818442015-12-10T16:01:00.000-06:002016-01-04T20:40:17.576-06:00New Roof!<p>I started the year with plans to blog about other things besides when I spend a lotta money and what I bought.</p>
<p><IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/animals/what_happened.gif"></p>
<p>Well, that didn't go as planned because this post is all about how I took out a loan, and then dropped almost all of the loan money onto a new roof!</p>
<p>But first, pictures of the old roof.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEXbkN0q7YSctgb86SAGM78NtbXOtXSaA0MtSc19KBMaWuRJJ5n2Eydgov9MrBiPLq-zKRtZSx1LR5HeIWlNZ_EAvaqaACB7OxgrYO_zywf8JSCMWo0skwtsX3mcHX2J0Z10B/s1600/100_1738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzEXbkN0q7YSctgb86SAGM78NtbXOtXSaA0MtSc19KBMaWuRJJ5n2Eydgov9MrBiPLq-zKRtZSx1LR5HeIWlNZ_EAvaqaACB7OxgrYO_zywf8JSCMWo0skwtsX3mcHX2J0Z10B/s320/100_1738.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfISrhLt63fuTy0INs_G6NUQ2oMrQszX5L4dXF-88-Md-U5zdGrUzpBzxjRjbD4lFI8QqcFYRev3cqdZr46kSS0fsvsfupZoSlGyeW74gXtrEA2a4mTlnK6mOy812aEPPvuaFw/s1600/100_1739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfISrhLt63fuTy0INs_G6NUQ2oMrQszX5L4dXF-88-Md-U5zdGrUzpBzxjRjbD4lFI8QqcFYRev3cqdZr46kSS0fsvsfupZoSlGyeW74gXtrEA2a4mTlnK6mOy812aEPPvuaFw/s320/100_1739.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Lighting isn't the best; the sun wasn't even fully up yet. And my trusty camera is showing its age by saying I have no power when brand-new batteries are in it. So this in-progress shot is from my uncle's cell phone camera.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdU6YKu2IoC5iXVd8pAjmI8F9bPK15XhwSGyJmzTnWYBeG9AlJ2gooo6wo-kE0Lf2E5b2ZsS9gCdgE_43HFxSgCRiVwXP-HYqwS0VmTe3mqR5WhJlAkfebZldiAwc4xzRRa3fT/s1600/in_progress_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdU6YKu2IoC5iXVd8pAjmI8F9bPK15XhwSGyJmzTnWYBeG9AlJ2gooo6wo-kE0Lf2E5b2ZsS9gCdgE_43HFxSgCRiVwXP-HYqwS0VmTe3mqR5WhJlAkfebZldiAwc4xzRRa3fT/s320/in_progress_01.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Anybody in my neck of the woods who needs a roof, I can't recommend <A HREF="http://theroofcrafters.com/">Roof Crafters</A> enough. Professional job, was upfront about my costs and what they couldn't do. I was upfront that I needed a new back porch because of decades of carpenter bee action had made it unsafe.</p>
<p>Boy, was that proved when they hit the porch rafters and the wood splintered. The whole job was finished by 3:30 and here's my new roof!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagEUqdm3Zhn8VezNJVTDcu8uNiMnzrTVSwdapTbPRaiMuGDcFZH7pRJmpG3fbMtRIUb4htcsEI_4XnDEEkGA5FPxSnidWoxJVkmh305Y4FPMLknPeaUXLutctTNwgJ5w8RrgC/s1600/100_1742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjagEUqdm3Zhn8VezNJVTDcu8uNiMnzrTVSwdapTbPRaiMuGDcFZH7pRJmpG3fbMtRIUb4htcsEI_4XnDEEkGA5FPxSnidWoxJVkmh305Y4FPMLknPeaUXLutctTNwgJ5w8RrgC/s320/100_1742.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0cRSMLo1FJrljXfsFmEWI83AeLaPTL0kRTizmSzIlFkTC7oJ2pdFb5fIh2_3IdqZjUzYPc3AujRwjNSIVd76i7qyzqXEK-XQLcZIC0-PixOQbUtR22p42H76toxgLNIrqGXL/s1600/100_1743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0cRSMLo1FJrljXfsFmEWI83AeLaPTL0kRTizmSzIlFkTC7oJ2pdFb5fIh2_3IdqZjUzYPc3AujRwjNSIVd76i7qyzqXEK-XQLcZIC0-PixOQbUtR22p42H76toxgLNIrqGXL/s320/100_1743.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQA1DLPAkxn9UVH1DVgVykQD0AknTJeT83LKaavY5edh7Q-O5i8rzZ8reVw6K7cnJvzGpnhEFCEmTTZ41jaNtTADl2-YUvKX9aRWyC2SqSGT3s4dW_7PAiULqttndw_COxvfX/s1600/100_1744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaQA1DLPAkxn9UVH1DVgVykQD0AknTJeT83LKaavY5edh7Q-O5i8rzZ8reVw6K7cnJvzGpnhEFCEmTTZ41jaNtTADl2-YUvKX9aRWyC2SqSGT3s4dW_7PAiULqttndw_COxvfX/s320/100_1744.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFbFDwr6w9zVcN5R7DvjjjCRAUDJJRSpO-k8M-sCOsM7nRFGIEalTxjakx0dQ9didBf6BoByhX5OT3Oniok41iifhXupzIXHiu1zsmVH-aozDukavbKQ6jVLuXHx3PEq2pc0D/s1600/100_1756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFbFDwr6w9zVcN5R7DvjjjCRAUDJJRSpO-k8M-sCOsM7nRFGIEalTxjakx0dQ9didBf6BoByhX5OT3Oniok41iifhXupzIXHiu1zsmVH-aozDukavbKQ6jVLuXHx3PEq2pc0D/s320/100_1756.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Sunday's weather forecast is 100% thunderstorms so yeah for a quick test of it, but boo because I wanted to catch up on my DVR watching and the satellite may mess up.</p>
<p><IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/princess_bride/princess_bride_who_says_life_is_fair.gif"></p>
<p>But new roof, no leaks! SQUEE!</p>
<p><IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/reaction_gifs/enchanted/spinning.gif"></p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-59145406958567528542015-01-31T12:49:00.000-06:002015-02-01T12:53:12.454-06:00FINALLY!!!<p><IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/hot/blog_images/new_laptop.jpg"></p>
<p>It nearly took a whole year but I finally bought the laptop I promised myself I could have after I paid my car off back in March 2014. I haven't had it long enough to see a difference in my productivity yet. But I have learned that my hands and trackpads don't mix. Takes too long to move the pointer, the pointer hovers over something and the computer guesses I want the program open or closed without my input or my too late input, and moving the cursor while I'm typing. Went back to a mouse happily, even if it's something else to pack. It's a Dell Inspiron 15, which I got a deal on because Dell was getting rid of Windows 7 merchandise and I'm still a state employee. It has a DVD burner, an USB 3.0 port, the rest are USB 2.0, and 500 GB. I'm saving the files to an external hard drive so to not bog the laptop down with anything that's not running the programs I need.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-20606453863739631262015-01-15T15:52:00.000-06:002015-02-01T15:53:24.743-06:00Hot Bod Third Try Fifth Month Update<p>So I figured I maintained through the holiday season. I ate too many sweets and didn't exercise, but I also stuck to my dietary changes and took my medicine and supplements. My weight reached 174 pounds at Thanksgiving and then bumped back up to 178 by January 8th.</p><p>But human nature being what it is, all I could concentrate on was what bad I had done. My bloodwork was done on January 2nd and I kept my expectations so low.</p><p>A1C = 5.5<BR>Fasting blood glucose = 91</p>
<p>My endocrinologist was ecstatic. "Your A1C hasn't been that low since 2007." He didn't change any medication and I decided to bring that up when my A1C hits 4.x.</p>
<p>I'm not out of the woods yet. My cholesterol numbers show a high amount of inflammation in my body, so my next appointment with Dr. Jessica will start working on that. And my goal for this three-day weekend is to clean and set up yoga so I can do it easily when I get home.</p><p>Another side effect is my Jerkbrain/Fear Monger seem to have taken a permanent vacation. On January 1st I finished <i>The Wayne Legacy</i>'s rough draft and looked around my office for what to tackle next. "<i>Stellar Gift of Death</i>'s edits" and then I cringed waiting for the jerkbrain to start attacking me for letting that project go for so long.</p><p>All was blissfully silent in my head.</p><p>And I was absolutely flabbergasted. Don't get me wrong, I've been worried over the ferocity of the attacks to myself, the anxiety over submissions to the point where not working on original fiction was easier, and the growing thin-skinned-ness I've had over fandom wonk that used to roll off my back. I poked again. "Edit to a second draft and hire an editor for ebook publication." Nothing from the jerkbrain amid the excitement to be back in that universe again. Now it is possible to combat one's jerkbrain, but I haven't done any of that work. I just wrote fanfiction and started dietary changes that I detailed in <A HREF="http://klcthebookworm.blogspot.com/2014/09/hot-bod-third-try.html">Intentionally Left Blank: Hot Bod Third Try</A>. The last time I remembered a jerkbrain outbreak was around September 4, 2014, when I was only fourteen days into the program.</p><p>The other piece of the puzzle was stumbling onto Epbot and reading her archive. This part from her <A HREF="http://www.epbot.com/2014/11/a-is-for-agoraphobia.html">A is for Agoraphobia</A> post jostled back to the surface when I thought about how weird it was for my brain NOT to be screaming obscenities at me.<BLOCKQUOTE>Next, I went to my doctor for a check-up. (Ergo that Halloween blood draw.) Since this next step will undoubtedly cause me more anxiety, I need the peace of mind that comes from a current clean bill of health. Not only that, there are several deficiencies that can cause increased anxiety: deficiencies of magnesium, potassium (both of which were critically low for me in the past), B vitamins, and even calcium.</BLOCKQUOTE>Some of the same deficiencies I got worried about after reading <i>Drug Muggers</i>. Was my jerkbrain and the submission anxiety 95% biochemical?</p> <p>I wish that was my only test, but last Friday I learned that my job may or may not be in jeopardy from the mid-year budget cuts that will force the Department of Insurance to layoff people. I don't feel like panicking nor is my back in knots. Boy, that was a case of not knowing how bad it was until it was over.</p><p>On a purely aesthetic note that I'm not using as a measure of anything, I bought new pants with Christmas gift cards and the three I bought are all 14s. I don't remember when I was last fit into a 14 anything. Now I just have to hem the suckers so I can wear them.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-46782910236850332622014-10-31T12:20:00.000-05:002014-10-31T12:20:49.893-05:00Hapy Halloween 2014!<p>I looked through my tags/labels and realize I missed a few years of post costumes or forgot to tag/label them properly. Add fixing that to my list of things to eventually do.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm_M1Qax2uTxjq3PWW0M1Wi62hL90P1Uj1QSSVMF0wC-ykl9aRQufjBRzpqg_6KZwpMbJhzgth_H0yqgaXcsvJMBbkbir8VNOrH_2uILo9ITIa89TuQ9xjNL-i5_7RMAnMC1a/s1600/halloween_DOI_2014_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm_M1Qax2uTxjq3PWW0M1Wi62hL90P1Uj1QSSVMF0wC-ykl9aRQufjBRzpqg_6KZwpMbJhzgth_H0yqgaXcsvJMBbkbir8VNOrH_2uILo9ITIa89TuQ9xjNL-i5_7RMAnMC1a/s320/halloween_DOI_2014_02.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Halloween at the paying job was yesterday and multiple coworkers said I had to wear the sewing project that I've been talking about since July, the Victorian dress that I'm sewing for the <A HREF="http://www.galvestonhistory.org/events/dickens-on-the-strand/dickens-on-the-strand">Dickens on the Strand</A> trip. The pattern is based on the 1880s, which is later than Charles Dickens, but it's what I wanted to sew when the sewing bug bit again. But since I have never done Victorian era before I had to start from the skin out and sew foundation garments first.</p>
<p>"I can be a Victorian underwear model, that's all done." That was voted down, so I started last weekend sewing at an even more frantic pace. By Sunday I thought I had to buy interfacing, but then I found the interface I bought shortly after posting the <A HREF="http://garbcloset.blogspot.com/2013/11/project-victorian-blue-planning.html">planning post in the Garb Closet</A>. I had already had shopped for all the trim and really didn't want to go back to any fabric store, so I was so glad to see it. Unfortunately I didn't unfold it or the navy fabric for the apron, bustle poof, and bodice lining when I cut out all the pattern pieces needed for the striped fabric Sunday night. My working plan was to get the bodice and skirt done and put the trim on later. Then my sister's mother-in-law died and the week got upended to go to the funeral. Monday I went to work and warned everyone that I may show up in what I had done and call myself a work in progress.</p>
<p>Well, the pattern instructions have you put on trim as you assemble, so as I started putting together the bodice I saw myself possible wearing it over my petticoat Thursday. Then I reached the step of assembling the interface and lining pieces and had to cut them out. The interfacing I bought was too narrow to fit the bodice center pattern piece.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IoL-IU48D1OSEyhyBXOgaolt2VsRPKFloxVRLzTf5gSMDjA71mVup9SsZ68o6mj-3g5aDTPhqI8xo8PvYjvUMazgX9X6YFEyNSmXyqdJiBAqxXZ6H7peovWSze9uYC0ysq67/s1600/headdesk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IoL-IU48D1OSEyhyBXOgaolt2VsRPKFloxVRLzTf5gSMDjA71mVup9SsZ68o6mj-3g5aDTPhqI8xo8PvYjvUMazgX9X6YFEyNSmXyqdJiBAqxXZ6H7peovWSze9uYC0ysq67/s320/headdesk.jpg" /></a></div>
<p>Okay, new plan needed. I remembered I had a modern Victorian-ish blouse that I couldn't bear to get rid even though it was too small. Since I've shrunk recently, it now fits.</p>
<IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/hot/reaction_gifs/amy_pond_big_yes.gif">
<p>New plan: jump ahead to skirt and wear it with the blouse, decorate the hat I bought to turn it into a Victorian flowerpot hat, and the gloves I bought. The funeral was Tuesday, my parents and I would stop Tuesday night and sleep at a hotel and then making it to their doctor's appointments Wednesday with Dr. Jessica. My plan was to start sewing like crazy Wednesday when we finally got home. I managed to get one seam done before we left Tuesday, but I felt good about getting the skirt done. We got back home around 3 p.m. Wednesday and I started sewing. I put the skirt together and put the front trim on and then read ahead. The apron is sewn in the skirt waistband, so I couldn't leave it off like I had first thought. So I skipped the rest of the skirt trim and unfolded the navy. There was something white every so many inches that needed to be washed off. It was 11 p.m. already.</p>
<IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/hot/reaction_gifs/zwl7e.gif">
<p>I cut off just enough for the apron off the bolt and washed that. While it was washing, I made a ruffle from the striped fabric because I never could find a four-inch wide lace that I liked and ended up buying navy cotton to make a ruffle for the bottom of the skirt. Navy on navy wouldn't work for the apron. I had enough interfacing for the apron with the too-narrow yardage I had and found the typo on the pattern envelope back that made me bought the wrong size. I got the waistband cut out while waiting, and typed some on the chapter that won't get post this week. Finally, got the clean navy out and cut out the apron. I can't remember now if I sewed then or later because when the clock reached 2:45 a.m., I laid down so I'd have some rest before the alarm goes off at 3:30 a.m. That's only 45 minutes when I normally get seven on top of disrupted sleep from the trip and late for me nights sewing earlier in the month.</p>
<p>So I got up and resumed sewing at 3:30 a.m. The apron trim had to go on because putting it on after the waistband was attached would be that much harder. Then the apron was basted onto the skirt except for two end pieces that would go around the back and close with a hook and eye. Those ends didn't go under the waistband and avoiding them (along with how little sleep) messed up the seams on the waistband, but they held. No time to sew on hooks and eyes, but I found a big safety pin to hold the skirt together. The ends of the apron do not reach around the back so it could be hooked together.</p>
<IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/hot/reaction_gifs/reaction.gif">
<p>Just now typing this, I remember I had to upscale the waistband pattern for the petticoat. I used that pattern for the skirt waistband but I didn't add any fabric to the apron so that's why it doesn't fit. No matter, I already decided to take the waistband off and stick those ends under it. The gloves fit beautifully. The underwear fits beautifully. The skirt stayed on all day even though I'm tweaking it. The hat wouldn't let me stick pins in it, so I had to tape the blue ribbon on it to head out the door. I have a hat pattern, but that's an after I pay bills shopping trip. And I discovered I could drive wearing the bustle pillow!</p>
<IMG SRC="http://www.bookwormlibrary.us/hot/reaction_gifs/annie_cheering.gif">
<p>So ultimately, I consider it a successful trial run for Dickens on the Strand. And I'm not sewing this weekend because I need to not look at fabric for a while. I'll probably start ripping off the waistband Sunday night.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5936801.post-87594647152390838482014-10-07T09:10:00.000-05:002014-10-07T10:37:10.401-05:00Been a few weeks<p>It's been a few weeks, but I'm trying not to fall back into bad habits. That's easier said than done, but using the <A HREF="https://kanbanflow.com/">Kanban Flow</A> checklists helps so much. I've been trying to actually honor the <A HREF="http://www.unfuckyourhabitat.com/">UfYH</A> principle of actually taking a break instead of using the break time on another task until I reach burnout and ignore checklists and chores alike this go-round, but hit a snag over the weekend. I calculated I should be able to spend nine hours Saturday and Sunday on sewing broken into 45/15s. Same amount of time I spend at work minus the commute. That still left plenty of time for food, sleep, and other chores. Except it didn't work out that way Saturday. Precious little of the chores got finished, I only got four hours of the sewing time in, and basically felt like a complete failure for wasting my time in such a way by taking breaks. So Sunday I decided that the 15 minute break must be spent on one of my other Big Rocks for the weekend, followed by a 20 minutes on a housekeeping chore and a 10 minute break playing a computer game. Boom this scenario gave me much more progress and I didn't feel burnout at the end of the day. I'm going to keep it next weekend and see if it really works or if it was just a better day than Saturday fluke.</p>
<p>In health news, I've been diagnosed with mild <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetic_retinopathy">diabetic retinopathy</A>. The real fear of losing my already wonky eye-sight took some time to deal with, but I'm better with the news now processed. I also got a detox foot bath on my last visit to the chiropractor to flush the aspartame out of my system. But it also showed my chronic dehydration (been drinking three quarts daily for a month, how long does it take to clear up?) and chlorine, which we figured must be coming from the increased tap water I've been drinking. I finally got a ZeroWater pitcher this past payday. My home water registered 112 on their provided meter, which is about the normal range for most US households, and the filtered water does taste better. My next visit to Dr. Jessica is tomorrow, so we'll see what's changed since the last one. I also enrolled in a prescription benefit plan offered by my insurance, but I probably won't see any savings on the refills I have to pick up today. :p Oh and I found a PDF file for a Don't Break the Chain formatted calender, so I printed one off for tracking exercise. Sixteen days straight of the <i>Fifteen Minute Results Yoga</i> routine. :D</p>
<p>Television: the Fall season watching has started. So far I'm up-to-date on <i>Gotham</i> and <i>Marvel's Agents of SHIELD</i>, watched the premier for <i>Haven</i> and haven't been home to see an episode since, and have fallen asleep before <i>Castle</i> comes on. I'll save my thoughts on the shows for a slow blog day.</p>
Read Free!<BR>The BookWormKLCtheBookWormhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09876210628556682373noreply@blogger.com0