Back Bedroom Part One

I'm a third-generation pack-rat, thank you very much. On both maternal and paternal sides. Actually, me and my sisters are trying the hardest to break the habit. I use most everything that I keep, which is a step in the right direction. Pack-rat-ness seems rooted in poverty, though I think nature and nuture work against you as well. You want to hold onto things more even though you know you have no use for it. I constantly work on it, but like all subconscious problems it's always easier to talk about stopping them.

The old closet came out easily with three people hitting it. Here's the results.



The sheetrock underneath was in bad shape. Mice had chewed holes over the years, and generally unpainted ugliness. So we had to go to Lowe's for expanding foam, paneling, and the last of the closet shelving bits. Still not finished with the closet though, I have some more bits on the shopping list.

I couldn't have hung any paneling or the rest of the shelves without my sister Krista and our friend Joe.



My mother's comment at the end of the day: "You've turned the whole room into a closet." I resisted the urge to show where this is a growing trend in America, and pointing out that the only built-in closets I have are going to be demolished when the bathroom is remodeled in the name of family harmony. I have to have storage space and preferably a place to "put things away" instead of dumping them on the floor and shutting the door.

Monday night, Krista and I went through my material stash (2 large totes--50 gallons--and 1 medium sized tote--25 gallons, I think) and she ended up with 1 large tote and the medium tote full of material to start her costume business. I kept the material I need for my new list of sewing projects, and that will fit in the medium tote once Krista is through transporting fabric. I'm not going to lie and say it was easy to let go of the fabric. There was a lot of stuff I had fell in love with. But for now on, only falling in love when I have a specific project in mind.

Next step is to go through the Garb Closet and organize it. Of course I make these things so time consuming when I add in I want pictures of me modeling completed garb sets. But it is the easiest way to make sure I have all the accessories and props, which will then be bagged with the clothes. That storage solution alone will take care of a few of the boxes I have left. Those pics will end up in the Garb Closet blog, and possibly a website gallery.

After that it will be time to group Chad's stuff together and go through the boxes that are left. I have things that I have invested some money into, but I'm not displaying them (like the Star Wars figures). I settled on Ebay as a solution for the comics, maybe the figures will end up there. Course, I have to get off my bumpkis and set up the auctions. :p

I had a setback last night. I finished buying a top and casters for the drawer set kit that is a separate unit. The drawers mounted on the wall needed to shift up, so there would be room to park the dresser under it. In the processing of shifting them, the entire set up pulled out of the wall. Luckily, it was separate from the shelves and I have drywall anchor bolts that I hadn't used. So tonight I get to put extra bolts in everything.

So watch this space for Back Bedroom: Part Two when I'm ready to take the after pics!

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Wednesdays Headache

Wednesdays must be bad to be me days. I took a muscle relaxer to ease the pain in my back and it only made me sleepy. Two Aleve seem to be doing a better job. At least, my head has finally quit pounding.

Things to do Today

1. Reading Diary - post what is already written. FINISHED! 4 posts left to write, and 4 books to pick out to finish the assignment.


2. The Garb Closet -
   
   
   
   • Type posts
   
   
   • Make new garb pics
   
   
   • Take pics of me in final garb outfits with proper backgrounds
   
   
   • Put current projects pics up in the sidebar
   
   
   • Update links
   
   
   
   


3. Discipline Under Fire -
   
   
   
   • Update progress bars
   
   
   • Post new developments of Zy's novel
   
   
   
   


4. Clean out Garb Closet binder - FINISHED!

Need to update Half.com listings. Add Block's non-fictional books to the Wish List.

Finally finished the summary of Lawrence Block's Spider, Spin Me a Web. Headache finally gone too, replaced by slight feet ache since I'm breaking in new shoes. *Sigh* I need to invest in one of those shoe stretchers.

I'm off to work on the rest of the posts.

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The BookWorm

To Do List Updated

I don't know if this is going to become a daily post or not.

Things to do Today

1. Reading Diary -
   
   
   
   • post what is already written -- FINISHED!
   
   
   • 4 posts left to write
   
   
   • 4 books to pick out to finish the assignment.
   
   
   
   


2. The Garb Closet -
   
   
   
   • Type posts -- FINISHED!
   
   
   • Put current projects pics up in the sidebar -- FINISHED!
   
   
   • Update links -- FINISHED!
   
   
   • Make new garb pics
   
   
   • Take pics of me in final garb outfits with proper backgrounds
   
   
   
   


3. Discipline Under Fire -
   
   
   
   • Update progress bars
   
   
   • Post new developments of Zy's novel
   
   
   
   


4. Clean out Garb Closet binder - FINISHED!


5. Update Half.com listings -- FINISHED!

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Tuesday Quicky

Back Bedroom: Need to write and show the rest of the progress. Pictures are at home and I'm still not finished yet.

Scarborough Faire: That's where we went over the Easter weekend. It was good trip. Here's some pictures, but be warned, they're for "work." No cutsey shots of us being silly.

Not much else going on. I'm almost done with the semester, and I have a lot of writing projects to get moving on.

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The BookWorm

These people were in Atlanta and they didn't get my HELP!

The Legend of Zelda: The Hero of Time. It's a fan-movie, it's an independent movie.

So part of me is "yeah, show Hollywood that this can be done!" and the other part is "oh my Goddess, you actually put on tights and made this film."

*Twitch*

Ah, I got it. The real issue for me is he's blond. Yes, I know Link is blond in the third game which is what they based the store for their movie on. But the Link I know and love has brown hair and I don't care how many times Nintendo changes it.

The fan-sick puppy in me will probably get this film. Just to see what they did with the story.

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The BookWorm

Just want to get this link out

What a Girl Wants #24: The Rest of the Story. I'll be donating to Friends of Lulu after payday.

I'll have to get back with ya on the back bedroom progress.

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The BookWorm

Tweaking and other news

Mario Spezi arrested in Italy for criticizing a murder investigation. Please, please help Buzz, Balls & Hype put the word out on this injustice.

In less serious news, I switched over to Bloglines and am loving every minute. It also has a feature for blogrolling, so I switched those links around to. Now I just have to spread the word on RSSPECT to more comics, especially those who aren't on a daily update schedule.

Now that I've spent a few hours setting that up, it's time to crack on the rest of the day. Namely moving things around in the back bedroom to tear out closet and replace with modular shelving. This room needs to be my sewing room/guest bedroom.






You can see by these pictures I have my work cut out for me.

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The BookWorm

Getting Kicked in the Pants Yesterday

Yesterday's fun: blood work at the lab, mailed certified letter to close out April 30, 2005 wreck, set up Bloglines account. I'm keeping BlogRoll (it's easier to update the blog link list with it) but Bloglines shows LiveJournal updates. See Blogging 201 for more information.

Submit to Submission couples with the lessons from Lawrence Block have reamed me. So it's time to put yp, shut up, and get off my ass. Time to earn 100 rejections. I think I can use the word meter to keep track of rejections for web-prettiness. I'll keep track of the important details offline.

I sent off the Front Porch and got so worked up about it and doing laundry at the same time, I forgot to tell them it has never been published before. Tonight I need to get a list together of markets I should be subscribing to.

G.I. Joe: I spent wayy too long last night catching up on G.I. Joe continuity. It was a cartoon I watched religiously as a child of the 80's, but I had never read the comics. Too bad I didn't because I learned some stuff that left my mouth open.

#1: Destro is Scottish.
#2: They killed off Lady Jaye. *Sniff* She was my fave.
#3: Cobra Commander in the cartoon was a space alien that even his species didn't like and exiled to Earth. In the comics, he was an American who went around the bend after his brother returned from Vietnam with a death wish. That death wish led to drinking and driving and killing himself and Snake-eye's family. Somehow, the man who would be Cobra Commander decided it was the government and Snake-eye's fault his brother died and his life was shit, and things spiraled from there.

Cobra Commander was a home grown terrorist a decade before Timothy McVeigh.

And this revelation was caused because David Willis likes Cover Girl's butt.

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The BookWorm

Acadiana Medieval Faire Year One

This is really bringing out the "Valley Girl" persona in me. Oh. My. God. We had 7000 people in three days!!!!!

Saturday alone had 1200. School Day was too big in retrospect, but every kid and chaperone I talked to at the drink booth was having a good time.

Sure, there were logistic problems (there are always logistic problems no matter what you do) but the concept worked and the theme is sound. The vendors sold heaps of stock, especially on School Day. They want to come back, and some are talking about building. Black Swan sold out of his entire stock of wooden weapons and shields. Our jewelry lady said she paid the bills for the next three months.

The kids were great; they even found my garter. I had lost it when running to plug a hole in the fence. So before we were swamped at the drink booth, I was laying a quest on them. Find my garter and I would have King Edward III knight you into the Order of the Garter. A girl found it, her two guy friends pushed her to getting knighted and took the pictures, the King knighted her with my dagger. Last image was her beating the back of one of them saying "I can't believe you did that to me!"

My babe Chad has done a good thing. I am so proud of him.

I will post pictures as soon as I get some to post. Here's to next year and that I'll have time to take my own pics!

News stories and reviews about AMF:

"Canterbury on the Bayou" in the Daily World

Traveler Creative History Teaching

Marisa's Fresh Canvas She and the other Americorps volunteers saved us Saturday and Sunday. And we really missed you on Monday, LOL! But seriously, this is a federal program worth savings. Before taking a break with us, they were cleaning up Katrina and Rita mess and building houses.

"Lafayette faire offers medieval view" in the Advocate

Acadiana Medieval Faire So you can watch out for Year Two progress!

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The BookWorm

Blog Maintenance: Progress Bars

I don't know what happened with Forward Motion's progress bars. Maybe they decided no more hotlinking. So I switched to zokutou word meter for all projects instead of just editing projects.

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The BookWorm

Good Witch, NOT!

Hey you Perth mates, let me know how you fared. Glenda looked bad.

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The BookWorm

Changed the Blog Links

Decided to give BlogRoller a whirl. The idea is I'll ready only what has recently updated, and waste less time. *Whistles innocently* What?

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The BookWorm

Fun debunking

Life in the 1500s debunked

What's aggravating (especially to us in historical renacting for education) is how damn often this stupid email is cited by TEACHERS! I know most teachers are wonderful people doing lots of things for too little money for the sakes of children, but it's just another great example of how the current teacher's education fails us, them, and eventually the children. Teachers need to have degrees in what they're going to teach, not degrees in the theory of how to teach.

Dress rehersal Saturday was a blast, and I got sunburnt on my face. Sunday I got sunburnt on my arms, having remembered the sunblock on my face but put it on while wearing a jacket. Sunday was building stages, and I managed to run straight into the 2x6 boards sticking out of the truck while looking for fire ants mounds to poison. Whiplash limits the jobs I can do, and now I have a skinned, sunburnt nose to show for it. I did figure out what was wrong with the generator (score one for the female Liberal Arts thinker over the male engineers and construction gurus).

Unfortunately, I won't finish the blue silk dress before Saturday, so I can't be Christine de Pisan this year. So I will be playing Mrs. Bailey, wife of Harry Bailey the owner of the Tabard Inn and the host in the Canterbury Tales. I'll actually be dong the candle making demo. Now I just need to find her first name.

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The BookWorm

Resource Guide Finished

Now today will be spent on things I a) have to do like... um taxes and b) things I want and have to do like... um homework and c) things I want to do like Blue Man and Zy's novel.

The upper respitory infection is better. I blow my nose and my ears pop, but the times between blowing my nose are getting longer. Today is going back to the dietian, which got scheduled in the middle of the day. I've lost a little bit, but I haven't been measuring as well as I should.

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The BookWorm

Doctor today

Going to the doctor will post how that turns out.

Upper respitory infection. An antibiotic and a perscription to knock the mucas out
faster.

Good news though. Despite the setbacks to exercising whiplash brings on, I can now fit in undies that I had grew out of. Hopefully next step is pants!

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Blogger seems to be working now

And I'm officially sick with a cold. Good news is, today it seems to be more head cold than chest cold, so I may have beat it back in time. I hope so.

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The BookWorm

Really confused

I keep getting a 403-forbidden-to-look-at page for this blog and Discipline Under Fire. My other blogs and other Blogger blogs I read are showing up with no problems.

I'm hoping this is just a work issue.

Nope, isn't just a work issue. Apparantly one of the servers has goofed up. I think Blank is fixed now, but Discipline Under Fire is still messed up.

I understand that these things happen(so I'm not one of the wacko users going on a conspiracy to shut me up tirade), but the lack of acknowledgement does bother me. I would expect something on the Dashboard explaining "we're having issues click here for more info." As it was I had to go through the Help Group to find the Status page that explains the issue. With as many people who are complaining in the Group, wouldn't posting the link on the Dashboard be easier?

Nothing I do (with the exception of the Reading Diary and Discipline Under Fire) has much consequence (and I'm going to back them up when I get home tonight). But the lack of disclosure is unfair. Here I was thinking that IT at work was trying to keep off the computer.

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The BookWorm

Wow, it turned out to be a fabulous day!

Oh the joy, oh the rapture. I read over the last finished section of Zy's novel and everything clicked! The fog evaporated, Zy's deductions to find the next clue became clear to ger through me, and I have solved half of the dilemnia confronting her right now. My mind raced with the possibilities.

And the clock switched to 7:30am work time before I could write more than a sentence.

Somewhere, something that is not my friend is in control of this and is laughing his ass off.

---

That was my morning note. I managed to get homework done quickly for class tonight, and then wrote about page on Zy's novel. A whole page! The last time I got anything typed was December 27th, so you might as well count that for anything written as well.

The class liked the Capt. Kate's story and had good suggestions for improving it. I'm not sure how I feel about the dialogue yet, but at least I didn't get "the sux the big one." I need to turn in the "Blue Man" because I need show more words and I can write in contemporary English, and my rule for this class is nothing shown that's almost ten years old.

The coloring books came in! I really should have ordered 5 of each title, I want to keep one of each.

I made egg drop soup for the first time and it's edible. Appearance needs work, I think I dropped the egg in too quickly. The Cheesburger Mac also came out well, despite me almost burning the noodles.

But what lead to this sudden clarification? I was in early without having to work overtime and had time to devote to Zy's novel is a factor but I don't think the only one. I started participating in Red Planet again. And yes, I am an admin, there's precious little responsibility there.

I brought back fun.

Could someone give me a clue stick so I can hit myself with it? I should have gotten it with the depressive funk I got in back on February 17th.

But I needed this lightbulb moment. It tweaks my response to Wolfie's question.

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The BookWorm

Fun weekend, sure

Any more family drama, and I'm going to start drinking like the good Catholic I ain't. This probably wasn't the right weekend for Divine Secret of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, but I can't help think that maybe it all goes down a little smoother with enough vodka.

I'm not going to spill or kvetch anymore. Really my whole question is how did I get pegged for the family therapist and why me? And people wonder why I never seem interested in writing stereotypical Southern, relationship fiction. I'm not ready to regurgitate reality to fiction yet.

I'm going to get massaging with my physical therapy, yeah! My next appointment is Wednesday so not to interfere with work and school too much, boo! I just don't want to get yelled at for missing too much work. Actually I just don't want to be yelled at period.

Acadiana Faire and moving right along with 85% of Chad's estimated tickets sales already sold. The garb is coming along fine, except for mine and my mother's. I hope this booth idea goes over really well because she'll never participate again if it doesn't.

That's it for an update. I'm going to work on the resource guide now, and try to get some homework done.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Another nice thing about mass transit

Accidents are really low.

Yeap, I was rear-ended again while leaving work for a change of pace. This time the bumper must be replaced. I don't know how my neck, shoulders, and back are going to be, right now I'm cruising on low dose pain killers and alternating ice and heat packs.

And I missed my Dante class after I went nuts getting the report I was supposed to give done.

So tomorrow, I get to see just how bad this is and make my phone calls on it. Whether I do it from home or work depends on my back.

And this is hysterical and true at the same time. It worked for Lysistrata.

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The BookWorm

Catch up from the Notebook

February 21: I started thinking this morning's commute on how to deal with the Blue Man's central problem: my protagonist doesn't detect much and my alien is flat. Tuesdays must be my new editing days, the influence of the Creative Writing class perhaps?

The problem is restructuring for the sake of this story without messing up anything I've alluded to in the novel. I'm pondering separate chases for them both, but it doesn't help develop a relationship between them. Requires more pondering and surrounded by cubicle walls not very conductive to pondering.

Now waiting during the break in class. The problem if they meet defeating Thirsten, there is no reason for Murdock to take pity on her and take her to outer space.

February 22: Pondering a bit more, maybe it's the morning commute. I could totally see Cyndia finding the crashed spaceship and finiding evidence that it's Thirsten's ship, and oh by the way he's an alien. Well at least that is forward momentum on the editing front and my brain actually wants to deal with the problem.

I have an appointment with a PT tonight finally. And I just discovered that the new cell phone has no off switch. Must study the manual more.

A coworker helped me find the off switch. So I don't come across as a total idiot, I went from Nokia phones to a Motorola. I'm not used to pressing the green send button either.

February 23: Finally got to see a PT, Rachel--a nice girl who wants to be a nurse. And she confirmed what I expected, I wasn't doing enough cardio to lose weight. My ability to lift weight is impressive for my overweightness I guess, or maybe for a girl. I ended up going to bed late because I had to cook supper. This weekend is my birthday weekend, 29-years-old on Sunday, and I don't really feel like doing anything but resting and pampering me.

Reality though, the massage spa was already booked yesterday for Saturday. I need to clean out the fridge and package food in correctly portioned meals for lunch and supper. I need to do laundry. Aside from sleeping in, that's not a whole lot of pampering. *Shrung*

Writing pondering: will probably be more detailed in Reading Diary, but the chapter on details in Lawrence Block's book made me wonder if I was getting trapped on details and frozen on progress. It goes a long way explaining jumpiness over Zy's Novel. Another thing to get to this weekend.

I'm writing everyday, but it's not fiction. Well, that just popped in my head but it's true. Reading Diary entries and posts for this blog, no problems. Concentrating on a story, big problem! I can guess why. I got yelled at just as I finished Capt. Kate's story, so I have to watch what I do at work. And it's easier to break up blog writing and homework between breaks. Might as well say lunch is a bust. By the time I get the laptop set up and have an idea to go with, lunchtime is over. By the end of March, things should be caught up and settled down. We'll have to see what happens then.

February 27: I forgot to clean the fridge and I didn't get to work on fiction, but I found fiction folders that have been missing since unpacking from my Katrinea evacuation. I did find my two desks and got to work on the resource guide for Acadiana Faire, which is more of a rush job. No teachers' workshop this year and we're publishing to a PDF on CD so I can use color. I also got my Valentine's day/birthday sewing table present put together.

No class tonight or tomorrow. I really want Mexican, but I'm going home and have frozen pizza. I have a lot of writing to catch up on. Tomorrow already has a large chunk of the day reserved to help Krista hunt garb fabric.

Today: Well, that was the plan before two hours stuck in a traffic jam stole my energy last night. And I had stayed late at work and must go in early Wednesday to deal with the end of renewal season mail that we didn't get to finish. So right now, I'm trying to get caught up on stuff and work on fiction. I've started on the Blue Man edits even though that hasn't completely gelled yet for me. I have to pull out Zy's Novel and see where I stand with it.

And at some point today I must clean the fridge.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Can I have a happy birthday?

In a world without Don Knotts?

I watched him the Disney movies. Apple Dumpling Gang was my favorite. I enjoyed his Scooby Doo Mystery Movies guest appearance, and later on Matlock. Sorry folks, but I could never get into Mayberry.

And Darren McGavin died today. I always had his Night Stalker series on my "to watch" list. At least now it is on DVD and I can.

Enjoy the Happy Lands, fellows. You deserve it.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Too Many Distractions!

No, I can't let myself get sucked into my Fans archive CDs. There's stuff I need to accomplish today, so tomorrow is free from all petty concerns.

First: the office. The exercise bike keyboarding experiment is a failure for now. I'm still too rotund in the torso to do it comfortably. Maybe I'll go back to it when I've lost 20 - 40 pounds. Next I have to get the printers set up and the new books shelved so I have room to work.

Second: is to get my sister's help on the mundane tasks. Laundry, refrigerator clean out. Back bedroom shifting so we can start demolition in there, probably Mardi Gras.

5:00pm update Well, we had to pause in my house and take care of some business in Covington. But I have the printer installed, and my computer desk reconfigured without the exercise bike. Course now, Mustard thinks that means come sit in front of my monitor.

I have to find a new home for the shredder, since I'm now out of electric sockets under the desk. I had a crazy vision of the next home office I do (which will be over the detached garage but is still in planning stages). Built-in line of sockets, I don't know if they would be on or under the desktop surface, but just the idea of creating a huge power strip with room for twenty or more plugs and I could keep all the computer wires and cords straight really hit home while I was trying to plug in the new printer.

Now I need to go check on laundry and start on the boxes stacked next to my desk. Maybe I can get through a couple before it's time to leave for the movie.



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The BookWorm

Racism in Marketing

Whoa, I spent way too long reading most of the links I could find on this topic. Not that it isn't fascinating, not that I don't care, but I have other things I need to be doing today. But I am going to do my part.

Jim Crow Publishing by JA Konrath. First entry I read on the issue, which is African-American writers being shelved in the African-American section even though their book does not have anything to do with African-American issues, and the author protests.

On the Wrong Side of the Alligator. Reading her entire blog is a wake up call to this issue. From there I ended up at the following links in no particular order.

A Stop at Willoughby: Racism and Publishing... and Comments by Patrick

Taking Care of Business: Publishing Suppression ~ Suffer in Silence? by Millenia Black

Taking Care of Business: Storm Brewing - The Motive for Racism in Publishing

The Way There: Controversy by Monica Jackson

My Irrationaltities: Publishing and Race by Shesawriter

Race and Publishing by Tess Gerritsen

Blogger to Blogger by Tess Gerritsen

Romancing Paradise: Segregating Literature by Lynn Raye Harris

I really had no idea this topic had been brewing for a few months (I don't read enough author blogs but I can't keep up), so I'll add my late, unpublished, white female voice to the chorus. Placing books in a certain section because of the color of the skin on the author is WRONG. I think it is an issue stemming from the marketing takeover of the publishing industry, but it really doesn't matter who started it or why it started. It must END.

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The BookWorm

To Do List

I've been keeping it by the week right now. Some things get added because I don't have my shopping list handy. Some things do scroll over because I didn't get to them. More will be added to it, but if I go back to the three to four pages list I had in 2004, I really will go nuts.

1. Homework:
   
   
   
   • Read and edit short stories
   
   
   • Post to Reading Diary
   
   
   • Read Franke Chp. 5
   
   
   • Read Dante Purgitorio 12 - ?
   
   
   • Start brainstorming final Dante paper
   
   


2. Write resource guide (paying gig)


3. Write Zy's Novel (hasn't happened in months)


4. Reserve hotel room in Houston for June conference


5. Update Alt BM Site


6. Clean office


7. Set up new printer


8. Put ink in old printer


9. Pay Dad for ink and car insurance


10. Cook


11. Take books back to Library


12. Unpack


13. Buy sticky notes for work desk


14. Buy air gun for black cat problem


15. Edit Blue Man


16. Update Library Site


17. Download Penchant and Baskerville fonts to laptop


18. Buy good office chair

Boy, I wish I could take a week vacation. Everything done lately has been for everyone else. Some me time would be a neccessary relaxation break. Unfortunately, I don't think I have enough time saved up for a whole week off now and be able to take the trips I want to later in the year.

This first rehersal weekend went well. We got a lot of character work done, but we could have done it all on one day. Something to remember for next year.

Now I have to go get my phone out of the car cause I just realizied I didn't bring it up and I'm expecting a call back about the PT.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

First rehersal weekend

Won't be home this weekend because of Acadiana Medieval Faire's first rehersal weekend. I have to teach a class I'm really not feeling prepared for.

And all my garb is Elizabethan except for a few fantasy peices. Which goes back to the sewing problem mentioned yesterday. To which I'm giving serious thought to atleast getting half to three-fourths of the garb bought. What feels defeating about that isn't a hand-crafted vs. commercial, but that I like to sew and would like to learn a repitore of techniques and have a closet full of different centuries. The only way to learn is to actually do. And it's the kind of obsessive fun I can get into. I'm not a cosplayer, so it is just something fun to pick up that I don't plan on making a career out of. (Writing does not fit half the description, so it's not an even trade.) Everybody needs a hobby.

And I can't have one.

Maybe the reason you don't see my prioritizing and I avoid it until I'm pulling my hair out is because I have to make fucking depressing decisions.

I'm taking a half-day off work today in order to get everything packed and ready for this weekend. At least now I'm in a mood to claim mental stress for it. I'll be fine. I'll go buy more blue silk to hold until I can make Christine's outer dress properly, I'll go order the garb to cobble together into her outfit, I'll order the room for June, and I'll get Izzo out of the Library.

But I better leave now or I won't make it to Baton Rouge.

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The BookWorm

Audio Books and Other News

I found some unabridged books on CD for a decent price and bought two different books to try out on the commute. I always resisted because I didn't like the price and felt like it wasn't the same experience as reading. Which it isn't, but not in a bad way. I've been emerging from the car happier and feeling like I've accomplished something besides sitting in traffic. If this lasts through the second audio book I bought, I may join Audible.com. Of course I think I may have to upgrade to a better MP3 player and read at the gym or listen to music like everybody else. :p Looking at the Creative Zen Nano Plus 1GB, but I'm open to suggestions. Especially anything cheaper than an iPod. (I don't care how good iPod is, if I drop $300 on anything it'll be a dishwasher!)

I also need to change my format in the Reading Diary. At the rate I'm getting a chance to read, I won't have 28 entries by the end of the semester. It's not really the reading, but the digesting and writing of the entry. My review for Locked Rooms is up and hopefully I'll be able to type up "Inferno" soon. (Got finished with it this morning.)

I still haven't gotten the printer installed. Yeah, there's stuff I need to print and I'm out of black ink. Not that I feel I'm going to be home and awake long enough to do anything about it tonight either.

Now for the match up of the post: free time vs. the number of projects I have. I don't remember now, but I think I neglected to add in exercise time with my time management exercise. You remember, the one that told me I have two hours free in a twenty-four-hour-period. Then again maybe I did, I finished exercising, sauna, and cleaning up by 7pm. Of course that doesn't count driving time and the stop at the grocery store for fixings for supper. (Vegetable beef soup with 8 grain bread for the gourmets out there.)

So I currently have a list of 21 things all competing for the same time--actually more than 21 "homework" covers a lot. Now the majority of the list is mundane tasks that I need to take care of so they can be replaced with other mundane tasks. The other large groupings are homework, writing, and sewing.

There's no real way to combine tasks. You can't type on a keyboard and run fabric through a sewing machine. Ditto on holding a book to read. Some one could read to me, but the only option right now is Mustard and he thinks it's beneath him.

Damn, I'm not even thirty yet and I can't wait for retirement.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Quick one because I'm tired and need to sleep

Hey Red, tried to post to your blog, and it bounced back to me via email as "undeliverable." Hrmph, I thought it was a funny story to commiserate pain. Silly bots.

Err, what do you want me to do with it?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

New printer!

I got a new laser printer today! And my first real receipt to keep track of for tax deductions. Inkjet is still functional, but print quality isn't good enough for submissions. And I don't need them to bitch about excessive print jobs at the paying job. However new shiny printer will have to reside in the box until I find a place in the office to put it.

This is going to be hard.

Keeping the inkject for stuff I want in color, and inkjet is not in the most accessible spot on top of my computer desk hutch. Okay, so I'm short and I have an exercise bike in the way. Exercise bike needs a new seat, but that doesn't get the printer put up. The rest of the hutch is filled with speakers, DSL modem, label printer, and camera dock.

The pennisula of the computer desk is filled with boxes from the neverending scanning project. Okay, I plan on consolidating tomorrow.

No, the plastic drawers stacked next to the desk for paper won't be sturdy enough. The cart on wheels usually rests in front of the AC unit. Putting printer on top of that does not keep the room cold. Table desk across from computer desk is space for spreading out and handwriting. Plus cords would have to cross the room. I'm a klutz.

Maybe behind the monitor? Course then we have the loading paper problem. Maybe if I shift the scanner and the USB hub. That might make the scanner harder to use.

Okay, so who's the moron who said technology makes our lives easier?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Capt. Kate sent off and posted

Yes, I finally got my edits commited to computer memory and emailed the document to my professor. And while I was at it put the rest of the story up at Discipline Under Fire.

Use the Categories links to find all the post for Capt. Kate's short story, and that will give you this second draft version in peices.

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The BookWorm

Not to sound totally gloomy

Because I'm not. Most of the previous weeks stuff was written in the center of the depressing maelstrom. That was last week, and the weekend got me past the hump. I got Captain Kate's story edited today, so I'll be able to email it off to my professor tonight. Fitness Assessment went well, even though I didn't hear from a personal trainer today. I have to remember to give them my new cellphone number tonight. I forgot yesterday. Work sucks and I'm foaming at the mouth over completing homework (and I'm not even going into the dreaded V Day shopping), but I'm surviving. I still have some creative juices trickling. And hopefully tonight, I'll get home in time to actually work on the creative ventures. Need to try for the 4am writing time again.

Now I really dodn't understand these Meme things, but I'll give it a whirl.

The Meme of Four

Four jobs you've had in your life:
Student
Carhop
Office gopher
Underpaid, stressed out civil service bureaucrat

Four movies you could watch over and over again:
Fifth Element
Lord of the Rings
Edward Scissorhands
Princess Bride
and... oh that's four... still... most everything else I have bought in the DVD collection. Haven't catalogued yet, but I'd say about a hundred.

Four places you've lived:
Hammond, Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Savannah, Georgia (It was a month out of summer vacation for two years.)
Claremore, Oklahoma (for six weeks my sophmore high school summer)

Four TV shows you love to watch:
Well, I don't watch TV now, so series I'm interested in getting on DVD
Lost
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Angel
The X-Files
Firefly (Already have Serenity, must get the "Joss Whedon is my Master" now TV)

Four places you've been on holiday:
Chicago, Illinois
Boston, Mass.
Washington D.C.
DISNEY WORLD (Would like to spend some time in the new parks now)

Four websites you visit daily:
Okay, I'm excempting the webcomics and blog traul from this list
Southeastern Louisiana University
CNN.com
Dear Abby
Tell Me About It by Carolyn Hex

Four of your favourite foods:
Chicken and dumplings
pizza (no pepperoni or anchoives)
Sonic extra-long coney without chilli add mayo
Cheese dumplings from a Chinese restaurant
(Yeah, I know most of it isn't good for me. And please draw no judgements that I follow the same eating habits as the main characters do in two of the universes I write fanfics for.)

Four places you'd rather be:
At home writing
At home reading
At the gym working out (which means going to sauna. I think I'm using it as a sweatlodge)
In Houston in June because I would be in the writer's conference I want to go to

Meme passed to:
Whoever reads this post?

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Catching up on previously written blog topics

New entries under January 27th, 30th, 31st, February 1st, 3rd, and 6th. All caught up on everything I had previously wrote before this date. Keeping up with blogging has never been this bad before. I'm going to try to have a weekly update at least. This entry maybe a little disjointed. I have a lot of topics to cover.

Important lesson: Always take care of the bag before going to bed! Or at least unload most of it so I have to pack in the morning. Over the weekend, I bought a Samsonite rolling laptop bag (link to one that looks the closest to what I bought). It has been great, except for Dante's Inferno making things really tight.

I also bought a new cellphone and had to get a new cellphone number. I'll probably post my complaint letter to the FCC and Tracfone here once I have written it. Enjoying the new phone so far, except not being able to hear the ringer in the car.

Also bought a flash drive on the 6th, and got it working today. The wireless network connection between my Windows XP desktop and Windows 98 laptop is tempermental on when it wants to work. Files saved to the flash drive and I can connect between the two easily.

Upgraded to Firefox at home. Turns out what was triggering the dial-up box to come up was a Javascript virus that attacks older Mozilla users. And it's somewhere lurking in my daily browse through. Hopefully this will finally stop it from driving me nuts as I go online.

Cast call had a decent turnout. I didn't take any pictures to share, since two video cameras were going and I was checking people in and putting my phone book into my new cell phone. *Sigh* I really need to find time to sew our garb.

But on that front, I hired my out-of-work baby sister to housekeep for me. She needs the money, I need the house stress to go away to concentrate on everything else that has to happen. She's even willing to help on the evil scanning project, which has made my office space nearly unusable.

I had to tweak the diet, but this version seems to be holding. Snack in the car by 5:30am or 6. Breakfast at 8am. Lunch at 1pm. Snack at 4pm. Supper at 7:30 or 8pm. So far this is keeping from getting hunger pains in between feeding times.

Job issues. Where to begin? My supervisior reacts the same way with anyone taking college class--we're trying to take her job. Personally, I don't want it. It looks like I'm stuck in the state civil services until I retire (because that will happen before I can live off a bestseller), so I have time to wait her out. No need for grand Machievellan schemes. Though the whole thing has left a taste in my mouth for the accounting classes the department will pay for and consider useful for my job performance.

Finding another job: I can't afford to give up state service because of the benefits. And no other departments are really hiring after Katrina and Rita. Have no idea how long that will be going on. And I have no control over what my supervisor tells them, because as sure as she doesn't want me to outdo her, she can't lose me.

Okay, fine. Like I said, I can wait it out. I wait out better with more sleep and less caffine than I had last week. And I never handle those confrontations well. I always ome up with what to say after I've edited the scene. Doesn't work as well when my brain froze on "I'm being yelled at for getting here early and not falling asleep behind the wheel. I'm getting yelled at for doing my job in the order I see fit to make the fewest mistakes. I'm being told I need to pile all the work on my desk so my count is the highest, no matter how long it actually takes to do the work. I'm being yelled at for not being a team player, which the previous command does not compute with." Fun cycle.

I dealt with it better after getting a chance to talk with my coworkers, and after exercising and more sleep. They assured me I hadn't wandered into a Kafka version of my life. Looks like the mail has slowed down to a normal pace, so that makes everyone easier to deal with.

Stress affecting creativity? Big time. I keep promising myself I will do better, but it's like I have limited willpower. Right now, it's all focused on the health and there's none left over for anything else. Should be the more you use the more is there when you need it. Maybe it's depeleted by feeling overwhelmed. Not exactly sure, but hopefully I get some things cross off the to do list tonight.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

My vote for kick-ass song title that doesn't sound like it has anything to do with the song lyrics

"The Difference Between Suicide and Martyrdom is Press Coverage" by Panic! At the Disco

I really like the song and I really like the title. I just don't think the two go together.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Why does the "To Do" List grow longer with the more tired you feel?

Has anyone else noticed this? I'm looking at a 15 item list of things I have to do before leaving for Lafayette. Unfortunately, the one thing I need to do--workout--is the one thing I won't because they close early on Fridays. Ugh.

Meanwhile, this week has spiritually and physically exhausted me. All I want to do is crawl into a massage bed and be pampered. Not going to happen on Cast Call weekend. Better happen soon or I'm going to be even crankier.

I was going to download the Blogger add-in for Word in hopes of making updates easier, only to discover my version of Word is too old. So will it be helpful enough to warrant spending money on the latest version? I really need a laptop bag that my other black bag stuff will fit into, now that I'm actually getting to use the laptop. Carrying five bags a day doesn't help my muscles rest and repair.

That's it from me for this post.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

And the really stupid thing is I looked at it this morning and remembered I needed to pack it

*Sigh* As noticed last night, it's been a week since I last updated. Have kept blog notes in a notebook along with Capt. Kate short story. I actually have time for typing this lunch hour. And the notebook is in the bathroom where I was reading it last night.

*Sigh* No typing done last night because my sister is having a crisis of the heart. And now no typing because I don't have the material. *Banging head on desk.*

I weighed and took measurements today. Lost three pounds, but no significant loss in inches yet. But it was an upper after yesterday. (There will be a post up latter to explain yesterday.) The nutritionist has me on a restricted carbs diet and eating schedule is what I call it, eating the same time so my blood sugar stays level.

Here's to hoping for no drama tonight so I can get the story typed. Or the ceiling fan blades put up.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

So I'm a High Scoring Hack

This morning I got an email asking to spinoff from one of my fanfics series. I'm flattered, but no is the answer I hopefully conveyed nicely--it's hard to be coherent at 5:30am. It's also strange to be using contractions again; read Capt. Kate's short story to see wherefore... I mean why. (Yes, I will get it posted to Discipline Under Fire soon.)

So then I had enough time this morning to take the Hack Quiz. I got a 12, so I still have some artistic integerity left. I've studied enough literature to come to an empowering conclusion for us writers who want the money and the fans--the hacks are remembered. Just look at some of the scathing comments made about Shakespeare. Genius comes disguised in many forms. And genius has to eat too.

I'm not putting myself on Shakespeare's level, but I'm at peace with being called a "hack." Now deadlines, time management, and my inability to get my act together to submit: more worry consuming.

February 8th will be my fitness assessment appointment. I need to redo my measurements myself and update my file. Yes, I'm keeping a file on my measurements; I'm serious about this weight loss. I don't feel that I'm making any progress. I know, I know it's going to take time; I've only been on the diet for a week; my workout schedule got sporadic for a while. Get up, start over again, and spend 15 minutes in the sauna now that I know where the clock is to watch. I'm tired and really want a good, professional massage, but Saturday is booked already with Acadiana Faire's Cast Call.

Damn, I hate feeling like I'm going to drift asleep at any moment. And I've been feeling that way for too long. It's another reason to handwrite the blog entries. Keeps my brain wake and eyes open. A classmate expressed concern about my appearance last night.

Lunch break: Got yelled at about the notebook. Don't dare pull out the laptop either. Which leaves me trying to be good and not cause a ruckus--even though I'm not handling anything at all well due to little sleep. What was my goal not to complain about the paying job here?

The irony of just noting that the notebook was keeping me awake and then getting yelled at for writing was not lost.

Supper: My supervisor had two valid points to call me on the carpet for:

1. I spend too long on breakfast


2. The notebook and note taking is perceived as distracting. (I didn't even bring up how it was keeping me awake. Tired not stupid.)

What upset me to the point I almost spent the rest of the morning in tears was how she said it.

1. I don't care about my job


2. I'm cheating the state out of money


3. I'm not pulling my weight


4. She can stop me from going to school and I shouldn't be going to school because I work


5. I'm supposed to eat breakfast before work, screw the doctor's schedule, what time I leave my house, and what time places that serve breakfast actually open.

It hurt because I've been killing myself to get to work early and take care of the leftover work. I don't dig for the batches with the highest counts, I do what's on top. And we're all doing a lot more work with the stupid scanning system and we all deserve more pay. But right now we're only getting K time that I'm spending as fast as I earn it. And there's no cash value until retirement (a little less than 30 years away for me), so don't accuse me of stealing anything. I give a damn about my job otherwise I wouldn't be in an hour early and hello, compare my errors to other workers.

I don't have enough sick time for a stress leave that will actually do me some good. Though at the rate I'm going I may get one.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Exhausted on a Tuesday

I left work early today to uy the rest of the Dante class books and finish the story assignment. I got the books no problem and finished writing Capt. Kate's short story, but didn't finish typing it. Okay I'll submit The Blue Man instead. There was no finished version of The Blue Man
on the laptop, much less the corrected first scene version. Gritting teeth and suck up my failure to meet a simple deadline.

Course, it didn't feel like leaving early when I started an hour earlier than I'm supposed to. But nothing will get done if only two - three people are opening all the mail. At least, it has kept up from getting told to help classify Agents Licensing.

Finally heard from the PT and of course my schedule mess that up too. I can't even off the weekends because they are booked until the second weekend of April. At some point I have to sew. I'm hoping to lose some weight and my dress will fit better. Judging by the pants I'm wearing today, it hasn't happened yet. I need to cook. I think the only meal that is correctly proportioned is breakfast.

Great, I just lost contol of the pen and wrote on my shirt. Ugh, I'm ready to go home.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Deadline Pressure

Short story is due in class tomorrow by the latest. Writing it, I'm at the beginning of the climax scene. Typing is further behind. *Whimper* Gotta finish.

End of the work day. Typed: I got them to the ruined monastary. Writing still have to finish the climax. I want to go through and do some editing, stuff I know I didn't get right--like the naming conventions between characters. But on the flip side, should I leave it in and see who catches it? It will all depend on how much I get done tonight.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Should have skipped Friday

Went to the dietian, got my car fixed, bought books at the campus bookstore, and got Chad from Lafayette for the weekend. Today I was good and went back to work. And it's been a surreal day since it started.

Surreal in small doses can be invigorating. Today's doses have been mind numbing. I was avoiding the insanity by writing, but I think I've gotten stuck. I like the dialogue, but now I'm thinking I need to space it out more. More description, more movement and action from the characters. I never have enough description. And I want this story to be vivid, to sing.

I found some good advice on realizing where you're fear of success comes from. Is it possible my lack of submission tries stems from fear of failure? Am I just avoiding the scenerio? Or is it possible that nothing I have is decent enough to waste the time on? (Hmm, that's telling right there. My first word choice is "waste" and finding a market for my stories shouldn't be a waste of time. But not counting "Blue Man" and Capt. Kate that I just finished, the last original short story was finished in 1999.) If I can get a quiet moment, I want to do the visualization exercise.

Oh I need to remember to take my measurements for this week tonight. I think walking with my newly bought books worked out my torso. I'd like to follow my workout with some time in the sauna.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Skipping a day

I did write a blog entry yesterday, but don't feel like relating the tired whine. Though it did serve a purpose, it reminded me of a deadline and then sent me scurrying to fiction. Which I kept up today. I finally got to my dead crew scene, and about to move into the discovery of the treasure scene.

Now I'm tired and I can't find Dante. And I'm going to try to go to bed early. And the computer needs a rest.

The appointment with the nutrionist is tomorrow, and I'm seriously considering ending up with the whole day off for a rest. Yeah, it's been that kind of week.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Well one room finished

It's 5pm and the kitchen is done. Except for building the plate rack, but that's going to have to wait for decent weather for woodworking and staining. Muggy and rainy is not that. And few odd dishes I found to wash.

Now for the office and homework. *Sigh* I always leave the worst room to last, why is that? I may take the homework first.

But here's a question for all you computer gurus out there. I have BellSouth DSL, on all the time. So why do certain websites and certain programs trigger a pop-up box to sign up through the Dial-up connection? Bell South offers a dial-up connection should something happen to the DSL. But nothing has happened to it when I get these, I usually have all green lights on my external modem. Any thoughts?

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The BookWorm

Can I make two rooms stop being disaster areas in about twelve hours?

I honestly don't know. Under the sink is done now, but there's still a lot of cabinets to do. And I have to build a plate rack and get rid of stuff in my office so I can work in here again. Hell, so I can walk through it again.

And then I have to read for both classes, and grocery shop so I can cook meals for the week. And write. *Twitch*

At least at home I can keep updating on the computer and not on paper that I don't have time to type until later.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Kitchen disaster area update

Been up since 7am. I love the fact that Mom calls it early when it feels so very late to me. The side affect of having to wake up at 4am Monday through Friday.

Got started with laundry and the kitchen reorganization around 8am. Finished the glasses cabinet and moved all the small appliances out. Moved my tupperware collection to the upper cabinets. Then got started cleaning out the cabinet under the sink. The plastic sliding baskets I bought are to store the cleaning supplies under there. I was vaguely think I might want to buy or build more trays to slide the small appliances out of the cabinets on. Decided to use what I had already bought before going on another spree. Found water in the cleaning supplies under the sink.

The left strainer was leaking as water goes down the drain. Mom suggested teflon tape. I went to the bank and Lowe's. The teflon tape wouldn't stick to anything. Great, I'll go ahead and replace the faucet too once I figure out how to fix the leak. No problemo, back out to Lowe's. Bought a book on home repair that covered sinks and faucets. Got advice in the plumbing aisle on how to fix the leak. Got faucet on sale for $88. Got home about 12:30-ish.

Old Faucet

Cannot get the strainer to come off the sink. Call Krista for help. We spend the entire afternoon on that sink. Once the leak is finally fixed it was hours on replacing the faucet. The faucet was still leaking when we gave up around 5pm for supper. Took her to a restaurant in Ponchatoula I've been trying to try for two semesters now, Speakeasy. Now I want to go back in full Roaring 20's garb.

Finally got sink fixed by 6:15pm. Had the heater aimed into the cabinet trying to dry the floor out faster, but as of now it's still damp. The kitchen is still upside down, and my dirty dishes are getting washed in the bathtub.

But the new faucet looks fabulous.



Read Free!
The BookWorm

I Swear It's Not a Procrastination Tactic

I went out, ate, grabbed books, and went to Lowe's for kitchen organization supplies and wood for the plate rack project, and bugged two very nice employees over said wood. Got home at 8:40pm. *Bangs head on monitor.*

Book buying was a little annoying. Granted, there's a reason why we call the chain bookstore Books-a-Thousand in Hammond. But still. There's four books by Carolyn Hart that I need to complete the Death on Demand series beside the new book in April. How many did the store have? Zero. Needed two to complete the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King. Only had one. Okay, so I went through my list of authors from the Southwest chapter of WMA. Out of fourteen writers from the state of Louisiana, they only had one and only had her latest book. I ended up grabbing some Anne Perry titles I didn't have and Wilkie Collins "Lady in White" to round out my spree.

Looking at J.A. Konrath's blog entry for today, and I probably pulled a self-esteem/attitude bad yesterday. I emailed the Southwest chapter of MWA to see if I could attend their conference. I should've just started my application to MWA. Which I will tonight--can't promise right now at the paying job.

Tonight is back to the gym. And now that I know how my locker works, it shouldn't take thirty minutes to dress out. I hope the PT gets in contact with me soon; I'm tired of waiting. ANd I'm none too sure if the young lady behind the desk who took my papers knew what was going on.

Oh, my new homework blog has started at the Reading Diary.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

Stubborn Gene Activated

No I didn't get to the kitch yesterday. I got home for supper and bedtime. Still, I must do something with it tonight.

The crux of the delimnia is dirty dishes. I loathe washing dishes, hence why I've been promising myself a dishwasher for so long (let see, living in the apartment in Natchitoches eight years ago). Chad can't hand wash with his allergies. My answer is to buy a dishwasher. Chad's answer is to use paper plates.

And that's where my stubbornness seem to step in. The mention of paper plates for daily use--not a party or a picnic--makes me grit my teeth and growl. No, I won't do it, it's cheating. I'm evil, lazy, white trash if I use paper plates. I'm above that. I'm not a cheap college student who doesn't have a sink to wash dishes in. Nothing logical about this hatred.

Is it perhaps because everyone I know who depends on paper plates have houses where housekeeping is optional? I desperately don't want to live like that--even if I can't master picking up after myself.

But logically I have to admit that using paper plates until I save enough for a dishwasher would be less of a headache and incentive to save. Okay I decided. By setting aside $50 a pay period, I can pay for the dishwasher is eight pay periods roughly four months. I can deal with paper plates for that long.

After vacation/conference and dishwasher, the no-spend-out-of fund needs to be geared towards a Roth IRA.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

To Get the Juices Flowing

I try not to complain about the paying job too much here. Grateful to have it, don't know when the government is going to get nasty over blogs like the private sector, that sorta thing. But the new check scanners slow everything down. It takes aout thirty minutes (or at least feels that long) to complete a batch of twenty checks, including all the copying of paperwork. On the old system, it took ten minutes to process forty checks. So now I'm here at the paying job a half-hour early to try to finish everything that didn't get finished yesterday. Ugh.

Must remember to buy kleenex and more legal pads for work. I'm writing my blogs on the legal pads and running out of paper quickly. Must also remember to update 2005 LRF Resource Guide invoice and send to Chad. Make invoice for 2006 Acadiana Resource Guide. Need to find history of Burgandy and France material.

Creative writing class has fifteen people and I'm in the first group to submit work for workshops in a month. I've decided to finish Capt. Kate's short story for class. I can submit novel exerpts, but I'm not ready for editing on Zy's novel yet. And if I need to turn in a second, different piece--not just a revision--Blue Man is written but not finished. Plus I'm kind of curious to see what reaction my Elizabethan sea dog ghost story gets. And maybe I can find a market for it.

I finally got everything I should need on the laptop. Chad upgraded for business reasons and I got his old one as partial payment for the 2005 invoice. But it doesn't look like I'm going to have a chance to use it today.

I'm probably going to start another blog in conjunction with the creative writing class. We have to keep a reading diary on the fiction or poetry we're reading. I seem to do best with an audience. Most of what I already had set aside to read is nonfiction though. Minor bummer, I'll have to go book shopping. I need to get the last two in the Russell/Holmes series by Laurie R. King and I want to read some of the mysteries of people in the Southwest Chapter of MWA. Especially since I've never heard of them. *Sigh.* My knowledge of who my working peers are is sorely lacking.

The confrence is a go money-wise. I don't think I'll be able to afford a dishwasher for yet another year. I don't know about a new laser printer. I'm hoping, and the one I want has a rebate going on. It's going to depend on how much is left after I get my finances in order and pay ahead on the house note and bills. If I can't get the dishwasher, I still need to organize the kitchen cabinets better and make a dish rack for the wall. Workshop shelves for the back porch would be nice, but might have to wait too.

The projects are starting to pile up and my kitchen and office are still disaster areas. I think they're having a negative impact on the chi in my house and my chi by extension. When I get home after exercising tonight, I must get started on the kitchen.

Read Free!
The BookWorm

First day of class

Been busy, as you can see by three updates in a row. A lot of times it's easier to write out a blog entry by hand, and then scramble for time to write it later.

I spent all day Monday on the back bedroom. I saved the demolishing for the weekend Chad will be with me to help. The closet system I bought was designed to fit a 8-feet to 10-feet width closet of normal wall heights. The back wall isn't a standard wall height. I ended up with two places to hang clothes instead of three, because the third rod is three inches from the floor. Due to confusing instructions, I had to leave off the drawers. And the shoe rack had to come off so I could fit big Rubbermaid boxes. I labeled all of those said boxes, but the whole system feels like I just created shelves to restack the boxes that were stacked on that wall already.

Once we tear out the closet, there will be space to add the drawers. We're also going to have to put up more shelving on that north wall because there just isn't enough room for everything that's back there and the twin bed that will have to be set up in there. Still have to clean the kitchen and office. *Whimper*

I found a conference to go to. *Big beeming smile* Well I had run across a mention of SluethFest and looked that one up. It's put on by the Florida chapter of Mystery Writers of America, 4 days in Fort Lauderdale with Katherine Ramsland as one of the guest speakers and big emphasis on writing. The catch is it's set for the beginning of March and is way, way, way out of our price range. March will have us really gearing up for Acadiana Faire. It doesn't work. *Big huge sigh*

But Chad had asked about a Louisiana chapter. I shrugged it off. If it existed it was probably in New Orleans and got blowed away. But I remembered to go googling the next time I spoted the SluethFest website that I had left open on my computer. And I found that Louisiana is part of the Southwest chapter of Mystery Writers of America along with Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. And they have a conference in June! Hardboiled Heroes and Cozy Cats. Okay so it's not Malice Domestic or Bouchercon. 80 people hardly make a convention. But it's a drivable distance, it's at a good time, it's only 2 days, so we can afford to go. And it's incentive to finish Zy's novel and give the bloody thing a title, so I have a manuscript to work on getting better (or at least to show that I'm serious about this writing craft).

2008 Bouchercon might be doable though. But I need to finish this blog entry so I can get to work work.

I got my papers signed by the doctor, so I can have a personal trainer. Good thing, since I already paid for one and the yearly locker fee. I just can't haul the towels around. Thay take up too much room in the gym bag. I haven't got the music to work yet, and am waiting for an email back from Napster as to why it's not working.

I messed up keeping my food diary over the weekend, so I had to start it back today. My appointment with the nutritionist is Jan. 26th. Must remember to put a leave slip in.

My sleep schedule is really screwed up now. I didn't have a schedule the whole three day weekend.

Mom finally agreed to stop using the dump and it needs landscaping. Yippeee!

Both of my classes are listed in the same room. I hope they don't change them so it'll be easier to remember where to go. Creative Writing is up tonight. And that's all for now boys and girls!

Read Free!
The BookWorm

A weekend and a half

I wonder if I'll actualy have time to type this entry later? (Typed on the 17th.)

Saturday the 14th: The plans were simple. Straighten the house and write. Straightening house at this point means practically a spring cleaning. Of course, the plans were interrupted by having to help Dad with his surveying project. Still I managed to get a couple of pages and my bedroom done.

I was in the middle of watching Naussicaa of the Valley of the Wind when Mom comes yelling the woods are on fire. So we got to spend a couple of hours firefighting. A little history, my family has occupied this land for five generations now and they picked a spot descending into the creek gully as the dump. My pleas to stop dumping and burning there because I want to landscape said gully have fallen on deaf ears. Maybe now I can make some progress on that score.

Unrelated to that, my sister Kai decided to move back to Texas. I hope everything works out for her there.

Sunday the 16th: got the living room and bathroom clean, then promptly filled my bedroom and living room with stuff from the back bedroom so I could put a closet organizer on the back wall. I didn't finish that part of the project and will have to start again tomorrow.

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The BookWorm

Sleep?

I haven't been sleeping good lately. It's harder and harder for me to get up on time. I don't understand it, except perhaps the recent holidays got my sleep schedule off kilter.

Exercising went well. More people showed up at the Center, and I saw how some machines worked without me looking like an idiot. I remembered me to warm up, stretch, and cool down. I only had trouble with the overhead press, and then found out after struggling through 10 reps. I was supposed to use 30 pounds not 50. I found two abs working machines, so I don't have to struggle with situps on the floor in front of everyone.

I started a food diary this morning trying to keep track of what and approximately how much I eat to better inform the dietian.

I've cut back on my caffeine consumption. That was the first thing I suspected when I realized I was having trouble sleeping. It doesn't seem to be helping. I'm probably going to have to spend the whole weekend getting up at 4:00 a.m. to get back on schedule.

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The BookWorm

Exercising Journal Report

Do I have blogging on my brain constantly or what? I take a notebook to workouts with me to record numbers of what I do, what I may need to buy, random anything that comes to me; and I end up recording the above in paragraphs to my readers. :p

What I spent the weekend doing was acquinting myself with the Pennington Activity Center. Which meant using the track, weight room to find my max levels, and locker room. Haven't tried the suana yet.

They do have personal trainers, but I have to get released by my doctor. And since I've been having cell phone issues, I haven't been able to call and find out how I can get a signature. Hopefully I can make the calls tomorrow.

Since Mondays and Tuesdays will be my official off days, I buried myself in the Alt. BM Site update to keep the "pity me" demons at bay--the real reason that it's getting done. It worked up till I went to bed. Course it doesn't help the self esteem at all that Chad either forgets to call me all night and remembers after I've gone to bed and the brain has shut off or just wants to call for five seconds to know that I'm alive. Gee, I'm so glad I'm worth that much effort. I guess I'm supposed to be the understanding girlfriend and sympathetic that he hates talking on the phone. I'm not feeling understanding or sympathetic. I'm scared, I'm depressed, I feel fat and ugly and worthless, in short I'm feeling needy. I know, I know, I need to discuss this with him instead of in the blog. *Sigh* It may take email though.

7:00 p.m. Update: Me and Chad talked, and he understands where I'm coming from and how it makes me feel. :D

Back to exercising, I need to develop a safe routine that makes me sweat, works the target areas, and won't be upsetting to toss aside when I get a routine from the personal trainer.

Wednesdays: Chest, Back, Arms

• Chest Press max = 70 workout = 60


• Incline Press max = 70 workout = 60


• Arm Extensions max = 30 workout = 25


• Pull Down max = 70 workout = 60


• Overhead Press max = 50 workout = 45


• Bicep curls max = workout =

Thursdays: Abs

• Sit ups = 20

Fridays: Legs

• Hip Induction max = 90 workout =85


• Hip Abduction max = 70 workout = 60


• Glute max = 75 workout = 70


• Seated Leg Press max = 120 workout = 115

Of course, aerobic exercise mixed with this. Saturdays and Sundays, just track walking and running.

For fat loss: 10 - 12 reps, 1 - 3 sets. Increase the weight each week.

Need to remember to warm up, stretch, cool down, and pack some music.

What was really depressing, ten years ago I took a weightlifting class. That was light for me back then. Course I was also 120 pounds and thought I was fat because I had a belly pouch.

Gads, I was stupid teenager.

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The BookWorm

It's Official

202 pounds at the doctor's office (some of that has to be PMS bloat).
190 pounds at home with no clothes on.
61.5 inches tall with a medium frame.
142 blood sugar reading in December.
129 blood sugar reading in October.
172/17 blood pressure (at least that's some good news.)
35 is current BMI. http://www.healthchecksystems.com/bmi.asp

What I should be between:
115 - 129 pounds http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heightweightchart.htm.
19 - 23 BMI.

I'm diabetic, type 2. It's still in early stages; I should be able to fight it with diet and exercise changes. The two things I have the hardest time with.

Classes start January 17th. The Student Center is oppen right now, so I really be able to start an exercise routine and hopefully make it habit by the time classes start.

I'm still stunned. We all knew that was what is wrong with me, but it's numbing to have it confirmed. I'm not even sure if I know how much weight I should lose in three months before I have to get blood work redone. I know it won't be all of it. I know I want to adhere better to the Fit for Life diet; my energy level was better on it and filling up more on fruits and veggies. I don't think I craved refined sugar as much either.

What is this going to do for my writing and website work? One of the time management tips was to have multiple projects going, so if your brain gets tired of one you can work on something else. I was considering adding website updates. Now I don't know what to do. My body has betrayed me.

Damn, that sounds so melodramatic.

Some stress has allivated. The refinance check finally came through, so I'm squared away financially and can move forward on my land plans. I've cleaned off my desk of all the destracting mess that I can't do anything about until Monday. :p So I'm going to put the groceries away, start laundry, take some asprim, and start writing. Squeeze in two good hours I hope before going to workout.

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The BookWorm

Bum deal

I'm tired, I'm cranky (PMS), I'm stressed out over money, I'm probably getting bad news from my doctor in about an hour, I'm having trouble focusing and keeping my butt in the chair.

Ugh, I should be beyond this now. I've been writing since I was 11. Slipping into an imaginary world should be second nature. Instead I find my brain freezing without my notes. Yes, I know that half of what I'm doing to Zy's novel is editing and expanded on a half-finished first draft, and of course I need notes for that. But that doesn't explain the free-fall and the over-whealming desire to jump out of the chair and do anything else, everything else.

The Time Management for Writers book wasn't a big help. Well, other than pointing out how desperately I need to manage my time better. The tips were geared for article writers. Or is it just resistance to look for anything worthwhile in the ideas?

I have the weekend to myself--Chad is in Lafayette on business. This is an opportunity to figure things out. And to clean house.

Time to go to the doctor.

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The BookWorm

Progress!

I finished Chapter Seven, but it doesn't look like I'll get to type it tonight before I crash into my bed.

Cleaned out one office box yesterday. Now only four to go with that project, not counting the boxes of scanning.

Should be done with the refinancing tomorrow. I hope.

Working on web updates right now. They aren't ready, because I'm yawning like mad now and I havn't found the look I like yet. Drat.

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The BookWorm

As the Year Winds to an End

Holidays over... check.
Sickness healed... check.
Renewal madness started... check.
Ready to get back to a normal schedule that really won't happen till after New Year's... triple check!

All in all, I suppose the last few weeks have been a learning experience.

• One can't write and drive at the same time in long car trips. Actually, the composing portion of your brain doesn't pack and stays at home.


• Whatever romantic plans you're hoping for will be ruined by the weather and your boyfriend's head cold.


• The sister who always made everyone late waiting for her to get ready still hasn't changed.


• Heather Sellers is right; you can't work when you're sick. This includes creative work, housework, backlogged housework, or driving anywhere. However no one will believe you are too sick to do whatever they need you to do for them, even if they are in the same house with you and see how many times you're running to the bathroom.


• Your boyfriend will surprise you with an insight about your work habits and be right, reminding you why you love this man when you're starting to suspect you are just suffering from a need of perverseness.


• You can't please either family for the holidays. My first thought is to not leave my house and they can come visit next year. But Chad's probably got the safer solution with a neutral location.


• There is never enough time off to get the backlogged housework done.

And I think that's a pretty good summation of my life for the last two weeks.

I had a good long visit with Billy and Misty last night, in town from Florida briefly. I hope 2006 vacation schedule is better and we'll be able to head to Florida.

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The BookWorm

Is Telling Stories Still Fun

Notes from the 27th: Chad made an observation about my writing habits and it struck a chord. "You keep talking abou the business stuff. You aren't just telling the story. And that's why you keep distracting yourself with doing other stuff; you're not having fun."

Not that I have fun doing the dishes, but it was still scary accurate, and followed by a bout of me being sick that left me unable to think straight. But it's been a week since that came up in the conversation, and I still remember it.

has this stoy been in my head too long? Unknowningly, Chad stumbled upon an answer to why I've been so disheartened and undisciplined with my own work. It click, I'm not enjoying the words I'm stringing together. A deadly, dangerous snare for a writer to fall into, and one I disguised as "I'm not published yet and it's my own damn fault" pique.

Today: I squeezed in a half a page--and with the renewal craziness that's a feat--and feel good about it. I just have to remember to give the unpublished demon the boot out of head and get caught up in the story again.

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The BookWorm

Sick, Stressed, and Finding the Love

No actual post due to being sick and stressed.

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The BookWorm

Finally done with B.A.s

Got Krista graduated finally. I'd post pictures but none of the ones I took came out really well. Ceremony is much easier to sit through with the university colleges divided in half. You could actually get a seat in the stands and it only took about two hours.

So now all three of us will be back in Pumpkin Center. Kai came back to my parents' to look for work. Krista will be moving back home on the 23rd.

And no, I can't drive and write at the same time.

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The BookWorm

The X-Men Soap Opera

898 words today. And a heap of editing to do to get the words meshed together with the previous words, but I'm not starting that until I get 6000 words this week.

And I did a bad yesterday. I was reading what was available on the X-Men 3 movie due out May 2006. The big stand up of the X with Wolvie's claws for the 3 was in the theater when we went to see The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (And yes, the pagan enjoyed the movie that was faithful to the books which are Christian allegory no matter how much C.S. Lewis was in ambivance about it.) Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead Man's Chest preview got me hyped, so I went looking for X-Men 3's. Which a teaser is available that I can't play at work.

Anyway, I ended up reading fans whining about Gambit STILL not being part of the cast. (Best answer: Gambit was a victim of Katrina) The movie story line, which Rogue and Gambit--whereever he is--are too young to have met yet and giving a strong reason for Rogue and Iceman's connection that is in the comics, is a different creature from the comics. I know that. I also know the comics are a soap opera with sixty years of continuity. But Rogue and Gambit are part of the reason why I stopped reading X-Men (the second part being I couldn't afford all the titles).

Rogue and Gambit are my favorites. And they have passion combined with trust issues. Both combined with feisty tempers (what do you expect they're Southern) on both sides--as Rogue occassionally channeling someone else's personality--has beacoup conflict storytelling potential. But instead of concentrating on that, the writers are in a rut of "their powers keep them apart."

If Rogue can't touch, Gambit is leaking energy uncontrollably. Last I checked, it's back to Rogue can't touch in the current comics. And Jean Grey is really dead and Scott Summers and Emma Frost have hooked up. But back to the ones I care about, and why I can't read X-Men anymore.

Now all this alternating shaboinging (To my knowledge, there has been two opportunities for shaboinging: 1) when Eric the Red suppressed their mutant power in Anartica and 2) when they lost their powers after Rogue dragged Gambit back from the white light.), no touching, and combusting is supposed to keep the couple and the readers sexually frustrated and hooked into the relationship.

It's bullshit.

First reason, every so often somebody comes up with a mechanical means for suppressing mutant powers. Why doesn't Rogue keep one for recreational use? Or have Forge or Beats--both science geek--make something?

Second reason, Joseph--the clone of Magneto that had the hots for Rogue--built a room that suppressed her powers. Go in and she could touch. Now the writers killed ole Joseph off--can't have any true competition with the Ragin' Cajun after all--but he didn't dismantle the room before he died.

Shaboinging isn't the impossibility that Marvel writers want to think it is. And I got tired of waiting for the writers to wake up and remember Gambit is a schemer who think of my two points and five more to be with the woman he loves.

Really they should have made her pregnant after the first shaboing. Unprotected sex lesson and all that jazz. But then they killed Jean Grey off before she Rachel Summers, but that's getting into the whole time travel mess.

So I'll enjoy the movies. Others are talking about spinoffs with the teen X-Men. Maybe if that happens, Gambit will finallly appear. Till then, I'm content to drool over Hugh Jackman as Logan.

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The BookWorm

Progress!

I actually made my word count today! See Discipline Under Fire for the proof.

Tonight's plans: I have to go shopping for some essentials in at least 2 different stores. Yuck. Then I have to work on the take-home final for English 611 and finish the house cleaning before the trip. The adjuster is coming tomorrow night too.

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The BookWorm

Finding rhythm once again

Of course I pick the completely messed up schedule week to try to get back into a routine. Thursday and Friday, I won't be at work and will be going to my baby sister's graduation. Monday and Tuesday of next week will have me closing on my refinancing (I hope) and going to get my blood retested.

I've got a page and a half handwritten, a good start for this morning. And now I'm stuck with blood splatter pattern. The body was in bed this time. Hmm, too bad I can't afford a computer program to help me plot these crime scenes.

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The BookWorm

Feeling a little silly with glee

I finally finished the stupid paper for English 575! Now all I have left is the take home final for English 611. That I'm working on Tuesday night. Today, I'm going out to see if I can catch the end of the Faire.

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The BookWorm

Carson Fire and Elf Life

My brain hurts. I finished my ten-page paper today, finally. A day late, but it's done. I don't have anything to start on the 20-page paper here, though I'll probably have to work on it tonight. So I tweaked the link list, namely the Webcomics part. Check out the new ones, I heartily recommend them. Now the rest of this blog is to explain Elf Life's new status: hiatus disappointment.

I started reading Elf Life when Fans used Baughb in the "Times of War" storyline. He was only a guest start, but I went ahead and read the other comic's archive to understand the character.

I fell in love.

This comic is EPIC in scope. The artwork was a distinct way of depicting elves that I hadn't seen before. It wasn't the tall, thin, Tolkien-copy, and I liked it. But the story was were the true WOW came in. The Convergence was the world of man and the world of the elves, fairies, goblins, etc. slamming together. Baughb, the hero of the story, managed to save a group of elves but was lost in time through a fairy gate. His legend grew in his absence, so imagine everyone's surprise when he shows back up in the village centuries later and they find out he's a complete and total goofus. But most of the goofus behavior is just an act to cover up just how competent he really is, how he failed to save the Princess and the fairy Glynhial and return to the time he had left, and that he knows what the future has in store--the destruction of the elves' world.

Only Baughb can save what's left of their world, if he can bring the various fighting elements together. He knows it will kill him, but he hopes to save Filis and Airek, the best ones able to lead the elves after this second Convergence. Oh and Filis is the missing Princess and Baughb is in love with her, but he doesn't want her to die with him.

Did I mention that Baughb also has to survive his younger self in our present's murderous attacks on the future self in the past?

Serious epic fantasy mixed with baudy humor and naked fairies and mermaids. But the writing is what would keep you coming back. Carson combined "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge with "Popeye" and it WORKED! This coming from a major "Popeye" hater too.

So why the disappointment? It's the updates. Okay, some things we readers can understand: the computer died, major illness, no electricity due to weather, have no money and must get a real job, moving. Long spans of no updates peppered the archive while you were waiting for the next page day after day. And silence about why there were no updates became more common. Readers gave up. Then the website would be tweaked and our hopes would rise, aided by a trinkle of updates that would end without warning. Or it would be a full text update when I came for a comic. But I put up with it because I saw the potential and was hooked on the story. I STILL want to see Filis become a hero and win her elf. I want Baughb to save the elves and beat his fate. And if he and Filis can't beat their fates, I want it to be a noble sacrifice.

But now Elf Life has been put on hiatus in favor of a political comic that Carson hopes will appeal to a mainstream audience. Why? Because Elf Life doesn't earn any money; because not enough people like fantasy.

What the fuck? In a world where Lord of the Rings sweapt the Oscars, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has made it to the big screen, and Harry Potter is breaking all the records in movies and print, you can't find an audience that likes fantasy? Oh wait, those examples delievered what they promised.

Look, I don;t hate Elf Life or Carson, and I wish him well on his new venture. I'm waiting for the printed version of the comic or CDs or something I can buy that will have the completed story. But I cannot recommend Elf Life to people knowing their are just going to be disappointed like I am.

And speaking author to author, addressing Carson now: Elf Life is too good for you to keep fucking up. If it is truly your life's work, what you want to be remembered for when you die, take the break, develop a business plan, and create a buffer so you can win back the Elf Life audience with steady updates on a sane schedule. Just email me and let me know when I can buy the finished product, because I'll only be checking in every six months or so. Good luck with Winger.

My public service message for the day is done.

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The BookWorm

I hate it when I don't know where I've already been

Work on Zy came to a screeching halt this morning because I couldn't pack the notes (had to pack for class tonight) and there are elements I want to use in this scene from my notes. I discovered I need to go tweak the Strual interrogation, I forgot how many tentacles the Ecanians have. Times like this makes me wish I had some drawing talent.

And I'm back into my size 14 grey slacks. Still a little snug around the waist, but way less snug than the jeans were Friday, but they aren't cut the same as the jeans. Oh whatever, I'm reveling and enjoying the 100% juice fruit punch from Tropicana. Shopping for juices has been fun, just about everything in the flavors I drink has only 15 - 25%.

http://www.jefferydeaver.com/index.html Just finished the novel "The Bone Collector." Different from the movie, which is well expected these days. I still like the movie as a forensic based police procedural that allows the viewer to play along. I want to finish the rest of the series and catch up, but I don't know how much time I'll have for reading between semesters with the writing and the sewing I need to catch up on.

Plus my baby sister is graduating college with her B.A. in Theater on the 16th. And then she's finishing the garage room off and moving back in with my parents. She's got a lot done, there's just some painting left to finish and trim work, as well as the actual moving in.

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The BookWorm

One assignment done

And three more to go. Boyo, I wish I was kidding about that.

However cooking went well today so I have lunch for the rest of the week. So now I need to see if I can squeeze some more words out of my brain. Fictional words this time.

I swear, after this semester ends I'm going to the beauty salon and get pampered.

*Snort* I should have known. Okay time to pack up my fiction words and go hold down the table at the restuarant of our RenFaire friends' choice. I don't mind, really. And at least Chad grabbed me before I got down and dirty into Zy's world.

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The BookWorm

Okay it's shaping up to be a good Friday

I had my doubts, especially when the jeans I wanted to wear didn't get dry in time. Yes, I had to do laundry this morning because I crawled into bed as soon as I got home last night. So I ended up squeezing into a pair of size 14 jeans. It is a squeeze, but I can close them. Fruit is working, maybe?

I breezed ahead on Capt. Kate's short story, my Friday reward. Though I think I may have to take it away since I'm not making as much progress in Zy's novel. This weekend will be finishing up school assignment again. Something is due every Monday and Thursday for the next two weeks, but then I get a nice long break before the Spring semester starts on January 17th.

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The BookWorm