~~ "She has so many aliases, you'd think she was a spy!" ~~

Friday, May 29, 2009

Brief update


Arm still tender, after bruising massage by therapist and adjustment by chiropractor and lots of icing and Advil. Ulna and first rib (where it meets collar bone) both out of whack (well, not anymore).

Car back! I’m just shy of $5000 poorer.

Pirate Tournament tomorrow. Well, Pirate Tournament/Darach Anniversary/Darach Equestrian Championship/Altavia Equestrian Championship. Me, I’m putting on my pirate duds and being Wicked Red. Who is really more purple now, but Wicked Purple just doesn’t scan well.

Potted herb garden is thriving, except for the thyme. Who’d’ve guessed?

Six stories to mail. Then, back to writing and critiquing and novel subs, and…

More when I’ve dug myself out of the pile. Gently, still favoring forearm.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Timing is everything


Oh for the love of all that’s holy…

Ken’s got a bunch of errands to run tomorrow, and today I hammered out the details of a short story I need to submit by the end of the month, so I was looking forward to an all-writing, all-the-time day tomorrow (well, writing, submissions, continuing to read a novel I’m critiquing, updating my mailing list, etc.).

But I’ve apparently been doing too much mouse work of late, because my right forearm is hurting and a wee bit tingly, which means I’m developing tendonitis.

I iced it tonight and just took a bunch of Advil, but I should probably stop typing now. I think I’m just going to limit my computer activities for the next few days to only writing and anything else crucial. I’ll be scarce on Facebook and e-mail; I’ll check e-mail, but if you need me, calling will probably be better.

Of course, Friday is Brian’s day off and it’s our turn to do house stuff (he gets every other Friday off, so he and Ken are switching between houses to work on projects, as are Morgana and I)—and Morgana and I were going to work on curtains for our living room and dining room. Sewing. Not good for arm.

Frak me.

Radio silence: Commencing. Think healing thoughts, please!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Plans for today


Plans for Today:
  • meal planning and grocery shopping w/Ken
  • short story planning and beginning
  • Waking the Witch submissions
  • gym
  • Textile Guild at Morgana’s – assembling the leather bodice
  • ideally, some e-mail catching up
Let’s see how it goes!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Feeling the love...and the pain


We left for Phoenix Thursday last, late morning, stopping in the Valley for lunch at Lulu’s. Half a caprese sandwich and salad, nomnom, plus a mocha to go. It was strange to be there without Christine or Jenn, and without my laptop, though. After a brief stop at a Radio Shack to pick up an auxiliary cord so we could plug in my iPod or Ken’s iPhone for music, we were on our way to Phoenix. We stopped once for gas, as well as some homemade beef jerky to supplement our road food, on the way. Good music, good conversation, good company.

Our friend Sara and her husband Lee had been at their timeshare in Sedona until that afternoon and wanted an evening in, so we picked up coleslaw and BBQ kettle chips to supplement their planned picnic in front of the TV (deli meats and cheeses, etc.). We watched an ep of Castle that Ken and I had missed, plus Nathan Fillion in a leather kilt on a talk show (mmm), and then Sara and I talked late into the night about all things Styx and Ren Faire and goodness knows what else.

The next day we took them out to brunch at The Good Egg and they took us to a fantastic used book store, where I only bought books on my list, I swear….

We’d hoped to meet up with some friends before the show, but none of the arrangements worked out, so the three of us (Lee isn’t into crowds) had dinner at an Irish pub (note to self: fish and chips plus a pint of cider isn’t the best meal before a show) and got to the venue comfortably on time. We had second-row pit seats between JY and Tommy, and it turned out that two of our friends (from LA) were directly in front of us. (Actually, Ken and I had the second-row seats and Sara had a third-row seat a few seats over, but Ken traded tickets with her and then smooshed in behind me.)

Sara had never gotten a “green bag” (the Styx-logoed tote bags that each member tosses to the audience at the end of each show) and this was probably her only show for the year, so she had a sign asking for a bag, and I had a sign asking for her to get a bag. To our delight, Tommy not only saw the signs but made sure his bag got to her. I also managed to duck a security guard to get her a set list after the show was over. :-)

We stayed up far too late playing the “Spot Dayle in the Audience of the One With Everything: Styx With the Contemporary Youth Orchestra DVD Drinking Game,” so peeling ourselves out of bed the next morning wasn’t an easy prospect. But we did, said our sad farewells, and made it home in time to snuggle with the kitties.

We didn’t have to leave for Fresno on Sunday until just after lunch, so we were able to spend a productive-ish morning at home. We had fourth-row tickets for this show, but snuck up to the first row for the encore. Another great show! but then we had a 3.5-hour drive home… Yawn.

My camera crapped out after the Phoenix show—the pictures looked fine on the camera but wouldn’t download to the computer properly—but I’ll upload the ones from Fresno soon. Really. Honest.

Fast-forward to Thursday, when we hopped on the bike and headed to our friends Nanci and Lenny’s so I could fluff-and-buff before the show. Ken went on to San Bernardino to pick up a couple of vats of gumbo (long story) while I got ready and hung out with Nanci, then we rode with her to the show. Sixth-row seats on Tommy’s side again, but damned if Tommy didn’t spot us in the crowd during the very first song. And Lawrence sang a line of “Come Sail Away” at me, so we were totally feeling the love. :-)

Oh, and much to my great amusement, when we found our seats, we were next to a woman doing kumihimo braiding! She does Ren Faire rather than SCA, but we still had a great chat, and I need to e-mail her with the heart braid pattern I found online.

Friday afternoon Ken headed up to Hanford with the gumbo; I stayed home to try to have some modicum of a productive weekend. Alas, I was suffering from Post-Concert Depression as well as a severe case of I Don’t Give a Sh*t, so I gave myself some time off to regroup. Saturday I went to Morgana’s and we cut out a leather bodice for me for Pirate Tournament—provided I can get the spring steel boning in time, we’re talking three long seams, two shoulder seams, and sewing the boning channels, plus grommets. Piece of cake. Afterwards, she and Brian invited me to dinner. I actually did get some writing done later that evening, and then Ken arrived back home last night from his bike adventures.

Yesterday I went to CB&TL, but I hadn’t seen Ellenie in months, so we spent our time catching up. A good recharge, though, and we have a writing date for Wednesday evening. Plus I got a little writing done yesterday evening.

After I finish the PUM scene on my agenda (it’s written in my head…), and review Teresa’s, and send more Waking the Witch proposals (now that all of the PUM and OOTFP proposals are in the mail save one that was recently returned), and write a short story, and…

Never a dull moment ‘round here!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

::guiltily waves hello::

You know you haven’t updated your journal in a while when your mother e-mails to ask if you’re okay.

Sorry, Mom.

I have several updates in the works, but no time to finish them, so here’s the short version: Concerts fabby (Tommy pointed at me in the sixth row!), but all the travel put me behind on work. Combine that with Post-Concert Depression and a serious case of I Don’t Give a Sh*t, I’m still clawing my way back up out of the mire.

So, apologies to all. I have high hopes for getting back on track this week…as long as I can pull a full night’s sleep one of these nights…