Rae Roy's Blog, page 75

Tidying Up

I’m tidying my place because I probably have company coming October 1st. I’m not going to do the KonMari thang and here’s why:

Just because something doesn’t bring me joy, does not mean I don’t NEED it. Case and point? My tools. I NEED them in order to accomplish things like oh… putting up curtains, blinds, etc which do give me joy. Plus, they’re fucking expensive!

I’m not throwing out my photos. They are part of who I am as a person.

Clothes are easier to get rid of. I WILL go through my closet and add a layer for my skirts and pants so it is more organized and empty the box that is in there holding who knows what. I’m not getting rid of my old theatre shirts. I will make them into a blanket. I already got rid of some things today.

I’m not going to go through all of my things in one day. Why? That is too damned exhausting. It takes too many spoons.

There are three reasons why my place gets messy:

I’m a busy person between my writing, my socializing, and my martial arts.
I’m not great at putting things back where they live.
I’m a creative person who has a ton of projects on the backburner.

Now, some projects I won’t get around to soon, so the pieces for them will go in my storage area rather than the garbage. I have some nifty things that I want to turn into something when I have time to sit down and plan them out.

I’m not folding my socks. Putting them together in a ball is practical. It ensures the mates are together. And I just don’t have the free time to fold socks. I’m working on two careers and challenging my second level black belt soon. I’m also learning French and guitar. I’d rather spend any other free time with loved ones or playing a video game. Because those activities bring me joy.

I have a lot of friends who are into this KonMari thang and it’s great it works for them. It’s not how I roll though. And apparently I’m not the only one.

I do want a new gym bag. My Goodlife bag doesn’t give me joy, but it’s really that I want to ensure I don’t reinfect myself with fungus. Also, the front pocket has ripped inside and things don’t stay where they are supposed to. Also, I should probably have one with wheels instead because it’s better for my neck.

My mom grew up just after the depression ended. She couldn’t learn to make pie crust until they could afford to waste flour. I don’t throw stuff out that is still useful to me. If it’s not useful, I donate it. Like the fish tanks and such I dropped off today.

If it doesn’t give you joy, I think it’s important to ask why. I have this large slim jug for my fridge. It wasn’t overly expensive. It leaks. Have I thrown it out? No. I thought I’d try some white plumbing tape first to see if that stops it from leaking. Cheap fix and doesn’t put more stuff in the landfill. It’s probably recyclable anyway, but that’s besides my point.

I’m really not one for wearing heels if I can avoid it, however, I own several pair because sometimes women just need to wear heels. Especially tiny women. Heels help you get a job sometimes.

I have a ton of books I haven’t read yet. Not picking up each one to see if it gives me joy. Books give joy as they are read and after they are read typically.

There’s one episode of Buffy that I absolutely hated. Should I throw out the disc it’s on? I love the other 3 episodes. Yes, I have the entire series on DVD. I have them in 4×4 CD wallets. Why? There have been periods where I have had to go without internet or be capped, so I can still watch things I love without costing myself extra money. And their cases didn’t give me joy.

My project management textbooks don’t give me joy, but there’s a wealth of knowledge in them I can apply to my writing process. Keeping. Plus they kind of look good on the shelves. Make me look smart or something.

Oh, receipts don’t give me joy either, but the tax people like them.

Anyway, I’m sure you’ve gotten the picture. I’m quite capable of tidying without giving some other lady money. If I was going to do that, Molly Maid is $35/hour and I can rest with my feet up while someone else cleans.

Tonight’s plan? Recycle cardboard, clean off my dining table, a load of dishes, and a load of laundry. That is more than enough for one day.

Ciao,

R~

Fortifying Friday – Scratching an Itch

There’s nothing quite like scratching an itch. It feels great. Why? Because the pain temporarily interrupts the itchiness, and serotonin is released. The problem is that when it’s a serious itch like a fungal infection or eczema, the itch can’t be satiated. You end up stuck in a cycle and quite often people scratch until they bleed.

Two things helped me get some respite from this ringworm issue last night. One was using a trick I learned from getting a tattoo, which is to slap the itch instead of scratching it. With a tattoo, if you scratch, you will almost certainly get an infection and lose the beautiful art you spent a bunch of money on. With a fungal infection, scratching leads to spreading the infection. 

The other helpful thing was to numb it with cold. Frozen green beans for the win. I remember seeing that in a movie. It might have been Big Daddy.

Be careful what itches you scratch because you might never find relief.

Speaking of relief, I’m off to have a baking soda bath as those have been helpful.

Ciao,

R~

Thoughtful Thursday – Weird Mood

Sometimes I think it’s odd that I’m still watching certain TV shows. Not because I don’t like them or because TV is often seen as a waste of time by others, but because some of these shows I first started watching when they began.

The Walking Dead is one such show. It began in 2010. Six years ago, I was married and I had just begun my martial arts career after graduating from university with an honours business degree specializing in technology management.

My life has changed drastically yet watching this show brings a strange feeling of home. It gives me a feeling like my life might start making sense again soon, like the missing pieces might soon be found and placed.

I was once a small town girl whose only dreams were of settling down and raising a family. I still want that, but now I’m an independent woman with a healthy self-esteem who is chasing a dream I once never dared to have. 

I don’t know where things are headed with any certainty. Too many things have turned out so very different that while I have goals, I have learned that sometimes a change of direction is what is needed.

I don’t really know where I’m going with this blog post. The near future is sleep, start new work project, work on French, play my guitar, and work on the writing projects. Oh, and I need to get my place cleaner before I possibly have guests on October 1st.

First, I’m going to read some more Chamber of Secrets. Oh, my patronus is a Nightjar (aka nighthawk). What’s yours?

Ciao,

R~

Merry Monday – Time Management

Image created using Bit Strips.

Normally,  I’d be less annoyed that it’s unseasonably warm. After feeling awful on Friday, Saturday had me visit the urgent care place. I’ve been fighting with an itch (no, not that kind!) and one of the spots looked rather round and perhaps like a bullseye. But the doctor thinks it’s just a fungal thing brought on by getting sweaty in the dojo. Ringworm, actually, which involves no actual worms just appears in rings on the skin. While I’m thankful that it’s likely not Lyme Disease, it’s no fun trying not to sweat in this weather. I need to stay clean and dry!

My visit to the urgent care place may have been just what I needed to get out of the funk I’ve been in. One never knows what will inspire. As waiting rooms are a mecca for a variety of ailments and personalities, the observant and introverted writer can glean some interesting information. One particular woman stood out to me. She is a member of a minority group, has cerebral palsy and anxiety, and was also suffering from a twisted ankle due to a mishap with her walker. What did she speak of? Once her anxiety was under control she planned to get a job, her own apartment, and would be having her parents over to treat them to dinner. With so much crap going on, she was immensely positive and so full of smiles!

All that to say that I’ve put myself on a bit of a schedule to carve out writing time and time for guitar practice. It was needed. I haven’t put anything else on my schedule yet. I like to make gradual changes rather than have so much of my time scheduled that I feel overwhelmed. It’s working so far.

I’ve discovered Yousician. I wish I could afford the subscription because it’s a really cool app. For now, I’ll just see how far I can get on the free version. It’s really forcing me to improve my timing, which is sorely needed.

I’m slowly making progress on my Steampunk Romance short story I’ve tentatively called “The Language of Love.”

Yarr! I hope you scallywags enjoyed International Talk Like A Pirate Day!

Well, I need to get to French early if I hope to have a parking spot.

Ciao,

R~

Fortifying Friday – Sick

It’s hard to feel anything remotely like fortified when you’re feeling crummy.

I guess I’ve had a lot of excitement lately between the national championships, Can-Con, starting a new job, planning a seminar, and starting French class. I shouldn’t be shocked that I feel awful. 

Also, I’m pretty sure I’m reacting to cow’s milk again and that’s definitely not helping. But I think I’m also sensitive to almond milk. 

All this to say, sometimes you have to take a step back and maybe go for a nap.

But I have so much to do that I really don’t want to. 

Ciao,

R~

Thoughtful Thursday

There is a lot on my mind today. Yesterday, I received a rejection for The Page & The Magician, so I’m processing that and trying to figure out the direction I should take with it. Most erotica publishers only do ebooks and if I’m going that route, I might as well do it myself because I want the option of print books for conventions and such. Plus, a lot of my friends actually prefer physical books with signatures.

The job is going mostly well though I’m unsure if I’m completing my work fast enough. I love it though. I often get to work from home often and have a lot of autonomy, which is something I’ve been craving for a long time now. I still have to pay the parking ticket I received on day one. Meetings are going to be shortened slightly so I don’t have to lose half of my day’s wages. YAY! The parking in the area of the Gatineau office is street with a limit of 1 hour. Some spots have 2 hour, but those are always taken.

Every time some progress is made on the planning for the martial arts seminar, something else happens to block it. I spent yesterday trying to get a restaurant booked and no matter how hard I tried it wasn’t happening. The prime choice of restaurant was already booked by a large group. I tried calling our next option, but they must have had their phone automatically hanging up. There was a change room snafu and I ended up having to speak to the custodial staff that will be there on the day in question to get it sorted. The whole thing has been way more complicated than is necessary and it’s partly because their computer system doesn’t allow much of anything. You can request one thing on the permit like just the gym. Everything else has to be added by their admin. If your permit is approved before they add the other things, you don’t get those things. Lessons learned for next year’s seminar… What’s left is with Sempai to finish except for some signs.

My last edits are in on the short story for the mystery shifter anthology coming out soon. I’ll definitely be shouting about it when it’s ready! Researching for a Steampunk romance story and also planning ahead for a pitch to a group I really want to write for. Incidentally, that pitch had me waking up repeatedly last night to scribble some ideas down. I was extremely sleepy but actually managed to convince myself that no-I-would-not-remember-it-in-the-morning and I had better write something no matter how tired I was. They mostly make sense today, so I call that a writer win.

As if that all wasn’t enough, I ponder my love life or lack there of. Because my brain is a jerk sometimes.

Off to ponder Steampunk things combined with Samurai things because that’s how I roll. Also known as possibly having bitten off more than I can chew.

Ciao,

R~

 

Merry Monday – Sleepy

Image created using Bit Strips.

Can-Con 2016 was this past weekend. Here are the recaps if you want to read them:

Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Following Can-Con, I was off to awards night with my B-Movie club. I read my toddler buddy a story about pugs. None of my movies won, so I’ll have to try harder this next season.

After back-to-back busy weekends, I was pretty exhausted this morning. I luckily happened onto an email from my boss telling me to be at the other office this morning.

The backs of my knees have been itchy since Thursday. I’m trying to figure out what is causing it. Nothing seems to be making it go away. I’ve tried Gold Bond, After Bite, moisturizer, and allergy pills. I wonder if it’s something from a washer or dryer, or a food allergy. I had some PC Organics mozzarella on Thursday. I’ve tried to submit a question to them, but their web form doesn’t work for me. I’m feeling a little better after a baking soda and kosher salt bath. We’ll see how long that lasts.

Tonight, I began French class. Je veux parler tous les mots! Mon professeur est aimable. Ils sont quatorze étudiants dan la classe.

Well, it’s time for bed. I have a lot of copywriting to do tomorrow.

Ciao,

R~

Can-Con 2016 – Day 3

Raeanne G Roy

The final day of Can-Con was a somewhat rushed affair for me. I just made it in time for a friend’s panel on taxes. Next, it was off to meet with my fellow panelists to practice or Swordfighting as two of them live elsewhere and the two of us who live in Ottawa practice divergent styles. Maybe some year we should see what East vs West might look like…

After our panel, I mostly networked and bought things until I learned yet more about The Ed Greenwood Group. 

Many times throughout the day, despite how busy I was, my thoughts turned to 9/11. Growing up in a town with a major NORAD base, that day’s impact was far reaching. I was in college studying social work when the large projection TV screen in the Nipissing University Student Union room was suddenly dominated by the live images of the buildings and people falling. 

We went to class and shortly after we were sent home. Smartphones were not a thing back then, so we weren’t abundantly aware of what was happening. We knew planes hit the World Trade Centre buildings. We knew a lot of Canadians worked there. We knew the college was really close to the base and the base could also be a target.

Then we spent many days watching CNN trying to understand who and why. I’m not sure that has truly been answered yet, but I hope those whose families and friends were lost have found some sort of closure and peace. 

I think that was the day that I became aware of anything beyond Ontario and Québec. Before that, everything was always so far away. The Middle East was just this place where war seemed to always be happening. Even the U.S. seemed really far away. Traveling was not as prevalent because it was more expensive.

Over the years, I’ve been through several periods where the foundation of everything I thought I knew was shaken to the core. This is why I never fully plan something out today. I’m excited to see what the future has in store.

Ciao,

R~

Can-Con 2016 – Day 2

Day 2 went pretty smoothly. I think the main highlights for me were the panels involving The Ed Greenwood Group. I’d like to write something for them.

The panel on mental health was interesting. They talked about a variety of issues including psychopathy, sociopathy, depression, autism, adhd, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder. They said something I wholeheartedly agree with, which was that people are not defined by their mental health or other conditions. Yes, they implant their experience of the world, but they are not their condition. I also identified with what they were saying because of my autoimmune disorder. Someone walked up to me the other day when I was surrounded by a group of strangers and loudly said that he was surprised I do martial arts given my “illness”. I do not think of myself as ill. Ill to me implies that I’m dying of cancer or have something like cystic fibrosis and need organ transplants. Largely I manage quite well with very little medicine, eating healthily, and exercising. I need more water and lubrication than other people. I get fatigued easy. I have some tendon pain. I have zero percent worries of having a healthy pregnancy when I find someone who I see a real future with. Yes, there are people who are more debilitated than I am. I think a major difference for me is that I’ve had symptoms since I was a young teen. I’ve grown up with this just being a thing I deal with. Other people deal with sick parents or depression from the loss of a loved one or something else. Others with Sjögren’s were extremely athletic prior and get hit hard by it. That would be Venus Williams experience, I believe. But she still plays tennis. Because she loves tennis. I’m actually very healthy. My heart is in great shape and so are my other organs. My eyes aren’t damaged either. It is a small piece of who I am.

We also talked about how a psychopath will convince their victim that the victim is remembering things incorrectly and systematically tear apart their self esteem. Basically they’ll convince the person that they have a mental health issue when really it’s the psychopath’s version of reality that is messed up. There’s a good reason why I’m so picky when it comes to choosing someone to spend my life with.

Next up was epic fantasy and why it has no respect. One conclusion was that people have Tolkien fatigue. Another conclusion was that a lot of people who wrote it were terrible at writing. 

I changed panel plans several times. I’m not much for attending readings of any sort, so I went to one called, “Our Monsters are Us,” which explored ideas like how humans often try to label anything different as bad.

The one Stormtalons panel was only for current TEGG writers, so I went to one on adapting literary works for TV and Movies. I didn’t learn as much at this one as other panels but it was nice to just listen to the discussion.

The panel on writing groups was interesting and in line with what I thought. I’ll be unable to attend my group for the foreseeable future as French class is during that time slot. Becoming bilingual is important to me. 

I took a break for food, drinks, and socializing before going to a panel on selling at conventions. There are divergent theories on this and it’s best to find out what works for you was what I took out of it. 

Well, off to Day 3!

Ciao, 

R~

Can-Con 2016 – Day 1

Generic convention pic because Can-Con doesn’t have a logo.

Let me preface this by saying I am a little inebriated. There. Now I’m safe to make any spelling and grammar mistakes.

Con is off to a great start. Obviously. Though I think it best not to bring GF beer with me for tomorrow as it got warm despite the ice pack. I hate warm beer. It’s the worst thing since ever.

Today, I attended a workshop on plot by Julie Czerneda (pronounced like Chernaeda). She was fun and mostly helpful. She threw random pieces of paper at us that had new things we had to suddenly fit into our plot. Well, she didn’t actually throw them, but you know what I’m saying.

I walked around the Rideau Centre to kill time before the official start. I generally avoid the place. I don’t want to pay for parking and it both tires me and hurts to walk around such an expansive place. Also, it’s too peopley. So much so that I want to curl up in a ball and hide. It might actually surprise people to know that I’m introverted. I’m about 30% extrovert, so I can party pretty hard when I want to. Also clown around with strangers.

I went to a panel on Ursula K. Le Guin’s legacy. It was pretty cool. I haven’t read any of her stuff, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. I’m slowly building next year’s reading list. The panelists were hard pressed to agree on which story I should start with.

Next, was a panel  about the challenges of working with others in the comic industry. I want to make some graphic novels eventually, so I’m rather drawn to things related to that right now. I love Vertigo’s House of Mystery series and the graphic novel version of The Book of Five Rings.

Then, I went to a panel on Non-Verbal Communication and I think it was the best panel of the evening. I learned a lot in that one. But it made me question everything I have ever written.

The parties followed. Yes, writers party in plural. I saw lot of friends and talked about things and stuff. Good times.

I can’t wait for tomorrow! I haven’t decided on if I will try to bus there or not. Probably will because it’s a lot cheaper than Uber. I really enjoyed not having a car. I might put my things into a wheely thingy tomorrow rather than carrying it on my back.

Oh, this year’s theme is role-playing. My character is level 3 and has 21 dexterity but only 2 wisdom. Charisma and Constitution are decent too. I’m told I might piss people off. Looking forward to it