Devon Ellington's Blog, page 21
December 31, 2024
Tues. Dec. 31, 2024: Just Another New Year’s Eve
image courtesy of Gustavo Rezende via pixabay.comTuesday, December 31, 2024
Waxing Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
Chiron DIRECT (as of Sunday)
6th Day of Christmas = last night’s dreams are for June
6th Day of Kwanzaa – creativity
8th night of Hanukkah
New Year’s Eve
Cloudy and mild; snow expected later
Boy, we had a lot going on all at once, didn’t we? If you’re wondering why I always mention Kwanzaa, I got into the tradition of celebrating it with my neighbors on the floor of my 42nd St./8th Avenue apartment building way back in the years I lived there, and have kept it up.
I’m getting better about dealing with New Year’s Eve. There were many miserable turns of the year over my years, due to pressures, expectations, and later, once I had to work and couldn’t have people over for parties to see the ball drop (which I could see from the apartment), when they blocked off Times Square for the festivities, I couldn’t get home after my show. I was forced to go out to an overpriced restaurant to “have fun” until I could get home around 1 AM. Not my idea of a good time.
I mean, there were some good times, too, and then, after a certain point, I started taking New Year’s Eve off work/shows so I didn’t have to deal with it all and going to yoga retreats and doing mindfulness things instead. I keep elements of all the things I liked about these various experiments to build a celebration I can enjoy. And there were some years where I had the all-night parties, where people floated in and out all night, and then a whole new crew came in around 4 AM for breakfast, and we hung out as the day dawned. That was always fun.
Friday started cloudy, but wound up getting sunny. After breakfast, I did my day’s quota of contest judging, and turned around the miniscule coverage.
Then, it was time to head out into the cold for errands.
I put the bag of books in the rolly cart, along with reusable grocery bags, and off I went. I walked up to the library, dropped off and picked up books. I was comforted to find out that many people are having car trouble right now, with this weather. I also got a chance to see the pieces on display from the library’s knitting/crocheting/weaving/quilting group, which were lovely. I want to go back and spend more time with them.
I continued on to Big Y, where I did a light grocery shop. I was worried about the cart bumping along the road breaking the eggs, so I made sure the eggs were buffeted by bread. Rolled home after, which was fine. It’s not all that far. I would not have been able to do it without the cart, though. It would have been too much to carry.
Hauled everything back up the stairs and put it away. Went through the mail (which I hadn’t picked up on Thursday).
When I checked my email, I found that I received the revision notes for the ghostwriting assignment. They liked a lot of what I did, and now it’s about aligning with their structure and voice. I went through the notes once and they made sense; it’s just whether I can execute them in the way they want. That puts a lot of pressure on me this week, but it will be worth it, if I can pull it off.
It means, however, I won’t be paid for the work until the revisions are turned around (in spite of the okay to go ahead and invoice I was given a week ago), which means the next few weeks will be very tight. And puts even more pressure on me, on multiple fronts – to do the revisions both quickly and well enough that they want to keep working for me. While juggling everything else.
I did some work on the notes. Then, I gave myself the afternoon to read Louise Penny’s newest, THE GREY WOLF. While the book itself is good, I disagree with a choice she made about a tertiary character who appeared in a previous book. I mean, it’s her series, she can do whatever the heck she wants, but that choice for that particular character doesn’t sit right with me.
Again, it’s a chance for me to ask myself, what can I learn from this? How can I apply it to my own work?
We had pizza for dinner, which I hadn’t made in a bit, and that was good.
Slept reasonably well, although I dreamed about being in a large wardrobe area for a show. I’ve been in that place before, in previous dreams, although it’s no place I’ve actually worked in my career. I was helping to strike a show, doing the packout, and, for some reason, there was a lot of white felt involved. And a stage manager friend was also there. I’m figuring it must be allegorical for March, since there isn’t time between now and March for us to get on a show, run a show, and close a show. What it’s supposed to mean, I don’t know. I mean, I have theories, but nothing to back them up. There were also wasps or hornets or some such involved, but I don’t remember the details. Wasps are about productivity, control, and new beginnings, which would be a good thing, especially in contrast to the packout stuff. Hornets are strength and protection. Either one is positive, although I’m not particularly fond of those insects in real life.
It was cold and there was icy rain on Saturday. I was glad I’d planned ahead and run all my errands on Friday, when it was bright and clear.
Charlotte stole Bea’s breakfast. Charlotte won’t eat wet food off her own plate; only if she can steal Bea’s.
Sigh.
I turned around three small coverages and did my judging quota in the morning, so I wouldn’t have it hanging over me all day. By the time I was finished for the day, my second of the four categories was complete.
I did a couple of hours’ worth of work on the ghostwriting rewrites. I listened to some of the score of ONE TOUCH OF VENUS and percolated that story.
My old home library on the Cape contacted me to renew the card. Which is weird, because the week before the move, I’d let them know I was moving. So I emailed them back, to remind them that we no longer live there, and are part of the CW Mars network now. I mean, I still get books from the Cape via Commonwealth Catalogue, but. . .
I read the next book for review, which was quite good. I skimmed through some library books which didn’t satisfy me and went back into the return pile.
A quiet day, and I actually got a few things done. Read Kelly Bishop’s memoir THE THIRD GILMORE GIRL in the evening. Of course, I’d seen her play Sheila in the original A CHORUS LINE. I worked a show off-Broadway with her years ago, and really enjoyed working with her (although I had mixed feeling about the show). I was curious to read what she had to say about it, and gave an ironic laugh when it was given just a few paragraphs. But then, the show had been a year and a half of my life, whereas she was only in it for a few months. And she’s worked on plenty of bigger projects. It’s all about perspective.
Slept reasonably well. Weird dreams about undercover work (tied to what I’ve been reading lately). I hope that means April is about writing, not about, you know, being undercover! I’d be awful at being undercover.
Charlotte was impossible in the morning, and all during meditation. She’s started using meditation time to sneak into Bea’s room and eat Bea’s breakfast. So, today, I kept Charlotte on my lap during meditation. Not a very peaceful time, with Charlotte squirming and wiggling for the entire time. This from the cat who can sleep on my lap for hours at a time without moving – and who, as I write this, is curled up fast asleep on the couch.
I did the day’s judging quota, finishing the third category, then switched over and worked on the ghostwriting revisions for a couple of hours. After that, I adapted about eight episodes of ANGEL HUNT into three chapters. A decent morning’s work.
I need to rejig the content calendar for January. I looked at it, and whatever logic I applied when I came up with it a few weeks ago escapes me now. I will look at it again later this week. I suspended promotions shortly before Christmas because there were so many out there, mine wouldn’t have had impact, especially the way I had them running. It made more sense to give exhausted shoppers a break, and start again after the turn of the year. I have to be consistent about it, though; keeping my pieces in front of the potential readers means sales, and sales help pay bills. None of the current social media channels have the conversion rate Twitter had in its heyday, and that means my income has taken a hit there. It’s more time intensive and harder to craft the individual piecemeal campaigns structured for each channel’s strengths, which then cuts into the money, because time is money. Hopefully, when some money comes in, I’ll be able to have a reasonable paid advertising budget this year. And maybe some swag.
Read the second book for review in the afternoon. It’s good, if somewhat difficult to navigate at times.
Bea revealed a fondness for Gouda cheese in the afternoon, when she stole a piece off my plate before Charlotte could get it. I was, in fact, trying to keep Charlotte from snatching it when Bea made her move, stopping Charlotte and me in our tracks. It’s the first time Bea showed any interest in the humans’ food since she arrived, and I’m wondering if it was simply to thwart Charlotte (who does love her specialty cheeses, especially if they are from Cricket Creek Farm over in Williamstown). Bea was trained by the feline equivalent of Fagin. My friend in Beacon, who originally rescued her, said Slick was probably the one who trained her, when he wasn’t running dice games out behind the garage. (Slick is the cat who brought her to my friend’s place, part of the Ridge Runner Gang).
We are the rest of the Coq Au Vin for dinner. Charlotte, of course, wanted some. She doesn’t care about regular chicken, only the fancy recipes. She didn’t get any, because Coq Au Vin is cooked with both Cognac and burgundy.
I was very sorry to hear about the death of former President Jimmy Carter, a truly decent human being. I got on social media to read what was going on, and the tributes (I’d stayed off it for most of the day – I’m trying to go back to Digital Detox Sunday).
Slept reasonably well. Had a dream about working with someone with whom I definitely do NOT want to work with again (we’d worked together on the show with Kelly Bishop, which is what must have triggered the dream). I hope that’s not a genuine portent for May.
It still rained on Monday, although it was reasonably mild. I got up late, much to Tessa’s dismay, and had a bunch of ideas for the anthology story. I posted the links to the Community Tarot Reading (it’s here if you missed it). I wrote and submitted the two reviews, and asked for more work.
I could feel myself slithering into the End of Year Pit of Doom, a place from which I don’t really want to start 2025.
I did, however, get a nice thank you email from the librarian at the Clark, where I sent her information she mentioned she needed a few weeks back. I’m glad she can use it, and the email cheered me up somewhat.
I did my day’s quota of judging. I looked for the Excel workbook with my monthly work totals, and, of course, it was gone. Because electronics fail me EVERY time. So I put together a new document in Word. Just putting in the numbers depressed the hell out of me, and I’m sure it will do so even more when I sit down and add them up in a few days. Not because the numbers are small; I worked hard this year. But the return doesn’t justify the numbers.
The sun sort of came out for a bit, which cheered things up.
Finished judging the final category for the contest. Sent that off. Turned around 3 tiny coverages. Had all kinds of issues getting my next books for review. They were assigned just fine, but I was having technical issues. I hope the computer’s not about to die, on top of everything else. Got in a couple of more tiny coverages, which I turned around.
Received an invitation for the next steps for the For the People Leftist Library Project Cohort. I have an interview on January 7th, where I talk about my experience with libraries and present a plan for working with my home library.
Received the link to the rough cut of “The Effie Effect” which I will listen to later today. Looking forward to it!
Was sad to learn about Linda Lavin’s death. We worked together off-Broadway – on the same show with Kelly Bishop, although I think Linda had left by the time Kelly came in, because Valerie Harper, who took over for Linda, played opposite Kelly. Linda was very strong and specific. We got along well, although some others on the show found her difficult. Her artistic instincts were right on the money, and she knew how to both stand up for herself, and advise those around her to set strong boundaries. I learned a lot from her.
Woke up at 2:30 this morning, and could not get back to sleep. Gave up and got up once the coffee got going. This does not bode well for staying up past midnight tonight. I will probably take a nap this afternoon and further throw off my sleep schedule. Don’t remember my dreams, so I hope that means June will be drama-free.
I got my Hoopla sales figures for November. Can’t retire on them or anything, but they were reasonably strong, and hopefully December’s will be even better. Hoopla and Kobo have the best sales figures for me at this point.
On today’s agenda: a small coverage; hoping that more coverages come in before the pay period ends at midnight; work on the ghostwriting revisions; work on the short story; listening to the rough cut of “Effie.” A light grocery shop (especially since I’m walking and using the rolly cart).
I always cook special meals on the Eve and the Day. We will stay up to welcome in the New Year. Tomorrow morning, I will make Eggs Benedict for breakfast, a New Year’s tradition. And then start the New Year.
As discouraged as I feel here, toward the end of the year, and as much as I’m bracing for what’s to come, overall, 2024 had a lot of good in it. I will go through that tomorrow, as I finalize my goals, dreams, and resolutions for 2025, and celebrate the good things, using them as a foundation to build a solid 2025.
New Year’s blessings to you and yours!
December 30, 2024
Mon. Dec. 30, 2024: Intent for the Week — Navigating Stormy Seas
image courtesy of Dimitris Vetsikas via pixabay.comMonday, December 30, 2024
New Moon
Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
Chiron Direct (as of yesterday)
Rainy and mild
This week offers challenges on multiple fronts, and I just have to do the best I can to navigate them. I’d hoped to end/start the year on more positive notes, but we play the cards we’re dealt.
The Community Tarot Reading for the week is up on the Cerridwen’s Cottage site here.
Onward!
December 27, 2024
Fri. Dec. 27, 2024: When Things Don’t Add Up
image courtesy of Dennis Clarisse via pixabay.comFriday, December 27, 2024
Waning Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
Cloudy and very cold
2nd Day of Christmas means last night’s dreams are about February
2nd Day of Kwanzaa – self-determination
4th night of Hanukkah
How’s your week going? Are you getting some rest? It’s still very cold here, although it’s supposed to warm up over the weekend.
Yesterday morning, I spent time on the contest judging (the one I’m mad at). The first shipment of books for the other contest (the one I enjoy & have been doing for a decade) is set to arrive today, so that will need to be sorted.
Negative COVID test, thank goodness, but isn’t that a wrought 15 minutes each time? I’ll test again tomorrow. And yes, will mask with one of the new KN95 masks when I go out on errands later. No fever, my voice is coming back, a little bit of a runny nose, but that’s it.
Doing a lot of pondering about how I want to navigate the coming year, where I want to put my energy, where I want to withdraw it.
Finished the Harriman biography. The biographer was a little bit of breathless fangirl at times, but it was still interesting. Frustrating, but interesting. I wish Harriman’d still been alive and working the power lines to keep IT out. She loathed IT, knowing exactly what IT was/is. And loathed Reagan.
Read a book that was in my stocking, by a fairly prolific author I hadn’t read before, and won’t read again. The protagonist is prissy and overly goody and self-righteous. While she doesn’t demean other women in the book by using “witch” as a slur, her boyfriend does. Off the list. I’ll put the book in a Little Free Library somewhere and someone else can have it. Once the car is fixed.
So, the car. The light for the coolant at the top of the dash comes on red, which is supposed to indicate overheating. How can that be, when the car hasn’t been used in days and it’s subzero? The actual gauge shows the temperature at the bottom of the gage, which means it’s too cold (and should be, then yellow, not red). There’s no sign of a leak under the car, either a puddle or a frozen over puddle. The hood was frozen shut, so I’m going to have to wait until it warms up to poke under it. I’m hoping when it’s a little warmer, it just solves itself, but I doubt I’ll be that lucky.
One step at a time.
I took a nap in the afternoon because I could. But then, of course, I had trouble getting to sleep last night.
I have one tiny coverage to turn around today, and then more contest judging. I’m hoping I can finish one of the four categories today, and be close to finishing a second.
Pat M., thanks for posting about that submission call in yesterday’s comments! I pitched the song “I’m a Stranger Here Myself” from ONE TOUCH OF VENUS, and got the go-ahead to submit. It’s not a guarantee it’ll make it into the anthology – in other words, I’m writing on spec, which I try not to do too often – but it mixes Broadway and crime fiction and musicals all together, and I Have An Idea for the piece. I’m going to let it percolate over the weekend, and get started on it early next week. It has to be submitted between mid-January and mid-March, so I’m okay, time-wise. For the moment.
I’ll listen through the entire score over the weekend. Since I want to set the story over the backdrop of a revival of the musical, that will get me oriented.
Also on today’s agenda: since the weekend is supposed to be awful, weather-wise, I have to get everything done today. I’ll dig out the rolly cart. First stop is the library; I have about 10 books to return, and 8 to pick up. Then, I’ll continue a few blocks to the grocery store and get in a few things for the weekend, and head home. It’ll be a bit of a hike, but do-able. It’s easier to do one big sweep that trot back and forth. The rolly cart is from the 1960’s, so it’s nice and sturdy.
No idea what I dreamt last night, so hopefully February will be quiet, too.
It was hard to get out of those cozy fleece sheets, although the scent of coffee is a powerful motivator. It does, however, tempt me to take to my bed like a Victorian heroine for the weekend, just because I can.
Bea is so cute. I’m so glad she’s with us, and I think she’s happy to have a home. She likes to hang out near me, which is good. Her big thing is that, first thing in the morning, she wants to cuddle with Tessa BEFORE breakfast, whereas Tessa is stern about breakfast first. I’m letting them work it out. Tessa likes having her around. Charlotte changes her mind 50 times a day, but overall, is pretty good. Once the tree is down and things are cleared away, we’ll start working on having Willa get along better.
December 26, 2024
Thurs. Dec. 26, 2024: We Had A White Christmas
image courtesy of Duckleap Free Resources via pixabay.comThursday, December 26, 2024
Waning Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
6th Day of Yule
1st Day of Christmas = Dreams are Omens for January 2025
1st Day of Kwanzaa — Unity
3rd Night of Hanukkah
Cloudy and cold
How was your holiday? I hope you had a lovely time, with good company, good food, and good rest.
If you’re curious about the 12 Days of Yule, you can read more about them here. Next year, I will probably do a daily deep dive on the Cerridwen Iris Shea site and post about them on that Instagram account.
As far as the Twelve Days of Christmas goes, along with the partridge in the pear tree, whatever you dreamt last night is your portent for January. I hope it was good!
I don’t remember what I dreamt last night, so I hope it means a quiet, drama-free January.
Christmas Eve was fine. I turned around the six small coverages in the morning, and then judged more manuscripts for the contest. I was done in the late morning and could just spend the next day and change hanging out and reading and playing with the cats.
A friend of mine got injured, and I feel bad because the car isn’t working, and I can’t go help her.
Emails and texts exchanged with friends about the holidays, which was nice and cheerful.
Headed down to the end of the street on foot to Cumberland Farms to get English muffins and milk.
A coverage came up in the queue due on Christmas Day. No. Just no. I let it pass right by. Let someone else have it. A couple of coverages had come up on Monday due on the Eve that paid only 1/3 of what rush coverages usually pay, and I just let them go by, too. No. Just no.
Read a lot. Read a book about the rituals done by women artists and man, do we work five times harder than anyone else or what? Because all the rest of the physical and emotional labor of living is also on our plates. Maybe we can find a healthier way forward.
Flew through the next couple of Martha Grimes books. I should be used to the way she loathes her female characters by now, and yet, it still surprises me in every book. What can I learn from this, in regard to my own writing? (Many things, actually, including how I don’t want to depict the women in my own books).
My mom wanted baked haddock for Christmas Eve dinner, so that is what we had. It turned out well. I dropped the ball on making desserts; I meant to bake, and then I didn’t.
We usually open the gifts under the tree on the Eve and just do the stockings on the Day, but my mom was deep into her book and wanted to open everything on the Day, so we made like Icelanders and read, which was nice. And burned down the candles on the Advent table.
Slept well. It snowed overnight, just enough to be pretty. Did the stockings first thing in the morning. Unwrapped gifts after breakfast. Our friends were so thoughtful and gave us things with such meaning and humor. Love it.
Tessa was like a kitten, playing in the wrapping paper. The other cats sat and watched her, shocked, since Tessa is usually a Grumpy Old Lady keeping everyone on schedule. But she was like a four-month-old kitten again with the wrapping paper. This is Bea’s first indoor Christmas, so she’s taking her cues from the other three.
When Tessa was finished, we cleaned it all up.
It was bright and sunny, and the apartment gets great light, which is wonderful.
I started cooking the big dinner in the late morning, so we could eat around 1:30 or 2. Since we’ve moved here, I’ve gotten into the habit of making Coq Au Vin for the Day, which we really enjoy. So we had a nice meal, cleaned up, and then relaxed and read some more.
I’m reading a biography of Pamela Harriman. Basically, her father-in-law, Winston Churchill, pimped her out to anyone he thought would be helpful to Britain in WWII. It does go to show how awful people have always been, especially those in power. And especially those who try to justify it.
Slept well. I have to start dealing with the car today (it will be a long process, I feel). I also want to take another COVID test today, just to be sure. I’m hoping it’s just a cold, but we don’t live in a world where one can put anyone at risk with assumptions. Not that there’s anything I can do if it’s positive – I can’t get to urgent care because I don’t have transportation (and can’t afford a taxi, nor would I want to put the driver at risk), and I haven’t met my new doctor yet, so it’s not as though I’d get a prescription for anything to help. So let’s hope it’s negative. Since I live in a country without healthcare for anyone but the rich.
I mean, I don’t feel particularly bad, just annoyed, and my voice is coming back. I still sound like an aging showgirl, but maybe with only a two-pack-a-day habit, instead of a three. That’s what I get for saying I hadn’t been sick on the holidays since I left working in theatre! Jinxed myself. I’ve been using liquid Tylenol, alternating with goldenseal, the echinecea, then honey, then slippery elm, and lots of warm teas.
I have thank you notes to write, and contest judging to do. And I wanted to have this be a big day off, so around all these other things, I hope I can do that, too. I wanted this space of time between the holidays and the turn of the year to be kind of hermit-y. I just didn’t want it to be for health and car trouble reasons!
One day at a time. I’m hoping some coverages come in over the weekend. I made a little bit of money this pay period, but not nearly enough, which has been the chorus of the last few months. Which is why I’ve been pitching for other jobs, and let’s hope something comes through in the next few weeks.
In the meantime, I’m hoping for a mostly positive day, even though I’m worried about the car, and puzzled by some of the research I’ve done on the topic not matching what’s going on in the car.
One step at a time, right? Hope you had a good few days, and have a good one today.
December 25, 2024
Wed. December 25, 2025: Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and happy first day of Hanukkah to those who celebrate.
Whatever you’re celebrating (or not), I wish you a peaceful, happy day.
December 24, 2024
Tues. December 24, 2024: Christmas Eve
image courtesy of Rosy / Bad Homburg / Germany via pixabay.comTuesday, December 24
Waning Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
Christmas Eve
Snowy and cold
Merry, merry, to all who celebrate! I often joke that, for me, holiday season is October 31-January 6. We do a mix of long-honored family traditions with what brings us joy in any given year.
This is our 4th Berkshire Christmas. I can’t believe how fast the time is going. Or how long it’s been since living in New York (we were on Cape Cod for 10 years before we lived here).
If you didn’t get a chance to check out the tarot reading for the week on the Cerridwen’s Cottage site, it is here. I also have another spread I did just for the Solstice here.
Friday morning, I got out the ghostwriting assignment – in the morning, my friends, not at the end of the day. I spent a few hours doing a final polish before I sent it off. I then headed to the grocery store to get in what I needed for Solstice, the Eve, and the Day. The submission was acknowledged, and they told me to go ahead and invoice, which is great. I wasn’t expecting to be able to invoice until mid-January. There are upcoming conversations with the creative team, and we’ll see where we are from there.
I was wiped out in the afternoon. Just out of words. At one point, I looked out of the window and thought, “why is it snowing?” Um, maybe because it’s winter?
Read and rested. Mostly read a book that I found somewhat bland and boring, but didn’t have the energy to put it down and look for another one. Heated up leftovers for dinner, and went to bed early.
Saturday was the Winter Solstice! Busy times, here. It’s when we change over to the fleece sheets, always a favorite for both us and the cats. I posted a tarot reading for the Solstice on the Cerridwen’s Cottage website, another one I created, specifically looking ahead to working with the Hermit card in 2025. I used the Robin Wood Tarot for it, one of my favorite decks. You can read it here (as mentioned above).
Made the devilled eggs for the Solstice celebration, delivered cookie platters to yoga and the bookshop next door. Checked with my friend to see if she needed a ride to Solstice, but she had her car back. Packed up what I needed for Solstice, and gifts for those who I knew would be there tonight, but hadn’t been at tarot on Wednesday.
Headed over early enough to help them set up. It was a glorious ritual, and so many people! The place was packed. I got to add my greens from last year’s wreath to the bonfire (much better than trying to burn them in the cauldron out on the back balcony and frightening the neighbors). We had an excellent, uniting ritual and then good food and conversation.
I was home at a reasonable hour, had a snack, and just relaxed and played wit the cats. Bea was so happy, playing with both Tessa and Charlotte. Then Willa came and was aggressive and upset everybody’s apple carts (nobody was hurt). But because of that, Willa forfeited her bedtime treats.
Woke up around 2, then slept until a little after 6. It was -2F when I woke up.
I did some more work on the contest judging. We were supposed to have a month for the entries. We have 18 days, because they had “technical difficulties” on their end, but didn’t extend our deadline. I asked for one less category this year. Instead, I got the same categories with double the entries. Now, they’ve shaved another day off the deadline AND asked me to take on more.
Bite me.
This is what I get for volunteering.
I’ll fulfill my commitment this year and do it without having a tantrum, but not returning next year. They don’t listen, they schedule it for the busiest time of the year, and they don’t work with us. Not the right fit for me.
Even though it was cold, it was lovely and sunny. I did the Community Tarot Reading for the Week and scheduled it to go live yesterday. The link is above.
Mostly, I rested, enjoyed watching the clouds, and made like a cat, basking in the sun. It’s fitting to have a sunny day right after Winter Solstice.
It was -6F when I woke up on Monday morning, and the furnace struggled. We were down to 64F inside (we try to keep it at 68). We got it back up later in the day, but it was colder than usual, and we bundled up. I had laryngitis by then. The OTC cough medication I took didn’t help, but goldenseal, echinacea, special teas made by my friend, and honey did. I took a COVID test, just to be sure; it’s negative. I’ll take another in the next few days, just to be sure. There are only two places I’ve been unmasked, so I must have picked up a germ at one of them. (I still mask in stores and in the library, but did not mask at either of the parties I went to in the past couple of weeks. And I only mask at tarot if someone comes in sick, which most of them don’t, because they care for the community).
I read a really fun book, THE AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO MURDER, co-written by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White. There were a lot of really fun inside jokes. At first, I was worried it was an overlong skit, but it upped its game and was a lot of fun.
I had to mail a bill. Only when I started the car, the engine coolant light turned bright red, and the car started screaming. I pulled back into the parking space and turned things off. And walked. It was 8F by then, so it wasn’t that bad.
I cannot afford a major car repair.
I did my best Scarlett O’Hara, deciding that I will think about it on Thursday. Or Maybe Friday. I’m hoping that when things warm up, the coolant will unfreeze and not be an issue. I might tap a neighbor who knows more about cars than I do, as well as doing some internet research.
Some scripts came through; paying crap, so I grabbed as many as I thought I could get through reasonably yesterday and today. I did 6 yesterday, and I’ll do 6 today. I spent a little over an hour judging The Contest I’m Mad At, and I will do the same tomorrow. I refuse to work on Christmas Day. Their disorganization is not my emergency. Especially when I’m not being paid.
I’ll just stay in my blanket fort for a few days!
A friend of mine rolled her eyes when she found out I had laryngitis. “Of course, you do. You did a ghostwriting project and weren’t using your voice.” I also am swallowing my anger at that one contest, knowing that speaking up won’t do a thing except cause more trouble, and it’s all sitting right there.
I didn’t manage my energy properly on the ghostwriting assignment. If we continue together, I will have to adjust that.
By the time I went to bed, the cough was almost gone, and I had some of my voice back. I slept well; woke up a few times, but went right back to sleep. When I woke up, I was coughing again and had no voice. So we’ll try to work our way back from that again today.
Bea was minding her own business by the tree this morning when Willa came into the room, in full bully mode. Both Tessa and Charlotte intervened. Charlotte hissed at her and Tessa gave her a cuff that sent her ass over teakettle down the hall. Willa is pouting in my mother’s room, feeling very ill-used. I’m glad Tessa and Charlotte stand up for Bea; Willa has to learn she can’t be a bully. There’s plenty of attention and affection for everyone.
On today’s agenda, the above work, and then enjoying the holiday. I still have to wrap my mom’s gifts, and then I’ll probably do the work in the morning and have the rest of the day off. We unwrap presents on Christmas Eve and then read. We read and eat food and have the stockings on the Day. So it will be quiet (we hope). It’s supposed to snow today, about 3 inches, so we will have a pretty holiday. It snowed overnight, and the plows are out.
And, later in the week, I will have to deal with reality.
Have a good one!
December 20, 2024
Fri. Dec. 20, 2024: Invoking the Typing Gods
image courtesy of Roy Buri via pixabayFriday, December 20, 2024
Waning Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
Cloudy and cold
Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice! Yay!
Yesterday morning, we were out of the house so my mom could have her first appointment with her new primary care physician. I was afraid they would turn us away, because of the dispute with the hospital bill, but everything was fine. We paid the co-pay and there we were.
The new nurse is very nice, but we miss the former nurse, a guy my mom just adored. The new doctor is young and energetic. My mom is his first patient who is 100, and he’s eager to have her healthy. He listens, ask questions, responds specifically to questions I asked with actual information. None of the waffling the way the previous doctor did. Her numbers were good, and he thinks she’s doing well, especially for her age. We’ll come back in April, and he might actually take her off one of her medications. She had to have a blood draw, but other than that, the whole thing was smooth.
We came home, I took care of a few things, and I went back to the ghostwriting project. I finally finished the draft at 10:30 PM. And then I couldn’t get to sleep until after midnight. And then felt like I’d been rolled over by a truck who then backed up and did it again.
When I woke up, I realized I’d used the wrong year to mark the dates (part of the outline requires day/date chapter headings). So I had to go back and fix all of those. I think I have to do another pass to take out some semi-colons. While I love my semi-colons, their style guide suggests they are not fond of them.
This morning, I will do another polish and proof. I need to get it out the door in the morning, so it’s not landing on someone’s desk the Friday afternoon before the holidays.
And either I am someone they think will fit their voice, and we move forward, or I’m too far off the mark, and they won’t. I hope we can at least have a few editorial discussions to see if I can move into their house style.
I get paid for the trial no matter what, after a few rounds of edits. I hope it won’t be pushed too far out due to the holidays.
Because no coverages came in this week at all for me, even with a contest deadline last Monday and one today. And I have bills to pay in January.
Some of our packages have arrived, ahead of time. One, to Greenwich, made it to Stamford and is now back in MA for some reason.
Got a rejection for a residency which was not unexpected; had I received it, there’s a good chance I would have had to refuse, depending on how some other things shake out. I also was rejected from a development/reading series about an hour east of here with a very nice letter, but I kind of rolled my eyes at the “we had 25 scripts and there’s no room for you” when, last year, SERENE & DETERMINED was chosen out of 700. It just makes room for something else in that time period, even if I don’t yet know what that is.
Once the ghostwriting trial is out the door, I have to go to the grocery store to get our goodies for the holiday next week, and the supplies so I can make my infamous devilled eggs for Solstice. Which means I have to sit down and actually make a list.
I have a few more cookie platters to deliver tomorrow, and also the ones for the neighbors.
Once I come home from Solstice on Saturday, I’m hunkering down for the week. I’ll do coverage work if it comes in (and it better), and work on the contest judging. If edits on the ghostwriting come in next week, I’ll work on them around the holiday.
But mostly, I need to rest.
Growing up and then working in theatre, I was ALWAYS sick around Christmas. Once I left working in the Petrie dish that is backstage, I could actually enjoy the holidays. This year, I’ve run myself down, mostly due to financial stress, and I don’t want to end up sick and miserable. I want to be peaceful and cozy instead.
I’m not even discussing the looming shutdown in detail except to say I’m tired of unelected, moneyed bozos calling the shots.
Have a good weekend, friends!
December 19, 2024
Thurs. Dec. 19, 2024: Under Pressure
image courtesy of Ana María Romero Velázquez Thursday, December 19, 2024
Waning Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
Cloudy and cold
You can read the short post over on Gratitude and Growth. Not much to say, I’m afraid!
Yesterday, I wrote and submitted the book review, and submitted the batch invoice. Was paid within the hour (love this client), and got my next assignment. That money has to go right out the door to pay the internet bill, but at least it arrived.
There’s been nothing all week from the other client, in spite of a deadline having come and gone.
The entire rest of the day was spent on the ghostwriting project. I’d hoped to finish it so today would be just about polishing, tomorrow morning a final proofread. I’m close to finishing, but not quite there yet.
It was a good day’s work, although more finicky than the way I usually work. But I’m there to work within their vision. Part of the reason it’s taking me longer than I expect is because I’m trying to match their parameters. But I’m happy with the work itself that I am doing, and I hope they are, too. I hope we can have constructive conversations about how I can align better with their voice, and then move on to the next trial assignment.
I worked right up until the moment I had to leave for tarot. The only reason I made myself go to tarot is because I had small gifts for people. Otherwise, I would have stayed home and kept working. My brain was mush there, and I wasn’t able to contribute much. It was hard to get home in the bad weather, but I managed.
I started the contest judging, mostly so the administrator would get the eff off my back. This is the second year I’ve done this contest. It will be the last.
Heard from the other contest (the one I’ve been doing for years) that my first shipment is on the way. It should arrive December 27, so I will start that reading right after the new year.
I am out of ink again because of course I am.
Cooked dinner, read for pleasure in the evening and played with the cats, because my brain was cooked, and I was worried any work I’d do on the ghostwriting project would be counterproductive and just need to be redone today.
Did not sleep well. Got up early. Got the cats fed. Tried to sit for meditation, but Charlotte was being impossible, and my mind was scattered. I had to keep “beginning again” every two minutes until the entire session was over.
This morning I have to take my mother to her new primary care physician, and hope we are not turned away because I am still fighting about the hospital bill. The rest of the day is about finishing and polishing the ghostwriting project. I want to get it out the door earlier in the day tomorrow, not at the last minute at the end of the day.
I’m feeling a sense of stress that is somewhat out of proportion to reality, worried about worst case scenarios instead of dealing with what is just in front of me, and I need to stop.
I need to get the ghostwriting project out the door; I need to finish cookie deliveries; Saturday evening I’m attending a Solstice ritual, and then doing my own. Once I get the groceries in for the holiday, I am just hunkering down next week and doing as little as possible. If scripts come in, I will turn them around (but not on the holiday itself – I’m tired of the pressure to work through all weekends and all holidays).
I need some rest and some mental space.
On the upside, two of the packages sent out on Tuesday are set to arrive early! Woo-hoo! Hope the cards are starting to arrive, too.
Have a good one!
December 18, 2024
Wed. Dec. 18, 2024: Boundaries for Uninterrupted Work Time
image courtesy of StartUp Stock Photos via pixabay.comWednesday, December 18, 2024
Waning Moon
Chiron, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars Retrograde
Incoming Snow
Yesterday it was up in the 50’s F and today we’re expecting snow.
Yesterday was a more challenging day than I had hoped early on, but it levelled off somewhat. After a frustrating early morning, mostly to do with convoluted administrative crap that was out of my control, I managed to get the first set of cookie platters packed and the cards and packages into the car and headed out.
First stop: post office. Gave them their cookies, mailed off all the packages, bought some extra stamps so I could mail out all the cards. Everything is out. Not sure when the cards will hit – I’m hoping by Christmas Eve. Most of the packages are supposed to arrive Friday and Saturday, with one, to an old family friend on the West Coast, by Monday. So I’m figuring it will be a few days later than “expected” but still by the Eve.
From there, I dropped off the cookie platters I had made up. I still have a few more to do, places that weren’t open on a Tuesday, and I have to do the ones for the neighbors.
I got home around lunchtime, feeling like I’d been rolled over by a truck. I love delivering the platters and making people happy, but I’d been so worried that I couldn’t get everything mailed within my budget, and so relieved I was able to do so.
I did a bunch of marketing, since I’m behind on that.
Had hoped to start the reading for one of the contest I’m judging, but didn’t have the chance. Not as worried about it as I might be, especially since the administrator nagged me for “not logging in” or acknowledging the start of judging – both of which I did – AND assigning me to four categories to judge, when I’d only asked for three because of the timing around the holidays. I said I could not do four. Reminds me why I said, last year, I wouldn’t do it again. Maybe I’ll learn my lesson this year. IF I get enough done today, I will start. (The other contest, the one I’ve been judging for years and get paid to judge, assigned me the four categories I requested, and starts in January)
Worked on the ghostwriting project, although didn’t get as far as I hoped. My goal is to finish the draft today, and then polish tomorrow, so I can send it off on Friday morning (Friday is the deadline).
I did not make it to yoga, and felt guilty about it. I did, however, read the next book for review, so I will write the review this morning, submit it, and then invoice.
I already did some work on the ghostwriting project this morning, and it’s going well. The plan is head down working until I head for tarot, with a couple of short breaks to write the review and invoice, do some marketing, do a bit of the judging.
I have some small gifts for tarot group this afternoon, although I’m worried about the incoming snow. We’re supposed to get about another 4 inches.
Feeling stressed and pulled in multiple directions. But the most important thing is the ghostwriting project, so that’s what I’m doing now.
Have a good one!
