B.A. Tortuga's Blog, page 27

Wordless Wednesday

I Miss Yoga

I miss yoga a lot.

We moved to New Mexico in mid-2013, losing my yoga studio, my teachers. Losing Texas.

Lots has happened since this, some of it great (we got married, we bought a house, my mom moved to town), some of it not so great (I have been diagnosed with a serious illness, Julia’s daddy died, my daddy had a stroke).

One of the things we haven’t done is find a new place to practice yoga. My new church has a class — I just have to build up the energy to try it out. But basically I haven’t done yoga in 2 1/2 years.

My doctor tells me that reducing my stress is vital to controlling my disease, so I bought a subscription to myyogaworks for a month. 

Last night, I tried it for the first time.

The good: My blood sugars lowered 80 points in 30 minutes. My stress levels plummeted. I slept.

The bad: Just sitting on the floor was hard. I have no flexibility left. My left shoulder hurts so bad, omg.

I did the pre-sleep restorative yoga. I liked the teacher, I like the poses. I did sleep well. 

I’m going to convince the wife to try again tonight.

Namaste, y’all, and much love,

BA

What I'm Working on this Week

Two major deadlines this week. Pray for me. Writing:Hand Me Down — sequel to Ever the Same C. Ranch — 1st in a new series for Dreamspun DesiresDouble U — 1st in a new series for Pride PublishingEternity is a Long Time — cowrite with Julia for Cereus: HealingSoft Place to Land — sore spot, still no askingHidden Under the Suds — m/f short for TEB In edits/rewrites:Old Town New in editsWhat She Wants in edits At beta:nothing At proofing:Picking Roses Subbed:nothing Next week's plan?Survive. :D

What I'm Working on this Week

Man, company/the holidays/sickness has been wearing me down. :P Writing:Hand Me Down — sequel to Ever the Same C. Ranch — 1st in a new series for Dreamspun DesiresDouble U — 1st in a new series for Pride PublishingEternity is a Long Time — cowrite with Julia for Cereus: HealingSoft Place to Land — sore spot, still no asking In edits/rewrites:Picking Roses in editsOld Town New in editsWhat She Wants in edits At beta:nothing At proofing:Smashing the Spotlight Subbed:nothing Next week's plan?Survive. :D

What's Going On with Me: Or Me and My Zombie Arm

So, you know when you have a medical problem and they start running tests?

And those tests lead to more tests?

And then one specialist becomes another specialist becomes a team of smart folks trying to keep you alive?

That's my life the last few months.

In October, I went in for a routine 6-month arterial scan after my angioplasty and they found things they didn't expect. Instead of one blockage, now I had four. Instead of plaque, they found stenosis without it. Instead of pulses, they found a whole arm without it.

In November, the cardiologist started stressing, sent me to a rheumatologist and discovered that, instead of having peripheral artery disease (which is relatively common), I have this extremely rare disease called Takayasu's Arteritis. O.o

What does this mean?

I'm not 100% sure anyone knows.

I know it's meant 26 vials of blood so far. I know there's a bunch of arterial scans coming up and a slew of anti-everything drugs that I am taking for the next few weeks to start what is most likely a life-long series of infusions to tamp down my immune system. Apparently this disease closes off major arteries randomly (including in my eyes and organs) and then the vessels above the blockages get badly damaged.

The good news is I'm not hurting, I'm still running, I feel okay. 

The bad news is... well, I guess the worst news is the enormous risk of stroke/heart attack. The next bad news is that after I start all this medication, I'll have to work super duper hard not to get any infections.

I've told my family and everyone keeps asking how I am. How am I? I think I'm in shock. I keep waiting for someone to tell me it isn't true. How do I get some weird-assed random disease?

I'm scared. I'm scared of the money this is going to cost. I'm scared about having a stroke and being a burden to my wife. I'm scared of not being able to think about anything but the next set of tests, the next rounds of meds, the next doctor's visit. 

I also know me. I know that I'll figure it out, that I'll learn how to process this and understand how I feel beyond just this sick, dull horror.

Part of me wants to say, look. I've apparently lived with this for years, screw the medication. Screw the poison you want to pump in my veins. Everybody has to die of something.

Part of me says, hey. You have a good life. The best life. A woman that loves you, a home you love, puppies. You have to fight with everything to keep that as long as humanly possible.

Another part of me just says, I'm really tired. Let's watch Sherlock and have a glass of wine.

At any rate, that's where I am. Me and my zombie arm and the disease I have dubbed Hackysack Margaritas.

Much love, y'all.

BA

Rainbow Brew: Brewing Inspiration

My wife, Julia, and I love to write together. We spent hours talking and plotting and wandering and wishing and doing "what if?"
"What if there was this guy?"
"What if there was this guy?"
"What if there was this guy?"
It's how we fell in love and we'll be doing it in our graves.
At any rate, we were exploring our new New Mexico home and we were screwing around in Santa Fe when we found this quirky, tiny little coffeeshop.

Coffeeshop of joy.
We went in, ordered coffee and sat down. It took about six seconds before the game to begin. What if there was a magical coffeeshop?
What if it was here?
What if it was a doorway between dimensions -- reality and... somewhere Between.
Somewhere special.
Somewhere outside of time.
What if...

What if the place was safe and good. A place of joy. A universe of acceptance and really good sex?

What if an architect and an artist met, right there? Between the Real and the Between?

Rainbow Brew was born and Brewing is the beginning. 
Excerpts and blurb here: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-brewing-1908645-149.html

Wordless Wednesday

Guest Blog from B. A. Brock :D

Hi, BA! Thanks for having me on your blog!

We’re both “BA”, but if you’d like, you can call me Badger, because brocc means badger in Old English. Maybe I could call you Tortoise? *wink*

I love your passion for fistfights and romance, and while my boys aren’t rednecks, they are warriors. To be honest, they don’t wear jeans or boots either, more like tunics and sandals. But they have trusty steeds, who they’d give their lives for, and they are tough—demigod tough. Sometimes I can’t decide what a demigod enjoys more, fighting or f*cking. Admittedly, in my fantasy world there isn’t much room for love, but out of the sweat and blood, two demigods find each other, and their passion changes the world.

King of the Storm from DSP Publications.

Blurb:

No one can outrun destiny or the gods.

In Epiro, a kingdom in Greece, Perseus is prophesied to be a great demigod hero and king, with a legacy that will shape the world of Gaia. When he was born, his grandfather exiled him, and his mother brought them to Seriphos, where she created an academy for demigod youth. Perseus trains there and waits for the day when he will be able to take the throne of Argos.Despite potential future glory, Perseus’s fellow students think he is weak. By the time he reaches manhood, he has given up the hope of having any real friends, until Antolios, a son of Apollo, takes an unexpected interest in him.  Perseus and Antolios fall in love, but Antolios knows it cannot last and leaves Seriphos.
Perseus, grief-stricken and lonely, rebels against the Fates, thinking he can avoid the prophecy and live his own life.  But when the gods find him, he is thrust into an epic adventure. With his divine powers he fights gorgons, sea serpents, and other monsters, and he battles against his darker nature. Perseus strives to to be the man he wants to be, but the gods have other plans.

Buy Links:

DSP Publications: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/king-of-the-storm-by-b-a-brock-168-b
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/King-Storm-Godhead-Epoch-Book-ebook/dp/B016R8B2QE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445303370&sr=1-1&keywords=king+of+the+storm+by+B.+A.+brock

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king-of-the-storm-b-a-brock/1122806360;jsessionid=DDFEC4ED6F172948359F60D03A8737BF.prodny_store01-va07?ean=2940150812529



B. A. Brock has lived most of his life in the Pacific Northwest. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in 2007 at Portland State University—which he mostly uses to contemplate how we can achieve a civilization more closely aligned with Star Trek.

When not writing, Brock spends his time reading/reviewing novels, training for marathons, and bemoaning the fact that the world has yet to make a decent gluten free donut.

You can find more of his works, as well as reviews and his blog at http://www.babrockbooks.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BABrockBooks?ref=hl

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/BABrockBooks

What I'm Working on this Week

Still have company, but less than last week... Writing:Hand Me Down — sequel to Ever the Same C. Ranch — 1st in a new series for Dreamspun DesiresDouble U — 1st in a new series for Pride PublishingEternity is a Long Time — cowrite with Julia for Cereus: Healing In edits/rewrites:Trial by Fire in editsOld Town New in editsCoke’s Clown in editsWhat She Wants in editsFais Do Do in rewrites At beta:nothing At proofing:nothing Subbed:Smashing the Spotlight Next week's plan?Survive. :D

Throwback Thursday -- Moma & Me 1971