With one flat foot on the devil's wing
On Tuesday, I ran out of my prescription allergy stuff - and was told that I couldn't get the refill until yesterday, which is typical. I don't know what weird, bad magic it is, but for some reason my helpful nose-spray-goo (Flonase) is always used up a few days before the insurance company says I'm allowed to have any more. Well, this time it ran out at exactly the wrong time because OH LOOK, SPRING.
In short, my head pretty much exploded. I literally didn't sleep more than an hour straight all Tuesday night, and I was absolutely useless most of yesterday ... so, yeah. That's yesterday's excuse for not getting any writing done. Once my 'scrip was obtained and I could breathe again, all I wanted to do was sleep.
I tried to resist. I did practical, non-thinky things like laundry and yardwork. (Weeding, watering, etc.) But mostly I just lounged on the couch, moaning, blowing my nose, and pretending not to watch HGTV.
* * *
Tomorrow I have to be up a little early, in order to meet one of the fine gentleman who's coming over to see about our back yard. It's got some...issues, you see. And now's the time to start getting estimates regarding its repair in a few weeks.
Why a few weeks? These reasons: (1). my Big Spring Royalty Statement hasn't landed quite yet, and that will affect the final budget, (2). it's the busiest time of year for landscaping companies, and I don't expect anyone to be able to start work any sooner, and (3). I live in a historic district, and although landscaping isn't regulated by the zoning folks, structural issues like retaining walls/landings are - and sometimes it takes a week or two to get all the paperwork in order.
I'm not particularly worried about the zoning folks. They've been very easy to work with in the past, and I've doublechecked their historic guidelines (available as a PDF online, conveniently enough); nothing we plan should pose any conflict.
And what do we have planned? Depending on how far the budget stretches (and how that royalty check shapes up), we'd like to (1). repair/restore a concrete landing poured in 1930, for it is cracked/sinking/letting water under the house, (2). repair/restore (rebuild, essentially) a catastrophically failed retaining wall, (3). add a second retaining wall, with (4). a patio/walkway at its base [where the vegetable garden used to be].
Everything except the patio is a necessary fix that needs to happen sooner, rather than later. But dammit, I will have a place to sit outside with the dog and sip mimosas under a big umbrella get some work done in the fresh air.
Anyway. One dude is coming over tomorrow to give us an estimate. Next week, I'm getting a second quote for good measure. Like a civilized grown-up, I am.
* * *
I think last year's purple finches have returned to the front porch! That's the good news. The bad news is, I think they've picked a flower basket for their nest ... rather than the nook in the eaves. Naturally, they picked the flower basket that's hardest for me to reach. - not that it will prevent me from playing bird paparazzi again, once the eggs hatch and there are FLUFFY BABY BIRDS TO OGLE. Gently. When their parents are away.
And I guess I'll have to water the basket very, very carefully. And rarely. If at all.
[:: sigh ::]
* * *
Here's today's progress on my witchy art-deco horror novel about Lizzie Borden thirty years after her parents' deaths - now featuring ghosts and non-ghosts alike, anti-Catholic conspiracy nuts, supernatural political shenanigans, the mafia, and a Bonus! space-worshiping murder cult hiding behind the KKK:
Project: Chapelwood
Deadline: October 1, 2014
New words written: 1979
Present total word count: 63,638
Things accomplished in fiction: Poor little axe murderer. He's having a terrible day.
Next up: Courtroom results and fallout.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; replied to some emails; did some writer business; cooked lunch and made myself some tea; not much else, to be honest. I'm still dragging a little.
Other: I got nothin'.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 97,031
In short, my head pretty much exploded. I literally didn't sleep more than an hour straight all Tuesday night, and I was absolutely useless most of yesterday ... so, yeah. That's yesterday's excuse for not getting any writing done. Once my 'scrip was obtained and I could breathe again, all I wanted to do was sleep.
I tried to resist. I did practical, non-thinky things like laundry and yardwork. (Weeding, watering, etc.) But mostly I just lounged on the couch, moaning, blowing my nose, and pretending not to watch HGTV.
* * *
Tomorrow I have to be up a little early, in order to meet one of the fine gentleman who's coming over to see about our back yard. It's got some...issues, you see. And now's the time to start getting estimates regarding its repair in a few weeks.
Why a few weeks? These reasons: (1). my Big Spring Royalty Statement hasn't landed quite yet, and that will affect the final budget, (2). it's the busiest time of year for landscaping companies, and I don't expect anyone to be able to start work any sooner, and (3). I live in a historic district, and although landscaping isn't regulated by the zoning folks, structural issues like retaining walls/landings are - and sometimes it takes a week or two to get all the paperwork in order.
I'm not particularly worried about the zoning folks. They've been very easy to work with in the past, and I've doublechecked their historic guidelines (available as a PDF online, conveniently enough); nothing we plan should pose any conflict.
And what do we have planned? Depending on how far the budget stretches (and how that royalty check shapes up), we'd like to (1). repair/restore a concrete landing poured in 1930, for it is cracked/sinking/letting water under the house, (2). repair/restore (rebuild, essentially) a catastrophically failed retaining wall, (3). add a second retaining wall, with (4). a patio/walkway at its base [where the vegetable garden used to be].
Everything except the patio is a necessary fix that needs to happen sooner, rather than later. But dammit, I will have a place to sit outside with the dog and sip mimosas under a big umbrella get some work done in the fresh air.
Anyway. One dude is coming over tomorrow to give us an estimate. Next week, I'm getting a second quote for good measure. Like a civilized grown-up, I am.
* * *
I think last year's purple finches have returned to the front porch! That's the good news. The bad news is, I think they've picked a flower basket for their nest ... rather than the nook in the eaves. Naturally, they picked the flower basket that's hardest for me to reach. - not that it will prevent me from playing bird paparazzi again, once the eggs hatch and there are FLUFFY BABY BIRDS TO OGLE. Gently. When their parents are away.
And I guess I'll have to water the basket very, very carefully. And rarely. If at all.
[:: sigh ::]
* * *
Here's today's progress on my witchy art-deco horror novel about Lizzie Borden thirty years after her parents' deaths - now featuring ghosts and non-ghosts alike, anti-Catholic conspiracy nuts, supernatural political shenanigans, the mafia, and a Bonus! space-worshiping murder cult hiding behind the KKK:
Project: Chapelwood
Deadline: October 1, 2014
New words written: 1979
Present total word count: 63,638
Things accomplished in fiction: Poor little axe murderer. He's having a terrible day.
Next up: Courtroom results and fallout.
Things accomplished in real life: Neighborhood jaunt with dog; replied to some emails; did some writer business; cooked lunch and made myself some tea; not much else, to be honest. I'm still dragging a little.
Other: I got nothin'.
Number of fiction words so far this year: 97,031
No comments have been added yet.
It's awards season, so here comes the shameless self-promotion
Hello everyone! It's awards season and this is my job, so please click through and take a peek if you are so inclined. Don't worry - it's short! I only published a couple of things this year, and I in
...more
- Cherie Priest's profile
- 4358 followers
