Archive for previous entries this month
December
1, 2007Welcome to December
That's what it was like at about five am on December 1. I was still up, trying to get a few things done before I slept.
And this was what it was like when I got back up:
You know, it wouldn't have been too terrible, except for the scooping of sidewalks. Ice crystals are far heavier than snow flakes. An inch of them was just about more than I could handle. I had not scooped snow more than once or twice in the last thirty years.
I got FM updated today. I've worked on the newsletter, which seems to be going very well. I did a little writing and I'm going to do more. I've printed off the weekly schedule like I was doing before NaNo so that I can get back into the habit of a few things.
So, I've survived my first winter storm and the first week with Russ gone. It seems a lot longer.
December 2, 2007
Ice
Long day. I had to fight with the Newsletter, but I think I got it right in the end. I did a little writing, but not enough -- that's two days in a row, and not a good way to start the month out. On the other hand, I watched Tin Man tonight. This is the first thing I've watched live in probably early 2001 when I stopped watching the third season of West Wing.
You'll do odd thing when you are suddenly living alone. Tin Man wasn't too bad, really. I'll watch the next part on Monday Night.
I've gone back to reading The Great Books of the Western World, too. I've decided the Odyssey is really the original fanfiction -- a story that brought back the characters from The Iliad. I'm enjoying it more than I liked the Iliad, at least.
And that's it. I need to get some more work done.
December 3, 2007
Bats
Yes, yes, they're bats. And they're big. But they're cute, too. I took this picture back in January and haven't really looked at it much since then. But I went looking for a picture of a bat because I'm reading about bats in the Animal Life Encyclopedia. I think I'm on Volume 11. Only two more to go after this. It's been a great set of books to read. And it was good to go back through some of the pictures tonight and look for a good bat shot. I'm going to work on sorting through all of them and get some more up on my blog. Since I won't be going to the zoo for a long while, it'll be a good time to get caught up.
A year or two ago, I told myself that I was going to rewrite at least one Devlin novel a year. I decided to start one of the shorter pieces tonight. I need something to work on, and it actually appealed to me, which was nice. I've been bouncing off of things for the last couple days. It's always nice to find a fun project for the end of the year. I still have A Plague of Rats to finish, too -- but It's likely not going to take much more than 10 to 15k. So I needed something else anyway, and I needed it now, when I'm having trouble finding the next step for Rats. I think, it helped loosen things up. I've got ideas again for Rats, and I'm going to write out an outline to finish the story up. That will help.
I've been watching Tin Man. Interesting show. I wonder where it's going. It's not the Wizard of Oz, and since that was never really my favorite movie, that's all right. I'm not sure how I feel toward DG, but I like Glitch. There's a great 'wounded hero' character, still holding to his morals.
But it's a dark story, and that worries me about what's going to happen to these people by the end.
I haven't watched anything on 'live' TV for years, so this is quite an experience for me. I'm not used to commercials, and I can't say I appreciate the KFC and Taco Bell ones right now. I think I'd probably kill for a couple steak supreme chalupas right now. And bean burritos. Some Nachos Bell Grande. You know, if Taco Bell delivered, I'd be in trouble, because I would squander what little money I have on Taco Bell feasts. Sad, isn't it?
Must not think about it. Or chicken strips and potatoes and gravy, some biscuits on the side.
Gah. Never mind. It's 3 am, and I really need to get this done and posted, and then get to bed for a few hours.
December 4, 2007
Pip, Wind and Willow
Another late night, and I really can't say I got much done for it. I did get a few notes written for Plague of Rats. I'm going to try and write the outline to the end of the story before I go back to it. I have the Devlin stuff to do right now -- providing, of course, that I actually do it. I can't say I got much done today. Zaphod is staring at the screen and watching the words appear. Should that worry me? Or maybe he's staring at the picture of the three cats and wondering why he's not in the picture.
I saw the end of Tin Man tonight. It ended better than I had hoped. For a Steampunk version of The Wizard of Oz, it's really not all that bad. I like the character of Glitch. I'm trying to figure out how to adapt some of his qualities to a character for a book I've been doing notes on for some months -- Draw the Line. I want to start the book on January 1, but I'm not certain I'll be ready.
Still reading about bats in the Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. I decided a second bat picture might be too much.
We're having a windy night. Temps dropped quite a bit again.
I think I'll go head to bed and sleep for a few hours and see if I have better ideas for things to do tomorrow. Somehow, it seems unlikely, but I'm willing to give it a try.
December 5, 2007
Today's Snow
It is Karma, you know. All those years I always wanted it to snow because I thought it was lovely. And because I didn't have to deal with it. Now it has snowed more this month already -- and another big storm due on Saturday -- then I remember in years. I suppose it's only fair.
Only my back and left shoulder are killing me. I'm going to try and go to bed -- it's already 5:30 am -- and hope that I feel better when I get up.
Don't ask me about writing. Just don't.
I was so excited about Russ coming home, that I forgot to copy the December 6th entry here. Ah well. No great loss, believe me.
December 7, 2007
Winter visitor
Russ is going to be here soon! I just got an email from a friend who says he's less than an hour away!
This is so great! I can't wait to see him.
There is no other news, of course.
December 8, 2007
Lights and snow
It's been nice to have Russ home today! We even sneaked out and ate lunch at our favorite restaurant -- the place where we had our very first date.
Right now, Russ is likely on a bus somewhere between here and Omaha, where he is going to pick up the car and come back. Then he'll drive the car back to Minneapolis late Sunday or very, very early Monday. I say 'likely' because he wasn't certain he'd be able to get the bus ticket tonight. I suspect he must have, or he would have been back by now. So that's good. It means we'll have more time together tomorrow!
He's been in Minneapolis for a week, and will be there for another week, for training and testing. I was upset that he was so close, but there was no way we would see each other. This has been very nice.
I haven't gotten much done, though. I need to get at least a little writing done tonight.
December 9, 2007
Pretty colors, slick street
Russ will be leaving in a few hours. We had a busy day, and it was really nice to spend the time with him. And I even had Taco Bell!
I'm sorry he has to go back, but I'm grateful he took the time to come down. We've restocked on food for me and the cats, he got the Internet bill paid (now there's something important!), and he took care of a couple local jobs that he hadn't gotten a chance to finish before he left.
We both get paid in about a week, which will be a great help. Would have been nice to be paid before he got here, but it was enough to spend some time with him.
The cats were happy, too.
And now I'm going off to bed. It's VERY cold tonight.
December 10, 2007
Dark trees
Russ is back in Minneapolis now, and he'll be back in New York in a few days. it was great to have him here for two days. I'm feeling much better about things tonight, even though he is gone again already. I think it was the surprise and the feeling of not being abandoned that helped.
Now, if I can just get back to real work, I'll be very happy. I've done the newsletter, though, so not all is lost! And I'm reading a great book on Digital Black and White photography. I'm looking forward to actually learning some real tips and playing with it again. I used to love working with black and white in my darkroom, back in the dark ages, but I haven't really applied myself to it for digital stuff. Hmmm.... I think I'll find out what kind of paper is considered the best for black and white digital prints. And what kind of printer, for that matter.
And that's about it. Need to focus more on writing, but I'll get there.
December 11, 2007
Painting of Willow
I was tired all day -- right up until about 12:30 am when I was suddenly not tired for no reason at all. Lucky for me, I am starting to get tired again, because I really would like to sleep for a while tonight.
Writing went well enough today. And I played with some art stuff like the picture above. I need to keep a steady amount of writing going, though, because I don't want to find myself fighting to get things done on the last day of the month/year.
I need to get myself better organized for next year again. Some of the things I tried this year worked, and others just kept annoying me and putting me farther behind on the stuff I really needed to do. With DTF closed down to submissions for awhile, I am going to turn my attention to writing and maybe art and see what I can do again.
Other than that? Not much going on. The book on Digital Black and White Photography has been wonderful, and I've picked up a few tidbits on things that I never would have thought of. I'm more than half way through the Odyssey and it's been wonderful, too. In fact, I'm taking it to bed with me tonight to read more -- it's another thing to get done before the end of the year.
And that's it. Didn't watch anything. Really didn't do much more than sit here and work and work and work. Really have to do something about that, too. No hold it -- I did scoop the snow this morning. That was so long ago, I forgot it was since I was last in bed.
And now I'm going to go read and then sleep. Zaphod is sitting here with his eyes closed, he's so tired. It's very cute.
December 12, 2007
Pond, Squaw Creek Wildlife Refuge
The picture was taken back in May of 2000 and with the trusty old Sony FD7 -- that was the camera that saved pictures onto little a-drive disks. I've been copying thousands of them off to hard drives and CDs over the last couple years.
I played a great deal with the picture above, of course, doing several layers and blending them together. The camera shot at less than 1-megapixel (one's today are usually 8 to 10, though my DSCH1 is only a 5 megapixel camera). The pictures tend to have a lot of pixilation because of that but they're still fun to work with sometimes. And they are pictures I wouldn't have had otherwise, because I couldn't have afforded to do all the pictures i did with digital if I had been shooting with film.
I am gradually, slowly learning more about how to work with the post production equipment, and I have to say that it's been a lot of fun.
And distracting, of course, which is something I really need. The days are pretty long here with no one but the cats to talk to again.
December is going quickly. I have so many things I need to get done -- and instead I sit and play with the photos and the DAZ stuff. And you know, maybe that's what I need to do instead of worrying so much about things that really are not going to matter much in the end.
Okay, a couple more hours of work, and then I'm heading off to bed!
December 13, 2007
One of the guys on my desk
Russ flies out of Minneapolis tomorrow and back to New York. I'm glad he came home last weekend, so we at least got a little time together.
Now, at best, he'll be home on the 21st and fly back on the following Monday -- so no matter what, I'll be spending Christmas alone. And it will be expensive for him to come back. I'm starting to think maybe we should wait another week or so, and let him get a second check. Looking over my supplies, it looks like I can mostly stretch them out for another two weeks.
I hate the idea of the holidays alone. I hate most everything about this, in fact, so that's not surprising. It's come to make me realize how absolutely little importance I really hold in anything and how the things that are important to me have no baring in the real world. Okay, I knew this before now, but it's been made very apparent recently.
So this is pretty much it for my holiday spirit this year. It wasn't like I was expecting much, but I really didn't think it would continue to just get worse.
December 14, 2007
Cat at the window
Russ is back in New York. He might have to come back next weekend (the weekend before Christmas) because the car is sitting at the airport lot in Minneapolis. A friend might be able to retrieve it, but if not -- well, the bill could run up for more than the car is worth, I suspect.
I have, unfortunately, reached the 'I don't care anymore' stage about things. It's a bad mood, and I hope it passes quickly. It's hard to get anything done in a mood like this. I wish it was just past the holidays. I've always looked forward to holidays, and right now I think it would be far better just to get them over with and move on. If Russ had started the job in January, it would have been much easier in this respect. Knowing that I'm going to spend the holidays alone is just depressing.
I am not putting out any decorations or doing anything like that, which I've never liked doing alone anyway.
Russ should have his first check tomorrow, in the mail. I'm betting on Monday myself, and I'm betting it's not going to be as much as he hoped -- but it will be the first step to getting things paid off, and that's good. I should be paid Monday or so as well. I've been dropping most of the money into the checking account to take care of some problems there, and Russ used it to pay the car insurance -- they take PayPal! -- for the last couple months. I've still had a little to play around with at DAZ, so that's fine. Now, if I just had the time to actually do something with the models.
Writing is going okay. Nothing spectacular, but it's moving. Since we're so close to the end of the year, this is a very good thing.
I am NOT writing a Teddy Bear story this year. It will be the first time in more than a decade, but there is no way I can work myself up into a 'cutsey' holiday story mood.
December 15, 2007
Working with digital black and white
I'm actually getting the knack of this black and white stuff -- and learning more about adjustment layers in PSP. They work pretty much the same way as they do in Photoshop, so even reading directions pointing at Photoshop is helpful. The color original of this is quite lovely (below), but it was really fun to work with getting the different tones in the black and white version.
The writing is going fine, too. I'm having fun with the Devlin story, at least. I need to work on other things, but I'll get there. I still have half a month, and not a whole lot else to do.
December 16, 2007
Snow and shadows
I have just now finished the newsletter and sent off the link to have it looked over. I'll have more to do after people go over it, but for the moment, again, I am done. I should be paid today (Monday), which would be nice, though it will likely all go for bills again. Eventually I'll have money to play with again.
Good to have the newsletter done, though. I'll have one more to do for the year.
That's it. I'm tired. Time to call it a night and go sleep for a few hours.
December 17, 2007
Edmond
Isn't that a great picture? I'm really happy with that one.
Trying to get the contracts done for Vision and ran into a little bit of computer trouble. And now it's late. I think I'm going to stay up and get them done anyway, because I'd like to have that part of the work caught up.
I'd like, in fact, to have virtually everything outside done soon, and then drop into manic writing mode for the rest of the year. That would at least get me through the holidays, I think.
Other than that? Nothing, really. Boring day, dealt with one 'child' and spent too much time trying to be polite (and not always doing as well as I should, probably), and trying to get certain things on my computer to behave. It was my own fault. I hadn't been as attentive to the poor beast as I should have been, and the primary hard drive got too full. It's better now, and when I have time, I'll start moving even more stuff off.
December 18, 2007
The Look of Winter
It's a little after 4 am. I have been up working on the next DAZ newsletter, because they want it on the day that I would normally only start to work on it. I've gotten some of it done, but not the writing yet. I'll need to do that tomorrow. Tonight -- This Morning -- I don't have enough of a brain left to do it.
I was very ill for a good part of the night. I hope it doesn't come back. I need to get things done over the next few days.
And now I'm going to bed. I need the rest.
December 19, 2007
Cute
I might have used this picture before, but I just came across it again. I think it's so cute! I wish the little guy's face was not a bit blurred, but still, it's fun.
I finally worked a bit on Plague of Rats tonight. I'm writing the last of it out in a straight narrative, getting the flow and the ideas down. When I do my edit on it, I'll write it out with dialogue and all, but for now, I think it's more important to get the storyline finished, rather than keeping hitting it and bouncing back out again.
I hope, in fact, to have it done tomorrow. However, knowing how things have been going lately, it will likely take me a few more days than that.
I have most of the basics done for the next Newsletter. I'll have it all together tomorrow.
So there. That's my news. And now I'm off to sleep for a few hours again.
December 20, 2007
Silly Boy
Gah. Bad night. Horrible pain through my shoulders and neck. Computer went crazy and then wouldn't restart -- took three tries, but I got it back finally. I've felt ill all day, and this hasn't helped.
On the other hand, I did get all of the newsletter done that I can get done.
Maybe tomorrow will be better.
December 21, 2007
Fun Stuff
I finished A Plague of Rats tonight. Finally! The ending is. . . . sketchy would be putting it mildly, but I have what I need to expand it later, when I do the rewrite/edit. When I got to the end, I realized that there were things I really needed to change earlier on in the story, and it will be stronger for it all. I'm happy with the draft!
That's about the only really good news I have. But at least it's something!
I'm going to get this posted and then work on something else for a little while, and then sleep. At least tonight my neck and shoulders don't hurt nearly as bad as they did last night.
December 22, 2007
Edmond over Zaphod, and both asleep
It looks as though Russ could be home next weekend for a couple days -- going back New Year's Eve, I think. That will be nice. And a good thing. Supplies are starting to get low.
Hard to believe the year is almost over! And for some reason, I can't focus on much of anything right now. I have to get going on a couple things! Part of it, I know, is just getting past the holidays by myself. My plan right now is to get some writing done and then get some sleep. Get through the next few days, then have a couple days with Russ, and then back to this new version of 'normal.'
I can't say I'm all that thrilled with it.
December 23, 2007
Pretty little design
Looks as though Russ will be home next Saturday and not leave until New Years day. That will be nice for both of us! I'm looking forward to it.
But I have a lot of work to get done before then. I had thought I was going to be alone all those days, and I'd have time to get all kinds of things finished up -- Vision, FM, my writing, preparations for 2008. I'm not complaining -- I'm just wondering how I am going to get it all done.
I better get to work!
December 24, 2007
Some of my little glass kitties
Happy holidays!
No Teddy Bear story this year, though I have posted the latest Sangre holiday story, and there will be a last one in a few hours.
I'm still not sure what I'll do next year!
I am still working away tonight, though, so this will be short. Hope everyone has fun!
Nancy -- thank you for the package of goodies! Email me at zette@longlines.com. I seem to have lost your email address!
December
25, 2007
December 26, 2007
Snow
We had a pretty snow, really. Not a lot of it, and no wind, so it coated things like the lilac bushes here.
I've been very tired today. So much so that I've had a hard time working at all. I'm not sure what hit me, but I hope I can get past it quickly. I need to get things done and I'm running out of year. I suspect that for the first time in many years, one of the stories is going to carry over into 2008. That's all right -- I'll still have it done well within my one-year rule. And allowing myself to not get crazy about it is really a relief. I can concentrate on the things that HAVE to be done and not worry about what I don't get done when Russ is here for a couple days.
Ah. Good. I feel better already.
And tired.
December 27, 2007
Rime Frost
We had a lovely fog last night, though how you can have fog when it's only 13f out, I really don't know. The fog crystallized into frost this morning, making for some really nice pictures. Getting the fog picture last night was cold! but I like the way it turned out. Doing the other pictures today wasn't nearly as bad!
Russ will be home early Saturday morning. I'm still trying to get things done!
December 28, 2007
Looking for trouble
Russ will be home in a few hours -- he thinks about mid-morning. I've been trying to get things done around here, and I can't say that I'm doing a particularly great job of it. Still, I'm getting there.
I'm having a hard time with the concept of 'end of year' this year. I know there are all kinds of things that I need to get done and figure out. I get the feeling a lot of them are going to happen on the first.
That's all right. Sometimes you just have to stop stressing over all this stuff and get things done when you can. That's how I'm going into the end of this year. 2007 has been stressful enough without adding to it for things that really are not going to matter that much.
Nevertheless, it is time to get back to work!
December 29, 2007
Beautiful Day!
Russ is home! He made it home about 6:30 am. I'd only been to bed for about an hour. He feared if he went to bed he'd sleep through the day, so he was going to go out and get some things done -- bank, payments, that kind of thing that he could only do today.
He came back in and got me because it was so gorgeous out. So we spent hours out running from here to there. I slept for about an hour in the car at one point and a couple hours more here at home later -- and now I'm REALLY tired. Good thing I was wise enough to get my writing done early today (and why I was still up at 5:30 am.)
Here are some pictures from today!
December 30, 2007
I think he's looking for summer
The end is coming! The end is coming!
And I am no where near ready for it. Gah.
Just thought I'd let you all know.
December 31, 2007
Edmond Stretching
It is now less than an hour until 2008. I am still not ready for it, and at this point, I really don't care. I'm spending the evening with Russ. He'll be leaving tomorrow and I won't see him for several weeks again, so I think the rest of this stuff can wait until after he's gone.
So happy New Year everyone!