djonn | Reading

BUSINESS FIRST: The Uncle wishes everyone to know that there are still signed copies of Diviner's Bow available from his website. Signed books make wonderful gifts!

The preview is showing Fair Trade because the link takes you to a catalog page where all signed Lee-and-Miller editions are gathered into one happy place.

Here's the link.

Wrote +/-1060 very drafty words, which I am not adding to the Official Count until the scene is finished. Which it ain't.

So, questions on Tali's preferred brush. It's called a Safari brush, and is a soft, two-sided rubber brush. There are Tricks to using it. I use the brush, then I take a towel and just smooth it over the cat to get the last of the loose fur out. Tali likes both the brush and the toweling, which are both very gentle operations.

What's so special about dumplings? someone asks. No, not Bisquick dumplings. Chinese steamed dumplings, stuffed with chicken, or pork, or veggies, or combinations thereof. There are also sweet fillings available, but today I went with the savory -- chicken and mushroom. Very good; I expect I'll be a return customer.

The food truck court is right around the corner from a house that Steve and I seriously considered buying, Some Time Back. We decided that a house that had three steps between the kitchen and the dining room, and three steps from the living room to the bedroom, one step from the bedroom to the bathroom, and two steps down to the sunroom, might not be so good if one of us got sick. Nice house in many ways, including having a separate office wing, and an attached garage, but the stairs were a deal-breaker. But, man, what a location, twelve years down the road.

In more personal news, Ashley has left me; she has discovered that she's allergic to cats. This means I'll be doing my own housework (poor writer; like she hasn't been doing her own housework for 50 years), which isn't necessarily a Completely Bad Thing. I'd been looking for stuff to hang a Schedule on, after all.

Also! I will be taking a Social Media Free Day tomorrow in order to Concentrate on the WIP. For those who worry about me not having enough fun, I do have turkey burgers, and buns, and baked beans, so that I can be appropriately festive.

Everybody stay safe; those who are picnicking or otherwise celebrating -- have fun!

Let's check in with each other on Saturday.

rolanni

What went before: Did some handwritten work; tomorrow I'll be typing. I still haven't figured out who XX are, but I'm sure they'll tell me bye-n-bye.

Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served up; I've got a couple more things to do, then I'll be pouring a glass of wine.

Everybody have a good evening; stay safe. I 'll see you tomorrow.

Oh. For some reason, this got kicked up by the photo program -- this would be me on my 61st birthday at The Lindsey House B&B in Rockland Maine. FWIW.

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA[/caption]

Thursday. Sunny and warm. Thunderstorms called for, later, with hail.

Breakfast was cream cheese on an English muffin with grapes on the side. I am back from the chiropractor, and thought I was in for the weekend, but! There's a Dumpling Truck at the KMD Food Truck Court today, and -- it just might be that I'll have to go out again in a few. We'll see. I mean; it's not like I don't have food. OTOH -- dumplings.

Today, I do intend to devote most of my time to writing, dumplings or no dumplings. Tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday will be more of the same. I know what I'm doing first off, so -- all good there.

I spent some time with my Garmin Watch this morning, and to hear it tell the tale, I live a Very Stressful Life. Which I'm supposing is not impossible, Given Everything. It's worth noting that the days when I'm, err, less stressed, are days when I'm writing, so -- I'm going with that.

Tali's fan club will be happy to know that I've finally found a brush that Tali likes; she was purring the whole time, and even turned over for me, so I could brush her belly.

In other news, I'm listening to Faking It by Jennifer Crusie. I'm having an OK time with it, but something about the narration itches at me. Maybe some books just aren't meant to be read aloud? Though Steve read it to me when I was being bathed in the energy of one thousand angry suns every day. OTOH -- I found Steve's voice soothing.

My reading is A Gentleman of Questionable Judgment, the 9th Lord Julian novel, which I had somehow missed, so now catching up.

. . . and, yeah; I'm for dumplings. I was going to have stir-fry chicken and veggies for lunch, anyhow. Dumplings will go great. And it's not like they can't be steamed and heated up for later.

See me convince myself?

So -- who has a long weekend coming up? Plans?

Sometime Later: The chicken and mushroom dumplings are to die for.

And the lavender honey latte is good, too.

Yeah, I went crazy.

It's summer. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Here's a picture of Tali, post-brushing, and the boys, Judging me:

rolanni

What went before: Oof.

I wasn't feeling 100 percent when I got up this morning, late but not rested after a very mixed sleep. My knee hurt, my back hurt, my hands hurt, yada, yada, poor writer.

Anyhoots, I thought I'd shake it off, and went, slightly groggy, about my business, including going to the grocery store, and getting gas, and visiting the local pet store. Came home, put everything away, made something -- oh, veggie stir fry -- for lunch, and still felt lousy.

So, I picked up Rookie, who happened to be on my lap, and carried him with me to the bedroom, where we had a lovely and refreshing two hour hap.

I cannot praise Rookie's nursing skills enough. He immediately donned his professional aspect, walked around the top of the bed, laid down on my stomach to make sure I was flat to the mattress, then came 'round and snuggled into the side of my neck, purring until I went to sleep.

I feel less achy, and I've done the dishes and other chores, so the plan is to go to the needlework group, come home, serve up happy hour and my own supper, go to bed early, and see if I can't do some writing tomorrow.

How's Tuesday treating everybody?

Wednesday. Cloudy and going to be warm. Feeling much better today.

Breakfast was half an anything bagel with cream cheese and a side of grapes. Drinking my first cup of tea. Lunch will be something to do with chicken breasts.

The only hard thing on the schedule is a visit with the chiropractor in about an hour. Nothing after that until... Monday? And of course Tuesday is the Gala Celebration of Rookie's Gotcha Day.

In theory, therefore, I have four-and-a-half days to write. That sounds promising, even -- exciting. I have a couple scenes, as yet unconnected, that I want to sketch in, and also a continue on the narrative as it stands. This book could be more complicated. OTOH, this is more or less how Salvage Right went together, so the nut hasn't fallen far from the tree.

I've thinking off and on about the conversations I've had recently about colleagues who have resorted to reading genre romance in order to up the romance in their sf/f novel, or! to figure out What Women Want, in terms of a hero -- and why that makes me ... uneasy.

And, I think I've finally figured that out. The problem is that genre romance has its Conventions, as does sf/f. One of those is: The Relationship Drives The Plot. The characters may have other problems, other friends, and, yanno, A Life, but the primary problem that must be solved is how are the lovers going to (1) get together and (2) go forward. You don't, mind, have to SEE them go forward, but it has to be implicit in the HEA that commitment has been achieved and the partners will be going forward together.

A romance writer who is doing her job, therefore, makes certain that the Love Scenes (be they hot or be they sweet) move the characters toward their HEA. They are not only tied to the plot, they are drivers, and there's a reason they unfold as they do.

SF/F has a long-held Convention that states the Big Problem must be solved at all costs: love and life not being exempt. Love scenes still ought to happen For A Reason, as all scenes no matter the genre ought to happen For A Reason, but the romance and the resolution of the relationship are very, very seldom the primary problem, and the relationship is often used to make more poignant the victory. And because the pacing of sf/f novels and romance novels are so VERY different, the inclusion of Love scenes is also different.

(At some point, someone is going to ask me how they're different, and I'm going to tell them to go read a swath of Romance and another swath of SF and get back to me. So just be aware.)

Then there's the vexed question of What Women Want in a (Male) SF Hero. The answer to this has been answered many times in sf/f. I offer the Liaden books as one example, and because they're handy -- but there are many, many others.

In quick sum-up: Men who are strong, but emotionally available; who protect kittens, but who also realize that kittens have claws for a reason, and to deny them the opportunity to use their close is to damage the kitten's nature. Men who laugh, and who cry, and who aren't afraid to say, "I don't know." Men who are willing to learn, and to teach, and to play. Men who are people, I would say, though I've been accused of meaning when I do say that, "Men who act like women."

So. Long-Winded Auctorial Ramblings R Us.

What's everybody having for lunch today?

sartorias

I think one or two old Mythies might still be reading here; at any rate, these old friends had been on my mind this spring. Came back to discover that they died a week apart at the end of May/beginning of June.

They met in the very early sixties at the U of Chicago, where both were studying. Robert was a bit on the spectrum; he said, and he stuck with it, he would never date anyone who couldn't read and love Lord of the Rings, which had blown him away when it came out. In retrospect I don't even know how he stumbled across it because to my later knowledge of him he didn't read fiction. Maybe he thought it was a northern saga when he stumbled on the first volume? Anyway, his field was religion and Japanese literature, and I remember him sitting in his rose garden reading copies of ancient Japanese texts for pleasure.

She was also blown away by it, but not especially by him. But he'd fallen hard for her, and when she also loved LOTR, he wasn't about to give up. They married around 1963, I think; by the time I met them in 1967, they were living in West LA, he a professor of Religious Studies at USC. They used to host many meetings of the early Mythopoeic Society; he'd disappear while she socialized with us gawky teens. She was a great role model for us; she was a scholar, married to someone who respected her brains, which was tough to find during the mid and late sixties.

I was on hand to deliver both their kids, now middle-aged. He married my spouse and me in 1980. They became Quakers later; they were firm pacifists and human rights advocates.

Time is just so relentless! But they used theirs well, living gently and kindly, always loving beauty, grace, and laughter.

krad_decandido_feed

Posted by krad418

https://decandido.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/babylon-5-rewatch-interludes-and-examinations/

http://decandido.wordpress.com/?p=21014

Sheridan wants Kosh to shit or get off the pot, Morden wants Mollari back on his side, and Franklin wants everyone to leave him alone. Sheridan gets what he wants, but pays a price; Morden gets what he wants, and Mollari pays the price; Franklin doesn’t get what he wants, but does get what he needs. The Babylon 5 Rewatch has some “Interludes and Examinations.”

An excerpt:

In the grand scheme of things, this is an important moment for Mollari. He’s lost the only thing that brings him joy, which makes him far more dangerous. And I love the way Morden is written in his interactions with Mollari, in particular how he addresses him. When he confronts him in the corridor about Refa’s sudden silence, he calls him “Mollari” with the same dismissive tone that G’Kar uses. When Morden “learns” of Adira’s death, he refers to him as “Londo,” acting the sympathetic friend. And once Mollari reengages in his deal with the devil, Morden respectfully refers to him as “Ambassador,” pretending to be his humble servant when he is, in fact, neither.

https://decandido.wordpress.com/2025/07/01/babylon-5-rewatch-interludes-and-examinations/

http://decandido.wordpress.com/?p=21014

rolanni

Thanks to Kristine Smith for the link that appears at the bottom of this dispatch, which was the first thing I saw when I opened my mail this morning.

The link is to a TED Talk about the importance of creativity, and that everyone creates -- even if it's just that nonsense song you sing to your cat, or deciding to try this instead of that in a recipe. Creation -- varying from the so-called "norm" -- is what makes us human, even more than laughter -- though that's important, too.

How can you tell that these things are important? You already know the answer to this -- Because Someone Is Trying to Take It Away From You.

How do you know your backlist isn't worthless? Because your publisher won't revert the rights. How do you know that having fun is important? Because people are shouting at you to Stop Being Frivolous. How do you know your despicable little bit of money is important? Because somebody is trying to rob you. How do you know that your voice is important? Because somebody is trying to shut you up.

Really, it's a Universal Test. If someone is trying to take something from you -- follow it back and find out why.

I gave a shout-out to the importance of fun in my Heinlein Acceptance Speech, but you can only do so much in four minutes. And I have, as I've mentioned here before, lived a life of Almost Unremitting Frivolity -- writing silly little scifi and fantasy stories; choosing a partner whose gift was making joy, and not so much with the money; indulging myself with cats, and stuffed animals, and music, and baking.

Making art is joy -- your body treats it that way. Make art for half an hour and your stress levels drop. People have been studying this -- obviously slackers who are looking for a way to justify their need to play, to make, to *have fun.*

I'll stop here and go get some breakfast while you listen to Amie McNee

rolanni

What went before: Monday. Sunny and already hot.

Breakfast was oatmeal and walnuts. Lunch will probably be a salad, because -- easy and cool.

I remembered something I wanted to add to the scene I wrote yesterday, and wound up writing a quick 300 words. Much better now. "Cory Robersun," indeed. Oh! And now I know why that's going to be important -- makes note. Yeah. That's good.

So! getting ready to go out to see the chiropractor, then back to do chores, eat lunch, and then out again to meet friends for a catch-up.

What's everybody else doing today?

Where are my mariner/weather radio experts?

I have here in my hand a CCrane Skywave AM/FM/WX/SW/Air radio. I want to listen to the weather radio, in particular the polling of the lighthouses off the Maine coast and the report from Mt. Washington.

I know that the weather bands range from 162.3625 to 162.5875 MHz. My little radio has seven possible channels under the WX setting: 1 (162.400 MHz); 2 (162.425 MHz); 3 (162.450 MHz); 4 (162.475 MHz); 5 (162.500 MHz); 6 (162.525 MHz); and 7 (162.550 MHz). One of these has in the past been the correct channel, but all I'm getting on any of them is static.

My assumption is that I'm doing something wrong, but such is the scope of my ignorance, that I don't know what it is.

Could someone please educate me? I'd really like to listen to the lighthouses.

Spanish Aunts.

So took a couple bags of fiction books including a number by some scifi writers named Sharon Lee and Steve Miller to the library for the book sale. No sense them cluttering up the basement until it's time to clear the house and they end up in the dumpster, after all.

Met my friends, and had a lovely catch-up.

Came home to find that Maximus Medicare has decided Martin's Point made no error in deciding well after the fact that the treatment they told me was covered, wasn't, and I am liable for the entire bill. No one seems to care that this does not particularly make me willing to trust Martin's Point ever again, and I suppose they have a point. If I need a medical intervention, I'm probably going to have it done and worry about being bankrupted by medical bills later.

Coon Cat Happy Hour has been served and devoured. Trooper is sitting on my lap. Tali is lounging on the edge of the desk. I have poured a glass of wine.

Tomorrow, I'll go to the grocery early, I think, then come back for a solid several hours of writing before it's time to go to the needlework meeting.

I think that's it for the day. I'm glad I got in a tiny bit of writing before the day started.

Everybody stay safe; I'll see you tomorrow.

Here are the coon cats, ignoring me and my silly, leafy lunch

davidlevine

If you've been reading this blog, you will have seen me raving about my Live Action Role Play experiences in Europe in the past few years. Well, suddenly the European LARP experience is coming to the United States!

I'm aware of the following LARP events in the US in the next year. Many of these are being run in cooperation with a European LARP organizer. Some of them are still provisional; others are already sold out (though there is usually a waiting list). Check the websites for details and contact the organizers if you have any questions. And feel free to bookmark my public LARP spreadsheet, which I try to keep updated with every LARP I hear about that's of interest to me. (Which excludes vampire and boffer LARPs, for example.)

Miskatonic University North America (Lovecraft) - Pennsylvania
Aug 1-3 2025
https://chaosleague.org/miskatonic-university-larp-us
Daemon (His Dark Materials) - Colorado
Run 1: Sep 26-28 2025
Run 2: Sep 29 - Oct 1 2025
https://www.mooneybinentertainment.com/daemon
Hawkins (Stranger Things) - Wisconsin
Oct 2-5 2025
http://hawkinslarp.com
Monstrosity (Erotic horror) - New Jersey
Run 1: Oct 30 - Nov 1 2025
Run 2: Nov 2-4 2025
Run 3: Nov 6-8 2025
https://www.monstrositylarp.com
Bard's Tale US (Shakespeare) - Wisconsin
Run 5: Apr 10-12 2026
https://www.westcoastinteractive.com/bardstale
Lies & Liability (Regency) - Wisconsin
Late April 2026
https://grimmoire.productions/lies-and-liability/
Outbound Hope Mission (Galactica-ish on a decomissioned warship) - Michigan
Run 1: Apr 30 - May 3 2026
Run 2: May 7-10 2026
https://outboundhopemission.com/
Conscience USA (Westworld) - Montana
Run 1: Jun 26-28 2026
Run 2: Jul 3-5 2026
http://mooneybinentertainment.com/conscienceusa
Hivemind (1960s spies) - USA TBD
Nov 6-7 2026
https://www.hivemindlarp.com/

alierak posting in

dw_maintenance

We're having to rebuild the search server again (previously, previously). It will take a few days to reindex all the content.

Meanwhile search services should be running, but probably returning no results or incomplete results for most queries.

rolanni

37 Copper Script, K.J. Charles (e)
36 The Masqueraders, Georgette Heyer, narrated by Eleanor Yates (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
35 Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard, Nora Ellen Groce (e)
34 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson, narrated by Frances McDormand (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
33 The Wings upon Her Back, Samantha Mills (e)
32 Death on the Green (Dublin Driver #2), Catie Murphy (e)
31 The Elusive Earl (Bad Heir Days #3), Grace Burrowes (e)
30 The Mysterious Marquess (Bad Heir Days #2), Grace Burrowes (e)
29 Who Will Remember (Sebastian St. Cyr #20), C.S. Harris (e)
28 The Teller of Small Fortunes, Julie Leong (e)
27 Check and Mate, Ali Hazelwood (e)
26 The Dangerous Duke (Bad Heir Days #1), Grace Burrowes (e)
25 Night's Master (Flat Earth #1) (re-read), Tanith Lee (e)
24 The Honey Pot Plot (Rocky Start #3), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
23 Very Nice Funerals (Rocky Start #2), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
22 The Orb of Cairado, Katherine Addison (e)
21 The Tomb of Dragons, (The Cemeteries of Amalo Trilogy, Book 3), Katherine Addison (e)
20 A Gentleman of Sinister Schemes (Lord Julian #8), Grace Burrowes (e)
19 The Thirteen Clocks (re-re-re-&c read), James Thurber (e)
18 A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe (Lord Julian #7), Grace Burrowes (e)
17 All Conditions Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) (re-re-re-&c read) (audio 1st time)
16 Destiny's Way (Doomed Earth #2), Jack Campbell (e)
15 The Sign of the Dragon, Mary Soon Lee
14 A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (Lord Julian #6), Grace Burrowes (e)
13 Market Forces in Gretna Green (#7 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
12 Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, Judi Dench with Brendan O'Hea (e)
11 Code Yellow in Gretna Green (#6 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
10 Seeing Red in Gretna Green (#5 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
9 House Party in Gretna Green (#4 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)*
8    Ties that Bond in Gretna Green (#3 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
7    Painting the Blues in Gretna Green (#2 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
6 Midlife in Gretna Green (#1 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
5    The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (Author), Kyle McCarley (Narrator) re-re-re&c-read (audio)
4    The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune (e)
3    A Gentleman in Search of a Wife (Lord Julian #5) Grace Burrowes (e)
2    A Gentleman in Pursuit of the Truth (Lord Julian #4) Grace Burrowes (e)
1    A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances (Lord Julian #3) Grace Burrowes (e)

_____
*Note: The list has been corrected. I did not realize that the Gretna Green novella was part of the main path, rather than a pleasant discursion, and my numbering was off. All fixed now.

martianmooncrab

I have a rash thats spreading, its from a heat rash and other factors gone wild. I have already had a medication issue (and ER visit) ... plus the Va pharmacy thinks I am using up the ointments at a faster rate than they think is allowed. sigh.. I have a lot of ass to spackle there, so I calls into my primary care doctor.

waiting on my brain MRI to see if I still little friend free.... I do apprecaite their followups.

I did score a new upright walker this week, it folds down better and its bright blue!

rolanni

What went before: SNIPPET!

"You are such a smart ass," she said, sadly.

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought that had been well-established."

"Some days, it just shines brighter," Miri said.

And back to work we go.

We're at an awkward hour; the hour wherein Google assures me that there is No Chance of Rain until Thursday, and yet -- that does appear to be water falling out of the sky. It is also the hour wherein I have finished a scene, which adds, in addition to action! adventure! and pathos! to the WIP, +/-1,295 words, for a Grand Total of 46,435. More or less.

It's early in the day yet, but I've made the Conservative Decision to not try to plunge into the next scene, but to gently wind down the day, and the weekend, here. I am pleased with progress made these last couple days. I have a kind of Swiss cheese day tomorrow, so likely there won't be much writing done, but Tuesday is free until it's time to go to Group Sewing, and the rest of the week is free, except for brief visits to the chiropractor. So, it looks good for more writing getting done in a reasonable manner.

There had been an appeal -- somewhere (here are the wages of mirroring my posts everywhere) -- to describe what goes on at Coon Cat Happy Hour. These things of course are confidential, but you look like a trustworthy bunch.

Coon Cat Happy Hour begins about an hour before 7 pm with Trooper announcing that his throat has been cut and this dire wound can only be healed through a proper application of gooshy food to a plate, right NEOW!

At 7, I arise, open a can of gooshy food, split it four ways, arranging each portion artistically on its own china plate. I serve the ladies first, as Miss Manners would have me to do; and then the gentlemen. The ladies tend to share their portions; the gentlemen view imbibing as a competition, to see who can finish his plate first, then horn in on the ladies. The ladies have lately been managing to eat their portions, daintily and without fuss, before the Huns descend from the mountains.

After the dishes are shining clean, I pick them up and put them in the dishwasher.

I then pour myself a glass of wine and join the coon cats in their after-Happy-Hour-Club on the couch, where we read or watch an episode of (lately) Dr. Who until it's time for me to get my evening meal together.

And on that note -- everybody stay safe.

I'll check in tomorrow.

Napping happened this afternoon, and I have proof!

rolanni

So, I had a good day. I can tell you right now that I'm not going to break 50,000 words this weekend. After sorting through my notes and writing a couple of short scenes, the WIP stands at +/-45,140 words. Tomorrow, I believe, will be a day like unto this one.

Outside my windows, the weather was cool and rainy, and briefly thunderstormy. Tomorrow, we'll see temps start to climb again, settling in for the rest of the week around the mid-80sF, and giving the Fourth of July Celebrants a lovely, warm, sunny weekend.

I should say that lunch was so-called "Greek chicken and lemon soup" from the co-op, and it was Good, along with a salad, and a third of the mini-brie (also from the co-op), and bread. I have enough left over for tomorrow's lunch, too, should I wish to go in that direction.

Coon Cat Happy Hour is coming right up, after which I do believe I'll pour myself a glass of wine and watch an episode of Dr. Who.

For those interested, it looks like the cross-posting of my daily rambles is, if not a hit, then at least enjoyable to the majority, so I'll continue doing that for as long as FB makes it easy for me.

For fun during a break, I looked at houses for sale in Northport/Belfast/Lincolnville, which also got me Isleboro, because Geography. Hah, I say. And again, I say -- HAH.

So! What did y'all do today?

setsuled posting in

disneyplusshows

Watch on YouTube

I finally got through the first three episodes of Ironheart that premiered on Wednesday. I find it very dull. I think the main problems for me are the characters, performances, and plot. The special effects are okay. It's not, and I want to be emphatic about this, it's not bad because it's woke.

( Mild spoilers behind the cut )

Ironheart is available on Disney+.

Current Mood: groggy
Current Location: A super space
Current Music: "Lust" - Tori Amos

rolanni

So I managed to do most of the mundane tasks that had piled up on my desk. I haven't, for instance, spoken to Fidium about maybe going with a less-expensive option, now that there's only one Power User on-site, because -- has Fidium's number been hijacked by some scam offering people who call in a free!Free!FREE! wearable call button? Cause that's all I get when I call them -- and what I really want is a sales rep.

I also did not arrange for an extended warranty for the LG washer and dryer because the site is scrod. I have until October, so maybe I'll try again sometime later.

I had a bad few moments when I realized that I'm on the last pack of checks that has Steve's name and mine name on them. I really don't want to have checks that just say "Sharon Lee," not because I think Steve's going to be writing checks anytime soon, but because I actually feel safer with his name on the checks. I guess I'll go over to Checks Unlimited and see if they still have me on-file. The bank clearly doesn't care; they've been cashing the checks with no complaint.

I may not be around much tomorrow or Sunday, because Plans to Write.

And on that note -- everybody stay safe. I'll check in as can.

Here's another picture from Saturday Cove to tide you over (see what I did there?)

rolanni

What went before: Well, as a guy named Steve Miller once said to me, "Lady, we sure can waste some time."

And he wasn't wrong.

As planned, I betook myself to the Searsport side of Belfast and picked up puffin and marble. Returning to Belfast, I shopped at the co-op, including picking up a tuna fish sandwich on whole grain bread, which I took down to the public boat landing and had a picnic.

I wrestled with the question of going down to Ducktrap, and, as reported earlier, I lost. I count it a win that I didn't continue down the coast. I credit the fact that I had food in the cooler for that (smol) bit of common sense.

After I had refreshed myself at Lincolnville Beach (which is in the Village of Ducktrap; it's possible that this may not be something Universally Known), I turned back to Belfast, taking only a VERY minor detour through Saturday Cove and Bayside, picked up Route 1 again, returned to Belfast, and came home via Route 3 until I got in the vicinity of the Old Neighborhood, where I Deviated from the Route to take a couple corner-cutting back roads that I haven't been on for years, by reason of no longer living in the Old Neighborhood, and so to home, where I put away my spoils, had a fourth of what I'm told is a single serving of Shaw's carrot cake with a smear of ice cream as a coming home present, and now? I Address The Internets.

By the time I put the house back together -- which I didn't do before I left, and which includes putting the sheets back on the bed -- it'll be Coon Cat Happy Hour, so!

I'm taking the rest of the day off.

So...Friday? Friday. Sunny and cool. And that's fine.

Rook and Tali are taking turns knocking each other over and practicing their T. Rex yells. I'm not sure T. Rex was that high on the scale, but who knows, really?

Breakfast was an anything bagel from yesterday's foraging at the co-op, with cream cheese and a side of cherries. Trooper is expressing his disappointment with management, and Firefly is sleeping on the box on my desk.

This morning, I have an appointment with the chiropractor -- who gave me an exercise to do because my shoulders are frozen. Does anybody here know "Wall Angels?" Ow. By which I mean to say, OW. Also, it's humiliating not to be able to get my arms over my head. Getting old sucks.

My Grand Plan for the day is to clear the pile of RL stuff on my desk, and finish up a couple of other chores, including the Grand Changing Out of the Cat Boxes and attendant sweeping up of the basement, then go internet-lite tomorrow and Sunday to try to get some work done. I'd like to break +/-50,000 words, so we'll put that as a Goal.

I also need to figure out a better schedule; the one I'm sorta keeping to was the schedule in force when Steve died, and it worked well for the necessities of the house at that time. I'm feeling like I'm scrambling to keep to outline, so to speak, which creates stress, which creates more work for the cats. And NOBODY wants the cats to work more than they already do, poor creatures.

It's time to give Trooper his morning gooshy food, and see if I can take care of one or two of these silly pieces of paper on my desk before it's time to go out.

How's everybody else doing? Keeping to the schedule?

There were a few pictures from yesterday. They may be viewed here

krad_decandido_feed

Posted by krad418

https://decandido.wordpress.com/2025/06/26/ill-be-at-horror-on-main-this-weekend/

http://decandido.wordpress.com/?p=21010

I will be returning to Horror on Main, a nifty little horror convention at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey Hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I’ll have a table in the dealer room alongside eSpec Books, and will also be doing a reading from Supernatural Crimes Unit: NYPD Saturday at 5pm in the Haunted Forest room.

Come see me!

https://decandido.wordpress.com/2025/06/26/ill-be-at-horror-on-main-this-weekend/

http://decandido.wordpress.com/?p=21010

rolanni

What went before: Coon Cat Happy Hour fast approaches. I wrote about 500 new words today, total WIP now +/-44,230.

I need to print something out so I can take it with me back to Steve's room to work on while Ashley's here. After she finishes, I'll head out to Belfast to pick up my glass, and to visit the co-op. It is still promised to be significantly cooler tomorrow, so, yanno -- yay.

So, some of you may know there's a fannish word: "gafiate," off of another fannish word: "gafia." Gafia means "Getting Away From It All," and initially "it all" was the Real World and Mundane life. Gafiate is the verb form. After awhile -- before I stumbled into fandom, actually -- the meaning flipped and this was a possible exchange between two fans at a con: "What happened to X? I haven't seen them in a while." "Oh, they gafiated." -- which is to say, "it all" was then known to be fandom and the business of fans.

The above reflection is brought to you by my recent introduction to "eremition" -- to retire from the world. Off of "eremite," a recluse or hermit.

You're welcome.

Everybody stay safe; I'll check in tomorrow.

Thursday. Sunny, and said to be less ambitious in terms of breaking record temperatures.

The house is picked up in anticipation of Ashley. While she's here, I'll get myself around to the heat pumps and clean the filters. That way, if I fall and break my head, there will be someone here to call 911.

After Ashley has left me, I'll be going to Belfast to retrieve my glass, do some shopping at the co-op (co-op onions are the best!), and wend my way home. I'll try not to go down to Ducktrap, but -- no promises.

That's it for me.

What've you got?

krad_decandido_feed

Posted by krad418

https://decandido.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/happy-book-birthday-to-jack-of-all-comics/

http://decandido.wordpress.com/?p=20997

Today Becky Books has released Jack of All Comics!: A Fan Conversation About the King of Comics, edited by the mighty Jim Beard. This anthology is full of essays about Jack “King” Kirby’s comics work between 1961 and 1978, during which he created or co-created some of the most iconic and enduring superhero comics ever.

Here’s the full table of contents:

Introduction

“Let’s Jaw About Jack” by Jim Beard

Marvel Comics 1961-1970

“Grandeur and Humanity” by Cliff Biggers (Fantastic Four)
“Monster Mashup” by Will Murray (The Incredible Hulk (Vol.1), the Hulk’s stories in Tales to Astonish)
“A World Without” by Bill Nedrow (Thor’s stories in Journey Into Mystery, Thor)
“Fury Road” by Andrew Farago (Sgt. Fury & His Howling Commandos)
“When the Mutant Revolution Began” by Forrest C. Helvie (Uncanny X-Men)
“the Power and the Glory” by Van Allen Plexico (The Avengers)
“The Suspense–and Urgency–of Kirby!” by Ed Catto (Captain America’s stories in Tales of Suspense, Captain America)
“The Technological Toy Maker” by Robert Greenberger (S.H.I.E.L.D. stories in Strange Tales)
“The Top 10 Most Furshlugginer bits of Fun in Jack Kirby’s Not Brand Echh” by Joe Crowe (Not Brand Echh)
“The Inhuman King!” by Bobby Nash (Inhumans stories in Amazing Adventures)

DC Comics 1970-1976

“Jimmy Olsen’s Pal, Superman” by Charles R. Rutledge (Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen)
“In Search of a Dream” by Tom Brevoort (Forever People)
“Dr. New Gods, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Jack Kirby” by Michael Bailey (The New Gods)
“Mister Miracle is a Great Escape” by Christopher Ryan (Mister Miracle)
“Ghosts and Guns” by Paul Kupperberg (In the Days of the Mob, Spirit World)
“Raising Hell…Two-Fisted Style” by Thomas Deja (The Demon)
“A Case of Acquired Taste” by Sam Agro (Kamandi, the Last Boy on Earth)
“One Man’s Weird War in the World that’s Coming” by John C. Bruening (OMAC)
“Drawing from Experience” by Brian K. Morris (Our Fighting Forces)
“Nightmares Aren’t Always Bad” by Anthony R. Cardno (The Sandman)
“Well, Isn’t That…Special?” by Jim Beard (First Issue Special)
“The King’s Forgotten Gems” by Frank Schildiner (Kobra; Justice, Inc.; Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter)

Marvel Comics 1976-1978

“Bicentennial Bombast” by Keith R.A. DeCandido (Captain America and the Falcon)
“Of Gods and Monsters” by R P Steeves (The Eternals)
“2001: A Kirby Oddity” by Joseph Dilworth Jr. (2001: A Space Odyssey)
“Black Panther’s Cosmic Detour” by Dan Wickline (Black Panther)
“Kirby’s Pinocchio” by Alan J. Porter (Machine Man)
“Deep Time and Devil Dinosaur” by Josh Reynolds (Devil Dinosaur)

My essay covers Kirby’s run on Captain America and the Falcon, a run that coincided with the magazine’s landmark 200th issue as well as with this country’s bicentennial celebration in 1976.

The book is on sale now, and if you’re a fan of superhero comics at all, you should definitely check this book out!

https://decandido.wordpress.com/2025/06/25/happy-book-birthday-to-jack-of-all-comics/

http://decandido.wordpress.com/?p=20997

rolanni

36 The Masqueraders, Georgette Heyer (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
35 Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Martha's Vineyard, Nora Ellen Groce (e)
34 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, Winifred Watson, narrated by Frances McDormand (re-re-re-&c-read; 1st time audio)
33 The Wings upon Her Back, Samantha Mills (e)
32 Death on the Green (Dublin Driver #2), Catie Murphy (e)
31 The Elusive Earl (Bad Heir Days #3), Grace Burrowes (e)
30 The Mysterious Marquess (Bad Heir Days #2), Grace Burrowes (e)
29 Who Will Remember (Sebastian St. Cyr #20), C.S. Harris (e)
28 The Teller of Small Fortunes, Julie Leong (e)
27 Check and Mate, Ali Hazelwood (e)
26 The Dangerous Duke (Bad Heir Days #1), Grace Burrowes (e)
25 Night's Master (Flat Earth #1) (re-read), Tanith Lee (e)
24 The Honey Pot Plot (Rocky Start #3), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
23 Very Nice Funerals (Rocky Start #2), Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (e)
22 The Orb of Cairado, Katherine Addison (e)
21 The Tomb of Dragons, (The Cemeteries of Amalo Trilogy, Book 3), Katherine Addison (e)
20 A Gentleman of Sinister Schemes (Lord Julian #8), Grace Burrowes (e)
19 The Thirteen Clocks (re-re-re-&c read), James Thurber (e)
18 A Gentleman Under the Mistletoe (Lord Julian #7), Grace Burrowes (e)
17 All Conditions Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) (re-re-re-&c read) (audio 1st time)
16 Destiny's Way (Doomed Earth #2), Jack Campbell (e)
15 The Sign of the Dragon, Mary Soon Lee
14 A Gentleman of Unreliable Honor (Lord Julian #6), Grace Burrowes (e)
13 Market Forces in Gretna Green (#7 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
12 Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent, Judi Dench with Brendan O'Hea (e)
11 Code Yellow in Gretna Green (#6 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
10 Seeing Red in Gretna Green (#5 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
9 House Party in Gretna Green (#4 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)*
8    Ties that Bond in Gretna Green (#3 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
7    Painting the Blues in Gretna Green (#2 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
6 Midlife in Gretna Green (#1 Midlife Recorder), Linzi Day (e)
5    The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (Author), Kyle McCarley (Narrator) re-re-re&c-read (audio)
4    The House in the Cerulean Sea, TJ Klune (e)
3    A Gentleman in Search of a Wife (Lord Julian #5) Grace Burrowes (e)
2    A Gentleman in Pursuit of the Truth (Lord Julian #4) Grace Burrowes (e)
1    A Gentleman in Challenging Circumstances (Lord Julian #3) Grace Burrowes (e)

_____
*Note: The list has been corrected. I did not realize that the Gretna Green novella was part of the main path, rather than a pleasant discursion, and my numbering was off. All fixed now.

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djonn

The Lone Penman

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Heard In Passing....

“I ask you, what kind of investment is a five-hundred-acre catnip farm?”

May 2025

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This is...the conversation zone

(aka the space between dimensions)

Reading

Books, and brushes, and dumplings, oh my!

Dumplings for Lunch

Under-caffeinated writer rambles

Robert and Gracia Fay Ellwood

Babylon 5 Rewatch: “Interludes and Examinations”

I Dare

The day in review

LARP comes to the USA!

Rebuilding journal search again

Books read in 2025

(no subject)

Winding down the weekend

Thunderstormin'

Iron Falls with a Thud

Internet Lite

Thursday, with puffin and marble

I’ll be at Horror on Main this weekend

Word forms

happy book birthday to Jack of All Comics!

Books read in 2025

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Heard In Passing....

May 2025

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