Rantings and Ravings of an Insane Writer

The move is technically complete. Everything came off the truck on Monday looking just like it did when it when it was loaded on Friday. I had decent packers, conscientious and capable loaders, and a vigilant, professional driver.

Natasha is grumpy, but I’ve placed her crate with the top open at the foot of the bed, and she takes shelter in there when she feels threatened. She is moving about some, so I’m pleased at that development. She seems to be tolerating Pericles, but she and Ajax are like oil and water. She spends much of her time curled comfortably in the crate but she pokes her head up like a periscope when she wants to see what’s going on. That was hubby’s first observation, but upon further reflection, we think she looks more like a tank driver.

Category : House

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What are they good for? I used to think absolutely nothing. Today, I changed my mind. After the moving van pulled away with most of my worldly possessions, I swept and mopped the kitchen and laundry room floors. Then I took the truck out to give it a bath and have lunch (yes, I fed the truck, too, for $3.43 a gallon at WalMart). After I finished my lunch, I came back to the house and vacuumed the carpets in preparation for the carpet cleaning crew which arrives sometime tomorrow. I had baseboards and window sills with three years of dust built up on them (not one of my high priority projects), so I took out the little square brush (it’s round for some models), removed the power head, and attached it. I proceeded to vacuum the baseboards, the window sills, and the tops of light switches and power outlets (I never noticed how dusty they get until today). The job was so easy.

In other news, it took Natasha about three hours after I let her out of the bathroom to an empty house before she got that hunted look in her eyes. There seemed to be some of, “What have you done with my furniture?” at first, but when I moved her litter box, food, water, and scratch pad to the laundry room to make her more accessible to me after the carpets are cleaned, I couldn’t catch her to show her the new digs. She ran through the house like a trapped beast. Finally, I was able to walk up to her where she was crouched behind my inflatable mattress in the kitchen, and she let me pick her up. I carried her to the laundry room to show her her things. I don’t think she’s too happy, but she is napping comfortably behind me here in the living room where I’m typing on the fireplace mantle.

My PCS kit consists of an inflatable queen size mattress, a lawn chair, the computer, and my flatscreen monitor/TV. That allows me to camp in the house with all the “comforts” of home. I’ll be packing the back of the truck tomorrow, though, so even though my internet access is active until Monday, I will be offline until probably at least Tuesday. Sunday, I drive to Texas, Monday, we take delivery of the household goods. By Tuesday, I should have been able to unload the truck and set up the computer. Of course, I may be able to use the laptop on Sunday night — it all depends upon what Hubby and I wind up doing. The Spurs are playing, and I should arrive at the house just about tipoff time.

I feel pretty good about the packing job and the driver who’s hauling my stuff.  The proof, of course, is in the results at the distant end.  The house cleaning is ahead of schedule.  See you in a couple of days!

Category : House, Pets, Work

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Hey, all I have to say is preparing for packers is proceeding on schedule. I’d say more, but how boring would that be? Here’s news you can use: There are some cool new books over at the HollyShop. If you follow Holly’s Blog, you know How to Write Page-Turning Scenes has just been released. But that’s not all. There are several books in the 33 Worst Mistakes Writers Make About… series, and I can’t imagine that at least one of them wouldn’t intrigue you. Heck, as a reader, I’d be interested in several of them.

Non-fiction isn’t your thing? Lazette Gifford’s long-awaited Silky has been released and is available for a very reasonable $3.99.

See? Something for everyone, you don’t have to listen to me carry on about moving.

Category : House, Reading, Recommendations

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I’m at that crazy stage of moving preparation where anything and everything might turn up anywhere in the house.  I have relocated the desktop to a dresser in the bedroom.  The wide monitor is on the kitchen floor (soon, it will be dusted off and packed safely away), as is the laser printer.

Coincidentally, the neighborhood garage sale is tomorrow morning, so I had to haul a few things out to the garage in preparation for the sale.  In the case of the computer desk, it won’t survive another long distance move, so I hope to find a new home for it locally.

Electronics boxes are strewn everywhere.  I’m slowly putting items into them and recording serial and model numbers.  Between now and Wednesday morning, I’ll have to separate things to be packed from things not to be packed.  Oddly, this is usually a rather enjoyable time for me.  I enjoy ensuring I’ve prepared my stuff as well as possible to help my mover make the move as successful as possible.  It’s all coming together.

Category : House

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I have a moving company.  They called about the pre-move inspection this afternoon, and we got that taken care of.  They are planning to be here at 0800 on May 7th.  Excellent.  I asked them to bring plenty of book boxes, because I have books and glass, and I’ve found book boxes work well for both.  I mentioned my big bears, and he agreed dish packs work best for them.  So far, I have warm fuzzies with this company.  Let’s hope it lasts.

I finally did the WordPress upgrade today — I think everything made it through the ionosphere ok.  This new dashboard takes a little getting used to!

Category : House, Web Stuff, Work

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Now that Hershey isn’t patrolling the backyard, at least two neighborhood cats have resumed using it for rest and relaxation.

On a less happy note (for me, anyway), I woke up yesterday with congestion in my right sinus cavity, and by this morning, it had moved to my upper respiratory tract and throat.  Yes, I feel crummy today.

Category : Health, Pets

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I pulled the boxes out of the attic today.  They’re sitting next to the item that belongs in them patiently waiting for me to decide when to place the item inside and ensure it’s safely packed for the move.

I vacuumed the back of the truck and returned the bed extender to its rightful place.  I picked up the “kids’” medical records this morning.  I need to get an empty weight on the truck this week, then I can begin loading it for the trip.

I’m still waiting to hear who has the contract for my move, but I’m moving ahead planning that someone will show up on my doorstep to pack on May 7th and 8th, and they will load the truck and drive away on May 9th.  Hopefully, they will bring enough book boxes, and I’ll be happy.  Book boxes work well for packing glass polar bears, too, so as long as whomever shows up has lots and lots of book boxes and demonstrates a willingness to pack special items carefully, I’m likely to be satisfied.

Category : House, Pets

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The new car kit arrived night before last.  Yesterday morning before leaving for work, I installed the new XM receiver cradle and tried to use the old antenna.  No dice.  I installed the new antenna, and everything worked fine.

In comparing the two, the cradle appeared to have lost a metal sleeve on the antenna jack which would have prevented an electrical connection between the antenna and the cradle.  No electical connection, no antenna detected.  I haven’t looked closely, so I don’t really have an answer as to why the old antenna didn’t connect to the new cradle.  That connection has always been a tough one on that device, so perhaps it was damaged in some way. 

I’m wrapping up loose ends at work.  I had a medical procedure yesterday morning which should eliminate (or confirm, but I think eliminate) bad medical things and reduce the problem to just an annoying one that will eventually go away (achieving menopause should cure it), but the perimenopause stage is apparently a real annoyance.  Now, if I could just get confirmation on my moving contractor and dates.  I’ve been told I should get what I asked for, but I’m reaching the point where I need to contact utility providers, and I want to ensure I have my dates right.  I expect to be watching the truck loaded with my household goods drive away two weeks from today, but I don’t have any confirmation of that.  I’m just getting a little anxious.  I’m sure it will all smooth out by next week.

Category : House, Tech Stuff

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When is the time you most want your satellite radio to work? On a long drive is one time that comes to mind. Yesterday, mine let me down. I hadn’t used it for three weeks. I’d taken it off the dash and tucked it into my console. Prior to driving back to Alabama from Texas at o’dark-thirty yesterday morning, I pulled it out and looked it up. Nothing. “ANTENNA” was all I could see displayed on my screen. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to determine the connection between my receiver and my antenna isn’t happening. The only logical conclusion I can make is I need a new car kit for my SkyFi2 receiver. Yes, the one they aren’t actively selling now. At least, not in WalMart, Best Buy, Circuit City, or Target (the places I checked as I drove cross country yesterday).

I found it on Amazon this morning for less than $10. (Look at the Digital Media Source price — I didn’t realize there were several versions available until I got home tonight.)  It’s already shipped, and I should have it in day or two. I was tempted to order two so I’d have a spare. Knowing me, if I’d have done that, I wouldn’t have had it with me when I needed it.

I muddled through with over the air radio, CDs (yes, I finally verified my CD changer works), and I could have hooked up my iPod for awhile, but the audio level on it was so low, I had to max the volume to hear anything at all. I had hoped to listen in on one or two of the several NBA games played yesterday. No dice.

At least Natasha is happy to be back in Alabama. She doesn’t get along with our other two cats, so she made herself miserable for the last three weeks. That’s a problem I’m still puzzling out. She was supposed to stay with “daddy” in Texas, but we decided she just wasn’t assimilating well enough. She was ecstatic last night to be in her “other-cat-free” home.

Category : Pets, Tech Stuff

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I’ve just finished reading Breathing Out the Ghost by Kirk Curnutt*.  In his debut novel, Kirk has a strong voice, which also came through in his short story collection, Baby, Let’s Make A Baby: Plus Ten Other Stories.  You can find the first chapter to Breathing Out the Ghost here.  There’s something captivating about “Let me tell you about the time your grandfather took a sledgehammer to the car.”  As opening lines go, that one should suck you in. 

Breathing Out the Ghost chronicles the events involving several people involved in searching for or coping with the fact of missing or murdered children.  Colin St Claire (father to a missing boy) and Robert Heim (a former private detective) are the main characters, but you’ll also meet Pete and “Sis” Pruitt.  Through these characters, the reader sees how different people react to a similar situation in very different ways.  The common thread is that you can’t “just get over it” when your child disappears — even if a body is found.  There is no Happily Ever After for this story — but there usually isn’t for missing or exploited children.  At least one of the characters realizes some things that help her move forward with her life.  It’s a tough story, and Kirk weaves it well.  I had a few quibbles here and there, but overall, I enjoy his work, and I recommend it.  It’s tough to find, but I was able to pick up an authographed copy at Capitol Books in Montgomery.  I did a search and found it quite reasonably priced on Buy.com.

Kirk and other authors will be at the Alabama Book Festival, sponsored by the Alabama Center for the Book on Saturday, April 19th in Old Alabama Town in Montgomery, Alabama, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.  I’m going to have to miss the festival, but if you have a chance to attend, I highly recommend it.  In addition to Kirk, I’m really going to miss Amadeus the Traveling Dog — yes, he’s a four-year old Great Pyrenees who also writes books.

*Truth in Advertising:  I’ve known Kirk for about thirteen years, but if I didn’t like the book, I wouldn’t have mentioned it.

Category : Reading, Recommendations

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I’m normally not a big fan of beer, but I’ve found a brand that’s fairly smooth without a lot of aftertaste.  This reviewer sums it up for me.  I browsed for it when I got to Texas.  I didn’t find it.  No big deal, I also like Shiner Bock and Killian’s Irish Red — if I’m not drinking iced tea, water, Diet Coke, or wine (my true preferred beverages).  But both pale in comparison to the Black & Tan.  I decided to see why I’ve been unable to find it, and once I get to their website, I see their distribution doesn’t go west of Tennessee or Alabama.  Ok.  I got it — I won’t be getting it here.

Category : Silly Stuff

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I have a little less than two months until I’m retired.  Between now and then, I’m getting a lot of things wrapped up.  I’m also planning what my retired schedule should be.  Obviously, it will be likely to undergo revisions as I get settled in.

I have the following priorities:

• Health
• Time with hubby
• Expanding my horizons
• Writing
• Yard Work
• House Painting
• Reading
• Disposition of things we no longer need

Devising how it will all fit together will be part of getting fully prepared for retirement.  I’ll try to post the results of writing and reading here with a smattering of other things.

Category : House, Not Silly Stuff, Reading, Writing

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Note to Self:  When you’ve decided the leave the drawbar trailer ball on the truck instead of removing it like you usually do, maintain your situational awareness regarding the location of your shin to that of the trailer ball sticking out of the back of the truck.

Especially when you decide to move quickly from one side of the back of the truck to the other.

Failing to do this results in pain lasting several days.

Category : Not Silly Stuff

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Got the DSL connection working, and hubby and I are wirelessly accessing the Web on our laptops from the kitchen table.  Tres cool.

And, Tech, I’m a little concerned about the tone of that last comment.  If I didn’t know better, I’d say that sounded like a threat….oh.  It was a threat?  Hmmmm.  I think I’m going to have Henry removed.  He’s gotten a little distorted through the years anyway — you know what happens to those tattoos you got when you were a kid but you’re no longer a kid anymore….yeah.  I thought so.

Category : House, Silly Stuff, Tech Stuff

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I’m putting together a workshop for the month of June on Forward Motion. I have four weeks to address two key factors:

• How to create an emotional response in your reader
• Techniques to invoke fear, passion, tears, etc.

What authors do you read who create an emotional response for you? Are there particular books which do it more than others?

Have you noticed any techniques they use that are effective? What methods do YOU use to evoke an emotional response in your readers?

I’ll be away for the next three weeks. I might be able to stop in, but I’m not certain of it, so if I don’t see you before three weeks from now, please play nicely.  If you can’t play nicely?  Put yourselves in timeout until I tell you otherwise.

Category : Writing

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