Wed. July 8, 2020: Die For Tourist Dollars Day 51 — A Little More Upbeat

Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Waning Moon
Pluto Retrograde
Saturn Retrograde
Jupiter Retrograde
Mercury Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Hazy and cool

It’s Wednesday, which means Remote Chat later on. Very excited.

There’s also a new post on Ink-Dipped Advice, about red flags in job ads.

Yesterday seems like a very long time ago. I was up early (nothing new there). Did some writing, did some client work.

I had the best time recording the podcast with Ari Meghlen and Rachel Poli for The Merry Writer Podcast. We had so much fun. We talked for nearly an hour, which means they have plenty to edit down to the 20 minutes!

After that, I had to dash out to Trader Joe’s, because we were getting low on some basics. Everyone was masked, although ignoring the flow of traffic inside the store. The line was short. The entire plaza is now open for business, and there were plenty of Sliding Mask Skanks sashaying around, touching things, wearing masks down around their necks and being tourist assholes. The TJ staff was great about telling them to either mask up or move farther away from the line.

Anyway, I was in and out in 20 minutes, almost like the old days.

Full disinfectant protocols when I got home, played with some client work (I’m working on a new ad for this one).

I got an email from Titcomb’s Bookshop that my books arrived. It was a nice day, and my mom hasn’t been out of the house since March, except to drive me to the hospital. So we both masked up, and drove over to Sandwich for me to do the curbside pickup. Titcomb’s has everything set up for both customer convenience and the safety of everyone. It’s great.

We drove back, I stopped to put gas in the car, and we drove home past the beach.

Packed. Tourists everywhere. There are some masks, but very few. Most of the tourists don’t even pretend to care. They saunter around, with that air of entitlement. They don’t care if we’re infected.

Hey, I’m avoiding as many tourist areas as possible. I hope every weekend is stormy and they have to sit inside the short term rentals they shouldn’t be in anyway, because they’re not following masking or quarantine protocols.

Oh, and the illegal fireworks are still going on every night.

Anyway, then I had my Zoom call with my primary care physician. I’d been dreading it. It didn’t help that I received 27 reminders in the past week, including a phone call EVERY TEN MINUTES for the hour before the appointment.

I am an adult with a datebook. Stop treating me like I’m too stupid to keep an appointment.

But it was good to talk to her. She is optimistic about the surgery results, and we worked on a path forward for the next six months until the next procedure to check to make sure I’m clear.

I am so excited to read the Vivien Chien noodle shop mysteries – but I have to finish the new Deanna Raybourn book that I’m reading.

No more books to review right now, but I did land an article from the pitch I sent late last week. Will get that done by the end of this week, and get going on the Llewellyn article.

Client work onsite this morning. Then disinfectant protocols, and landing at my own desk for Remote Chat, and then some other work.

The last week and change have been rough on multiple levels, but I’m hoping things start to ease up a bit. I don’t want to tempt the Universe otherwise, but at least I’m starting to feel more like myself.

Have a great Wednesday.

Thurs. Sept. 20, 2018: And The Busy Continues (but it’s Good Busy)

Thursday, September 20, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Sunny/rainy alternates

Still busy coordinating my part of the awards ceremony on Tuesday. Came in to the client site for a few hours, because there are things I need here that I don’t have with me. Something like this is always filled with dozens of tiny details.

Later today, I have to do some more on DAVY JONES DHARMA and start digging into the edits for RELICS & REQUIEM.

I have a feeling I’ll be onsite tomorrow, too, but it’s all good. My client asked me to accept the award for her, and I’ll be wearing one of her designs.

I’ll be mainly focused on the revisions for RELICS this weekend, along with working on calendar articles and getting out a review on a book that I was hired to review — and that I really like.

Hopefully, I can also get some more work done on the basement clean out. It’s been raining so badly the last few days that I can’t use the deck as a staging area.

I’m a guest over on Ari Meghlen’s blog, talking about creative organization — please click over and leave a comment!

While all this is going on, I’m also coming to some interesting conclusions personally and about what I want to focus on next year — and where. It will be interesting to see how I make it happen. I’ll talk about it publicly when I make some decisions.

Onward and back to the page.

Wed. Sept. 19, 2018: The Great Busy

Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Waxing Moon
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Humid, Rainy, Warm

So much has been going on. Most of it good, but it’s been busy.

Friday, I had to go into the office for one of my clients and coordinate a film shoot for Monday for a package about an award she’s getting next week. She will still be out of the country. So we’re talking and emailing over the date line.

Friday afternoon, I had to catch up with what I hadn’t done that morning. I also had to prep for Saturday.

I rehearsed most of Friday afternoon. I made some cuts in the material, so I wasn’t just talking at top speed, but could put nuances in.

Up at 5:30 on Saturday morning, out the door a little after 8. Pleasant drive to Provincetown, parked in my usual lot. Headed for the library.

The whole day was just great. The Festival was beautifully organized, everyone was so nice! The new library director there is wonderful. My fellow authors were terrific, and ran the gamut. We were all deeply invested in each other’s work. My friend Andrew, a fellow author, was there with his book, China Sings to Me (he wasn’t reading, unfortunately, but he was part of the festival outside). The reading was packed. We had a great time.

I talked to a lot of new-to-me people. I had the chance to walk around a bit. Provincteown was still packed. It was a beautiful day, and although it was crowded, people were in a good mood. All day, I was stopped by people who enjoyed the reading.

I spent some time up in the reading room, overlooking the bay, resting up and reading Tavis Smiley’s memoir of Maya Angelou.

I attended a cooking demonstration by Justin Chapple of Food & Wine and Tom Acitelli, who specializes in liquor/travel writing. It was a great session, with lots of lively chat and terrific information.

I re-met a radio host I’d met through my late friend Pam a year or so ago, and we caught up.

I headed back home in the late afternoon, made my infamous devilled eggs, and headed for the party in Dennis. We had a great time, although I probably shouldn’t have eaten two hamburgers!

Up early on Sunday, but pretty tired. However, Sunday afternoon, I attended a picnic/town meeting for Attorney General Maura Healey in Hyannis. It’s always great to see her — she’s committed, lively, smart, and gets it done. My state Senator, Julian Cyr, was also there, and I got a chance to catch up with him and ask him about an issue a colleague of mine is struggling with. He gave me the information needed, which I passed on to my colleague on Monday. Also ran into some other people I knew, and helped someone with his brand-new, lively, rambunctious yellow lab puppy. I was really glad I went, tired or not.

I have a TON of follow-up/thank you notes to write this week.

Monday was all about filming stuff for the awards package at two locations. It is always more chaotic than one wants. My end of it was organized, but a lot of the rest of it was on the fly. Our people, though, represented well. I wish I trusted the producer not to twist things in the editing room.

I barely got any sleep on Monday night. I was getting incoming texts and emails that had to be dealt with immediately until about midnight. Then the coyotes were howling. Then, in the middle of the night, the crazy neighbor behind me decided he had to work on his motorcycle. By the time I finally fell asleep, the alarm went off.

I was dragging yesterday.

But it was more organizational stuff, international phone calls, flurry of emails trying to get permissions for materials to use that aren’t ours (shouldn’t the producing team be doing that?) and more.

Had one pickup to do at the library after work, then cancelled the next meeting because we got a weather alert — all the phones screeching at once. I managed to get home just as the storms moved in — the remnants of Hurricane Florence that did so much damage down south. It was only a few hours, but it was intense.

To bed very early, and at least got some sleep.

Onsite at my client’s today, doing the organizational stuff for the award ceremony, which is next Tuesday morning.

I have to look at the edits for RELICS and get them turned around fast, review a book and send that off. I’m also up on Ari Meghlen’s blog today, talking about organization. But I don’t think it’s live yet.

I’m leaving the blog up from last week at Ink-Dipped Advice, because I think it’s still relevant.

I’m behind on DAVY JONES DHARMA, but I’ve been working on what used to be POWER OF WORDS.

Onward.

Fri. Aug. 31, 2018: A Flying Poodle & Beer Nuts

Friday, August 31, 2018
Waning Moon
Saturn Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Sunny and pleasant

Finally, a break in the heat and humidity.

August wrap up is up on Goals, Dreams, and Resolutions. September’s To-Do List won’t go up until Wednesday.

Yesterday, after I was done at the library, I went to the liquor store (of course I did). Or, as we call it here, “the Package store.” Two Ladies of Certain Age were in there. Old-school, with wigs, dark make-up, oversized sunglasses, blinding cocktail rings. One of them had a male, black, toy poodle on a leash. They’re either having a party or they plan to be drunk for the next five days, because in addition to one woman with a full shopping cart of bottles and the other woman’s arms full of vodka bottles, a staff member had two cases of wine on a hand truck. Good customers, nice sale.

I’m about to step up to the next counter with my own bottle of vodka when the poodle yanks his leash out of his human’s grip and leaps into the air at me. I tossed my vodka bottle to the clerk, who caught it like an infielder, and the poodle landed in my arms, whereupon he wriggled with joy and licked my face.

The woman was embarrassed, but I told her no problem, I love dogs, and it was an honor that he wanted to make friends. I put him down and she pulled him back to her counter so she could finish paying.

Only there are rows of snacks under the counter.

So the poodle grabbed a bag of beer nuts. Which he shouldn’t have. The two women and several employees were alternately trying to scold and coax him to drop the beer nuts. But he’s got it by the corner of the packet, backing away and growling at anyone who comes near.

I got on my knees (technically Hero Pose in yoga, with my feet tucked under) and the poodle bounced over to me. I held out my hand and asked, “Will you share?” He dropped the bag onto my lap and did that two-step bounce back dogs so often do when they bring you something. I told him he was a good boy and he danced around, wagging his tail, happy as could be.

It was hilarious.

I didn’t keep the nuts.
When I came home smelling of boy poodle, both Tessa and Lucy were displeased, so I had to scrub the poodle scent off.

I’m reading the anthology WOLFSBANE AND MISTLETOE, and enjoying. Donna Andrews has a great story in it called “The Haire of the Beast.” I laughed out loud when I read it.

Managed to unpack four basement boxes yesterday. Sorted some stuff, found some really cool stuff, am airing out and cleaning some things, and there’s stuff to throw out. Slowly, but surely, if I keep at it, I’ll get the whole thing tackled and done. I should have been doing it since we moved in, but should have doesn’t solve anything. I’m now DOING.

Percolating some story ideas as I work. We’ll see what happens. Fitting them into the schedule is the big thing right now.

Ari Meghlen needs the blog post earlier than expected, because of a schedule change, so I will write it this weekend and get it out early next week.

Finishing this draft of RELICS is on the agenda, making good progress on DHARAMA and calendar articles. More box-purging, and sorting and integrating what I’ve unpacked that I’m keeping so far. Writing ahead on the month’s posts for Upbeat Authors and for Ink-Dipped Advice. Doing yard work, if it’s not too hot. Meditating.

It’s interesting how GRAVE REACH, the fourth and next Coventina Circle book, is taking more and more shape the closer I get to the end of RELICS. I’ll revisit the outline for it shortly.

Hopefully, I’ll also have some time for relaxing!

I hope you have a great weekend!

 

Wed. Aug. 29, 2018

Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Waning Moon
Saturn Retrograde
Neptune Retrograde
Pluto Retrograde
Uranus Retrograde
Blisteringly hot & humid

Hop on over to the Fearless Ink Site for the latest on Ink-Dipped Advice.

I’ve been onsite with a client the last few days, doing studio/design work. She leaves for Thailand early in September and needs to get this done. It’s interesting work, the way she designs clothes, and very different from costume design in theatre.

I’m re-reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s TENDER IS THE NIGHT and wallowing in the beauty of the language. Which is weird, because when one breaks down certain sections of it, it shouldn’t work. But when you put it together, it does.

Since I’m reading EVERYONE WAS SO YOUNG, which deals with the inspiration for TENDER IS THE NIGHT, it’s an interesting juxtaposition.

Ari Meghlen invited me to guest on her blog (it will go up next year) and I said yes. I also invited her onto Biblio Paradise. I need to get the next few dozen posts on that sorted this week.

Working on the calendar articles. The first book for my new reviewing gig arrived, and I really like it. I hope to finish it this weekend and get the review out early next week. Worked on the newsletter, which will go out early next week.

Shameless promotional note: If you haven’t signed up for my quarterly newsletter yet, you can do so here.

This newsletter has a triple cover reveal: RELICS & REQUIEM, DAVY JONES DHARMA, and THE BALTHAZAAR TREASURE.

Pushing for the end of this draft of RELICS. Behind where I need to be on DHARMA. But BALTHAZAAR is where it should be, and CRAVE THE HUNT needs to get back into the mix once RELICS is in galleys and the next draft of DHARMA is done.

Right now, the goal is a minimum of 2500 words/day on RELICS (more if I can) and 1K on DHARMA, but that doesn’t always happen.

Getting more comfortable on Tumblr; loving Ello; joined Triberr, and we’ll see how that goes. I’m ready to give up on Vero — if I’m having trouble with even the sign-up, a client less IT fluent won’t like it at all. Their support people have been lovely, but the problem’s not solved. We’re going on a week here. And it’s just about signing up and my email address (that I use a dozen times a day) coming up in the sign-up as invalid. It’s not.

I have to start rehearsing the material for the Ptown Book Festival Reading and put together a flyer/handout for it.

Discussions on the Jain Lazarus covers with that cover designer. The cover I want to go back to was not by that designer — paint me mortified! I have to figure out what to do about OLD-FASHIONED DETECTIVE WORK. CRAVE THE HUNT is more important now.

We got the new subdomain for the new series set up and WordPress on it. Now, I have to take it offline so we can build privately. The first three books in the series are in good shape. The cover for the first is great; we have to tweak the second a bit. The fourth book is almost ready; the fifth is partially done, and the sixth outlined and has to get back into the writing roster. How the next few books in the other series stay on track and what goes on with CRAVE THE HUNT will decide a lot about the schedule for this series.

It’s a juggling act.

The cleanout of the basement is going more slowly than I’d like. The heat and humidity has a negative effect.

Last night was our last session of Savasana/Sukasana/Reiki for the season. It’s been a beautiful experience, and I am glad I made it to every session.

Today, I’m with a client for most of the day, and then I hope to get more basement cleaning done. The humidity/heat is set to break either tomorrow or Friday, so maybe I’ll have a productive weekend.

Back to the page.