It’s Monday once again. Sadly, July has one more Monday on the calendar. Ya know, it’s a bad cosmic joke when there are five Mondays in a month. Not fair. If I thought it would do any good, I’d grab a cane, shake it, and yell, “Monday, get offa my lawn!” Still, if it weren’t for Monday, we’d be giving Tuesday a bad name. That said, there’s a lot to celebrate today. What you ask? Well, here’s the list: of some of the things.
Amelia Earhart Day
Cousins Day
National Drive-Thru Day
National Tequila Day
Tell an Old Joke Day
Amelia Earhart was all kinds of awesome but I have no desire to go fly a plane to celebrate her. 😉 I have a few cousins who are pretty cool. We don’t see each other often but I know where to find them. I vote for hitting the drive-thru to celebrate today. And I have several characters who are cheering for National Tequila Day. Can’t blame them. It’s gonna be a hot one and a cold margarita would taste pretty darn good. Sadly, I can’t remember new jokes must less old ones, but feel free to share if you know one. LOL
On to more serious–in a way–things. I typed THE END Saturday night. I took yesterday off but today, since I’m not going to Wallyworld, I’ll begin the editing process. My cover designer has the photo and mock-up. I hope to have a final cover to reveal soon. In other good writing news, I actually have a decent start to the blurb. Y’all know how much I despise writing the dreaded blurb. *shudder* Anyway, not guaranteeing CROSSFIRE will be ready by the end of the month, depending on my editor, designer, and the stupid blurb but I’m hopeful. The book is just under 70K words. No telling what will happen to the word count during revisions. Still, I’m ever so much closer to release date! So that’s my big YAY news for the week.
In other random news, anyone know how to catch parakeets in the wild? And could they survive an Oklahoma winter? In the past two weeks, I’ve had two different birds show up at the Loki-vision feeder outside my office window. The first one looked white until I got a closer look. Turned to to be a blend of white, pale yellow, and pale spring green. The one who popped by yesterday was blue. Not sure how they ended up in the wild.
New addition to the Psy-Changling world arrive August 15 (audio version). As is my habit, I’m doing a marathon listen to the entire series, including a few of the novellas that can on be read because they haven’t been turned into audio yet. That’s cool. I can read for a bit long than I could before my eye surgery. Anyway, it’s a fun series, despite the number of times read/listened to. Nalini Singh is an amazing worldbuilder.
Jake has a vet appointment this afternoon. He has an ear infection and I hope it’s something mostly simply to treat. We’ll see. We’re going to a new vet so it’ll be interesting.
I thought Saturday was the last Stormy soccer match of the summer. I was wrong. There’s one more–their “bowl game” match. Stormy’s team won 3-2 and he made the go-ahead score so yay. It was getting really warm by the time the game was over. This coming Saturday we’re supposed to be back in hear alert temps so I’m not sure how well the kids will play.
We tried something new for dinner the other night–a “Cajun boil” but down in the microwave and oven. New potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and beef sausage all coated in butter and Cajun spice. The potatoes and corn were partially cooked in the microwave first and then put into the oven to finish while the sausage and shrimp cooked. It was pretty darn tasty. I’ll make it again but will probably wait until it gets a bit cooler this fall. Summer heat is one reason for precooking parts because the oven heats up the kitchen.
Not much else going on in my world. I’m happy the book’s first draft is done. I’m looking forward to getting something new on the market. I’m worried about Jake but that should be relieved later today. I’m enjoying what I’m “reading” and this week is gonna be really hot so staying under the AC and editing seems like a good idea. Not many distractions when it’s too hot to go outside. LOL What’s going on in your world?
Silver James 
We went to ConnettiCon this weekend in Hartford CT. One of the best cons I have been to on the East Coast! Well organized, spread out so it wasn’t overly crowded, great disability accommodations. Polite people all around- I usually have to becareful because people don’t see my cane and run into me, trip me, back into me… you get the idea. Not here-People would actually pull someone back if they didn’t see me. And apologize!! This never happens more than once. Then I spent an hour sitting and talking to the members of the Royal Manticoran Navy unit that was there. The Spawn had stopped to talk to them as she has met David Weber, and they were joking that they didn’t think anyone would stop to talk to a “bunch of old men”. So I went and sat for an hour and talked with one of the guys. Had a really good time and they had some nice swag too!
It was only a 2 hour drive, so we did another 30 mins to New Haven and went to Ikea. I didn’t buy anything! My next Ikea trip will probably be there rather than Paramus NJ. Same distance and time but a better drive. I hate the Thruway and I hate NJ traffic and drivers! There is a reason we call them New Jerky Drivers. And Masshole Drivers. LOL
It was a good way to spend Saturday as it was the 3 year anniversary. Pretty sure Jim would want me to do something I enjoy rather than wallow. So I am trying not to wallow.
Lost my “oldest” friend Friday. She almost made it to 103! She once told me it was a good thing I moved in next door and we became friends because she had outlived all her old friends. I will miss her. Our two families have a history dating back to 1945!
They bought their house next door first, then Jim’s mother moved into our house with his younger brothers (he was in college). Jim’s mother was the matron while Betty was a young bride. Fast forward, Jim and his late wife moved in after his mother died and Betty was still young enough that her youngest was the age of Jim’s oldest. Her husband died, Theresa died and Jim and I get married. I move in and it starts all over again! Now her son and DIL live there and we hang out! True traditional family neighbors. (Actually our whole road is like that)
Wow. Didn’t expect to type all that!
🤗🤗🤗 What a lovely neighborhood! That’s the way they used to be. Not so much anymore. We’ve lived in this house for 25 years and the neighborhood used to be that way. Then people retired and downsized or moved. New people came in. And moved on. The couple across the street are the only ones left of the neighborhood when we moved in. He’s in his 90s and she’s 80-ish. Makes Christmas roll delivery easy. LOL Except the young couple who moved in next door might be added to the “family.” Long story but good people. So glad y’all have fun at the con. Wow! Nice people still exist. Who knew!!!! And who are these old men of the Royal Manticoran Navy of which you speak? And good luck with IKEA. Only likes the store. I’ve never stepped foot inside one. LOLOL
The Royal Manticorian Navy is the fan club for the Honor Harrington series. Think Horatio Hornblower in space. And female.
Oh! Very cool old dudes then. 😉