Working Wednesday, August 14, 2019

~ Jenny

It’s the middle of August.  How did that happen?  One good thing about August is that nothing happens in publishing then, so the fact that I’m still slashing at Nita is not being noticed in NYC.  That’s why it’s also a good idea if I am finished slashing at Nita in September.  Also, I’m so sick of this book, I could spit.  Until I start reading it again.  Then I love it, even if it is screwed up.  Sigh.  

I also shaved Veronica and Mona this week.  I think the proper term is “clipped,” but since I’m terrible at it, we’re going with shaved.  Veronica is delighted, scampering around like a puppy.  Mona was temporarily upset–“Again?”–but she’s basically a happy puppy so she’s forgotten the indignity and is also leaping about gaily now.  Milton is growing out his Krissie-clip and looks much less chewed.  We’re good here.

So what did you work on this week?

58 thoughts on “Working Wednesday, August 14, 2019”

    2. Wow. In lace weight? That’s amazing.
      I have some gorgeous lace weight, but every time I look at it, I think of those tiny, tiny stitches . . .

      1. Lace weight yarn does mean what seems like millions of tiny stitches on tiny needles. But I started this project as travel knitting to take with me on a trip to Canada where I knew we would be on the road a lot. The whole shawl weighs 120 grams and I could fit the project into a tiny bag in my purse. You can’t lug around a worsted weight project quite the same way.

        1. God knows that’s true. I’m working on an aran shawl right now, and it’s to the point where I’m not moving it off the bed where I watch TV. The thing’s a monster. My next projects is in fingering weight.

  2. This week I continued to plug away at the two yarn projects. I might almost be ready to start shaping the armholes on the fronts of the sweater! I also was able to find time to turn on the sewing machine again. I’m working on a block of the month quilting project. I finished up July’s step, and started with August, so I’m very close to getting caught up.

    My DH had been working on replacing rotting boards on our deck. After our adventure of bringing home 16 ft long boards in his car – 8ft hanging out of the trunk – he was able to take care of it in a couple of weekends. The discard pile of rotten wood though – that was a task. When the termite inspector came, he found a snake, a rat and squirrels in and around the pile. So, Saturday, DH brought the truck and we loaded up the scrap – me vigorously banging on pieces of wood before picking them up, ready to shriek and fling said piece should something be lurking underneath. After all of that, there were no creatures to be discovered, thank goodness!

    The other side benefit of the termite inspection was the reorganization of the garage. I’m so proud of myself that I threw some things out. I really don’t know why I had 5 broken birdfeeders in there, and the disintegrating plastic pots were an easy pitch to the trash bin. It looks so much nicer in the garage now.

  3. I got a lot done at work, mainly because there was a lot to do, but it was still a nice satisfied feeling.

    At home, I spent a lot of time with friends, which was great. And had another session of drawing group, where I did 4 sketches of people and was fairly pleased with one of them. Consistency, I needs it and don’t have it. Practice will help. I’ve decided Sarah’s Scribbles is my role model:
    https://tapas.io/episode/923459

    1. This is a great cartoon and so very true. I’m a good public speaker because I rehearse my speeches and put a hell of a lot of work into them. And it drives me slightly crazy when people say it’s a gift.

  4. I was able to do some weeding and actually mowed the lawn last night. That’s an accomplishment when you rarely go a day without rain. The up side is the lawn is lush and thick, the down side is so are the weeds in the garden.

    Today I have to add dirt to some flower beds in the front and then mulch, I didn’t get that finished over the weekend.

    I did something else but I can’t remember what it was. I was rudely awoken much too early by a dog booping my nose with hers and insisting she couldn’t wait another minute to go outside. Parts of my brain are still asleep.

  5. Work things, always with the work things. I made another two hexagons for the blanket, discovered the materials for blocking (which I’ve never done before, so this is new to me), offloaded a microwave, toaster and crock pot to a friend who had none, and started messing with making my own jewelry display. I got far enough in it to realize I didn’t like my fabric choices after all, so back to Wal-Mart we go. And… thassit. It has not been very productive since last week. My momma also spoiled me rotten and bought me a bunch of yarn as i bought all the yarn for her elephant blankie I’m going to make!

  6. I’ve been sick again, this time with an icky summer cold. I’m feeling like my tank is empty these days. No reserves.

  7. I managed to subdue four different programs to get contours of my home turf from the US Geological Survey National Map, and then get a laser cutter to cut them out, and I produced a (very rough draft) of a relief map in paper (too thin) and corrugated cardboard (too thick but interestingly see through) and they are both here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B1HpzVKhZok/

  8. I finished writing the monster website! Seven thousand words. GOOD words, chosen and arranged to score with search engines, rapidly inform readers and inspire employees.

    For three weeks, I’ve also tracked billable hours vs. actual time at desk. I’m pleasantly surprised to find I’m more efficient than I thought.

    All of which made me feel so productive that, as reported Sunday, I accidentally cleaned my closet. Seven thousand t-shirts…

  9. “I think the proper term is “clipped,” but since I’m terrible at it, we’re going with shaved” Jenny said.

    Groomer terminology: It depends on how short. You use clippers to shave a dog. If you’re using anything smaller than a 5 blade I’d call it shaved. A “shavedown” means you took everything off, ears, face, and feathering included.

  10. My cow-orker called in sick – kidney stones, and their passage – so I’ve been covering. Given the choice, I’ll take the extra work every day. He called it in on my extra shift, the details, I mean, so I wrote on the white board, “Todd out all week – stoned.”

  11. I’ve just run into a wall: my brain has had it for the day. Which is a blow, because I’ve only done four hours instead of the six or seven I managed over the weekend. I’m deep in the endnotes, though: converting an extreme author-date reference system to a short-title one. Which means loads of cross-checking and copying and pasting, plus turning author names around, and of course converting all the American dates to UK style.

    I’ve just estimated I’ve got two more days of this before I start work on the main text – which should be easier. It’s going to be tricky to get it done, send it to the author, get it back and incorporate his edits before the 29th – which is when I’m meant to be going away, as well as being Penguin’s deadline.

    Meanwhile, in my real work, I’ve had a better idea for the tiny front garden, which I’m researching in every spare moment. And yesterday I removed the bird netting from last month’s sowings of French beans and sugar snap peas and constructed wigwams and netting supports. Just hope the birds don’t tear them to bits now they can reach them.

    1. I’m probably nuts, but I’ve just agreed to proof-read a short book based on interviews with Laurie Lee about his local landscape. I lived near Stroud for a year or so: can’t resist. But it is one more thing to juggle. I should definitely feel I deserve my holiday after this!

      1. Switching off to the book you’re interested in might keep you sane, so not nuts at all.

  12. Over the past week I’ve had two phone interviews, completed an evaluation project (presented with two scenarios, assignment: write how you would respond), been teased with likelihood of face-to-face interview, had said interview scheduled, completed multi-page corporate candidate application, and will in one hour be leaving for said face-to-face. This might be the job, crossing all available digits.

    Also completed Novel #12 which was nearly done last week. That one now sits till at least the end of the year, because its action goes through to December 2019. LOL Ah writing, the mental time machine.

    Novel #11, made some progress, not a great deal because I took a break to do some reading and also write a blog post or two.

    Published Novella #26.

  13. We’re doing the slowest-roll Marie Kondo imaginable around here, goal for this week is to finish culling things that can be thrown out from our stacks of files. This week or next will be sorting and reorganizing all the bottom cabinets in the kitchen. Oy. It is A Lot.

  14. I’m working on just surviving this week. My 11 year old started middle school on Monday. Which is insanely early. She’ll be done in mid May. 2 funerals, one yesterday for my brother’s mother in law, for whom it was kind of a blessing. The 2nd one was today. My cousin’s son died of an overdose, age 26. That one was brutally emotional.

    I need to make some decisions about this weekend tonight. I’ve been waiting for some information first.

  15. Yea! New book coming down the pike. I keep checking because the works in progress sound like so much fun. Hang in there!

  16. I’ve had a few killer work days. So not much time for special interests.

    I did just learn how to use WaveEditor to make a clip of a song without watching an online tutorial. As in from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, including the install time and two tries and errors. Really pleased with that! Quite happy actually.

  17. Life is exasperating because reasons and so I have doubled down on the thank you letters. It is absurd how helpful writing them is, in just all the ways.

    I have finished a knitting a very very long cowl (requested), started a hat with quadrupled noro sock yarn which I was dreading and is turning out to be very fun, somehow got halfway through a (requested) purple cape for a rapidly lengthening 5.5 year old and appeased my cranky dog with some big adventures.

    Now I am having tomato cookery. It began with tomato cobbler with cheddar biscuits (it sounds like a really frightful idea but is instead pretty glorious) and has moved on to ratatouille and a couple of gallons of meat sauce.

  18. Enjoying some dill pickles which I made on ‘lazy Saturday”. Also did some weeding and got the garbage disposal replaced.
    I had to find a new plumber as the guy I used for decades moved. He’d been bitching forever about hating this area and the winters and finally did it. He did recomend someone but that guy never got back to me. So I found another local man in business also for decades with a son in the business. I now have someone reliable if there is an emergency. So happy!

  19. I’m working on not beating myself up for not working. I’ve had a dental infection for the better part of a month (it’s kinda’ part of the bone disorder I have, which also affects teeth), and I tried denial for a week, then an antibiotic for a week, but it didn’t work and then I lost a few days to waiting until I could get a new scrip, and now I’m waiting for the heavy-duty antibiotic to start kicking the infection’s butt instead of causing brain fog. Now I need to accept that sometimes health shit happens, and infections are incredibly exhausting and will linger if I push myself too much, so anything I accomplish is fine, and if I don’t accomplish anything on a given day that’s fine too.

    1. “sometimes health shit happens,”
      Yeah. Still working on remembering that after sixty-odd years….

  20. I’ve been staring blankly at my computer for a couple of weeks, with no idea what to write now that the chicken book is out of my hands. I’ve got lots of ideas but none of them seem quite right, and all my half-written stuff doesn’t have any energy in it. So yesterday I kicked myself in the metaphorical bum and went back to writing for fun, with no aim other than to fill a couple of pages. Ended up having a good day instead of a frustrating one, plus I went back to a picture book idea that has been stuck for months, and got it moving.

  21. Finishing up a short cozy mystery that’s been amazingly fun to write. It’s set on a cruise ship. It’s such a tight setting it’s almost like a locked room mystery.

    I had an awful dream about going back to the old workplace. A woman who has long since left the building was there and was making everything impossible. Good thing it was only a dream.

    I have to say, being offered the job for a second time doesn’t exactly make me ecstatic. I hope I’m not making a huge mistake, going back. Well if it doesn’t work out I can always leave. I’m continuing to go to interviews for the time being. Thinking positive. That’s the ticket. Ugh.

    1. Not only can you always leave but you will be leaving with some money. Perhaps a minuscule amount, but at least some. Try not to make any financial commitments that would keep you there a second longer than you need to be.

    1. I want cats. I can’t have cats because my dogs are jerks, but I so want cats.
      They’re darling, Deb.

  23. I came home from the SCBWI National Conference with so many tasks in my head. Rewrite the query for my middle grade emphasizing friendship and loss. Send out a picture book on autism to some new people. Rewrite The Undertaods. This one is really hard because it is in rhythm and meter and any new wording has to fit. This is a link to my favorite picture book from the conference. I’m sharing because the art is so beautiful. If you drop down, the publisher added art from the book. https://www.amazon.com/Dreamers-Yuyi-Morales/dp/0823440559/ref=asc_df_0823440559

    Today my third romance was released on Amazon – Irish Magic by Susan B James
    Long road. I’m thinking happy thoughts. Back to babysitting Walter. He is three and has many things about life he wants to explain to me.

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