I lied. We have a full draft of Rocky Start but it’s nowhere near ready for copy editing. Rewrites, we are ready for rewrites. (That screaming sound in the background is Bob, who does not like rewrites. Well, hell, who does?).
So what did you work on this week, screaming or not?
I’m working on getting through what might be a minor nervous breakdown over what might be a mid-life or end-of-life crisis. So I guess I’m working on getting out of my head & getting over myself. Your books are my favorite distraction & I’m really looking forward to Tuesday’s release of Vermillion. I’m also working on getting back into my studio because that usually gets me out of my body. Focusing on creating is usually a great way to forget about everything else, too bad it’s not possible to fuse glass in my lap. Thank you for the Rocky previews!
Sympathies. Sounds like a rough time !
I took some time off so I am working on getting my house back in order, getting back into the studio like Lisa, and also getting out of my own head. It needs cleaned up in here too.
Once I feel like I have a better handle on things, I am going to work on an outfit for the Renaissance Fair. I am going this weekend. It’s wizarding weekend, which isn’t my favorite, but that is the date that lined up.
“Wizarding weekend”. You kill me.
Last year we went for Time Travel weekend, which was a lot of star wars and Doctor Who. The best part was a bunch of older men dressed up as Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
My favorite is October. Halloween days and spooky Knights, or something like that. But Fantasy/fairy weekend is fun. I have yet to try Viking weekend.
Renaissance Fair… I want to go, we don’t have them in the UK. I ‘d go even if it was Dragons & Damsels in Distress week, I’d scale up for that. or turn up as a Dragoney damsel in distress
I want to be a dragon. I’m sure there must be some early Halloween costumes available. Then someone can fight me and rescue you, Kay.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CT9-gPZFkf1/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
There are some pretty good dragons. Plus a stand of dragon shoulder puppets.
I really enjoy the whole experience. This year we are going to hit some Shakespeare plays and other shows. But really it’s about shaking off the ordinary in a pretty positive atmosphere. My brain likes the step outside of time.
Wow that is quite the costume! I think the dragon puppet would be more my speed.
One of my proudest sewing accomplishments was making my kids matching dragon Halloween outfits with a gorgeous dark green fabric varying to black with a gold pattern on it (I am nowhere near Nancy’s sewing ability). I wonder where they got to? They had long stuffed tails so they can’t be just folded up somewhere.
Ironic, since the USA is still waiting for our Renaissance. Maybe you don’t need the Faires since you actually had Shakespeare & still have the castles…..
I’m still at the Toronto Film Festival this week, so not working on too much. I saw a film from Wales called Chuck Chuck Baby about women in a chicken processing factory that kind of turns into a sing-along musical – one of the songs was a Dusty Springfield number that of course made me think of Jenny and Welcome to Temptation.
I love the scene in WTT when Phin and Dilly are in the car and she starts belting out Dusty Springfield and Phin knows she met Sophie.
Yes! I love that scene too! And Dusty was such a good belter!
That was fun to read with elements of Phin and Sophie’s relationship coming out via Dillie’s conversations with each of them. I also loved the Dove ice cream bars being used in scenes. Taf
Wow. I knew someone who candled eggs. It’s hard to imagine singing in that environment.
I committed an experiment.
In that 159-chapter serial I’m addicted to (Chapter 155 just came out today), Steve the protagonist has the same girlfriend/soul mate since Book 2. Jasmine Nguyen is of Vietnamese ancestry, but not via the boat people, instead from France where her uncles, aunts and cousins still reside.
One of their favorite Houston, TX restaurants is Pho King. You get a glimpse not only of the author’s ‘scents’ of humor, but an entire industry’s when you realize that the pronunciation of Pho is “Fuh.”
Humor. Har.
The experiment: being thus inspired, when I noted a product in the Asian section of my Friendly Neighborhood Food Lion, I immediately added it to my cart. Snapdragon Beef Pho, beef flavored Vietnamese noodle soup. It was a Pho Kit, and that made me giggle in the store. Several days later (yesterday), I took the Pho Kit from my shelves, removed the vegetable, soup base, and flavor oil from the bowl before adding water to the indicated fill line, and nuked the bowl per instructions. I added the vegetables (just some flakes) and soup base, stirred, waited two minutes, and added the flavor oil. More stirring.
Meh. I ate and slurped it all, because wasting leads to wanting. The cleaned-up version of my review is, “It will contribute to fecal matter.” I do not recommend this soup. Pho Kit.
Great humorous entry Gary! It is too bad the kit was “meh”- good food can improve attitude on most days.
I enjoy fresh food most days, and it can be easy prep like: ham, Swiss cheese, rye bread and Plochman’s mustard, or a good salad (wash lettuce and veggies…). Good luck getting better supplies! Taf
So familiar! I use Black Forest ham, Sargeno Baby Swiss Cheese, Pepperidge Farm Very Thin sliced whole wheat bread, and spicy brown mustard. A source tells me that the pho kit is nothing like homemade or even restaurant pho, and I should never commit that error again.
I’ve made soups from scratch, soups from canned broth, and canned soups with improvements added. I’m lazy enough to prefer that last option. For example, start with Healthy Choice Chicken with rice, add more chicken and rice until it’s thick enough to eat with a fork. Then add peppers and carrots and celery and whatever’s handy. If it gets too thick, add more soup.
Good that you can do so much in the kitchen and that you have good supplies on hand. When I was eleven (after my parent’s divorce), I had to make Dad embellished soup as he recovered from the mumps we gave him. (Kids love to share with parents.) I was retroactively scared when he described being delirious and seeing a train coming through his bedroom since the six of us were alone (way down a dirt road about a mile from a two lane blacktop highway). I was the oldest of the five kids born in six years.
I’m not a huge fan of Pho. And my husband won’t touch it at all. He had a roommate who made it with Ox blood and now he can’t try other versions. And he isn’t the biggest fan of cilantro. Pho is really only as good as the broth. If I ever have the chance to try real Pho, made by someone who spent hours on the broth, I will do it.
Now Ramen I adore in all it’s forms. The instant stuff, the good stuff, doesn’t matter. We cook up the instant packets from our Asian grocery with eggs and added greens and kimchi. I learned from watching Jinny’s Kitchen to add a slice of cheddar cheese on top. And I eat good ramen every chance I get. Spicy seafood with a side of bao buns… I could cry.
I have been craving apple pie for weeks, and I finally decided to start on it, and began reading the recipe again. I realized it was far too complicated, and searched for a better one. Pillsbury had a good one. Then I went out to the garage and read the instructions on the frozen pie crusts, which said to defrost them overnight in the fridge. Then I just gave up. A project like that takes being in the mood, and I really have no clue when the mood will strike, especially not a day ahead. I bake pie maybe every ten years. Trader Joe’s used to carry a wonderful apple pie, but they haven’t had it for more than a year. Sigh.
I am following the ENT’s instructions and getting a better every day. I turned in a request to vote by mail. I found a cat-safe plant at IKEA. I paid bills. That’s about it.
The pie might come back for fall? They’re just starting to roll out the fall seasonal products around here…
I had hoped that would happen last fall, but it didn’t. Their supplier must have closed shop. They used Gravenstein apples, which are fairly rare.
I’m glad you’re getting better! I don’t make pies. I bake often, just not pies. Fortunately, if I ever want a pie, 1.5 miles from where I live is a national award winning pie shop.
Thank you! I have really appreciated the support everyone has given me. There’s a Village Inn not far from me, if I get desperate enough. If they have apple pie.
What was the cat-safe plant?
Pillsbury has a nice pie dough in the refrigerator section that lasts for some time and is at least as good as any crust I can make. And if you run out of time, you can freeze it and thaw it out on the counter.
Deborah Blake! You are a wickedly, dangerously clever writer. You dangled a fly over the water and I rose to swallow the cozy pet mysteries. Then I bought three veiled series (which I must admit are still on the TBR list). But then you set the hook with Baba Yaga, the novella collection. So clever, that reading order guide! At this point I’ve read three of the novellas and three of the Wickedly series. When I go back to see whether the fourth novella or the fourth Wickedly story is next, lo and behold, there are four broken rider stories in the way! So off I trot to Amazon, to throw more money at them (and hopefully you.)
Well played, Ms. Blake. Well played.
Thanks to Gary’s previous recommendation, I started book 1 of the Baba Yaga series, Wickedly Dangerous. Looks like I’m equally hooked.
Yay for hooked!
Bwahahaha….
I’m glad you’re enjoying them! My evil plan is working!
It is a Prayer Plant: Calathea medallion. I found a list of 21 cat-safe plants online, but had to eliminate the ones that can’t survive on benign neglect. I have a Boston Fern, too. I have killed numerous houseplants. The Oxalis regnellii- Shamrock plant, has been my best survivor, so far. The new ones are doing well.
I will look for the Pillsbury pie crusts next time, if there is a next time. I mostly shop at TJs, so I bought their frozen crust. Thanks for the suggestion.
The Oxalis is not pet friendly. But, being Irish, I really needed it. It’s in a spot where the cats can’t get to it.
Julian Apple Pie Company in CA ships all over. Absolutely delicious apple pies.
Crisp? That is what I make when I don’t have the patience for pie. Between the oats and if I add nuts, I can pretend it’s healthy breakfast food.
Or baked apples. Skip the pastry completely and just eat hot cinnamon apples…
I moved from NYC to Philadelphia! I’m tired and overwhelmed, but I’m officially here, so that’s an accomplishment. To celebrate (and refrain from overwhelming myself further), I ordered in Domino’s and bought myself some violently colored “unicorn cupcakes,” both of which hit the spot, let me tell you. I found the local co-op, but I’ve learned from my housemate that grocery shopping in this area of Philly is a bit piecemeal, where you get all your stuff at different places, which is a bit of a bummer since I am all walking, and who has time to walk to multiple stores to do their weekly shopping? I’m sure I’ll figure it out as this is only my first full day in Philly. In fact, I’ve already learned that when I put my humidifier on high overnight, you wake up with everything quite damp haha. Clearly, moving has already been a learning and growing experience. Lol.
That gave me a giggle. Good luck. You’ll figure it out, eventually.
Haha thank you! Have a great day!
Depending on where you live in Philadelphia, you might not need a humidifier at all. I once heard a NPR climatologist refer to Philly as an urban swamp!
Haha that’s totally fair — already, I’ve noticed a ton of mosquitoes compared to NYC — but my throat’s been inordinately dry the last two days, and I didn’t have the energy to drag myself to the closest Rite-aid to get a family pack of Ricolas, but I had a handy-dandy humidifier in one of my boxes, so I put it on max right next to my bed all night haha
Good luck in Philadelphia, had a really good visit there, over a decade ago. Went with my foodie sister, we got there and she headed straight to Terminal Market for the Pumpple cake and Beiler’s doughnuts.
Thanks so much! Ooh I’ll have to check those out! So far, I’ve only had the ice cream, which was definitely delicious. I really never knew Philly was known for its food, but just in my neighborhood there are Eritrean and Ethiopian, Lao and Vietnamese, vegan, and a tons more restaurants.
Have a wonderful time. Searching for a new favorite restaurant my help you get through the unpacking/ settling in.
Yes, that’s a great idea! Thank you!
Oh yes, we are very damp in central pa. What area are you in? My sister is in Philly. I know she has a local Asian grocery that she walks to, but I think that she either bikes or takes public transit for the big shopping.
I worked from home last week, and kept staring at a cake mix that has been sitting on the counter for a couple of years. So, I decided to take care of that problem – and we’ve been eating gluten free chocolate cake with chocolate icing for desert every night since. It was pretty yummy, so I’m forgiving myself the indulgence. And the added bonus that it is no longer on my counter! Count one plus for the “tidying up” team!
Other than that, I had to do a lot of mental work for a quilt. Last night, my group kitted up individual blocks that will be sold during the next guild meeting, (one winner will get all the blocks in December), so I had to be prepared with cutting instructions, etc. I didn’t have much creative energy left after that. Hopefully, this weekend I’ll be able to get out of my head and in front of a sewing machine!
I worked on getting the yard ready for Autumn / Winter by taking my kids for a hike instead.
I worked on the yard by watching it rain and thinking ‘yay I don’t have to water, OMG weeds, later for you.’
Worked on self-publishing by launching several titles wide and updating the Free Reads page on my website.
Worked on being a writer by finishing gamma draft for the last new-cover re-launch and by making lots of notes for a new historical novella.
Worked on future cross-country move by negotiating with parents about the room I’ll be using as home office.
Worked on domesticity by unpacking and squirreling away the shipment resulting from spending out the account at Naked Wines.
For the first time in months, I invited a friend over for tea. She’s coming at 3 pm. I need to figure out how to bake the Apple Crumbs Bars I’ve made successfully in the past (last time was autumn 2022).
Nutso problem: I wrote up a first/rough draft of the piece I’m going to present a week from Thursday at the new writing group. But, I don’t know where to start editing it. It’s insane — I feel like I’ve forgotten everything I knew about writing.
I start with cutting the words I know I overuse when I don’t know where else to start. I have a list and I go through it either alphabetically or starting with worst offenders. It doesn’t require any creativity, so it’s a low-stress entry point…
Thank you, Christine. This helps — I knew about random things, like needing a bang on beginning. But I didn’t have a sense of order. I’ll add overused/misused words to the list of guidelines for critiquing. That should get me started.
Making a list for a couple of editing passes is a good way to keep your focus and catch more mistakes. Listing items in alphabetical order makes your editing tool easier and faster to use. Taf
I used to like rewrites. I still do like them when I’m working on projects that aren’t the one I’ve been stuck on for three years. I’m working on that this week, of course, along with getting ready for an indie author festival at a local-ish library this coming weekend. I made cute seed packets to give away. They have stickers on them with my author info and a QR code pointing to my newsletter freebie. Then I realized my trial plan with the QR code website ends before the weekend and my QR code might or might not work after that… Oh well. Fingers crossed!
I’m also cogitating on how to build a decorative cover for the A/C unit in our bedroom wall. Up till now, I’ve had a beautiful piece of fabric my BFF brought me from Ghana hanging over it, but it had to come down as part of the ongoing dust mite mitigation campaign. Now I need a 4″ deep cabinet sort of thing to hang over it. Might hit the thrift store with another BFF later today to see if inspiration strikes. My carpentry skills are basically nonexistent, so I’d prefer to repurpose something… a picture frame? a tray? a weirdly perfect curio cabinet?
I worked on lighting for a song set at church. We’re a newer church and there isn’t much to play with. It’s also all ran by a computer vs a board. It’s been at least 15 years since I did any lighting so the whole set up is new. So, I’m learning.
I’m working on learning about Archive-IT for work. It’s an application by the Wayback machine that does web crawls and archives them. Our archivist who has been doing it is retiring and I’ll be filling in until someone else is hired.
Also for work, a unit I’m a part of is having a “retreat” next week. Five days of having to be on campus by 9 am until 5 pm where we brainstorm, discuss, cast vision, etc. I normally wake up about 9:30 am and work from home. I’m not looking forward to this. We’re also to read a book for this. I’m on page 18 of 170. So, lots of reading in my future and unfortunately, I’m not a fast reader and I still have to do the other parts of my job and my evenings are mostly booked.
One evening project is making fleece scarves and mittens that are intended for widows in the Ukraine. The scarves are a no-sew variety, so they are super easy. We’re still trying out sizing patterns for the mittens. I’ve made two pairs so far and am switching to a new cutout. Sizing matters and the wrist has to be wide enough to get your hand in, but not so wide it falls off.
And as it has been quite gray here in Michigan for the past few days, I’ve been working on encouraging friends and keeping my own spirit up. Fortunately, there’s sunshine today.
I worked doing last minute edits for a friend.
Also working on final revisions for my current Llewellyn 365 Day book before turning it in to my editor. Sadly, I hit August and realized I had two duplicate topics that I’d already done earlier in the book, so now I have to come up with two more. ARGH. Otherwise it is going pretty well.
I should be in the garden, but between torrential rains this morning, a sudden upsurge in swarms of blood-thirsty mosquitoes (due to all the rain we’ve been getting, no doubt), and a major fibro flare (ditto, probably), I’m noping out until later in the week and just continuing my edits.
I’m also going to call and make an appointment to get my car inspected and the oil changed before the end of the month. Adulting, argh.
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve been blocking out that I need to get my car emissions test.
And I still didn’t make the call. Tomorrow. It’s even on my calendar.
I made a lemon curd cheese cake.. to use up ingredients I had left from making a Baklava Cheesecake for my sister’s birthday, now I have a lot of lemon curd, nuts and some sour cream I need to use up. Starting to get why my sister kept baking
Can you use the lemon curd like a kind of jam, spread it on you breakfast crackers or bread to use it up?
And sprinkle the nuts in salads or stir-fries, to use up those.
The sour cream could be used in sauces, salad dressing, or other dinner items.
Unless, of course, you’re looking for a good reason to keep baking delicious goodies 😉
You had me at Baklava Cheesecake.
I’m not doing much of anything at the moment. I had an audition and am waiting around on that. As usual, I didn’t get a callback, so shooting for even the smallest of parts doesn’t work for me even though my singing teacher said I did great. I will be ensemble only forever…but that’s who I am, I guess. I don’t work again on tech until Friday.
Mostly I am just trying to make “heartalls” (overalls with hearts on them) in crochet, preferably before the weather turns cold again. Those are cute but I definitely need to make adjustments for my own sizing.
Hero is that you? Jennifer, it sounds to me like acting may be more your strength. Good luck with the next audition.
I’m on holiday so I haven’t been working which is great!
But I’m trying to decide whether to start writing a blog, or wondering if that will just distract me from my fiction writing (fantasy novel….). Zero progress on that for a while but intend to focus when I get back from hols.
I started this one almost twenty years ago, not really knowing what I was doing, and it just evolved into what it is today which is really more of a community that a PR thing or even a personal diary, and I like that. Good people post here and I’m happy to hostess.
If you’re looking to promote your book, though, go to TikTok. Blogs are kind of old hat now, but TikTok can really move titles.
I am working at working and avoiding distractions. Because all I really want to do is hang out with the pup on the new porch:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxI19zGLt14/
Good luck with the rewrites. I probably should be doing some rewrites, too. But besides the pull of the pup and the porch, my story head is full of How to Steal a Million which hubby and I rewatched yesterday and has been staying with me. So many good scenes and those cute tiny cars. Le sigh.
Great looking pup dog! Taf
Thank you! She’s a sweetie inside and out:)
That is one adorable puppy.
Thanks! She really is my writing buddy.
What a darling little dog! I feel the magnetism from here.
So sweet. Thanks! Funny you should say that because neighbours often tell us how cheery she is.
My youngest sister had a cute white fluffy dog (named Prozac) who cheered up so many people that he acquired his name since “the doggie anti-depressant” was too long. Taf
Such a cutie!
Thanks. She can be camera shy so always feel lucky to get a full-on pic:)
I’m mostly still working on chores. However, since Rocky Start is in rewrite mode, I took time out to mention one of the several oddities that bothered me a bit in the setup. If I make enough progress on chores, I may post on other puzzling bits later, but here’s one, anyhow, before I go back to what I should be doing today.
Possibly for comedy purposes we are supposed to suspend disbelief here, but if not, in this era when the USPS is trying to close small branches and consolidate service, how likely is it that there would be two post offices allowed to stay open across the street from each other? Give the state line, I could see residents getting mail delivered out of two separate post offices with separate zip codes, but I would expect one side to be served out of an out-of-town facility within commuting distance for mail trucks. True, as we blog readers have been told as added information (not yet disclosed in the chapters), that the town is largely populated by retired secret agents, so there may be some hidden rationale for the duplication that will be later revealed. But if it’s only important that Max’s boots be locked out of reach somewhere that Max can’t get to without Rose’s help, there are probably more plausible ways to arrange it. It’s past closing time at the PO, or Max arrives on a Federal holiday, or something.
There’s a big honcho in the CIA protecting the town, and the two postmasters are more than postmasters and play a fairly significant role in the plot.
I’m trying to avoid spoilers here, but the honcho wants those two particular postmasters there, so they’re there.
Going back to read comments and then comment more but before I forget I wanted to ask; when did Bob’s first book get published and what was the title?
Jenny? Bob? Anyone?
1991 with the Green Beret novel Eyes of the Hammer, according to wikipedia
I use Fantastic Fiction to look up authors and see their books in order:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/bob-mayer/
Awesome. Thanks. So 32 years for him.
1991. He’s gloating about it. He said, “You’re just a puppy.”
It’s a good thing he’s a good collaborator.
I’m trying to finish all the projects I listed Sunday. So far I cleaned the wax out of the pot and towel and put away the sheets.
I made progress on the other stuff but those are the only ones I finished.
I’m now gathering my energy to harvest the tomatoes , figs, and squash blossoms. DH is in Bosnia and London for two weeks so I get to climb the ladders.
I am feeling triumphant about one thing. We got the court in the divorce of our friend with Alzheimer’s to say that the final money allocations will be structured based on the advice of a US social security lawyer for the disabled adult child . That dramatically improves her chances of being able to live at home rather than in a nursing home even after her mom can’t manage her physical care.
I will be celebrating tonight.
Yay!! Go, Debbie!
Excellent! That is worth celebrating…Taf
YOU ROCK!!!!!
Good job! That child and dad are lucky you are in their corner!
Thanks, all good ideas, as they are not things I would usually eat. Though knowing me, I will leave it to the last minute and end up making something like a sour cream lemon curd pound cake coated in nuts just to use up the lemon curd before it goes off and end up with a load of buttermilk and perishable fruit that need using up 🙂
Reply to Hanneke, my computer glitched and it ended up here
I’m not doing anything much but I’m very excited that Rocky Start is up to the re write stage. I’ve already preordered the Ebook. Thank you, Jenny and Bob, in anticipation.
I truly enjoyed reading everybody’s activities. I am working on healing. I underestimated the amount of time it takes to recover from total knee surgery. That’s total knee replacement. I thought hey it’s been two weeks. I thought at two weeks. I will be walking without a walker. Not true. But I’m working on doing my physical therapy exercises and trying to keep up with Mail and Computer. Stuff
Yesterday I had my postop visit with my surgeon. He says I’m doing great however, I had to cancel Disneyland for Monday because I sure aren’t ready for that. I will get to go see Peter Pan gone wrong at the Ahmanson theater on Sunday because my son can wheel me in in the wheelchair and I have handicap seating. Hooray, I’m really looking forward to that. What’s been keeping me going is the books. Lavenders blue, pretty in pink and I got to see a copy early one in Vermilion to proofread. I could ignore the agony reading one in Vermilion. I love them so much that I have now ordered them twice in paperback once for my sons girlfriend, who is also laid up with an E thing and once for me. I have a TikTok account. And I want to do a TikTok holding the books because they are so good I am they make me so happy.
Other than that, I have not been working on the blurb or log line for which is garden because you know pain. And PT. And peoples computer problems and Taxes. And lots and lots of naps. I do love naps.
Susan, be kind to your body, as much of a drag as it is to be incapacitated. As some guy said: To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first.
And: How poor are they that have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?
But: He that will have a cake out of the wheat must tarry the grinding.
So: Though patience be a tired mare, yet she will plod.
Susan, you will get there, “there” being a world where your leg and life are back to normal. It probably feels like you’ll be recovering forever at this early point, but it will get better soon. PT is the devil, but also the key.
I had a different knee surgery that included 6 wks non-weight-bearing on that leg. I’m now almost 15 wks post-op, and the last two weeks alone I’ve improved by leaps and bounds, literally! This week at PT, we added controlled jumps and deep lunges. And I also need occasional naps as we add more activity, but it’s all part of healing. Holding good thoughts for your continued recovery!
I cleaned all my stuff off the table in our back room. Our ground floor is open and the table is directly adjacent to the back door, so it’s a dumping ground for stuff – mostly mine.
Slowly prepping for a virtual card-making event at the end of the month. The fee includes a large box of supplies for 16 classes. The prep isn’t difficult but lots of small pieces to cut up and organize. I like to take my time which helps me stay organized (and lessens the likelihood of losing small pieces).
Survived, without screaming, another Board of Elections meeting and another fight? discussion? about drop boxes. The continual discussions happen because a vocal group of concerned citizens are against them and an equally vocal group of concerned citizens are for them. And both sides have apparently decided that drop boxes are the hill we are going to die on. (I’m for them but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to scream.) Now I get to relive it while I do the minutes.
On a happier note, an escaped armed and dangerous criminal has been recaptured after 2 weeks roaming around southeast PA. My younger sister (she likes to be referred to as the baby of the family) lives in the area-north of Longwood Gardens and south of Phoenixville. The Game Commission and their dogs apprehended him.
Two meetings down (Zoning was frustrating, too) and one to go. Really hoping the local township board will be short and uneventful.
I have 2 unexpected afternoons of work at the drugstore this week, on top of the 2 I had scheduled. We are in the process of pulling out the fireplace but the extra shifts are slowing that down. The roofer is coming this week to change out the roof vents and pull the chimney. Last week we cleaned the garage and took 2 loads of crap to the dump yesterday.
Okay, Thursday update. The roofer came yesterday, chimney and vents dealt with, but we told him the wrong colour for the shingles and it’s bugging him so he might come back and fix that but it’s not a huge priority because the chimney was right at the peak of the roof and not noticeable. Also, the roof is water tight and that’s all I care about, not the difference between 2 shades of grey/black shingles.
The fireplace is completely out and sitting in the box of the truck to go to the dump. We were going to try to sell it but it’s not in great shape and since it’s 40+ years old, we aren’t sure if it’s still up to code. Paul has been just full steam ahead on this, which is great.
We have a handyman coming to help patch the drywall in the ceiling and install the 2 new sheets on the wall. I’ll do the mudding and taping but he and Paul will put them up for me.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CxLN7ybrgAe/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The to-do list is still enormous, including a new paint colour and crown moulding, but we are making progress.
I desperately need new shoes to wear to work. Does anyone have any recommendations? I need a wide width shoe that is comfortable for standing for 6 hours. My feet hurt so badly that I’m actually going to wear my grubby old shoes today.
G-defy or Vionic make wider shoes that are ‘pre-orthotic’
I have a pair of Vionic and love them!
It was a day of distractions instead of progress made on the stuff. After physio on the knee and back, it all went downhill then escalated into a flurry of phone calls. BIL and significant other. We go on holidays out if the country for eighteen days. We will not be available.
On the other hand, I woke up thinking I should make myself a dress bc it is hot in Greece and Israel. I ordered a pattern for a flowing, airy, fabric away from the body dress for pick up tomorrow. Then I came to my senses. We are doing carry on only. Right. No thick material. Roll everything. Trial run packing this weekend. It will be a miracle.