Waking up from a few days of silence. I’ve had some sort of stomach bug and no real time to give in to it. The puppy has had his surgery and is now home. We now have 8-12 weeks of recovery/rehab and then he should be doing pretty well. He’s already putting weight on it and while I have to be really careful with him, I think he’s going to do well. His brother was over the moon to see him and wanted to play. Voodoo snapped at him. So he can at least tell his brother to cool off. So it’s a relief, but my entire body is still seized up with worry and will take a bit to settle down.

My son wants to learn to play the clarinet in band. I’m happy about him being interested in music. Hopefully he will enjoy it, but now we have to figure out the instrument and all that.

I’m reading for the new block next week. I just finished this block yesterday. Tomorrow I’ll be teaching children’s and young adult lit. It’s a full class. Yowza. So now I”m rereading the books. I’m sort of neurotic about that. no matter how many times I’ve read a book, I have to reread it for the class or I don’t feel prepared. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve read Jane Eyre? So anyhow, It’s The Wolves of Willoughby Chase today. Not sure what it will be tomorrow.

On the subject of Susan G. Komen and Planned Parenthood. I’m disgusted. I won’t be supporting Komen again in any way, shape, or form. Don’t get me wrong. They are entitled to fund what they want. However, it appears to me that they have changed their rules to explicitly exclude Planned Parenthood (and the lifesaving screenings that they’ve funded). In doing so, they’ve essentially given in to using women’s bodies and health as a pawn in political maneuvering, and that disgusts me. I hate when politicians do it, and I hate it a 1000 times more when an organization devoted to women’s health does it.

Planned Parenthood is important, particularly for lower income women, not to mention teenaged girls. I went there in college for my pap smears and to talk to doctors about anything I needed to, including contraception and to ask about STDs. I didn’t have another doc. I didn’t have insurance. I didn’t have other options. I wasn’t about to talk to my parents about it either. I had a friend who was raped. Guess where she went to get looked at and counseling? She did not want to tell anybody and would not. Without them, she would have gone nowhere. When I was younger, it was always a safe place for women for answers and healthcare. So yeah, I think SGK is cowardly and wrong and if they can fund who they want, then I certainly can too, and there are plenty of other places to donate. If not Planned Parenthood, then other Breast Cancer organizations, or other women’s health organizations.

I know I haven’t loaded pics from just about anywhere, and that has to do a issue on the site, but this is from Worldcon in August of 2011. It is of the Fabulous Carol Berg and the Brilliant Lucienne Diver, and me at the end.

Yes I did. I went to the Y today and went swimming. It’s not that cold out. Something like 35 or 40, so not insta-freeze. And they are keeping the water in the big pool warmer than usual. There’s a big pool for laps and swimming, and a smaller pool for therapy and kids. It’s about a foot and a half at it’s shallow end, and 4 feet at the deep and it’s very warm–for therapy. So I did some laps and treaded water and then hung out in the little pool with a friend and her kid and the girlie. It was fun. The only bad part is that somehow I tweaked my knee a bit ago and I figured swimming would be good for it. And it felt good too. But now . . . aches. Also my popping arm handled the swimming fine, but the girlie wanted to toss the ball and it didn’t respond well to me lunging up to get it. Turns out that was a painful mistake. Yowza.

When I got home I put chicken in the oven. I rubbed it with butter and put salt and lemon pepper on it and shoved lemons into its cavity and put it in to roast. I hope it tastes good. It seemed like it ought to be a good combo. And I also put these on to marinate Yeah, we are overloading on roasted chicken, but I’d found the buttermilk recipe and it looked so good, and then last night I found buy one get one free chickens at the store and couldn’t resist, so it’s a roast chicken weekend, plus leftovers, so . . . .

Dog is going for surgery on Tuesday. He’ll be operated on on Weds and I’ll pick him up on Thursday. I hope it goes well. I can’t keep him as immobile as they want so I plan to ask them to give me meds to keep him stoned for a little while. At least long enough for the healing to really begin. I’m not giving him pain meds now because even without, he runs and jumps (in the house) and tries to take the stairs. I can’t crate him all day and I can’t have him on my lap all day, much as he would like it.

Was watching a bit of the Dew tour at lunch (skateboarding). Two things struck me. First was when they called these guys (they were guys) athletes. It’s not that I don’t agree, but they are not your usual image when the word athlete pops up. These were the punk kids on the playground who skateboarded and probably got stoned. Not your varsity whatever. But they are athletes. What they can do with their bodies is amazing. The second thing that struck me with a guy by the name of Bucky Lasek. He was doing all this stuff and he’s 38 years old. I couldn’t do anything like it when I was 28. Or even 20. Holy crap. Amazing.

Do you have a bucket list? I was thinking about this the other day. The things I’d like to do before I die. I’m not going to say achieve, because I was thinking in terms of things I’d like to do, not earn or something like that (awards and that sort of thing). I don’t know that I’ve really got much on that list at this point. But these are my bucket list items as of now:

!. Zipline through a rainforest canopy (this one will be tough because I’m terrified of heights, but I really want to do it.)
2. Travel to Belize and see the Mayan ruins there.
3. Learn to scuba dive

I’m not sure what else I want to add. That’s actually important enough to add.

What’s on your list? Someone you want to meet? A place you want to go? a skill you want to learn?

The ligament is definitely torn/ruptured or whatever they want to call it. Dog is not supposed to run, jump, climb stairs, or otherwise be active. Poor guy. All his favorite things. And his brother can’t figure out why he’s not being more playful. Surgery is scheduled for next Weds. I’ll take him up on Tuesday and hopefully pick him up on Thursday. This is going to be very spendy. Help a dog, buy books. Sigh.

So yeah. The day was not good. Turns out that Voodoo has managed to tear the ligament in his leg. This means surgery. I don’t know a lot more. Tomorrow there will be Xrays and then we start figuring out the rest. I’m rather upset by the news. I’m a bit attached to the dogs and, well, not a great day for me.

I think I’m going to make chicken enchilada chile tomorrow. Found a cool recipe and it seems a good choice for football watching. Anybody else out there planning football and food?

In other not so important news, Voodoo (dog) has managed to hurt his himself. Not sure how, but he’s not wanting to put a lot of weight on his back leg. Giving him Rimadyl and coddling him, but if he’s not better soon, he’ll be heading for the vet come Monday.

We finally got around to raking up some leaves. Only a few months or so after they fell. That’s not terribly slow, is it?

Did a couple of geocaches today. It was sleeting. Better than snowing, I spose.

Saw Shadow City at Walmart. That was exciting. At least in so much as there’s some distribution on it. Now if it’s getting bought. What? Nervous writers are nervous?

Speaking of books, I’m pushing through this sticky spot in Blood Winter. It’s sticky because it’s where a lot of things have to come together and weave out and it’s a place for being careful. So it’s slow. Hopefully after that, the pace of writing will pick up. I’ve got a number of new characters and of course the old, and trying to keep them all juggled is interesting. Entertaining even.

Worst part is I want to read some stuff and I haven’t any time!!! Noooo!!!

The new printer arrived. Well, it looks new, though it’s probably refurbished, but the important thing is that it actually prints. Whoohoo! Actually, I had to delete all the previous software and redownload, so it wasn’t as easy as just plug and play, but I’ll take it and be grateful.

We are expecting a storm. The number of inches of snow to fall varies by forecast, though my best guess is somewhere between 1 and 10. Yeah, I’m going to hit that target with a shotgun blast. Uhhuh. If it snows, sledding may follow, though right now, the way the wind is whipping, I want to hunch down by the fire with some tea and a book and just stay there. Sadly, there is still work to be done. No rest from the day jobbery. I think I should probably dig out my snow boots.

Work on Blood Winter is continuing apace. which is to say, not as fast as I should like because things have not gone as expected plotwise. It’s really interesting to hear from people what they think will happen, since I thought I knew and now I’m really not so sure. I’m totally pantsing it at this point, though I do still know some things.

I can tell you there’s action. Lots. Did you expect different? Also, I struggled with whether or not to include Alexander’s POV. He’s not around in the first seven or eight chapters, and I wondered if it would be weird to bring him back in so late. Well, I decided weird or not, I would do it, and looking back, I think I’m liking the way that went. So hopefully it’s not terribly odd. I also thought about having Giselle’s point of view, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in her head yet. She’s still struggling with herself and I like how Max and she deal with one another without knowing what she’s thinking.

I want to say thanks to all of you. You’ve been terrific in reading my books, talking to bookstores, talking to librarians, passing recommendations for friends, reviewing me . . . All these things are tremendously important to writers. We are, as they say, a referral business. We survive and thrive based upon referrals. If you don’t talk about us, then we don’t succeed in this profession that we love so very much.

I don’t remember to say thank you enough, but know that I’m extremely grateful. And by way of thanks, a Blood Winter snippet:

She glared at the three men, her eyes brilliant blue. “Holy shit, how can you three breathe with all those male hormones flying around in here?” She waved a hand in front of her face to disperse invisible fumes.

Thor chuckled. “Don’t look at me. I don’t have a rooster in this fight.”

“Cock,” she corrected. “And I’ve not yet met a man who doesn’t have his in every fight,” she said. “Don’t feel bad that yours is just smaller than the other cocks on the playground,” she said with syrupy sweetness, patting his shoulder in mock sympathy.

Thor snorted and choked on his peanut butter.

Alexander grinned and Oz chuckled as Thor bent double, great coughs bellowing his ribs.

“Someday that mouth of yours is going to get you in real trouble,” Oz said to Lise, reaching out to take a powerbar from the cupboard.

“What else is new?” she said. “Is someone going to give him mouth to mouth or something? Before he dies?”

“Not me,” Oz said, biting into the bar. “I’m not kissing him.”

“Nor I,” Alexander said, licking peanut butter off the spoon.

“Well don’t look at me,” she said, brushing imaginary lint off the front of her shirt. “I don’t kiss men. Women taste better, smell better, and they are soft in all the right places.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Oz said with a wolfish grin.

“Nor can I,” Alexander said, humor rising up through the shroud of worry that encased him.

Thor at last straightened, his voice raspy. “I wouldn’t want any of you kissing me anyhow. Specially Lise. She’d probably bite off my tongue.”

She patted his butt. “No probablies about it, Tex. Now, aren’t you two supposed to be getting into bed? Dawn is just about to break. If you fry inside the RV, we’ll never get it clean.”

“Your concern for us is overwhelming,” Thor said, grabbing a jug of lemonade and sweeping up the rest of his food hoard into his arms.

“Somebody has to care,” Lise said with a pirate smile. “Where are we?”

Alexander explained. “Do try to hurry,” he added. Then as an afterthought, “but do not drive us into trouble.”

“Can’t have it both ways,” she said airily as she pulled a hunk of cheese out of the small refrigerator. She whipped out one of her knives and sliced off a piece, as she headed to the driver’s seat. “Either you want to go fast or you want to go safe. Which will it be?”

So first, the good news is that I’m down a pant size. It’s taken awhile, but I’m finally making it. Obviously exercise and eating well has something to do with it, but I was doing that for awhile without much effect. I’m beginning to think that going off diet soda and artificial sweetners has been pretty crucial. I’m also drinking a lot of tea. Yes, it’s sweetened, but I’m using stevia and not a lot of that. I think this is having an impact, though I’m not entirely sure how that works inside my body. One thing I will say is that I did have a diet coke on the roadtrip back from CA and it didn’t taste good. I drank it to try to stay awake when we were on the road. But it just wasn’t that good. I hope getting to the next size down doesn’t take quite as much time.

Also, I was having some bursitis issues and then the other day I was reaching for the alarm clock and my shoulder Popped. Ow. Painful. So then I worked on resting it and not sleeping on it and was doing well for a day. (In that day I chose to smash my head into a shelf instead). Then this morning I popped my arm twice while getting out of bed. Hurt like, well, let’s just say there was much swearing. Much. And whining. So now I’m doing some old PT exercises with a green strap. I think this has to do with my hypermobility issues.

The man has shingles. It’s itchy and painful but limited to a patch on his side, so that’s goodish. Of course he has a really nasty cold to go with it, and he has to work tomorrow. No holidays for him.

I’m coming up on my two year back surgery anniversary. Which was my latest back surgery, but I’m excited that I’ve not had back pain since.