The atmospheric river is dying down, though they say there’ll be some kind of freeze in higher elevations tomorrow morning. It will not be a repeat of last year’s snow in April, please gods–that was the blanket of wet, heavy white that did for our roof. Which was kind of fortunate, in that we had a new set of shingles for the winter’s wild weather and the past few days’ worth of sky-river, but still.
Finding the silver lining is a habit, but one I wish I didn’t have to practice so goddamn tenaciously. Still, it’s how I cope and sometimes even how I fight. Might as well continue.
Combat today has mostly consisted of struggling out from the bed’s warm embrace. I could’ve stayed there for another eight hours without much trouble at all except getting someone else to take the dog out for loo breaks, which meant it’s just more efficient to get the hell up, I suppose. Between the push to finish two zero drafts, various other assorted work crunches, the drama over the back fence, health issues, and some Family Stuff, I feel like a couple years have been jammed into the past few days. Of course I’m still operating on pandemic time; I barely know what day it is, let alone the year.
If not for electronic minders and to-do lists, I suspect I’d be in very bad shape.
In the most recent Reading with Lili, a couple people in chat asked me if I’d read from my own works. It didn’t really occur to me to do so, but I suppose I can find some time since I’ve received a flood of “please, please do so” responses. It won’t be on Fridays, since that space is taken for other people’s books. But occasionally I might do it over on Twitch, and let the recording fall out of sight naturally since those sessions are only kept for a couple weeks or so. I’ve been kicking around the idea, and might do one of my favorite sequences from the Valentine books first–the one that made a copyeditor comment that I was playing so many games with language and structure they were afraid of making a single change.
I copied that particular aside out and kept it, because what a compliment, my gods.
I also might get the Harmony soundtrack put together again and posted. Slowly, slowly getting the music lists up and running; I should go back to burning CDs for each individual book. I’m a big fan of physical media anyway; I think I still have a stack of blank shiny discs around somewhere. Probably in that one side of my desk I never open up, because the door hits the bottom of the microphone’s clamp. And for those inquiring why I’m using Apple Music for soundtracks instead of Spotify, it’s what’s convenient for me and I cannot in good conscience go back to the latter. You do you.
I didn’t have to make my own coffee this morning, so the day’s already started out with a gift. Getting out during a break in the rain for Boxnoggin’s walkies will be another, if I can manage it. He was quite displeased with the amount of damp yesterday, and acted a damn fool when we saw a part-husky out with its owner so our ramble was cut short. But today there should be little problem and when the rain returns I can go for a run. The sidewalks will be awash but also mostly empty of other people, which is–not gonna lie–just the way I like it.
After that, more administrivia beckons, and making a few decisions. If I do want to bring Hell’s Acre out to wider publication I’ll need to start making arrangements now. I’ll probably decide while running; physical motion is best for shaking things loose and clarifying what I actually want instead of what I think I should want.
Age is also good for that. If I’d known my mid-forties would be this awesome I’d’ve hurried to get here. Still, things take the time they take, and there’s no getting around it without a higher cost than I’m usually willing to pay. So, here we are.
If I can’t go back to bed I suppose I should get started. Breakfast would be a good idea, so…off I go.