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Tatteredleaf

January 2023

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Every day, I think I should sit down and jot down a quick post of what is going on in my life. I have been very bad about doing that, and not because I am too busy--it is just a pain to get that which is in my head down onto the printed page. So, I decided to take a chapter from [livejournal.com profile] madwriter and make up a posting format where I can easily plug in what is going on. Surely, surely, that will help me update more often? So, here we go:

State of the Work Thing

Did not get the job I interviewed for last week, but primary reason I didn't appears to be because the attorney snapped up an applicant he knew already. So that was that. But, had super-awesome long talk with Renita, the Law, Snakard personnel director, and she adores me and wants me to work there and would I be interested in another position there? Uh, yes? She has two possible situations coming up, and asked that if I didn't hear from her within a couple of weeks to touch base. Also, she said she would poke around with her network, though "I don't want to lose you to anyone else." Also learned that salaries are quite a bit higher these days than they were way-back-when. Um, lots more than I was making at B&W... so yeah, a legal gig? Might not be a bad thing.

State of the Unemployment

Waiting on the decision. Had the telephone interview regarding my side of things; no one from B&W showed up. Old boss Chris hmmmm'd at that, and believes that B&W made alot (A LOT, STUPID FINGERS) of mistakes--especially with giving no warnings, etc. We'll see. I hope I get it but if not, my dad is being very supportive. And, my ESOP monies should be here very soon.

State of the House

One would think being home so much, my house would be spotless. But being unemployed does not turn me into a supreme housekeeper, apparently.

State of Writing, Part 1

I sent in my manuscript the first part of January, and have not heard from my editor yet, so I dropped her a line last night. I really hope to hear soon, dangitall!

State of Writing, Part 2

Next Loose-Id story: I *was* going to do MS Idea #1 first, but have pushed it back, and will be doing MS Idea #2, which is taking a character from the ms I am waiting to hear on, and giving him his own story. He is about as down and out as a character can be--starting literally from nothing. I ache to write him in first person, but my editor... Oh man. So, I may just write him in limited third, which I have not done before. I'll start hashing out the plot on that puppy probably tomorrow. Don't have to do much before I get started writing.

State of Writing Part 3

This is the big one, full blown historical fantasy, actually a serious rehaul of my fantasy I've worked on off and on for ten years or so. Until now, I have not had the wherewithall to pull off doing this...I just wasn't ready, it wasn't the right time, I had no brain, whatever. But now I have the support I need to make it work (and the maturity? I don't know...). In any case, I have found the guidance I need to tackle this and shape up what I have to make it work with my new vision. It'll be a huge undertaking, but I've already made more progress with the planning stage than I ever thought possible. It is AWESOME. I may write more about that later, as it is a different approach than I've seen before, while not really being that different. It is just ORGANIZED.

State of Writing Part 4

I am signing up for [livejournal.com profile] paperlegends. I know, I know, crazy chick...but I have this idea I want to explore, and that will be a fun way to do it. Even if no one reads it, that's fine. I am used to not being read by people. If I can make what I want to do work, I do fully intend on blowing it up into a ms for Loose-Id. I have just never written scary before... LOL! Will take a stab.

State of Health

I have set a goal to lose 15 lbs, and to help with that starting tomorrow I am going back on my Diet of Fierceness. I have also joined the YMCA, though my left knee has been angry at me for awhile. It is much better the last few days though so I am going to start going to the YMCA again starting tomorrow. Trying to get a regular schedule set for going--I actually always preferred evenings, so think I will go back to that.

State of Everything Else

All is well everywhere else. I am keeping busy, though I think a more set routine is in order. I try not to think about the scary side of being unemployed, or the cold hard fact that I don't have a ticket to the UK to go see Nick in my hand--that really slays me tons, it has been a full year now! Okay, that is too damn long. Dammit. I am antsy to get out of here and DO something, SEE things, EXPLORE and and and and... yeah. Sigh.

And that is about it. Future entries will (or should) be more specifically geared toward parts of the above. I need to get back into the habit of ljing regularly, and also? I need to start working on pumping up both Carolyn Gray and myself, too, and blogging regularly under www.carolyngraybooks.com and www.carolynrogers.wordpress.com (I am in the process of trying to get www.carolynrogers.com--the person who utilized it before no longer seems to be doing so, so I'm going after them using GoDaddy's service for that. I WANT MY NAME DAMMIT!) I also, sigh, should be having an open twitter under carolynrogers and carolyngray but OMG... Well, more on social media and name-branding later. It is all new to me, but my crit group leader is a huge banana in the field, a strong advocate for name-branding. Eek, she wants me to get a FACEBOOK! NoooOoooooOOOooooOOOOooooOOOOoooooO!!!!!

And one last thing:

State of the Puppies

Lazy, as usual. :)
We got just a little bit of the big wintry storm early this morning here in North Texas, but it was enough to shut down the city. Both kids' universities were closed, though my daughter spent the night at a friend's. She called this morning, upset and freaked out--she was trying to get home, and got the car stuck in ice. *sigh* Fortunately lotsa boys came to her rescue and they got her out--she should've been home in 15 minutes, but with all the road closings and general mess it took her almost two hours. No sanding, no salting, the city's solution was to just close roads. Oh, Texas!

OH LOL all the universities around are closed again. TCU, TCC, UTA, North Texas...which means all the regular schools will be too. WE CANNOT COPE! WE JUST CANNOT COPE! I am laughing. Oh man. Oh, Texas!

So, the job hunt continues. Not much to report there, not at all. We're doing okay though...bills for Feb are paid in full, and there's still enough in the bank not to panic yet. I really rather not spend that on bills and general living--I kinda want to go see [livejournal.com profile] cruentum, you know? I miss him terrible-fierce, and we're about to hit the one-year mark since we saw each other last. This is the longest stretch we've gone, and we don't like it. Not at all. Today was his first day at his new job and it was okay but rough too, yeah, new job blues, the new kid on the block, etc. -- the joys of starting any new job, but compounded with it being in a different country makes it tougher, I think. He really has done amazing, though. You bet I am proud of my baby. :)

I signed up to beta for [livejournal.com profile] paperlegends. I'll be tending to a couple of others already, but I do love beta'ing, and so many are asking for help. It makes me happy and feel positive to do things for others, especially after a terrible January of blueness. I need it. I got really, really depressed--almost 15 years associated with the railroad, poof. Gone. Yes it does help tremendously that everyone I cared about is also gone, but you bet I am in mourning. It is so damn sad. Sigh. I hope I can find another job I care about as much, but I don't know if I will. For about 8 years there, things were beautiful, and the thought of leaving? Oh hell no. And then.... *throws hands up* And then.

Still waiting to hear from my publisher, argh. I WANT WORD! Like, NOW. That would be nice. LOL. My editor promised to get to the ms as soon as possible but I do have to wait my turn. OMG I nearly spelled that 'tern'. LOL. January, was too frozen brain-wise and heart-wise to start anything new, but everyone keeps telling me I *am* allowed to have some fun, so I'm working on a couple of new stories. One is for Loose-Id, and the other is my first serious stab at the not-urban (but rustic!) fantasy genre. My writing group is hugely supportive (and whip-crackery!) so I'm optimistic about it going well. The new fic for my publisher is SPLASH PAGE (title via the marvelous [livejournal.com profile] amand_r and yes Mander I swiped it from Blue!), and boy do I have alot to learn about the comics world. FUN research though! Very fun. :)

Got my computer back from the shop, it works great, stays way cool and comfy but the fan! It is louder! My computer would be terrible at hide and seek! The CPU is staying quite cool so I guess I should not complain, but anyone have any thoughts about fans, holler.

And now to go figure out two guys' names for my new story. Maybe if I start working on this, I'll stop angsting over hearing re: my other ms. *bites nails*

I leave you with PUPPIES! Happy huskies in the 'snow.' Yes, that is all we got. Oh, Texas!

snowsnowwhee )
Today I decided to go ahead and bust out my Christmas user pic. Mander drew that on a post-it last year and I made it a pic then and just love it. It makes me grin.

Today is Day 26 of Nano. My stats are as such:

Nano words: 42,206

Total wordcount: 75,964 - That is just over 6k since my last report, 4k of which was written today. What a brilliant, lovely writing day today was, with 1500 in the morning, and the rest this evening. Enjoyed a leisurely afternoon with Nick. :)

I still need 7,794 words to 'win' at this game called Nano. There is a certain gleeful excitement about achieving this.

I am the last of my group of my local kids to hit 50k. That's okay, they adore me anyway. They say so.

Plot points to write still: 9 (thank the stars, no more sex scenes lol)

Nanostats: thinks now I won't hit 50k until December 1st. This is much better than two days ago.

Estimated final wordcount: I think with 9 points to go, and I've got 75k already... um... I am starting to think that I will indeed be right around 100k by the time I am done.

Nano is going very well indeed.

OTHER STUFF, NOT SO GOOD:

Tonight my MIL asked me to go with her to tell her son that his sister is losing it mentally and is psychotic. Cops were called today when SIL tried to assault a friend of my MIL's as my MIL was trying to move stuff into her condo. Lovely, huh. Cops had a hard time calming Mary(Sil) down. It was really ugly, apparently, and they told MIL there was nothing they could do today. MIL told me she is going to have her daughter evicted from the condo, she says, which will take a court order, as MIL let Mary move into the condo, not realizing she herself would need to leave where she is and live there herself. It is a bad situation that is just going to get worse. I didn't say yes or no, just 'I hope it doesn't come to that' re: going to tell her son who, I believe, is trying to avoid the whole thing and is hiding from them all. Lovelier and lovelier. I do not want to see him. Sorry.

I am sick to death of these people.

MIL has papers from when Mary was court-committed before (oh yeah, 1994) and was told then that if something happened again, to go back to them so I told her to do that before she does anything. I don't know what else to advise.

I just want to be free of these people--and I could be if I would turn my back on my MIL, but that is something I could not and would not do. I wish she had a friend's she could stay at, that she would go visit her cousin for awhile, but she doesn't want to be a bother... WTH.

ARGH!

Effing hell.

HAPPIER THINGS:

PUPPYCAM! A friend's friend's malamute had puppies and they have a puppycam where they can be watched. Puppies are so cute and adorable and these puppies will be show and competitive puppies, probably all already spoken for. They are growing like crazy!