Lackadaisy

First, some book news for those who missed it (and care): Restless Spirits is 50% off at Smashwords with coupon code SSW50 throughout the month of July. Also at Smashwords, last week I released my flash fiction collection, Fragments & Fancies: Ficlets, Flash Fiction & Shorts as a FREE download. So go check it out. Oh, and also, I added a Books page to this blog, so you can keep tabs on my current and upcoming publications there. Or you could always just follow my writing blog.

Other than that, the big news is that there is no news. Except that it's hot. It's so, so very hot that I have no energy and I never want to leave my air-conditioned house and I'm suffering from a serious case of ennui. Hello, First World Whine.

But that's pretty much where I'm at right now. I haven't been posting because there's nothing new to say. I'm still writing, I'm still working, I'm still working out, and every day is just like the one before, and did I mention that it's OH EM GEE HOT?

I did finally start taking NAC (I think I actually mentioned that already -- see? There's nothing new to say), and I don't know whether it's a direct result of that that I finally broke the 170 barrier. The last time I weighed, the needle on the scale hovered between 168 and 169. I'm wearing the heck out of my size 12 shorts, even though they're still a skoch tight, but they look better than my baggy-butt size 14s. And I only have 18 or 19 more pounds to go until I'll feel safe to TTC -- presuming that 150 will be low enough to get my insulin resistance under control.

I also recently came to a fairly monumental (for me) decision, but I haven't decided whether I should blog about that yet, so I'll just go ahead and be obnoxious and tease y'all about it instead.

Oh, and we're still -- STILL! -- waiting to see the specialist about scheduling Matt's gallbladder surgery. That appointment's been rescheduled twice already, the second time after we waited in the doctor's office for two and a half hours before they told us that the doctor got called into surgery and sent us home. So maybe we'll know something by Friday. It's sure a good thing he's not actually suffering any symptoms.

Of course this means that we still can't plan our camping trip, and with his classes starting in less than a month, it's starting to look like we might not get our summer vacation this year. Which I don't even want to think about right now, because I need this vacation so badly. We both do. Even if it's just for a weekend.

Oh, and again -- my 20 year high school reunion is happening this weekend. I'm not going. Originally I declined mainly because Matt's surgery was (and is) still up in the air and we're trying to keep our schedules open; but when I saw that they actually felt the need to write "No Fighting!" at the bottom of the invitation... I can't say I felt too heartbroken about missing it, and also, that pretty much sums up my entire high school experience right there.

How about you guys? Are you managing to beat the heat, or do you live in some magical wonderland where the weather is pleasant and mild?

I think I forgot how to blog.

I think I also forgot how to do Christmas. I seem to be in denial that the Christmas season is here. I have yet to make a single list, for gifts, cards, or otherwise, and no idea what I'm going to get anybody, or for that matter even what I hope to receive. I don't have any Christmas knitting projects going because I'm still working on that dagnab sweater I started way back in July for my sister's birthday (this is why I don't often do sweaters). Christmas exploded all over my mother's house, with red and/or green and/or twinkly colored lights and/or faux-pine garlands and bows and wreaths and/or nativity sets and/or shiny Santa figurines everywhere you look. But upstairs, our part of the house is such a chaotic mess that the only reason any Christmas decorations are up is because we never got around to taking them down from last year, and they've pretty much faded into the background of our perception by now.

And the thought of Christmas shopping makes me want to crawl into bed and sleep until St. Patrick's Day.

I wouldn't say it's holiday depression or even ennui--it's just not sinking through my thick skull that Christmas is here already. It feels too soon. It feels like summer just ended. It's still relatively warm here, even, at least for the most part. All of this Christmas-ness surrounding me feels surreal and out of place, and it's making ME feel surreal and out of place.

Maybe this is just what happens when you keep your head buried in your own novel for all of November. Maybe I just need to go get a peppermint latte and listen to some Christmas carols and watch Rudolph and drink some 'nog and get acclimated to the fact that 2007 is practically over already. Maybe I need to go home and plug in the Christmas lights that have been hanging unlit all year.

I mean, it's December already, you guys! When did that happen?

Dry spell

I'm having an off day. I'm trying to think of something worth blogging about, and I'm coming up blank. I could talk about VA Tech, but I think it's already got more coverage than is healthy, so I don't really want to give more space to that other than to say that my thoughts and prayers are with all of those left behind to mourn. I'm not egoistic enough to believe that anyone really wants to read about my daily writing quota (which today didn't even come close), or the day-to-day details of my diet, or reports on my gym regimen. My pets haven't done anything lately that's cute or zany or irritating enough to mention, and my marriage is maintaining a happy status quo. Today I'm dealing with allergies and exacerbated ADD tendencies, but who wants to hear me whine about those any more than I've already done?

That leaves work, and work is busy, but boring.

Yes, there are definitely worse problems to have, and perspective is a good thing. Today, I think a lot of us are having our problems put into perspective, and somehow they suddenly don't seem worth mentioning.

But life goes on. Right now it's time for mine to go on at the gym.