6-10 pages

That's all I have left to write: 6-10 pages. Two or three scenes depending on what gets accomplished in them. I can't believe it. Chapter 8 is done. Chapter 9, which is mostly written, is all that's left. I wrote tonight until my butt couldn't take sitting in front of my computer any more.

So I'm calling a night now. Tomorrow I'm aiming for three or more pages. The same the next day. By Saturday, Murder by the Acre will be finished. Can you believe it? I can't.

Of course, there are still corrections to be entered and a few minor changes I need to make. I have a list, but none of them are major and mostly consist of a few name fixes and some time problems.

Anyway, that's where I'm at. How are you doing? Are you reading the new posts at the Great Slim Down? Kirsten is sharing a lot of good info. Drop in, read, get motivated, comment, and join us in getting healthy. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

All I'm doing ...

... is working on Murder by the Acre. My plan is to FINISH MBTA this week. That's right. That's right. That's how close we are. I'm practically humming with excitement. After all this time, all the setbacks, all the problems, I'm about to have a book! I can't adequately express how I feel, but it's good, folks. Very, very, very good.

Have a great night!

WoW

EDITED TO ADD: I thought I posted this yesterday. I guess I hit Save Now instead of Publish Post. Anyway, here's yesterday's post with an additional paragraph about last night at the end.

Last night (Wednesday) I did nothing productive. I didn't work on Murder by the Acre, didn't clean house, didn't even watch TV. Instead I played World of Warcraft until nearly 11 p.m. It's the most fun I've ever had on WoW.

I was playing my Warlock, and killing and being killed by monsters over in Westfall. For you non-Wowers, Westfall is a farming community/land filled with Dust Devils, Harvest Watchers, Goretusks, Starving Coyotes, etc. The fields are always golden, hardly any trees, you get the idea. Well, I was bored, having been killed for the umpteen time and going to call it a night when I started watching this group play. Their characters swept through the places I had struggled at. It was a group of hunters with their pets and at least one warrior. It amused me to watch them effortlessly take down the creatures that had killed me so I started following them. No particular reason other than that.

These guys were good. They were part of a guild, and they had played together a lot. Individually, each one was tough, but together they were a killing machine. I had never seen anything like it.

Well, I watched for about ten minutes and then decided it was time to go. Except I got a message from one of the players asking if I wanted to join their party. They had noticed me watching them. I did and played with them for the rest of the evening. It was awesome. I actually went up TWO levels last night and nearly a third. Probably this doesn’t impress you, but ordinarily it takes me about a week to go up a level.

I confess that I didn't do much. These guys swept through the area, killing creatures and bad guys so fast that by the time I targeted something, they had often already killed it. In a party, you share equally in the money and experience points gained, so I got lots of money (just coppers, which are like pennies, but hey, I wasn't getting anything before) and EP.

At the end of the night, they offered to let me join their guild. I accepted on the spot. So now I'm a member of their guild. I'm looking forward to meeting my other guildmates and adventuring with them. Maybe I'll finally see why so many people actually became WoW fanatics.

Thursday night: I worked on MBTA and filing, cleaning house, etc. I also played World of Warcraft some with my new guild. Still fun, but I met more of the guild members and discovered some of them take WoW a bit too seriously. They aren't on there for companionship or fun; they play to gain power and levels, and your conversation and actions better enchance that or they're not interested in speaking to you or being around you. Be that as it may, I'm going to continue to play with them for a while. I like leveling fast, and it would be cool to finally have a character that doesn't die every 15 minutes. Still, I have a lot of writing to do, so we'll see if WoW is feasible with the schedule I have planned.

Tonight I have to write and clean house. My roomie's son and family are going to visit us Saturday. I'm looking forward to playing with their children, Ms. K and Mr. Z. They're going to come by Saturday afternoon, go to the park with us, and then eat out somewhere afterwards. I'm looking forward to it.

By the way, Kirsten is posting over at the Great Slim Down. She's sharing how she won the weight war. Check it out.

I hope you had a great night. And hey, the weekend is almost here! Woohoo! Have a great one. Or even several great ones!

Hurrah for Kirsten!

Yesterday evening after work I went to the local library and checked out a few books. I had a miserable day at work -- yelling customers, no sales, stomach problems, etc. -- and really intended to just go home and curl up around my computer. However, when I got in my car, I saw the sack of (overdue) library books and decided I would at least return them and pick up a few books to read (but only when I couldn't work on Murder by the Acre, Frenzied).

I was about to leave and then saw Kirsten's smiling face. So we sat down and talked for about an hour. Very cool. She's bright, funny, articulate, and quick on her verbal feet. The lively conversation redeemed my day. Hurrah for Kirsten! She's muchly keeno. I'm going to try to get Kirsten to post and comment on the Great Slim Down. (She didn't know that until now.) She once struggled with her weight and learned many lessons about food and life that I think will help us all. I'll be sending her an invite today.

More of my blogging friends should live in my town. Wouldn't it be cool if we ran into each other sometimes like Kirsten and I did? Of course, Adam does live here, but I can only think of one time where we ran into each other. We don't move in the same circles. (He's in the young, good job, happily married with two children and a third on the way, ambitious, intelligent circle while I'm in the old(er), bitter, pathetic man with only his computer for a friend whom he calls Angel Keys circle.) Adam, by the way, is in the process of launching a new copywriting and design business. I'm very excited for him. Here's his business's sharp looking website: Adam Huckeby, Copywriter & Graphic Design.

After my visit with Kirsten, I went out to eat with my roomie, then went home, and watched the first hour of Heroes. Kirsten is a big Heroes fan, but I just can't seem to get into it. I switched over to Boston Legal and greatly enjoyed watching Denny and Alan.

And that was my evening. What was yours like? I hope y'all are doing well. Murder by the Acre will be out in October. Have a great day.

Kirsten's meme

Kirsten tagged me for this meme. I guess she thought I wasn't posting enough. I'm supposed to think of and share six unspectacular things about me, which is hard 'cause I'm mostly spectacular ...

Six Unspectacular Things About Me

1. I have three remotes on the table by my recliner.
2. I like bananas, but my favorite fruit is grapes.
3. I dislike having my routine disturbed.
4. I watch Last of the Summer Wine regularly.
5. I have only two colors of socks: black and white.
6. I bought a new briefcase.

I’m tagging Frenzied Feline (who is now tagged twice), Michelle, Jean, Adam (who is also now tagged twice), and Erudite Redneck.

High Hopes by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd always produces singular music. You know a Pink Floyd song because no one else sounds like them. Recently, Richard Wright, one of the band's original members, passed away. All things pass away eventually. Here's one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs. The video is odd, but the song is understandable and wise.

Saturday Night Live

This made me laugh.

Doctors' visits

Well, I had hoped to share some good news with you today after my visits to the doctors. Instead, they have started me on three more medications. I go back to the specialist October 17 when he will attempt to discover what's going on with my sinuses. Apparently, there is a polyp in my sinuses. It might be nothing, it may be a tumor, it may be scar tissue from some injury when I was younger.

They started me back on two antibiotics. The other med is a nasal steroid to calm my inflamed sinuses. The specialist wants to run a camera into my sinuses to look at the growth, but my sinuses are too swollen to allow him to do so or we would have looked today. My ear and throat are still infected, hence the two antibiotics. Learning more about me than you want, aren't you?

Changing the subject: I had lunch yesterday with Adam and Kristen. Lots of fun. They are both bright, funny, quick, engaging. It was very enjoyable. Of course, they are both substantially younger than me so I kinda felt like their uncle. Their fun, enjoyable, well-preserved uncle, but an uncle none less. The joys of growing older ... wait, there aren't any. Just hand my cane and my shawl. I want to rock on the porch some.

Anyway, that's what's going on with me. What's happening in your world? I wouldn't ask -- I'd just read your blog -- but so few of you are blogging regularly. What's up with that? I need something to read! Get to it.

200

As I typed in the 200th correction for Murder by the Acre last night, I thought about how cool it would be to have an assistant to do this for me. Some smart, engaging, funny person who knew exactly what I wanted to say and how to say it. And who would work very cheap. Free even. I can dream, can't I?

My health has improved a lot. I still have some chest congestion and occasional coughing spells when I attempt to cough up a couple of organs, but overall, I am much better. My ear remains the biggest annoyance: not so much the hearing loss, but the muted roar that I hear constantly. Supposedly that is indicative of nerve damage. I'm hoping my ear is still healing, and the roar goes away as it heals and the inflammation subsides. I go back to the specialist Friday, and I'm hoping he will have some good news for me.

Only one more episode of The Closer left before its season ends. Gonna miss it. The writing is superb as is the acting. I was particularly impressed by last night's episode. So much went on, but the writers still kept the show moving and focused. Not easy to do. I always feel that way about The Closer: that the people exist outside the boundaries of the format. Or maybe I just want to think Brenda, Fritz, and her crew are out there somewhere, solving the crimes, putting the bad guys away. That would be nice.

I saw The Kingdom on DVD recently. An impressive movie that I enjoyed. Jamie Fox and Jennifer Garner were excellent, but I was also impressed by Jason Bateman. I recommend the movie. It's violent, thought provoking, unrelenting, and almost unbearably sad. Watch it, and see if you don't think it's movie-making at its finest.

I continue to dabble in World of Warcraft. I now had a warlock character. So far, I like that character class best. I like shaman least of all. I play about 30 minutes to an hour every day. That might sound like a lot, but actually it's quite modest compared to the time commitment other people give to the game. I enjoy it for about that long, then I get bored and want to do something else. Still, it's fun to go and kill a few frustrations.

Not much else is going on in my life. I've been making an effort to keep my kitchen clean and my living room picked up. I need to dust again, one of my least favorite chores. Fortunately it's not been as dry here so we have less dust than normal. Wonder if that assistant would also dust.

I haven't been back in my pool since I got sick. Haven't felt like it, and the water is too cold. I need to work out a way to heat the water. Seventy-degree water is unpleasant. I'd like the water temp to be in the mid-eighties. That would be perfect. I've checked out pool heaters, but they're expensive. I did find some info on solar water heaters. I might see if that would work.

I hope you're having a great day. I'm supposed to -- I hope -- have lunch Thursday with Adam Huckeby and Kirsten of This Fluid Life and Now or Never respectively. I'll be sure to give you a report. And should any other of our commentors want to join us -- maybe you could fly in, Frenzied -- let me know. Talk to you later.

Society note

Today Stephen Bagley had a quiet celebration attended only by him to mark passing the halfway point in the final edit/type in on Murder by the Acre. He was quietly excited and very pleased. He sent well wishes to his friends and talked of his hope that they had a pleasing and successful weekend. He intends to be back here tomorrow. And with that, we close for the evening.

Good day

Oklahoma State University won. University of Oklahoma won. I got housework and filing done. (I also got work done on MBTA.) And I felt well enough to go out and eat, something I haven't done for a long time. A good day. I hope you had a good day, too. And I hope you have a good tomorrow. Night!

Prayer request

My sister-in-law's father passed away this morning. Please remember her and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you.

Top Secret

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

Dateline:

Now.

Reference:

Subject has resumed work on mystery novel Murder by the Acre, hereafter referred to as MBTA.

Summary:

After several setbacks, subject has returned to final edit of MBTA. Work is progressing slowly and quietly. Subject refuses to set completion date because setbacks have materialized -- family troubles, health problems, etc. -- every time he has done so. However, subject was heard muttering that MBTA should be finished before end of 9/2008. DO NOT REPEAT.

Current status:

Four chapters have achieved final edit status. Subject expects but does not promise nor guarentee to cross halfway point this weekend.

Action item(s):

None at present.

Clearance required:

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY as per Ryton Security Act of 2007, subsection 17A, paragraphs 15, 17-22.

End Document.

Shhh

Shhh ... don't let the germs know ... but I think I'm better. I made it through the whole day at work and wasn't completely exhausted. I'm tired tonight and ready for bed, but I think I might have turned the corner. But keep it quiet. We can't let the germs find out or they might mount a counter-offensive.

I hope you had a great day. I hope tomorrow will be even better. Frenzied Feline needs to post. Night!

Phillips, Craig & Dean video

I found this song to be uplifting and meaningful. It touched me. It is my favorite from the Phillips, Craig & Dean Live DVD. I wanted to share it with you, and luckily, it's on YouTube. It's a Sunday Song on Monday.



I hope you had a good Labor Day. I did. Not looking forward to work, but I'm going to do my best. I sometimes forget that's all that's asked of us. Have a great tomorrow.