MBTA stuff

I had hoped Murder by the Acre would be on sale today. The “official” release date is October 30, but Lulu had a price change that went into effect today and I was trying to beat the change. Well, I did my part, but Lulu had a problems, and so it didn’t happen despite a lot of emails and three or four live chat sessions.

However, the news is still partly good. The price increase barely touched the softcover of my book. The major increase was in the hardcover. This means the hardcover will never be available on Amazon -- with the online retailer markup, the price would soar to $30 -- but it will be available on Lulu.

Anyway, as I’ve waited for Lulu to fix their problems, I gave MBTA another reading. And found errors. Yes, that’s right. After all this proofing, I found a handful of formatting errors, places where I left out a word, other places where I duplicated the same word in a row, spelled a name in two different ways, etc. About thirty errors in all. Sigh.

I have another proof to read through today and tonight. This is my last read-through. Although I’m sure errors remain to be found, I think I’ve reached a point of diminishing returns. What I can’t find after this read-through, I’m not going to find.

The cover is finished and ready for the contents.

Oh, Frenzied Feline designed the front of a bookmark for Murder by the Acre. She did a great job. It’s already off at the printers, and I should receive 500 shiny bookmarks next week. That’s probably more than I need, but I do have three libraries to supply. I intend to give 50 or so to each and resupply them when they run out.

Speaking of libraries, my first three book signings are scheduled:
Friday, November 14, 4-6 p.m. at the Ada Public Library.
Friday, November 21, 3:30-5 p.m. at the Stanley Tubbs Memorial Library in Sallisaw.
Saturday, November 22, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Muldrow Public Library.

I don’t think I’ll be able to squeeze any more signings in until after Christmas, but I’ll see. People’s schedules are so packed during the holidays. I hope to make it to Alva sometime in December, but I’ll have to see if that can be worked out.

Speaking of errors and corrections:

My proofers did a marvelous job. That they missed a few is only a reflection on how difficult proofing is -- and also how sloppy a writer I must be! Something for me to work on. The problem is that the story comes fast and I type as fast I can. And when reread the story, I see what I intended to write instead of what’s there. I appreciate my proofers taking the time and effort to proof MBTA.

Speaking of particular errors:

Kirsten pointed out that ellipses (…) get a period when they end a sentence, so there would be four dots (….) instead of three. Several of the other proofers disagreed, and my “regular” reader -- who read the book for content, not errors -- noticed the difference in number of dots and wanted to know why. Kristen, however, is correct. But I finally decided to use only three dots throughout because: 1) Random House does, 2) it fixed two formatting errors, 3) it seemed consistent, and 4) it was less distracting to my regular reader.

Kirsten won a clear victory, however, in her refusal of the interrobang (?!). I like the poor interrobang, but its main use seems to be in comic books -- although Neal Stephenson’s new book Anathem has at least two instances of its use. Anyway, all the stylebooks support Kirsten, so MBTA has no interrobangs now. Sigh.

Jean pointed out my overwhelming use of the phrase “for a moment.” I did a check and discovered to my horror that I used the phrase 42 times in the book! I changed most of those, and we are only left with three instances now.

Crystal noted my overwhelming use of the word “that.” Lord only knows how many times I used it. I removed most of those instances before my other proofers read MBTA. Several of the other proofers marked several places where they thought I should put “that” back. I read every contested instance out loud and went with what sounded best to my ear.

I use the phrase “ever so often” in the book once in the book. Almost every proofer wanted it changed to “every so often.” I stood firm on this one. “Ever so often” means “a great many times.” “Every so often” means “once in a while.” Since I intended the former and not the latter, I kept “ever so often.” See here and here and here for more info. I think it’s a useful distinction between the two phrases.

Crystal thought I had spelled “Gill” as “Gil” somewhere in the book. I was never able to find that error. Probably will after the book is published. Nancy thought I should change the name to “Gil” so that it could be short for “Gilbert.” I kept it “Gill,” mostly because I like it that way and don’t like the sound of Gilbert.

On names: any character who has a speaking line -- or is mentioned more than once -- has an “unreal” name. In other words, it’s a name I made up. Some people who are just mentioned in passing, however, are my friends and family. It’s my small tribute to them, and I make sure they’re mentioned in a neutral or complimentary fashion. Notable in this book are: my good friends Chuck and Joan Perry; my niece Jana May (I use her mother’s maiden name as Jana’s last name in this book) who really does have a wonderful singing voice; and my brother-in-law Phillip Owens. Phillip, by the way, is the only “real” character who was in the first book, too. There are a couple of other “reals” in the book, but I’ll let their real world counterparts find them.

Enough about MBTA. You'll be hearing more about it over the next weeks, but you knew that, didn't you? Don't try to hide now. It's too late.

I've been ghastly sick the past few days. The doctor changed my diabetes med again, and my body reacted in its usual unpleasant fashion, but my sugar levels are going down. We're making progress.

And now I'll close. I hope to announce MBTA going on sale tonight. If not, tomorrow. Talk to you then.

"Time Wounds All" by Holly Lisle

Go read this post by Holly Lisle. It's worth your time. Inspiring, truthful, and wise.

Fine

I came through fine. I'm sore and somewhat sick. Spend the whole day sleeping and resting. We didn't find anything or at least not what we were looking for. So it means another more extensive surgery/scope, this one down my throat. I probably won't have this done until after Christmas, depending on what my doctors say next week when I meet with them again. So ... I think this is a win. Or at least not a loss. And we eliminated another possible cause.

Hope things are going well for you. Talk to you tomorrow. Despite having spend the whole day in bed, I'm ready to go to bed again! Night!

Enough basking

I sure appreciate all the support y'all have shown to me and Murder by the Acre. It's helped keep me going even when I wasn't sure I could. It's hard for me to believe that MBTA will be out sometime next week. I can't wait to hold a copy in my hands.

Tonight I finally uploaded the hardcover version of EndlesS. It will only be available on Lulu.com and at my book signings. I'm going to give the hardcover version to the libraries that I know have Murder by Dewey Decimal in their stacks. Tomorrow night, I'm going to upload the hardcover version of Murder by the Acre. It also will be exclusive to Lulu. The reason behind this is that online retailers add their markup, which in Amazon's case is nearly half again the manufacturing cost. This adds about $10 to the cost. Ouch. The hardcovers will stay on Lulu for now. Maybe I'll find another publishing solution someday that will make the hardcovers affordable. That would be cool.

Tomorrow afternoon I go back to the doctor for minor exploratory surgery. We're trying to find out what's going with my sinuses. I'll be sore afterwards, but otherwise fine, according to the doctor. Be thinking of me around 2 p.m. or so.

I'm trying to decide the fate of The Great Slimdown. We're not getting very much participation in terms of comments and visitors so I'm wondering if we still need that blog. Let me know what you think.

Anyway, that's what's happening in my world. What's going on in yours?

SUBMITTED!

Murder by the Acre has been submitted to the publisher!

Pardon me while I bask in the glow for a bit.

Well, last night was not the success I had hoped for. I didn’t get all the corrections entered into Murder by the Acre -- I lack one set -- but I entered most of them and decided to upload the book so I’d get my proof and then do the remaining corrections on the next proof. I need to see how the cover prints so that I can makes changes if needed, and the only way to do that is to order a proof copy.

Except, every time I attempted to upload last night, the upload timed out. I tried six or seven times. This morning I called Lulu and was told to try again today. They had server problems yesterday. So today’s plan is to put in the last set of corrections, upload tonight, publish, and order the first proof copy. Then I’ll wait until it arrives, read and give it a good polish edit, make changes on cover if needed, make corrections if needed, upload, download PDF of book, print PDF, scan PDF for formatting errors, order second proof, AND approve book for publication. Then people can start ordering!

And then will start the dreaded publicity. The never-ending emails, letters, postcards, newspaper stories, book signings, posters, banners -- I confess to looking forward to it all. During all that, I will be working frantically on my outline for Murder by the Mile. Anyway, that’s what I’m going to be doing for the next couple of months. What about you?

Lost in the Land of Corrections

Whew! I greatly over-estimated my ability to get all these corrections -- delivered by my wonderful and dedicated proofreaders -- entered into Murder by the Acre. I have made it through four different sets. The sets did repeat many of the same errors, but in each were new errors. It's fascinating to me how the proofreaders found different mistakes. (And a bit dismaying when I consider that I wrote those errors in there!)

I'm glad I had so many people look at the manuscript and thank all my proofers for their fine work. However, I sure am tired of entering these corrections in. That's pretty much all I've done since Friday evening. I won't get the book submitted to Lulu tonight, but hope to submit it tomorrow night. That's the plan. We'll see how it goes. So far I've only entered the "regular" errors: words left out, mispellings, wrong words, etc. I have four errors that will require a few sentences to correct them, but nothing terrible.

I also appreciate all the nice comments that many of the proofers gave MBTA. I like the story, but it's nice to know other people like it, too. That is the point. Mostly. I hope it generates a bit of money, too.

I did get to watch part of the OU-Texas game. Sigh. Sometimes evil triumphs for a time. But I also got to watch the OSU-Missouri game. WAHOO! GO POKES! The good guys win a game that everyone said they wouldn't. Gives me hope.

Anyway, back to the corrections. I hope life is treating you well. Night!

State of corrections

One set of corrections had been turned into me. Thank you, Shirley, for making the time to proofread Murder by the Acre. I so appreciate it. You're completely awesome.

My roomie is almost finished with his proofing. He made it through Chapter 8 last night so he only lacks Chapter 9. Both he and Shirley found several mistakes, although not as many as I feared they would find. Fortunately all the mistakes are easily corrected, except one pointed out by my roomie that will take a bit of thought and a bit of rewriting, but nothing drastic.

Frenzied Feline has read MBTA once and is now going through it a second time before she turns in her corrections. Now, that's dedication. I look forward to seeing her corrections.

I'm not sure where Jean is at on her corrections, but she and her hubby are taking a well-deserved vacation so I suspect her time is limited. Her corrections would be a nice bonus, but I also understand if she's unable to return them to me by Saturday. Just the fact she was willing to try is an amazing thing, and I'm honored by the attempt.

Likewise, I'm not sure where Kirsten is at on hers. She had commitments on both Monday and Tuesday nights so she was going to start proofing on Wednesday evening. I hope it's going well for her.

Crystal, who did some preliminary proofing for me, has had difficulties in receiving and reading the files I've been sending to her. Her computer is being very uncooperative. I've been tempted to drive up there and beat on it with a baseball bat, but I doubt that would help much, although it would be satisfying. Anyway, I don't know if she will be able to get any corrections to me or not. I hope so.

Nancy is halfway through the book -- she has a paper copy as does my roomie and as did Shirley -- and has scribbled many comments in the margins, she says. She believes she should be able to return the book to me Friday afternoon.

Why the Saturday deadline? Two reasons: First, I need to get the book submitted to Lulu ASAP to have any chance of it being on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for Christmas, and second, I'm attempting to have the book go on sale before October 28, which is when Lulu is going to raise their prices. MBTA will cost about $2 more, and I'm attempting to get it done before then so that anyone who wishes to buy from them will save a bit of money.

All my proofers have my thanks. I hope they're enjoying the story as they scan the pages for errors. I'm not sure if it takes a village to make a book, but a good book does require good proofreaders, and I'm grateful for mine.

Writer's guilt

Murder by the Acre is off to the proofers, and I've been receiving preliminary feedback, mostly good so far. I confess to feeling a bit of writer's guilt about MBTA because of what I have the murderer do in the book.

In Murder by Dewey Decimal, all the people who are killed might not have deserved death, but they were characters I didn't much care for. They were unsavory at the least and criminal at worse. While I tried to give their deaths as much dignity and wordage that I could, it didn't bother me when they shuffled off their fictional coil.

However, in MBTA, good people die and/or harmed. In particular, one character certainly didn't deserve what happened. I felt like I needed to send a condolence card/apology missive to the family. I didn't kill anyone needlessly. The murderer had reasons. Reasons only a sociopath would act on, but reasons nonetheless. Their deaths and/or maimings aren't senseless, but they still bothered me.

I also found myself feeling some pity for the murderer. I knew the murderer's life and what disappointments and failures led to the first murder and all those terrible events that follow. What the murderer does is wrong, but I can understand why the murderer chooses that path.

At many times, I felt like I was a reporter, just writing down what happened and what I saw. That's when I feel most like a writer. The events unfold, and the unexpected happens. I had several scenes in this book, including one in the last chapter, that were unplanned, at least in how they turned out. I started writing, and eventually I left my outline behind. In all these scenes, the new, unexpected material was better than the old.

Those moments of discovery are a true reward of writing. And I guess worth the occasional bout of writer's guilt.

!!!RED ALERT!!!

PDF PROOF FILE OF MURDER BY THE ACRE HAS BEEN LAUNCHED AT CRYSTAL, JEAN, FRENZIED FELINE, AND KIRSTEN! Front cover is nomimal. Back cover is on standby.

REPEAT: PDF PROOF FILE OF MURDER BY THE ACRE HAS BEEN LAUNCHED AT CRYSTAL, JEAN, FRENZIED FELINE, AND KIRSTEN! Front cover is nomimal. Back cover is on standby.

And so it goes. My proofers have this week (Deadline: Saturday, October 11, noon) to turn in the hundreds of errors that I deliberately left in MBTA so that they would feel needed ... and if you believe that, Lord help you.

I hope there aren't hundreds of errors, but I'm positive there are errors. There would be a lot more in this version, except Crystal has been proofing as I wrote along. She found many, many, many mistakes, and for that, I thank her especially. I appreciate my proofers taking the time to help me out. The file is in PDF format, which should mean that everyone's page numbers will be the same this time. Thus when a proofer points on an error on page 122, I should be able to go to page 122 and find that pesky mistake.

The reason for the deadline is I need to upload the corrected file to Lulu on Sunday, October 12, so that it's there waiting on Monday, October 13. That's plan. Now I just have to finish the front and back covers and the end pieces and enter in all the corrections ... piece of cake ... I hope ... Lord help me.

I hope things are going well for you. I've been reading the blogs even if I haven't had the time to comment. I'll try to catch up next week after MBTA is sent off. Take care. Good night!

Finished!

Enough said.

Almost there

One scene left to write, a few corrections to type in, and I'll be done with Murder by the Acre. I am ready as I'm sure you're ready to have me stop talking about it!

Tomorrow I will convert the book into the PDF format and send it off to my proofers. They will have a week to return the corrections to me. On Sunday, October 12, it goes to the publisher. And barring unforeseen events, MBTA will go on sale at Lulu.com on October 30! (Or sooner, depending on how fast it's published.)

I still don't know if it will be on Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I hope it will be, but that's out of my control. I will be having book signings -- I hope -- in November in Ada, Sallisaw, and Muldrow. I'm hoping to return to Alva in December.

Well, back to that scene. I'll be announcing the finish later tonight. I hope things are going well for you. Talk to you later.

I continue ...

... to make progress on Murder by the Acre. I didn't get as much done today as I thought I might -- I had thought I might finish today -- but what with one thing and another, I didn't get as many words as I hoped. That's okay. Everything is still flowing, and we're on schedule.

Not much else to tell you. Hope things are going well for you. Here are a couple of photos, one of Miss M and Mr. Z, my roomie's other grandchildren who visited us last Saturday.



Does Miss M have a great smile or what? She's a charmer.



Mr. Z had just woke up, and he wasn't sure about this play set, but he started enjoying himself after he found the slide. He has the true heart of an explorer.

Have a good night and great tomorrow! Good night.

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.

Blessed

I hate to continue talking about my health all the time. For one thing, not much has changed. If I’m better, the levels have increased in such small ways that I can’t detect them. I know I’m better overall, but this last slope seems to be taking a while.

For another, I can’t think of anything more boring than having someone tell you in exhaustive, mind-numbing detail about their health and every little thing that affects that. I hate to think of you having to endure it, and even worse, having to endure it from me!

The problem is, of course, I’m not doing much of anything these days. Being sick takes up most of my time with a bit of TV and a few books between meds and doctors’ visits. Overall, it’s a fairly boring existence.

One thing I’ve noted is you cannot will yourself healthy. Germs don’t pay attention to what you want. Your determination to be well means nothing to them. It’s a humbling experience when your body betrays you. I have such plans for when I’m healthy.

I want to finish Murder by the Acre. Got to finish it soon if I want it on sale by this Christmas. I need to finish outlining Murder by the Mile before National Novel Writing Month starts in November. I need to publish the August and September family newsletter. And hey, I should do my laundry and actually fold it instead of leaving in piles in my living room. And get my hair cut; my hair is longer than it has ever been. I go around looking like critters have made my hair into their nest. Things like that need to be done. Maybe vacuum my house. People keep asking me what they can do to help; I wonder what they would do if I said, “Hey, come clean my house. Help me do laundry. And I have maid uniforms for you to wear, too …”

Anyway, after talking about not talking about my health, I have spent most of this post talking about my health. Ironic, huh?

I do want to mention that I’m on Facebook now. My good friends Kevin and Jennifer got on Facebook and rapidly became addicted. I had checked out Facebook some time ago and dismissed it for various reasons. However, this time I signed up. So “friend” me if you have Facebook.

This morning I got to watch the DVD of a concert by Phillips, Craig & Dean, a contemporary Christmas trio. Absolutely awesome. I highly recommend it. Two songs on it touched me deeply: “When God Ran” and “Crucified with Christ.” The DVD is Phillips, Craig & Dean Live. I appreciate Mark and Marjie loaning the DVD to me.

My friend Kevin just called, and he and his family are going to bring me lunch. How cool is that? I have good friends. I have a family who loves me. I have many good things in my life. Despite my health problems, my life is good. I have been richly blessed more than I could ever deserve.

I hope you have a good Sunday. I believe in you, you know. Each and every one of you is special, however dumb that sounds. You are worthy of being happy. That’s a good note to end this post on. Talk to you later.

Today

I saw an ear, throat and nose doctor today. He was very nice. Expensive, but nice. And he seemed to know what he was doing. Knowledgeable. But expensive. Anyway, I'm hoping these new prescriptions will do the trick.

The bad news is that I may have suffered permanent hearing loss in my left ear. I'm hoping that won't be true. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

I remain very tired, but overall I'm doing better. I'm starting to think I may finally be on the mend.

Anyway, enough of that. I hope you have a great Labor Day holiday. Talk to you later. Oh, I'm on Facebook now. It's kinda cool. Night!

I'm fine

I'm fine. Well, not well, but nothing urgent. Not in the hospital or nothing like that. I'm sorry if I worried anyone. I go back to the doctor tomorrow, and I hope that visit will be the turning point in all this. I'm ready to be well.

I hope things are going well for you. As soon as I can, I want to catch up with everyone and find out what exciting things are happening in your world. Talk to you later.

Second day

The second day back at work. I did well this morning, but this afternoon, I was completely exhausted. I came home and slept until seven-thirty, got up, and ate some supper. Then I watched The Cleaner. Haven't made my mind up about that show. The acting is good, but the stories aren't as strong as they could be. Maybe it will grow on me.

Otherwise, not much else to tell you. Wish some of my friends played World of Warcraft. I've discovered most people play with their "real life" friends on WoW. There are many exceptions to this, but time after time I've found players in a group know each other outside the game. I joined a guild with nice people in it, but they have different schedules than me and they don't play WoW much. I have enjoyed some aspects of WoW, but I find playing for any length of time makes me lonely and desperate for conversation. Sociologists have studied the alienating effect of video games for some time now, but WoW is my first experience with the disassociation inherit in any simulated environment. There's a book in this somewhere.

And that's all for tonight. Take care. Have a good day tomorrow.

Back at work

Well, I made it to work. It wasn't too bad, considering that I had to leave at 11:30 and didn't come back until 2. I started having stomach cramps and ran out of energy in the morning. I came home, was sick for a while, and then slept. That helped. Tomorrow I'll try again. We'll see how that goes. It's apparent that I'm not going to have any help down there no matter how ill I am. There's a lack of concern that truly upsets me, but I have to remember that the world is as it is.

My roomie bought dinner home from Golden Corral. I could only eat about half of it -- still probably more than I should have -- and saved the rest for lunch tomorrow. One thing I enjoy from GC is their bread pudding. My mother loved bread pudding, and after she passed away, I started eating it whenever a restaurant served it. Sort of a strange way to remember her, but she sure enjoyed bread pudding. I like to remember her enjoying it.

What else? I watched The Closer tonight and the season finale for Saving Grace. The Closer was excellent, but I like it better when Brenda solves the mystery instead of stumbling on the solution. Saving Grace was ... dare I say it? ... good. I like Grace better when she's helping other people rather than wrapped up in her wild life.

SciFi Channel cancelled Stargate: Atlantis. Jerks. Short-sighted, money grubbing, pencil-necked, tasteless jerks. Eventually the brass at NBC (owns SciFi) will strip the channel of any good shows, and I won't ever watch it again. Some enterprises deserve to fail, and NBC and SciFi do.

Prayer request: My sister-in-law's father is in a hospice. There isn't much hope. Please pray for her and her family.

And now I'll close. Take care. Be well. Talk to you tomorrow.

Well, that's all I have to say tonight.

Health update

Howdy. It's been a while, hasn't it? I apologize for not updating and appreciate everyone who left a note of concern or called me. (Thanks, Crystal and Frenzied Feline!) It's been an interesting couple of weeks, depending on how you define interesting.

Let's do the health stuff. My diagnosis is: pneumonia in both lungs, bronchitis, and sinusitis with a throat and ear infection as the cherry and whipped cream on top of my illness sundae. I probably had the pneumonia for a while; I'd been sick for about a month and a half, but kept thinking I'd get over it without visiting the doctor. Sigh. Not having health insurance really bites.

After lots of tests and lots of expensive medicine (some of which I'm still on) I'm doing better. I'm not running a fever. I'm still coughing a lot, but not as much as I was. My throat is red, but doesn't burn anymore. The left ear remains infected, but it's better. I'm tired all the time -- just taking a shower seems impossibly hard at times -- but my energy is slowly coming back.

I'm going to try to return to work tomorrow. It's probably a mistake, but I've made up my mind to try. However, if I am unable to make it, I'm going home. I have to get better. That's all there is to it. And if I lose the job, I have to say that in many ways it would be a relief.

Otherwise, not much to tell you. I've mostly slept or been at the doctors or slept some more. My house is a pit, my life is a mess, my diabetes is out of control, my book needs my attention (which I hope to start giving it again this week as I regain my energy), I need a haircut, etc. The usual stuff.

I hope things are going well for you. Once again, I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. I hope to see you here tomorrow.

No hospital

No hospital time yet. After a terrible day filled with more people taking my body fluids, my doctor decided the hospital could wait until we see what the meds are going to do. And I have been able to keep down some liquids now so dehydration is moved off the list of problems, which I think was the real concern. That and the ability to have ready access for whatever body fluids they might need. No real diagnosis yet. Maybe tomorrow.

That's all I know at the moment. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers. You're awesome.

Sicker

I'm waiting to go to the doctor. I'm not sure what's going to happen there. I suspect some more tests and maybe a hospital stay for a couple of days. The hospital was suggested Friday, but I -- penny pinching, no health insurance -- vetoed it. Now I'm going to shut up and do what they tell me to do. I'll worry about paying for it later. I need to get better.

What's wrong? I can only give you symptoms: fever, coughing, cramps, inflamed left ear, bloody snot, aches and pains, screaming headaches, dizzy, etc. It's a smorgasbord of pain, and I want it over.

I appreciate your thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes. If they put me in the hospital, I'll ask my roomie to get on here and update you. I'm not -- as far as I know -- near death or anything like that. I'm just really, really sick, and I need to do whatever I need to do to get better. Health is a blessing that I take for granted. I'm going to do better about that now.

Still sick

      Still sick. I'm very tired of feeling ill. The IBD flare is subsiding, but now I've caught this stupid respiratory infection. Throat's swollen. Running a slight temp, not enough to be dangerous, just enough to feel achy and creaky. And of course, my sinuses are either stopped up or running like mad. It's all quite annoying.
      I'm treating myself with Tylenol, Advil, Zicam throat spray, 1,000 milligrams of Vitamin C, 500 milligrams of cranberry extract, as much orange juice as my diabetes will safely allow me to drink, as much water and fitness water I can drink, and soup. I'd get more sleep if I could, but I have this inconvenient job that keeps that from happening.
      Murder by the Acre is going right along. I'm so glad I took this extra week for it. Although being ill has really cut down on my time with it, I've still been able to correct and rewrite several sections, making the story tighter and cleaner.
      Otherwise, I'm not doing much. I have been watching The Closer, which I think is the best show on TV these days, and I also enjoyed a recent Saving Grace that featured Barry Switzer. I thought it was funny. By the way, I'm really enjoying my Digital Video Recorder. It makes it easy to record programs. I've also been enjoying the Olympics.
      That's what's been happening in my neck of the woods. Anything exciting in yours?

Flare

      Been gut-wrenching sick the past few days. A major IBD flare. Very unpleasant. Upsetting. I had all these plans for this past weekend. My intention was to send Murder by the Acre out to my proofers yesterday. Didn't happen. Not going to happen. I probably only got an hour or less in front of the computer. Didn't get much sleep most of this weekend or last night.
      Saturday night I was fretting about MBTA and finally -- yes, I know you told me this days ago, Frenzied -- came to realize that it was okay if I took a few more days to finish it. A strange -- strange because it's unusual for me -- feeling of peace came over me, and I felt the pressure release. I thought, "It's okay. You can finish MBTA next week." I can't really explain how liberating that thought was.
      It finally rained here yesterday and Sunday, and today the sky is overcast. The rain and clouds have greatly cooled things off for which I am grateful. Continuous triple-digit temps are a bit much even for me. Unfortunately the molds have bloomed -- spored or whatever they do -- and my allergies are acting up. I feel rather blah what with one thing or another.
      I did get FTI on Chapter 7-9 last night. I have to take a scene from 9 and put it in 8 and then write a new scene to replace it for 9 as well as rewrite the final scene in 9. All doable and manageable. I felt much encouraged after I finished the FTI. To me, the story seems to flow with only a few awkward places that I hope I have smoothed out.
      Anyway, that's what's going on in my world. What's happening in yours?

Stickie and sickie

Whelmed

MBTA COUNTDOWN STATUS: All proofreaders have confirmed. We remain at Yellow Alert. Chapters 1-5 are nominal and in FTI position. Chapter Six will start FTI tonight. Chapters 7-9 are on standby. Front cover is nominal. Back cover is on standby.

      I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by the publishing process. There's still so much to do before Murder by the Acre hits the booksellers. Chapter Five had to be rewritten a bit to accommodate some changes in Chapter Three. It's done and in good shape, but I didn't expect to spend two nights on it. Hopefully I won't run into any other changes like that. I don't expect, but then, I never do. At least I'm confident the changes are making the book the better.
      I did okay on Weight Watchers Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I had a terribly stressful day at work, came home, and attempted to eat the stress away. I accomplished that, but the points I consumed could have fed a small Third World Country. Twice. Okay, it was only 11 points over what I should have consumed (43 points instead of 32), but it did seem like a lot of food. I thoroughly enjoyed it, don't intend to do it again anytime soon, and that's that. Today, I'm was good. Very good. Until this evening when I went and ate food at the Mexican restaurant, but wait, I did limit myself and avoided the cheese and didn't eat a sopapilla and stuck to one of the more healthy choices for the meal. So I'm doing okay. And I haven't snacked tonight at all. Yeah, I'm bragging. Pride goeth before a pizza, right?
      By the way, I am posting on The Great Slimdown again. Today I posted an excellent and easy salsa recipe from Weight Watchers. Trixie mentioned she missed TGS, and I did, too. I hope we can get people posting there again. I know I need the support. Don't you?
      My younger sister continues to recover and is doing well. My brother-in-law is recovering from his facial surgery and is doing well. My niece is still in the hospital, but may be well enough to go home in the next few days, we hope.
      By the way, Adam Huckeby has started a new blog. Stop by This Fluid Life and say hi. He's reposting some interesting posts from his earlier blog so there's plenty to read and soon to be more, according to Adam. Worth a read.
      And that's all I have to write about tonight. Hope things are going well for you. I'm doing okay, not really over-whelmed, certainly not underwhelmed, just whelmed. I hope you're whelmed, too. Night!

A few points

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: Jean and Nancy have confirmed their status as proofers. Repeat: Jean and Nancy have confirmed their status as proofers. We remain at Yellow Alert. Chapters 1-4 are nomimal. Chapter Five will achieve FTI tonight. Chapters 6-9 are on standby. Front cover is nomimal. Back cover is on standby.

EDITED TO ADD: Crystal, ETC, Frenzied Feline, and Kirsten have all confirmed their status as proofreaders for Murder by the Acre. We are waiting to hear from Jean and Nancy. We remain at Yellow Alert. Chapter Five ran into a field of adjectives, adverbs, and weak verbs and required corrective action last night, but will achieve FTI tonight. Chapters 1-4 are nomimal. Chapters 6-9 are on standby.

      I need my proofers to confirm they are still available to proof Murder by the Acre in a week. I meant to say that yesterday, but obviously didn't since only Kirsten (Hi, Kirsten!) said she was still available for proofing. Please let me know if you can't. I understand if you can't, but I do need to find another proofer to take your place.
      I mentioned yesterday I had gone back on Weight Watchers. Frankly, I needed the accountability that having to post my food consumption daily. On my first day, I once again confirmed what my weight loss problem is: the evenings at home. I was holding at only 16 Point after breakfast and lunch, but snacking as I watched TV and worked on my computer soon pushed that me over 39 points, seven more than I'm allowed.
      Here's what I ate yesterday with the point values to the side:

Breakfast
1 cup fresh orange juice (2)
1 cup 2% reduced fat milk (3)
1 1/8 cup Kellogg's Special K (2.5)
Subtotal 7.5 points
Lunch
23 fl oz Propel Fitness Water Black Cherry (0.5)
1 slice cheddar cheese (3)
3 oz marinated chicken breast strips (2)
1 cup tomatoes (0)
2 cups lettuce (0)
Lemon pepper dressing (0)
1 dr pepper - 12 oz can (3)
Subtotal 8.5 points
Evening
3 slices wheat bread (3.5)
1/2 pound new potatoes, cooked (3)
2 cups grapes (2)
1 6-inch Subway® Restaurants Roasted Chicken Breast Sub (6)
1 cup 2% reduced fat milk (3)
1 peanut butter cookie(s) (2)
1 dr pepper - 12 oz can (3)
23 fl oz Propel Fitness Water Black Cherry (0.5)
Subtotal 23 points
Day Total 39 points

      So I need to shave seven points off my day. Obviously one of the Dr Peppers has to go. That's 3 points saved. Getting rid of one slice of wheat break saves us 1 point. Three more to remove. Remove the new potatoes. And that will take us down to 32.
      Sigh. The sad thing is I was hungry all day yesterday. I'm hungry right now. I'm going to be hungry for a while until my stomach and I adapt. That's okay. I can handle it.
      And now it's time to get ready for work. Have a great day. Talk to you tomorrow.

Chapters

      I thought y'all might enjoy seeing the chapter sub-headings for Murder by the Acre. They're all in place now.

      Chapter One - Murder in a hobbit house
      Chapter Two - Strange reactions
      Chapter Three - What we can't take back
      Chapter Four - Confrontations & surprises
      Chapter Five - Funny things about funerals
      Chapter Six - Missing things
      Chapter Seven - What to do with pieces that don't fit
      Chapter Eight - Secrets people keep
      Chapter Nine - Never argue with a crazy person

      I'm sure about these, other than Chapter Six. It lacks something. We'll see if I can come up with anything better.
      I've read -- and been told -- that chapter headings are old-fashioned and simply "not done" anymore. I like them so I'm going to use them. That's the advantage of self-publishing: I decide how the book is going to look.
      I'm on Chapter Five of the so-called "final" type-in. I should finish it tonight. Barring unforeseen difficulties, the FTI should be done this weekend. I'm putting my proofreaders on yellow alert. They should receive a PDF of MBTA on Monday or Tuesday next week. At present, my proofers are: Crystal, ETC, Frenzied Feline, Jean, Kirsten, and Nancy. If any of y'all are unable to committ to proofing MBTA in a week, I totally understand -- we all live busy, busy, busy lives -- but please let me know ASAP so that I can recruit another victim to take your place.
      Nothing else to add here other than it's scorching hot. Triple-digit temps. Oh, and I went back on Weight Watchers this morning. More on my weight loss plans later. I hope life is treating you well. Talk to you tomorrow.

Quick update

      Been ill (summer cold), been swimming/floating in my pool, been working at my job, been cleaning house and paying bills, been playing World of Warcraft, but what's taking up all my time is working on Murder by the Acre. It has to be done this month. No excuses. Hope things are going well for you. Talk to you tomorrow.

47

Mojo

      Last night, I told my roomie about the problems I've been having finishing Murder by the Acre. He listened for a while and then said, "You've lost your mojo." And he was exactly right.
      If you ever watched Stargate: SG1, you will remember the episode in which the warrior Tealc lost his mojo, as Jack put it. Tealc had to nearly lose his life in a labor camp before he recovered it.
      What is mojo?
      Faith.
      Faith in one's self and abilities. The belief that you are capable, talented, strong, and so on.
      I've lost faith.
      It started in January of this year. I was sick for all those weeks, and MBTA started slipping away from me. So did this blog. I can't say why for sure. Maybe it was all those miserable hours staring at the ceiling. I have a regrettable tendency to replay my failures -- of which I've accumulated a pile over the years -- when I can't sleep or am ill.
      Maybe the battle with diabetes did it. I had so many setbacks, so many missteps, that I mostly stopped trying. I give lip service to it, but that is all. I know I got tired of all the endless carb counting and the finger sticks and the medications that I couldn't afford. And my efforts seemed to do nothing. I lost a few pounds, then couldn't lose any more. My blood sugar seemed arbitrary, up one day, down the next, even though the days were as identical as I could manage.
      The day-to-day stress and strain my job places on me has to figure in there somewhere. Many days I dread going to work. I sometimes flinch when the phone rings and I see certain customers are calling. I live for the weekends, and that's not a good way to live.
      Then EndlesS just about did me in. I was stupidly unprepared for its terrible sales. While I didn't expect it to be the success that Murder by Dewey Decimal was, I also didn't expect to sell fewer than 15 copies. I was hoping for about 50 or 60, but EndlesS was soundly ignored by almost all my friends and family alike. I desperately needed the ego boost, the reassurance I had something to say that other people wanted to hear, particularly since I was wrestling so hard with MBTA.
      Family illnesses, my sister's battle with cancer, the death of my uncle, the sorrow still felt by the loss of my mother and father, losses that accumulate. I'm not sure I deal with anything; I just learn how to ignore the sorrow, how to drown it out with work and writing, but it sits in the corner, waiting for those unwary moments.
      Maybe I'm just getting older.
      Tomorrow morning, I will have a birthday. I've always made a big deal about birthdays. You know how people regard January 1st as the time to turn over their lives and make big changes. My birthday has always been that time for me.
      But tomorrow, my brother-in-law has surgery. Tomorrow, my younger sister will continue to suffer from the aftereffects of her surgery. Tomorrow, my niece -- my oldest sister's daughter -- will still be in another hospital. (Yeah, that happened yesterday, my niece being put in the hospital. This morning they moved her to ICU. I did talk to her this afternoon, but so far, they’ve not been able to get her symptoms under control -- not that I'm surprised because the hospital she's in has to be one of the worst hospitals in the United States.) Anyway, family members are suffering, and that, my friends, is the hardest thing of all. I can't help them, can't fix them, can't do anything other than pray and frankly that doesn't feel like enough.
      But tomorrow I will have a birthday. I will be at work for most of the day. My roomie and other friends will give me some funny cards. I'll probably have lunch with a friend or two. I'll wait to hear from my family. I'll pray for good reports from the various doctors. That will be my birthday.
      Except for one more thing.
      Tomorrow morning, I will get up, and despite personal failures, diabetes, family tragedies and illness, mojolessness, stinky job, rotten health, global warming, war in Iraq, the sun burning out in five million or so years, I'll still be right here.
      Praying, hoping, believing against all intelligent thoughts otherwise, striving, writing, dreaming unreasonable unlikely things, losing, winning, loving for all the wrong reasons...
      Living.
      Still here.
      I'll still be here.

Eleanor: We're jungle creatures, Henry, and the dark is all around us. See them ... in the corners? You can see their eyes.
Henry: And they can see ours. I'm a match for anything. Aren't you?

From The Lion In Winter by James Goldman

Hyper-powered death laser

      I talked to my brother-in-law this morning. I called, and he answered the phone. He sounded good, all things considered. He said he was sore and had a lot of bruises. He was supposed to meet with a couple of doctors today, but I haven't heard what they said yet. I'll let you know when I know.
      Otherwise, it was just me returning to work on another Monday. I tell you it's a wonder I don't suddenly start yelling at customers. Sometimes I can feel a scream of rage rising and I beat it back down. I've got to find another job. I don't think I can do this one much longer and not go bonkers. Well, more bonkers.
      I'm very frustrated with Murder by the Acre. I'm not going to bore you with the details. Suffice it to say I would cheerfully run down Bernard, Lisa, and the chief with my car should they happen to pass in front of it on the street. Or the sidewalk. Or maybe through their respective living rooms.
      Here's a secret about World of Warcraft. Don't tell anyone. It's not keeping me from writing. I play because I can't write. Writing is much more fun than WoW. I just don't seem to able to do so. I don't know what's wrong. I'll figure it out, but until I do, approach me at your own risk. I wonder if (other) mad scientists suffer mad scientist's block. You know, some days you can't get your hyper-powered death laser to work no matter what you do.
      And on that note, I'll close. Take care. Keep the faith. Power to the people! Eat the rich! Chew the poor! Bye!

A few things

      I had a wonderful visit with Mikey last Monday night. He is such a joy. And so much energy. Practically limitless. He wore me out, but it was good. He sure enjoyed the pool. It was just the right size for him, he said. His papa brought him by my office Tuesday morning on their way out of town, and I had another 30 minutes or so with him. I gave him $10 to go down to Dollar General and buy himself a toy or some snacks. I gave the money to him in ones and counted them into his hands. His eyes got big and he said, "I'm rich!"
      He bought a large ball, a plastic sword, and a couple of other items. He still had a dollar and some change left when he returned. He was so proud of his purchases. It was the best $10 I've spent lately.
      My brother-in-law is improving by "leaps and bounds," according to my niece. He has to meet with a couple of doctors tomorrow, and then we should know better how he's doing. Please keep him in your prayers.
      Also keep my sister in your prayers as she recovers from her surgery. She's doing well. Tired and sore, but everything looks good.
      I'm up to my neck with Murder by the Acre. Corrections and minor rewrites on most of the book, but the last chapter is getting a lot of attention from me. It doesn't flow as well as the rest of the book. I had thought that maybe I was trying to force the book to be too short and maybe it needed another chapter, but there's not enough story for another chapter. It's nine chapters, and I think that's correct. I am so ready for the book to be finished. I can't adequately express how ready I am. This last bit ... is hard.
      And that's about all I have to talk about. Hope things are going well for you. It's a bit late, but go by and wish Frenzied Feline a Happy Birthday. She's 36.
      Night!

Grateful

      It's been a hard week. My family has suffered unexpected problems and narrowly avoided tragedies not without cost. But I am grateful. Rain on her blog occasionally lists things she is grateful for. I think I will do this same today.
      First, I am grateful that my brother-in-law (married to my older sister) is still with us. Apparently his life will be different now, but he still has a life. He's angry, in a lot of pain, and confused, but he's alive to feel those emotions. The future will bring its problems as it well, but at present, life is enough of a gift.
      Second, my younger sister -- who had breast cancer -- had another surgery yesterday afternoon and came through wonderfully. She's at home this morning, recovering. Doesn't feel great, of course, but there's a good chance this will be last one for a while, maybe just the last one period.
      Third, I have a job. A lot of people are losing theirs and feeling the pinch as the economy tightens unmercifully. Admittedly, my job isn't perfect and causes a lot of undue stress, but it's a paycheck, and I am grateful for that.
      Fourth, I have good friends. I'm sometimes amazed by the people who remain loyal to me and care about me. I count the readers of this blog in there. Life may keep us from blogging or keeping in touch, but you remain in my thoughts and prayers as I hope I remain in yours.
      Fifth, possibilities surround us. No matter how dark things are, there is still hope. Maybe impossible hope by a reasonable standard, but hope nonetheless. Our ability to look beyond dire circumstances has to be one of our greatest strengths.
      So I'm grateful this morning for the many blessings in my life. Life has its hardships, but I'm not jumping ship. We'll make out okay. Together.

Prayer request

My brother-in-law was involved in a terrible wreck last night. Apparently he suffered a stroke/seizure while driving and crossed the median and hit two trees and rolled his vehicle, which then caught fire. He's still with us, thank the Good Lord, but he's in a lot of pain and we don't really know the full extent of his injuries yet. Please remember him, my sister and his family in your prayers. Thank you.

Approved

      The softcover distribution edition of EndlesS has been approved and sent. Which means EndlesS should show up on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, and other online retailers in the next couple of months. I didn’t change out the poem. I didn't feel it would be fair to the people who had already purchased it.
      Next up: Finish and approve the deluxe hardcover edition of Murder by Dewey Decimal. This edition has different formatting, chapter headings, an afterword called "The Story of MBDD," a longer biography, a slightly different back cover, and an excerpt from Murder by the Acre. I think it's going to retail for about $30. I should have it finished over the next couple of weeks.
      Actually, what is truly next up is the "final" type-in of Murder by the Acre. We are on course to finish on my birthday. Then off to the proofers it will go on August 1. While they proof it, I will be finalizing the cover and getting everything else ready. The proofers' deadline will be August 13 or so. I make the necessary corrections. Then the whole package goes to Lulu, and a week to 10 days after that, we have a book. Two to four months after that -- I hope in time for Christmas -- it will be at the online retailers. Somewhere in there, I will be producing a hardcover version of it and of EndlesS, both of which will remain on Lulu.
      Of course, we will have book signings and contests, bookmarks and t-shirts, etc., etc.; everything we enjoyed with MBDD. I'm looking forward to it.
      Then in November, I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month. I intend on writing Murder by the Mile, the third book in the Measurements of Murder Mystery series, for NaNoWriMo.
      I also intend to finish Darkness, Oklahoma, but that will be going the traditional route of agent/publisher so who knows when you'll see it. I'd also like to spend some time with Justina Grave of Grave Matters. I think her story might be fun to write. That's all I have planned so far. We'll see if anything else presents itself.
      How are things going for you? I've been using my pool as much as I can. I have to fight off the mosquitoes every time, but I got some Off insect spray and that really helps. I usually play WoW some each day. I'm 28th level now. Sigh. I'm trying to make it to 30, when I can finally purchase a horse or some other creature to ride. A "mount" should make all that traveling go faster. It's slow going right now. I don't have the time to devote to it that lot of other players do so my level advancement is slow, slow, slow. But it's fun to get on and kill a few things every night.
      My character, by the way, is Alliance. My friend Roen's character is Horde. That means we never get to play together. I wish I knew someone else who played. It gets a bit lonely wandering around by myself. Which seems strange when you realize it's not a real world, but you do have a lot of people chatting and/or adventuring together. The social aspects of the game are hard to ignore at times. I did join a guild ("Freaks on a Lease," and no, I didn't name it) and have met a couple of people that way, but they play mostly during the day apparently, and I have a job, of course. They're also higher level than me so they're on harder quests and exploring different lands.
      Anyway, that's my life. I'm either writing, cleaning house, swimming, wrestling with bills, or playing WoW. Contain your envy somehow.
      Oh, this is exciting, though. Mikey is going to spend the night with us tonight. I haven't seen him in nearly two months. It's going to be good to spend a few hours with him. And that's what I'm going to be doing tonight.
      Take care

Praise from knowledgeable people

      Erudite Redneck left one of the nicest comments about my poetry that I've received in a long time. Because I'm never sure how many people read the comments -- and also because I like the comment -- I've reposted it here. It means even more because Dr. ER is a poet herself, and praise from knowledgeable people is always sweet. Thanks, ER and Dr. ER. You redeemed my week.

Dr. ER told me to tell you that Endless, the poem, is "effing brilliant." She went on and on about it. She is a poet her own self and said a bunch of stuff that you would understand but I didn't, so can't remember.

What I do know is I was wowed by that one, especially, myself. The poem made me mad at first. Then it annoyed me. But I kept feeling compelled to go back and read it again and again. Took me a long time to figure out where the punctuation seems to be implied -- but it shifts, too. It is a great piece of work. Dynamic. Almost like it's alive. Sort of has its own force, and every time I go to it, its power sucks me in, twirls me around until I see stars, then it slings me out of itself. But I want to go back and get inside of it again.

I mean it. And I'm sorry it took me so long to say so.

When Dr. started talking about it, I started talking about it, and we had a great conversation about it. She laughed when, she said, she realized that we each were come to the poem the same way we do music: She, being a trained cellist, comes at music, and your poem, from structure and approach to get to its soul and a glimpse at the songwriterpoet, and I, being a chicken-pickin' guitar player, come at music, and poetry, from its soul first to get a glimpse of author while only vaguely or generally aware of structure.

Anyway, bravo -- from both of us.

Final

      So I'm in the final read-through of Murder by the Acre. Me, my red pen, sticky notes, notebook, and a stack of over 250 pages of story. Just about every page so far is getting a mark of some type -- mostly formatting or inserting a word or deleting a crutch word. (Crutch words: very, really, just, some, etc., which can work in dialogue, but don’t in narrative.) I've not come across anything major. Fortunately I have an early proof from Crystal that has helped a lot.
      Otherwise, I'm not doing much. Work, write, sleep, work, write, sleep, etc. I did exercise in the pool last night. My arms and legs ache today, but not in a major way. I hope to exercise tonight, too. Depends on what time my roomie gets back from a church temple trip. It takes two people to put the ladder in the pool. Originally the ladder wasn't that heavy, but to accommodate my weight safely, we added wooden bracing and steps. It's heavy now.
      By the way, I noticed I used "final" in the first paragraph. I keep saying "final" this and "final" that because I keep hoping it will really be final. Of course, I know my proofers will find errors, and so I'll have to make more corrections, but that major ones should be out of the way. I guess I shouldn't use "final" until it's actually at the publisher -- although I can still make corrections until the FINAL distribution copy is approved, can't I? Perhaps I'll just work on MBTA forever and ever and ever … not.
      Anyway, that's what's going on in my world. A big shout out to Kirsten who is well on her way to becoming a librarian AKA Marian (see the Music Man for explanation). Another shout out to Frenzied Feline, Trixie, Jean, and Michelle, just because I can. And another shout out to Erudite Redneck who gets all pouty if he's left out and to Holly Lisle who won't get pouty but who might think I'm not stalking Her Writerness anymore. (I'm sorry, Holly, but I've been dealing with the restraining order that Pam and Jessica put on me so I've not had time for you.) In fact, consider all my readers and fellow bloggers shouted out to. Or as our friends and neighbors at HeeHaw used to say: S-A-A-A-A-A-LUTE!
      I'm outta here. Have a good one. Or have a good two. If fact, have whatever number of good ones you want. Let's keep you happy. Night!

Endings

      All things end. With regret I've removed two blogs from my Blogs of Interest because they've been shut down. Good-bye Adam Huckeby and Babs The Conversation Station. I'm sorry to see both of them go. There are three or four others that I should really remove because they haven't had a post in a couple of years, but as long as they remain online, there's a chance the bloggers might return. I'm hopeful, anyway.
      Spot the Frog ended July 5. I've greatly enjoyed this comic strip. They're running Spot the Frog Classics for a while. Apparently not enough newspapers ran Spot. While I'm not going to mourn the way I did when Calvin and Hobbs or Bloom County ended, I'm still sad to see Spot go. You can buy two Spot books on Amazon: I have both, and they're good, gentle humor. Highly recommended.
      Murder by the Acre is ending. Over the next week or so, I will have done all that I know to do. I'll be glad to have it finished, but there will be small part of me that will regret it's over. Of course, I know there's still of work, but the act of creation will be finished for that book.
      And now I'm ending this post for today. I hope things are treating you well. Night!

Juggling hot irons

      Yes, I've gone from here more than I've been here lately. In my defense, I don't remember a time recently when I've been this busy. I've got a lot of irons in the fire, and I'm having to juggle them constantly. (I mixed my metaphors again. Don't tell the metaphor police. I don't need another simile fine.) Anyway, I'm going to try to post something every day this week.
      Of course, being busy is no excuse. We're all busy these days. I should be posting anyway, although I'd like to point out there is a lack of interesting material, too. I work, come home, write, edit, proof-read, write, sleep, and repeat the process. Throw in some World of Warcraft, a dollop of swimming, a pinch of housework and chores, and you've got the recipe for a fairly busy, but uneventful life.
      I didn't approve the distribution copy of EndlesS. I did reread it, and it's as error-free and esthetically pleasing as I can make it, but there's a poem ("The Things We Have Lost") I think I'm going to replace. As I re-read the poem, it seemed repetitive. Sometimes repeating a phrase or words can create a sense of movement, a feeling of increasing pressure, in a poem. But in this case, it seems to me like it's over-written. It's like I'm pounding the reader with my point. So I'm thinking I might replace it with another poem. I'm going to decide tonight.
      The Closer started its summer schedule last night. I think it's the best show on television. I kinda like Saving Grace, an Erudite Redneck favorite, but Holly Hunter could stand to gain some weight and the show could use some Oklahoma locations. I also thought last night's premiere was unbelievable. But hey, the show has an angel in it as a regular character so how believable do I require? Speaking of unbelievable but enjoyable, Stargate Atlantis has returned for its summer run. Friday nights are good at my house because first I watch Doctor Who and then Stargate Atlantis. Regretfully, Dr. Who only has three more episodes before its season ends.
      I'm mailing the July family newsletter today, only a couple of weeks late. I'm slowly catching up. My goal has always been to mail it the first week of the month. Maybe August or September, I'll reach it.
      My IBD has been flaring. Too much stress. I need a few days to relax and let things go. I will after I have Murder by the Acre ready for the proofreaders.
      And now it's time to get ready for work. Have a great day.

What Truth I Know

What Truth I Know

You say I'm wise
which makes me laugh
because of all the things
I've learned, the one thing
I know best remains
how little I really know.

What wisdom I hold
has only been won
by making mistakes
time and time yet again
sometimes new, sometimes old
but errors by any counting.

I've loved and lost
and somehow loved after
only to lose once again
learning as I did that love
doesn't care who you love
only that you love.

And death has been too close
taking precious people
some quick, some slow,
teaching me no one knows
when they will pass and the world
won't stop while we mourn.

Perhaps this is wisdom
or I could be too dumb
to know any better but
I get up each morning
because I want to see
what happens next.

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.

Progressing

      I received my proof copy of the hardcover distribution copy of Murder by Dewey Decimal today. It looks good, overall, but I made a couple of mistakes on the formatting that I have to fix before it can be approved. I'm very pleased with how the fully justified margins look. I had worried about that since I don't have a top notch publishing program, but by playing with kerning, margins, etc., I achieved a professional look. We're a few steps closer to it coming out.
      And I should approve the proof copy of the distribution version of EndlesS this weekend. I'm going to read through it one more time, but I think it's ready. I just want to be sure since you can't make changes in distribution copies without them charging you a lot of money.
      So we're making progress. Slowly but surely. And yes, I'm still working on MBTA. No deadlines on it, but I'm trying to have it ready for the proofers soon. My not-a-dealine-but-it-would-be-nice-if-I-finished-it-by-then date is my birthday at the end of the month. I think that would be an excellent present to myself.
      The pool is great. Not as deep as I'd like, but the price makes up for that. Too many mosquitoes, but that’s not the pool's fault. So far, it's a win. I hope to spend several hours in there this weekend, floating and enjoying the weightlessness. I need that feeling of nothingness or non-being. When people talk about the state of mind brought by yoga or mediation, I think about floating on the water, a deep blue ocean in my mind.
      And now I have to go. Take care. Talk to you soon.

That buzzing sound you hear

(Edited to add: I thought I had posted this Tuesday afternoon, but apparently I saved it as a draft. Anyway, here it is.)

      Pool temp is slowly edging on up. I figure it will be in the middle 80s tonight. At last I will be able to swim without spit freezing my jaws shut. I hope the penguins don't leave, though. They're good company and so cute. Tasty, too.
      I didn't try to go swimming last night because a) I had too much to do, yes, I do, please help me, someone, anyone, I'm beggin' you! and b) the mosquitoes were swarming like they were starring in a SciFi Channel movie. I stepped outside for about five minutes and killed nine that decided to dine on me.
      It was perfect weather for them critters last night. No wind, not too hot, lots of moisture in the stream near my house. They're breeding like ... well, something that breeds real fast. Paris Hilton, for instance. And those little vampires find me mighty tasty.
      In fact, I am the mosquito equivalent of French food. My blood tastes rich, creamy, and delicious. When they bite me, they have such a blissful expression on their little insect faces. You can tell they're thinking, "Yes, oh, yes, this is what I've been searching for my whole life!" Sometimes they break into song: "Oh sweet mystery of life, at last I've found you ..." Then I squash them because they can't sing worth a dime even though the orchestra sounds good.
      They die happy, though. They had a taste of me. In a very creepy sort of skin-crawling way, it's sweet, even romantic, although if you truly believe that, please stay away from me.
      Speaking of the SciFi Channel, did you know it actually made and aired a movie about a man who transformed into a mosquito. It was called -- and I'm not making this up -- "Mansquito." No, seriously, that's what it was called. In the movie, a serial killer is transformed into a huge mosquito/human hybrid and seeks to transform a woman into a womansquito so he can mate. (Apparently, he was one of those people rejected by Match.com.) It ends badly for him, and the woman doesn't get any child ... uh ... insect support at all. After the movie is over, she goes on welfare, receives food stamps, goes back to college, gets her degree, and is a shining example of how the system helps those less fortunate, even those having insect babies. I think we can all learn from her story, don't you?
      We burn those insect repellent candles outside, but they don't seem to do much, other than help put the females mosquitoes in a more romantic mood. The male mosquitoes would like me to play some Barry White music, too, but even though the males don't drink blood, I still think they're creepy, and I'm not going to help them get their insect groove on.
      On that slightly deranged note, I think I'll close. Have a great day!

Poorly laid plans

      I'm officially behind in everything. EVERYTHING! Housework piled up, clothes everywhere, dust thick enough to grow plants in, carpet needs vacuuming, filing months behind, Murder by the Acre stalled and in trouble, Murder by Dewey Decimal hardcover formatting not finished, July family newsletter due, bills to be paid, EndlesS store still not done, EndlesS hardcover a distant dream, blood sugar is a rollercoaster, need to lose 100 pounds, everything is a mess, mess, mess. I do understand why people disappear into World of Warcraft. Except ... I have two characters dead in WoW and haven't taken the time to get them alive again. I'm even behind in my playing.
      I feel immense pressure. I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. And behind all of this, I have the sinking feeling that I'm not productive enough and/or not bright enough and/or not dedicated enough and/or not ... just basically not. I might be lazy.
      I also whine too much.
      So there I am. Don't ask me about MBTA. Even though I know you don't mean it that way, every question feels like pressure, and I don't have any answers. Don't ask about MBDD hardcover or EndlesS hardcover. Once again, pressure and no answers. But I will tell you this: MBTA will come out this summer. MBDD hardcover will be approved for retail distribution, and the EndlesS hardcover will be on Lulu.com. I'm not going to surrender my goals just because I've become mired in a personal swamp. I will make it out of this. We will have cause to celebrate. I'm not beaten. I won't be.
      Anyway, that's my world lately. I hope your world is treating you well. If not, well, hang in there. We'll work it out eventually. One way or another. We're a match for anything.

Pool weekend

       It's taken until this evening to finish setting up the pool. Yeah, I know. I thought we'd be done by Friday at noon. No go. I got into the pool this evening just say I did. The water was in the 70s. I nearly had a heart attack. I hope the water warms up over the next few days.
      Anyway, I got nothing done this weekend so far except the pool. I'm so behind. I feel the deadlines staring at me. Yikes. I say again, yikes. Let's see if I can get this book finished and published by the end of July. I'd bet on me if I were you, but you might win betting against me. We'll see.
      Talk to you later.

Catching up

      Monday night was tough. No computer! Just watched Ben-Hur. Did housework. Read From Dead to Worse. I couldn't believe how strong my attraction was to the computer. It's amazing to consider how much of my life is spent on it now when 20 years ago it barely registered in my life. Times change.
      Crystal suggested I have a computer free night once or twice a week. I'll have to see about that -- I do my writing on the computer -- but it's something to think about. Maybe once, but twice?
      A good thing happened Monday evening, though. I met Kristen at our local library. She's just as nice, smart, and funny in person as she is on her blogs. We had a great conversation in the stacks before I had to leave to go to dinner. I've always believed my regular readers/commenters are marvelous people, and meeting Kristen was more evidence for that belief.
      I had hurt my back Monday at work by bending over to pick up a heavy box. It's better, but it's still painful. I'm hoping it will continue to heal up. I intend -- if we get the pool set up and everything works -- to get into my swimming pool for the first time this weekend. I'm really looking forward to it. It's not a permanent pool, of course. We'll have to take it down in the fall, but it will do for a while.
      KFC has been offering grilled chicken recently. Not as good as what I can grill, but still good. If they just offered a baked potato to go along with the ear of corn and baked beans that they offer as sides, that would be one good meal. I've got to make it to our local farmers market soon.
      Tuesday, I worked during the day, dived back into Murder by the Acre in the evening, did some housework, and played some WoW. That was it.
      And now you're caught up with me. What's catching your interest lately?