Into that world inverted...

We were hoping to get a picture of the new baby rhino at the Dublin Zoo, but although I caught a 2-second glimpse of him, there was not a photo opportunity. But some of the others were helpfully hanging out looking large and rock-like. :)

(x-posted from The Essential Kit)

stuck on the couch with my leg elevated, I have non-painful oedema with no preceeding traumatic event -- knee felt a little funny on Tuesday but did not hurt so I did my workout (including lots of deadlifts and lunges), then the swelling appeared and has just gotten worse and spread my whole leg even though I was able to keept it mostly elevated at work.  No doctor until tomorrow.  Thank goodness it still doesn't hurt, but annoying.  I stopped consulting doctor google after the resulting phrases included congestive heart failure and kidney disease.  Kate and Ella are being awesome and I am doing my best not to apologise every three minutes.

 I am safely in Madison.  Actually, I have been for a few hours, but I was met in the lobby by roommates and promptly whisked away to an asian fusion place (I have no idea what it was called) where I had Thai fried rice.  Both of my flights managed to be delayed and I arrived at DWF as boarding time for my flight to Madison was starting, and then we sat on the runway for an hour.

I currently have no plans for tomorrow until later in the afternoon save for poking around downstairs and seeing if people need ay help with things.

I've always loved the "Author Insight" feature at the Wastepaper Prose blog. This week's question is "How do you make yourself write when you aren't in the mood?" The answers ranged from people who take a break and don't force it, to those who push on through, reasoning that this is a job and sometimes you just have days like that.

I've approached it both ways. Part of developing a writing process is knowing when to push through a "block" and when to step back and take a rest. Sometimes reluctance to write is a sign of burnout, but other times it's a sign that we're nearing a scene we need to write that will be emotionally or technically challenging, and sometimes it's a bit of laziness that dissipates once we start writing. Sometimes the subconscious needs more time to work on the story, and other times sitting down at the keyboard is the act that unlocks a new plotline.

I show up almost every day at the keyboard. I usually get at least a few words, often many more. Sometimes I can hear the wheels in my head creaking while the muse strains to come up with something, anything. It's kind of comforting to know that not all writers race to the keyboard and type as if they're taking dictation. I've been reading Sylvia Plath's journals, and she records day after day of struggling, doubting, wondering if she really has what it takes, feeling unmotivated. In other words, sounding like practically every writer I know.

I'm mostly packed for Wiscon, though it looks like the weather's gonna be a bit colder than it usually is when I'm in Madison. I hope I'm bringing enough layers. I have to get up at the ungodly time of 3:30 a.m. (my first flight takes off at 7 a.m.).

My schedule is here.

If ever two people were more glad to get home, I'm really glad not to have had to deal with whatever those two people were dealing with. Sufficient unto the Chaz is the life thereof.

So the last few days have been a struggle, not helped by the fact that we both have physical issues much exacerbated by long days in aeroplanes and nights of not sleeping. Me, I am back on the codeine again (and was briefly surprised to realise that I hadn't eaten all day and am still not hungry...). K still takes more pills than I do, but I'm narrowing the gap. At least until I can get this shoulder fixed. I'm vaguely hopeful that there may be massage on offer at BayCon this weekend; they fixed it for me at FogCon, and one miracle begets (dreams of) another.

In related news, I did very nearly post a brag last night, to the effect of "All you people who worry how much I drink? Stop worrying: these are stressful times, and I am apparently dry in Alabama." Only then a six-pack intervened, so not so much, actually. But still. The funeral baked meats went down with water, and I made no fuss at all. (Yes, yes, I know, Not About Me. That's rather my point. But this blog is, so.)

In honesty, I didn't really think about it much. Other things on my mind. Karen was remarkable all trip, but you'd expect that.

Now we're home, and I have gathered in the last of the fava beans. We had to wash our mid-afternoon pills down with wine, because the water was off; then I thought I'd sit in the garden and read, only I kept falling asleep. Well, hell, we were up at four this morning, and I didn't sleep at all the night before. Tonight, in my own bed, with my own cats about me - I can't wait. Possibly neither can they. Except that a roasted chicken has to intervene. With fava beans and brussels, and roast potatoes, and gravy. And there's been a request for ice cream, so I'm back to Lucky's in a bit.

Last year my roses were infected with Witches Broom. Mo went out and dug them all up, going deep to get the roots because we were told that not only did infected roses have to go, but we couldn't plant again in the area for 2 years.

Today, among the weeds and bracken, we discovered no less than 5 tiny roses struggling up from missed roots. They look healthy and we're both impressed that they're there at *all*, so we're going to leave them.

Ok, so I was prompted by "friends" to watch further Mad Mikkelson material after I posted my slobbering comments about Hannibal.

( A Royal AffairCollapse )

( Valhalla RisingCollapse )

Hm, Danish appears to be even more like English than German. I'm kind of surprised by that since Dutch sounds to me like half garbled English/German. Rosetta Stone here I come.

Note to self: get thee to Denmark because everyone there is clearly really hot.

I can't be the only one that watches historical fiction and can't turn off the "they must smell so bad/their breath must be so bad from rotten teeth" button, right? God, imagine what pirates smelled like! *flutters perfumed hanky*

Whoo! I have an icon at last!

( Elementary 1x19 Snow AngelsCollapse )

( Elementary 1x20 Dead Man's SwitchCollapse )

( Elementary 1x21 A Landmark StoryCollapse )

( Elementary 1x22 Risk ManagementCollapse )

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Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I'm heading out for Phoenix Comic Con! And though the trip itself will be long and boring, the weekend promises to be a blast. So come out and see me! Here's my schedule.

Also, here's my Twitter feed. I link it here, because the odds are very high that I won't be doing any blogging - just snapping selfies and other assorted shenanigans, and uploading it all for your amusement.

So! Tune in, show up, be amused. That's my suggestion.
And for now ... I'm outta here!

[:: zoosh ::]