Friday, August 26, 2011

Can't Wait Until This Weekend Is Over

Because come Monday the sun will be shining. I only hope we'll all be standing. We're one of millions in the path of Hurricane Irene. In the past I would be somewhat concern because often times the thing would end up pushing out to sea. Doesn't look like this is the case this time.

So we wait and watch the weather reports. I'm hoping the terrain it travels over will slow it down and weaken it to a mere "storm." One can only hope.

This all serves to remind us Mother Nature is always in charge. It can paralyze whole cities, whole countries, even whole continents.

I'm leaving in a few minutes to do the things recommended to prepare for the storm; batteries (if any are left), water (I managed to get some yesterday), and non-perishable foods. I did get a can opener that doesn't need to be plugged in. I have lots of tuna fish and canned salmon. I even managed to get a loaf of bread and so can make PJ's for a few days.

Still, when you're younger you can weather these things out...but as we get older we're not a flexible. In fact I'm feeling more like the oak tree rather than the willow tree, both of which play a small part in my story STORMBOUND.

I'm going to keep that premise in mind throughout the weekend into Monday and hopefully will become the willow tree come Monday morning.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Already into August 2011

Whoa! The summer's going by too darn fast. I haven't done anything that comes close to a vacation. Although I have to tell you those who know I'm a writer feel that I'm perpetually on a vacation. Not. This week I spent hours promoting my stuff, then few more hours creating a new cover for my latest WIP. It took that long because first I had to teach myself how to merge images within Photoshop Elements 2.0. I think only by luck I managed to figure it out using layers, palettes, and other tools provided by this software.

Today I'll take off the promo hat and the graphic artist hat and put back the writer bonnet and will work on that WIP which is happily at 80K words with the whole thing pretty much in place. I'm reading a great book on writing titled The artful Edit: On the practice of editing yourself, by Susan Bell. I'm finding this book helpful in that it helps me focus on looking deeper into my manuscript and gain perspective and well as seeing the big picture (macro-editing) and the smaller picture (micro-editing or the details).

I'm also waiting for my sofa bed to arrive from Bob's Discount Furniture and pray that they don't have too much trouble getting it into the front door, through the living into the small room. The room used to be a small bedroom. I moved everything out and have used it more for storage but moved that stuff out and will use it for a sitting/guest room.

The sun is coming out through a murky morning haze. Thankfully the temps will be around normal or maybe just below normal for this time of year. I'll still get my dog out there for her walk and soak up some of the Vitamin D from the sun. I heard it's great in revving up some energy for the the rest of the day.