Good morning from snowbound Colorado. As never fails to happen, I found myself without eggs this morning, so we rolled out of bed and went to the grocery store, before the snow got any worse.
I have two projects to finish this week, and for a chance the house is clean. However, I forgot to take decongestant this morning, which brings up…
You know how I always have trouble figuring out if I’m sick or just depressed. Seventeen years ago, we had a winter like this – a bunch of little sicknesses, one after the other, and at the end of it I ended up in the hospital and in ICU with pneumonia.
People like to say “you should have known you were sick!” but how could I have known that, exactly? We had a four year old and a one year old. Starting around October, the viruses started circulating through the household. The entire family had stomach flu. This with a toddler and a very small boy meant endless loads of sheets and crib sheets, and scrubbing the crib because the baby had thrown up all over the slats.
Around November, the entire family got an upper respiratory thing and were honking like geese. The entire family but me. I wasn’t coughing, and while I felt congested, I thought I was imagining it. My main symptom is that I was SOOO exhausted. The exhaustion grew, and by the beginning of January, I couldn’t get dressed in under an hour, because I had to rest between pieces of clothing. I went to the doctor and they said “Well, you know, with what your family has been going through, you probably just need rest. Go to bed.” So I went to bed, and we got a friend to watch the kids. Finally, just before President’s Day weekend, I got up from bed (where I’d ended up restricted) and tried to go to the bathroom. I passed out in the middle of the hallway. Dan took me to emergency.
Even the trained medical professionals couldn’t SEE anything wrong with me, except my blood ox didn’t register when they tried to measure it. They couldn’t hear anything when they listened to my lungs.
Following the rule that doctors assume you’re completely crazy and only listen to what you’ve been doing the last few days, the first thing they did was give me a leg ultrasound, because they were convinced since I just lay around on the sofa and the bed, I’d got a leg clot that had got to my lungs. (This completely missing the fact the reason I’d been lying around – for a week – was that I was ILL. NOT a normal thing, and even then not enough for leg clots. No one was carrying me to the bathroom, and I was still cooking, I just wanted to sleep a lot. HOW grown men thought a young mother with no household help could be immobile enough for leg clots, I don’t know.) Finally (as a last resort) they did ever more refined ultrasounds, and they noticed my lungs had this fine-spray pattern. It’s since been classified as intercellular pneumonia. They gave me antibiotics (after Dan yelled at them. They wanted it to be something exotic.) and eventually I got well.
But when your main symptom is tiredness, and you’ve been confined to the house with a sick family, and when professionals themselves don’t see anything wrong with you at first glance, how are you supposed to know?
Well… I still have three guest blogs to go, and I wasn’t getting much of anything done, including editing, and I just felt like sleeping all the time. And it suddenly hit me this is awfully familiar, and maybe I’m not just worried about our finances (the taxes are going to wipe out our savings. This is a problem, since the savings are what we keep from my income, aka, what we supplement our living expenses on.) and a little depressed.
So I decided I’d take decongestants morning and evening and see how it works. I don’t think it’s pneumonia, at least not yet, but I’d bet on bronchitis. So… Yesterday was like a new lease on life. My brain worked, I could function. So, of course I forgot the night decongestant and feel like a zombie too stupid to know what brains are. Yes, I’ve taken decongestant now. And I’m going to start the humidifier going in the office. And if I’m not markedly better Monday I’ll go but my doctor for antibiotics. Might be hard to convince him, as I bet it’s not really audible in my lungs, but we’ll see. I’m not coughing at all, but my chest feels “tight.”
Anyway, maybe I’m not getting depressed and stupid, maybe I’m just sick. Something I need someone to engrave on my bathroom mirror, I think. What finally tripped me was looking pale enough I might be made of wax. I thought I was just tired before that. But tired doesn’t make me that pale.
The plan today is to take it easy, read low-brain-power books, and make some hot soup for dinner. Okay, and edit Shadow Gods, supposing my brain comes back from extended vacation. And to read a friend’s book I was asked to beta.
I will record a short story this weekend (supposing breath is back by tomorrow, and it should be.) I need to test the equipment. If you guys want to tell me which of my published shorts you want me to record, I might as well give you what you want.
Speaking of which – my comment about the (dis)Honorable Jon yesterday was because I wasn’t sure if you guys wouldn’t run screaming from the way his mind works. I wasn’t holding a bathtub full of gin to his head. Yet, I got a bunch of donations so I would “spare” him. This gives me a terrible idea of a way to make a living. If I weren’t so soft-hearted with my characters, I’d do it too. “A hundred dollars, or the character gets it!”
On side note, the next chapter is Helen and also first person. I’m not sure how this will work long-run and halfway through it might switch to Jon first person and everyone else third. We’ll be. It’s an experiment.
Oh, yeah, and if you guys would be so kind as to put stuff you want to promote in the comments. I meant to as yesterday, and I spaced it. I’ll do a post, probably tomorrow.
And now be good. I’m going to have some tea. (I went out uncaffeinated. The horror.) Then I’m going to colonize the confy chair with the kindle and my laptop and enjoy what I hope is the last snowy weekend of the year.
According To Hoyt 
Sarah, if you don’t find this appropriate, feel free to delete. My wife is associated with the Tactile Arts Center. Its a local event:
If you are in the Denver area on Saturday April 13th, I will will present a seminar on how Copyright law affects fabric and textile artists, how artists can utilize copyright law to protect their creative works and other legal issues for artists and crafters. 2:00PM on Saturday April 13th, 2013 – Free to the Public For more information, call 720 524 8886 or email: info@tactilearts.org. 1955 South Quince Street, Suite 200 Denver Colorado 80231
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Perfectly appropriate!
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Thanks, it will be similar to what I’m doing at Anomaly Con, 2 weeks prior, but for the slightly different intended audience.
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I figured, but it’s still useful if people can’t make Anomaly for it.
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Hey! Who told you to send your snow over here? ;-D If you have some spare rain, now…
NW MO we have sideways snow – supposed to only get about 3 or 4″ total. It’ll all be gone by Tues at the latest – supposed to be in the mid 50’s to low 60s by Thurs.
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Having Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease COPD), and being subject to pretty “gummy” congestion, I’ve found that being adequately hydrated is important, too. Drink lots and lots and lots of water.
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Word. I don’t have COPD, and I find that being hydrated is important. As a signer, I notice when my voice gets hoarse.
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“As a signer, I notice when my voice gets hoarse.”
I really have no business twitting others about their typnig.
No business ta all.
Nine whatsoever.
I promise to be ashamed of myself as soon as I learn the meaning of the word.
I often enjoy the people who provide the translations for the deaf at public speeches and the like. When we saw the presentation on the Technology of the Muppets ate the Valentine Riverside Museum I thought the signing (signage, too) was very well done and added much to the program.
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He means a signer of the constitution!
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I did notice that this post was about your having a weak constitution. You should probably try to get Charlie, as a signer, to make amendments.
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You did tell me to mention that I’m posting my mainstream novel-in-progress, Pride’s Children, on my blog every Tuesday (http://liebjabberings.wordpress.com). Thanks for the mention.
Take care of yourself – fatigue is a huge warning symptom. I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (where fatigue is NOT the only – or the worst symptom – just the most obvious one). I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
You MUST keep the reins for your own health care. Keep prodding the doctor – you KNOW what your body feels like now, and how it did back then – he/she doesn’t. At the very least, get watched, and tested for the pneumonia, lung function, etc., etc. until you get the right care. And watch out for what I call ‘old lady medicine’: palliative care because, you know, you’re too old to be worth real medicine.
Best!
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Allergies?
I had bit of a problem yesterday. Honeydew melon. Bought one on Thursday. I haven’t eaten them for a long while, I hadn’t eaten much the whole day Friday, and it tasted good and was quite small so I ended eating all of it. A bit later, probably less than two hours, I noticed that I had a burning sensation in my throat and was having problems breathing, plus very fast pulse. Some antihistamines and use of asthma inhaler, and it got easier, so I suppose this might mean I’m now allergic to melons, at least that one. Was still rather tired most of today.
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I have severe pollen allergies (now under control and symptom free, even in the spring thanks to my allergist). Years ago when I was working on a kibbutz in Israel I had some honeydew melons and my voice went weird and I started talking like the Muppet, Grover. My wife, many years later, found this funny and would have me eat cantaloupe , watermelon or honeydew to get this effect. Eventually I discovered that there is a protein (I think that was it) that is very similar to what’s in ragweed, so if you have a severe ragweed allergy, melons of any kind may cause your throat to constrict, with the Muppet voice an early symptom before you can’t breathe anymore. I don’t eat any kind of melons now. I miss them, but I like breathing more.
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Yea– I have problems with ragweed (from my mother’s side of the family)
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Since ragweed and sick and tired were mentioned
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oh that was baaad. LOL
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Re: ragweed and other pollen allergens – search out a source of LOCAL honey and snarf it on a regular basis. The LOCAL honey from LOCAL bees will help you to build up your body’s resistance to those pollens by giving you micro-doses pollen. Do not buy “clarified” (clear) honey as it may or may not be real honey – and since it’s micro-strained, there will be no pollen in it.
We hope to get our first honey from our two hives this year, and hope also to expand to 4 hives for the next year. (Our two colonies of bees wintered!!! I saw them last week on a warm day making their elimination flights!!! WHOO HOOOO!!!!!)
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Warning, the “local honey” trick should probably be tried near a hospital if you do have known allergies– it CAN be a not-so-micro dose.
Reason I offer that suggestion? Woman knew her family had some of the scary-bad peanut allergy tendency in it. Also knew that her kids were going to be headed into an environment where they WOULD get their hands on peanut butter, and eat it, far from medical help.
So she found out when the not-busy time at the local emergency room was, warned a nurse friend on duty that she might be coming in with an emergency, and dosed each kid with a spoonful of peanut butter.
(Nada, if you were wondering.)
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I have eaten that melon before, and can’t remember getting any symptoms, but it has been quite a long while since the last time, and I haven’t usually eaten a whole one so fast. Now I’m wondering if I should start buying it on a regular basis and eating small pieces daily for a while. I used to be allergic to cats, but got a couple in the early 90’s anyway, and the symptoms disappeared in a couple of months and I haven’t had any noticeable ones after that, so I’m a believer when it comes to the idea of building tolerance in order to get rid of allergies.
Only, yes, I’d rather not choke. Except the reaction wasn’t that severe, even with a whole melon, so perhaps small pieces will not do much.
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There was just a big study on the “build up tolerances” thing– I can’t remember much, except that they had to get FDA approval for each “type” of pill in the therapy. Small amount of peanut, small amount of milk, small amount of wheat….
The idea of needing FDA approval for every. Flipping. Pill. For. A. THERAPY.
….
*steams*
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Where were they when the drug maker was putting corn oil and soybean oil into vitamin D tablets as “other ingredients”?
“You WILL ingest your GM Corn and Soy!!!”
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1) GM isn’t a medical property,
2) the oils weren’t the point of the pill,
3) it didn’t give them a lot of money and power.
Kind of like how extracting your own bone marrow, culturing the stem cells and using them to heal you is a “new drug,” but (thank God) a bone marrow transplant isn’t.
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Been looking for local honey (I use it for teas etc).
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If you have farmer’s markets in your area, that’s usually the best place to find it… or in small town local stores.
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Another odd allergy related thing is that I’ve had far less of a problem with depression since my allergies have been under control.
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Depends where it’s from — I’m okay with Pineapple from Madeira, but American-bought (and I presume Hawaii grown) pineapple does that to me… unless I add sugar. Also, apples bought in the NE US — I don’t know why. They just do.
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American bought pineapple tends to be grown in Thailand. Hawaiian grown doesn’t seem to make it off the islands, except in tourist’s luggage.
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That’s strange. When my father lived there as a boy, it was almost impossible to get decent pineapple on the island. All of the good stuff (and most of the mediocre) got shipped to the mainland.
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In recent years, they’ve cut way back on what gets grown on island. Most of the plantations on Oahu aren’t growing pineapple for commercial use. Maui still does some, and that’s most of what gets used on island and as tourist fodder. It’s also very, very tasty. Thailand grows it all more cheaply, even considering shipping expense.
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Used to be lots of pineapple acreage on Lana’i, but it’s been cut ‘way back, and production may be coming to an end. (Youngest daughter lives on Maui, and we visited Lana’i once when we’d gone over to visit her.) Seems that the business was becoming increasingly uncompetitive against asian and central- and south american growers.
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Back before carbs were a problem for me (and when Beloved Spouse could digest meat protein) a favorite dish was a stir-fry of diced chicken breast and pineapple with a bit of ginger and a lot of garlic. Garlic and pineapple go really well together, although you have to make the sauce a little extra thick to offset the pineapple enzyme’s tendency to prevent thickening.
Add some hot pepper, too. If you eat enough hot pepper, garlic and ginger no bacteria or virus will ever successfully colonize your system.
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>Back before carbs were a problem for me (and when Beloved >Spouse could digest meat protein)
Does that make you and your wife the modern day version of Jack Sprat and his wife?
On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 1:55 AM, According To Hoyt wrote:
> ** > RES commented: “Back before carbs were a problem for me (and when > Beloved Spouse could digest meat protein) a favorite dish was a stir-fry of > diced chicken breast and pineapple with a bit of ginger and a lot of > garlic. Garlic and pineapple go really well together, altho” >
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As it happened, that was the gist of the phone call en route home from doctor’s office the day they diagnosed me: Mrs Spratt, I have good news and bad news.
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My commiserations, Sarah. Between allergies and a propensity to develop lung infections, I’m glad to find company. Not glad either of us has the problems, mind, just that there’s company. I hope you start feeling better soon, if for no other reason than to spare yourself the doctor visit.
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Take it easy, Sarah. This weather, including the wind, is supposed to stay around until late Monday morning. That’s a great incentive to stay indoors, stay warm, and RELAX! I know it’s hard when you have so many things on your mind, but remember, even God rested one day a week! Jean’s not feeling well today, so I’ll probably spend the day catching up on things for her.
As for WIP, I have several, but none that I’ve gotten to the point where I can complete them soon. Two of them are sequels, and are proving tougher to write than normal.
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Sequels are a right b*tch, always. I’m just learning to do them.
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Oh, good. I thought it was just me that had sequel problems. I feel (a wee fuzz) better. That or my sinus medicine just kicked in.
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No, it’s difficult if you want to keep it acessible as an entry point. it’s like being at the window and trying to watch yourself walk by. I mean, you can’t experience that world for the first time again, and you have to sort of think as if you could and… argh.
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Ah. That explains a lot of my problem. And I’m dealing with the next generation of characters instead of my original cast of rowdies, rebels, and one right b-stard.
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I found it very tricky as well. My problem is always with specific references to important events in the prior story – do you just assume that the reader’s read the previous book and knows that Darth chopped off Luke’s hand and then told Luke he was his father, when you want to write a scene referencing that? Or, if not, how much do you have to explain to readers who missed that? As a reader, that’s something that bugs me when the story stops for several paragraphs to clumsily explain something I remember perfectly well – but as a writer, it’s a hard thing to balance.
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And how do you do it without missing the emotional impact the scene has for the characters — I like mini-flashbacks, but it’s still not the same.
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I have a novel that just needs some fine editing, and it could stand alone, but I envisioned it as a trilogy. The main problem is that I’ve grown older, and my characters will want to also, but it ahs been several years and I can’t remember ALL of the details of the world they live in… So… there are editors, and proof readers, but is there such a thing as a literary nit-picker to find the world holes? ;-D
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we call them betas. You have to get them as volunteers, I’m afraid. Some people in this blog are really BAD at running away when the beta call goes out!
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Well… I’m kinda nit-picky some times unless the story reaches out and GRABS me and then you could drive a truck full of typos and character name changes (to say nothing of name spelling changes!) right by me and I’d not necessarily see them. I get captured by the story… I had one story that had an Admiral in it, and it wasn’t until my son read it that I learned that the Admiral changed his name twice in the story. (Both times to the names of Admirals I’d worked with/for in the Navy. But I don’t think that would happen now as I can only remember one of the names…. )
In my own work, I make at least one backward pass – starting at the end and go backward so that the tendency for the mind to “fill in” what it expects to see is lessened – but brains being what they are some always slip by…
One more thing – I don’t know about y’all but nothing grabs my attention like reading my own fantastic work!!! ;-D
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I have a similar problem Michael which is why I don’t beta read for anyone despite having writers like Sarah, or Kate Paulk and a number of others that are friends and a few I consider extended family. I don’t bother looking for the typos and fubar’s I just read the books and revel in the fact I get to read them before anyone else. :P
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Can’t speak for everyone, but for myself in order to do due diligence as a copy editor I have to actively suppress that part of me that actually enjoys reading a novel. Something akin to watching all the nasty bits that go into sausage, tends to kill the appetite for the finished product. That said, wouldn’t say no if asked.
On that note, I did do a quick scan of chapter one of Rogue Magic and couldn’t help but notice some interesting techniques regarding case, tense, and the application of commas.
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I noticed interesting tense slips — it attacked me at three am and I just poured it out. It is, of course, pre-first-draft.
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“I noticed interesting tense slips”
Why do you provoke me with things like that? As if I need lingerie puns languorously drawing me on.
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Speaking of allergies, I have a weird allergic reaction to some kind of pollen (cedar or alder, can’t tell which). No sneezing or congestion or any other easily diagnosed symptom, oh no. I get tired and achy, just like I’m about to come down with flu. Take antihistamine, and it all goes away.
On the promotion side, as I mentioned earlier my new book The Scent of Metal is out at the usual electronic outlets, and the print version is in progress. It’s a tale of alien wreckage, justice for Pluto, computer geeks in space, and what really happened to the Neanderthals, plus is certified 100% Human Wave.
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Kudos to your doctors for considering pulmonary embolism. It is a diagnosis that you do not make unless you think of it, and one where not making it can be fatal. Of course, once that was excluded it was time to think harder.
I have seen all possible variants…symptoms, xrays, physical findings do not always correlate.
I won’t comment on whether beseeching your physicians for antibiotics is wise, foolish or could go either way. That is practicing internet medicine which I won’t do.
But I will say that if you mention that you once had community acquired pneumonia severe enough to make you hypotensive, hypoxic and a denizen of the Expensive Care Unit, well those sorts of things do factor into the algorithms.
As they should.
Tacitus
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My family seems to have a gene only recently discovered and typical of people from Iberia with certain highly inbred ancestry, which makes us ridiculously susceptible to pneumonia. My mom has had pneumonia often enough to induce emphysema (though she’s never smoked a day in her life.) Antibiotics were the only way to get me out of the tail spin before — I’m assuming the same now, though I could be wrong. I’m also assuming the pneumonia (because it reacted VERY well to antibiotics) was a secondary infection.
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I was very surprised to see on the pharmacy sign where i am a regular that they had pneumonia vaccine available. Of course, if you already have it, I would guess it wouldn’t help, but if you weren’t aware that it’s out there, I thought I would mention it.
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Another thing you probably know… but I’ll repeat it just for those who don’t… there is now a vaccine for a pneumonia. It’s supposed to be effective for this one kind of pneumonia for about 5 years per shot.
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Brilliant minds think (and post) alike… ;-D
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I must be a relative, or the gene can also be found elsewhere. I had pneumonia five times before I was twelve, and four times after that. I spent Christmas vacation my senior year in the hospital with the durned stuff. I had it twice while I was in the Air Force, but haven’t had it in twenty years now. I consider myself very fortunate! The lower lobe of my right lung has some moderate scarring because of pneumonia. Be very careful, Sarah, very careful!
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Pre-warning: the collection, “Justice and Juniors: A Cat Among Dragons Volume Two” should go up on Kobo and Amazon on April 10, if not sooner.
Rada Ni Drako thinks her life has settled down now that people are no longer shooting at her (much). But peace, quiet, and a sense of justice are not always compatible. Explore alien cultures! Visit strange worlds! Discover just what it takes to make Rada blush! 100% Human Wave, suitable for ages 12 and up (some bad language and violence).
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I’d like to plug my sister’s and mother’s book (it’s co-written), How Huge the Night. It’s historical fiction, based on real events in France during World War II. The people of one town, Le Chambon, saved thousands of Jews, mostly children and teenagers, during the war, and my sister’s and mother’s novel takes those events and tells them through the eyes of a teenaged French boy from Le Chambon. It’s really, really good, and I’m not just saying that because I’m related to the authors. :-) Seriously, I didn’t know how well my sister could write (basically, most of the plot and historical research is my mother’s, and most of the writing is my sister’s) until I read the final version of the book. (The only version I’d read before that was a VERY early draft before most of my sister’s revisions.)
I could write more about how good the book is, but I think the Amazon reviews pretty much speak for themselves. Go check out the sample pages and see for yourself.
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Oh, and I should probably also link the book’s website.
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If I may ask – why do you bury your name (as author) in the text of the web page? Should be in BIG LETTERS right up there at the top of the page (above or below the title)!!! ;-D
(Is the “Kregel’s Publications” website the place to maximize your share of the price? Or do you have an Amazon link somewhere?)
If you are interested in the period and in Holocaust escape stories – you might like to read “A Thread of Grace” by Mary Doria Russell. (Disclosure – we’ve had a long distance acquaintanceship for years, and I was able to answer the occasional technical question for her.) I bought and read her first two books on the strength of one sentence in the back cover copy… “Jesuits in Space.” Being familiar with the historical reputation of the pot-stirrers known as “Jesuits” I was fascinated with the possibilities and had to buy both books, covers unopened! Now THAT’s good back cover copy writing!!! ;-D
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If your chest is feeling tight… yeah, monitor that. (says the woman who’s been dealing with her lung issues again recently)
As for promotion, my first novel, Vulcan’s Kittens, is now available as an ebook, with print to follow. It’s fantasy (really, it’s SF, but I have it disguised) and the protagonist is a young woman protecting a very special litter of kittens. I wrote it for my daughters, and it was a blast to write. You can click-to-buy at my blog, and read an excerpt, here: http://cedarwrites.wordpress.com/2013/03/22/its-here/.
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Are you plannin on putting an epub version out later?
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Yes, Rachel, I will be, but it may be a week or so, as that’s a little more complex to process through Smashwords. I will post on my blog when it is available. Thank you!
On Sun, Mar 24, 2013 at 1:49 PM, According To Hoyt wrote:
> ** > Rachel commented: “Are you plannin on putting an epub version out > later?” >
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Ugh. I can sympathize; I think I may have a similar bug. Worst of it is that, as one of James Herriot’s old Yorkshire farmers said, it’s ‘neither nowt nor summat’. You’re not well, but you don’t feel sick enough to be sure that it’s more than just ordinary depression. Hope you get over it soon, Ma’am. I would volunteer to take your share of the bug along with my own, if I knew how. (There is this silly regulation about sending biological weapons by post.)
It may do no harm to mention that my third book is out. The first two were fantasies, but this one is a collection of essays on Tolkien’s working methods, examined from a writer’s point of view. I call it Writing Down the Dragon. If that sounds interesting to anyone, you can get it at Amazon or Smashwords.
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For the first time in about five years, my husband isn’t miserable or on meds this spring– spring is when they turn on the a/c or clean out the ducts, and there’s always at least ONE building that has…we’re guessing it’s some kind of mold that he reacts to like a classic hayfever sufferer. (The mold guess is based on when they were doing vent work before Christmas and it induced a similar response.) Seems to only be in Washington state, thankfully.
Hope you feel better.
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Sarah, I hope you are well soon, and it isn’t as serious as it was 17 years ago. As I recall it was Dan’s keeping guard over what the doctors were allowed, and NOT allowed, to do for you that kept you alive. So listen to Dan and do what he says reguarding your health. (I’ve learned my lesson in the same way and listen to Becky about my health. :-) )
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In re: your fundraising suggestion. I saw this yesterday on Facebook, and thought it apropos.
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Be aware that not everyone in the world “does” Facebook… Just sayin’. (At least DESCRIBE what you saw for we many happy social media Luddites…)
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You can see the link w/o being on FaceSpace. (I’m not, under any guise or nom de cyber).
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Saw it. Tnx! (I’m used to seeing “saw it on Facebook” and then a link that GOES to where they saw it… can’t go there. )
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Sorry about that, and thanks for the suggestion. In future I’ll try to remember to let people know whether or not the link actually leads to Facebook. But in general I do try to get a good solid link which leads just to the item in question, for precisely that reason.
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My novel series is up on Amazon now. The first book is “Dream Student” (available here). It’s about a college student who discovers she has the ability to see other people’s dreams. It’ll be free April 2nd and 3rd, if you want to wait until then.
(hope I did the link right!)
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I hope you feel better soon, Sarah. I’ve been dealing with a cold that turned into a sinus infection for about the last two weeks, and after an antibiotic shot and oral antibiotics Monday I finally started to fell better, but can’t get rid of the congestion and cough. I did at least feel good enough to attend the Friends of the Bedford Public Library author event today that Amanda organized and was able to do a reading, mini workshop and talk to a lot of readers and other authors. Even managed to sell a copy of Rogues in Hell, (thanks Pam!) and drummed up some interest in the other books that may result in online sales.
In the way of promoting current stuff, I recently had a story, “Shadow of a Doubt” published in the horror anthology, “What Scares the Boogey Man?” which was created, complied, and edited by John Manning with the help of co-editors Stormy Stogner-Medina, and Meghan Graham.
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Is it my turn to make you all feel worse? ;-D
Last week I ended up with an abscessed tooth. After determining that the usual home remedies would not work, I simply called my dentist and had him call in a ‘script for an antibiotic and the abscess is now hightailing it to other environs. I have an appointment in a week, so I’m hoping it can be dealt with then… but maybe not as it gets complicated. But ultimately it’s all good as “WE HAVE A PWAN!”
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I had an abscess last year– I ended up losing the tooth.
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I’m always sad to hear the taxes thing. When liberals push for more taxes, in their head it’s always “people who can AFFORD it”, which seems to always mean someone else. They never imagine that someone else is sacrificing needs so that they can have everything they want. I made the mistake once of explaining to a liberal friend that if his wife needed insurance so bad, maybe they should not have bought a new car. Boy that went over well (and I got a lecture of how, yes but, they shouldn’t have to choose like that).
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It’s really tough for small businesses just now. We’ll leave it at that.
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I’m in the, “I’m not sure…” stage too. (As evidenced by me typing that and then sitting “….” for about a full minute before I wasn’t even thinking about the next sentence, but just staring, unfocused, at the screen.)
I’m trying to get off the antihistamines, because they make me dumb and unproductive and I guess if you’ve been on them awhile, the effects don’t really go away just because you didn’t take them that day. So after I send this post, I’ll go and make myself some tea (with local honey) and see if it helps.
Going to try to read what you sent me the other day in a few hours, after the noisy people have gone to bed. :)
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I hear you on the fatigue thing – One thing I clearly recall from when I managed to study my way into walking pneumonia in college was my scifigeek observation that someone had turned up the gravity (to about 2 gees at one point) when I wasn’t looking. That dragged on for months after the other symptoms were gone.
That was when I figured out that sleep was not, in fact, optional, and that I did need to pace myself.
So take care of yourself. Your continued good health is important – After all, all those sequels we’ve talked you into aren’t going to write themselves.
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My sympathies. The colds this year are horrid. You already know about meds at bedtime (in my thought, they give a decent night’s sleep to help the recovery get into hi power) and have you tried filling your insulated coffee mug with chicken broth? I put a cube of Knorr-Swiss Chicken in a pan with a couple cups of water, get it hot and dissolved, and put it in the mug. Even after it devolves to room temp, it still is drinkable and it’s full of the things this weather takes away from you. Chiefly water of course.
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I’m trying out a new pen name, for a cyberpunk suitable for middle years and YA. I hope it reads as fun as it was to write. It’s also on Kobo for ePub readers.
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Oh yes, I’m hoping to finish a novel soon enough to get it up in May, but since that is still just a future possibility, not really relevant right now. Wanted to mention it anyway. :)
We still have snow too. What kind of winter we get here, and how long it lasts, depends on the weather patterns. Right now the prevailing winds are from the direction of Siberia. So, snow at a time when it often has been almost totally gone. And no sunbathing on my balcony yet. I hate sunbathing, but since lots of the problems I have, SAD for one, seem to be connected to getting too little D3 I now try to do it when I can, mostly in 10 to 15 minute bits. But ‘when you can’ here is not very often. With good luck that may be about four months each year, with bad luck most of those months will mostly have overcast skies and too cold days. With luck I may be able to start doing it around the middle of next month, the balcony is closed from the sides and up and faces south so it can get just barely warm enough sometimes when on the yard or beach would still be way too cold.
And then it’s pollen season. Yay.
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Where’s Al Gore? I just finished shoving a few inches of wet Global Warming off my driveway. [Frown]
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