Writer's Block: News development

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The first one I remember hearing as "a news event" was when Ford was voted out and Carter was voted in. It made me very sad for some reason that I couldn't express ... I think it was just dismay at the shape of the world changing. Kids at that age like stability, and the idea that something as big as "The President" could actually change was a massive shock to the system.

I was also aware of the Olympics by that point; not sure if they count as "major news events" or not, but I loved 'em.

-The Gneech

Writer's Block: Citizen of the universe

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Honestly, I expect I'd end up in the U.S. again. It's a far cry from perfect, but on the other hand, I'd rather have the problems we have here than the problems they have in just about any other place I can think of.

Second choice would probably be Canada or the U.K. somewhere. I love my Anglo-Celtic heritage too much to abandon it.

-The Gneech

Up Periscope!

My mom came home from the hospital yesterday, as her body finally started responding to the pneumonia treatment. She's not "well," but she is "better," and better enough that Betsy, DeOrman and I can cautiously return to our own respective problems. Similarly, lythandra is responding to her own antibiotics, and most of the various afflictions I was dealing with last week are greatly reduced -- with the exception of the gunk back in my lungs, which is probably going to require another round of steroids.

Thank you, flu, thank you SO bloody much. :P

The upshot of all this is that we're back at work today, so I can start digging myself out from under that. I also started actually doing some work on the theoretical Brigid and Greg novel this weekend. Only a page or so, but the first time I've been enthused about working on anything for a while, so I'll take what I can get. There may be some "continuity" changes in the works for those two, in as much as they have a continuity so far, largely to add more hooks for getting them out of the house and into trouble. There's only so much clever banter in the living room a novel (or hopefully, series of novels) can sustain without getting cabin fever.

This week, my priorities are a) get some exercise, and b) do more writing!

-The Gneech

My New Favorite Simile

"As queer as a three-speed walking stick."

-The Gneech

The Fine Line Between "Romantic" and "Sad"

It was raining all day today, but by the time lythandra and I had gotten home, that was mostly cleared up and in fact it was downright sunny in spots. And, as we both badly need more exercise, we decided to walk up the street to some exactly-a-30-minute-walk-away shops and have dinner. We even checked the weather radar to make sure all was clear, forgetting as we always do that all weather forecasters, even electronic ones, are located on Bizarro-Earth and you should assume the exact opposite of whatever they tell you at all times.

Obviously, this being us, a torrential downpour started at exactly the 15-minute mark. But a lifetime of being us has prepared us for this kind of thing, so we had brought umbrellas. They weren't big enough to keep us thoroughly dry, especially in that tempest, but they were enough to ensure that we were only wet from the elbows and knees down.

Once upon a time, this would have been terribly romantic. And it even might have been this time, if it weren't for the fact that we were both coughing, wheezing, and puffing for the better part of the trip, her because of her sinus infection, and me because of my asthma. On the way back, we stopped and just stood in place for a full five minutes while Laurie had a coughing fit that made the Riccola guys look like amateurs.

Alas! A movie-worthy moment lost to wonky throat and lungs. What a world!

-The Gneech