Today I read about two individuals who are leaving traditional publishing houses to start up literary agencies.
I sincerely wish them both well and good luck with their ventures. Having said that, a thousand questions popped into my mind. These are things that should enter any writer's mind before they shop for a literary agent, so I'll go ahead and list a couple of them here. If you don't like the answers a given literary agency gives you, don't sign up with them. In fact, if they post their terms on their page and those terms don't make sense from the writer's point of view, I wouldn't contact them at all.
What percent? Historically, agents received 10% of the writer's paycheck from the publisher (both the advance and royalties.) This has crept up to 15% and stuck. Most folks would, perhaps rightly, contend that an agent will get them a bigger advance than they would on their own. But the royalties? For all time? Where is the justification for 15% there? Not arguing, just asking. What would be the added benefit of having an agent over, say, a literary contract lawyer, who actually fully and completely understands contract law from his client's perspective, not from the publisher's perspective? A literary contract lawyer will charge a one time fee, based on how much time and trouble it is for her/him. And then s/he's gone. If s/he charges $800 to vet a contract for you, it won't matter if you're negotiating a $5000 advance or a $750,000 advance. And then you get all the royalties from your work. Forever.
I have to admit, I did cringe a bit when I heard the news. One of the reasons I cringed is that I have heard many stories about agents and editors settling on a contract with a writer that was actually worse than the worst-terms boilerplate for the publisher. With an agent on your side, you wouldn't think that it would happen, but it does. Editors mainly edit. They don't practice law. Having an editor leave the editing business and go into agenting ... well, I have my doubts.
Next question: Will they ask for rewrites before they're willing to send your work out? In this case, if the editor was very good at their job, I'm more comfortable with that than I would be with an agent whose history and education I have no clue about. Having said that, I'm wary of anyone who would take on a writer because of that writer's compelling writing who then turns around and asks for a major rewrite. Little stuff, oh yeah. Bring it on! If I change the character's name in the middle of the story, let's go ahead and fix that and save us both some embarrassment. But I don't want to go with an agent who is trying to groom me into becoming the sort of writer s/he believes will sell better (or who will write like s/he would like to write themselves.) That says that they see potential, but won't work with me until I'm better. I'd rather get better on my own, with my own learning process, than under the direction of someone who is supposed to be selling manuscripts to publishers, not reading and critiquing almost-there manuscripts for their stable of writers. Seriously. I've heard of agents bad-mouthing their authors to publishers, calling their work commercial dreck, smut, etc. If an agent doesn't love, really love, my work, I don't want to have them represent me. And if they're asking for extensive rewrites, especially with the idea to make it more commercial, they don't love my work. End of story.
Stuff to think about before signing on with an agent. There's lots more questions. I hope that writers who see two new literary agencies on the horizon don't start setting up their submission packages before they've settled these and other questions in their minds.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
When the Coyotes Sing
Misread of the day: Urban Wine, for a second, looked like Urine Wine and I thought, ew, what?!
A long-haired, pure black (doesn't have any sun-faded brown areas even!) kitty has been dumped in our neighborhood. It's not feral. I can't get close to it, but it understands domesticated kitty concepts like food comes from houses. It's also been in our house (I think) eating from the kitty food bowl.
Here's another plea that will not reach the right ears. Please don't dump your kitties in the countryside! Yes, most of us will feed these animals but our own cats will fight with them, and if they get injured, there's no way to get them to the vet. Also because they're so skittish and scared, we can't take them inside at night and they will inevitably be eaten by coyotes.
After I noticed it around for a few days the kitty, which I believe is female, disappeared for a couple of weeks and I thought damn, I guess that's it. But now she's back. My son is calling her Oops for the moment.
The coyotes sing at every sunset very near our house. And often during the night they yip and cry while they tear apart and share whatever kills they've managed to snag. One of these times, it will be Oops.
Every morning now I wake up and wonder if Oops will come up to the deck to snatch a quick meal, or if we'll never see her again.
Sigh.
A long-haired, pure black (doesn't have any sun-faded brown areas even!) kitty has been dumped in our neighborhood. It's not feral. I can't get close to it, but it understands domesticated kitty concepts like food comes from houses. It's also been in our house (I think) eating from the kitty food bowl.
Here's another plea that will not reach the right ears. Please don't dump your kitties in the countryside! Yes, most of us will feed these animals but our own cats will fight with them, and if they get injured, there's no way to get them to the vet. Also because they're so skittish and scared, we can't take them inside at night and they will inevitably be eaten by coyotes.
After I noticed it around for a few days the kitty, which I believe is female, disappeared for a couple of weeks and I thought damn, I guess that's it. But now she's back. My son is calling her Oops for the moment.
The coyotes sing at every sunset very near our house. And often during the night they yip and cry while they tear apart and share whatever kills they've managed to snag. One of these times, it will be Oops.
Every morning now I wake up and wonder if Oops will come up to the deck to snatch a quick meal, or if we'll never see her again.
Sigh.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Long Grass
Lack of gardening continues unabated.
It's been wet, cold and rainy, so gardening amounts to walking through during a break in the rain so I can evaluate what's going on, and applying slug bait.
These are actually really important things to do. I have seedlings hanging out waiting for a spot to open up. If a zucchini is destroyed by slugs (happened) or if a tomato is broken off by wind (might happen today--wowza is the wind rockin' and rollin'!) I can replace them without having my garden set back. It might not be the same sort of plant (tomato it will be--in the case of the zucchini, I'm going to stick a cucumber in its place) but the space won't be empty. Which reminds me--those seedlings need to come inside today, not because it's too cold, but too windy for them.
Slug baiting right now is super important, with frequent re-applications needed. This is prime crawling, eating and breeding time for slugs, and newborn baby slugs are really hungry. They also have this nasty habit of eating their way down into the crown of a plant and destroying it beyond any hope of recovery without ever being exposed to future applications of slug bait or pesticides. So, best not to let them have the opportunity. Early and often, folks. Early and often.
BTW if you haven't pruned off spent peony heads, do that now. Don't take any leaves off. The more stem and leaf you leave on, the better. Next year's blooms will thank you for it, and you'll take some weight off of the plant so that spring storms aren't as likely to snap off a stem or twig and make you cry.
I guess there's stuff to do in the garden after all.
Waiting for the next break in the rain, while the grass grows longer and longer ....
It's been wet, cold and rainy, so gardening amounts to walking through during a break in the rain so I can evaluate what's going on, and applying slug bait.
These are actually really important things to do. I have seedlings hanging out waiting for a spot to open up. If a zucchini is destroyed by slugs (happened) or if a tomato is broken off by wind (might happen today--wowza is the wind rockin' and rollin'!) I can replace them without having my garden set back. It might not be the same sort of plant (tomato it will be--in the case of the zucchini, I'm going to stick a cucumber in its place) but the space won't be empty. Which reminds me--those seedlings need to come inside today, not because it's too cold, but too windy for them.
Slug baiting right now is super important, with frequent re-applications needed. This is prime crawling, eating and breeding time for slugs, and newborn baby slugs are really hungry. They also have this nasty habit of eating their way down into the crown of a plant and destroying it beyond any hope of recovery without ever being exposed to future applications of slug bait or pesticides. So, best not to let them have the opportunity. Early and often, folks. Early and often.
BTW if you haven't pruned off spent peony heads, do that now. Don't take any leaves off. The more stem and leaf you leave on, the better. Next year's blooms will thank you for it, and you'll take some weight off of the plant so that spring storms aren't as likely to snap off a stem or twig and make you cry.
I guess there's stuff to do in the garden after all.
Waiting for the next break in the rain, while the grass grows longer and longer ....
Sunday, May 26, 2013
It's that tender root time of year
I've got almost my whole garden planted. It's really hard to say what the growing season will look like, but so far it looks promising. I'm a little worried that the tomatoes aren't growing lots of new green yet. That's probably due to the temperatures. We've had some low lows (one night below 40 degrees, very chilly for tropicals) and it may have set the tomatoes back. Once they're set back, they don't like to get going again.
But, they're still alive.
Also, there's a lot going on with plants that we can't see, mainly, root development. It's easy to focus on the leaves. Why aren't my leaves bigger? Why isn't the plant taller and more full? What are all those yellow spots and purple patches? Oh noes, there are little holes in the leaves! But these things, though they may signal something like flea beetle damage, aren't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. As long as the plant has enough surface area on the leaves to get sugar to the roots which can then fuel the development of new healthy leaves, ultimately the plant can be okay. It's much harder for the plant to recover from bad stuff going on with the roots.
For best root health:
Drainage, drainage and drainage. Here in the Pac NW it's easy for plants to get cold and waterlogged from chilly spring rains.
Mulch. It brings good soil organisms closer to the surface where they'll help aerate and fertilize soil that's closest to those young seedlings whose roots don't go very deep. Also, it keeps competing weeds down and helps warm the soil from the previously mentioned shivery rains.
Don't go too crazy with pulling weeds, especially if you use tools. You may be inadvertently damaging your plant's roots. Especially when the plant is very young and vulnerable, it's better to snip weeds that are growing very close to your plant, and to gently rub out tiny seedlings rather than using a hand rake on them.
Happy gardening!
But, they're still alive.
Also, there's a lot going on with plants that we can't see, mainly, root development. It's easy to focus on the leaves. Why aren't my leaves bigger? Why isn't the plant taller and more full? What are all those yellow spots and purple patches? Oh noes, there are little holes in the leaves! But these things, though they may signal something like flea beetle damage, aren't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. As long as the plant has enough surface area on the leaves to get sugar to the roots which can then fuel the development of new healthy leaves, ultimately the plant can be okay. It's much harder for the plant to recover from bad stuff going on with the roots.
For best root health:
Drainage, drainage and drainage. Here in the Pac NW it's easy for plants to get cold and waterlogged from chilly spring rains.
Mulch. It brings good soil organisms closer to the surface where they'll help aerate and fertilize soil that's closest to those young seedlings whose roots don't go very deep. Also, it keeps competing weeds down and helps warm the soil from the previously mentioned shivery rains.
Don't go too crazy with pulling weeds, especially if you use tools. You may be inadvertently damaging your plant's roots. Especially when the plant is very young and vulnerable, it's better to snip weeds that are growing very close to your plant, and to gently rub out tiny seedlings rather than using a hand rake on them.
Happy gardening!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
More Garden Geekery
Did something today I haven't done in a long time. I cut flowers for my table.
Also, I was very bad and bought a tree peony, Golden Experience. They say I can hybridize using the pollen from this plant. I'm not sure if the other peonies I have are able to do this, but hey, it's worth a try, right? I have two other tree peonies that I'd love love love to cross with this beautiful plant. And who knows? I might help create an incredible new peony. That would really be something. Of course I won't find out what the offspring will look like for ten years or more after planting the seeds ....
Which makes me want to play with roses, which have a similar seed-to-flower span.
Yes, it's a long time for payoff. But people who do this sort of stuff don't think like that. They don't think about payoff so much as love. I didn't raise my children for a payoff. There's no time at which point I'll feel like I've gotten something in return for my time and effort.
I can plant a seed, and help it grow. I can appreciate what it becomes. The pollen, seeds, plants--they do the actual work. I provide a nurturing environment and occasional guidance. That's it.
So, maybe if I remember, this year it'll be roses. Next year, peonies. It'll be a whole new adventure.
If you would like to give it a go, do some reading first to save yourself some trouble. First of all, not all blossoms have viable pollen and seed production capacity. Second, to control pollination, bag the blossoms before they open (careful to make sure there aren't any bugs first) and then mingle the pollens after the stamens after the flower has opened into full bloom. To prevent fungal issues do this only in dry weather and use paper bags. To figure out when the buds have opened into full bloom, mark buds on the same bush that are at the same stage as the ones you're using. Mark on the bag who the daddy is. And keep records someplace easy to find--on your computer is okay, but it's actually better to have a easy-to-find gardening book that you make entries into on a regular basis.
Of all the gardening things I do, it sounds easy-peasy compared to digging out new beds or weeding!
Also, I was very bad and bought a tree peony, Golden Experience. They say I can hybridize using the pollen from this plant. I'm not sure if the other peonies I have are able to do this, but hey, it's worth a try, right? I have two other tree peonies that I'd love love love to cross with this beautiful plant. And who knows? I might help create an incredible new peony. That would really be something. Of course I won't find out what the offspring will look like for ten years or more after planting the seeds ....
Which makes me want to play with roses, which have a similar seed-to-flower span.
Yes, it's a long time for payoff. But people who do this sort of stuff don't think like that. They don't think about payoff so much as love. I didn't raise my children for a payoff. There's no time at which point I'll feel like I've gotten something in return for my time and effort.
I can plant a seed, and help it grow. I can appreciate what it becomes. The pollen, seeds, plants--they do the actual work. I provide a nurturing environment and occasional guidance. That's it.
So, maybe if I remember, this year it'll be roses. Next year, peonies. It'll be a whole new adventure.
If you would like to give it a go, do some reading first to save yourself some trouble. First of all, not all blossoms have viable pollen and seed production capacity. Second, to control pollination, bag the blossoms before they open (careful to make sure there aren't any bugs first) and then mingle the pollens after the stamens after the flower has opened into full bloom. To prevent fungal issues do this only in dry weather and use paper bags. To figure out when the buds have opened into full bloom, mark buds on the same bush that are at the same stage as the ones you're using. Mark on the bag who the daddy is. And keep records someplace easy to find--on your computer is okay, but it's actually better to have a easy-to-find gardening book that you make entries into on a regular basis.
Of all the gardening things I do, it sounds easy-peasy compared to digging out new beds or weeding!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Baby Roots
Sorry about the long break between posts.
I came home yesterday from work with the intention to go working out. I just had to do one thing 'real quick' in the garden.
Two hours later I had my 'real quick' thing done. The pumpkin and squash starts that absolutely, positively had to go in the ground or else went in. There were several that probably won't make it, or will be so stunted that it wasn't worth starting them in advance.
The thing about squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchinis, melons, etc. is that they hate having their roots messed with, especially when they're wee. Retailers sell them at nurseries and grocery stores but honestly, I would save my money. Except, that we're in a short season area for them. Long season for just about everything else. It's just that for crops that really need hot weather to get going, we don't get that hot weather, not for long. So although my roses are in full bloom and happy, the tomatoes are still shivering.
If you must buy pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchinis, melons, etc. at the store and take them home to plant, this is what I'd do if I was doing as I say instead of as I do (which is plant my own in peat pots and then wait too long):
Don't buy any where the root is coming out the bottom. At all. Peat pots are better than the plastic.
Plant them ASAP, preferably as soon as you get them home.
When you do plant them:
Prepare your area very carefully first. Weed, dig around to make the dirt soft, and make a little hole that's almost exactly the right size. Just make the hole a bit deeper (1/2 inch to an inch, depending on the size of the starter pot.) Use the pot to make sure the hole is the right size. Stick it in the ground, gently compress the dirt around it so that the hole doesn't collapse, and pull the pot back out. Don't worry if it does collapse, you'll be fine if you made it deep enough that a little extra in the bottom won't matter. Get scissors and (very carefully!) cut an x in the bottom of the pot--
Unless it's a peat pot!
Just trim the peat pot (with scissors, don't tear because you might tear down to the roots) down to the soil level if there's a rim, which there usually is. Put some water in the bottom of the hole and then plant the peat pot. (Make a shallow well around the plant and make sure the whole peat pot is covered.)
If it's not a peat pot, proceed to cut from the x up onto the sides a little bit so that you have a guide. Set the pot in the hole you made, make sure again that it's deep enough, and add water. Then cut down the sides down to the lines you cut on the bottom. Gently, gradually remove the pot from the plant, cutting wherever necessary, filling in and gently compressing the dirt as you go so the roots are disturbed as little as possible. Make a shallow well so that water will tend to pool around the plant, but dirt doesn't drift toward the stem when you do water.
You're done!
Sadly I've been too busy to deal with my starts so about half of them had roots poking out the bottom. Sigh. But, I also planted seeds directly in the ground a few days ago. With a little luck, between the two I should have something to show for my trouble come autumn. I will say that although it's a lot of trouble, it's very worth it to grow your own vining broadleaf hot weather plants. Try using them as ornamentals, and even the heavy-fruited ones can climb, though I wouldn't let a pumpkin climb up enough that its fruit won't touch the ground or have some support when it develops past the 10" size.
I came home yesterday from work with the intention to go working out. I just had to do one thing 'real quick' in the garden.
Two hours later I had my 'real quick' thing done. The pumpkin and squash starts that absolutely, positively had to go in the ground or else went in. There were several that probably won't make it, or will be so stunted that it wasn't worth starting them in advance.
The thing about squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchinis, melons, etc. is that they hate having their roots messed with, especially when they're wee. Retailers sell them at nurseries and grocery stores but honestly, I would save my money. Except, that we're in a short season area for them. Long season for just about everything else. It's just that for crops that really need hot weather to get going, we don't get that hot weather, not for long. So although my roses are in full bloom and happy, the tomatoes are still shivering.
If you must buy pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchinis, melons, etc. at the store and take them home to plant, this is what I'd do if I was doing as I say instead of as I do (which is plant my own in peat pots and then wait too long):
Don't buy any where the root is coming out the bottom. At all. Peat pots are better than the plastic.
Plant them ASAP, preferably as soon as you get them home.
When you do plant them:
Prepare your area very carefully first. Weed, dig around to make the dirt soft, and make a little hole that's almost exactly the right size. Just make the hole a bit deeper (1/2 inch to an inch, depending on the size of the starter pot.) Use the pot to make sure the hole is the right size. Stick it in the ground, gently compress the dirt around it so that the hole doesn't collapse, and pull the pot back out. Don't worry if it does collapse, you'll be fine if you made it deep enough that a little extra in the bottom won't matter. Get scissors and (very carefully!) cut an x in the bottom of the pot--
Unless it's a peat pot!
Just trim the peat pot (with scissors, don't tear because you might tear down to the roots) down to the soil level if there's a rim, which there usually is. Put some water in the bottom of the hole and then plant the peat pot. (Make a shallow well around the plant and make sure the whole peat pot is covered.)
If it's not a peat pot, proceed to cut from the x up onto the sides a little bit so that you have a guide. Set the pot in the hole you made, make sure again that it's deep enough, and add water. Then cut down the sides down to the lines you cut on the bottom. Gently, gradually remove the pot from the plant, cutting wherever necessary, filling in and gently compressing the dirt as you go so the roots are disturbed as little as possible. Make a shallow well so that water will tend to pool around the plant, but dirt doesn't drift toward the stem when you do water.
You're done!
Sadly I've been too busy to deal with my starts so about half of them had roots poking out the bottom. Sigh. But, I also planted seeds directly in the ground a few days ago. With a little luck, between the two I should have something to show for my trouble come autumn. I will say that although it's a lot of trouble, it's very worth it to grow your own vining broadleaf hot weather plants. Try using them as ornamentals, and even the heavy-fruited ones can climb, though I wouldn't let a pumpkin climb up enough that its fruit won't touch the ground or have some support when it develops past the 10" size.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Garden hour(s)
I got a whole bunch of gardening stuff done today.
It's too early to plant tomatoes, and definitely too early for peppers, but I did it anyway. We've had unusually good weather, and it's very close to tomato time here (Mother's Day for the lower elevations, June 1 for me) so I went for it. I'm holding back my main tomato plants, though. I mulched heavily on the tomato and pepper rows this time, which will hopefully generate a lot of heat and keep those plant roots warm. This is the origin of the term hot bed. Farmers would lay down partially rotted compost with a layer of mulch and heat up the soil for tender seedlings. It is possible to make it so hot that it will kill the seedlings and seeds, so it's not a place/method in which to put your one prize (fill in name of special plant.) These are sacrificial plants that, if they survive, provide a jump on the season and yet aren't a catastrophic loss if they all die or are set back so far that you may as well have planted them at the proper time.
Planted my fuschia starts in their hanging baskets. It's easy to develop feelings of inadequacy when I see the huge baskets of blooming fuschias for sale at most stores right now, but I take comfort in the fact that I didn't spend $60 on the three of them. Having said that, yes, I did buy two hanging baskets, one for sun, and one for shade, to cheer things up in the garden. They were part one of my Mother's Day gift, gotten early and enjoyed fully in the meantime.
Against my better judgement I transplanted two orchids that were in full bloom. I couldn't handle seeing them crammed in their thimble-sized plastic cups with the roots bound tightly around a couple of teaspoons worth of icky old moss. Hopefully they won't keel over from the stress. I got them very inexpensively, which is usually a red flag when buying plants, but Mother's Day is coming up ... the nicer one will go to my mommy, and the smaller one will stay with me as my Mother's Day part II.
Also against my better judgement, I transplanted a poinsettia a friend of mine gave me when she was done with it oh, around mid-January. It's producing new leaves and is still technically in bloom. It would have been better to wait until we were at the other side of summer, but I already had all my transplanting stuff out, and ... yeah. I'll fess up if it dies so y'all will know not to do as I do, only as I say.
I planted out my Mother's Day part III gift, a You Me Forever hydrangea in pale lavender with green tones. It's in a spot that I'll be able to see it from the house, and where I'll be passing it every day that I go out to garden. The You Me Forever series of hydrangeas are exquisite. If you do well with them and have an open spot, I highly, highly recommend them.
My boxwood and chamaecyprus (I'm sure I just butchered the spelling) cuttings appear to be taking root. It will probably be fall before I put them out, but they'll need to be potted up in the meantime, probably in about a month, maybe sooner if I see roots starting to poke out the bottoms of the trays.
Geraniums went in the ground. Geraniums really, really don't like even the slightest cold weather. Mine are in a very sheltered spot, and I'll run out and cover them if the weather report warms me of a cold night in time. I should have waited, but the warm weather makes me dumb like that.
I put chicken wire around the new plantings and a purple rose that would make me cry if the deer ate it before it bloomed.
And lastly (actually, I did this firstly) I switched our back outdoor faucet into growing season mode. It now has a four-way split on it with a little gizmo that prevents water from siphoning back into the house from the icky hoses.
No hard physical labor today, but I'm pooped. I'm glad I had help from my daughter. And now, bed.
After I set up to plant seeds tomorrow.
Because I'm crazy and I'll garden until after midnight.
What seeds, you ask?
Pumpkins, winter squashes, cantaloupe, cucumber and corn.
Yes, I know. I'm both too late, and too early. But not really. All these items detest transplantation, and need warm soil. By giving the pumpkin, cuke and squash seeds a head-start in the house, and planting in peat pots, if they make it I'll be ahead of the game. I'm also direct seeding all of these later on. As for the corn ... I've failed and failed and failed and finally I think I'm going to try to start them in trays and plant them out when they're really gotten going. Knee high by July is my goal.
I think that's everything for today. Tomorrow is another gardening day!
It's too early to plant tomatoes, and definitely too early for peppers, but I did it anyway. We've had unusually good weather, and it's very close to tomato time here (Mother's Day for the lower elevations, June 1 for me) so I went for it. I'm holding back my main tomato plants, though. I mulched heavily on the tomato and pepper rows this time, which will hopefully generate a lot of heat and keep those plant roots warm. This is the origin of the term hot bed. Farmers would lay down partially rotted compost with a layer of mulch and heat up the soil for tender seedlings. It is possible to make it so hot that it will kill the seedlings and seeds, so it's not a place/method in which to put your one prize (fill in name of special plant.) These are sacrificial plants that, if they survive, provide a jump on the season and yet aren't a catastrophic loss if they all die or are set back so far that you may as well have planted them at the proper time.
Planted my fuschia starts in their hanging baskets. It's easy to develop feelings of inadequacy when I see the huge baskets of blooming fuschias for sale at most stores right now, but I take comfort in the fact that I didn't spend $60 on the three of them. Having said that, yes, I did buy two hanging baskets, one for sun, and one for shade, to cheer things up in the garden. They were part one of my Mother's Day gift, gotten early and enjoyed fully in the meantime.
Against my better judgement I transplanted two orchids that were in full bloom. I couldn't handle seeing them crammed in their thimble-sized plastic cups with the roots bound tightly around a couple of teaspoons worth of icky old moss. Hopefully they won't keel over from the stress. I got them very inexpensively, which is usually a red flag when buying plants, but Mother's Day is coming up ... the nicer one will go to my mommy, and the smaller one will stay with me as my Mother's Day part II.
Also against my better judgement, I transplanted a poinsettia a friend of mine gave me when she was done with it oh, around mid-January. It's producing new leaves and is still technically in bloom. It would have been better to wait until we were at the other side of summer, but I already had all my transplanting stuff out, and ... yeah. I'll fess up if it dies so y'all will know not to do as I do, only as I say.
I planted out my Mother's Day part III gift, a You Me Forever hydrangea in pale lavender with green tones. It's in a spot that I'll be able to see it from the house, and where I'll be passing it every day that I go out to garden. The You Me Forever series of hydrangeas are exquisite. If you do well with them and have an open spot, I highly, highly recommend them.
My boxwood and chamaecyprus (I'm sure I just butchered the spelling) cuttings appear to be taking root. It will probably be fall before I put them out, but they'll need to be potted up in the meantime, probably in about a month, maybe sooner if I see roots starting to poke out the bottoms of the trays.
Geraniums went in the ground. Geraniums really, really don't like even the slightest cold weather. Mine are in a very sheltered spot, and I'll run out and cover them if the weather report warms me of a cold night in time. I should have waited, but the warm weather makes me dumb like that.
I put chicken wire around the new plantings and a purple rose that would make me cry if the deer ate it before it bloomed.
And lastly (actually, I did this firstly) I switched our back outdoor faucet into growing season mode. It now has a four-way split on it with a little gizmo that prevents water from siphoning back into the house from the icky hoses.
No hard physical labor today, but I'm pooped. I'm glad I had help from my daughter. And now, bed.
After I set up to plant seeds tomorrow.
Because I'm crazy and I'll garden until after midnight.
What seeds, you ask?
Pumpkins, winter squashes, cantaloupe, cucumber and corn.
Yes, I know. I'm both too late, and too early. But not really. All these items detest transplantation, and need warm soil. By giving the pumpkin, cuke and squash seeds a head-start in the house, and planting in peat pots, if they make it I'll be ahead of the game. I'm also direct seeding all of these later on. As for the corn ... I've failed and failed and failed and finally I think I'm going to try to start them in trays and plant them out when they're really gotten going. Knee high by July is my goal.
I think that's everything for today. Tomorrow is another gardening day!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Cute and Fluffy
I found out today why the cats sometimes race up to the house all puffed up.
I feared it was coyotes.
I suspected that it was another feral cat roaming around nearby.
I also suspected it might be the neighbor's dog, a small, friendly sort that actually doesn't mind cats but our cats don't know that. All they know is that it smells bad.
I always looked and never saw anything.
I thought it was odd that it seemed to happen at all hours of the day, rather than just dusk and dawn, when most of the predators are out and about.
But today, while walking in the garden with The Poop, she got all puffed up and stared and I saw it.
A bunny.
An adorable, wee little bunny.
Turns out there was another bunny, too. It ran when I scared the first, terrifying bunny away after multiple coaxings for The Poop to 'go get it' did nothing but make her sit down with her back still mostly arched and her tail still completely puffed up. The second bunny, which she also hadn't noticed, took off after the first one and made The Poop retreat back toward the house.
Yes, I know that bunnies can actually be pretty fierce and that they have wicked claws (all the better with which to dig into your intestines, my dear) but still. Seriously? The bunny is half her size, and she's a very small kitty.
The one that really baffles me is that Wizard is scared of the bunnies too. He's like four or five bunnies-worth of muscle.
I guess they've watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail too many times.
Oh well. That just means that I have to put up a tighter fence around the garden.
I wonder if the bunnies laugh as the kittehs run away in terror ....
I feared it was coyotes.
I suspected that it was another feral cat roaming around nearby.
I also suspected it might be the neighbor's dog, a small, friendly sort that actually doesn't mind cats but our cats don't know that. All they know is that it smells bad.
I always looked and never saw anything.
I thought it was odd that it seemed to happen at all hours of the day, rather than just dusk and dawn, when most of the predators are out and about.
But today, while walking in the garden with The Poop, she got all puffed up and stared and I saw it.
A bunny.
An adorable, wee little bunny.
Turns out there was another bunny, too. It ran when I scared the first, terrifying bunny away after multiple coaxings for The Poop to 'go get it' did nothing but make her sit down with her back still mostly arched and her tail still completely puffed up. The second bunny, which she also hadn't noticed, took off after the first one and made The Poop retreat back toward the house.
Yes, I know that bunnies can actually be pretty fierce and that they have wicked claws (all the better with which to dig into your intestines, my dear) but still. Seriously? The bunny is half her size, and she's a very small kitty.
The one that really baffles me is that Wizard is scared of the bunnies too. He's like four or five bunnies-worth of muscle.
I guess they've watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail too many times.
Oh well. That just means that I have to put up a tighter fence around the garden.
I wonder if the bunnies laugh as the kittehs run away in terror ....
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Dread Full
Why stores sometimes dread selling stuff to young people:
A. Their wives and/or husbands and/or parents come back to the store with the 'we don't really need this' face, and some of them try to say the item is defective, when it's not. It's okay, folks, the customer service people understand. Trust them. They don't judge. They just want to know if it's okay to put the item back on the shelf or not. Your domestic financial issues are of no concern to them (although if you out yourself, the customer service rep sometimes can't help but find your story hilarious and/or pitiful, so if you don't want that in their heads, just don't say anything beyond 'I don't want it.' That's good enough for them.)
B. They take it back an hour later because their friends are going to play (fill in the blank) and they want to play too, but can't unless they have the cash to buy (something else, fill in the blank.) And, of course, they have no receipt and no packaging and no instructions even if they bought it only an hour before because they're young and that stuff is all useless (until they need it, and they're not willing to dig in the trash for it. Which, in some cases, depending on what's in the trash, may be merciful.)
C. They break it within five seconds of toying with it and try to take it back with the claim that it broke because it's defective. (sigh)
There are lots of responsible young people out there, and most don't cause problems. But, generally speaking, if they're throwing footballs down the aisles, trying on makeup and perfume, chasing each other around the store, and are too busy on the phone to talk to the cashier to check out (especially if they give attitude when the cashier tells them the balance and they have to stop texting/talking/whatever to ask 'what?') then the dread tends to set in. And all too often, it's justified.
A. Their wives and/or husbands and/or parents come back to the store with the 'we don't really need this' face, and some of them try to say the item is defective, when it's not. It's okay, folks, the customer service people understand. Trust them. They don't judge. They just want to know if it's okay to put the item back on the shelf or not. Your domestic financial issues are of no concern to them (although if you out yourself, the customer service rep sometimes can't help but find your story hilarious and/or pitiful, so if you don't want that in their heads, just don't say anything beyond 'I don't want it.' That's good enough for them.)
B. They take it back an hour later because their friends are going to play (fill in the blank) and they want to play too, but can't unless they have the cash to buy (something else, fill in the blank.) And, of course, they have no receipt and no packaging and no instructions even if they bought it only an hour before because they're young and that stuff is all useless (until they need it, and they're not willing to dig in the trash for it. Which, in some cases, depending on what's in the trash, may be merciful.)
C. They break it within five seconds of toying with it and try to take it back with the claim that it broke because it's defective. (sigh)
There are lots of responsible young people out there, and most don't cause problems. But, generally speaking, if they're throwing footballs down the aisles, trying on makeup and perfume, chasing each other around the store, and are too busy on the phone to talk to the cashier to check out (especially if they give attitude when the cashier tells them the balance and they have to stop texting/talking/whatever to ask 'what?') then the dread tends to set in. And all too often, it's justified.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Important Writer's Workshop at Orycon
For the writers out there (and spread the word please):
Every year at Orycon there's a quiet little writer's workshop thing that goes on, usually with very few people hearing about it. This is a great workshop with almost but not quite one-on-one time with some great pros. The pros that participate change from year to year depending on who volunteers and who can make it. Anyway, usually there's two, maybe three people and two pros per session. That could always change, but so far there's been very personalized attention from people who really know their stuff.
This year, as most years, there's a $10 fee, plus you have to have an Orycon membership. Considering all the writing-related panels Orycon puts on, this is a serious bargain for anyone who wants to pick up good advice on writing techniques and the publishing industry. Plus! Anne Bishop (author)! Larry Elmore (artist)! Liz Gorinsky (editor at Tor Books)!
For more information see this announcement here put up by the organizer, and the Orycon website. If you buy your membership now, you'll save considerably over the at-the-door membership charge.
Every year at Orycon there's a quiet little writer's workshop thing that goes on, usually with very few people hearing about it. This is a great workshop with almost but not quite one-on-one time with some great pros. The pros that participate change from year to year depending on who volunteers and who can make it. Anyway, usually there's two, maybe three people and two pros per session. That could always change, but so far there's been very personalized attention from people who really know their stuff.
This year, as most years, there's a $10 fee, plus you have to have an Orycon membership. Considering all the writing-related panels Orycon puts on, this is a serious bargain for anyone who wants to pick up good advice on writing techniques and the publishing industry. Plus! Anne Bishop (author)! Larry Elmore (artist)! Liz Gorinsky (editor at Tor Books)!
For more information see this announcement here put up by the organizer, and the Orycon website. If you buy your membership now, you'll save considerably over the at-the-door membership charge.
A neat patch amid the chaos
The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, the cats are lounging around on the deck with their eyes half-open ....
And I have to mow the grass. A lot.
I love this weather. Yesterday, drivers zooming by had the dubious privilege of seeing me in spandex wearing a Celtic knotwork silk scarf and a white headband (this would have been a lot more awesome if I was in decent shape) pushing a lawn mower back and forth across a lot of grass. At one point while I was messing around with the lawnmower (this was before I got it actually running) our garbage truck driver pulled up and commented on the gorgeous sunshine.
"Yeah, if I can get this lawnmower started, it's the perfect time to get this mowing done." I gestured to the orchard and the field beside it.
"You're going to do all that with that little push mower?" He laughed good-naturedly and stared with disbelief at the half-acre or whatever the heck it is.
I had to laugh too. "Yeah, well, our ride-on lawnmower isn't working, and probably won't have a chance of working for at least two weeks, so this has to get done."
He shook his head and drove off. I got the lawnmower started not long after that.
And you know, I don't pay our son enough for that damned job. Holy crud. My DH offered to pay me $20 for it. I think I'm going to keep my day job. Of course, it only took about two hours. It was just a really, really long two hours. In fact, I'm still feeling that two hours in my shoulders, hands and legs. When I woke up this morning, my thumb and pointer finger were twitching.
Fortunately, the rest of the grass is in smaller patches and not as important to get done. I have paths to where I need to get without getting soaked up to the knees on those early, dewy mornings. "But Kami, it won't look nice with all that long grass ...."
Um, yeah, I know, but considering the state of my garden ... no one is going to notice the really long grass. Trust me. It's everywhere. Having a tidy lawn-looking thing here would be a lot like having a tiny patch of lawn in the middle of a corn field. No one's gonna notice, trust me. Or, if they do, they'll have a little laugh like our garbage truck driver did.
The boy is coming over today to help me out over the weekend. I think I'm going to have him do some more mowing. :-)
And I have to mow the grass. A lot.
I love this weather. Yesterday, drivers zooming by had the dubious privilege of seeing me in spandex wearing a Celtic knotwork silk scarf and a white headband (this would have been a lot more awesome if I was in decent shape) pushing a lawn mower back and forth across a lot of grass. At one point while I was messing around with the lawnmower (this was before I got it actually running) our garbage truck driver pulled up and commented on the gorgeous sunshine.
"Yeah, if I can get this lawnmower started, it's the perfect time to get this mowing done." I gestured to the orchard and the field beside it.
"You're going to do all that with that little push mower?" He laughed good-naturedly and stared with disbelief at the half-acre or whatever the heck it is.
I had to laugh too. "Yeah, well, our ride-on lawnmower isn't working, and probably won't have a chance of working for at least two weeks, so this has to get done."
He shook his head and drove off. I got the lawnmower started not long after that.
And you know, I don't pay our son enough for that damned job. Holy crud. My DH offered to pay me $20 for it. I think I'm going to keep my day job. Of course, it only took about two hours. It was just a really, really long two hours. In fact, I'm still feeling that two hours in my shoulders, hands and legs. When I woke up this morning, my thumb and pointer finger were twitching.
Fortunately, the rest of the grass is in smaller patches and not as important to get done. I have paths to where I need to get without getting soaked up to the knees on those early, dewy mornings. "But Kami, it won't look nice with all that long grass ...."
Um, yeah, I know, but considering the state of my garden ... no one is going to notice the really long grass. Trust me. It's everywhere. Having a tidy lawn-looking thing here would be a lot like having a tiny patch of lawn in the middle of a corn field. No one's gonna notice, trust me. Or, if they do, they'll have a little laugh like our garbage truck driver did.
The boy is coming over today to help me out over the weekend. I think I'm going to have him do some more mowing. :-)
Monday, April 15, 2013
Can there be justice for Boston?
I was going to post about badly behaved people, but then someone decided to blow up what was supposed to be a life-affirming expression of human endurance and accomplishment.
Unfortunately it's very likely that whoever perpetrated this is enjoying the media exposure, indifferent to or excited by the anger and grief, and is perhaps comparing the tally to other monsters who do this sort of thing.
It's become popular over the years to place motivations, histories, abuses and justifications upon individuals and groups who do this sort of thing. They've been downtrodden/poorly socialized/minimized/suffer from mental illness, etc. Some of that is valid, but most of the time the people who are doing the analysis are trying to make sense in terms of what they would do and what would drive them to do something like this.
I find it strange that often the very people who wish to embrace diversity are very resistant to the idea of diversity of emotional capacity, mental makeup, and diversity in not only intelligence in general but types of intelligence. They may be comfortable saying, well, so and so has trouble reading, but they're really good with their hands, but would be uncomfortable with saying this person has no compassion and is really good at torturing people emotionally and physically. The lack of redeeming quality becomes too judgmental, I guess, and makes them feel bad for not seeing the bright or positive side of grim or negative people. Yet we all have met, if not intimately know, people with no regard for anyone except themselves and view the world as either an irritation or a playground in which to do whatever they want without consideration for consequences other than which impede their play.
As much as I appreciate our legal system, often they give what certain sorts of people crave, so if the bomber(s) are ever brought to justice, they will be most pleased, I believe, to receive as much condemnation from the public as possible. After all, the goal is most likely to make as much of a splash as possible in an effort to either outdo or pay homage to similar sorts. And until they get caught, they get to collect magazine and news articles, and watch the drama unfold on television and radio along with the rest of us. Maybe they're gleeful, or maybe they're keeping some sort of tally, attempting to be the best (worst) of their kind.
It may be that whoever did this is what we might politely term deeply disturbed. But regardless of the reasons we may try to place into the background and psyche of a bomber, or rapist, or pedophile, ultimately, it does not change them, or help us. What it often does, unfortunately, is give them legal, moral and ethical weasel room to extend the pleasure that their act gave them.
And Boston suffers like any victim of a crime, wondering how justice can ever be done.
Unfortunately it's very likely that whoever perpetrated this is enjoying the media exposure, indifferent to or excited by the anger and grief, and is perhaps comparing the tally to other monsters who do this sort of thing.
It's become popular over the years to place motivations, histories, abuses and justifications upon individuals and groups who do this sort of thing. They've been downtrodden/poorly socialized/minimized/suffer from mental illness, etc. Some of that is valid, but most of the time the people who are doing the analysis are trying to make sense in terms of what they would do and what would drive them to do something like this.
I find it strange that often the very people who wish to embrace diversity are very resistant to the idea of diversity of emotional capacity, mental makeup, and diversity in not only intelligence in general but types of intelligence. They may be comfortable saying, well, so and so has trouble reading, but they're really good with their hands, but would be uncomfortable with saying this person has no compassion and is really good at torturing people emotionally and physically. The lack of redeeming quality becomes too judgmental, I guess, and makes them feel bad for not seeing the bright or positive side of grim or negative people. Yet we all have met, if not intimately know, people with no regard for anyone except themselves and view the world as either an irritation or a playground in which to do whatever they want without consideration for consequences other than which impede their play.
As much as I appreciate our legal system, often they give what certain sorts of people crave, so if the bomber(s) are ever brought to justice, they will be most pleased, I believe, to receive as much condemnation from the public as possible. After all, the goal is most likely to make as much of a splash as possible in an effort to either outdo or pay homage to similar sorts. And until they get caught, they get to collect magazine and news articles, and watch the drama unfold on television and radio along with the rest of us. Maybe they're gleeful, or maybe they're keeping some sort of tally, attempting to be the best (worst) of their kind.
It may be that whoever did this is what we might politely term deeply disturbed. But regardless of the reasons we may try to place into the background and psyche of a bomber, or rapist, or pedophile, ultimately, it does not change them, or help us. What it often does, unfortunately, is give them legal, moral and ethical weasel room to extend the pleasure that their act gave them.
And Boston suffers like any victim of a crime, wondering how justice can ever be done.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Color Addiction
I have a new addiction. An art addiction. A color addiction.
ColourLovers hooked me up and now I can't stop. I don't want to stop. I feel alive, I feel free, I feel a little crazy and it's oh so good. I got to name some colors! It makes my little heart go pitter pat.
In all seriousness, just when I thought I had things figured out, I realized I was in the dark. Again. Still. So even though I've read all kinds of stuff about color theory, apparently I don't know jack and I need to get up to speed. This website is going to help me.
I hope.
Anyway, it's really fun, and I'm learning a lot. Be careful if you visit, though. You might stay, and start chasing the dragon's colorful scales just like me.
Color by COLOURlovers
ColourLovers hooked me up and now I can't stop. I don't want to stop. I feel alive, I feel free, I feel a little crazy and it's oh so good. I got to name some colors! It makes my little heart go pitter pat.
In all seriousness, just when I thought I had things figured out, I realized I was in the dark. Again. Still. So even though I've read all kinds of stuff about color theory, apparently I don't know jack and I need to get up to speed. This website is going to help me.
I hope.
Anyway, it's really fun, and I'm learning a lot. Be careful if you visit, though. You might stay, and start chasing the dragon's colorful scales just like me.
Color by COLOURlovers
Monday, April 08, 2013
Time for Tomatoes?
I planted my tomato seeds yesterday. That's really, really late. I don't know how it'll go, but I guess I'll find out!
They're already selling tomato starts around town. If you decide you can't resist, here are some tips:
Pick ones with well-developed roots. A lot of times they'll have big, fat, beautiful tops (growers encourage that any way they can through fertilizers, etc. because big tops sell better) but almost no roots. No matter how pretty they look, trust me: you do not want those tomatoes. Shop around and hold out for the good ones. How do you know? First, see if any roots are poking out of the bottom. Do a small, random sample of the rack. Zero roots showing on three or four plants means that it's very likely that the roots haven't even gotten to the bottom of the containers on any of them. Second (please don't do this to more than once--the plants will probably all be the same-ish) you can cup your hand over the container with the tomato gently supported between your fingers, turn it sideways (or upside-down if the dirt doesn't start falling off right away) and pull the container off partway to see if there are roots out to the sides. if there are no roots, as a courtesy buy the plant if the dirt all falls off and repot the plant at home to grow it out, but don't buy any others. If there are enough roots to hold the dirt together, that's a good buy and you should buy as many as you want of that variety of tomato. Bear in mind different varieties of tomato develop at different speeds, so the Early Girls may all be fine, while the Mortgage Lifters may be meh.
When you get them home, don't put them outside, even in a sheltered area. They can go in one of two places: in a greenhouse sturdy enough to withstand the weather (those inexpensive kit ones you can get at most stores are great, but they must be tied down and protected from heavy rain/hail/snow because they crush easily) or in your home. In the home, you can set them up just about anywhere as long as they get enough light. Sunlight through the window is not enough light. Get them an aquarium light or a plant light and set it just above the leaves, as in an inch or two away. Sunlight through a window is great too, as a bonus. Make it a warm-ish area, but not in line with a heater vent as they'll dry out too fast. It helps to put a fan on them for an hour every other day or so. The very still air in a house makes tomatoes grow lazy. The stress of wind on their stems helps both the roots and stems grow stronger. Don't blow them over, but give them something to resist.
If they have nice, big root systems, pot them up to a bigger size.
Fertilize them on a schedule, but don't over-fertilize. If you luck out and don't burn them, you'll still have issues. They'll grow lots of big leaves, but often the roots become underdeveloped and it's actually the roots you'll really need to grow good tomatoes.
Waaaaaiiiit to put them outside! People say any time after Mother's Day is fine. Well, not for me. I've always regretted putting them out that early. You can ... if you protect them. But I think it's better to just hold off for at least two more weeks, or if the weather is really lousy, until June. In the meantime, keep potting them up. You'll love how big and strong and beautiful they get. Plus, on nice days, they can go for walkies outside. Just don't put them out in full sun on the first sunny day. They will burn to a crisp. Which leads me to ....
Harden them off before you plant them in the actual garden. Lots of people have lots of different methods. I'd go crazy trying to put them out for a certain time each day, and then putting them back in. Instead, I have this spot under my porch that gets about an hour of sunlight and then is in shade the rest of the day. Perfect. They're also protected from hail that way. Generally speaking, you can put them anywhere sheltered (shade is necessary, cover from elements is optional) for a week or two until they get used to the elements. Dappled shade is even better than full shade. If you haven't fanned them, tied them to supports. It doesn't take much of a gust of wind to knock them flat and potentially break the stem.
Watch out for bugs! It's really easy for plants to get buggy when they're young, and it doesn't take much to set them back or stop growth altogether. Their most vulnerable times are in the house when they're kept moist--perfect environment for fungi--and when they're first outside in warm weather and all the bugs in the universe are looking for an easy, succulent meal. Be careful when applying pesticides. Remember, this is a food plant and you don't want to use anything that isn't rated for food plants. Also, young plants can be damaged by some pesticides. Be gentle!
And last, but not least, when you repot, consider planting the tomato a little deeper than the original soil line. If you look at mature tomato plants, the whole main stem, and often the larger side stems, start to develop roots. If permitted to crawl along the ground, tomatoes will add more and more roots, which will develop a larger, more robust root system, and hopefully more and faster-ripening tomatoes. You can help your tomato get more roots by taking advantage of this. Just don't plant them too deep--never deeper than the bottom-most leaves--and hold off on watering a bit. Don't let them dry out, but you don't want the soil around the freshly-buried stem bit soggy until the plant has gotten accustomed to the new reality. The stem can rot or develop fungal problems. And, when you plant them outside, consider planting them at an angle instead of straight up and down so that more stem is in contact with the soil, or, again, plant them a big deeper than the soil line.
I'm really looking forward to the growing season. I just hope I get the deer fence finished in time!
They're already selling tomato starts around town. If you decide you can't resist, here are some tips:
Pick ones with well-developed roots. A lot of times they'll have big, fat, beautiful tops (growers encourage that any way they can through fertilizers, etc. because big tops sell better) but almost no roots. No matter how pretty they look, trust me: you do not want those tomatoes. Shop around and hold out for the good ones. How do you know? First, see if any roots are poking out of the bottom. Do a small, random sample of the rack. Zero roots showing on three or four plants means that it's very likely that the roots haven't even gotten to the bottom of the containers on any of them. Second (please don't do this to more than once--the plants will probably all be the same-ish) you can cup your hand over the container with the tomato gently supported between your fingers, turn it sideways (or upside-down if the dirt doesn't start falling off right away) and pull the container off partway to see if there are roots out to the sides. if there are no roots, as a courtesy buy the plant if the dirt all falls off and repot the plant at home to grow it out, but don't buy any others. If there are enough roots to hold the dirt together, that's a good buy and you should buy as many as you want of that variety of tomato. Bear in mind different varieties of tomato develop at different speeds, so the Early Girls may all be fine, while the Mortgage Lifters may be meh.
When you get them home, don't put them outside, even in a sheltered area. They can go in one of two places: in a greenhouse sturdy enough to withstand the weather (those inexpensive kit ones you can get at most stores are great, but they must be tied down and protected from heavy rain/hail/snow because they crush easily) or in your home. In the home, you can set them up just about anywhere as long as they get enough light. Sunlight through the window is not enough light. Get them an aquarium light or a plant light and set it just above the leaves, as in an inch or two away. Sunlight through a window is great too, as a bonus. Make it a warm-ish area, but not in line with a heater vent as they'll dry out too fast. It helps to put a fan on them for an hour every other day or so. The very still air in a house makes tomatoes grow lazy. The stress of wind on their stems helps both the roots and stems grow stronger. Don't blow them over, but give them something to resist.
If they have nice, big root systems, pot them up to a bigger size.
Fertilize them on a schedule, but don't over-fertilize. If you luck out and don't burn them, you'll still have issues. They'll grow lots of big leaves, but often the roots become underdeveloped and it's actually the roots you'll really need to grow good tomatoes.
Waaaaaiiiit to put them outside! People say any time after Mother's Day is fine. Well, not for me. I've always regretted putting them out that early. You can ... if you protect them. But I think it's better to just hold off for at least two more weeks, or if the weather is really lousy, until June. In the meantime, keep potting them up. You'll love how big and strong and beautiful they get. Plus, on nice days, they can go for walkies outside. Just don't put them out in full sun on the first sunny day. They will burn to a crisp. Which leads me to ....
Harden them off before you plant them in the actual garden. Lots of people have lots of different methods. I'd go crazy trying to put them out for a certain time each day, and then putting them back in. Instead, I have this spot under my porch that gets about an hour of sunlight and then is in shade the rest of the day. Perfect. They're also protected from hail that way. Generally speaking, you can put them anywhere sheltered (shade is necessary, cover from elements is optional) for a week or two until they get used to the elements. Dappled shade is even better than full shade. If you haven't fanned them, tied them to supports. It doesn't take much of a gust of wind to knock them flat and potentially break the stem.
Watch out for bugs! It's really easy for plants to get buggy when they're young, and it doesn't take much to set them back or stop growth altogether. Their most vulnerable times are in the house when they're kept moist--perfect environment for fungi--and when they're first outside in warm weather and all the bugs in the universe are looking for an easy, succulent meal. Be careful when applying pesticides. Remember, this is a food plant and you don't want to use anything that isn't rated for food plants. Also, young plants can be damaged by some pesticides. Be gentle!
And last, but not least, when you repot, consider planting the tomato a little deeper than the original soil line. If you look at mature tomato plants, the whole main stem, and often the larger side stems, start to develop roots. If permitted to crawl along the ground, tomatoes will add more and more roots, which will develop a larger, more robust root system, and hopefully more and faster-ripening tomatoes. You can help your tomato get more roots by taking advantage of this. Just don't plant them too deep--never deeper than the bottom-most leaves--and hold off on watering a bit. Don't let them dry out, but you don't want the soil around the freshly-buried stem bit soggy until the plant has gotten accustomed to the new reality. The stem can rot or develop fungal problems. And, when you plant them outside, consider planting them at an angle instead of straight up and down so that more stem is in contact with the soil, or, again, plant them a big deeper than the soil line.
I'm really looking forward to the growing season. I just hope I get the deer fence finished in time!
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Violence: A Writer's Guide (Second Edition)
Violence: A Writer's Guide (Second Edition) by Rory Miller is now available in print! The ebook version should be coming out soon. The first edition, which is in ebook form only, is still up. The second edition is much more comprehensive, over 35% longer than the original. Both are extremely good texts not just for writers but anyone interested in violence dynamics.
Table of Contents:
Establishing a Baseline
Context
Mechanics of a Physical 'Fight'
Survival Stress Response
Bad Guys and Violence
Good Guys and Violence
Gender Differences
Unarmed
Why People Carry Weapons
Weapon Use
Impact Weapons
Edged Weapons
Firearms
Less-Lethal Weapons
Concealed Carry
Mass Combat
Violence in Other Places and Times
Being Hurt
Being Wounded
How You Die
Random Details
A Final Rant
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Stages of Decompression
Stages of decompression when I get home:
Stop in the driveway, sit back, listen to music and Brian barking in the driveway and revel in the fact that I'm not at work anymore.
Pet all my dogs and praise them on the way to the door.
Greet my family, or if I'm home alone, check out all the animals and the garden before I go in. Take deep breaths because I'm home.
Take off my shoes. Ahh!
Pick up Veronica and turn her upside-down, tickle her tummy and play with her feet. (For new readers, Veronica aka The Poop is a cat.) Let her up on my shoulders and walk around the house with her. Put on my music if I'm home alone.
Check my email. Take off my socks if it's warm, put on my slippers if it's cold. Ahhh!
Make and/or eat food. Yum!
Open up the doors and windows if it's a beautiful evening.
Write, design, do art, listen to music, or play Bejeweled ... sometimes all at once.
Take off my bra and put on snuggly sweat pants.
Write/work/play some more, until I'm sleepy.
Bath with fragrant, luxurious soap, and bed. Decompression complete!
Because it takes all night, having lots of days working at my day job in a row or just one day off (split weekends) are tough. My day off doesn't start when I leave work, but when I wake up in the morning. And now I'm laughing because I'm imagining doing my decompression routine extra fast. Veronica would not be a happy kitteh at all!
Stop in the driveway, sit back, listen to music and Brian barking in the driveway and revel in the fact that I'm not at work anymore.
Pet all my dogs and praise them on the way to the door.
Greet my family, or if I'm home alone, check out all the animals and the garden before I go in. Take deep breaths because I'm home.
Take off my shoes. Ahh!
Pick up Veronica and turn her upside-down, tickle her tummy and play with her feet. (For new readers, Veronica aka The Poop is a cat.) Let her up on my shoulders and walk around the house with her. Put on my music if I'm home alone.
Check my email. Take off my socks if it's warm, put on my slippers if it's cold. Ahhh!
Make and/or eat food. Yum!
Open up the doors and windows if it's a beautiful evening.
Write, design, do art, listen to music, or play Bejeweled ... sometimes all at once.
Take off my bra and put on snuggly sweat pants.
Write/work/play some more, until I'm sleepy.
Bath with fragrant, luxurious soap, and bed. Decompression complete!
Because it takes all night, having lots of days working at my day job in a row or just one day off (split weekends) are tough. My day off doesn't start when I leave work, but when I wake up in the morning. And now I'm laughing because I'm imagining doing my decompression routine extra fast. Veronica would not be a happy kitteh at all!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
The Voices, They Are Stupid
I've been working out again. As always, I've rediscovered that it's absolutely true that you end up with more energy, not less, when you work out on a regular basis.
And the voices in my head--man, they know just what to say. What's with that? Everything from a whining "I don't wanna!" to "I really don't have time to work out" to "It's my day off, I don't want to spend my day off at the gym," and everything in-between. A stupid one yesterday: "It's almost lunchtime, so I'll be hungry by the time I get there, and if I go work out now then I'll have a really late lunch if I have one at all, and if I eat before I'll be too full to work out." Really? As if I'm afraid of being hungry for an hour or two. Anyone who's seen me knows that I'm in no danger of starvation any time soon.
The voices in my head have no logic. That's probably a good thing, otherwise I might cave in to them (more often).
The voices in my head are not who I am, nor are the voices in anyone's head who any of us really are. They are, generally speaking (at least in my case) a vocal minority expressing my fears that goad me into laziness, and are mainly concerned with maintaining my comfort level. That includes my success or lack thereof. To these voices, success is scary. It's not just fear of failure, which these voices also have. What if I succeed? Then (OMG) people might see me, might notice, and that puts me in danger. What kind of danger, the voices can't really specify other than a vague unease and the notion that people will mock me if they, for example, read my books. Regardless of what might or might not happen, it's change and we're safe right now without the change. We're safe and nothing bad is happening and if there's change then there's all this bad stuff that might happen.
What bad stuff, they can't always delineate. Even if they did, it probably wouldn't make much sense. (See previous mention of the lunch logic.)
The main leverage that the voices have is that I've been embarrassed and I've failed and I've struggled, and just thinking about some of those moments makes my gut knot up tight. So their vague threats do have teeth. Take, for example, my garden. I've spent a lot of money and time and effort on my veggie garden. Last year, I had almost nothing to show for it. The deer ate my tomato plants and most of the broccoli. They even ate the zucchini plants. The thought of all that loss makes me feel horrible. I wasted money, and I ended up looking stupid. The time spent I don't mind so much--I love gardening, and it keeps me in shape. Still ... And I have this project where I'm going to fence the whole darned thing in to keep the deer out. In fact, I'm going to work on it today. So why am I here, typing (and playing Bejeweled) when I should dash out there right now and get to work?
Because of the voices. And when I press them past the "I don't wanna, it's my day off and it's cold and dreary outside" (although the sun is peeking out right now, yay!!) the best that they can come up with is "what if you don't have enough materials to finish and we can't afford to buy new and if you buy stuff we'll be short and lose the house or worse, what if you finish and the deer still get in and then we'll have lost the house and we'll be starving for nothing or worst of all, what if the deer stay out and the garden still fails? Then you'll be a gardening total failure because you can't even blame the deer and we'll have no food and no house and we'll all die and it's all your fault and your husband and kids won't blame you because they're so nice but you'll see their large, tear-filled eyes and know you are to blame for their total destruction."
This is, seriously, the best the voices can do.
Why do I listen to them? Why do any of us listen to the voices in our heads?
Right now I can't think of a damned reason why. I'm going to go out and work on my garden. Type atch'y'all next time!
And the voices in my head--man, they know just what to say. What's with that? Everything from a whining "I don't wanna!" to "I really don't have time to work out" to "It's my day off, I don't want to spend my day off at the gym," and everything in-between. A stupid one yesterday: "It's almost lunchtime, so I'll be hungry by the time I get there, and if I go work out now then I'll have a really late lunch if I have one at all, and if I eat before I'll be too full to work out." Really? As if I'm afraid of being hungry for an hour or two. Anyone who's seen me knows that I'm in no danger of starvation any time soon.
The voices in my head have no logic. That's probably a good thing, otherwise I might cave in to them (more often).
The voices in my head are not who I am, nor are the voices in anyone's head who any of us really are. They are, generally speaking (at least in my case) a vocal minority expressing my fears that goad me into laziness, and are mainly concerned with maintaining my comfort level. That includes my success or lack thereof. To these voices, success is scary. It's not just fear of failure, which these voices also have. What if I succeed? Then (OMG) people might see me, might notice, and that puts me in danger. What kind of danger, the voices can't really specify other than a vague unease and the notion that people will mock me if they, for example, read my books. Regardless of what might or might not happen, it's change and we're safe right now without the change. We're safe and nothing bad is happening and if there's change then there's all this bad stuff that might happen.
What bad stuff, they can't always delineate. Even if they did, it probably wouldn't make much sense. (See previous mention of the lunch logic.)
The main leverage that the voices have is that I've been embarrassed and I've failed and I've struggled, and just thinking about some of those moments makes my gut knot up tight. So their vague threats do have teeth. Take, for example, my garden. I've spent a lot of money and time and effort on my veggie garden. Last year, I had almost nothing to show for it. The deer ate my tomato plants and most of the broccoli. They even ate the zucchini plants. The thought of all that loss makes me feel horrible. I wasted money, and I ended up looking stupid. The time spent I don't mind so much--I love gardening, and it keeps me in shape. Still ... And I have this project where I'm going to fence the whole darned thing in to keep the deer out. In fact, I'm going to work on it today. So why am I here, typing (and playing Bejeweled) when I should dash out there right now and get to work?
Because of the voices. And when I press them past the "I don't wanna, it's my day off and it's cold and dreary outside" (although the sun is peeking out right now, yay!!) the best that they can come up with is "what if you don't have enough materials to finish and we can't afford to buy new and if you buy stuff we'll be short and lose the house or worse, what if you finish and the deer still get in and then we'll have lost the house and we'll be starving for nothing or worst of all, what if the deer stay out and the garden still fails? Then you'll be a gardening total failure because you can't even blame the deer and we'll have no food and no house and we'll all die and it's all your fault and your husband and kids won't blame you because they're so nice but you'll see their large, tear-filled eyes and know you are to blame for their total destruction."
This is, seriously, the best the voices can do.
Why do I listen to them? Why do any of us listen to the voices in our heads?
Right now I can't think of a damned reason why. I'm going to go out and work on my garden. Type atch'y'all next time!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Full of Books
I need a new bookshelf to hold proof copies, graphic design and typography books.
That's really kind of awesome. I like that. A lot.
I love books enough that I have given up the idea of living in a home where the weight and volume restrictions on stuff is severely limited.
Yes, I know, I can have them on a Kindle ... and yet, I still rely heavily on the ability to flip through a reference book. I run my fingers along the pages and watch those colors and the text go by, and mysteriously my brain connects with what I need and stops me within a few pages of exactly what I want. Also, as my vision gets worse, I depend on those larger surface areas. Yes, I can zoom in using a Kindle, but I lose the area of words, the big picture. Specifically with graphic design books and non-fiction in general, the bulk of what I read, I need to have that broader view of the book in a format that's larger than even the biggest pads I've seen. A computer screen comes the closest to the size I like. Mine is 9" high--the size I'd need to view an open spread on a 6x9 book. For larger books on art, graphic design, architecture, etc. my computer screen is much, much too small. Fiction is much more flexible. I could easily see having my whole fiction library on a Kindle or iPad with no issues. But non-fiction ....
I think that one thing that will be a challenge to future book designers will be to rethink and redesign non-fiction from the ground up so that they can present the amount of information that they now are able to transmit in a physical book. Most people aren't aware of how columns, sidebars, images, graphs, illustrations, different styles of type and white space all contribute to feeding information into the human brain. When the way all these things interact is severely space-restricted, and a full open-book spread isn't available except in a tiny size ... yeah. I don't think the answer is necessarily larger device sizes (which will affect their cost and portability.) I think a combination of the way we learn to look at books from infancy through adulthood and the way books are put together will have to change. I believe I'm too old to relearn how I glean information from the page. So for people my age, it falls to the designers to bring the mountain to us.
Already, great strides have been made in book design and information impartation. Smart phones, web site design and rich communication formats have come a long way. My own websites are sad, primitive creatures that could use some TLC from someone who knows what they're doing (and who can manipulate more complex and innovative software than I know how to use) to take advantage of everything our information age has to offer. I have some fun ideas, but I can't make them into reality, and I don't have the time or money to devote to that project (yet). Soon, maybe ....
Speaking of time, it's time to get back to work (on my day off). Some days I think about retiring ... and how much work I can get caught up on when I do. Do people ever really catch up on work?
Probably not. I know I probably won't ever catch up. My work defines who I am, and like my writing and book designs, that work keeps evolving just like the world that's evolving all around and with us.
That's really kind of awesome. I like that. A lot.
I love books enough that I have given up the idea of living in a home where the weight and volume restrictions on stuff is severely limited.
Yes, I know, I can have them on a Kindle ... and yet, I still rely heavily on the ability to flip through a reference book. I run my fingers along the pages and watch those colors and the text go by, and mysteriously my brain connects with what I need and stops me within a few pages of exactly what I want. Also, as my vision gets worse, I depend on those larger surface areas. Yes, I can zoom in using a Kindle, but I lose the area of words, the big picture. Specifically with graphic design books and non-fiction in general, the bulk of what I read, I need to have that broader view of the book in a format that's larger than even the biggest pads I've seen. A computer screen comes the closest to the size I like. Mine is 9" high--the size I'd need to view an open spread on a 6x9 book. For larger books on art, graphic design, architecture, etc. my computer screen is much, much too small. Fiction is much more flexible. I could easily see having my whole fiction library on a Kindle or iPad with no issues. But non-fiction ....
I think that one thing that will be a challenge to future book designers will be to rethink and redesign non-fiction from the ground up so that they can present the amount of information that they now are able to transmit in a physical book. Most people aren't aware of how columns, sidebars, images, graphs, illustrations, different styles of type and white space all contribute to feeding information into the human brain. When the way all these things interact is severely space-restricted, and a full open-book spread isn't available except in a tiny size ... yeah. I don't think the answer is necessarily larger device sizes (which will affect their cost and portability.) I think a combination of the way we learn to look at books from infancy through adulthood and the way books are put together will have to change. I believe I'm too old to relearn how I glean information from the page. So for people my age, it falls to the designers to bring the mountain to us.
Already, great strides have been made in book design and information impartation. Smart phones, web site design and rich communication formats have come a long way. My own websites are sad, primitive creatures that could use some TLC from someone who knows what they're doing (and who can manipulate more complex and innovative software than I know how to use) to take advantage of everything our information age has to offer. I have some fun ideas, but I can't make them into reality, and I don't have the time or money to devote to that project (yet). Soon, maybe ....
Speaking of time, it's time to get back to work (on my day off). Some days I think about retiring ... and how much work I can get caught up on when I do. Do people ever really catch up on work?
Probably not. I know I probably won't ever catch up. My work defines who I am, and like my writing and book designs, that work keeps evolving just like the world that's evolving all around and with us.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Who's in Store?
Here's a weird little idea.
I think I posted about this before, and it might even be an official day in some country somewhere. Anyway, I thought I'd put a bug in some ears.
I shop weekly, sometimes several times a week, at our local stores. In that time, although I sometimes don't even know the person's name, I've started to develop favorites. When they're working at the registers, I go to their line even if it's longer. I say hi. Sometimes we politely chat about social nothings. Some of them went to school with my kids--now they've been employees for years and we still exchange 'say hi to's' with each other.
Where I work, I have favorite customers, and I've become a favorite employee for some. In fact, all of us at work have someone or several someones who will wait longer to be waited on just to ask how are you doing, or who will come in on a particular day knowing that person will be in the store on that day.
One of these people recently turned in a comment card about one of my coworkers along the lines of 'so and so is always helpful and polite, and I shop here because of her.' It made me realize that I don't do that enough.
So, the next time I'm at the grocery store, I'm going to look at some name tags, and start filling out comment cards for them. If you've got a favorite employee at a local store, won't you consider doing the same? It's not likely to lead to any perks unless that store has an employee of the month program or something like that, but that doesn't matter. Because of a customer's thoughtfulness, for at least a month if not longer, my friend at work will come into the work and see that tangible evidence that her efforts and time away from family are truly appreciated. So often a retail employee's day is stressful and marred by cranky or abusive customers, fear of making errors, and aches and pains from being on their feet all day (literally--I don't sit down except for two breaks and during my lunch, and sometimes I walk to the store to buy my lunch. And this is the norm for retail jobs). One brief note, just a few words of praise, weighs like gold against the balance of all those featherweight fears and annoyances.
Bring a little joy into the world. Please write a comment card about someone who makes your shopping experience easier and more enjoyable. Spread the word. It's a simple, free, and civilized gift to give to members of our community who are often overlooked as something just barely more noticeable than the counters and the cash registers.
I think I posted about this before, and it might even be an official day in some country somewhere. Anyway, I thought I'd put a bug in some ears.
I shop weekly, sometimes several times a week, at our local stores. In that time, although I sometimes don't even know the person's name, I've started to develop favorites. When they're working at the registers, I go to their line even if it's longer. I say hi. Sometimes we politely chat about social nothings. Some of them went to school with my kids--now they've been employees for years and we still exchange 'say hi to's' with each other.
Where I work, I have favorite customers, and I've become a favorite employee for some. In fact, all of us at work have someone or several someones who will wait longer to be waited on just to ask how are you doing, or who will come in on a particular day knowing that person will be in the store on that day.
One of these people recently turned in a comment card about one of my coworkers along the lines of 'so and so is always helpful and polite, and I shop here because of her.' It made me realize that I don't do that enough.
So, the next time I'm at the grocery store, I'm going to look at some name tags, and start filling out comment cards for them. If you've got a favorite employee at a local store, won't you consider doing the same? It's not likely to lead to any perks unless that store has an employee of the month program or something like that, but that doesn't matter. Because of a customer's thoughtfulness, for at least a month if not longer, my friend at work will come into the work and see that tangible evidence that her efforts and time away from family are truly appreciated. So often a retail employee's day is stressful and marred by cranky or abusive customers, fear of making errors, and aches and pains from being on their feet all day (literally--I don't sit down except for two breaks and during my lunch, and sometimes I walk to the store to buy my lunch. And this is the norm for retail jobs). One brief note, just a few words of praise, weighs like gold against the balance of all those featherweight fears and annoyances.
Bring a little joy into the world. Please write a comment card about someone who makes your shopping experience easier and more enjoyable. Spread the word. It's a simple, free, and civilized gift to give to members of our community who are often overlooked as something just barely more noticeable than the counters and the cash registers.
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Update on Publishing News
Random House has responded in an open letter to critics, specifically some very well-followed folks in SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America) including John Scalzi. You can find some great commentary and comments here at Writer Beware, a blog every writer ought to follow.
Here is the text of the open letter:
Dear John, Victoria, Jaym and SFWA Members,
We read with interest your posts today about the new Random House digital imprints and our business model. While we respect your position, you’ll not be surprised to learn that we strongly disagree with it, and wish you had contacted us before you published your posts. We would appreciate you giving us an opportunity to share why we believe Hydra is an excellent publishing opportunity for the science fiction community by posting ours below to them.
Hydra offers a different-- but potentially lucrative--publishing model for authors: a profit share. In the more traditional advance- plus-royalty model, the publisher takes all the financial risk up front, and recoups the advance before the author earns any cash royalties. With a profit-share model, there is no advance. Instead, the author and publisher share equally in the profits from each and every sale. In effect, we partner with the author for each book.
As with every business partnership, there are specific costs associated with bringing a book successfully to market, and we state them very straightforwardly and transparently in our author agreements. These costs could be much higher--and certainly be more stressful and labor-intensive to undertake--for an author with a self-publishing model. Profits are generated once those costs are subtracted from the sales revenue. Hydra and the author split those profits equally from the very first sale.
When we acquire a title in the Hydra program, it is an all-encompassing collaboration. Our authors provide the storytelling, and we at Hydra support their creativity with best-in-class services throughout the publishing process: from dedicated editorial, cover design, copy editing and production, to publicity, digital marketing and social media tools, trade sales, academic and library sales, piracy protection, negotiating and selling of subsidiary rights, as well as access to Random House coop and merchandising programs. Together, we deliver the best science fiction, fantasy and horror books to the widest possible readership, thus giving authors maximum earning potential.
As a last point to the SFWA leadership, my colleagues and I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss the advantages of the Hydra business model, describe the program overall, and respond to any of your expressed concerns. Please let me know a good time for us to set up this meeting.
Many thanks and all the best,
Allison Dobson
Allison R. Dobson
V.P., Digital Publishing Director
Random House Publishing Group
I have to beg to differ with a few things in the letter, namely, that they would give the authors maximum earning potential. Really?
Will they market for me? I assume that if they do, I'll get charged for it. If I'm getting charged for it, why not just buy it myself? And I'm not sure I'd want to buy advertising. Since we're partners, do I get a say in how much is spent and where?
What is Hydra offering that I can't get for myself and then receive 100% of the profits? They're fronting the money for production? Yes, they are. Are they spending more than I can afford, which I have to pay back with all of my side of the profits from the book (while they pocket their half--do they spend their half of the profits to help pay down some of those production costs or is it all on me?) or are they spending something I can afford, which couldn't I just spend that money myself and keep all the profits instead of paying them back and then only getting 50% of the profits until they cut me loose?
Am I reading this right?
Here is the text of the open letter:
Dear John, Victoria, Jaym and SFWA Members,
We read with interest your posts today about the new Random House digital imprints and our business model. While we respect your position, you’ll not be surprised to learn that we strongly disagree with it, and wish you had contacted us before you published your posts. We would appreciate you giving us an opportunity to share why we believe Hydra is an excellent publishing opportunity for the science fiction community by posting ours below to them.
Hydra offers a different-- but potentially lucrative--publishing model for authors: a profit share. In the more traditional advance- plus-royalty model, the publisher takes all the financial risk up front, and recoups the advance before the author earns any cash royalties. With a profit-share model, there is no advance. Instead, the author and publisher share equally in the profits from each and every sale. In effect, we partner with the author for each book.
As with every business partnership, there are specific costs associated with bringing a book successfully to market, and we state them very straightforwardly and transparently in our author agreements. These costs could be much higher--and certainly be more stressful and labor-intensive to undertake--for an author with a self-publishing model. Profits are generated once those costs are subtracted from the sales revenue. Hydra and the author split those profits equally from the very first sale.
When we acquire a title in the Hydra program, it is an all-encompassing collaboration. Our authors provide the storytelling, and we at Hydra support their creativity with best-in-class services throughout the publishing process: from dedicated editorial, cover design, copy editing and production, to publicity, digital marketing and social media tools, trade sales, academic and library sales, piracy protection, negotiating and selling of subsidiary rights, as well as access to Random House coop and merchandising programs. Together, we deliver the best science fiction, fantasy and horror books to the widest possible readership, thus giving authors maximum earning potential.
As a last point to the SFWA leadership, my colleagues and I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss the advantages of the Hydra business model, describe the program overall, and respond to any of your expressed concerns. Please let me know a good time for us to set up this meeting.
Many thanks and all the best,
Allison Dobson
Allison R. Dobson
V.P., Digital Publishing Director
Random House Publishing Group
I have to beg to differ with a few things in the letter, namely, that they would give the authors maximum earning potential. Really?
Will they market for me? I assume that if they do, I'll get charged for it. If I'm getting charged for it, why not just buy it myself? And I'm not sure I'd want to buy advertising. Since we're partners, do I get a say in how much is spent and where?
What is Hydra offering that I can't get for myself and then receive 100% of the profits? They're fronting the money for production? Yes, they are. Are they spending more than I can afford, which I have to pay back with all of my side of the profits from the book (while they pocket their half--do they spend their half of the profits to help pay down some of those production costs or is it all on me?) or are they spending something I can afford, which couldn't I just spend that money myself and keep all the profits instead of paying them back and then only getting 50% of the profits until they cut me loose?
Am I reading this right?
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Publishing News
To all the writers out there:
Contract terms seem to be getting worse and worse. I think publishers are test marketing bad contracts to see who will sign. The backlash in one particular case--Hydra, an imprint of Random House, offered a particularly bad contract the terms of which have gone viral--has the potential to send a big message not just to Random House but a great many other publishers who are toying with the idea of abusing writers.
John Scalzi makes far more educated and insightful comments than I can.
And then, it seems, Alibi gives John Scalzi more fodder for commentary. Really, guys? Some writers are in fact desperate to be read, even if they make no money but I think the bandwidth on this scandal--and it's a scandal--may make even them run away.
Kate Wilhelm bails on traditional publishing after withdrawing a book due to an insulting contract offer.
Distribution has been bottlenecked for a long time. Suddenly, the dam burst and literary rivers are running wild. I'm a little confused as to why publishers think that they can misbehave now of all times, when writers have such amazing alternatives.
Maybe from their perspective it makes sense. From their perspective there are so many free and cheap books out there that they may think that writers who have professional aspirations might feel like they can't compete or make money on their writing. (And many of us do.) Such writers, the publishers may theorize while steepling their hands together and giggling maniacally, may be desperate for validation, promotion, and the stamp of approval from a real publisher that will hopefully set them apart from those gizillions of other books. So desperate, that they may accept, despite any feelings of unease or warnings from the writing community, a really, really bad contract. Besides, there are plenty of ignorant writers out there, right? Even if writerly outrage goes viral, there will always be a chance that a talented newbie without an internet connection or the wisdom to go to the library and google up some research will sign. And the Random House name will be on the letterhead. Everyone has a Random House book in their home, if not dozens or hundreds. All it takes is for one James Patterson-like newbie to sign on based on their household name, and the money will endlessly roll in forever (thanks to the contract terms.)
Well, they'd better find that sucker while the Random House name still has a good reputation. Because reputations have a way of going down the tubes fast when your indiscretions become public. And the public loves a good scandal, especially when it involves a corporate giant.
Contract terms seem to be getting worse and worse. I think publishers are test marketing bad contracts to see who will sign. The backlash in one particular case--Hydra, an imprint of Random House, offered a particularly bad contract the terms of which have gone viral--has the potential to send a big message not just to Random House but a great many other publishers who are toying with the idea of abusing writers.
John Scalzi makes far more educated and insightful comments than I can.
And then, it seems, Alibi gives John Scalzi more fodder for commentary. Really, guys? Some writers are in fact desperate to be read, even if they make no money but I think the bandwidth on this scandal--and it's a scandal--may make even them run away.
Kate Wilhelm bails on traditional publishing after withdrawing a book due to an insulting contract offer.
Distribution has been bottlenecked for a long time. Suddenly, the dam burst and literary rivers are running wild. I'm a little confused as to why publishers think that they can misbehave now of all times, when writers have such amazing alternatives.
Maybe from their perspective it makes sense. From their perspective there are so many free and cheap books out there that they may think that writers who have professional aspirations might feel like they can't compete or make money on their writing. (And many of us do.) Such writers, the publishers may theorize while steepling their hands together and giggling maniacally, may be desperate for validation, promotion, and the stamp of approval from a real publisher that will hopefully set them apart from those gizillions of other books. So desperate, that they may accept, despite any feelings of unease or warnings from the writing community, a really, really bad contract. Besides, there are plenty of ignorant writers out there, right? Even if writerly outrage goes viral, there will always be a chance that a talented newbie without an internet connection or the wisdom to go to the library and google up some research will sign. And the Random House name will be on the letterhead. Everyone has a Random House book in their home, if not dozens or hundreds. All it takes is for one James Patterson-like newbie to sign on based on their household name, and the money will endlessly roll in forever (thanks to the contract terms.)
Well, they'd better find that sucker while the Random House name still has a good reputation. Because reputations have a way of going down the tubes fast when your indiscretions become public. And the public loves a good scandal, especially when it involves a corporate giant.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Sunburn and good food
I have a mild sunburn. It's awesome.
I normally don't celebrate sunburns, but you know, it's been a long cold lonely winter (as the song goes) and it felt really, really good to walk in the sun and lay in the sun and forget to put sunscreen on my part-line on my scalp (and I didn't wear a hat--oops) and feel that tingle after the sunset.
It finally warmed up. Not enough to tempt me to go to the water park, but enough to actually feel a bit overheated by the pool when I stretched out in the chair.
It's cold and rainy now, in the forties (F) with scattered showers and a really unpleasant wind coming in from the east. I will say that it's very, very good to be home and everything looks rich and beautiful and wild here. I didn't see a lot of natural areas in our section of Orlando, and all the parks were theme parks rather than a place to take your dog for a walk or to hike or throw a frisbee. I didn't realize how much I liked living somewhere as rugged and ungroomed as my home county. Of course, wild spaces in that part of Florida would probably be really unpleasant and swampy.
Dunno.
Anyway, it'll be hard to go back to work tomorrow, but it felt really good to sleep in my own bed last night. I'm looking forward to it again tonight. That, and a home-cooked meal. We plan on home broiled steaks. I think ours tastes better than the ones at the fancy restaurants. I had egg salad made with our home-raised eggs and all my favorite seasonings for lunch and it tasted really, really yummy.
Wanna try my recipe? You have to be something of a cook already to pull it off because all the seasonings are to taste. The 'pinches' are estimates at best:
Hard boil two eggs. Drain the pan, put in cold water, and let stand for a few minutes. You can chill the eggs in the fridge if you want, but there's nothing quite like fresh, warm egg salad. Trust me.
In a sufficiently-large bowl (a larger soup bowl works) put in a large dab of mayonnaise--at least 2 tablespoons. Add:
fresh cracked black pepper (or white if you prefer)
tiny pinch of hot paprika
small pinch of regular paprika
large pinch of wasabi powder (or use premade wasabi if you have it)
large pinch of yellow mustard powder
small pinch of coriander powder
small pinch of turmeric
small pinch of cumin
a couple of dashes or a pinch of dill
tiny pinch of salt (remember, the mayonnaise is salty too!)
Stir. Chop or use an egg guillotine in one or two directions to slice the eggs and stir them into the seasoned mayonnaise. Best on toasted Dave's Killer Bread or a nice light rye.
I normally don't celebrate sunburns, but you know, it's been a long cold lonely winter (as the song goes) and it felt really, really good to walk in the sun and lay in the sun and forget to put sunscreen on my part-line on my scalp (and I didn't wear a hat--oops) and feel that tingle after the sunset.
It finally warmed up. Not enough to tempt me to go to the water park, but enough to actually feel a bit overheated by the pool when I stretched out in the chair.
It's cold and rainy now, in the forties (F) with scattered showers and a really unpleasant wind coming in from the east. I will say that it's very, very good to be home and everything looks rich and beautiful and wild here. I didn't see a lot of natural areas in our section of Orlando, and all the parks were theme parks rather than a place to take your dog for a walk or to hike or throw a frisbee. I didn't realize how much I liked living somewhere as rugged and ungroomed as my home county. Of course, wild spaces in that part of Florida would probably be really unpleasant and swampy.
Dunno.
Anyway, it'll be hard to go back to work tomorrow, but it felt really good to sleep in my own bed last night. I'm looking forward to it again tonight. That, and a home-cooked meal. We plan on home broiled steaks. I think ours tastes better than the ones at the fancy restaurants. I had egg salad made with our home-raised eggs and all my favorite seasonings for lunch and it tasted really, really yummy.
Wanna try my recipe? You have to be something of a cook already to pull it off because all the seasonings are to taste. The 'pinches' are estimates at best:
Hard boil two eggs. Drain the pan, put in cold water, and let stand for a few minutes. You can chill the eggs in the fridge if you want, but there's nothing quite like fresh, warm egg salad. Trust me.
In a sufficiently-large bowl (a larger soup bowl works) put in a large dab of mayonnaise--at least 2 tablespoons. Add:
fresh cracked black pepper (or white if you prefer)
tiny pinch of hot paprika
small pinch of regular paprika
large pinch of wasabi powder (or use premade wasabi if you have it)
large pinch of yellow mustard powder
small pinch of coriander powder
small pinch of turmeric
small pinch of cumin
a couple of dashes or a pinch of dill
tiny pinch of salt (remember, the mayonnaise is salty too!)
Stir. Chop or use an egg guillotine in one or two directions to slice the eggs and stir them into the seasoned mayonnaise. Best on toasted Dave's Killer Bread or a nice light rye.
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Another lovely day in the making
The sun is uncertain and there's a cold wind, but I still managed to get a few minutes of reading in the sun beside the pool. I even took my sweater off and pulled my pant legs up to my knees. Soon, the thoughtful and generous Susan will be picking me up at the hotel. We may go to a light lunch someplace in Orlando. It's a drive (we took it the day before yesterday in a rented car) so it's very nice of her on many levels to come on over and see me.
People are wearing parkas, but it's not that cold for a northerner. Still, I'm going to bundle up if I decide to go hot tubbing later on. The official high temp predicted for today is 55, more than twenty below the average for this time of year. Not exactly brr, but it's a lot less fun to hot tub and then be nothing but layers on layers of goosepimples by the time I make it to the door leaving the pool area.
I'm not disappointed by the weather (much--it would have been sooooo fun to spend time at the water park right across the street.) It's been fun and relaxing and the flowers, wow, the flowers. So many varieties in bloom right now, and it's winter. I wonder how it looks in spring and summer. And the orange juice, and the margaritas .... Ripe citrus, really ripe, hand-squeezed, is amazing.
I love the bright orange of ripening oranges on the trees when we drive past the orange groves. I saw a nursery selling potted citrus trees--they were heavy with fruit and I so wanted to take one home, but it's impractical on a gizillion different levels. My orange trees really suffer, especially over the winter.
I truly love the Pacific Northwest. Having said that, there are a lot of really fascinating, wonderful and beautiful places in the world and I'm glad I get to visit them. Given a chance, I'd love to see Orlando again. Maybe next time, the sun will be out a bit more.
People are wearing parkas, but it's not that cold for a northerner. Still, I'm going to bundle up if I decide to go hot tubbing later on. The official high temp predicted for today is 55, more than twenty below the average for this time of year. Not exactly brr, but it's a lot less fun to hot tub and then be nothing but layers on layers of goosepimples by the time I make it to the door leaving the pool area.
I'm not disappointed by the weather (much--it would have been sooooo fun to spend time at the water park right across the street.) It's been fun and relaxing and the flowers, wow, the flowers. So many varieties in bloom right now, and it's winter. I wonder how it looks in spring and summer. And the orange juice, and the margaritas .... Ripe citrus, really ripe, hand-squeezed, is amazing.
I love the bright orange of ripening oranges on the trees when we drive past the orange groves. I saw a nursery selling potted citrus trees--they were heavy with fruit and I so wanted to take one home, but it's impractical on a gizillion different levels. My orange trees really suffer, especially over the winter.
I truly love the Pacific Northwest. Having said that, there are a lot of really fascinating, wonderful and beautiful places in the world and I'm glad I get to visit them. Given a chance, I'd love to see Orlando again. Maybe next time, the sun will be out a bit more.
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Happy happy sun sun
It's cool and cloudy, but for a brief time this morning the sun came out. I got to be there, by the hot tub (and in the hot tub) actually basking. I'd forgotten how good it felt. Not as good as gardening (weirdly, because gardening is hard!) but relaxing and soothing, like a gentle massage. R. got his requested time by the pool with a bikini-clad wife, and I got to do some reading on graphic design but mostly I reclined beneath the golden warmth of that strange and seldom-seen-in-winter object in the sky that I love so much.
I taught belly dance to martial artists, decompressed at a dog park and got to fawn over lots of really neat dogs, had great Cuban food in Mt. Dora, a great margarita at the hotel bar, incredible censored and I've had some decent work time. I might even get some stuff actually done. I'm hoping for more sunshine later, too. Because as much as I like getting stuff done, I really, really love the SUN.
I taught belly dance to martial artists, decompressed at a dog park and got to fawn over lots of really neat dogs, had great Cuban food in Mt. Dora, a great margarita at the hotel bar, incredible censored and I've had some decent work time. I might even get some stuff actually done. I'm hoping for more sunshine later, too. Because as much as I like getting stuff done, I really, really love the SUN.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Arrival in Orlando
I've never been to Florida before.
Although I'm physically here, I haven't done anything yet. Took a cab from the airport to the hotel. Orlando from the air at night, btw, is incredibly beautiful. I love the scent in the air. And though it's a 'cold' night (59˚F) it feels warm to me.
Bear in mind that the average temperature in the heated part of the house is about 60˚, varying between 54 and 68. Downstairs ... yeah. My fingers go numb when I'm typing on the computer downstairs.
So I'm sure that while everyone in Florida will be bundled up against the cold snap, I'll be in shorts.
I'm so tired I'm itchy. My internal clock should be telling me that it's a bit after 10pm, but it's past 1am here and I feel like that's the more accurate time. That's probably a good thing.
Sadly, won't be sleeping in tomorrow. Having said that, I'm all kinds of excited to be here. Right now I want to sleep in, but I betcha I'll wake up tomorrow wanting to dash out the door to spend time with friends I haven't seen in years and years and to see the palm trees by daylight and see real, actual, golden and warm sunlight. Feel it on my skin. Taste it in the air.
It's going to be a beautiful day.
Although I'm physically here, I haven't done anything yet. Took a cab from the airport to the hotel. Orlando from the air at night, btw, is incredibly beautiful. I love the scent in the air. And though it's a 'cold' night (59˚F) it feels warm to me.
Bear in mind that the average temperature in the heated part of the house is about 60˚, varying between 54 and 68. Downstairs ... yeah. My fingers go numb when I'm typing on the computer downstairs.
So I'm sure that while everyone in Florida will be bundled up against the cold snap, I'll be in shorts.
I'm so tired I'm itchy. My internal clock should be telling me that it's a bit after 10pm, but it's past 1am here and I feel like that's the more accurate time. That's probably a good thing.
Sadly, won't be sleeping in tomorrow. Having said that, I'm all kinds of excited to be here. Right now I want to sleep in, but I betcha I'll wake up tomorrow wanting to dash out the door to spend time with friends I haven't seen in years and years and to see the palm trees by daylight and see real, actual, golden and warm sunlight. Feel it on my skin. Taste it in the air.
It's going to be a beautiful day.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Reviews
I love getting reviews, even ones that make me feel about the size of a flea, and about as wanted. That feeling passes after the initial owie. This round, at least so far, has me feeling more around elephant-sized.
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet recently came out with #28, which includes "Neighbors" written under my actual name, and a few reviews came back about it.
A nice mention here.
This reader also enjoyed "Neighbors," as well as the other fine stories in this issue.
Locus mentioned the issue, and tried to capture the sorts of stories you can find in LCRW, and gave a brief overview of each with a few opinions thrown in.
If Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet sounds like fun, you can get individual issues at their website. Warning. May be addictive.
I'm glad they're offering the ebook versions. Those older issues, as far as the general public are concerned, aren't available unless you happen to find them on ebay or something. These magazines are especially attractive to people who like a boutique feeling to the things they like to have around and with them.
Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet recently came out with #28, which includes "Neighbors" written under my actual name, and a few reviews came back about it.
A nice mention here.
This reader also enjoyed "Neighbors," as well as the other fine stories in this issue.
Locus mentioned the issue, and tried to capture the sorts of stories you can find in LCRW, and gave a brief overview of each with a few opinions thrown in.
If Lady Churchill's Rosebud Wristlet sounds like fun, you can get individual issues at their website. Warning. May be addictive.
I'm glad they're offering the ebook versions. Those older issues, as far as the general public are concerned, aren't available unless you happen to find them on ebay or something. These magazines are especially attractive to people who like a boutique feeling to the things they like to have around and with them.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Bad Phone Company, No Bone for You
It appears that we won't be entering the 21st century for at least another week.
Sadness!
Much as I love visiting the library, I'm more than a little irritated. The phone company didn't call and let me know there was a change of schedule. I'm glad I had the day off anyway, as I was able to attend a very informative class on small business tax law for my state, but half the reason I decided to take the day off was to make sure I would be home for the installation. And I had a ton of things I could have done in the morning instead of waiting for the crew, such as grocery shopping and picking up a load of hay, straw, oyster shells, and two loads of landscaping material. The place closes at four--I'm not going to get home and back in time to get that done. Drat and drat.
The day they rescheduled us for without consulting us as to whether we'd actually be there just happened to be, by pure unadulterated luck, a day that R. would be home, otherwise we'd have to reschedule their unannounced rescheduling for sometime in March.
I feel like I'm five years old again and a week is for-ev-er! I've already waited over a week. Whine!
Sometimes patience is hard. I'm all about patience when I'm fishing. Waiting for internet service, it seems, not so much.
But I've been waiting for two years, so I guess I'll just have to put my big girl panties on and tuck in that lower lip. But not before one last hmph.
Hmph.
Sadness!
Much as I love visiting the library, I'm more than a little irritated. The phone company didn't call and let me know there was a change of schedule. I'm glad I had the day off anyway, as I was able to attend a very informative class on small business tax law for my state, but half the reason I decided to take the day off was to make sure I would be home for the installation. And I had a ton of things I could have done in the morning instead of waiting for the crew, such as grocery shopping and picking up a load of hay, straw, oyster shells, and two loads of landscaping material. The place closes at four--I'm not going to get home and back in time to get that done. Drat and drat.
The day they rescheduled us for without consulting us as to whether we'd actually be there just happened to be, by pure unadulterated luck, a day that R. would be home, otherwise we'd have to reschedule their unannounced rescheduling for sometime in March.
I feel like I'm five years old again and a week is for-ev-er! I've already waited over a week. Whine!
Sometimes patience is hard. I'm all about patience when I'm fishing. Waiting for internet service, it seems, not so much.
But I've been waiting for two years, so I guess I'll just have to put my big girl panties on and tuck in that lower lip. But not before one last hmph.
Hmph.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
We're Entering the 21st Century!
You're never going to believe this ....
We're going to get set up with high speed internet at the house.
They better buy winter jackets down below, is all I'm saying.
No, the wonderful optical cable they laid right past our front door is not live. And although we are digital call capable (whatever that means) they can't (won't?) pipe internet through there. In the end, we went with an affordable thingy through our phone company. At least, it's as or more affordable than satellite we've looked into in the past. And yes, satellite is not nearly as awesome or fast as optical cable, but it's going to be a lot faster than anything we have at home at the moment.
I'm sure I'll still hop on down to the library to use the Wifi there. I love the library, and the connection will be faster than it is at home. The big difference will be that I'll be able to post blog entries from home (yay! -- we still haven't figured out what the problem is with the sign-in from home, boo) which means I'll be posting more often. And when I finish a project at home, I won't have to wait until the library is open, or cave and go to my favorite Wifi-enabled pub and eat eat eat for four hours while I get my stuff done.
Once we're live I'll get a wifi router and ... I can hardly contain my excitement ... I won't have to relocate when I'm ready to publish a book or send out an email with a big attachment (or make the attachment so tiny it's useless.) This will modestly increase my productivity, and lower gas and eating-out expenditures. Hard to say whether we'll come out ahead yet, but we'll see.
We're going to get set up with high speed internet at the house.
They better buy winter jackets down below, is all I'm saying.
No, the wonderful optical cable they laid right past our front door is not live. And although we are digital call capable (whatever that means) they can't (won't?) pipe internet through there. In the end, we went with an affordable thingy through our phone company. At least, it's as or more affordable than satellite we've looked into in the past. And yes, satellite is not nearly as awesome or fast as optical cable, but it's going to be a lot faster than anything we have at home at the moment.
I'm sure I'll still hop on down to the library to use the Wifi there. I love the library, and the connection will be faster than it is at home. The big difference will be that I'll be able to post blog entries from home (yay! -- we still haven't figured out what the problem is with the sign-in from home, boo) which means I'll be posting more often. And when I finish a project at home, I won't have to wait until the library is open, or cave and go to my favorite Wifi-enabled pub and eat eat eat for four hours while I get my stuff done.
Once we're live I'll get a wifi router and ... I can hardly contain my excitement ... I won't have to relocate when I'm ready to publish a book or send out an email with a big attachment (or make the attachment so tiny it's useless.) This will modestly increase my productivity, and lower gas and eating-out expenditures. Hard to say whether we'll come out ahead yet, but we'll see.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Drowning in Books
I'm on a book buying binge. All non-fiction. When they arrive, I'm going to have sooo much reading to do. It's a little daunting. More and more I feel like I don't have time enough to finish anything. This is a really great time to not take on any more projects or increase my reading list, and yet, here I am ....
The thing is that I've been fumbling in the dark for a while when it comes to Wyrd Goat Press. Now that I've gotten myself into trouble (in a good way) it's time for me to start educating myself.
Sometimes I wish I learned how to speed read. I started to learn in high school, and then decided it wasn't for me. Oh well! I guess I'll have to do this the old fashioned way.
But wait, didn't people used to speed read? As in, wasn't Oscar Wilde famous for it?
So I guess that means I'll have to do it the lame way. Alas!
The thing is that I've been fumbling in the dark for a while when it comes to Wyrd Goat Press. Now that I've gotten myself into trouble (in a good way) it's time for me to start educating myself.
Sometimes I wish I learned how to speed read. I started to learn in high school, and then decided it wasn't for me. Oh well! I guess I'll have to do this the old fashioned way.
But wait, didn't people used to speed read? As in, wasn't Oscar Wilde famous for it?
So I guess that means I'll have to do it the lame way. Alas!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Getting better
I got sick during our last day at the coast, and I've been on and off sick ever since. Sometimes I feel fine, and then the coughing starts and my throat starts to burn and I wonder when I'll feel well again. At least it's not one of those miserable keeps-me-awake-at-night coughs, or the "I'm on fire put me out" sore throats, or the never-ending waterfall of snot running nose that turns my whole face red from blowing my nose so much. And I'm able to keep going to work, which is good.
But still.
Sick.
Meh.
Meh!
Wah.
But still.
Sick.
Meh.
Meh!
Wah.
Friday, January 04, 2013
Work work work
I've got one of those colds that tends to kick my butt. No coughing (yet) but a sore throat, headache, low-grade fever, runny nose, and I can't sleep. Hence the post 1am post.
I did get a lot of work done, though. House of Goats by Tammy Owen is now available in print! That was a big step, a first for Wyrd Goat Press. Horrible Stories I Told My Children by Ron Ellis will be available soon, maybe even before the end of the month. That one is pricey because it's illustrated and in full color. It should be super-awesome, though. Maybe Wyrd Goat will put out a b&w edition. I'll have to think about that.
So next in the cue are Violence: A Writer's Guide, and I have to produce some illustrations for a Rory Miller manual of drills. I must be wicked because apparently there's no rest for me. That's probably a good thing, but one of these days I'd like to get back to writing, y'know?
But first, sleep. I hope I'm finally tired enough to do that. That would be super-awesome. Because I'm pooped. Exhausted. Weary. Drained. Constitutionally challenged. Drooping. Sleepy. Tuckered out. Dragging ....
I did get a lot of work done, though. House of Goats by Tammy Owen is now available in print! That was a big step, a first for Wyrd Goat Press. Horrible Stories I Told My Children by Ron Ellis will be available soon, maybe even before the end of the month. That one is pricey because it's illustrated and in full color. It should be super-awesome, though. Maybe Wyrd Goat will put out a b&w edition. I'll have to think about that.
So next in the cue are Violence: A Writer's Guide, and I have to produce some illustrations for a Rory Miller manual of drills. I must be wicked because apparently there's no rest for me. That's probably a good thing, but one of these days I'd like to get back to writing, y'know?
But first, sleep. I hope I'm finally tired enough to do that. That would be super-awesome. Because I'm pooped. Exhausted. Weary. Drained. Constitutionally challenged. Drooping. Sleepy. Tuckered out. Dragging ....
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Merry Christmas
Smoked prime rib.
Kinda rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? And into my belly!
I had a wonderful holiday meal last night.
There's a lot of suffering in the world, close to home and far away and everywhere in between. There's joy too. May Christmas Day, whether you celebrate it or not, be full of joy, love, and beauty.
Now I'm going to have the most epic breakfast ever.
Leftover smoked prime rib. Mmmmm ....
Kinda rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? And into my belly!
I had a wonderful holiday meal last night.
There's a lot of suffering in the world, close to home and far away and everywhere in between. There's joy too. May Christmas Day, whether you celebrate it or not, be full of joy, love, and beauty.
Now I'm going to have the most epic breakfast ever.
Leftover smoked prime rib. Mmmmm ....
Saturday, December 22, 2012
The End is Not
It's always possible that the world might end, but (at least so far) it appears that the so-called Mayan doomsday didn't happen.
I'm good with that.
I didn't even want to go on Facebook because I knew the jokes would go on and on and I wouldn't be able to tear my eyes away from the screen. Even without going on Facebook, some of the fun found me at work in the form of a printout someone made.
I do feel badly for all the people who were truly afraid. I heard a rumor that one person in our area was so afraid, he jumped off a bridge to his death rather than witness what would happen.
We're in a weird place in human existence. We are aware, more than ever, of what is really and truly possible, even likely.
Ancient predictions of doom had to contend with how to spread the news, but on the other hand, skepticism didn't have as much oomph as it does today. If an ancient doomsayer claimed that we were about to be smashed by a comet or death planet, he or she didn't have to contend with hundreds of thousands of astronomers and banks of computers analyzing the movements of planets that say meh, not so much.
To turn that around, we're getting a clearer picture of, say, our odds of being obliterated by an asteroid in the near future. Last I heard, it's 1 to 5500. That's not too bad, but I'm not comfortable with the non-zero aspect of those odds.
I feel that we're more aware of some scary stuff that could really and actually happen. What is it that compels people to make up stuff that's really, really unlikely, or impossible, and then get scared about it when there's the real stuff out there? Not just fun, horror-movie scared, but jump off a bridge kind of scared of something completely made up? And how many more times will we go through predictions of the planet changing its spin on a dime and invasions of dinosaur-like aliens and the coming of various beings both enlightened and, um, not-so-much ...?
It's a question that's going to follow me around for a while.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Not Right in the Head
It seems like lately we've been having more customers with, um, issues.
Here's one that didn't take the cake, but the other one was so awful I can't even write in detail about it:
Young man came in with a shoe box. The box has old shoes in them. "These aren't the shoes I'm returning," he said.
"Okay," I said. "What seems to be the problem?"
"The shoes I got are about a half size too big." He lifted a foot to show me a somewhat worse-for-the-wear New Balance runners.
"Um, okay. Do you have a receipt?"
He does. "I just want to know if I can trade them out for the right size."
I gaze at the receipt with some astonishment. "You got them yesterday?"
"Yeah. And I got good use out of them already, because I was in an accident in them."
"Oh my god. Was everyone involved okay?"
"No," he said with a grin. "I'm dead."
I started the return process, trying to be friendly instead of grim. "I'll have to call my supervisor."
So she shows up, and runs through pretty much the same deal. Neither of us want to take them back, but it's policy, so ....
"I'll need those back in the box," I told him.
"Boy, you sure don't want to touch my shoes!" he said with a laugh. All I can do is try not to look at him so that I don't make too much of a point of revealing in my expression how much of an ass I think he is. "Good thing that the customer's always right, huh?" he said with a laugh as he left.
The other thing, all I can say is that I really, really wish that retailers had discretionary power as far as who they will sell firearms and ammunition to. Because the four comments the kid made were so tone-deaf, so awful, and so clearly crossing social and emotional lines that everyone present wondered if he might need to be evaluated. The father made excuses for his son three times, and the fourth he gave his son a long look like even he might be wondering if he really should be buying firearm accessories for his kid. Please, dad, if you're reading this, lock the weapons up and don't turn your back on him if you take him hunting.
The police, teachers, etc. can't prevent tragedies. They can only react. The ones closest to the perpetrators are the only ones who have a chance to predict or head off a problem. Also also, we need a much, much better mental health system. Not just who can and can't be admitted under what circumstances, but treatment options, research, etc. We have a huge population out there. Some are 'natural' and some have drugged themselves into mental illness. What are we going to do?
Here's one that didn't take the cake, but the other one was so awful I can't even write in detail about it:
Young man came in with a shoe box. The box has old shoes in them. "These aren't the shoes I'm returning," he said.
"Okay," I said. "What seems to be the problem?"
"The shoes I got are about a half size too big." He lifted a foot to show me a somewhat worse-for-the-wear New Balance runners.
"Um, okay. Do you have a receipt?"
He does. "I just want to know if I can trade them out for the right size."
I gaze at the receipt with some astonishment. "You got them yesterday?"
"Yeah. And I got good use out of them already, because I was in an accident in them."
"Oh my god. Was everyone involved okay?"
"No," he said with a grin. "I'm dead."
I started the return process, trying to be friendly instead of grim. "I'll have to call my supervisor."
So she shows up, and runs through pretty much the same deal. Neither of us want to take them back, but it's policy, so ....
"I'll need those back in the box," I told him.
"Boy, you sure don't want to touch my shoes!" he said with a laugh. All I can do is try not to look at him so that I don't make too much of a point of revealing in my expression how much of an ass I think he is. "Good thing that the customer's always right, huh?" he said with a laugh as he left.
The other thing, all I can say is that I really, really wish that retailers had discretionary power as far as who they will sell firearms and ammunition to. Because the four comments the kid made were so tone-deaf, so awful, and so clearly crossing social and emotional lines that everyone present wondered if he might need to be evaluated. The father made excuses for his son three times, and the fourth he gave his son a long look like even he might be wondering if he really should be buying firearm accessories for his kid. Please, dad, if you're reading this, lock the weapons up and don't turn your back on him if you take him hunting.
The police, teachers, etc. can't prevent tragedies. They can only react. The ones closest to the perpetrators are the only ones who have a chance to predict or head off a problem. Also also, we need a much, much better mental health system. Not just who can and can't be admitted under what circumstances, but treatment options, research, etc. We have a huge population out there. Some are 'natural' and some have drugged themselves into mental illness. What are we going to do?
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Don't Be a Dork
Classic rookie flub up.
I had this great idea for a chapter in a book I'm working on and I forgot to write it down. No prob, I thought. This is such a great idea, I won't forget it. For sure.
Well, I forgot it. I know I had a great idea, but the actual contents are no longer in my brain. Or, worse, the idea is stored someplace safe. You know, the same way that I put something important somewhere safe and then I can't find it to save my life.
Yeah.
Speaking of classic rookie flub ups, if you wrote a Nanowrimo book this year (or part of one) for pity's sake back it up! Off site! Email it to yourself, or something. Anything!
Because rewriting from scratch is no fun.
Unless you're doing it on purpose. Then it's okay and it can be kinda fun just writing the good parts and forgetting the parts that are meh.
Still, that's a lot of work to kiss goodbye forever.
So, don't be a dork like me. Write down your fantastic ideas, and back up your computer frequently, just in case.
This has been a public service message sponsored by me.
I had this great idea for a chapter in a book I'm working on and I forgot to write it down. No prob, I thought. This is such a great idea, I won't forget it. For sure.
Well, I forgot it. I know I had a great idea, but the actual contents are no longer in my brain. Or, worse, the idea is stored someplace safe. You know, the same way that I put something important somewhere safe and then I can't find it to save my life.
Yeah.
Speaking of classic rookie flub ups, if you wrote a Nanowrimo book this year (or part of one) for pity's sake back it up! Off site! Email it to yourself, or something. Anything!
Because rewriting from scratch is no fun.
Unless you're doing it on purpose. Then it's okay and it can be kinda fun just writing the good parts and forgetting the parts that are meh.
Still, that's a lot of work to kiss goodbye forever.
So, don't be a dork like me. Write down your fantastic ideas, and back up your computer frequently, just in case.
This has been a public service message sponsored by me.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The Wind, She's a Blowin'
The wind, she's a blowin'.
Around here, the wind gets going pretty good. The land makes a natural funnel, channeling cold desert winds into a breath-stealing, icy howler that makes me wonder things. Like, how do the sparrows not turn into little feathered popsicles, much less fly? Is the wind really blowing through my lined leather jacket or is it my imagination? And most compelling of all ... how are there still leaves in the trees beside my house? I have plans for those leaves, evil raking into flowerbeds to kill the weeds plans. The wind shouldn't have to blow harder to get those things off. I mean, my glasses are in danger of being blown off my face when I go out to the truck to drive to work. A little leaf shouldn't be a problem.
Not that I'm super-excited about raking leaves in the wind. I think that's a joke, or country wisdom, or maybe one of Aesop's tales. Don't rake leaves in the wind.
But I hope to get those beds full of free mulch, bugs and all because the bugs are better than the weeds at this point. Maybe the bugs will eat the weeds.
Nah. That's just asking too much.
I pin the leaves down with branches, of which I also have plenty around the yard for free. Those branches don't have leaves on them, which I think may be some sort of tree conspiracy. If they still had the leaves attached, I wouldn't have to rake so many into the flowerbeds.
But I digress.
We have a really, really big branch up in the bigleaf maple still. The plan is to get it down out of there tomorrow. Will the wind still be blowing, or will it be rain? Maybe we'll luck out and have both at the same time. Then I could justify having a big hot chocolate with toffee whiskey in it. Maybe even have one before and then one after. Yeah! I could get good and liquored up and do something super dangerous in inclement weather.
Okay, maybe not.
Hey, maybe the wind will blow that big branch right out of the tree!
Consider what it's done with the leaves, I'm thinking I have a better chance of winning the Powerball. But I have my ticket, and you never know. Because the wind, she's a blowin'.
Around here, the wind gets going pretty good. The land makes a natural funnel, channeling cold desert winds into a breath-stealing, icy howler that makes me wonder things. Like, how do the sparrows not turn into little feathered popsicles, much less fly? Is the wind really blowing through my lined leather jacket or is it my imagination? And most compelling of all ... how are there still leaves in the trees beside my house? I have plans for those leaves, evil raking into flowerbeds to kill the weeds plans. The wind shouldn't have to blow harder to get those things off. I mean, my glasses are in danger of being blown off my face when I go out to the truck to drive to work. A little leaf shouldn't be a problem.
Not that I'm super-excited about raking leaves in the wind. I think that's a joke, or country wisdom, or maybe one of Aesop's tales. Don't rake leaves in the wind.
But I hope to get those beds full of free mulch, bugs and all because the bugs are better than the weeds at this point. Maybe the bugs will eat the weeds.
Nah. That's just asking too much.
I pin the leaves down with branches, of which I also have plenty around the yard for free. Those branches don't have leaves on them, which I think may be some sort of tree conspiracy. If they still had the leaves attached, I wouldn't have to rake so many into the flowerbeds.
But I digress.
We have a really, really big branch up in the bigleaf maple still. The plan is to get it down out of there tomorrow. Will the wind still be blowing, or will it be rain? Maybe we'll luck out and have both at the same time. Then I could justify having a big hot chocolate with toffee whiskey in it. Maybe even have one before and then one after. Yeah! I could get good and liquored up and do something super dangerous in inclement weather.
Okay, maybe not.
Hey, maybe the wind will blow that big branch right out of the tree!
Consider what it's done with the leaves, I'm thinking I have a better chance of winning the Powerball. But I have my ticket, and you never know. Because the wind, she's a blowin'.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving
I went for a walk tonight in Bend, Oregon. The cold in the air had me gasping and my heart pounding. It wasn't that chilly, but I'm used to warmer, damper weather so it stole my breath. There weren't many people out. I suppose everyone was getting ready for Thanksgiving, or they didn't want to deal with any crowds, real or imagined.
There's something extraordinary about the high desert. Stark, desolate beauty gets mentioned a lot, but for me it's the way my desert-raised husband behaves. He takes full breaths, and smiles, and laughs more readily. In a place where it's tough for living things to scratch out a living, he thrives.
We're here with family, looking forward to feasting and spending time together. I love our family, and the desert, and the stars, and the clear air that steals my breath. And I love the way my husband comes to life in the desert.
It's good to be here in my home away from home.
Happy Thanksgiving. May you be surrounded by love, life and joy.
There's something extraordinary about the high desert. Stark, desolate beauty gets mentioned a lot, but for me it's the way my desert-raised husband behaves. He takes full breaths, and smiles, and laughs more readily. In a place where it's tough for living things to scratch out a living, he thrives.
We're here with family, looking forward to feasting and spending time together. I love our family, and the desert, and the stars, and the clear air that steals my breath. And I love the way my husband comes to life in the desert.
It's good to be here in my home away from home.
Happy Thanksgiving. May you be surrounded by love, life and joy.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Orycon 34 Promo
Here's a coupon for anyone who'd like a free copy of Masks from Smashwords!
Promotion and marketing is weird. Not tough, not bad, just weird. Everyone and no one seems to know what they're talking about. And I'm not sure I want to spend time and money promoting. I love doing little things -- designing post cards, business cards and stuff like that. But ads in newspapers and stuff? Trying to get on the radio or tv? Maybe it's a hurdle I have to overcome. Or maybe my instincts are right.
You gotta just spend time writing, and writing well, and then putting that writing out where people can find it. Promotion and marketing stuff is what's supposed to help people find your writing. But with the great flood of self-publishing out there, how much marketing would it really take, and how much would it cost?
Hard to say. I guess that's why even the big publishers get it wrong with marketing sometimes.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The Trials of Marketing Part One
OMG.
I just spent all day ordering my first ever promotional postcards.
Okay, maybe not allll day. But it felt like all day because I had to redo the postcards so that they fit within the bleed margins. I thought I already had, but apparently not. Also, apparently my powers of math are weak, because they weren't quite proportioned right. After playing with resizing the existing postcard sides, I gave up and rebuilt them from scratch.
Then and only then was I able to upload them, order them, and I then find out that with the not-cheapest but not most expensive shipping, they will arrive the day before Orycon.
!!!!!!!!!!
That's a little tighter margin than I like, but I'll live. And they are done. Done! For this batch, anyway. With the heart attack moment at the end of ordering time (finding out when they'll actually arrive) I think I would have preferred to go with a local big box instead and worry about getting the cheaper price later. Especially since the shipping was scary expensive. The moolah I saved I basically lost to shipping. Assuming the quality would have been the same (I'm not sure it is) I think I would have rather spare myself the heart attack and buy the cards at a higher-per price and driven them home myself.
But, having said that, now that I'm a (scarred) postcard-creating veteran, I can save buckaroos by ordering larger batches with essentially the same shipping from the same company.
Or not. These postcards may not result in any sales. If not, I guess I'll be out about $60, which is not devastating in the grand scheme of things. If so, it'll be money well spent even if it only initially sells me a couple of copies. That'll be a couple of chances for reviews, a couple more chances for the word to get out, but most importantly, a couple of chances for the writing to prove itself (or not.)
I just spent all day ordering my first ever promotional postcards.
Okay, maybe not allll day. But it felt like all day because I had to redo the postcards so that they fit within the bleed margins. I thought I already had, but apparently not. Also, apparently my powers of math are weak, because they weren't quite proportioned right. After playing with resizing the existing postcard sides, I gave up and rebuilt them from scratch.
Then and only then was I able to upload them, order them, and I then find out that with the not-cheapest but not most expensive shipping, they will arrive the day before Orycon.
!!!!!!!!!!
That's a little tighter margin than I like, but I'll live. And they are done. Done! For this batch, anyway. With the heart attack moment at the end of ordering time (finding out when they'll actually arrive) I think I would have preferred to go with a local big box instead and worry about getting the cheaper price later. Especially since the shipping was scary expensive. The moolah I saved I basically lost to shipping. Assuming the quality would have been the same (I'm not sure it is) I think I would have rather spare myself the heart attack and buy the cards at a higher-per price and driven them home myself.
But, having said that, now that I'm a (scarred) postcard-creating veteran, I can save buckaroos by ordering larger batches with essentially the same shipping from the same company.
Or not. These postcards may not result in any sales. If not, I guess I'll be out about $60, which is not devastating in the grand scheme of things. If so, it'll be money well spent even if it only initially sells me a couple of copies. That'll be a couple of chances for reviews, a couple more chances for the word to get out, but most importantly, a couple of chances for the writing to prove itself (or not.)
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Autumn Work
The weather forecast promises a wee bit of rain soon. I dunno. It's clear skies as far as the eye can see right now, and warm and beautiful.
The air has that autumn bite to it. Makes me want to wander, explore, hike, get stuff done in the garden .... The natural cycle of things makes me restless. Is it a deep instinct written into my DNA, to either migrate to warmer climes or batten down the hatches for a long winter? I can't say either way, but it feels good. The grapes are getting sweeter every day, and the akebia fruit is starting to darken from a pale green to a deep, dusky purple. The apples are ripe. I still have tons of pears on the trees. Though this year was kind of a bummer as far as the veggie garden is concerned, the arbor and orchard didn't fail. In fact, they're better than ever.
If you're a gardener, now is the time (or past time, if it were a normal year!) to get out there and clean up stuff like crazy. The work done now is work that won't have to be done in the spring. Put fresh mulch down, weed, edge the lawn, prune trees and shrubs, and make everything tidy. Note to self--put away all those tools still laying around before they're covered in snow. A rake in the face kinda puts a damper on that first fun walk through fresh snow.
It's also time to start stocking up on winter supplies. Rice, flour, sugar, butter, etc. will go into dry storage or the freezer. If we're snowed in, we want to have plenty of stuff on hand. I used to have lots of canned food too, but it actually takes up a lot of room, is usually over-salted and over sugared, and it's under-nutritious. Better to keep the raw materials around. This year I'll probably add a big bag of frozen sausage patties and frozen chicken patties. That one year we were stuck for an extended period, they really came in handy and unlike the rest of our frozen protein, could be cooked without thawing. I'll get those last. The things that keep the longest and are the least expensive I'll get first, and I'll do it in installments this year instead of making one big trip. The one big trip thing is fun, but sure hurts when it all gets added up at the register. And this year, I won't forget a nice big box of hot apple cider packets and two big containers of hot chocolate mix. Yum!
Happy Autumn Weather, everyone. I hope your last days before winter are as beautiful as mine are.
The air has that autumn bite to it. Makes me want to wander, explore, hike, get stuff done in the garden .... The natural cycle of things makes me restless. Is it a deep instinct written into my DNA, to either migrate to warmer climes or batten down the hatches for a long winter? I can't say either way, but it feels good. The grapes are getting sweeter every day, and the akebia fruit is starting to darken from a pale green to a deep, dusky purple. The apples are ripe. I still have tons of pears on the trees. Though this year was kind of a bummer as far as the veggie garden is concerned, the arbor and orchard didn't fail. In fact, they're better than ever.
If you're a gardener, now is the time (or past time, if it were a normal year!) to get out there and clean up stuff like crazy. The work done now is work that won't have to be done in the spring. Put fresh mulch down, weed, edge the lawn, prune trees and shrubs, and make everything tidy. Note to self--put away all those tools still laying around before they're covered in snow. A rake in the face kinda puts a damper on that first fun walk through fresh snow.
It's also time to start stocking up on winter supplies. Rice, flour, sugar, butter, etc. will go into dry storage or the freezer. If we're snowed in, we want to have plenty of stuff on hand. I used to have lots of canned food too, but it actually takes up a lot of room, is usually over-salted and over sugared, and it's under-nutritious. Better to keep the raw materials around. This year I'll probably add a big bag of frozen sausage patties and frozen chicken patties. That one year we were stuck for an extended period, they really came in handy and unlike the rest of our frozen protein, could be cooked without thawing. I'll get those last. The things that keep the longest and are the least expensive I'll get first, and I'll do it in installments this year instead of making one big trip. The one big trip thing is fun, but sure hurts when it all gets added up at the register. And this year, I won't forget a nice big box of hot apple cider packets and two big containers of hot chocolate mix. Yum!
Happy Autumn Weather, everyone. I hope your last days before winter are as beautiful as mine are.
Thursday, October 04, 2012
Hanging in There, Waiting
My belly is full and now all I want to do is sleep. The problem is that there are all kinds of things I have to take care of. Besides, if I went to sleep now, I probably wouldn't wake up again until the middle of the night. Fabulous for getting creative work done, not so much for going to work the next day.
That's rational, intellectual stuff, though. My brain feels as heavy as my belly and my eyes feel sooo good when I shut them. It feels even better when I lean back and rest my head and stretch my body. It's like an all-over body massage.
Not gonna go there. I have a book cover to finish, and a time line I have to do. Those take forever, especially when I get sucked into the book. Instead of skimming I end up reading, and I'm not a fast enough reader to get through a book in a day. Plus, I want to get something done outside. Watering, at minimum.
It is scary dry out there. Between the lack of rain and the brisk wind, plants are literally shriveling up and blowing away. I'm afraid we're going to lose one of our big trees as a result. The mountain ash out front looks really terrible. It's mostly brown. We're in the midst of a record-breaking dry spell, with no end in sight. We're a little late to the drought party, but it seems that the party is still goin' on.
Not good.
I have to be careful with our well water, too. Like any other natural resource under stress, it's fragile. I'd like to think that we have almost no impact on the local water supply, but that would be a dangerous assumption. We can't afford to run our well dry. So, sadly, we may have some losses this year. As much as all of us here in the Pac NW love the sun and miss it all winter long, just about everyone I've talked to is ready for the rain.
Once it starts, it may not end until July, but we're ready. Until then, I have to make the artificial rain fall, and hope that our luck doesn't run out of the end of that hose.
That's rational, intellectual stuff, though. My brain feels as heavy as my belly and my eyes feel sooo good when I shut them. It feels even better when I lean back and rest my head and stretch my body. It's like an all-over body massage.
Not gonna go there. I have a book cover to finish, and a time line I have to do. Those take forever, especially when I get sucked into the book. Instead of skimming I end up reading, and I'm not a fast enough reader to get through a book in a day. Plus, I want to get something done outside. Watering, at minimum.
It is scary dry out there. Between the lack of rain and the brisk wind, plants are literally shriveling up and blowing away. I'm afraid we're going to lose one of our big trees as a result. The mountain ash out front looks really terrible. It's mostly brown. We're in the midst of a record-breaking dry spell, with no end in sight. We're a little late to the drought party, but it seems that the party is still goin' on.
Not good.
I have to be careful with our well water, too. Like any other natural resource under stress, it's fragile. I'd like to think that we have almost no impact on the local water supply, but that would be a dangerous assumption. We can't afford to run our well dry. So, sadly, we may have some losses this year. As much as all of us here in the Pac NW love the sun and miss it all winter long, just about everyone I've talked to is ready for the rain.
Once it starts, it may not end until July, but we're ready. Until then, I have to make the artificial rain fall, and hope that our luck doesn't run out of the end of that hose.
Monday, October 01, 2012
My Silver Lining Day
There's so much sun I hardly know what to do with myself. Should I bask? Play? Write while sitting or standing on the deck? Cut flowers for the table?
I can't garden.
Well, okay, I can, but it's depressing. The deer officially have eaten everything. They tore through the netting over my
surviving tomatoes and eaten both the fruit and the vines.
Gone.
Pumpkins, gone.
Yes, they ate pumpkin leaves, and zucchini leaves and stalks and fruit,
everything.
Okay, not everything.
Weirdly they've left the grapes pretty much alone, and to my surprise,
my marionberries weren't reduced to stumps.
They've eaten so many tomato leaves and vines their flesh must
be toxic.
So, my next project is a fence. I've got the bones of it up, but I can't do anything with my
veggies this year or any other until I've got this fence up. Even if I were to succumb to my disgust
and anger and decide venison is on the menu tonight, that won't solve my
overall problem. I need to protect
the garden.
The long growing season this year, stretching into October, is
almost unprecedented. Everyone has
tomatoes, zucchini, pumpkins, everything coming out of their ears. Except me. I'm like Charlie Brown at Halloween, only I didn't even get
a rock.
But, I have lots of beautiful sunflowers!
I guess there's always a silver lining, at least when you have
clouds. Which we don't. But today there's a silver lining
anyway. It's a beautiful,
beautiful day.
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