Productivity is grand!

A most interesting day.
We had quite a storm raging over our mountain, awakening me and dogs alike with an unappreciated leak in the passage that connects my two room apartment, and covering the wooden floor with a sheen of water that made me jump when I stepped into it unwittingly, staggering my way to the front door.

I didn't wake in the best of moods, but no matter; the day ahead promised to be one with many challenges, and thus any disgruntlement I felt was rapidly put aside as I let the dogs out of the cabin and started to clean up the mess which the storm had caused and was causing still.
Seeing that it was pouring outside, the cleaning up part wasn't all that easy. The dogs took a single step off my porch and did an about-face almost instantly, getting in my way as I attacked the flooding with mop and towel, trying to keep clothes and furniture from further damage.

A good thirty minutes were spent dealing with the majority of the abundance of water, after which I hurried through the morning rituals and took the dogs down to the house where I found more emergencies to deal with in just minutes.
As is normal in this part of Spain, where no house is truly capable of being completely impervious to the occasional deluge, small puddles were in evidence all around, demanding immediate attention before I was able to get my dose of caffeine and the day's nourishment.

With the dogs alternating between annoyance and downright grumpiness over the overall wetness of their favorite resting places, I managed to get in half a page for the latest W.I. project, after which more pressing matters, such as the continuing downpour, demanded the attention of myself and big brother, who had by that time joined me in the living-room/kitchen.
Together we bravely faced the elements, clothes getting plastered to our rapidly chilling skins as we went from clogged mud gutter to roof and back again, in a valiant attempt to keep the water at bay.
What with damage control already well underway, and the rain having soaked and dirtied us up thoroughly, we decided we might as well tackle the mess inside the house. With mops already in hand, dealing with wet tiles we went from floor to walls and shelves alike, until a semblance of order allowed for some comfort on this dreary day. Clouds swirled threateningly around the house, pressing against the windows and making everything damp.

It is peculiar how simple gray mist can appear like some entity, moving, breathing all around, feeling like an actual presence as thin tendrils try to penetrate through the barriers that separate inside from the outside. It's oppressive, persistent, and water is it's loyal ally.

What with the damp furniture, wet clothes and furs, today was the first this year that the gas stoves were necessarily lit. After a quick inspection of the two that have served us for the past two years, it became clear that one had not survived this summer's storage. The one remaining did allow for some heat to overcome the chill of this final day in October, though, and the dogs were more than appreciative as they crowded around the pounding source of warmth, like young kids would gather around an interesting game.

It is quite beautiful to see the occasional dog sit down there, literally soaking up the heat, by turning this way and that, as if feeling an actual caress that is simply too good to give up on. Yamah, one of our crossbreeds, was a perfect example of this. While the other dogs restlessly followed us from one area of the house to the next, she had stretched out in front of the stove; her head raise in visible pleasure as she allowed each side of it to absorb the warmth for minutes at a time. I would have been more than happy to join her on this day. The cold and wetness were most unpleasant.

Later, while the younger siblings and I set out to make hotpockets (pastries) of yesterday's left overs, mom and big brother set out for a quick trip to town to get a new stove -two are a necessity these past few years when winter arrives in full- and extra butane kegs since tomorrow all stores will be closed due to the holidays.

Upon their return and the sharing of the meal, which was nourishing as much as tasteful -and with no proper horror movie on the TV to celebrate the holiday- I decided to write some of my own in W.I. Investigations' latest, and eighth case: Alive. What better than to spend this particular evening working out a story involving murder and mayhem of a presumed to be dead mad scientist.

With pleasant heat forcing the chill away, I managed a productive total of four pages of the story, bringing the conclusion of the second volume of the W.I.'s within reach. It always thrills me when I see a story fully developing. The idea that started with just a few key plot lines, forming a cohesive whole with characters that I have come to love during the first cases of this particular series.

The W.I. Investigations have been a project that is close to my heart. To me they are meant as relaxation from when I don't feel like delving into a full length novel that requires months of intense and mind-blurring sessions behind the computer.
They are relatively short, fun, all of them following a grander story line of the enigmatic Roger Walsh -the founder of the extraordinary agency- which specializes in the world of the paranormal, which makes it all interesting enough to keep me computer-bound.

When I first started with W.I.'s Shape Shifter, I had no idea that the agency would become as versatile as it is now turning out to be. I had meant for just a simple story, solely as a distraction while I was in-between novels and waited for inspiration to strike.
Now, as the tenth story, or case, is almost complete, I'm realizing that this series might very well be the biggest challenge I have set for myself as of yet.
Yes, the stories are short, each individual title describing a single case on an average of a hundred pages, but as I learn more about the eight leading detectives and their boss, I find that, like in real life, there are so many complex paths to follow that when (or if) I ever finish the tales of these detectives they'll be more real, more intense than anything I have written so far.

I love the characters, and I do so more with every case in which they are involved.
Their dedication, their ability to love and their sense of adventure, whether they are kind, cynical, humorous, grumpy or sweet. Each and every one of them has a particular charm that sometimes makes me wish that I could meet these people for real.

While I started to write the W.I.'s for my own entertainment and pass time, I found that for a reader they had a certain appeal as well. What with the world being as time-consuming as it is, I realized that a quick fun read was just what was missing in the huge market out there. And while the stories are short, they still allow for long reads as well since they all follow up.

They're perfect for that short break at work. A night shift with uneventful hours to spent. It is so easy to dive into the cases of the W.I. Investigations. Or a spare hour during a busy day. Lugging around a heavy book all the time isn't all that easy, or so experience has taught me, so perhaps this is something that a reader could be looking for. Only time will tell, I suppose. And whether people will read them or not, is an added bonus more than anything.
Most of all I consider them a new niche, really. Characters and cases that give glimpses into personal lives that develop throughout the creation of what will be a journey of discovery for a reader and myself.

I often think that the W.I.'s are lot like a TV show that a reader can enjoy on the fly once a week, or whenever is handy, while still being able to follow the grander storyline leading towards a destination that is a mystery even to me. The greatest thrill of all would be to actually see them on the screen some day, I think... if for no other reason than to see if the characters I described have come across in just the right way.

Hmmm. How easily the mind wanders. But that's what I'm writing for, I suppose. It organizes my thoughts and allows me to see what I'm thinking in the end result.
Where was I until I started to go off track? Ah yes, the day with the pleasant number of four pages bringing the story near completion.

After midnight I made my way up the mountain as usual, pleased that for a short time at least the rain had stopped, allowing a dry passage to a room that had suffered no more flooding due to our efforts to clear the debris from the gutter earlier today.

I feel content at the moment. Pleasantly tired from a good day's work, with dogs more than eager to retire for the night. They are gathered around me even now, a good portion of them on the bed, warming me when I am reluctant to waste electricity on the heater this early in the year, and cuddled together on the multitude of thick cushions that are placed on the floor throughout the room for their comfort.

It feels good to have been productive during a day that could very well have been described as disastrous if we had been inclined to name it such.
Though playing couch potato every once a while has its own particular charm, I much prefer getting things done.

So, with this blog I conclude my thoughts of the day, wondering what tomorrow will bring, and more than ready to turn in for the night.

Pondering about the day,

It was a rather bland day, I'll admit. The hours behind the computer, writing another page or so for the latest W.I. Investigations, flew by, making me wonder where they went.
It happens to me more and more these days, time disappearing on me, and not giving even a clue as to where it's hiding. It is a most annoying trait of time; never being able to catch it, and it always running straight ahead with no interest whatsoever if one can keep up or not.
I often think that there is nothing this world that is quite as elusive.

I'm in a strange mood tonight. A certain feeling of discontent lingers without a proper explanation. It is a sensation which can very well make me downright grumpy on any day, but right now it confuses me more than anything.
I can't explain why the feeling is there. Like so many emotions and feelings it is very hard to pin down, leaving me frustrated also... not the best of moods to write a blog, I suppose, but no matter, this is a pondering session nonetheless.

Since my mind appears to want to explore the contents of fleeting sensations, I might as well dive in and see where it leads.

There is an atmosphere of numbness all around, like a dampening field that seems to keep my world in a temporary limbo that I can't appreciate at all. Stillness, lack of perpetual motion makes me edgy.
I sometimes have this same feeling of disquiet when something is about to happen, so I suppose that in the days that are to follow I'll see if this particular feeling was even remotely accurate.

Like my mood the air outside is cloudy, a mist of rain floating down to the earth as a thick mist settles around my cabin. Perhaps this explains some of the numbness that I feel pushing against me from all sides. Something to do with changing atmospheric influences that make my ears pop every thirty minutes or so. No matter the logical reasons that might explain it, it demands more attention than I really like to give it.

Such feelings are too demanding in my estimation. They take the mind into tangents where I have no wish to go, forcing themselves on me with an intensity that is almost daunting.

Sounds travel strangely when there is a mist like now, I know, but this seems to be more than just that. Even the dogs sense that something is off. They are quieter than usual, their sleep occasionally interrupted by some indiscernible disruption, making them raise their heads and look around wearily.

The weather reports have shown an unusual air stream, coming in from the North, creating a rather extraordinary large area in central Europe where thunderstorms are expected to start at any moment.

But enough about the weather, what did the day contain?

Well, after the usual 4-6 hours session behind the computer, it was time to make dinner.
It was a new concoction that is bound to end up in the recipe book, I'm sure, since most of the family went back for seconds.
I do love scrounge cooking from time to time, and looking for ingredients is always the first indication of something new being on the menu.
It was a hardy meal, excellent for winter weather, allowing for nutritious elements as well as a teaser for the taste buds.

The hardest thing about cooking is most certainly coming up with a proper name for the meal afterwards.

Technically speaking it was simple. Baking raw potatoes and carrots in a curry spice mix with coconut shavings and yogurt until they were nice and soft.
Added to it was an eclectic collection of messily chopped onion, garlic, green beans, corn, peas, green peppers, a dash of brown sugar, salt, pepper, some apricot jam... and then just letting it all stew until it was a wonderfully lumpy concoction that served very well with a large spoon of cottage cheese on top.
Healthy, filling and tasteful, it is all I really require of a meal on any day, but
I do LOVE it when a new recipe works!

What was next?
Balah -one of our many Golden Retrievers- who is getting on in age and shows it in rapidly becoming blind and slow in his every action, needed a serious trim. Though he loves the attention, trimming is not his favorite pass-time at all. A bribe of cookies afterwards was much appreciated by the old fella, who walked away a lot lighter than he had been before.

After this particular activity, I vegetated in front of the TV for a bit, just because I couldn't muster up the energy to get up and actually do something.
The latest Prison Break season started up again last Monday, so now it was time to catch up on Linc and Michael's escape from the dreaded Sona prison.
I'll admit to a few moments of confusion throughout the episode. It has been more than year since I saw the last episode, so for the time being it will all be about catching up on what was and is happening now, before actual enjoyment of the story and characters return -depending on how the story goes, naturally.

Though, like I said in the beginning of this post, time goes by so very fast, it is in retrospect only. When I do not have a pressing chore, plan, or project waiting, the hours can seem infinitely long, making me feel somewhat relieved when midnight arrived and with it the end of the day.

It was my full intention to start up my computer and catch the latest news on the web, when I found myself momentarily distracted by the mess in my cabin.
Some serious scrubbing of the bathroom ensued... of late I've been so busy that I hadn't even noticed the thick layers of dust everywhere, so by the time I did settle down with the trusted laptop, it was close to 2 AM once more.

Ah well, as elusive as it might be, time does continue on, bringing a new day on which one can start all over again in hopes of a better mood.

Extraordinary event

I just have to write this down, it was so bloody amazing that I don't know what else to do... heck I might just have to write a book about it some day.

So, let's set a scene, and try to imagine this properly.

A busy department store, filled to full capacity with patrons and products alike on a chilly October eve. Halloween decorations are all around, a colorful burst of sparklies, ghoulish masks attached to shelves for proper display and noise everywhere as patrons move from one register to the next with smiles and frowns alike. Some indistinct tune playing on the speakers, a bit tinny, but too soft to actually identify the song.

The store is comfortably warm but crowded beyond imagining as I wade through the waves of people, parting only reluctantly while I try to get to the escalators that will bring me to the wanted floor.

It is a tingle in the nape of my neck that makes me swivel my head to slowly scan the large space over the crowns of the other customers milling around. As usual, it is not all that hard to look over the relatively short Spanish population, and it takes me only a moment to settle my gaze on the source of the excited tingle.

It is HIM, I think, my heart doing a quick pitterpat and tumble in my chest as I find myself mesmerized by the intent blue eyes that have captured mine over the ocean of happy buyers all around. My body seems frozen in place, jostled occasionally by my fellow patrons who look at me oddly as I stand there in the center of the isle watching HIS approach. I can barely breathe, let alone move out of the way.

Vaguely I'm aware of his friends, laughing lightly as the people separating us part miraculously, clearing a clean path for HIM to cross.
I moisten my suddenly dry lips, unable to say a single word when HE reaches me at last, smiling in that adoringly crooked way of his that makes me melt each and every time.

I take quick stock of his appearances then, tan trousers topped by a black polo shirt with the collar turned up just right and brushing the border of his ash blond hair at his name. Gorgeous as usual, I think then, managing a pleased twist of my lips (it made a mockery of a smile, but it's the intention that counts) as he murmurs a husky, "hello".

With considerable effort I clear my parched throat, croaking the appropriate response before he adds, "What took you so long? I've been waiting for over an hour."
"Traffic busy." Jeez, can I sound more moronic? I think with an inward grimace, feeling an electric shock going through my entire body when he wraps his hand around my wrist and tugs me gently closer.

"I missed you," he says, his voice like buttery velvet on my sensitized senses and delighted goosebumps breaking out over the most sensitive organ imaginable: Skin!
My pupils dilate in response, butterflies fluttering madly and making me feel faint inside as I sway willingly in his direction for what I know is to come.

HIS scent, a heady mixture that is particularly his, combined with a fresh aftershave and deodorant, wraps around me, muting any and all input from the buzz going on around us as he reels me inexorably into a confident embrace.
I can't speak when I gaze intently into his smiling eyes, knowing full well that he is aware of his effect on me, but am unable to scramble up a modicum of coherency as my gaze settles on his curved lips, steadily coming closer.

Excitement bounces in every cell of my body, when anticipation of what I know is to come plays havoc on my embarrassingly muddled brain. Nearer he comes, the warmth of his body seeping into mine as his arms settle around me and press me firmly against his.

Three inches, I manage to estimate... just barely, breathing in deeply and closing my eyes as my lips tingle and part ever so slightly.

Two, my senses tell me when I feel -and smell- his minty breath brush over my face. Almost there, but not yet close enough, I'm thinking as I finally manage to raise my hands and clasp trembling fingers into the rich cloth of his polo shirt.

One inch: Heat is already spreading throughout my body, warm molasses swirling madly through flesh and bone when I know this kiss of reunion will be shared. And just as we're about to connect, less than a millimeter separating skin-to-skin contact... Trin Trin, the Monster Boxer, decides that it is time to rise and jerks the blankets off of me from her place at the foot end of the bed.
The morning's chill is like and icy bucket of water, drenching me in but a second, drawing an actual growl from my lips that mimics Trin Trin's to a T.

Aaaargh! A friggin' DREAM! and one that is interrupted just seconds before it gets even remotely interesting. *sigh*
Dogs! Can't live without them, and sometimes, much to my regret, I can't strangle them from sheer frustration either.

So, the night is over, I have once again been dragged out of bed by the two Monsters, splitting the pad of my thumb on Trin Trin's leash, while I shout at Knight II to stop jumping full force into my poor, already abused, ribs.

Upon arrival at the main house, less than an hour after the rude disruption of my reunion dream, I find that magical mischief has been playing tricks on me again with the humongous load of laundry that awaits my attention.
Taking down the dry batch, hanging the new, and then folding each separate item takes up to an hour, before I stuff some bread into my whining stomach and fill a large mug with my morning dose of coffee.

The new day has arrived, and with it another day's work!

An Average Day.

This is definitely not an auspicious first day for a Blog. For some reason today the Internet connection is on the fritz again, making this post a miracle, should it get posted at all… well, if you’re reading this, it will be, but rest assured it took tenacity and perseverance on my part.

I am not entirely sure what to do on a Blog so it shall be a road of discovery for me as well as any reader to find out if I make any sense at all.

Possibly, I could start the old fashioned way… where I was born, how I grew up and all that, but I figure we’ll start in the now and see how it goes from there.
There is always time for quick trips down memory lane, I’m thinking. No need to hurry with maudlin, as I have no doubt I’ll do once I get started.
I’ve got all the time in world… or at least, I hope I do.

What to write? Perhaps something about me?
Hmmm. I’m dog nut, which I should be considering my family and I have adopted more than ninety of them. I write books practically every single day, slaving away at the keys of this very computer… it makes one wonder why I bother doing this Blog thing, doesn’t it? It’s very much like making a hobby out of my work, which is really a twisted way to look at the entire thing, so I won’t.
I intend to have fun with this, daily events, dogs and the progress of my books, undoubtedly, ‘cause I can never shut up about them, hah.

So we’ll start with today. It’s as good a place to start as any, I guess, so let’s see where it gets us.

What happened today…? Hmmm. Remarkably little, now that I think about it.
I got up, got dressed record time (it was so very chilly) and moved the dogs and myself to the main house.
A funny picture to those who’ve never seen it, I’m thinking. Perhaps a description would do well here?

Imagine this; all is quiet upon the mountain until about five minutes before my alarm goes of, my pack of eleven –or was it twelve? I swear I’m leaking brain matter every day– starts to stir.

Trin Trin, the monster Boxer, is the first to announce that I need to drag my butt out of bed and let her out of the cabin.
Next comes Knigth II, my Great Dane, who will, if I don’t hurry up, literally attempt (and sometimes succeed) dragging the mattress off the bed frame at least halfway.
I assure you that my rising is hasty and well timed as I throw Trin Trin out into the small garden in the back and then squeeze my way through the barking others as I head towards the front.

Pandemonium breaks out momentarily as the dogs are freed from the confines of the night. Eager bouncing bodies storming out into the sunlight and heading straight up the mountain to see if there’s any unfortunate visitor they can bother by the fences.

But, be that as it may, they quiet down fast, heading straight back into the cabin while I get ready to face the day with a lot of grumbling. I am most certainly not a morning person, and the dogs do love bearing the brunt of that.

I go down to the main house, keeping Trin Trin –she has a nasty tendency of pouncing on the main house dogs upon entering– on the leash while I desperately try to hang on to my overly burdened computer bag.

Next comes checking the laundry. Nope, the night was too chilly for proper drying so that chore at least I will be spared of for the day. A quick breakfast of some slices of French bread with either peanut butter and honey, or cheese with apple syrup, was rapidly over, at which time the coffee had brewed for a much-needed dose of caffeine.

Some organizing follows, setting aside anything that has been missed by the sibs during the evening’s clean-up, before I set up my laptop at the kitchen table and light up that first morning cigarette. While I thoroughly enjoy my nicotine intake, the dogs settle around me for some serious snoozing.
While I emerge myself into cyber world, responding to messages and the likes before diving head first in the latest case of my W.I. Investigations, slowly the rest of the family comes from their quarters, bringing the pack of ninety… and something to a semi-harmonious whole, right there in the main part of the house.

There’s noise everywhere, rutting dogs mixing with the one ear headphone that spouts the Itunes library into my brain, while CNN fills in any gaps silence might have dared to insert at any time.
Chaos! Complete and utter chaos. I do very well with it, even though it annoys me to separate my attention between family members asking about the day’s plans, dogs vying for a pat on the head (or twenty pats), and the occasional news bulletin that grabs my attention.
Talk about madness… well, that’s a different topic for a different day, I suppose.

Four pages of suspect interrogations, intrigue and a healthy amount of male charm –and five cigarettes– later, along with some research concerning a web-design project I’m involved with, I decide to check out Blogspot, and find that it is simply too easy to sign in not to dare the plunge.
It takes about half an hour until I decide that I’ve done enough –wouldn’t want to get carried away on the first day… second sure, but first?… on it for one day, and shut down the computer in favor of bothering little brother who has (thankfully) decided to take the chore of cooking today’s meal in his able hands.

By the time dinner is over, the dogs are fed, some mild grooming of the various long-haired canines dealt with, big brother and I start on our daily studying session about the “marvelous” world of HTML.

It is amazing how one can study all the commands, symbols and markings over and over again, for hours on end; type them in exactly as instructed and see the result in… ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Hah! This particular skill is definitely going to demand some serious time from the both of us. After several attempts of creating different columns I decide to call it a day, and shut down the computer once again.

The last few hours of the evening are spent talking, grousing about the chilly weather, and watching some TV while the dogs play living-carpet on the variety of blankets that have been placed over the tiles for their comfort.

After midnight comes the fun part. Time to go up to my cabin and battle the forces of nature as I climb up the mountain with the majority of my dogs bouncing around me, gleefully cutting me off at every step.
Like every evening when we go through this, they struggle in front of the door, each and everyone wanting first passage, as I try to get the blocked door open and roll my eyes at their eagerness.

A bit of reading follows… an avid reader like myself really can’t survive without at least a full chapter, or more, on any given day, so at long last, somewhere around 2 AM I settle on the bed with the laptop propped up before me once again. More messages have arrived so I answer them, the way I so much love to do. My poor pen palls, they do so often bear the brunt of my overeager fingers on the keys.

Which brings us to now: Almost four in the morning, just an hour or two –depending on how long this posting thing is going to take– before bedtime and blissful sleep.

This concludes an average day for me in Samaya’s world. It is crazy, it is chaotic, but it is mine and I’m in good company at least.

First attempt at a blog.

Well, hello there, reader.

Opening this blog wasn't as hard as I figured. Whenever I try something new on the Web I am anxious about all the little things I'll have to get a hang of. Take Myspace for instance: It took me a full month just to figure out how everything was done, and I'm still learning.
But, like most of these endeavors, the site has anticipated my needs and makes this thing a possibility for me.
There are lots of aids available that made it easy for a computer illiterate like myself, allowing for mistakes that, as it will undoubtedly turn out, can be corrected within little time.
Everything looks pretty understandable, easy access and such. As for the blogging itself... We'll have to wait and see how it goes.

It is my intention to start to keep a journal of sorts on this blogger thingy. It is a rather daunting concept for sure, but also an interesting challenge that makes me curious as to how it all is going to turn out. Will there be readers, will I manage to keep up posting without feeling overwhelmed by the sheer idea of having to come up with something remotely interesting every day.

As time goes by I'm sure there will be lots of TMI in the posts, personal opinions about movies, books and what not, along with rantings about world politics, media reports, daily life and such until there seems to be an overflow of info... but that's the fun of it, I suppose. Different tangents to explore and seeing where it all ends up.

I'll keep you posted... I hope.