Hassles and...writing.

There was an interesting dream for a change, or at least for as far as I could remember it today.

I was underwater–for a long time to boot–and I could actually breathe there, which should have tipped me off that I was dreaming, it but didn’t.
It was a rather pleasant experience, I’ll admit, floating in colorful water scenes with tropical fish, corals twining beautifully, jellyfish shimmering like jewels, and whatnot. Gorgeous! It was nicely warm too, which is always a plus.
At one point while blithely swimming around, I came upon a cave of sorts and strangely enough it looked inhabited. I swam inside, looking around with interest, oddly enough seeing things as clearly as I would above water–another tip off that didn’t register, apparently.
And then I saw him…friggin’ Mel Gibson. He looked like a cross between his William Wallace part and Mad Max, which appears to be a bit of a contradiction to me, thinking about it, but it made perfect sense in the dream.
He was dying, the poor guy, lying there in the corner of the cave, his hand cradling a rather bad gut wound that was coloring the water around him red. He was trying to say something when I approached him, but I couldn’t hear him. Neither of us was really concerned, somehow I knew that we both knew that in order for him to go to the surface, which was something he wanted, he had to die down there.
Don’t ask me why. I never claimed that dreams make sense, and this one certainly didn’t.

But anyways…

I’m feeling all right when the alarm goes off and I rise from the bed to let the dogs out. They’ve let me sleep in relative peace for a change–I woke up only a few times this night, and that was merely to snarl a “shut up” before promptly falling back to sleep.

The weather is still horrid by the time I get up, thick clouds surrounding us on all side, and a misty rain coming down in a steady drizzle.
I’m out of clothes again, the laundry just won’t dry with this weather, so I dig through my storage of old clothes. I am delighted to find my (once) favorite jeans, hidden underneath a pile of bags in the corner of the “treasure chest”.

I stare at the garment measuringly, knowing full well that when I tried it on the last time, more than nine months ago I couldn’t fit into the denim if my life depended on it. Since I have no particular desire to repeat that debacle, I hesitate for quite a bit until I shrug and try it out anyway.
They fit, and I even manage to close all the buttons without having to suck in my breath. It’s nothing short of a miracle and I’m pretty thrilled when I head on down to the house.

I show the nice fit to big brother, of course, and get a faint, hardly interested smile with a vague, “Uh-huh. That’s nice” while he’s bent over his computer.
Ah well, no one to share the good news with then, I guess, except for the unfortunate readers of this Blog. Hah.

I have breakfast…no laundry since it won’t dry anyway…and though it makes me nauseous, I do manage to keep it down when I set my computer up and start on today’s tasks.

I do some editing on the vampire story and then proceed to describe the “love scene” which started right there on page one, giving the fun total of four pages filled with…ehm…you-know-what.

Seriously, I could do without this particular scene, but I do admit that I write an inventive and…ehm…detailed description of the ongoings. It actually has me chuckling nearing the end of the scene, and big brother is shaking his head since he knows full well what I’m writing and snatches the computer away from me as soon as I declare that I’m done.

It is tricky to write short romance stories. You have to create an interesting plot, cute characters, intense and detailed love scenes, preferably a bit of action on the side and some dialogue all fitting in a measly 15.000 words. No easy task, I tell you, but I’ve managed it twice now, so I should be getting a hang of it.

Across the table big brother is working on editing one of my long length novels, declaring that it is actually pretty good, especially since I haven’t gotten around to editing it myself during the course of the years that passed since I wrote it.

Gawd, just thinking back on it, I remember starting to write it in 2000, finishing it about two years later and not having looked at it since 2004. Though the broad strokes are still in my mind, I’m actually pretty surprised at how good it really is after reading through approximately twelve pages throughout the day.

The story is very different from my others: Rather sweet family life is the main theme: A single mother of four falling for the handsome neighbor with the rebellious teen sister making his life hell, before she steps in.
It IS sweet, and it makes me wonder what readers would think upon going through the story, when they’re used to stories that are action packed from me.

My session is interrupted by the sound of little brother being ill upstairs, and I inquire what’s up. Little sister informs me that brother woke up with a banging migraine that made him physically ill. I spent about half an hour helping out in getting him some relief in the form of a calming tea and other remedies that worked for me during my two-year headache, until little brother finally orders us to stop fussing and leave him the heck alone.

Resigning in his wishes, I return to the computer and resume reading the old script.
However much I’d like to continue with the reading/editing session, mom’s appointment at the doc’s office is drawing near, so it is time for me to get changed into something a little more respectable and head on up to the car.

The appointment goes fast, with the man just asking a few basic questions before drawing his conclusions. I doubt it will have any positive effects in the end, but it won’t hurt to try. Half an hour later we’re back on our way home with a prescription for depression filled out.

Once returning to the house, with Knight II literally wrapping his paws around me in welcome, I toss a frozen pizza in the grill and wait to have dinner. The doctor’s visit has made me depressed, and not at all in the mood to do anything constructive, so I lounge around uselessly for a while until after dinner I decide to do some more cleaning and repairs on one of the living room cabinets.

Next big brother and I do some more edits on the family novel and then shut down for the evening before applying aluminum strips to the counter. They look good, and with the big load of silicone behind them they’re bound to keep water from seeping anywhere it’s not supposed to go.

We have a snack of small grilled cheese sandwiches, and though I’m hungry the snack doesn’t fall well at all, making me realize that I won’t be able to keep it in well before my stomach starts to twist and turn in alarm.

I’m feeling pretty edgy by the time I head on up the mountain to retire for the night.
I barely make it into my cabin to the bathroom when my body upchucks the contents of my stomach, and leaves me leaning over the porcelain bowl teary-eyed from the exertion. The nausea is gone, however, so that’s one good thing at least.
Just feeding the dogs and writing today’s Blog are left, and with a little luck I’ll be able to turn in early.

Cleaning day.

I’m pretty damn frustrated when I wake this morning. I had a bare minimum of three hours of uninterrupted sleep because the weather made the dogs restless. In particular the two monsters that decide to make my night miserable by waking me every hour–at least–and end up actually dragging two of my blankets to the floor.

Much to my chagrin the floor is wet from the consistent rain spraying into the room from the open back door, which stupidly I forgot to close before going to bed.
Suffice it to say that I am not in a pleasant mood when it is time to rise and I head for the house half an hour early.

There’s a big load of laundry, and that of the day before yesterday still hasn’t dried so the new batch takes up more than half of the lines available. I’m fuzzy, sleepy, and moving at half speed while I have breakfast and give Yadzia his extra feeding of the day.

Though I settle behind the computer around my usual time, I’m not expecting to get much done today. Due to the stormy weather, the internet connection is iffy at best, and in order to get a single post on the site takes up to thirty minutes since every time I press “post” the little antenna signs in the program appear, indicating that the connection needs to be acquired once more.

It is so damn frustrating that I can barely stop myself from swearing out loud throughout the many futile attempts. Still, my eyes droop, joints ache with exhaustion and half an hour into the useless endeavor to get something of the new story down, I switch to a new file and attempt a detailed query letter for one of the done stories, which big brother and I discussed the night before.

This doesn’t go well either, and the two mugs of coffee I pour down my gullet have no effect whatsoever. At long last I give up on the computer tasks and put everything out of the way to get some active work done instead. With my six-year-old MP3 player on my arm, blasting full volume in my ears, I head for the veranda and tackle the mess gathered there.

Big brother, who is intent on frying himself French fries, suddenly rushes to the kitchen and tosses his fries in oil that has become much too hot. A large burst of fire flares, just barely doused by the lid that is thrown on the pan, and turning off the gas. It could have been quite a disaster that is a fact, but luckily, except for the rather disgusting smell of burnt oil all through the house, the kitchen is none the worse for wear.

Though it is big brother's birthday today, we have decided not to do anything for it. He couldn't care less, and birthdays aren't that big a thing with the family anyways. Were it not for birthday reminders on a variety of forums and such, the day would actually be forgotten entirely. Hah.

It has been months since anyone had the time or the inclination to do any cleaning on veranda–we rarely use it–so it takes me quite some time until there is a semblance of neatness to look upon. Knowing full well that if I sit down now, I won’t be able to keep my eyes open, I tackle the spider webs, once again spread through the house. It is so strange, but in the months that have past it almost seems as if spiders are working overtime.
The webs aren’t small either. No. They’re huge, spanning actual yards, and sometimes it seems as if the house has been uninhabited for fifty years.

While working on the spider webs, I’m pretty horrified by the thick layers of dust everywhere, and get a bucket with soap to tackle the living room entertainment center that’s covered with the vile stuff.
Three hours after first starting with the cleaning, I finally decide I’ve had enough of this particular task and move to the kitchen to make French pizza bread for everyone.

Little sister helps, and in record time dinner is ready. By the time we’ve eaten my eyes are once again drooping, and since I have no idea what else to do, and know I won’t be able to get through the evening if I try to watch TV, I settle in the comfortable chair with Dax and Mosha on my lap, and promptly doze off.

I sleep for almost two hours, barely aware of all that is going on around me, and blinking my confusion when I wake up to find that most of the evening has already passed.

Switching the MP3 player back on and start cleaning the kitchen. There’s sawdust all over the place so it keeps me busy for quite some time as big brother rereads our first vampire story by standing beside the storage cabinet holding his computer on the top.
He’s thrilled at finding only three minor errors in the whole and is looking forward to starting his reread of the second story to make sure that it is up to par as well.

Once cleaning’s done, I settle behind my computer and do a quick edit and out loud read of the new vampire story, finding the beginning to be pleasant and inspiring for more writing in the near future…under the premises that I don’t feel like working on the full-length psychic novel, of course.

I get to see the first cut of the new fan trailer for W.I. Investigations/The Martyr, and am properly impressed by what I see. It’s not done yet, and it is completely different from the one for Shape Shifter, but once again the story is brilliantly shown in such a relatively short time. I can’t wait for it to be finished and up for public viewing.

The evening draws quickly to an end, and the rain has stopped long enough for me to head up to my quarters without getting soaked. While dogs are eating, I read a bit for relaxation, and then start on the night’s last session on line.

New idea for Vampires and...remodeling, of course.

Plenty of dreams during this night that didn’t actually leave a good enough impression for me to remember details that would allow for a proper description in today’s Blog. I do remember that there was something about the dogs, and perhaps even a puppy, which is always a tiring but happy occasion…in dreams that is. And I had one of those A-Ha experiences, which I remember trying to lock in my brain for later references, repeating (in the dream) “I gotta remember this one. I just gotta!” which I then proceeded not to do.

The monsters wake me several times, of course. Two hours before waking time, Knight II actually goes as far as dragging the blankets straight off the bed, sending me hurling after him, in hopes of catching them before they hit the floor. I fail, and roll out of bed to pick them up and smack the Dane on his butt to let him know that his antics aren’t appreciated. Unimpressed he just stares at me, and is literally nodding at the door as if saying “can we go out yet?”. Aaaargh.

Still half asleep, I remake the bed and then tumble back into it and snooze for a couple hours more before the alarm announces that it is time to rise, with Knight II of course bouncing right back on the bed to flop down on top of me.

Relatively rested, I face the day with actually being in the mood to get to my workout for some reason. I know, it baffled me too, can’t explain it. It has been months since I felt like doing the strenuous exercises, and yet there it was, making me hurry through the morning rituals to get down to the house prior to the awakening of the sibs.

I’m halfway into the session, just finishing my warm ups and moving towards the boxing bag while wrapping the supportive bands of the protective gloves around my wrists, when big brother and grandpa arrive. They’re right on time too, considering I need a spotter for the last five-jab session, and when today’s workout is over I’ve worked up a nice sweat that make me run for the bathroom before I catch a cold.

The shower over and done with I feed Yadzia, have my own breakfast and set the computer up at the kitchen table. There are a few messages today, but I go through them rapidly and start on the last bit of editing for big brother’s beginning of the vampire novel. I add another half page and then switch over to a new file to write down an idea I have for another short story.

A vampire tale, of course: The theme is sorta stuck in our brain at the moment, and it distracts me from the psychic story enough to have me write down a three page start in the hours that follow.
It has some interesting premises, I admit, finding the beginning to be rather “in the thick of things” once I put it down and see the characters developing with every word written down.

The names are there, along with certain character traits that are bound to make them a pleasure to write about. The cop VS the vampire this time: It should make for an interesting combination with lots of conflict that is certainly going to spice the story up once I get the ball rolling.
It makes me wonder where the story will take me that’s a fact.
I work well past twilight, and don’t get up to fix dinner until after seven. An entire dish of yesterday’s shepherd’s pie is still filled to the top and while I nuke it, I make a quick salad to fill in any gaps the small portions available leave.

Though a bit sore from this morning’s workout–it was a little bit longer than usual due to the fact that I was “in the mood”–I digest the meal for only a few minutes before I return to the kitchen to start the dishes and cleanup prior to continuing the seemingly everlasting remodeling project.

All this talk/writing about the kitchen remodeling project makes me wonder how boring it really seems for readers, but then, I haven’t had complaints so far. This Blog is definitely turning out to be “life as it is”, on the overall. Nothing fancy, nothing exciting, just…LIFE.

First task up is getting the newly painted cabinet inside. It’s a rather unmanageable construction, and it takes quite a bit of effort to carry it into the house from the courtyard where we’d put it to dry last night. I’ve crossed half of the way when I see big brother and grunt for him to lift the other side before it slips from my grasp.

Once it’s deposited on top of the recently cleared counter, I stare at the rather big size of it, wondering how the heck I’m going to get it up against the wall over the window for attachment without breaking something in the process. In the end I take a strip of already painted MDF that came off the bar, and drill holes into the wall to hang it up.

Next, I call one of the sibs to come down and help me, and am pleased to see middle sister heading down the stairs, to climb in top of the counter to aid me.
It takes a bit of hassle, with the side of the darn cabinet slamming against my eye socket, but in the end we manage to get the cabinet hung in such a fashion that it won’t come loose anytime soon.

A little later, after applying the last layer of paint and having shifted to the task of hanging a small shelve in one of the large openings that lead onto the closed off veranda–we wish to place our only living plant there–I’m in the midst of drilling holes when the electricity goes off.

Big brother is busy hanging the lights between the top cabinets of the kitchen, messing with the power feed and casting us into semi darkness when he finds that the wires are such a mess that easy connecting is out of the question.

I end up standing under the ladder, he needs to reach the wires, for at least thirty minutes until at long last the power is turned on again and we can finish up for the night.

After using silicone kit on the main drain once more, cleanup get done by the sisters and I until around midnight I manage to settle behind my computer for a bit and play with ideas for the story before it’s time to get ready to return to my cabin.

The dogs need to be fed, Yadzia needs his fifth injection, and I still have some messages to answer.

Wonder what tomorrow ‘ll bring?

Another day goes by.

I wake too late again today. The blasted alarm didn’t go off when it was supposed to, so instead of my intended rising time, the dogs don’t wake me up an hour and a half later.

The monster Boxer is, of course, doing her very best to win the tug of war we tend to wage every morning, hanging on my blankets while Knight II is pulling it in the opposite direction, and I try to keep it in place with an occasional threat thrown at the two feints that have serious issues for as far as I’m concerned. Whatever happened to jumping on the boss and licking me awake, I wonder. It might be a little icky, but at least it’s a gentle way of waking up.

In the end, I loose, the way I usually do, and roll out of bed to throw the dogs out before actual mayhem starts.
There were dreams, pleasant ones, too, if the inexplicable jubilance that momentarily floats through my mind is any indication. If not for the being-unable-to-remember-them part, I might actually have had a genuinely cheerful mood today. Hah.

Instead, I hurry through the morning rituals and dodge the monster Trin Trin on my way down the mountain, ending up grabbing her collar to keep her from slamming her head into my legs as if it were a battering ram. I swear there are times when I think there’s not even a remote hint of sanity in the monster. She has this big callus on the top of her head from all the times she uses it as a demolishing device.
Anyone who saw the Tom Hanks film “Turner & Hooch” will know what I’m talking about. Did I ever mention that’s she steadily eating my back door? Well, she is! That’s Trin Trin for you. Totally nuts!

But anyways, I make it safely down to the house, preceding the dogs to the front door for a change, since Amri, who’s still behind the fence, is distracting them from leading the way.
Big brother’s pack welcomes us with their usual racket, first storming at the door I open and then dashing away when Knight II comes barging in, towering over them all and intimidating them with his mere presence.

It is a funny sight, actually, seeing the ferocious Cockers, Portuguese waterdogs and Pointers bravely protecting the door, right until my Great Dane steps through, lowering his head to look at them with apparent interest time and again.
It just never seems to get old for them to go through this particular ritual.

After depositing my computer bag on the counter, snapping Trin Trin on the leash before she can make grandpa’s life miserable, I head back outside to get down today’s laundry, and proceed to hang the next batch before it’s time for breakfast.

The electricity is off today, it has been for at least six hours, or so big brother tells me while I make a quick meal for Yadzia and separate him from the eager pack that would love nothing more than to steal the food from the older Labrador.
Luckily I can already see the effects the extra meals are having on Yadzia. He’s losing that bony look rapidly, and is getting more enthusiastic for the treat every day.

Once the lab is eating, I get to my own breakfast–forced to go without coffee this morning unless I put the kettle on and make myself instant. Opting against that, I pour a tall glass with OJ and drink it over bread and cheese while standing at the counter.

Next comes folding today’s laundry, which, with big brother’s help gets done in record time.
What with the power out, I’m in no hurry to get behind my computer, which only has about 45 minutes of battery power, and decide to get the piled-up canned goods from the pantry and neatly set them into the new cabinet that was hung just last night.

I’m most pleased to find that everything fits beautifully and that there’s even room for more. It’s peculiar how a storage place can overflow in one place and then, with the removal of one shelve and some redesigning can fit twice as much supplies. It does that, however, and by the time I finish setting the kitchen to rights the power goes back on, allowing me to set up the laptop and start on today’s computer work.

Since, up until now, I haven’t yet participated in the new vampire book project yet, I decide to go over big brother’s pages and add my bit.
He’s made a solid start, and all I really need to do is add some atmospheric cosmetics that’ll make a rounder whole of the scene he’s created.
I’m amazed at how his writing style matches mine, finding enjoyment in not having to do the majority of the work for a change, and just enjoying what I read, while placing bits and pieces throughout descriptions and the likes.

Excellent, what with the two of us adding to the story, we might actually get the book done in record time. I can hardly wait to read the end result.

I’m up to page four, having added almost two pages when it is time for me to start dinner. I have a hankering for something with potato today, so after rummaging through the supplies I find what I need to make a nice hardy, vegetarian shepherd’s pie. While putting on milk and water for instant mashed potatoes, adding salt, peppers and a bit of sugar for taste, I gather the fresh produce that’ll fit the dish and start chopping away.

Though little sister likes my shepherd pie, she is hankering for a reheated portion of yesterday’s Asian noodles. So, while I’m cooking the new dish, she is working around me to heat her choice of food.
This endeavor proves how well we designed the new kitchen. We manage to work side by side, exchanging position every once and a while, without actually getting in each other’s way…the way we would have in the old kitchen.

It isn’t until big brother comes to stand nearby, talking about a particularly annoying news report that was on TV this morning, that it gets too crowded–with him come ten more dogs at least, each and every one of them swirling around our feet–and we send him off to the other side of the counter in order to be able to move.

Thirty minutes later, having used the marvelous big oven that crusted the cheese on top of the shepherd’s pie beautifully, it’s time for dinner–little sister promises to eat her share tomorrow–and we all dig in. The dish is a success, and earns itself a spot in the cookbook sometime in the future for sure.

After dinner I spend at least an hour cleaning up, doing the dishes, and removing spilled grout from the tiles, before deciding I have enough room to get the last cabinet from its place by the last piece of counter that still belongs to the old kitchen, and clean it thoroughly.

While the cabinet used to stand up straight, it is the plan that we’ll hang it horizontally this time. It is pretty dirty from being untreated and vulnerable to canine bodies rubbing up against it for more than a year, and some blemishes need to be repaired.

I start using the “mouse” sanding machine, but when it proves to be useless against the dirt that has gathered I take out the heavy duty B&D and spend quite a bit of time sanding it down to the wood until at long last it is ready for painting.

Little sister and brother are obviously not in the mood for remodeling today, but middle sister is game and comes down to help me prime the cabinet and then put on the first layer of red by the time the evening starts to draw to an end.

In the meanwhile, big brother joins in for a bit–at my request–and cuts off a section of the steel racks for the fresh produce, so it’ll fit below the first one. While I don’t like to waste precious materials such as stainless steel, I fully intend to throw the cutoff section away when cleanup time has arrived and little sister comes down to scrub the rack for use. But when middle sister and I are making the rack sturdier during reassembling, I see the section lying there and realize that it is actually still useable.

I mess with it for a bit, and yes, there it is, a perfect basket for fresh fruit, which fits precisely on the bar in the center of the kitchen island.
I LOVE it when we manage to recycle endurable materials, and love it even more when it looks good.

It’s already past midnight when we’re done cleaning, and after doing some quick pull-ups (I always feel I’m missing out on something when I don’t have a workout) on the metal staff hanging in the living room I relax with a pear for a snack and some OJ. After sitting there for half an hour or so, it’s well passed my usual time to move the pack up for the night.

They’re tired, like me, and are actually remarkably calm as we make our way up the mountain and enter my cabin. The temperature is pretty low tonight, certainly compared to today’s pleasantly mild weather, so the heater gets turned on before I feed the dogs and get read to settle behind the computer for my nightly session.

The dogs, who’ve been very patient with all the projects going on these weeks passed, do require some extra attention tonight, crowding around me for a good rubbing on the bed and floor alike.
The monster Boxer is actually snorting her demands on the bed as I stand at the foot-end rubbing her all over until she’s literally chortling her pleasure. She has the cutest way of sniffing and snorting when she’s excited. Hah.

Mosha tries to climb onto my shoulders, the black labs are stroking themselves against my legs like cats, and the rest is trying to get their fair share until I decide they’ve had enough and clap my hands to get them to their resting place of choice.

Half of the pack does exactly that, while the other half looks at me indignantly when I climb on the bed, settle with the computer and log on.
There are some fun chats on the net, no personal messages–which is a first, I believe–and then of course today’s Blog.