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I am very happy to say that nothing new or exciting has happened this week. No big surprises so far, and no heavy news. The only thing of note is having Teacher's Convention yesterday and today means the kids have an extra long, 4-day weekend, and the kids having an extra long weekend gives me one, too.
Writing is coming along swimmingly. This is a pun just for me due to the short-ish new story I'm working on. You'll laugh later once the story gets posted. How fun this story is to write has provided the proof I needed that asking for prompt words from the Twitter community is something I want to do more often. I guess every time a story ends I'll put up a new tweet and see what interesting and diabolical words I can receive. :D As for my big manuscript, I've gotten nearly all the edits I wanted to do done. The story hadn't stalled out, but I'd overcomplicated things for myself and made the manuscript less fun to work on (not to mention the pandemic impacts on writing time and life in general over the past year, which are lessening for the moment at least).
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“I don’t have a list,” Trevor said. She dropped her head to one side as she considered her answer. “Honestly, my first two serious relationships showed me that someone cute is fine to look at, but often not fine to have a relationship with. My third one confirmed my mom was right when she told me to look for someone I like talking with, not someone I found interesting getting talked at by. My last relationship we were just too much alike and fought all the time. I guess now… I like looking at people I think are cute, but I get attracted to compassion and that excitement that bubbles up when people are interested in learning something or they have a passion they love talking about.”
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Hello and Happy Friday! My mental health is at a high today, with emotional well-being better than it has been for about 4 years, and I'm suspicious of this being a trick of my hormones but choosing to enjoy the day.
Outside temperatures are decent again, too, so keeping all my fingers crossed that everyone affected by the winter storms in the deep south of the USA will soon also be shaking off the horrible cold and snowstorms. Winter storms without power are no joke here in the northern latitudes and we have well insulated homes and winterized infrastructure. Please stay safe down there! I've been writing almost every day for a few hours weekday mornings (hmm... this might be to blame for the improved mental health I'm enjoying, as well). The latest idea was supposed to be a short story, but it isn't cooperating and apparently is a long story. I don't think it'll reach a novelette word count, but it has too many words for a short. Editing once it's finished will hopefully cut it down, but I guess it's lucky for me this one is destined for releasing to Wattpad rather than seeking publication. Awkward word counts are hard to sell.
Anyway, in cold temperatures sweat is moisture and wet clothes are cold clothes so make sure you have a dry layer against your skin (swimwear and tight work-out wear that covers skin is awesome for this, a bikini or thong speedo ain't your friend), and wear at least one looser layer of clothes overtop. Shower curtains are small tarps which can be used as indoor sleeping tents to trap body heat closer to you. If you don't have enough blankets to sleep with layers above and below you, use clothes you're not wearing below you. Your mask will help your face stay warm when you need to go outside. Any head covering is better and warmer than no head covering. I hope you're safe and well this weekend!
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Trevor cupped Leo’s cheek in one hand, her smile full of silent laughter one of the most perfect things he’d seen since getting assigned to Dockland. Then her fingers traced along his bottom jaw in a way that sent a tingle down the length of his spine. He leaned closer. She covered his face with her hand and shoved him into his chair with a laugh.
Happy Friday! Happy Lunar New Year! And, for everyone in Canada celebrating it this Monday, happy Family Day long weekend!
I see lots of things to be happy about this weekend. I hope you get to enjoy at least one or two of them, too. Writing is going well, and I have zero way of expressing how wonderful it is to say that again. I've been able to enjoy reading again, too, and that's beyond wonderful. Especially with book 3 of Kiranmala and the Kingdom Beyond arriving yesterday from my preorder placed last year. I'm planning to read The Chaos Curse cover to cover this weekend, let it sit for a few months, and then blitz the entire trilogy. Much like the Percy Jackson books, I'm so glad these novels are on my bookshelves and I can return to the worlds within them whenever I need or want to – and they're here for my kids to discover.
There was a legend from times long ago that our basement floor and living room were actual open spaces and not piled wastelands where children's toys linger and multiply. Seriously, I'd heard the tales. Friends, this week I found the floors. In both rooms! I could even vacuum!
I'd be delusional to assume the house will remain like this for the long weekend which starts after school today, but I'm going to bask in the glow right now. (Plus, the kids pitched in last weekend and did a big clean on their own so there was really only half a mess for me to deal with this week, hence the staircase organizing I was able to get to. Credit where it's due: the kids did a good job picking up.) Hope you're staying safe and well this weekend! 1-2
Trevor snorted a chuckle. “How do you figure fate and fortune play into it?” she asked.
“Because I’ve learned more about systems and tech from you in the past two weeks than I did during the last two standard years at Academy,” Leo said, sitting at the work station beside hers. “And now I’m almost certain that means I’ll get promoted before you, because now I’m so educated and so smart.” He smiled at her. “It must be fortune and fate working in my favor.”
I've had an empty house all to myself during days this week. Evenings the house has everyone home, and this weekend we'll be stuck inside due to the expected extremely cold temperatures (around -30C during the day), but next week I'll have an empty house all to myself during the days again.
If you've never enjoyed living alone this probably doesn't mean too much. As an introvert who loved living alone when I was an unwed adult, I have to say this is wonderful. For the first time in a long time I feel like I have a full drawer of emotional energy spoons when I'm around my husband and kids. (I don't actually have a full drawer, let's not get unhinged, I just don't run out before 4pm and go into survival shutdowns every day. Now I run out around 9pm and can veg with my knitting because the rest of my family are – theoretically – in bed and going to sleep. The hubby gets up for work before 6am so he goes to bed early, too.)
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“You lost?”
Leo startled out of marvelling at the lines of ships in Dock. He was entering one of the commercial areas, a cavernous room full of cross-traffic passing into and around a central grouping of dome structures housing stores and restaurants. Far above, the entire ceiling was covered with transglass holoscreens showing the view of space outside this section of Dock 12. |
AManda FLIEDERThis was a weekly blog updating on Fridays, but life got busy so now I pop in now and then to let you know I'm still chipping away at my stories. If you look back through the archive you'll find weekly quick personal blurbs about me, as in what's going on during my life as an Author and mom, and that doles out my short stories and novellas in bite-sized parts for everyone to read for free! Check out my Short Stories section for free downloads of most of my writing, too! Archives
March 2024
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