I'm not fit company for man nor beast

Why?

A Gigantic Annoyance is looming on my horizon. Did I tell you about our legal woes? How the person who bought our house in MN is now thinking about suing us? Even though there was a home inspection, she was in and out of the house multiple times, and even though we provided her with enough documentation on the house to choke a horse?

Yep. She appears to think we cleverly deceived her about the electrical, the insulation, the status of our trees (all diseased, apparently), etc. Of course, we lived there for almost 20 years and had no problems, but that doesn't count.

So until I can cool down and think rationally about it all, I probably will post very little. I may, however, share some plot ideas I have for how to kill someone who buys a house then has buyer's remorse ...

Adventures in travel

I'm now traveling out of a small airport, not a big hub like Minneapolis, and traveling small has its benefits. Example? My flight last Thursday was canceled due to weather and I was rebooked on the next flight, about 4 hours later. There are only about two dozen flights a day out of that airport, so when flights get canceled, it's chaos. But it's a very small airport, so it's controlled chaos.

Me? I went home, had a nap, ate lunch, then came back. It takes about 5 minutes to get through security and another 2 minutes to find my gate, one of 7 in the airport. Piece of cake.

Yeah, it's inconvenient that I don't have a lot of choices. But a lack of choices also simplifies life quite a bit. And you know -- I'm getting to that point in life where simplified choices is looking pretty darn good....

Can I leave my computer behind?

I'm prepping to go to my first conference of the year (Love Is Murder) and I'm traveling light, just taking carry-on. It's a low-key conference and I don't need a lot of clothing, etc., and I mailed my books and promo items to myself at the hotel, so hopefully they'll be there and waiting for me.

I figured I wouldn't take a computer. I mean, heck, it's a 3 day conference and my roommate and travel buddy will have a laptop. Then I had that nagging little thought. "What if?" What if I get stuck at the airport with a delayed flight (in Chicago, not here. If I'm stuck here, I'll just come home. I'm 20 minutes from the airport. Piece of cake). What if I want to keep my momentum going on that story I'm writing?

Grr. Okay, maybe I'll take a computer. I have 3 to choose from. Well, actually I have 5 to choose from. I know, I'm an over-buyer when it comes to tech. I have 3 very small computers: a Vaio 8", a Toshiba 10" and an HP 12". Then there are my laptops (work, home) but those are too heavy.

Okay, I'll give in. I got out the Vaio and I'm updating it now -- Open Office, Windows OS, etc., all needed an update since I haven't used it since -- hmm -- last summer? I'll put it in my shoulder bag and I'll have it and I'll lay you odds, I don't open it once on this trip.

But hey: better to be safe than sorry, right? Because someday that "what if" scenario will come true and I'll be damn glad I was prepared!

Well, that resolution lasted about a minute

I really did mean to keep this blog up to date, but damn, I failed miserably.

Here's the deal: I work full-time. I write in my free time. I have a social life. You do the math. Publishing isn't my first love any more so I don't invest as much of myself in it.

What is my new love? Damned if I know. I haven't found it yet. Don't get me wrong. I still enjoy writing, but I no longer am angsty about how it will be received, if people will love it, if I get good reviews, or hell, if I get a publisher. I'll just publish it myself if I feel like it. Or not. Maybe I'll just write because I want to.

So this blog will be updated, but hopefully I'll go back to my 2x weekly schedule. That's the best I can hope for, I think. And check my web blog for what's going on with books.

I missed a day because ...

I was busy. Icky busy. Icky as in, I had a colonoscopy so I had all that lovely prep to do. Nothing like sitting in the bathroom for a few hours to help you get caught up on your reading, at least.

Everything went well -- I think. Some biopsies were taken and we'll have the results soon. I don't have any particular worries, but you know how it is -- a curve ball can come at you at any time. So I remain cautiously optimistic.

As I sat there, doing my business, I was reading Jane Eyre. I have toyed with the idea of writing a kinda Jane Eyre book. I hesitate to say too much about it unless I actually get working on it, but suffice it to say, I found Jane absorbing enough to my mind off my woes. Hats off to you, Ms. Bronte!

And I spent the afternoon after the Event resting and relaxing. I was so groggy I had to just be limp. I watched some TV then in the evening I indulged in pajamas and a movie: Finding Neverland. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I realized, as I watched it, that I was truly feeling better. I figured out a way to turn Peter Pan into a murder mystery.

Add another book to my To Be Written stack!