Friday, February 26, 2021

Squirrell!

My darling DD caught sight of these in Dollar Tree the other day and brought them home to me. They definitely brightened my day as well as my week, which didn't start off great. It's ending on a better note, thanks goodness, but I'm glad it's the weekend. (They're salt & pepper shakers, if you couldn't tell.)

I heard back from the online publisher to whom I submitted "the cookie book" I mentioned a few weeks ago. It wasn't a request for the full, so that really bummed me out. I'd had my own doubts about the opening chapter, which was all that I was allowed to submit for the query, but I wanted to get it off my plate and didn't listen to my gut. So while I'm not surprised or devastated at this point, it did sting a little on Monday.

The editor did invite me to revise and re-submit, giving me until the end of next week to get it back to her for possible inclusion in this year's anthology. So guess what I'll be working on this weekend and into next week? There's not a whole lot of work to do so I should be able to get the alterations done and a new query sent...

Anyway, hope you're well and have a great weekend.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

National Pink Shirt Day


So today is Pink Shirt Day... the national day to stand against bullying. It's always the last Wednesday of February each year, so the actual date will shift from year to year.

Back in 2007, a couple of young men in high school witnessed the bullying of another student at their school for no other reason than that he was wearing a pink shirt. I'm assuming it was a "he" even though it wasn't specified since no one would ever bully a girl for wearing pink.

These two young men were apparently able to get the vast majority of their fellow students (of the whole school)  to wear a pink shirt the following day in protest of the previous day's incident...

And Pink Day was winked into existence!

* * * * *

In other news... I actually have some other news...

Guess who took the dog for a walk this past weekend?? Yep, me.

Guess who walked started walking to the post office again? Yep, me.

Guess who's cooking more than once a week? Yep, me again.

Hope you're having a great week. Catch you on Friday.

Monday, February 22, 2021

Sidney Crosby Day

 

My boy Sidney Crosby played in his 1000th hockey game this past Saturday. The tributes made by his teammates and friends were touching.

The mayor of Pittsburgh deemed Saturday, February 20, 2021 Sidney Crosby Day in his honor. Sidney was the savior of hockey in Pittsburgh especially, but some could argue for the league as a whole as well.

He was the Number 1 Draft Pick back in 2005 and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins who were in possession of the number one pick.

He's had an amazing career earning himself not only multiple, multiple individual awards, but three Stanley Cups, two Olympic golds, and a gold medal at the World Cup of Hockey and World Juniors.

Here's to many more...





Friday, February 19, 2021

God is Amazing...

Texas does not get a lot of ice, snow, or below freezing temperatures as a general rule. We certainly don't get any one of those things or more than a day or two and rarely if ever piled on top of one another. But here we are...

Despite the layer cake of weather phenomena...we still have the birds and the squirrels.

 

Most creatures down here are acclimated to what we do get, but what was amazing to see was that critters like the birds and the squirrels must have the ability to withstand this kind of weather written in their DNA. They may not have to utilize those strands very often in their lifetime--but when they need them, they work. :0)

Our standard cadre of squirrels has shown up every day. Our usual number is six, but we've seen up to eight. They come and eat until mid-to-late afternoon and then off they go to burrow into their nests for the night. I can see several nests in the surrounding treetops.

The birds, too, have shown up. Even some species we don't normally see in our yard...the grackles.

Anyhow, we survived weather-pocalypse and, by this afternoon/evening, our temps will rise above freezing and remain there for the foreseeable future.

Have a great warmer weekend. Take care now.

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Well, it's been a *week* hasn't it...?

 ...and it's only Wednesday.

We've been extremely lucky here at Chez FitzGerald. We've had power the whole time (as had our office space)--knock wood.

Unfortunately, several of my close friends as well as writers groups friends have not been as lucky and have been without power and heat and some without water. One friend's pipes burst just this morning.

*sigh*

It's been a huge mess here in Texas and, no, the large wind turbines scattered across West Texas are not to blame. People are to blame. Somewhere, somehow, people made decisions without enough information, without thinking through the consequences and establishing contingency plans and here we are...

2021--adding insult to the injury of 2020...

There's not much "in other news" that's good...except, I guess, that in less than a week, temperatures (highs and lows) will rise above freezing and stay there going forward. Then begins the aftermath of picking up yet more pieces.

I'm sorry--this isn't a very positive post, but a lot of things just suck right now, and not acknowledging that seems disengenuous.

So...hope you're someplace warm and safe...and we'll check back on Friday...

Take care...

Monday, February 15, 2021

Oh the weather outside is...

...f*cking frightful. Pardon my "French."

The chance of snow came back with a vengeance--100%--and we have at least three / four inches on the ground.

Thank goodness I took my daughter's suggestion to grocery shop Saturday morning, (I usually go Sunday morning.) despite the hassle I went through. My Walmart was closed, so I had to go to a different one whose layout was somewhat similar, but not 100% the same, so I had to go up and down every aisle and backtrack a few times. But the roads were clear and the temps tolerable.

Because this is what I awoke to Sunday morning:

This was Sunday evening, just before sunset:

And this was this morning (Monday):

I know the whole nation is experiencing crazy weather. Some parts are more used to this. We are not.

Usually we get a dusting and it's warm enough that it melts within 24 hours and we're back to standard conditions.

Not this year, baby!

We've hunkered down and I'm working from home...if there's even work to do. I'm sure most of our clients' employees are stuck at home unless they're essential and I know they're not. So--good old fashioned snow day.

The problem is, we're not going to warm up for any of this to melt away by tomorrow. We stay below freezing through Thursday...with another round of snow expected (90% as of this writing) on Wednesday... 

Last year was one for the record books and it looks like this is year is starting off with a bang as well--

Hope you're warm and safe. Take care and have a good week. Catch you Wednesday...

Friday, February 12, 2021

Time To Hunker Down...

 

 

So we're looking at six straight days of at or below freezing temperatures... There might be a blip of temperatures a tick or two higher, but those high would only last a few hours. We have a forecasted low of ZERO!

What even is this??

On the bright side...our chance of snow on Sunday has disappeared and we might get it on Wednesday instead, although at this rate I image it'll disappear.

Most of you who read this blog actually know me and you probably know how much I hate the cold... For the rest of you--I hate being cold. I've taken to layering my clothes for the day in a lap-size electric blanket so they'll be warm when I get dressed in the morning!

I know it's February in Texas and that it is normally our coldest month, but this is taking things just bit too far.

Okay, </whine>. There are lots of people--our blessed farmers for one--who have to go out in it and deal with it in order that the rest of us can eat. So may the Lord bless them and keep them and watch over them.

Have a great weekend and stay warm!

 

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Happy Hump Day :0)

 

I've had to tweak my reward system just a hair...

The original plan was that accomplishing all daily goals 4 days out of 7 earned me a puzzle from Dollar Tree. And then 7 days of perfect accomplishment earned a trip to Buc-cee's or, since we're going to hockey games again, a new puck for the collection.

The problem is that if I have a bad Saturday (day one of the week for purposes of this system only) then my 7 day reward is out the window, and then there's no incentive to be as diligent or to strive as hard if there are other challenging days...

So 6 perfect days will earn a book purchase. (I found a new author!) But if I get 7 perfect days, I have to choose one reward or the other.

I'm also fixing to swap out one item for another. The daily working-on-writing is pretty much a given unless I'm up/out late because of hockey, but that's a pre-set acceptable exchange: WIP or sleep. I need sleep and, while I love writing, I can't sacrifice sleep. My body doesn't function well without enough of it.

Anyway, I'm thinking of cycling in daily walks to the post office (rather than driving, that is). I don't have the best timing, though, do I?? North Texas is about to get hit with some sub-freezing temperatures. But I've been meaning to add another sustained effort of exercise and I used to walk to the P.O. many moons ago.

It's a nice way to get some fresh air and sunshine (even if it's cold--unless it's too cold).  Of course, what do I do on Saturdays and Sundays? I could use the treadmill for fifteen minutes or--wait for it!--I could walk the dog. Granted it's only two days, but better than nothing, right?? And once I'm able to work from home again, it could become four....

Hope you're having a great week so far... See you Friday.

 

Monday, February 8, 2021

O-blah-di, O-blah-da--Life Goes On...

Sorry for missing Friday. I just had a complete lack of inspiration. I'm still not feeling it to be honest, but here we are.

It's kind of a gloomy day and curling up with a good book sounds like a really lovely idea. Alas, the day job is a thing. :0)

Anyway, life goes on in a cycle of working, and writing, and hockey, and reading...

Hope you're well.

 

Today, I'm just gonna share some of my favorite images from posts past...




The top picture is down on the coast of Texas, the other two are at a local lake.

Have a great week.


Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Monday, Monday... Is now Wednesday...

I tried to get something up on Monday, but the inspiration, the words just weren't there.

And now it's Wednesday. I don't feel like I should let two official blog days pass without a post, so have a general life update...

I submitted the cookie book to an online publisher this past Sunday. My receipt email arrived Monday. I should hear back within 60 days if it was accepted or not. *fingers crossed* If it's not, then I'll get a cover made and publish it myself next Christmas. No harm, no foul.

I've got three writing projects on my plate at the moment--finishing the epic historical, percolating hockey book 5, and character development for a future series...

I think I'm just about ready to dive into writing hockey book 5--yeah that's only book five, not six like I thought. My list of hockey books included the box set of the first three. So I thought I was on book 6 for a minute there, but then realized that no, I've only got four individual titles out. Book 5 is for this year, book 6 will come next. I've fixed the list, moving the box set to separate list/section to avoid future confusion. :0)

Aaaand....

Hockey is back!

After a false start (half the team ended up in COVID protocols and games were postponed), we--I should say: the STARS hit the ground running with four straight wins. Then they lost two. And got back into the winning column again last night.

Be Loud. Wear Green. Go Stars!

Whelp--

We made it through January, but 2021 goes marching on.

I made a good start on my goals. I cooked meals. I mopped the kitchen and hallway. I sent a letter to my grandma. I worked on character worksheets. I completed and submitted a book. I worked out.

Now that we've turned the calendar page... 

I'll keep cooking and mopping and writing letters and writing books and  watching/attending hockey games.

The temperatures will keep warming and the days will keep getting longer and I'll keep making progress.

Hope you're well. Catch you on Friday!