lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
7 inches of rain so far this month in the Seattle area.

Normal, I am told, would be closer to 2" for the first two weeks of December.

Considering how much of the state went up in flames this summer, I'm not going to complain about getting extra rain, so long as it's also creating snowpack in the mountains (so far, so good). But I keep thinking - if the temperature dropped, that would be about 5 feet of snow.

I miss snow.

I don't know that I miss it that much. But I do miss it.
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
Today - and the next few days - will be given over to the page proofs for SILVER ON THE ROAD.
As seen via a series of tweets:


I can’t be the only writer who, when faced w/ page proofs, finds it uncomfortable/difficult to read even a beloved book One More Time? Y/N?

2nd-guessing foreign language usages in this book, now. Trusting my native advisors, and accepting responsibility for all errors.

How many pages of page proofs can the author proof if an author must proof page proofs? (300 pages to go…)

oh, @MetMarket, telling me you have dark chocolate-covered graham crackers and then only having milk chocolate is just CRUEL #sadtrombone

I’m missing every typo in this book, aren’t I? Must trust proofreader…. (never trust the proofreader).



No sunset photos tonight, and probably none for a while - they're subtly beautiful in shades of pale blues and pinks, but the awareness that the beauty is caused by the smoke drifting down from the BC wildfires makes me less eager to capture them.

Meanwhile, after a week of unreasonable heat, the wind off the balcony is refreshingly cold and smells of ocean and ozone. If I could sleep with the door open, I would (alas, the cats cannot be trusted with overnight, even with the gate up).


And that's all I got.  How YOU doin?
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
This has been one of those weeks, so far, where things get done but very little of it is the stuff you had planned to get done.  Still, progress is progress.

And speaking of progress, we now have pre-order links for SILVER from Amazon, iTunes, and Kobo.  No B&N yet, which is making me slightly fretful...

This morning we are moderately socked in with fog, which is pretty to look at from up here (it started low on the water and then rose up to obscure the mountains), but isn't helping me shake the brain fog. Putting aside writing and revising in favor of research and website work (slowly, the Devil's West portion of the site comes into being....).

Working my way through the selection of under-$15 bottles of wine I picked up at Total Wine.  So far, a grand total of two have made me think "yeah, I might buy this again" rather than "meh, it was drinkable."  Probably proof that there are plenty of decent $15 wines, but my tastebuds have $25 tastes.

On the non-work side, I'm just going to say that if you gripe or sulk about the fact that I have to schedule my social life around the fact that my cat needs an insulin shot, odds are that you're not making me want to spend more time with you.  And people who are cool with the feline schedule needs are among my favorite people in the world rght now.


The "acceptable" reds were Phenolia Red Blend 2013 ($12) and Apex Cellars The Catalyst 2012 ($15).  Neither blew me out of the water, but I didn't regret spending the money on them, either. The fact that both are blends is not a surprise - that's how you get a better cheap wine, rather than relying on a single varietal.
lagilman: coffee or die (happy go lucky)
You know you're a city dweller when... this morning at 7am there were individuals having a music party down in the not-an-alley* behind my building.  And my only thought was "not my choice of music, but not bad" rather than "these crazy kids why're they blasting music at 7am on a Sunday?"  And then someone played what I swear sounded like the opening notes to the X Files theme, and they packed up and went home/off to breakfast.

(*it's totally an alley running through the block, but an alley that's about ten feet wide and banded on either side by low dividers and greenery of the surrounding apartment buildings, rather than actual building walls.)

But wait, I begin at the ending, rather than the start.

Friday I discovered that the Reading Room at the Seattle Public Library (Central Branch) is not quite so magnificent as the NYPL main branch. I'm not sure anything in the US (or Canada) can match the NYPL main branch, honestly.  That said, and without feeling at all a traitor, the Reading Room at SPL Central is pretty damned awesome. Not because it's pretty (it's modern, and attractive, but not gorgeous) but because it does the job. So. Damned. Well.  The seats are comfortable but not so much that you forget why you're there and slope off for a nap.  The lighting - dear gods the lighting.  It's perfect: bright enough to read by, and angled so that no matter how I adjusted screen or page there was no glare.  And it was quiet.  The kind of page-rustling quiet places advertise but don't always deliver.  The kind of quiet where I felt guilty opening my soda, because it was so noisy

(and oh yeah: you can bring your coffee or soda in, so long as it's covered)

Anyway.  That was Friday morning, that and discovering the wonder that is the research Spiral.  Thank you, friendly librarian whose name I didn't catch, for explaining how that works.  That's marvelous.  The afternoon was lunch with the twinling and the diva, and then we hit Uwajimaya, where I spent a lot of time saying "no, I don't need this right now, I can come back and buy this when I plan to make x/y/z."  But I still packed up with various rices, good sesame oil, and various and sundry other things.  And then I went home and...I'd love to say I worked, but actually I crashed for a few hours, and then did some pleasure reading.

Saturday was all about working on a client's project.  And, um, napping.  I may be fighting off an attempt at the flu, but my flu shot must be working because all I'm getting is tired and slightly snotty.  And people might say I was slightly snotty already.  :-)

Sunday was off to the Sunday Writing Cafe, wherein I did another few thousand on the cracktastic project that may get the internal greenlight this week, so more on that later, and then the Ballard greenmarket to buy heirloom garlic and raw honey (and not to buy any of the root vegetables therein because I won't have time to make soup this week anyway) and thence home to... well, to sit out on my balcony for a while, because while everyone back home on the East Coast is battening down for what my be a historic blizzard (they're prognosticating the potential for up to 24" for NYC and closer to 30" for Boston), it was in the lower 60's and sunny, here.  So. Damned. Bizarre.

Anyway, I've learned three things about my balcony.

1.  The cats do not like me being out there without them (it's not been cat-proofed yet)
2.  It's going to be a tech-free zone, because I thought about a tablet or phone falling from my grip down many stories to its death, and shuddered.
3. One of my neighbors is growing lavender.  I have...mixed feelings about this.  On the one hand, yay for growing things.  On the other...it had to be lavender?  On the third hand, I should be thankful it was only lavender...

And now that I've gotten a heavy dose of vitamin D, time for some more work, because I run my life based on deadlines, not arbitrarily-decided archaic days of the week.  And Monday-Thursday are already looking to be buuuuuuuuuusy....
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
Two years ago tonight, I had moved my bed away from the windows, had stocked up on candles, batteries, and jugs of water, and made sure all my tech was fully charged, watching the news and wondering how bad it was going to get.

We were lucky - all we lost here was a tree (I still miss that tree) and power only fluctuated. But there are areas of NJ and NYC that still haven't recovered entirely.

I like storms. But if I never see Sandy's like again, that'll be good.

8138299645_66815a4262_z

flashbacks:
the eve of the storm
during
the day after
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
Last night I woke up and - half-asleep - replaced the summerweight coverlet with the down cover. This morning I am wearing sweats and a long-sleeved t-shirt, and making the season's first stew (lamb and lentils).

If you think all this makes me very happy.... you'd be right!

This is a weekend for working, not play: the deadline for the revisions of CLAWED (Gin & Tonic & 4) is Monday. That's also when 4th Q estimated taxes are due, wheee.  Need to get all the paperwork in order.

On the media side, we're into September, and that means ALL THE NEW SEASONS STARTING YAY! (well, except for those that don't start until October, grumble). But that lead to the realization that the reason I don’t stress or angst over upcoming seasons of shows I love is because I treat them like books - the moment I pick up a book I place myself in the writer’s hands: their vision is the one I am falling into, and I trust them to make the ride worthwhile. Angsting over it beforehand shows - for me and I emphasize only for me - a lack of trust in the writer, and if I don’t trust them, why did I pick up the book in the first place?

Now, they may fail that trust, several chapters (episodes) in. But that’s the review, not the preview.
lagilman: coffee or die (meerkat meh)
Today I wrote some words (about 2K, split between two projects), and fielded some email, arranged an interview for next week, herded gishcats, and took down the recycling.

And that's it. Meh.

I blame this relative lethargy on the fact that it hit 89 degrees and 70% humidity Out There, and even with the aircon on, my brain KNOWS and is UNHAPPY.

Is it September yet?

Wednesday

Jun. 25th, 2014 07:05 am
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
A still, humid morning. I'd welcome a raging thunderstorm, if it would get the air moving a little bit...

These are the days I find it hardest to work in: when the air is thick and heavy and anticipation is shivering just under the skin for something to HAPPEN and it never does...at that point I might as well drop a movie in and watch that, because my focus is shot.

But we're on the clock to hand in GIN & TONIC #4, and there are other projects with equally pressing deadlines that need attention too, so taking another day off isn't possible this week.  I've set up the fan to move air, made a fresh pitcher of iced tea, and onward we go.  Waiting for perfect conditions means you'll never do anything.

And so I'm on it.  Meanwhile, have a cat.
caswindow
lagilman: coffee or die (puppyface)
Hah! Work of Hunters/An Interrupted Cry is 51% funded! You know what that means, don't you? It means I can let myself start writing the first draft. I mean, as soon as I get everything else off my plate.  *drinks more coffee*

(51% doesn't guarantee that the project WILL fund. But it's where the reins on my story-impatience snap and I say thehellwithit, and just pray that we get the remaining 49% onboard before the deadline, and that y'all don't make me wait until the very last day because that's just cruel, y'all.)

Meanwhile, the snow has ended (looks like we got around 8-9 inches, which is nowhere what was predicted but still a decent haul), and the cold has set in.

No really, it's COLD.  Okay, not Midwest-style cold, but we're a coastal city damn it, we're not supposed to wake up to real temperatures in the low single digits....


*brrrr*


Still, I'll take it over 95 degrees, seven days a week and twice on Sundays.
lagilman: coffee or die (NYC)
The New York City Office of Emergency Management (OEM) today issued a Hazardous Travel Advisory for today and Wednesday. The National Weather Service has forecasted 8 to 12 inches of snow accumulation through Wednesday. Light snow will develop this morning with the heaviest snow between 4 PM today and 10 PM tonight. Blizzard-like conditions could occur during the heaviest periods of snow. Snow will begin to taper off by late this evening and end tomorrow morning. Temperatures are not expected to break the freezing mark through Friday. Overnight lows tonight are expected to be in the single digits with wind chills of -5 degrees. On Wednesday, temperatures will be near 20 degrees with wind chills in the single digits.

Me, I stayed in today.  I'll stay in tonight, too. Snow is fun, but staying out of the way of a serious storm if you can is better.   And hey, fellow snowbound city dwellers?  If you're ordering in tonight, TIP YOUR DELIVERY PERSON.  Also, be patient.  You're not the only one with that really good idea.
lagilman: coffee or die (citron presse)
1. A cat story.

So Castiel Kitten of Thursday likes to sit in the window seat behind my desk and do his “heyyyyyyy heyyyyy heyyyyy” meow (imagine a very cute rusty gate). And then when I turn my chair around and look at him he stops, stares at me in confusion like OMG you’re looking at me what!, and then starts purring like “hi I’m sorry please don’t be mad oh god I’m babbling” exactly the way fans do if we accidentally run into the object of our fannishness…

Dorkiest. Cat. Ever.

2. A book rec.

Many (many) years ago, baby-editor-I-was made an offer on a book I loved, Kathi Kimbriel's NIGHT CALLS. Sadly, the agent and author took another house's offer. But my love for the book has stood the test of time, and this morning I get to tell y'all that it's back in print! (Amazon only, for now)

(the second book is also available, ebook only for now)

3. The inevitable Kickstarter update/reminder.

Invested writer is invested: I've started writing WORK OF HUNTERS, well before there's any sane reason to (we're 50% funded so far, which is Really Good, but not yet There). And yet... Danny is a noisy bastard, and while Ellen's quieter, she's just as insistent. We start with a dangerous dame, some magic, and a corpse... (UF noir FTW!).  Also, although the chance to die has been taken, you can still grab the chance to dedicate a novella to someone!

4. SugarCat update.

He has started to be grumpy about his morning shots.  Less so his evening ones, although I suspect that's coming.  My fault for sticking him that one time, but it's getting harder to find a bit of loose skin.  :-(  I suspect he's inflating himself, although that's counterproductive to this not hurting.... (try explaining that to cats.  Can't be done).  Will have to up the intensity of the food-distractions...

5.  Weather report.

From "hey, this is kinda mild" to "oh hai lotsa snow coming" this afternoon, and back into the freezer for a few days.  But not the bone-chilling, life-threatening lack-of-heat we had earlier in the month, so that's okay.  Or at least, seasonable and location-appropriate. We'll be under the sofa-blanket, working, if anyone needs us....

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Laura Anne Gilman

September 2018

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