Category Archives: Miscellaneous

I go to find the snow!

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Legolas watched them for awhile with a smile upon his lips, and then he turned to the others. “The strongest must seek a way, say you? But I say: let a ploughman plough, but choose an otter for swimming, and for running light over grass and leaf, or over snow–an Elf.”

With that he sprang forth nimbly […] and his feet made little imprint in the snow.

‘Farewell!’ he said to Gandalf. ‘I go to find the Sun!’

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

In the weeks leading up to my journey from Texas to the Kentucky area, I had numerous people ask me, “Why there?” Every time, my response was the same: “They get SNOW.”

Now, I’m in the Kentucky area, I got my snow, and Texas…well…

You’ve all seen the news, right?

It’s bad. Very bad. I’ve reached out to my family and friends in Texas. One of them didn’t lose power, but I think it’s because they live onsite at a business. The others…one just got his power back on after three days of nothing. The other hasn’t had power in five days now. She went to a friend’s house who does have power to charge her phone. They’re holding out okay, but there are millions who are still going without.

My sister is an optimistic soul. She’s hoping that this will help curb the COVID outbreak in Texas, but I don’t see that happening. The state is having to open up their shelters and warming stations for families without power, which means large numbers of people packed in (relatively speaking) small spaces. There’s no other choice though. Either people freeze or they expose themselves – and their families – to a deadly virus. Read that again, folks. Either they slowly freeze to death or put themselves at higher risk of catching a disease that has already killed millions worldwide.

And then, there’s Ted Cruz, who – after giving the smarmiest “I got no defense 🤷‍♀️” response to someone calling him out for blasting California’s energy problem, while not taking care of his own home state’s power grid – decides that he’s tired of the snow and jaunts off to Cancun, Mexico.

I’m not usually a “thoughts and prayers” person, but if you have any of either of those to send up for the people of Texas, please do. While you’re at it, please pray that they finally realize their “representatives” don’t actually represent them and vote them out.

How we doing out there?

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So. I’ve had a post sitting, waiting, for the past two weeks, explaining (and apologizing for) the lack of writing logs. I had them on pause while I was back in classes, because, honestly? I just didn’t have the spoons to write with. Now…oof. 

I live in Texas. The schools in our district are shut down and we’re not sure when they’ll reopen. For now, the kiddos are doing online courses. The eldest kiddo has had their first online assignment, but most of their classes won’t start/open until Monday. They were very unhappy with the idea of online schooling until it sunk in that they could do it in their pajamas. Now, they’re like “YES!” There’s still some grumbling because they miss their friends and boyfriend, but I think the prospect of spending all day in comfy clothes is helping to soften the blow a bit. The youngest is in full denial mode. He misses his friends, and he doesn’t want to spend all day staring at a computer screen when it’s not playing games. 

One of my roommates is a distributor, so he’ll be working through this crisis. The other’s workplace has gone to “no contact” operations. She keeps the doors locked, and all business is done online or through drop-offs. She’s also the one who got herself a trip to the ER last week, leaving with a possible (probable) flu diagnosis. That was scary, in itself, because the weekend before, we went to a couple shops and then out to eat at IHOP. The doc said she didn’t have enough symptoms to warrant a COVID test though, and the symptoms she did have weren’t in line with the virus, anyway. Still a scary moment. My cousin posted on Facebook last night that he’s sick. He’s feeling better today, but he’ll be tested on Monday. He lives in Japan, and apparently tests aren’t as hard to come by there, I guess? My sister has imposed some strict quarantine rules for her house. She just turned 50, is asthmatic, and is our mom’s caretaker, as it were. Mom is 71 and diabetic. She’s otherwise fine, health concern-wise, as far as I know of, but sis isn’t taking any chances, and I don’t blame her one bit.

My university has postponed the commencement ceremony until this whole mess is over. My job hunting is at a standstill now, until businesses start opening again. I supposedly still have a job at 7Eleven, but I haven’t even been paid from the last time I worked, so…yeah. I’m not falling for that again. We’re hunkered down and not going out if we can avoid it, but other than that, not much has changed for us. I guess we’re all lucky in the fact that most of us are introverts, and the one extrovert we have is the one driving around to all these stores. He gets all his people time out there, so he’s alright.

I know a lot of people are stressed lately, and I hope for a pleasant end to this soon…for everyone’s sake.

Happy February!

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They aren’t wrong when they say January is the longest year, but I have to say I’m rather happy with the way it turned out. I finished three chapters, started making actual actionable plans/changes in my life and my blog, and didn’t have to hide any bodies.

Look at me, being ahead of the game, and all!

We’re in February now, though, and Valentine’s Day is coming up on us fast.

Love, Valentine, Heart, In Love, Romantic, Wallpaper
Nietjuh

You know the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? Well, this month has been set aside for sappy love stories since long before my time, and I don’t really see a point in changing it up. A bit cliché, perhaps, but it gives me the opportunity to share some of my favorite love stories put to song. 

This is also the last couple of weeks I have off of classes before I start my final term. Then it’s off to graduation! I’ll be full time for the term, so no promises on how much writing will be done once it starts. I’m trying to make sure I stay ahead, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans. 

This is also the month I begin looking for a new job and tackle one of the more daunting parts of being a writer: sending out query letters.

Wish me luck? 😬😬

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Every mom ever.

Plans for this month:

  • Finish at least another two chapters.
  • Query at least one agent a week (unless advised otherwise).
  • Start a new job.

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