A Steam Locamotive...

...pulling out of a station is pretty much what I feel like as I recover from COVID-19. Every once in a while, I feel like the cow caught on the tracks.

I still don't have enough spoons to deal with a normal day yet. Either I write or I run errands/clean or I do a bit of both. The post-COVID fatigue is real, and it's a frickin' pain in the ass.

However, I am making forward progress on both A Cup of Conflict and Death Goddess Walking. Every time I start to feel anxiety over my apparent lack of writing progress, I remind myself there's no rush. First of all, I want to make the best stories I can. Also, book sales are down for several reasons.

The Olympics are currently happening in Paris and other French territories. School starts in a couple of weeks throughout most of the U.S. And the American election campaigning has turned into a full-blown soap opera.

That's not counting the war in Gaza, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the election chaos in Venezuela, along with the usual armed conflicts, famine, and sickness around the world.

However, I only have the strength to deal with my immediate duties. It's not that I don't care, but other worries will have to wait until I have more spoons in my drawer.

In the meantime, I huff and I puff and I tell myself, "You can do this! One step at a time!"

July Is for Madonna

In 2005, Madonna returned to dance music with Confessions fron the Dance Floor. This was my facvorite track from the album.

Missing Deadpool and Wolverine

I've been to every preview night for a Deadpool release until last night. I still have a cough from the COVID, and I didn't want to irritate the people in the theater.

And that's assuming I could manage to sit through the flick.

I had to lay down after taking a simple shower yesterday. The COVID fatigue is real. And totally fucking annoying after nearly two weeks of barely having the strength to toast a bagel for breakfast.

On the plus side, the brain fog has lifted. I've managed to write the last two days. It may not have been much, but it's something.

I'd planned on using July's Camp NaNo to finish one of the books I'm currently working on, but that got shot to hell with the COVID.

In the meantime, I'll rest some more, write some more, and hopefully, go to the theater to see Hugh Jackman in a comics-accurate Wolverine outfit later this weekend.

Even if it means masking up myself!

Writing Again!

My head felt clear enough to write a little bit yesterday, which is an awesome feeling. But instead of working on one of the current wips, I sketched out the three blurbs for a whole new trilogy and started the first chapter of the first book.

Whoops!

Unfortunately, that's reality for a writer. I haven't been able to concentrate over the last nine days. Much less summon the energy to work on the pieces I've started. Sometimes, you need a palate cleanser to clear the cobwebs from your brain.

This new trilogy gives me something to be excited about. Get the neurons snapping to life in my brain. Hopefully by this weekend, I'll be back working on the other projects.

Besides, there's other news that brought glad tidings to my desiccated soul. I'm going to hug this news and hold it tight. I cling to whatever brightens my life because sometimes, you just need to be reassured that the world isn't turning into a cesspit of greed and dysfunction.

COVID-19, Day 7

After having COVID-19 for a week, I'm ready for it to be done.

The headache and brain fuzz prevent coherent thought, so I haven't tried to write or even read. This morning I woke up exhausted and slightly nauseated. I shouldn't have taken all my pills when I first woke up. My stomach threatened to rebel. I ended up napping for another hour and a half before I could even think about attempting some  breakfast.

My big problem is simple boredom. I'm pretty limited in what I can do. If I try to sort through boxes, the dust aggravates my stopped up sinuses. The fatigue prevents any cleaning inside or weeding outside. I'm pretty much forced to lie on my recliner with the Princess Pup and watch movies and TV.

DH is already feeling better and is back to work. But I fear my autoimmune issues will make my COVID-19 last longer. But I figure as long I can breathe, I'll be okay.

I hope!

(By the way, I'm still not testing positive even though I have no doubt that I have COVID. GK never tested positive when he had it either.)

July Is for Madonna

I think this song and its video are Madonna's cleverest work.

I'm Still Down

I'm still enjoying the lovely effects of a midling case of COVID-19. My fever broke in the wee hours of Thursday. Today, a productive wet cough started. I'm really hoping I'm nearing the end of the infection.

Genius Kid has been making food and medicine runs for us and taking the Princess Pup out for some of her constitutionals. She's actually been super well-behaved. I think she understands we don't feel very good right now.

So she's curled up on my lap, and we will both try to nap. I doubt if I get much more done today.

COVID-19, Day Two

The allergy symptoms have disappeared. In their place are definite COVID symptoms. Headache, neck and shoulder pain, and a sore throat. But it's been three days since DH came home, so the timing is about right.

We'll see how much writing I actually accomplish the rest of this week. Any amount of words will be a victory.

In the meantime, I have Mike & Molly running on the TV. That show makes me happy.

Damn COVID-19!

After four years of being super careful, it happened to us. DH got sick after he came home from the Buick Nationals. I was praying it was con crud, but nope. He brought home COVID-19.

After taking the Grandpuppy to the vet for a follow-up on his ear infection and wearing a mask out of an abundance of precaution yesterday morning, I stopped by the pharmacy and got a couple of tests because I wasn't feeling the greatest either. DH was positive. I was negative. But I'm not taking any chances.

I'm not running a fever or coughing like DH is. I'm pretty sure my symptoms are allergies from a friend's kitties and the pollinating corn fields. You know, sinus pressure and itchy eyes. But I'll be staying home for the rest of the week.

However, I found this cute video on YouTube that brightened my day!

July Is for Madonna

Contrary to what other people think, the '90's brought out Madonna's most creative aspects.

A Quiet Place

Well, quiet except for the dogs. DH and GK are headed to Cleveland this afternoon to attend the Buick Nationals this weekend.

DH inherited his grandmother's 1987 Buick. It was the last new car she bought before her death. DH's dad inherited is first. He gently used it to carry his golf clubs when he met up with his buddies to play a few holes in the spring and summer.

It's original and still in very good shape for a nearly forty-year-old vehicle, though DH and GK made sure to take some tools, equipment, and their AAA cards just in case.

In the meantime, the Grandpuppy in whimpering because his hoomun left him here with the Attack Tribble. The horror!

The Niece will be spending the next three nights with me so the Grandpuppy has a hoomun to sleep with. I don't have a problem with him sleeping in my bed, but the Attack Tribble only tolerates DH in bed with us. (I think it's because he's a consistent heat source as opposed to my power surges.)

Anyway, I hope to make some progress on my current wip over the weekend. We'll see if the Grandpuppy settles down. Too bad I can't give him a chocolate Long John to settle his nerves.

Start of a Busy Week

It's only noon as I start typing this. Yep, I was awake before noon. DH had a dentist appointment. The Princess Pup and the Grandpuppy had grooming apppointments.And GK was awake until dawn, playing video games.

So, GK is still asleep. DH and Grandpuppy are now napping. And I'm watching The Weather Channel as Hurricane Beryl lashes Houston while waiting for the text that Princess Pup has finished her beauty treatment.

Before he fell asleep, DH agreed with my statement that I was glad we no longer living in Houston. Last night, I texted friends who live down there. Everyone was prepped for Beryl's landfall.

I will write for a bit this afternoon and edit while I bleach my hair in preparation for another round of pink. When it's cooler tonight, I need to deal with the weeds trying to uproot our brick patio. After dark, I'll get online and sprint with some friends.

And it's only Monday!

There's a lot more things scheduled over the next eight days. All I can do is what I can. Last thing I want is to trigger another stress-related inflammation cycle. I don't have time to be stuck on the couch for another week.

July Is for Madonna

This is from one of my favorite movie soundtracks. The movie itself could have been better.

Reliving Some Fun

I've been watching Jem and the Holograms while I was doing bills today. Back in college, I depended on the cartoon series to get my ass out of bed in college. Without Jem, Aja, Shana, and Kimber, I probably would have flunked out.

So, if you can't get Tubi, here's the YouTube listing!

Attempting to Get Back into the Groove

July's Camp NaNo started Monday, but I've barely gotten any words in on any of my projects. Part of it is that I'm still recovering from the ravages of the four-day trip to my immuno-compromised body. Part of it the errands we need to do before Genius Kid heads to his next duty station.

Like getting the Grandpuppy's vaccinations up to date. Getting the cars unpacked. Washing up everything that was covered with dog hair. Figuring out storage places for the household items that won't be going to the next duty station because it's a short-term assignment.

Over the next few weeks, we'll need to register the rest of GK's vehicles in Ohio. Get Grandpuppy officially licensed in our county. Find GK an appropriate laptop for travel. Change GK's phone plan so he can make international calls. Obtain a few items compatible with the electric system where he's going.

I'm still teetering on the edge of exhaustion. Picking up my prescriptions, a card for this weekend's wedding of one of DH's cousins, and some fresh veggies for tonight and tomorrow night's dinners wore me out.

Tonight's my writing groups free night because one of our members works the late shift on Wednesday. Normally, I write anyway, but I'm not sure how much longer I can stay awake.

Will I finished writing one freaking book this summer? Yes, but I refuse to kill myself doing it.

Back in Ohio

We arrived home late last night with GK's cars and everything that couldn't go in the moving truck, including the Grandpuppy. I was even able to get a little done writing and editing-wise in between last-minute errands, packing up the two cars, and cleaning out the apartment.

Unfortunately, by the time I pulled into the driveway, my entire body hurt like hell between insufficient sleep, a piss-poor diet, and general stress from driving two days straight from San Antonio to northwest Ohio. Autoimmune issues suck the big one.

Today's going to be a time-suck with little writing accomplished, too. We already took the Grandpuppy to the vet for his immunizations. The guys are working on the Buick in preparation for the Buick Nationals next weekend. And I'm going through e-mail and snail mail in between loads of laundry.

I'm meeting some writer friends in Detroit for lunch next week. I'm really looking forward to that.

I just hope I survive until then. Sometimes, I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place.