Gaining Traction

Our little town has a huge number of restaurants per capita. That also means we have an equally huge number of coffee shops.

I had really looked forward to the end of the pandemic so I could go back to the George House near the University of Findlay campus. Unfortunately, it has gone out of business. The Timmies near our house had reduced their hours. The staff at the Timmies across town glare at you if you dare to sit and eat at one of their tables, nevermind being in your laptop. Cafe Amici has excellent coffee and no parking since it's downtown.

Why am I talking about coffee shops? Because sometimes, I need to get out of the house in order to write.

DH and GK used to laugh at my because I'd circulate from room-to-room on the first floor. When that didn't work, I go to the neighborhood Barnes & Noble or one of the nearby Starbucks.  I know it's such a cliche. Also, I don't know why a change of scenario works to unstick my writing, but it does.

Best of all though, we now have two standalone Starbucks in town.

I've been stuck since the beginning of the year. Normally, I'd have half a novel done by now, but I'm struggling with edits since November. The cataract surgeries didn't help. Neither did my normal trigger of cleaning the bathroom. We bought this house so I could have my own office for crying out loud! And all I do is stare at the boxes I haven't unpacked yet.

So this morning, I grabbed Baby Blue and my Kylo Ren flashdrive and drove to the closest standalone Starbucks.

It worked! Solutions started clicking. My grilled cheese sandwich even got cold as I fixed the issues on the current manuscript. I came home feeling pretty good. I may have to go to Starbucks every day next week to keep up the momentum, but it'll be worth it.

Grooving on the Writing and Deer!

I went to Starbucks yesterday to write. It felt good sitting quietly in a cafe and tapping away on the keyboard. So good I did 1200 words in one sitting. It's been a while since I could do that. I guess the last year of the pandemic stressed me more than I realized.

This is the first picture I took when I arrived in Boise. Tracie was showing me around their house, and we stepped out into the backyard. The mule deer buck stuck to the shade int the neighbors and nibbled on some greens.

His new horns are pretty fuzzy, and he didn't seem to care we were out there until I got too close to the fence. But instead of taking off, he saunters a few steps away and kept an eye on me.

For those who don't live in the western portion of the U.S., the mule deer, or black-tailed deer, is so named because their tails resemble a mule's, as opposed to the white-tailed deer that like to go traipsing through our yard in Ohio.

I expect wildlife in rural Ohio, but Boise is a major metropolitan city. Tracie lives a few blocks from downtown. But it's still high desert and was 100 degrees the afternoon I arrived, so I don't blame the little guy for wanting a little shade and a bite of green.

Another Manic Monday

DH bribed me to get out of bed a little earlier today with breakfast from Starbucks. Princess Bella recognized the logo on the bag as well as the delightful smells and demanded her share of my sausage, cheddar and egg sandwich.

The egg, sausage, and bacon wraps are back, but they are no longer the huge burritos they once were. I'll have to get a report from DH on whether they taste the same. On the plus side, the Starbucks kiosk in Kroger now has online ordering. That will come in handy because the stand-alone store in town is having staffing problems. Again.

I've got a stack of Kickstarter reward packages I need to take to the post office, some books to return to the library, and a novel I need to finish writing.

Frankly, I focus on all this minutiae so I don't break down over a world gone mad. And I hope my stories bring someone else a little respite on the insanity.

During the '60's, I was a small child who believed my parents could do anything. Now, I'm a grandparent who feels utterly powerless to protect my loved ones. It sucks to watch the storms rolling in and feel so damn helpless.

I'll get my running around done, and then I'll focus on my little worlds where I do have some control. My heroes deserve a happily ever after, even if I can't give them to people in real life.

Moving Forward

We got the check from the insurance company, so now we're lining up folks to work on our basement. Now's when I really wish I could go to a coffee shop to write, but with the Delta variant putting vaccinated folks in the hospital, I need to lock myself in my office and pray the installations of new equipment aren't too noisy.

At the very least, I can go through the Starbucks drive-thru for a trenta iced tea, no water, light ice.

Car Rides, Breakfast, and Proofing

DH has the week off, but there's really no where to go or nothing he can without endangering lives, both others and his own. So far, he's managed to leave me to my work, which involves finishing A Twist of Love and a shit-ton of proofing.

Yesterday, we had to run a couple of errands, mailing GK's city tax return and pick up DH's drugs from the pharmacy. We also picked up a pizza on the way home because one of our menu delivery services never arrived.

Bella was quite put out that she had been left at home, but it was too hot for her to stay in the car during the errand running. Dogs love rides, and she is no exception.

DH had to go back to the pharmacy this morning because one of his prescriptions didn't arrive until this morning. So I offered to buy breakfast if we could take Bella for a ride. The gal at the Starbucks drive-thru even gave Bella her own little cup of whipped cream, which Bella LOVED! But she still expected me to share my bacon, egg, and gouda sandwich because, well, BACON!

So, we're back home. DH is loading the dishwasher. Bella's found a relatively cool place for a nap. And I need to get some words in before proofing a few more chapters of a paperback.

I think I can handle more days like this even if I have to wear a facemask.

Thank Goddess, It's Friday

I woke up this morning, feeling as of I had a huge weight off my shoulders. It was more than finishing a book yesterday. Something in the world shifted.

But Monday, Hero De Jure goes live, and I'll send the link to a "publish every month for a year" group (this is my first month). Then get the paperbacks set up since I'm so behind on those.

Today though, I'll write a few words on A Twist of Love, get some more caffeine, and start putting away all the crap that has piled up in my living room/office while I tried to get a bunch of books finished during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus isn't over by a longshot, but I'll take what little peace I can get.

I'll leave you with a little amusement for your weekend!

Naked Puppy Pics

Things have opened enough that the groomer at our vet was able to take appointments. Baby Bella went in yesterday morning. I told the groomer to shave her down.

You see, Bella is a Morkie (a Maltese-Yorkshire hybrid). Their hair, and make no mistake, it IS hair not fur, DOES NOT stop growing. When we adopted her, I thought, no problem. I can take her to a groomer every other month.

*sigh* The last time Baby had a haircut was December. I expected her to join the protests at the State Capitol Building in Columbus, but she couldn't see past the hair covering her eyes to get there.

Even better yesterday, I was able to hit a Starbucks while Bella was getting shaved. I love Starbucks' bacon, gouda and egg sandwiches. I haven't had one since March 12th, four days before the shutdown in our state started. It was worth the risk.

And to make the shaving up to Bella, I got her one, too. Then she got one of her rawhide chew sticks.

That doesn't mean everything's over. I didn't take my safety for granted. I still wore my mask, I was careful about what I touched, and I washed my hands thoroughly--several times.

So, now, Bella and I are ready for another couple months of isolation.

Because I can do my own damn roots!

Batteries Recharging

I took the last couple of days off. Got some sleep. Read a little. Watched TV. And I feel better than I have after the last two and a half months.

Three months ago, I was packing for Las Vegas, a combined work/vacation trip. It was educational and productive, but I was on my way home and had a short layover in St. Louis when the first death from COVID-19 was announced.

With 87,000 dead across the U.S. now, we are starting to accept the new normal. Well, most of us are. It means masks and hand washing. It means keeping physical distance. It means new procedures just for going to the doctor and grocery shopping.

In a very selfish way, I'm excited that Starbucks is open again. I may not be able to sit at a table to write, but I can pick up a tea or coffee to take home and write.

Plus, DH and I are cleaning the apartment this weekend. In addition to clean sheets, I plan to reclaim my desk from the pile of paperwork and dust bunnies.

It's easy to say you have to be kind to yourself, but sometimes, it's a lot harder to actually do it.

26 Days of Christmas - The Guilty Indulgence

I've lived with diabetes for fourteen years now, and I do pretty well about controlling my diet during the New Hallowthanksmas holidays.

But my single indulgence is Starbucks seasonal beverages. And starting December 1st, I indulge in my one-per-week Peppermint Mocha.

Why I love Peppermint Mochas: It's like drinking Girl Scout Thin Mints. 'Nuff said.