Day in the Life of an Idiot

I was reconfirmed as an extrovert on Sunday.

I didn't think that my status had necessarily changed, but I have always gotten along really well with introverts. I like a lot of the same sorts of pursuits that introverts like: reading, napping, reading and napping, quiet solitary walks in the woods, baking,and generally being a homebody.

But, after all the (safe socially distanced!!) social interactions I had on Sunday, I was positively giddy. I was literally dancing around my kitchen. Shawn, meanwhile, announced that all the peopling had tired her out and she would be going to bed extra early.

It started for me on Saturday night. I've been gaming with an on-line group for over a year now. I know campaign stories can be boring, so, suffice to say I had INTENDED to play a much more straight-laced character that session (since my previous one literally went AWOL) but somehow I still manged to be talked into mounting a rescue mission (for my aforementioned character.)  It was wild? I also tend to do this thing for the group, wherein I write a little ficlet about our campaign and share it with our group the morning after. I was in quite the mood when I wrote up Sunday's and so there was much drama.

That started my day off with a bang.

We had scheduled a somewhat impromptu Zoom with some friends of ours who are now living in Oregon. Their friendship provenance is that Shawn used to work with one of them when she was an architectural historian. They were both grunt workers back then, and now our friend has risen to be the head of her state's SHPO (State Historical Preservation Office) and Shawn is, of course, Minnesota's State Archivist, as well as Director of Library, Archives and Collections at the Minnesota Historical Society. So, they went back to it, like two peas in a pod, as my grandmother might say. It was really, really wonderful to reconnect.

That ran right up into my scheduled video call with my folks, who are both still doing very well, I am happy to report. I learned from them that Minnesota had been part of those COVIdiot protests, which, had somehow, previously, escaped my knowledge. I had foolishly thought we were immune to such garbage and am very disappointed in 800 of my fellow Minnesotans.

Of course, just this morning, I saw some yahoo with a "Trump" bumper sticker on their truck. I only noticed them because, of course, they were being a$$holes and not getting out of someone's way as they met coming down our street.

Then, a friend came over to give me another jump. (We both wore masks and stayed more than 6 feet apart.) APPARENTLY, I did not run my car long enough the other day to fully recharge it. So, once the car was up and running, we did a short grocery run, with Shawn sitting in the car while it continued to idle, and then a run to Menards to pick up a new battery, since clearly, we need one. It must have been enough finally, because, this morning, I discovered that my coffee shop is open for curbside delivery again and so I hopped in the car and got us all some divine, delicious coffee THAT SOMEONE ELSE MADE. I had not yet switched out the battery, so I was pleased that the car started and I could wait until the weather was slightly warmer to do that.

Just when you thought I was done seeing people for the day, I got an invite from our friends the Jacksons to play Boggle together and we video chatted while challenging each other on an online site. It was lovely to see everyone again. I showed off the bread I had made that day, but which was different than the bread I made the day before. (I've stopped posting pictures of my bread. Sour dough demands daily bread. It's ridiculous. However, I am now able to make bread from my own recipe based entirely on what kind of crumb I want any given day. Yesterday, no milk or butter because I wanted a slightly more artisan feel to it. Today, for the hamburger buns, all the "softening" ingredients.)

I was actually so keyed up from all that interaction not only did I literally dance around the kitchen, but I had a hard time falling asleep last night.

Oh, and I forgot to report that on Saturday morning to discover that my fic for the food challenge was well-received and I got an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING gift in a fandom that doesn't get a lot of love, but which I absolutely adore, so that also made my weekend extra, extra special.

And! My bloodroot survived the snow!


Image: tiny white flowers poking up from what looks like leaf debris and barren ground...

I was very worried that the snow had killed them. So, these are native plants, and Wikipedia tells me this fascinating bit of trivia that I did not know: "Bloodroot is one of many plants whose seeds are spread by ants, a process called myrmecochory. The seeds have a fleshy organ called an elaiosome that attracts ants. The ants take the seeds to their nest, where they eat the elaiosomes, and put the seeds in their nest debris, where they are protected until they germinate. They also benefit from growing in a medium made richer by the ant nest debris."

I had no idea. That's kind of cool.

 Today has started out busy and is going to remain that way.... a lot of it is a GOOD kind of busy, but still busy.

This morning, after dropping everyone off at their various locations, I rushed home to meet our Rainbow Tree arborist, Lieben, who I was consulting regarding some of our "trash trees" in the back.  One of them, an elm, has decided to grow over where the power line connects to the house and over our garage. We would never want to trim that close to a power line ourselves, but this is made extra difficult for WHOEVER undertakes it because our garage roof is deeply unstable. Plus, since he was coming, we're going to have him trim back some of the maple tree branches that are brushing up against the house. 

Rainbow Trees folks remember us because, when they accidentally over trimmed our front maple tree, Shawn called them in TEARS. Trees are very important to Shawn. She doesn't come off like a tree hugger, but she really actually is. 

So, this was a very intense, serious consultation, because they DO NOT WANT Shawn to call in hysterics about her trees.  

Then, I had to quick run to Kowalski's after Lieben left because last night at around 8 pm, Mason informed me that his robotics team was having a potluck and we were on the hook for something. I offered vegetarian chili, and so, after Naomi and I go to the farmer's market, I'm going to whip that together and bring it over in a crock pot around 3:00 pm.

Of course, when I was at Kowalski's, I forgot to pick up cash, which I will need for the farmers market. The days are numbered for the market and I want to be sure to get some good veggies--I particularly love farm fresh potatoes. My family doesn't much eat veggies, but I still like to put them on the table for myself, if no one else.  

After all that, tonight, Shawn and are are headed into downtown Minneapolis to meet up with Shawn's cousin, Kerry, who Shawn hasn't seen for about 20 years. We're going to have a late night dinner with her, since she's in town for a conference.  Shawn two brothers--Greg and Keven, who both also live in town--bailed.  So, it's going to be the three of us (we're leaving Mason to subsist on his pot luck food and a ride home from his GF, Rosemary.) Shawn did a tiny bit of cyberstalking on her cousin, so we'll see how the registered Republican rolls with the married lesbian couple. :-)

The windchill is some kind of Arctic tempurature, like, -22 F. Which, means, of course, it's devestatingly sunny out. Just looking out the window (if I don't notice the massive amount of frost build-up), I'd think, "Wow, nice day for a long walk!"

Today is Thursday, which means I will be super busy. To that end, I have started beef stew in the crockpot and am defrosting the kneffla (German from Russia homemade noodles) to add closer to dinner time. If we actually accomplish everything we INTEND to do, it will go something like this:

Changing the fish tanks,
At 1:45 pm volunteer in Mr. G.'s classroom and stuff Thursday folders,
Stay and volunteer for chess club (which really doesn't need me, so I may beg off on this part),
pick up Shawn at 4:30/5:00 pm,
Eat pre-made dinner,
Go to kuk sool wan at 6:00 (which I'm beginning to doubt we'll make. I'd forgotten how late chess club can go, and eating after 7:00 pm is very European, I think both Mason and I would faint before achieving that,)
and somehow do all the other things that normally need doing.

Yeah, that last one is probably off too. :-)

I suspect this means that I will have to DRAG Mason to KSW on Saturday. This will make neither of us happy until we actually get there and experience class.

Otherwise, I don't expect to get much done. As I mentioned in the earlier post, I'm currently working on a short piece for the Gaylaxicon chapbook. I'm also, having just finished revisions, starting to percolate/brainstorm ideas for other series, novels, etc., for my agent which will need to become proposals over the next several weeks.

That's about all the news I can think of at the moment.

According to my friends here at Amore Coffee, it's possible that I'm having an allergy attack even though I have no outward symptoms other than just being tired and sort of out of it. It makes a certain kind of sense. I wonder if taking an antihystimine will help? I may try later.

Today is Thursday, which is my busy day. In a little bit I need to go home and change the fish tanks, do a little housework, and then head off to Mason's school for volunteer foldering (which is better than conscripted foldering, believe you me.) Tonight is Wyrdsmiths, which I'm looking forward to, and I'm almost ready for -- I need to finish reading Eleanor's short story and print out the next chapter of Tate's ALMOST FINAL CURTAIN, which is the sequel to ALMOST TO DIE FOR (coming out in August.)

I'm still waiting to hear from my editor about the various proposals I sent her way. The funny cow mutilation mystery was apparently going to be sent to a different editor as humorous chick-litty stuff isn't doing well in trade. I asked what was, and the answer was "darker stuff" so I sent along a proposal of that variety too.

In the waiting period, I find myself starting to wonder "what if?" As in, what if my editor declines to buy an adult book? The good news is that Tate is still contracted to do two more books in the YA series mentioned above (the one I'm working on, and a third,) which means that unless they somehow renig I still have a job until 2011. Which, given the economy and book publishing in general, is nothing to sneeze at.

I'm thinking about the business of publishing because one of the tasks I've set for myself this week is ordering publicity postcards for both of Tate's releases as well as some kind of similar thing for RESURRECTION CODE. I always start to get anxious about a month before a book comes out, and that's now. HONEYMOON OF THE DEAD is coming out in May. I have a signing set up at Uncles, and I need to start getting the word out about that too.

Stuff to do!

I should probably take a page out of Shawn's book at make a list.

In other totally unrelated news, Mason got his hearing tested at school yesterday. This was just one of those things he randomly informed us of (getting information about what happened at school in any given day is like any one of those metaphors about doing the impossible ala squeezing blood from a herd of cats.) Apparently, it was just him. This doesn't surprise me. Mason has failed casual hearing tests at the doctors, but always passes the more intense ones with specialists. According to Mason, he passed the school's hearing test. Some of it, IMHO, has to do with the fact that when Mason concentrates he cuts out the world. This means when he's reading, I usually have to put my hand in front of the book and say his name, despite having shouted it repeatedly while trying to get his attention. I think, too, when he's daydreaming or thinking his own thoughts, he can do this as well. But he also has classic moments when he mishears things that are clearly spoken, too. Just the other night he thought mama said something about "bread pudding" when she's said "putting" things away or something similiar sounding.

So I'm not surprised that Mason's teacher thought to have his hearing tested. I'm equally unsurprised that he passed.

The biggest mystery is if Mason's teacher will talk to me about it today when I go in for foldering. We have NEVER quite bonded with this teacher the way we have with the two previous. We had some trouble with Mason's kindergarten teacher at first, but once we worked through it we became quite close (in fact, she came up to me the other day to say she'd read about my work out outfit on Facebook and had a laugh imagining it.) I have actually wondered if this "new" teacher is a little afraid of me. Why, you ask? Well, I am a scary butch lesbian, you know, even if I do wear hot pink sparkly workout outfits. And Shawn and I have come on pretty strong with her over the issue of Mason's reading privledges in the library, if you recall. Anyway, I've been volunteering there since school began and she still calls me Ms. Morehouse and is weirdly defferental. Perhaps she's being polite, but whatever it is we've never been able to bridge it to have a relaxed relationship.

You can't be friends with everyone though.

Mason, however, is making progress with the kids across the street. Yesterday when we came home they were out playing and he ran over to join them. Mama actually got to do that 1970s thing of calling him home to dinner. It was pretty awesome, actually. And they told him that he's welcome to knock on the door if he doesn't see them outside. I'm super glad he's getting this kind of experience. Much of my youth was spent going up the block to hang out at Holly Halverson's house or joining the neighborhood kickball games (although that last was more rare despite the fact that our corner was always home plate. The kids who organized that were older and, I preceived, meaner.)