October 29, 2006

Time, time, time

Daylight savings started today. Anyone who knows me will know I don't handle the start of daylight savings well. My body knows darn well the clocks are lying and that I am hauling its butt out of bed at an hour that truly starts with 'six'. And it isn't happy with that concept. So I'm probably in for my usual week of being vague and bumping into things before my body decides resistance isn't futile. Maybe one of the things I'll bump into will be Chris Isaak on Friday night (yay).

At least it will be nice to have more light at the end of the day. My writing schedule for November seems to include revising two books (one of them twice, one of them a BIG revision thanks to the light that has been seen courtesy of a crit from a pubbed friend (really, romance writers are the most generous people on earth)), entering the GH (twice), getting two full critiques, a crit group weekend away, two online courses and having to get stuff off to both an agent and an editor if I can. Which I think means the optimum daylight savings arrangement would be adding about four extra hours to every day. So I might be scarce on the blog. Or else whining a lot.

In other news, his orangeness returned to the vet yesterday. She pronounced herself satisfied with the healedness of his butt but decreed two more days of bucket head were required. The orange cat, needless to say, has not received this news well. He is prowling around, looking out the window, making approximately the same noise I'll want to make when my alarm goes off tomorrow morning an hour early : )). And has been doing so for a day now. Sigh. He's a persistent little critter. Luckily, with the Melbourne Cup day holiday factored in, I only have one five day work week in the month.

And that's about it. Much to do, so just as well I'm up early. The real estate gods were busy yesterday, so happy move day for yesterday to Keri and yay on the house purchases for Jo and Chris. That's officially four lulus and two best friends who've bought houses or moved or both in the last six months. Me, I'll settle for tidying up a bit.

October 19, 2006

Deja vu



Poor orange cat says "I hate my butt".














Grey cat says "Yay, it's not me".

She can be funny that way.



Mel says "I need a nap".

October 14, 2006

Busy, busy

It's been one of those weeks. Busy at work. Trying to do the exercise thing (someone needs to invent the 1 minute total workout lol). Out Thursday night (and not sleeping so well cos of weird 36 degree day in October!!), out last night, two things on to today and that's not counting the driving home to the folks after I have done everything else. All good catching up and talking book and critting stuff but I need a nap already and it's only 8.30! Thank God for caffeine.

But I will be hauling the laptop home to get stuck into the wolf first revision now that I've had some noodling time and some feedback. Plus I went crazy and entered it in the GH so I need a pretty decent draft by early November to meet the entry deadline. Then I'll figure out what to work on next.

A writer's work is never done : )

October 07, 2006

Cooking

It's October. That can't be right. Where'd my year go?

I was meant to spend this week having a break from writing having finished the first draft of the book. However my brain has been reluctant to let go of it and keeps noodling away at things. Including another idea for these characters. Yikes. That one has to go on the back burner I think.

But I was noodling happily until I got home on Tuesday to the big R on the book that I'd just sent over. A fast rejection. A long, encouraging rejection but still the big R on a book I thought was good. And slightly different reasons to the last big encouraging rejection I got from these folks. So puzzlement (after the obligatory 12 hours of moping) ensues. Wiser heads are being consulted. But that's the nature of this game. The writing bit is fun even when it sucks, if you know what I mean. The trying to sell bit is not for the faint hearted. And from what I see in my pubbed friends, the published bit even less so. People who say popular fiction is easy to write and sell, well let them try it.

So my rest week became an examining my options week. Revising the wolf book is still the first priority. Then we decide what to do for the other mob.

Yesterday being my semi-regular Friday off (soon to be my all the time Friday off, yay), I had lunch with some gals from the RWA committee which was fun except for the bit where I got champagne tipped all over me (and not even a complimentary dessert or something to make up for it). Then I had a work thing. We did an Asian cooking class at the Queen Victoria Market, which was great fun and the dishes we made were universally acclaimed as YUM. Even the oysters which aren't my fave thing in the world. It was run by Allan Campion, who was also great, funny and knowledgeable. He writes the Foodies Guide to Melbourne which the VT (being married to a chef and all) tells me is excellent. And runs other courses and classes and has other books. So check him out if you're looking to improve your cooking skills (no stabbing selves in the thumb involved) or your knowledge of ingredients.

Just don't do it on the same day as going out for lunch or you will roll home. Lucky for me it's a good walk from the market to where I parked my car. And I'm heading out into the sunshine for another one now.