Inside my head, 22-25 Sept, 2018

• Overachiever-me has managed to destabilize both elbows somehow, and the usual remediation isn't working.  Usually rest, NSAIDs, external support & activity modification for a few weeks takes care of minor joint tweaks. Not this time. It started in my right arm, now it's both arms, and it might be getting worse. Hard to tell. Because I tune out pain all the time, I'm really bad at noticing incremental changes. If this isn't better by the end of next week, I'll have to go to the doctor and stomp my feet for a PT referral. Time-consuming PITA. BAH.
• ICYMI,  I'm locked off Twitter & Facebook 5 days a week from 9AM-9PM until further notice. Locked as in, "I no longer hold the passwords." I use a productivity app, but FB & Twitter both deliberately undermine its effectiveness, and I have the self-control of a hamster in a bag of carrots. This decreases the drag on my willpower. As I get used to it, I'll likely post shorter things more often here.
• First line for a story. "Angela's death sentence arrived in the mail on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, right after she dropped off the kids for their play date." Not sure if this is the next novel or a Rough Passages short. It's still simmering.
• Ah, the fun of writing research. A few recent queries:
  • description of airbag hitting your face
  • What is the most popular day of the week for funerals
  • journal articles on the genetic basis for cat hair colors
  • MCAS medical definition
  • nutritional information Grape Nuts
  • dog agility common hand signals
• The less time I spend online, the more I remember why I was such a lurker in online communities before social media. (Yes, they existed) I love soaking up new ideas by watching and learning, but even simple unscripted social interactions wear me out. Since social media platforms are engineered to trigger isolation anxiety and reward constant interaction, using them ends up feeling like I'm strapped into the machine from The Princess Bride. "That's one day of your life sucked away. How do you feel?" Ugh. I feel jealous of those who can be social without losing all ability to focus every time they log in.
• Every year, Banned Books week leaves me wondering if there are any books that HAVEN'T been banned. By the way, it's Banned Books Week! Celebrate your right to read! Get a book from your library, borrow one from a friend, or buy one. I can recommend a bunch. Including mine.
• (Pssst. I write books. They're pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself.  They're available on Amazon & most places ebooks are sold & paperbacks can be ordered. You can even get your library to carry them. Ask your local librarian how. )

aaaand that's a wrap.