Winter Checklist 6
It's been a few days. I haven't done many productive things, but I have done GOOD things, and HAPPY-MAKING things. (And a few not-so happy things too, because life.)1. Decorated the house. Holiday stuff takes up a lot of space in boxes, but it doesn't fill up a lot of actual home. Hanging garland took the most time. Spouseman helped, and fun was had. We have room for more lots more lights on the walls, but the stores are already out of stock on the brands of LEDs with white cords I prefer. Noted on the October calendar for next year.2. Ordered a new Christmas tree. We've been nursing along an old artificial tree for a couple of years, (I think it's like 7 or 8 years old all told) and it's time to accept that it's long past the end of its life span. So to speak. (Dustier every year. Branches without needles. Broken branches. A Pisa-like list to one side...)I'd love to have a "real" tree, but I'm a snot who only wants an actual fresh-cut one, not one that was harvested months ago then shipped dead and dry. We went with a company my Dad highly recommends. New toy tree will come pre-lit with MOAR LED LIGHTS IN MANY COLORS. That alone will be exciting. I'll report further once it's delivered.3. Had myself a downtown travel adventure day. Discovered a new pie place. This is excitement in my life. I also got fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and holiday gifts. Visited with a good friend, and met some neat new people.4. I made a doctor appt for tomorrow morning. Go me, using the phone & everything. Why doctor? Because ugh, I've been doing the "watchful waiting" gig on a sinus infection for weeks, hoping it would clear on its own. But no. It gets a little better, then comes back worse. Headache, facial pain, sense of smell affected, and now I have pressure in my ears too. Decongestants & antihistamines don't touch it. I can't fool myself any longer.Bracing to be to told the usual bullshit about antibiotics being over-prescribed, probably viral, come back in 2-6 more weeks blah blah blah JUST GIVE ME SOME FERSHLUGGINER AMOXYCILLIN DAMMIT. Or Augmentin. Or even a Z-pack. *SIGH*5. Got the last rejection for promotional ads I'd put in for Rough Passages. (Not shocked, the slots fill fast this time of year, and I was slow off the mark.) My dilemma now is, go still run a sale or not? It costs nothing to set up, but why bother when marketing is what gets me readers, not low prices?That isn't self-rejection. My personal reach is saturated. Reaching 30 pre-orders for Rough Passages took weeks of relentless, creative, well-shared social media work. I have neither time nor spoons for that right now. I'd rather be writing.6. So, because things #4 & #5 were not happy things, I am making comfort foods like crazy. Today I have committed garlic bread & slow-cooked pepper chicken, plus more cherry cheater-cobbler. Yesterday there was bacon for breakfast. Bread is planned.7. And part of the holiday prep involved going through the sticker/pin/lanyard collection I've been accumulating for a few years now. They're sorted and the pins are on display. So shiny. That's another happy.8. Also I have sorted loads of DVDs into binders. It's my contribution to the Clear Out The Basement project. Tonight I start the last genre to be sorted: action/scifi-fantasy-horror/thrillers. Left that one for last because it's the one most likely to result in distraction and viewing.That's it. This one turned into a bit of a rant-vent fest, but hey, that's a thing I do sometimes too. So it's valid.Onward to tomorrow.