End of August

My favorite season came early this year. When is that? It’s when there’s “clear-sky, middling humidity, cold at night, warm at midday” weather, with light from 6AM to 8 PM, when the trees are showing a hint of color, perennials are drying out for fall, and the grass is vivid green again, when the cicadas are winding down and the mosquitos are dwindling but the tree frogs and crickets are still going strong—that’s my favorite season.

It’s usually mid-September, but this year the heat broke mid-August and it’s been glorious for a week straight now. I’m totally soaking it up. Which, yes, is affecting my “productivity” such as it is. Spending even more time than usual watching birds in the yard and reading in the shade/sunshine depending on time of day and intensity of UV.

Yesterday I did all the things I intended except writing, which I did only on blog and in my writing-prompt group online, not in either WIP. But! Every new is a new opportunity. So I’m told by all the peppy online productivity experts. Relentlessly told, even. Anyway.

Today started with a nice soaking bath, because why not, I was feeling achier than usual and there’s no one to tell me I can’t bathe in daylight hours. Breakfast was once again a tasty indulgence of roll + butter and jam. I was accompanied by Pippin, who was quite vocal this AM asking for his kibble soup and demanding swoosh toy time as well.

Logged into the computer to learn that Rough Passages has been awarded a fancy badge by the Indie Author Project program, joining Controlled Descent, which was awarded that honor back in the first year the program was around. That means both my Book 1’s are in their commercial-partners program, so I could potentially get a few dollars a year if people read the Bibliobard library ebook and then decide to buy their own copy.

I have played all my daily brain games, done my duties as Destroyer Of Invasive Rodents, and later today people are coming over to enjoy my introvert haven with me. There will be quite time with books and/or projects, food, and eventually some TV viewing, probably Disney movies from the early aughts era I missed. In between now and then, I’d like to get in some writing.

I’m enjoying Apple Music’s ability to keep playing “similar music” after a curated playlist finishes. Some playlists work better than others. For example, I love the Chicks and Tift Merritt, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear Garth Brooks, f’rex. I can do hours of P!nk, but cannot handle single Beyonce or Megan Thee Stallion song. (I respect their music. Cannot LISTEN to it. Same as with Bob Dylan.)

Or maybe I’ll start a list of books I’m reading or rereading, not because I think anyone else is interested, but because I really should keep better records, and none of the online review sites really do it well.

Onward with the day.

Daily minutia

Backstory:

Had a great workshift. Two programs and lots of people at the printer kept me busy giving directions and helping with various low tech questions on desk time. Dinner was rice & sausage baked in the oven with peppers, all thanks to Spouseman, and it was delicious. Fell asleep in front of the TV, big shocker. I am going to try to rein that in as the nights get longer. Almost done with Grimm in terms of physical watching. I was done with the annoyances of the series about a season and a half ago. Looking forward to Strange New Worlds.

Vacuumed my office and the rest of the upstairs, which proved to me—as if I didn’t know already— that I need to do more core exercises and joint strengthening work. Enjoyed lunch outside and discovered that the pollinator wasps are already doing their autumn swarm thing. I put a little of my drink and my corn cobs out for them at the far side of the table to enjoy so they’d leave me alone. Saw multiple hummingbirds at both feeders. We are in peak migration season, and I want to keep those little travelers all fueled up so they come back next spring. Butterflies are still loving the zinnias and all the wildflowers.

Weirdass bugs swarmed all over the pumpkins this year, which I could’ve fought with bug killer, but I kept procrastinating driving to the hardware store until too late, so there will be only one wee pumpkin this year. I’m pulling the dead vines and pitching them into the municipal compost bags in hopes of getting rid of the eggs, at least. And I did get gorgeous pumpkin flowers all through June & July, at least.

Dreamed about my “two angry women and stray cat” story last night, which provided a resolution I like for it. The main problem I’ve had with it from the start is that there isn’t much point to it. It’s my usual “slice of life, things happen, and people are better off at the end” kind of story.

And today over breakfast I stumbled across the Copyright Discourse going on thanks to the AI scraping lawsuit…looks like the Copyright Office might have inched its way far enough into the 21st century for me to face the registration process and finally get my books them Officially Registered.

Legally, they’re copyrighted because I say so. Yes, really. That’s how it works. But it’d be sweet to have them show up in a government database, just in case I ever need to do a lawsuit.

Anyway.

The Plot:

Today has started with Indulgence breakfast of a toasted roll with butter on the side and jam by the spoonful. Do my daily puzzles. Get in some stretching and strengthening exercises. Slice and marinate some cucumbers, clean and refill the hummingbird feeders, bake the last of the chocolate chip cookie dough I made Monday. Write a bit, maybe. Finish Grimm.