Been at work for five whole minutes, have already had to look up what month FM6's school story took place in and what class I had Teresa student-advising in FM5. And wait, I gave Vicky's class to Catherine, right? Better check that too! And this story takes place a year plus later so...
Too many years! Too many students!
Blarg!!!
Also the new kitten keeps trying to steal my pen...
Pages
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Friday, December 20, 2019
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
First Root Canal, SW Being Awesome Again, and WTEAW Work
So, first of all, since its been so long since the last update and even though I'm VERY tired of talking about this crap, I made the mistake of letting my doctor talk me into trying yet another new (for me) medication in September and it went about as badly as the others did, maybe worse. It basically turned my stomach into the Fires of Hell for the better part of a month, culminating in the constipation of all constipations where my intestines just said "fuck it" and stopped doing their business.
Luckily, being wary of all pills by this point, I stopped taking them just in time and sucked down 4 stool softeners over three days to rectify (oh how those words have never seemed more appropriately linked by their first three letters!) the situation, but...there went another month to misery and sickness. I'm now on the exact pills and dosage I want to be on and frankly should have been on since I ended up allergic to the one all the way back in March, but...well, next time I know to speak up, don't I?
October was generally looking up. Got a flu shot that made me pissy for a few days, very typical, and here's hoping I dodge the plague this Dec/Jan since I think I deserve that break at this point. Finished my read-through of all the school sections I've written before, and starting working on War to End all Wars again. Also worked with the people over at Deranged Doctor Designs to get covers done for WtEaWs and the Vicky Welf novel, which I'm not going to show you yet, but the Vicky Welf cover is sO SO Sparkle Princess Fantastic.
And yes, since my plan on how to split the massive FM7 is so very fucked up at this point, the new plan is just to release the last school story as it's own thing whenever life stops smacking me upside the head and I get to finish it, because I think you poor sods deserve whatever King Henry you can get as soon as its down at this point.
Like...the first chapter is done. Like...very done. There's a great conversation between Welf/Val/KH/Miranda that's just all over the place and so very them and wonderful and, damn, how am I that good? Only...there's 7 chapters to go and that first chapter is an amazingly indulgent 85 manuscript pages, so...what's that? 680 pages? On a SCHOOL story? The fuck is going on, Raley? But it's such a wonderful conversation guys...you're going to love it...I mean...this is anywhere as bad as Rothfuss or Martin, so there's that at least, right?
Oh yeah, October was generally looking up...and then I cracked a molar. We would eventually find out. At first all I knew was that something was horribly wrong. I have broken my ankle, I have gotten second degree burns all over my forearms and hands, I tore my deltoid once...NOTHING compares to the agony I experienced about a month ago. Just hours and hours of unrelenting pain that nothing could fix or temper. I couldn't even close my mouth, tooth on tooth was too painful. Broth hurt. Water hurt. Cream cheese felt okay. Yay for fucking cream cheese.
Cracked it on a Friday, didn't get to see my dentist until the next Thursday. By Wednesday the pain had started to lift, not because the problem was fixed, but--as we would find out--the nerve had finally died. By Tuesday I'd developed a oral-gel addiction and I'm pretty sure I threatened to cut my mother if she didn't get me more of it. HORRIBLE PAIN. Also, don't forget the cream cheese.
So...dentist doesn't do anything to help since he already knows what's up and sends me to an endo-something-or-other. I mean, he did tap the tooth with a FUCKING METAL TOOL. It hurt. CAN'T IMAGINE WHY. So I went to the endo-person and she turned out to be younger than I am, which is the first time I've gotten to experience that existential crisis, wasn't as bad as the one I went through to accept my grandfather's coming death this time last year (Still Alive BTW, still driving himself to all of his appointments, still lifting the middle finger to prostate cancer one month at a time) but...was a general 'oh, that's gonna happen more and more often, ain't it?' Then they'll all be younger than me. Then they'll start treating me like a retarded golden retriever...
She performed a few equally brilliant tests, the one that did the job was touching my teeth with a nitrogen cooled bit of cotton one by one until I said, "yeah I don't feel anything on that one."
Necrotic tooth!
Sounds badass at least...
So I got a root canal. Paid quite a bit for the pleasure. Hurt a lot less than the whole nerve death thing, so I guess there's that. Couple days from now I get to have ANOTHER appointment to prep for a crown installation and then the crown installation itself...
*WHIMPER*
After that, I have about a 10 day period where it looks like I can actually get back to WtEAW. I am...just, so, so need it. Fuck you, Thanksgiving! Especially green bean casserole!
After that 10 day period, we have December. I haven't mentioned it yet, because it seemed so very impossible that insurance would actually be helpful to a person for once, but given my trouble with my weight since...almost forever and my high blood pressure, and there was a whole thing dealing with lumbar arthritis and whether it was arthritis or something far more sinister going on behind the scenes that I also didn't mention to you lot that involved a nerve conduction study and an MRI, but point is: I have the opportunity to undergo elective gastric bypass surgery.
We're still a long long way from whether it happens or not, but I've got about 8 different tests or procedures to go through in December to kickstart the whole thing. So, December is going to be a bitch. After that, my schedule should ease and I'll be right back at it on WtEAW. If I do go through with the surgery, we're probably talking Jun/July and then who knows how long getting used to the new stomach. Yes, there's a chance I could get sepsis, just like any major surgery, but it's all laparoscopic now and much much safer than it was years ago, chill out, my mother already has dibs on the freaking out, okay?
Basically I'm a lot better and I'm writing, but...I'm busy making sure I stay healthy for decades to come, okay? So stop with the "are you dead?" shit.
Also, watch The Mandalorian and play Jedi Fallen Order, because Star Wars might just rock again. I mean..."Rise of Skywalker" is going to be a total disaster, but...
I have spoken.
Luckily, being wary of all pills by this point, I stopped taking them just in time and sucked down 4 stool softeners over three days to rectify (oh how those words have never seemed more appropriately linked by their first three letters!) the situation, but...there went another month to misery and sickness. I'm now on the exact pills and dosage I want to be on and frankly should have been on since I ended up allergic to the one all the way back in March, but...well, next time I know to speak up, don't I?
October was generally looking up. Got a flu shot that made me pissy for a few days, very typical, and here's hoping I dodge the plague this Dec/Jan since I think I deserve that break at this point. Finished my read-through of all the school sections I've written before, and starting working on War to End all Wars again. Also worked with the people over at Deranged Doctor Designs to get covers done for WtEaWs and the Vicky Welf novel, which I'm not going to show you yet, but the Vicky Welf cover is sO SO Sparkle Princess Fantastic.
And yes, since my plan on how to split the massive FM7 is so very fucked up at this point, the new plan is just to release the last school story as it's own thing whenever life stops smacking me upside the head and I get to finish it, because I think you poor sods deserve whatever King Henry you can get as soon as its down at this point.
Like...the first chapter is done. Like...very done. There's a great conversation between Welf/Val/KH/Miranda that's just all over the place and so very them and wonderful and, damn, how am I that good? Only...there's 7 chapters to go and that first chapter is an amazingly indulgent 85 manuscript pages, so...what's that? 680 pages? On a SCHOOL story? The fuck is going on, Raley? But it's such a wonderful conversation guys...you're going to love it...I mean...this is anywhere as bad as Rothfuss or Martin, so there's that at least, right?
Oh yeah, October was generally looking up...and then I cracked a molar. We would eventually find out. At first all I knew was that something was horribly wrong. I have broken my ankle, I have gotten second degree burns all over my forearms and hands, I tore my deltoid once...NOTHING compares to the agony I experienced about a month ago. Just hours and hours of unrelenting pain that nothing could fix or temper. I couldn't even close my mouth, tooth on tooth was too painful. Broth hurt. Water hurt. Cream cheese felt okay. Yay for fucking cream cheese.
Cracked it on a Friday, didn't get to see my dentist until the next Thursday. By Wednesday the pain had started to lift, not because the problem was fixed, but--as we would find out--the nerve had finally died. By Tuesday I'd developed a oral-gel addiction and I'm pretty sure I threatened to cut my mother if she didn't get me more of it. HORRIBLE PAIN. Also, don't forget the cream cheese.
So...dentist doesn't do anything to help since he already knows what's up and sends me to an endo-something-or-other. I mean, he did tap the tooth with a FUCKING METAL TOOL. It hurt. CAN'T IMAGINE WHY. So I went to the endo-person and she turned out to be younger than I am, which is the first time I've gotten to experience that existential crisis, wasn't as bad as the one I went through to accept my grandfather's coming death this time last year (Still Alive BTW, still driving himself to all of his appointments, still lifting the middle finger to prostate cancer one month at a time) but...was a general 'oh, that's gonna happen more and more often, ain't it?' Then they'll all be younger than me. Then they'll start treating me like a retarded golden retriever...
She performed a few equally brilliant tests, the one that did the job was touching my teeth with a nitrogen cooled bit of cotton one by one until I said, "yeah I don't feel anything on that one."
Necrotic tooth!
Sounds badass at least...
So I got a root canal. Paid quite a bit for the pleasure. Hurt a lot less than the whole nerve death thing, so I guess there's that. Couple days from now I get to have ANOTHER appointment to prep for a crown installation and then the crown installation itself...
*WHIMPER*
After that, I have about a 10 day period where it looks like I can actually get back to WtEAW. I am...just, so, so need it. Fuck you, Thanksgiving! Especially green bean casserole!
After that 10 day period, we have December. I haven't mentioned it yet, because it seemed so very impossible that insurance would actually be helpful to a person for once, but given my trouble with my weight since...almost forever and my high blood pressure, and there was a whole thing dealing with lumbar arthritis and whether it was arthritis or something far more sinister going on behind the scenes that I also didn't mention to you lot that involved a nerve conduction study and an MRI, but point is: I have the opportunity to undergo elective gastric bypass surgery.
We're still a long long way from whether it happens or not, but I've got about 8 different tests or procedures to go through in December to kickstart the whole thing. So, December is going to be a bitch. After that, my schedule should ease and I'll be right back at it on WtEAW. If I do go through with the surgery, we're probably talking Jun/July and then who knows how long getting used to the new stomach. Yes, there's a chance I could get sepsis, just like any major surgery, but it's all laparoscopic now and much much safer than it was years ago, chill out, my mother already has dibs on the freaking out, okay?
Basically I'm a lot better and I'm writing, but...I'm busy making sure I stay healthy for decades to come, okay? So stop with the "are you dead?" shit.
Also, watch The Mandalorian and play Jedi Fallen Order, because Star Wars might just rock again. I mean..."Rise of Skywalker" is going to be a total disaster, but...
I have spoken.
Sunday, July 28, 2019
The Dolphin Scene
If you like my series at all, I highly recommend that you immediately clear enough of your schedule to check out "The Boys" on Amazon Prime. It's a darker, subversive take on superheroes and their ultimate power: corporate marketing potential. It's also well acted, has great production value (The Homelander's cape highest among them) and switches seamlessly between truly screwed up situations and some wonderful dark humor.
Case in Point: The Dolphin Scene.
I will not spoil, but I laughed harder than I've laughed in years.
Fifteen minutes of full on laughter, replaying the scene over and over, worried I might pass out if I don't get control of myself, tears, pillow over the face so I don't wake up the rest of the house...all of that. I'm still giggling every time I think about it. Just every part of it from beginning to end is...it's so good!
Well, I have two last episodes to check out, so see you later.
Check it out!
Case in Point: The Dolphin Scene.
I will not spoil, but I laughed harder than I've laughed in years.
Fifteen minutes of full on laughter, replaying the scene over and over, worried I might pass out if I don't get control of myself, tears, pillow over the face so I don't wake up the rest of the house...all of that. I'm still giggling every time I think about it. Just every part of it from beginning to end is...it's so good!
Well, I have two last episodes to check out, so see you later.
Check it out!
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Chill
Alive check: finished.
I haven't posted because there's just been more frustration with medication reactions and I'm pretty tired of talking about it at this point. Basically after i got off the med that i turned out to be allergic to the doc doubled the dosage of the other med i was on just as a stop gap, which has this weird side effect that can cause edema in your feet especially at a higher dosage and oh did i get it. Still...just feet, no big deal right?
Yeah, so...my feet swelled so bad at one point that i couldnt bend them at the ankle. HUGE. Amazingly uncomfortable, even painful. Pretty much was unable to wear shoes for the better part of four weeks, since even when the doc pulled me off this one the drug has this huge half life, so it takes forever to clear out.
But...FINALLY, I've had a whole month now without my medications trying to hospitalize me and I'm hopeful we've topped this mountain. FINALLY. Six months of ARGH!!! Please be over!
Still have everything going on with my grandpa, who was supposed to be a goner last December, so who knows how much longer the tough bastard will keep fighting? Last week he had to have a couple emergency surguries that scared us all, but he's on the mend again we hope. Driving himself to his appointments already in fact. But...we'll see...long as his kidneys hold up we're good, if they don't...
So...point is: real life has smashed me some more, but I'm feeling better, normal even. I just started rereading the series again a couple days ago, making notes for the FM7 school story. Plan is to work on that and the Vicky book. But...plans and me haven't been very good this year. Feels good just to have the writing laptop open though...
My next update could be months, so chill. Not promising anything because i dont need any extra pressure at the moment, but wish me good vibes, and here's hoping for the muse to sing.
Or curse.
Probably lots of cursing...
I haven't posted because there's just been more frustration with medication reactions and I'm pretty tired of talking about it at this point. Basically after i got off the med that i turned out to be allergic to the doc doubled the dosage of the other med i was on just as a stop gap, which has this weird side effect that can cause edema in your feet especially at a higher dosage and oh did i get it. Still...just feet, no big deal right?
Yeah, so...my feet swelled so bad at one point that i couldnt bend them at the ankle. HUGE. Amazingly uncomfortable, even painful. Pretty much was unable to wear shoes for the better part of four weeks, since even when the doc pulled me off this one the drug has this huge half life, so it takes forever to clear out.
But...FINALLY, I've had a whole month now without my medications trying to hospitalize me and I'm hopeful we've topped this mountain. FINALLY. Six months of ARGH!!! Please be over!
Still have everything going on with my grandpa, who was supposed to be a goner last December, so who knows how much longer the tough bastard will keep fighting? Last week he had to have a couple emergency surguries that scared us all, but he's on the mend again we hope. Driving himself to his appointments already in fact. But...we'll see...long as his kidneys hold up we're good, if they don't...
So...point is: real life has smashed me some more, but I'm feeling better, normal even. I just started rereading the series again a couple days ago, making notes for the FM7 school story. Plan is to work on that and the Vicky book. But...plans and me haven't been very good this year. Feels good just to have the writing laptop open though...
My next update could be months, so chill. Not promising anything because i dont need any extra pressure at the moment, but wish me good vibes, and here's hoping for the muse to sing.
Or curse.
Probably lots of cursing...
Monday, March 25, 2019
Dont Even Know Where To Start
Just having a miserable year so far. In the last three months ive had to put down a dog, had a cat up and die on me, had a laptop brick itself (though since it took all my Football Manager and Paradox saves with it I suppose there is an argument that this might make my life MORE productive in the long run...), AND was almost hospitalized twice due to reactions with my new medications.
Ever heard of angioedema? Well now I have! Basically, my neck/throat area decided I needed to do a Boss Nass impression without bothering to ask my thoughts on the matter. Not fun! And scary!
But I'm alive. Less miserable lately too, so we're on the incline! So there. Stop worrying your little heads off. Looks like I might even have time to write this week. Far, far too long since the last. So frudttatsting and...tablet, why is your auto correction off? Oh, yeah, got a nee tablet...it aint as good as the last one...obvipusly...
*SIGH*
Alive. Still some rough waters ahead but at least i dont look like a frog at the moment. Grandpa is still with us btw, just turned 89. When you're a teenage you think that's old, but it looks even older from 35...imagine the more years you pile on the older and older it sounds.
Still never enough, but we take what we get and steal the rest...
Alive. Writing. Working on the Vicky Welf short novel sound good? Too bad, you have no choice in the matter. I mean i could even work on Gush. I wont...but i could! So there!
Oh tablet, why hath thou forsaken me?
Have a fun spring, everyone!
Ever heard of angioedema? Well now I have! Basically, my neck/throat area decided I needed to do a Boss Nass impression without bothering to ask my thoughts on the matter. Not fun! And scary!
But I'm alive. Less miserable lately too, so we're on the incline! So there. Stop worrying your little heads off. Looks like I might even have time to write this week. Far, far too long since the last. So frudttatsting and...tablet, why is your auto correction off? Oh, yeah, got a nee tablet...it aint as good as the last one...obvipusly...
*SIGH*
Alive. Still some rough waters ahead but at least i dont look like a frog at the moment. Grandpa is still with us btw, just turned 89. When you're a teenage you think that's old, but it looks even older from 35...imagine the more years you pile on the older and older it sounds.
Still never enough, but we take what we get and steal the rest...
Alive. Writing. Working on the Vicky Welf short novel sound good? Too bad, you have no choice in the matter. I mean i could even work on Gush. I wont...but i could! So there!
Oh tablet, why hath thou forsaken me?
Have a fun spring, everyone!
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
No Updates Really...Just Life Shit
At least not for the parts you're really interested in as I'm not writing at the moment.
Not even like...Being Lazy not writing or Playing Video Games not writing, like...Did Not Get a Chance to Open Up My Laptop kind of not writing. For all of December and this first week of January and...let's hope it ends soon, but who knows?
The family illness is still going, so on one end...Grandpa is a BAMF and he's still fighting. On the other end...hurts to see him in pain and terrifies us all every time he needs surgery. Or the latest a couple weeks ago which was an emergency blood transfusion. And would he let anyone go with him to it? No. Drove himself and then drove back, cuz...BAMF.
I could type out paragraphs and paragraphs about how the family is coping or not coping. Me...I don't know. If I get through the day without a panic attack or tearing up then I'm pretty happy. That's my measuring stick for life at the moment. I've also been sick twice, saw a doctor for the first time in 17 years, and get to enjoy these lovely high blood pressure pills that make me urinate every hour on the hour. Look at me, I'm a grown-up now!
But, I suppose it's better this way than it was before. Also have a bunch of niggling little problems with me that look like they'll be taken care of this year, but I won't go into details because is there any more eye-rolling conversation than one where a person starts talking about all their stupid health problems?
I'm not going to implode at any second, I suppose you'll have to settle for that.
So yeah, doctors and plagues, and family stuff.
Never felt this disconnected from my own writing before. I am doing a reread on the series, started with the school side. Idea being that I'll finish it hopefully as things calm down and be able to quickly blast out the school half of FM7. The War to End all Wars as I call it.
Funnily enough the best part of my life at the moment is my sales, which are about 3x higher than they usually are due to my advertising run with Amazon. So that's awesome I suppose and as always I'm sure all of you that have left so many nice reviews over the years have helped in your own way with getting those clicks in, so thanks for that.
Other than that...still here. This year will be another tough one, maybe the toughest, and then here's hoping we get a very boring decade or two so I can write a bunch of books every year.
Cuz...King Henry still has a lot to say.
Not even like...Being Lazy not writing or Playing Video Games not writing, like...Did Not Get a Chance to Open Up My Laptop kind of not writing. For all of December and this first week of January and...let's hope it ends soon, but who knows?
The family illness is still going, so on one end...Grandpa is a BAMF and he's still fighting. On the other end...hurts to see him in pain and terrifies us all every time he needs surgery. Or the latest a couple weeks ago which was an emergency blood transfusion. And would he let anyone go with him to it? No. Drove himself and then drove back, cuz...BAMF.
I could type out paragraphs and paragraphs about how the family is coping or not coping. Me...I don't know. If I get through the day without a panic attack or tearing up then I'm pretty happy. That's my measuring stick for life at the moment. I've also been sick twice, saw a doctor for the first time in 17 years, and get to enjoy these lovely high blood pressure pills that make me urinate every hour on the hour. Look at me, I'm a grown-up now!
But, I suppose it's better this way than it was before. Also have a bunch of niggling little problems with me that look like they'll be taken care of this year, but I won't go into details because is there any more eye-rolling conversation than one where a person starts talking about all their stupid health problems?
I'm not going to implode at any second, I suppose you'll have to settle for that.
So yeah, doctors and plagues, and family stuff.
Never felt this disconnected from my own writing before. I am doing a reread on the series, started with the school side. Idea being that I'll finish it hopefully as things calm down and be able to quickly blast out the school half of FM7. The War to End all Wars as I call it.
Funnily enough the best part of my life at the moment is my sales, which are about 3x higher than they usually are due to my advertising run with Amazon. So that's awesome I suppose and as always I'm sure all of you that have left so many nice reviews over the years have helped in your own way with getting those clicks in, so thanks for that.
Other than that...still here. This year will be another tough one, maybe the toughest, and then here's hoping we get a very boring decade or two so I can write a bunch of books every year.
Cuz...King Henry still has a lot to say.