life: still kicking around

I am alive! But barely. I caught the flu right as I was preparing to start my health reset (not a diet, just a kick in the rear exercise-wise). As happens, I was a mess for a good week and a half and am only just getting over the gut-wrenching cough, headaches, dizziness, and general breathlessness. It’s been rough, but I really do feel like I’m finally on the mend.

Of course, I tried to write and that didn’t go well. I’ve been focusing on my promotion file, so my writing is limited to weekend sprints at the moment, but even that went on hold while I recovered. I have a hard time divorcing my academic voice from my creative voice, so I need to set clear boundaries between professional writing and fiction. That means weekends, which means slower, but less schizophrenic results.

So here we are, sloth-like but chugging along.

life: work. time. pcos.

Hello. Long time. Yeah, that happened. All schedules out the window; my head is awhirl with deadlines and documents, and no space for all the rest. Still working on promotion, still gathering evidence and examples. My NaNo project is on a slow roll, but progressing in between all the rest. Meanwhile, my home is a mess and my financial fast is not so fast. With all that’s happening, side goals have taken a step back.

In other news, I most likely have some form of PCOS, but my appointment was rescheduled just as I was driving to the office… so the official diagnosis will have to wait. I suspected. I have several of the symptoms, and my weight has been settling in odd places (odd for me). I want a diagnosis, but I don’t want to take hormones or metformin (for reasons I won’t go into, but it involves dependence, band-aid fixes, and other health issues that won’t jive with the treatment). I’m researching all I can, tracking my fertility (no babies! I want nothing to do with that!), and looking into medical research on supplements and other types of nutritional support (library with med school database access = librarian on the hunt!). Just received my latest order from Vitacost and a book from amazon, so it’s a sort of PCOS-inspired haul.

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And my book arrived too! #pcosdiet #pcos #research

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I’m going to try this, look into other books for ideas, and rely on the Whole30/paleo as the basis for my eating habits. I seem to do well on a paleo-inspired diet, though I’ve not been the best at maintaining a strict protocol in recent months.

It may remain quiet around here, but feel free to follow on the insta if you want to check in or say hi 🙂

welcome august (and the unbearable heat)

I almost can’t believe how quickly the last month went by… July was definitely jam-packed with happenings, some more welcome than others, but I managed.

on writing…

Writing is on hold and I’m loving it. I really needed this time off to recharge (though the story is never really far from my mind). The plan is to start reading 5 chapters every weekend until I get through the entire manuscript. I’ll be looking for the big picture stuff–plot issues, time/setting, characterization, etc.–while creating a new chapter/scene outline using cards and noting down all those little details that slip between the cracks (like is it winter or fall? and why is this person suddenly blue-eyed when they had black eyes two chapters ago?)..

With 20 chapters to get through, 5 chapters every weekend should be manageable.

on books…

Finished City of Heavenly Fire, wrapping up yet another one of those series that have followed me from my teens into adulthood. My thoughts on the ending… it was okay. I find that I prefer The Infernal Devices over The Mortal Instruments series–I find that the story and characters in the ID arc are better developed–but TMI started to get a little bloated in the second half of the series and CoHF really epitomizes that. I found myself struggling to finish it, mostly because there were so many subplots fighting for attention. It felt long. The resolution seemed to go on forever, and then there was an Epilogue. Just when I thought it had reached a conclusion. So it was okay, but it could’ve done with some cutting IMHO.

So now that that’s over and returned to the library (right on time too), I finally get to dive into Written In My Own Heart’s Blood. Hurray for Highland hotties! (sorry, fangirling).

on life…

Dad’s still sick. Granpa’s still sick. Mom is her usual self. This is what happens when you are raised by elders.

everything else…

The boy needed professional (ha!) pictures for a website bio. He returned the favor (though I was unprepared and sporting mad hair and no makeup). I give you, my lazy girl weekend look…

life, as it were

things that are happening now

  • I will be 30 in less than 10 days and I am very silly and anxiously awaiting whatever surprise the boy has cooked up. As a treat, I plan on getting myself a foam roller and a jump rope. Yep. That’s the plan.
  • Today marks a month since I started the new job. I finally feel like I’m getting into the swing of things around here. Plots are being plotted and schemes are being hatched.
  • I am finally reading Saga, volume 2 (thanks to the magic of ILL) and seriously trying to come up with an excuse to partake in some cosplay. How hot is Gwedolyn?
  • Anuna is getting closer to having a shiny new ending. I see about two more chapters before this draft is done (definitely not on schedule, but getting there).
  • There are ideas in my head and I am feeling the urge to plan for a brand new project come November (is it odd that I think of my writing year in terms of NaNo? It’s kind of like how I always think of September as the start of a new year because of the school year schedule.).
  • I rearranged my living space last weekend and home now feels like new. Maybe someday I’ll actually get that love-seat I keep talking about.
  • I just ordered too many books from my local library. And the amazons have sent me another. Oh, to have all the time in the world to read.
  • I made this because this is how I roll.

keepcalm

10 years of random rants

I was doing some cleanup and just realized things she said is 10 years old! Yes, I started the blog during my first year in college and here we are now. It’s gone through several incarnations and faced a few server meltdowns to get to this point, but it’s been my writing outlet for a good decade. Here’s to more bloggings!

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silence is golden, or indicative…

Feels like I haven’t done much writing in a while, let alone blogging. I’ve been somewhat uninspired lately, haven’t even felt like reading much. I blame it on the changes I’ve experienced lately. I’m still adjusting, and it’s worn me out some. Also had a bit of a school-related disappointment; nothing drastic involving grades, or anything like that, but it was something I hadn’t counted on and it took a bit to get my mind around it. The words will come back soon. I always seem to need a writer’s holiday when the term ends.