I'm still alive and kicking.

I'm still doing well, though I have had some wicked-arsed migraines and my usual back problems.  But other than that I'm all good. My daughter is getting closer to having her baby, she's huge... but you didn't hear me say that. she has it all happening in the next two weeks. Baby # 2 and a wedding.

Today I spent the morning, doing proofing edits on The Lines of Marsden 4: The Trail of Red Roses. Most were easy and the rest was just disregarding the American spelling and keeping the Australian spelling. 

I've also been working on more of the background stuff for E.P.I.C. The characters just won't let up they want the world to know who they are. I'll be writing these books a little differently and will probably get into loads of trouble, but it's how they want to be written, and who are Vlad and I to argue? Really we sometimes have to give in and let the characters have their own way.

The winter weather is slowly creeping in, so I'm trying to get as much done as possible.  I've been going through me kindle and re-reading books. at the moment I' all about J.R. Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood universe. I'm getting myself ready for when I have to have a small surgery done again (or redone as the case may be). I had a small lump cut out of my throat and they used internal stitches that were supposed to melt away, but it feels like they didn't. So now they are going to re-open it and cut out what's still in there and give me external stitches and hopefully this time it will heal properly.

It's cold here today so...

For the last week or so I've been working on a new story idea.  I'm not sure what it's going to be called yet. It's mainly a MF storyline, but the first book is MM. I'm into ghosts at the moment. So it will be paranormal investigators and the shit they deal with.

I'm now on the third run-through of my draft for this thing and it's still not quite how I want before I start on the story proper.

I have been looking at pictures of people for my characters so I can remember what they look like throughout all the books. I have a bad memory for when it comes to my character descriptions. So today I'll do up my character profiles.

On other news, my daughter is getting close to having her second child. I've been babysitting little Gracie while Emily has had her doctor visits. Because at the moment with all this Covid-19 stuff going on she isn't allowed to take Grace to the hospital with her. 

It is starting to cool down here now, winter is definitely making itself known. Last night I had to add an extra blanket to the bed and wound up with both my cats sneaking under the doonas with me to keep warm.

Starting over...

This is my new writing station. I'm trying to keep it as clutter-free as possible. The fewer distractions I have at hand the better for me to concentrate on what I'm actually supposed to be doing.

Speaking of distractions, damn was it cool here this morning, 5° even my cats were feeling the riskiness in the air and up for some serious cuddle time.

I've still been working on the new story Ideas and have been typing up the first chapters so I kind of know where I'm heading with them when I eventually get back to them. Though, today I'm kind of tired I had a real shitty nights sleep last night. A couple of possums last night kept setting off the sensor lights downstairs in the carport and on the backstairs. And since the lights are connected to the power of the tattoo shop I live above, and the tattoo shop is currently on shut down due to Covid-19, there really isn't much I can do to rectify the situation. It's not like the possums knew they were doing anything wrong.

I'm cooking a baked dinner for lunch today. trying to use up some of the veg before it goes weirdo. I usually put it through a stew, but we've only just had one of those. Well, I made up a huge pot of chicken noodle soup actually, but it so thick it could be classed as a stew. This week I have to do some biscuit baking for my granddaughter. Restrictions have eased a smidge so she'll be able to come and pick them up.

Is it just me or has the number of SPAM emails increased since we've all been on lockdown... All the things I have apparently won that I never entered competitions for. How much of an idiot do they think I am? I've apparently won iPhones, trips overseas, make-up, plus numerous chances to win a date with some famous guy I have never even heard of before. My finger is getting a workout from the number of times it has hit delete.

Okay, later gates, and I'll talk to you all soonish.

Working on...

Been working on an early draft if a new story idea called: Running Home to You. I thought it would get my mind back into writing mode and I can get back onto the books I'm supposed to be finishing. So I have set myself up a new working station in my bedroom away from all distractions. I got 3.5K written today.

I know I won't get anything down tomorrow as I have to look after my granddaughter, Grace, while her mother is at antenatal at the hospital she only has a few weeks to go until little Harper is born. So for me, tomorrow is a date of having a Toy Story Marathon... I was hoping she'd pick the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but she shut me down. our last Marathon was all musicals.

Still alive & it got me thinking...

Who else is bored out of their brains with staying home?

I know I have a lot of stuff I need to get done, but seriously my mind just doesn't seem to want to cooperate with any plan where real work is involved. I mean I've done a few edits since being in lockdown but no actual writing.

I've been in major declutter mode again. I need to get rid of some more junk I have collected over the past year or so. It's just collecting dust, so it will be better off at a second-hand shop where someone else can buy it and take it home.

I fell over in the garden this morning and hurt my hip. So now I'm back on my pain killers. I misjudged my step and landed awkwardly on a stump and went arse over tea kettle. Luckily no one else saw me, or they would have gotten a good chuckle from it all. At least I didn't land on the wet ground or any of the plants.

I may not have been writing, but I have been making notes on some new story ideas. Just so I don't forget them by the time I do get around to writing them. Which, let's face it, with me it could happen. I have a memory like a bloody sieve some days.

Some people are still crazy shopping and making it difficult for normal people to do a weekly grocery shop. I feel sorry for the families who have more than two people in the house now that we have limits on certain food and shopping items that we can buy. I know what t's like having two cats... I pity the people with dogs who would eat a hell of a lot more than my cats do in a week. I wish I could make people understand this panic buying is doing more harm than it is good. BUT they will do what they will.

I'm actually now learning to order some things online. I would never have done that before. I'm one of those people who usually prefer to go out and look at the thing I want to buy. Yesterday I ordered a casserole dish... I'll let you know how my buying experience went, and if it arrives intact. I have round ones. I just wanted a square one for some of the dishes I make. Fingers crossed I actually get what I ordered.

On that note, I will away for today and do some more cleaning in the house... today's mission is the ceiling fans. I need to pull the ladder out and wipe them down. I'll probably do it this afternoon, but if my back is still playing up it might have to wait until tomorrow morning.

Worrying Times...

With such a scary disease running rampant through the world, the whole human populace seems to have gone nuts. Maybe I'm one of those rare people, who just doesn't get the whole hoarding and stockpiling thing that's going on. I get that we may need o eventually ration what we have if we get placed into lockdown in our houses, but the ay people (some not all) are having physical fights in shopping centres over food and toilet paper (of all things) just blows my mind.

Instead of carrying on like pork chops, shouldn't we be caring about each other and make sure we all get through this... Hell, I've seen the Stand━I know how this ends. We need to pull together as a community and not tear each other apart. We should be firstly making sure our elderly get what they need to survive this. We need to do everything we can to make this easier on everybody.

I guess the best I can do right now is check in on my family and friends and hope you are all doing well wherever you are in your part of the world. If you can check in with me on Facebook and let me know you're still alive... Everybody here and in my family in the Gatton and  Regency Downs areas are all okay at present. Emily's pregnancy is thus far going well (13weeks to go). If things change I'll keep you all updated.

For us, we haven't hit even winter yet when I'm assuming Covid-19 is going to spiral out of control for Australia, just like it has in the rest of the world. I know the Doctors in Brisbane have discovered two drugs that seem to be working on the disease, but for how long I don't know. They have predicted that the worst-case scenario for us will be 96,000 deaths in Australia... God, I hope that doesn't happen.

Our borders are closing to try and get ahead of the disease. Even our internal borders are cracking down. if you cross them you have to self-quarantine for 14 days to make sure you don't have the disease. I don't think we are going to get through this without the death toll rising. It saddens me how many families are going to be affected by this.

We all need to start practising social distancing...  Heck, I'll even have to ring the hospital to see if my specialist appointment is still going ahead on April 3rd. Seeing as they don't want us all going where a lot of people will be, again I'll let you know when I find out.

I hope you all are doing well, and your families are all in the clear. Please stay safe in these trying times, and take care of yourselves, and all of those around you.

Looks like...

Looks like we are in for another humid day today, they are predicting we'll hit around 36° here but will feel a lot hotter━thank god for aircon, that's all I can say. We are supposed to get a bit of a storm later on and some rain, but at the moment it's all blue sky and hot.

The heat is playing havoc with my head... I've had a constant bloody headache. All I can say is roll on winter and let's hope it lasts longer than last years did. I swear they get shorter every damn year.

Just because I can I have started watching Haven again. Now I've read Stephen King's: The Colorado Kid and I have no clue how this is based on that... other than the murder of James. But in saying that I do love the series so I'm not complaining. There are some really good episodes in it. 

I also need to buy some stakes for my garden to hold my jade plants up. For some reason, they have all started falling over like they are top-heavy. Now it could be just the heat. But I'll be happier when I help them to stand upright again as I don't want them growing like a ground cover.