New Computer & WIPS

 

I feel like I have been out of it for so long... and I really have. I have had a horrendous year health wise so far. Every time I think I'm getting better something else knocks me off my fricken feet.

I finally got around to getting my new computer. now I just have to figure out how everything works. my last one was a Surface Pro tablet & keyboard combo; but after 10 years it was really starting to misfire on me. Hopefully, now I can get back into working again. though it is strange working on a real laptop again. it's taking a bit of getting used to.

Lately I have been working on books I probably shouldn't have been working on. I have been writing. I'm at various stages through each story from 3K to 65K depending on how energetic I was feeling

• Dark Frost 1: Accidentally Yours (Ari & Roth) 
• Dark Frost 2: Running Home to You (Zara & Vance) 
• The Connelly Chronicles 3: Because of you.  (Dan & Nate)
• Woden's Wolves MC 1: Stronger Than She Looks (??? & Ezra) - I don't like her name.
• Woden's Wolves MC 4: When Everything Shatters (Krush & ???) - I can't think of his name
• Misty River 1: The Calm to my Storm (Travis & Carli)
• Quaide's Crossing 1: Saving Grace (Jesse & Grace)
• E.P.I.C. 1: Blood Ties (Alyce & Brandon)
• Brothers McCrieve MC 1: Accidental Back Warmer (Justice & Charli)
• Mountain Made 1: Meant to Be (Gavin & Cara)
• Mission Falls 1: YTBT (Theirry & Gwynne) 
• Radford Way 1: Where We Belong (Johnny & Marnie)
• Beauford Boys 1: Silverton Hall-might change (Clint & Tamara)
• Carroway Ridge 1: Windblown Kisses (Wyatt & Logan)
• Crossroads 1: YTBT (Ella Jade & Cole)
• Hayden Falls 1: Christmas Wishes come with Kisses (Nikki & Asher)
• Hayden Falls 2: Trammell House (Bo & Cody)
• Cotter Girls 1: TASH (Talia & Vaughn) - it needs added wordage.
• Ravengers MC 1: YTBT (Raden & ???) name change possible
• Demon Riders MC 1: YTBT (Maisie & Jonah)
• Iron Skulls MC 1: YTBT (Rory & Levi)

The ones that are the same colour, interact at some point even if it is just by mentioning other characters or events that happened in other stories. As you can see, I'm going in a different direction with my writing. I've decided to try my hand at writing what I like to read.

I'll try and not leave the next post so long in coming.

until next time... take care & stay safe.

Updates on life.

 

I've missed a lot of this year due to being sick. Every time I think I'm on the mend it comes back and slams me for six. I'm not sure what's worse. The aches and pains, the coughing, or the neverending ringing in my ears and mad headache. But that's enough about that. Nobody wants to hear me complain.

I need to get a new computer. Mine is quite a few years old and failing a lot lately. and seeing as it is Windows 10 and doesn't have the components to upgrade to Windows 11. Plus I got the message Microsoft is no longer doing something for Windows 10. I'm not computer-savvie. I just know it's now hard to open crap. Find crap. Save crap. I don't need a lot from a computer. As long as I can send and receive emails. Work on my writing. Use my Dropbox. Have Excel, and have Chrome search engine all will be hunky-dory in my world. I'm thinking about a Lenovo 14" laptop. 4/128GB (not that I know what that means). All I know is the screen is bigger than the 10.5" I'm using now... Any suggestions? I don't know the difference between Lenovo, HP, Asus and all the rest. To me, they are all computers. Just as long as it isn't Apple I will be fine. Nothing against Apple. I just personally find them confusing as hell. I find it hard to work my iPod on a good day.

Other than that lately I have been back to working on E.P.I.C. 1: Blood Ties. I'm at 20K in wordage. I had to trash the original story; because it just didn't make sense to me. But I like where I'm headed now. I think it will go a lot faster once I have the new computer seeing as some days I get on this one and chapters have just disappeared--never to be found again. I hate having to do shit so many times. Yes, I know I should save all my shit to Dropbox, but the computer was being an arse, and wouldn't let me on Dropbox. I've gone back to the trusty old memory stick thingies for now. because I can't find my external hard drive. Though I probably need a new one of those as well.

Well anyhow, I'm off to take some more medication and do some writing--Maybe I shouldn't write while medicated. I guess we'll find out by the time I done. I will talk to you all again some other day.

Still Feeling Like Crap.

 

Every time I think I am getting better, my cough comes back to bite me in the arse. I just can't seem to shake it. I'm tired of being sick. Yes, I know, I shouldn't complain when so many others have it way worse than I do. I'm just feeling like shit and in a complaining mood. 

The problem is when I get sick; the world still goes on around me. I still have to take Mum to her appointments and go to my own. I still have to look after my grandkids while my daughter works. Why is it, that they know when I'm feeling off and will play up like anything? My next three weeks seem to be filled with different appointments for both my mum and myself.

Hearing Specialists, Dentists, Podiatrists, Granddaughter's Birthday, Physio, Dietician, Dr. 2 Easter Bonnet Parades, and Easter, just to name a few of the things I have to plan around for the next few weeks.

On top of it all I've been dealing with a never-ending headache. And weirdly, my ears are ringing so loudly that I'm finding it hard to think straight, Today my house smells wonderful. I made a huge pot of chicken and vegetable soup. I have been thinking about eating it for days but have been too under the weather to cook it. After Mum's hearing appointment this morning. I decided to come home and make it. I'm so glad that I did. It was freaking delicious.

I've been re-reading Taking Chances 1: Lie to Me. I like where it's going, but I totally have to pull the damn thing apart and rework it. Apparently, I have like three different stories going on at the same time. It's just confusing, even to me. I'll figure it out eventually.

Dang it!

 Seriously, I feel like I have been sick for the last month. I started out by nursing everyone else through the twenty-four-hour virus, before succumbing to it myself... I can tell you, I really hate vomiting. Then, no sooner did I get over the first illness. When low and behold, I get a freaking head cold━I just can't freaking win some days. Now my 92-year-old mum has come down with the same damn thing, and our house is sick again. Once we are both better I will have to do a top to bottom, household scrub-down.

Though I have been working━well kind of. I have been re-writing my synopsis and the opening for E.P.I.C. I'm thinking about going in a whole different direction with it. It'll be along the same lines, just different━more to it than I originally planned. I'll probably enjoy writing it more now.

Lately, I have this song on repeat in my head.

It's driving me nuts.

Long Day

 

Today I woke up with a massive headache. Nothing has dulled it at all. Not even my strong migraine pills. So because of the headache, I also woke up very tired. The good news is when I weighed in this morning. I hadn't lost any weight, but I also hadn't put any on. So I'm counting that as a win.

I spent this morning taking Mum up to Toowoomba to get her new glasses checked, she only got them two weeks ago, but they seemed off. It turns out they had the wrong prescription in them. So, now we have to wait for another week and a half for the new ones to come back. At least we didn't have to pay for the replacements.

I was going to come home and wash, but it is all overcast, and has been lightly showering. I think I'll do the smart thing and see how tomorrow fares. Nothing worse than not being able to get all the clothes dry.

Soon I'm going to venture into the world of potty training my third granddaughter. I need to buy a heap of little undies to have on hand for her. Thank God I have wooden floors. I'm hoping to have her completely out of nappies by the end of the year. Mainly because nappies are so damn expensive. I was actually supposed to be looking after two of them this afternoon, but lucky for me I get the day off as their dad is home. He'll have them today, and it'll be back to our normal routine tomorrow... I should mention their dad is a long haul trucker, and Mar-Mar (me) looks after the girls (Grace, Harper, & Rae-Rae) when their mum works or is at some other event with one of the kids.

Okay, Later Gates:- I'll talk to you all on a whole other day.

Almost...But Not Quite.

 

This is so true. I'm trying to do better, but it is a work in progress. Crowds still give me anxiety.

I have done a ton more on clearing out my Dropbox. I even managed to write 5K on a story I didn't even know I still had. So I guess it's back in rotation. Currently, it's called: Second Time Around, but I don't think it fits the story So I'll probably change it.

I'm still working at the hula hoop thingy... I seem to struggle with the rhythm for the first ten minutes or so, but after that I do fine. I think it is helping with the aching in my back. And I sweat like you wouldn't believe━not that you needed to hear that. Since starting I have removed two links. It's hard doing it on my own, but I'm getting there. I'm not dieting━just changing the way I eat. Anyone want to join me on this journey. Drop me a line and we can become weight-loss buddies together, better to do it with a friend or a total stranger than struggle through it on your own. We can do weigh-ins. Talk recipes. Even just talk about what's happening, ups and downs. What works━what doesn't. No money needs to be exchanged. I'm purely doing this through sheer determination, kitchen scales, and bathroom scales. With just the food I buy in my weekly groceries, and what exercises I do at home. I'm not paying for gym memberships, diet pills, or any other sort of diet-related thing. The only thing I'm doing is keeping track of my weekly weight, and monthly measurements. The best part is if you want to participate. You can live anywhere in the world, and join in from the comfort of your own home. all I ask is you be honest with your weights and measurements.

Okay, I think I've talked your ears off long enough. I will chat again on a whole other day.

Brain Fart Moments

This is me lately. I swear I can be in the middle of doing something, and then the next minute, I think, now what the f*ck was I in here for? Does anyone else have to walk in and out of a room a dozen or more times, just to remember why the hell you walked in there in the first place?

Hell, some days I get to the point where I misspell a word so badly, that even Google is at a loss. Usually, it is a word I have spelled so often before, and for no reason, I suddenly get it into my head. Sh*t that looks wrong.

Or spend an hour looking for something and you've got it in your hand the whole time━like talking on your phone while you look for your phone, or searching for your glasses while wearing your glasses━that one I do a lot. My granddaughters think it's hilarious, so we end up making a game out of it. LOL, they don't realize Mar-Mar is just getting old.

I know it sounds like I'm just ranting and complaining. I'm not really. More just having a laugh at myself, before I get set to do some more purging in my Dropbox. 

PS: If anyone knows where I misplaced my tape measure, feel free to tell me where it is... LOL, right now I'm blaming its disappearance on Mox the resident ghost.

Dang It!

 

I feel like I'm losing my mind. I may have been out of the game for a year, but when did everything change so drastically? I just tried to send yesterday's post to Twitter, which is somehow now X. I totally missed that change of name. Sad to say I'm too scared to even open my WordPress blog to see how much that has changed on me. I think this may take me a little bit to figure out how everything all works now.

Other than that, I'm still going through and decluttering my Dropbox. I'm getting ready to add all the new stuff I've been contemplating about, and working on. I want to make it easy to touch and be accessible. So when I want it, I'll know exactly where it is.

It's been fun rereading all the bits of stories that I have there, and deciding whether to keep them or to put them aside. Some I've decided to meld into other stories. Others will go on the back burner for a little bit. I'll never discard anything fully until I have absolutely no further use for it.

I'm actually trying to figure out a writing list. One that will actually work. I think once my Dropbox is clear then I'll have a better view and be able to see what's right in front of me━so to speak. Wish me luck.

Holy Shyte!!!

 

Let me start by saying I've lived through a year of hell. That would be the best way to begin, but then, it wouldn't be quite accurate. The truth is... I've had a year of being worn the hell out. My whole body was out of sync or something. I've been going to my GP, and he has been helping me get back on track. I'm working on making 2024 the year of me. The one where I get my health up to par, and I don't feel like my body wants to shut down every other week. I know I'm not the only one out there suffering. Hell, I know I'm not even the worst off. Plenty of other people are going through much more than I am.

Although I haven't been on here for the past year, it doesn't mean I haven't been doing some writing. Not a lot, but some. Mostly, I have been outlining new stories. This time around when I start writing. I want to have all my synopsis within reach. I might not always follow said synopsis to the (T), but they are a basic guideline of where I need the story to go, and definitely where I need it to end up, especially if it is part of a series.

The other thing I am in the process of doing is updating this blog and my WordPress one. so eventually you'll start to see changes... I'm also cleaning out my Dropbox. I feel like it is so cluttered. I just want the stuff on there that I'm actually working on. That way when I'm looking for something in a hurry, I don't have to search through everything.

I also have visitors at the moment, so it makes it hard to work when I feel like I need to talk to them. Actually, it's just my sister, and she really wouldn't care if I was in my room working on my computer. but, I look after my three granddaughters while their mum works 2, 3, and almost 6...  They are such a handful, only listen when they want to and I wouldn't trade them for all the quiet in the world. 

Other than that, I still have my bad back. I still have my atrocious migraines. I still have my thyroid condition. I still have horrendous ringing in my ears. I still have arthritis in my hands. I still suffer from cramps all over my body (mostly arms and legs). I still have really sore feet. I'm still overweight (but I've lost 5kg).... On a good note: I still love listening to David Bowie. I still love reading and writing. I really love my new multi-function cooker that I just bought from Aldi. 

And on that note: I will bid you all good night and I will talk to you all again next week, or even in a couple of days, and give you an update on all my decluttering is going on the computer.