Snow up to Here

Here in PA we're getting the largest storm of the season so far, at least it looks to turn out that way if the snow we're expected to get tonight amounts closer to the 8 inch mark. So my normal Wednesday activities are canceled (aside from work, of course), leaving me two extra hours to "get stuff done." On schedule? My computer, editing CL, and washing my dishes (does it ever end?). The exciting life.

My computer (aka, the desktop) was very sick. So I reinstalled Vista (business) from my friend's disk, but because it just "wrote over" what was already there, saved some old files, and didn't remove my partition, the virus (who is a sneaky duck) remained. Yesterday my friend came over to remove the partition (thus wiping the harddrive) and installed Vista (home premium) for me (legit version, since I've got a product key). She seems better now, and I've begun re-installing all those lovely programs I had before. I get to re-install more tonight. It doesn't even bother me, as long as everything is virus-free.

Editing is going well for CL! I'm up to page 113 of 158, and I don't think it sucks. It might not be brilliant, but I think I'll be okay with handing it off to my three betas for whatever horrors they'd like to report back. I plan to get it to them at the end of the month. They'll get it back to me when they do (hopefully no later than March 15, but I'm not putting time limits on them). I've begun compiling lists of publishers (do they take simultaneous submissions? do they list standard contract rates? do they give time lines?) and it gives me squirmies in my stomach. Thankfully once I send CL off, I'll have to wait a minimum of 2-4 weeks (more likely a minimum of 4) before I hear anything. That's a month of freedom. (Well, sorta freedom since I have stories waiting to be written, glaring at me from my flash drives.)

You don't need to hear about my dishes.

Also, on one of my various other communications, you may have heard I'm having stomach troubles. It's been going on for the last week and is a serious annoyance. I can eat, but some things set it off, but not every day. Monday I felt back to normal, but then halfway through Tuesday, my stomach did it's rumbling and my throat clenched up and UHG, it was back. Again, this is just a minor inconvenience (and I think I had similar problems in high school). But I'm pretty certain it's not contagious, so no worries.

Finally, I'm thinking of signing up for some writing classes at the local community college, if they offer them next semester. I think it'd be a good idea to get more consistent feedback and forced to write outside my comfort zone a bit. Or maybe see if there is a "writing circle" in the area (very much doubt it). I don't want my skills to become stagnant! (ETA: When I got home there was information on the next semester and there is a “Creative Writing Sampler,” which is $99. My only fear is that it's going to be too remedial, but how pompous is that?)

...and really finally, this time: Patric Michael, an M/M romance author, recently fought off cancer, a really rare lymphatic type. Wishing on a Blue Star was going to be a memorial book for him, but is now a celebration of him and his strength. You can find it for free at Dreamspinner Press. I've just started reading it and will post a review when I'm finished.