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A Full Plate

Life got extra busy last week.

I procured a Post Office Box, so I can get ISBNs without providing my home address. I felt it best to ensure I never have people showing up on my doorstep uninvited and I doubt I will live there forever anyway.

I requested 10 ISBNs to get rolling on putting up short stories on Amazon and Smashwords. Waiting to hear on those.

I'm working on a short story for an anthology one of my writing groups is putting together. It's a solar punk tale.

I'm making substantial changes to The Page & The Magician. At one point her powers came from her spirituality, now they will come from her connection to nature. Now I need to figure out what to have her do to find her animal form rather than a vision quest. Perhaps a nature hike of some sort. Perhaps in Gatineau Park? I really like the vision quest though... Maybe I can do something in between the two. I'm on chapter 7/24 for major editing.

I've suspended work on The Blood Waitress Club temporarily. I'm not in a rush for that one. It'll probably have to be self-published as it features vampires and most publishers don't want those stories today.

I'm taking a sewing class to learn how to make the fancy pants I wear for one of my martial arts. With the US exchange rate, I don't see myself getting new ones soon otherwise. I want a practice set, so I can leave my grading ones for grading. My pattern hasn't arrived yet, but we went over my current pair and took measurements. I also got the chance to fix my top as I had taken it in, but not done it completely properly, so had weird bunching by the underarms.

I'm also learning to draw. Perhaps someday I'll do my own covers. Or perhaps I'll be able to draw scenes as I see them and put out illustrated editions. Who knows? I've always wanted to be able to draw though.

Working on some boxes to hold my POP dolls, so I can put them up on the wall.

I'm also trying to figure out how to make a video with a picture in picture. I took video of a videogame as I was playing it. Now I want to record me talking about the game and combine them. I don't want to spend a lot on software. I think what I want to do is pretty basic...

Working on improving my leg strength for martial arts. I was planning to start that soon anyway as I want to be in good shape for the annual spring seminar. Yesterday one of the senpai gave me tips on something concrete to try, so I'll incorporate that into my training and outside of that I started one leg squats, two leg squats, and lunges. My quads and glute muscles should be in fine shape in a couple of months.

I'm feeling a little run down, but then I'm due for my B12 shot soon. I forgot my water in the car yesterday and didn't have it during martial arts. That was awful. I hope I never do that again. Not sleeping super great either, which is making it difficult to write stories.

Perhaps a lunchtime nap is in my future.

Ciao,
R~
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