(no subject)
Livejournal is playing up something chronic, and so is my life. This is a classic Monday, in so many ways.
Everything that happens right now is haunted by the sad fact that My ISP insists that an urgent fix of a telephone line is one that takes 2 weeks. I'm trying to decide if I prefer the Telephone Ombudsman or a new ISP. I'll wait a fortnight and see. First, I need to get my landline back. Second, I need to sort out all kinds of things. Even for me, this fortnight is busy. It's so busy that I've already written 2/3 of my Patreon and most of my History Girls article, and they're not due until next week. I won't have writing time next week. I will, however, be travelling to two different parts of NSW.
My eye update is that the left eye's problems are entirely transient and will fade away in the next few weeks. The right eye is intransigent and will go blind, but we can delay this for a bit. Maybe quite a bit. Maybe for years and years. They caught it early because I have a clever optometrist. The next six months will see what the long term will bring. Since i only actually need one working eye, this isn't as bad as it could be. My life is full of typos right now, however, for both eyes are sulking. It's a great relief that one will be fine soon.
We have bushfire smoke, so my place is closed up and I can't enjoy the rare cool weather. Also, I'm on medication for it. I was rather worried until a friend said "Look, there's smoke" for my symptoms have changed now that the rest of me is stronger. The strange pain no longer slows me down, for as long as I do everything in a smoke-free environment there is no pain. That's the good thing. The bad thing that Canberra - otherwise such a good place to live - gets the smoke from most directions, since it's nestled in a dry mountainous area. So it's here until we get massive rains, and they're not likely for a week or so.
I'll be in Armidale on Sunday/ Monday - it has a climate a lot like Canberra's, but has smoke from stoves in winter rather than bushfire smoke in summer. Canberra used to have the winter smoke, so I know it affects me less. Which is irrelevant, for it's summer. Oddly, my friend in Armidale will be in Sydney and we're teaching in the same building the following Saturday. Also at the same conference in September. So I get to see her, regardless.
I have most of the remnants of my Satalyte novels back as of half an hour ago and discovered that the one issued last year wasn't put in for the Aurealis. This means that it's not only any lists of things people should read. The Wizardry of Jewish Women was so very well received by readers, that this is, for me, a great disappointment. I've got my rights back and I need money to get to Helsinki so... I'll make it available for a limited time, I think*, so that people who really feel that my work is worth considering for Ditmars and Hugos (all three of you!) actually get a chance to get hold of the novel and assess it fairly. I just need to work out the best way. Probably a notice and a paypal address and a week of my time. I'm open to other suggestions. Except setting up as a business and issuing my own work - I know my limitations! The suggestions should solely be to get the work into the hands of readers who otherwise would have read it anyhow but who were putting off buying it and lost the chance. I'm hoping that, one day, I'll get it back into print, but I need to explore avenues properly for that. It's just that this is the only year it will be a new volume. (And if any of you would really like it, we can talk, for maybe one on one is the best way to go. The book isn't in print after all and this is not a new edition of it.)
In good news, I'm giving a keynote speech about the origins of fairytales (the Medievalist gets to talk!) in April. I'm teaching grammar and punctuation in Sydney in March (income and friends, all in the one weekend!)
My essay in a George RR Martin volume is at the printer and will be out soon.
And I forget the rest... my mind is already thinking about things I have to do before my 2 pm meeting. Welcome to my life.
*ETA: I'm not sure I can do this, legally. If anyone knows, I'd be very happy to find out!
Everything that happens right now is haunted by the sad fact that My ISP insists that an urgent fix of a telephone line is one that takes 2 weeks. I'm trying to decide if I prefer the Telephone Ombudsman or a new ISP. I'll wait a fortnight and see. First, I need to get my landline back. Second, I need to sort out all kinds of things. Even for me, this fortnight is busy. It's so busy that I've already written 2/3 of my Patreon and most of my History Girls article, and they're not due until next week. I won't have writing time next week. I will, however, be travelling to two different parts of NSW.
My eye update is that the left eye's problems are entirely transient and will fade away in the next few weeks. The right eye is intransigent and will go blind, but we can delay this for a bit. Maybe quite a bit. Maybe for years and years. They caught it early because I have a clever optometrist. The next six months will see what the long term will bring. Since i only actually need one working eye, this isn't as bad as it could be. My life is full of typos right now, however, for both eyes are sulking. It's a great relief that one will be fine soon.
We have bushfire smoke, so my place is closed up and I can't enjoy the rare cool weather. Also, I'm on medication for it. I was rather worried until a friend said "Look, there's smoke" for my symptoms have changed now that the rest of me is stronger. The strange pain no longer slows me down, for as long as I do everything in a smoke-free environment there is no pain. That's the good thing. The bad thing that Canberra - otherwise such a good place to live - gets the smoke from most directions, since it's nestled in a dry mountainous area. So it's here until we get massive rains, and they're not likely for a week or so.
I'll be in Armidale on Sunday/ Monday - it has a climate a lot like Canberra's, but has smoke from stoves in winter rather than bushfire smoke in summer. Canberra used to have the winter smoke, so I know it affects me less. Which is irrelevant, for it's summer. Oddly, my friend in Armidale will be in Sydney and we're teaching in the same building the following Saturday. Also at the same conference in September. So I get to see her, regardless.
I have most of the remnants of my Satalyte novels back as of half an hour ago and discovered that the one issued last year wasn't put in for the Aurealis. This means that it's not only any lists of things people should read. The Wizardry of Jewish Women was so very well received by readers, that this is, for me, a great disappointment. I've got my rights back and I need money to get to Helsinki so... I'll make it available for a limited time, I think*, so that people who really feel that my work is worth considering for Ditmars and Hugos (all three of you!) actually get a chance to get hold of the novel and assess it fairly. I just need to work out the best way. Probably a notice and a paypal address and a week of my time. I'm open to other suggestions. Except setting up as a business and issuing my own work - I know my limitations! The suggestions should solely be to get the work into the hands of readers who otherwise would have read it anyhow but who were putting off buying it and lost the chance. I'm hoping that, one day, I'll get it back into print, but I need to explore avenues properly for that. It's just that this is the only year it will be a new volume. (And if any of you would really like it, we can talk, for maybe one on one is the best way to go. The book isn't in print after all and this is not a new edition of it.)
In good news, I'm giving a keynote speech about the origins of fairytales (the Medievalist gets to talk!) in April. I'm teaching grammar and punctuation in Sydney in March (income and friends, all in the one weekend!)
My essay in a George RR Martin volume is at the printer and will be out soon.
And I forget the rest... my mind is already thinking about things I have to do before my 2 pm meeting. Welcome to my life.
*ETA: I'm not sure I can do this, legally. If anyone knows, I'd be very happy to find out!