I've been sitting here talking to Lucifer (Dragon Naturally Speaking) trying to get this freaking computer to do what I want it to, but it has decided to drive me up the walls. Every time I try to change something, it draws a line through it. In RED! I know it's a strikethrough thingy from editing, but I'm not ready to edit. Yet. Can you tell I've shrugged?
I hate to admit it, but I've been a sluggard. So, I decided to do what I usually do. Write whatever's in my head. Maybe my brain took a vacation and forgot to come home? Oh, well. If I recap the last few months, maybe that'll jog things loose.
Not long after I wrote the last update, I took the little critters for a walk. Jamie was a complete gentleman. He didn't cleverly pull me to walk through his "doggy-do" before I could scoop it up or go in the opposite direction from Konner thereby stretching my arms out at my sides. When we came in, he took his treat gently, his teeth barely touching my fingers and leaving my fingertips intact. In fact, he took so long taking his goodie that Konner got anxious when I reached for him. He grabbed his treat while I was trying to unhook his leash. When I stretched too far, I splattered on the kitchen tile like spoonful of butter in a hot skillet and broke my right arm at the shoulder. It took its own good time healing. I guess my bones weren't in a hurry to heal fearing I'd do something else stupid. That was October.
After Thanksgiving dinner, I fell backward on the garage floor. I protected my arm and head, but hurt the muscles in my back. I was afraid to move any part connected to my body from then on. I've since gotten over it. Er, mostly. I'm afraid to sit on our family room couch because it's leather. And nylon and other smooth fabrics seem to act like slippery ice. I found out the hard way by sliding onto the floor and bruising both arms. I'm full of tricks like this though I'll never make a fortune from them. The Cirque de Whatever-it-is would never hire me!
Remember when I told you about huge Eddie Bauer expedition? In December, we bought a Nissan Altima. Gil had to drive down to The Villages for 43 week days for radiation treatment. The amount of gas we saved by not driving the Expedition 100 miles each day would probably pay for the first years payments on the car. Can you tell I'm exaggerating a little bit? Within two month, we put 5,350 miles on the new car. We're getting good gas mileage on it.
The chair and I have finally declared peace with each other. I no longer need the heating pad. Unfortunately, I had hoped it would melt my fanny off, but it didn't. No sense being hot, if it doesn't do you any good.
The vacations did make me run out of steam but it also made me lazy. We started out going to bed at 10 o'clock but now we're back to 11:15. Sleep seems to elude me, and I'm a little bit ditzy. I'm afraid I'll call Ranulf, Randolph and Ysabel, Isabel. That won't do at all. I must admit they are hard names to remember. Maybe I should warn readers to keep a cheat sheet with the character names on it. You can pronounce them however you want.
Pirates are still giving away our books for free. I'm pretty ticked off about it because I pay monthly to have the sites taken down, but they just spring up again six weeks later. Sometimes, people forget that an author takes a year to plot and write a long historical novel. Unless you're a bestselling author, you'd better not quit your day job. Writing is a lonely pursuit and mentally taxing. Sometimes you can work for hours on one paragraph. I don't think I've ever picked up a manuscript and not seen a sentence I'd like to correct. I'm sure there's a lot on this page that I'd like to change after it's already on the website.
For the last half hour, there's been a gnat flapping its little wings off between my face and the screen. I'm determined to squish that little critter. It's driving me crazy.
My handwriting is still like a spider that splashed through an ink spill and did the Hokey-Pokey on the paper. My last update, I talked about Essential Tremors. I avoid eating out lately. I'm tired of snickering whenever a grape, piece of fruit or whatever flies off my fork and lands at the feet or whoever is eating at the table or booth across from us. I stopped eating several mornings. I was out of patience trying to keep things from flying in someone else's space. Thankfully, it never landed on their plate!
The love bugs are due to come back soon. We've had a very short winter. Unfortunately, the cold is the only thing that keeps them under control. If their eggs freeze in winter, then we don't have so many love bugs to contend with. Not only the little pests, but all bugs. Florida has lots of them as you know.
Forbidden, Book One, The Raptor Series in print, is linked to all books in the Raptor Series. For those who have been following me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/sophia.johnson.1023/), you already know that. Be sure to check the contest page and you might be lucky and win one of the printed versions. Seduced is being formatted and copyedited now. It will be out in print sometime in March.
If you aren't already on my address list, notify me via the contact information on my website. I send a note called Sophia's Ramblings about once a month to let you know what I'm doing. Hey! I know it's been several months since I've written, but remember, I promised never to load up your e-mail.
With love,
