The Nation of Procrastination

So here we are with two weeks past and the bathroom has progressed slowly.  Tonia was able to do her water test and the first layer of the shower does not leak.  So that is a success.  Today Tonia has been adding in walls and some of the other touches she needs to get done before we mix and pour the next layer of mortar in the shower.

I would like to put more pictures in this posting, but that leads me to the real reason why I have not updated more recently.  When we purchased the new Mac we bought a wireless router.  That wireless router as sense connected all of our PC's to the internet.  So being a wanna be nerd I said, "Hey, that would be great if I turned my PC into a server and Jordan and Tonia's computers could file share with that and use both the printers."  So I went to work on it and at first it worked like a champ.  The key words being "At First". 

Now I'm going to through some back story in.  You see, Mac's are so intuitive to the needs of the user that when loading pictures onto the Mac the Mac automatically shows them how you would want to see them.  However, they are not actually flipped.  So, when I load the pics from the Mac onto the Blog the pics show as they actually are, on their side.  Because of all of this I said, "Say, since my wireless network is such a champ, I'll download the camera onto the PC and load grab the pics through the network."  Well of course that has yet to work again for me.  Now I know I could just post from the PC or add the pics from the PC into the blog as I need them, but darn it I'm like a dog with a bone on this one.  I know it should work this way, so of course I will not let it go until I get it.  So, long story longer, I have spent any time I should be updating the blog, I've spent it fighting the wireless network.

On another note Mario is getting better.  He was given four different medications from the vet.

He's pretty much convinced that everyday is a treat day because the meds are wrapped in cheese and they are so delish!  His hives are now just scabbs and are starting to fall off so that's kind of gross.  He's still a little listless, but he always was a little listless.  The meds make him thirsty all the time and have made him have to pee a lot more as well.

I am still writing at Caribou every morning and thanks to Jordan's need to go see a thrash metal band at the Red Raven Expresso house I was able to write over 3000 words on Saturday.  I've been keeping up pretty good numbers, though I've been lazy about posting them here.  The novel is just over 73,000 words now and still going strong, though there are a few characters that have been running off and doing unexpected things so we'll see where all of that leads. 

 

Hopefully, next week I'll have progress on the bathroom to report as well as a working networks and an additional 10,000 words on the novel.  Oh, and since I've received another rejection letter via e-mail that means I have only two short stories out for publication and I need to get back to editing and spending copious amounts of time on Duotropes and send out some more tales.  Perhaps I will even listen to Brian and try sending 'On Your Left' to Dirtrag.  We'll see.

Why does Wisconsin Hate the Litchy's?

Little Mario

What a crazy and busy week. Goals on Tonia's side were far from met. However, being drawn in a hundred directions make home improvement slow work. With the goal of having the first layer of concrete down in her tile shower base before we left for Brian and Heather's house we started strong enough. I got the old tub drain cut out while Tonia cut and installed a second layer of sub-floor. She installed the new drain and I tore out some unneeded studs.

That, sadly, was where it ended. Tonia, being the interior designer for her office as well as general all around maintenance gal, was called in to paint the new office. After that because Mario in his bi-annual shedding, we had to take him to Shaggy's Dog Wash where we scrubbed out a good-sized chihuahua's worth of hair.

After that it was a long drive and a short visit to the Abrahams in Wisco. As always we encountered weather as soon as we got across the border. Wet snow and fast dropping temps made the road treacherous and slow. This happens every time we go into the cheese state. Watching cars fishtail and seeing them in the ditch we slowed down and made it through. Wisconsin fails to destroy us again. Or does it?

After seeing Body Worlds and wiring the Abraham basement Mario started getting sick. He threw up on the Abraham's rugs, sorry about that, and he broke out in hives and stopped doing anything at all. We left on Sunday and he was still under the weather; the poor little fella slept all the way home to Fargo. Today I took him to the Vet since I'm a nervous dad and he hadn't eaten since Saturday. He had a temp of 105 and they did blood work and are keeping him over night. Happily they called and said the antibiotics seem to be working and he ate some food so he should be able to come home tomorrow. Wisconsin will not be happy until it destroys the Litchy's one at a time!

On other notes, because of the busy week I only got on the trainer a couple times and managed somehow to gain a pound. I can't understand how seeing as I ate like I always do and did no exercise. It will be a mystery forever.

Writing on the other hand I am doing quite well. As it shows on the left, I was just shy of 10,000 words this week. Even in Wisco I braved the horrible drivers and icy roads and wrote at the Beans 'n Cream coffee house in the early mornings. It is a very nice establishment with some delicious Joe and excellent decor. As of right now the novel is past its half way mark, but not by much. The book is sitting at 56,028 and there is a lot left to be said. I've been working my life around writing it and intend to continue.

That is about it this week... I leave you with the results of the Photobooth on Tonia's Mac.

What can two talented women do with a high-end design computer and time on their hands??

Oh and by the way I'd love to date you Foxy, as long as you take me to the prom.

The beginning

So here it is.  I've decided to start this blog for several reasons.  First and foremost, I suck and e-mailing, writing letters, and calling people.  So I feel this will be a good way to let people know what is going on in my and Tonia's life.  

Secondly, inspired by Fat Cyclist, I feel that I can use this blog to help motivate me to do things in my life I've been procrastinating on.  Things like writing everyday.  Submitting my short stories. And trying to loose weight.  So I figure if I'm putting these things out there perhaps I will be more motivated to work on them.  Even as I type this I'd like nothing more then to delete this paragraph, remove the little box from the top left corner of the page and go watch TV.  So now that you've been given the reasons heres where we are.

First of all, Tonia has leapt into the remodel of the master bath with vigor.  Last weekend we went to Menards and dropped some serious cash buying all of the special order material for it.  Yesterday we used my new grinder and cut the shower stall into dusty razor sharp pieces of fiberglass and hauled it out.  A note on using a grinder to cut fiberglass:  I would say it has to be the quickest and easiest way to do it, however the dust storm in that little bathroom was fantastic and the odor was mind-numbing; if you can avoid doing it this way, I wouldn't suggest it.   There is a lot to do and Tonia is under a lot of pressure from me to do it.  I like the master bath, it's handy.  I'll be posting some pics of the destruction and construction as it moves forward.

As far as writing and submitting go... I've been on a roll writing my novel.  This is the third or forth one I've started in my life, but so far this one has the most steam behind it.  I've gotten into the habit of getting up early everyday and going to my neighborhood Caribou Coffee and writing.  I've been averaging about 1200 words a day.  This morning I checked and I just passed the 46000 word mark.  The novel is about half way along with a lot still up in my head trying to get out.  I've nearly been late for work a couple times these last couple weeks trying to finish a chapter before loosing where I was going.

As far as submitting goes I've three stories out for consideration right now, but I need to get more out there.  I've got a couple that I need to do rewrites on and still a couple to edit, but editing is my least favorite part of writing.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank my editors:  Dick for finding all of my grammar issues (of which I'm sure this blog has plenty) Alane and Justin for the content editing and Brian for giving me no feedback whatsoever.

On the final note of weight loss.  This is of course my least favorite part to write about and my least favorite part to work on.  I'm doing pretty good working at my core everyday, but I'm only getting on the trainer about three times a week.  I still eat pretty good, but I allow myself a few more cheats than I should.  I need to motivate myself, because fat Trent is alway in there telling me to go to the DQ or to indulge in the Happy Joe's Pizza Buffet.  I'm up from my lowest weight ever of 232 and am sitting at about 242 right now.  I need to work on it, I know.  I'd like to be a stronger rider this summer so I can make up for last years dismal 24-9 performance.

Next weekend Tonia and I are going out to Brian and Heathers to wire their basement and go see Body Worlds.  I, hopefully, will continue writing in the mornings while I'm there.