Well, mostly it’s my own ass that’s getting kicked. RL has been a bit of a trial recently, thus the dearth of postings for so long.

Details details

I get home after an extremely stressful work day to find that they’re raising my rent.

That is all.

Last night, my mobile started ringing while I was driving home. I glanced over at the display; it was my sister. Unfortunately, both the fact that I was driving and that there was an ambulance headed my way (behind me) meant that I had to wait to see what she wanted.

Got home and listened to the message. It was mostly: “Eeeeeeeeee!!!! I passed!!!!!” My little sister, a.k.a. birki_lib (who STILL has no posts!) is now a full-fledged card-carrying librarian. w00t!!!

Graduation day is August 12, one month and one day after her 40th birthday.

Way to go, Laura!! Not an easy feat, completing the last part of undergrad and then grad school while working fulltime.

In other news

* This has been a bit of a crap work week, in particular dealing with one client. Otherwise, the work part is fairly decent.

* My apartment looks like the aftermath of a hurricane. First the picture window was cracked, so I had to move *everything* away from there. This meant cramming my rocker/recliner & ottoman at the other end of the apartment, by one of the closets. (I live in a studio – one room, about 14′ x 17′). Then I had to more all the DVDs that I had lined up on the wide sill at the side of the HVAC convector unit, plus the other stacks/boxes I had below that. Again, stacking stuff up by the closet.

The window’s been replaced, but last night, the cover of the convector fell off as I was trying to rehang one corner that had sagged. Damn thing is metal and really heavy. I called downstairs, but they didn’t have anyone available to come until today.

Part 3 of apartment saga is that once I moved all the boxes/books/shelf in the Great Purge of a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that the paint on the wall to the left of the window was not only peeling/cracking, but frothy in place and bubbling up in others. Looks like that at one point in the 6 years I’ve been there, there was a leak or something. I called them about that at the same time I called about the window, but I don’t know when the paint/plaster people are coming. This basically means that I can’t move stuff *back* to that corner yet. Of course, part of me wants to re-think the layout of the place. Not much you can do with a rectangle that is living/sleeping/office area, but I can try.

I do need some different shelving units. The ones I bought a few years ago are okay (big grey Rubbermaid ones that hold a *ton*) – but I really would like some nifty sleek Ikea/Container Store-like book/media shelves that would flank a TV stand that’s not a cheap imitation of an icebox. (garage sale purchase that came from San Antonio with me). Budget’s really tight right now, so this will have to wait, but I have plans.

* I’ve been contemplating recently on how to make some decent money writing. It’s not easy, if you’ve ever read alg‘s LJ, you know that trying to make a living as a writer is a rather futile endeavour. But, it occurred to me that while I’m waiting for Matters to be republished (early next year), working on Blood Bargain (e.g. book 2), I might also be able to put together a longish erotica story that I can submit to Ellora’s Cave. They pay fairly well, and I do have a few snippets/stories lying about that might fit the bill. It’s definitely an idea (and not a new one, I’ve talked to other folks on this and they are actually working towards this. I just hadn’t applied it to me…d’oh!) I’d definitely go for the gay pr0n, and I’d do this with a pseudonym, so if you have any name ideas, I’d love to hear them.

* Footballer’s Wives – what a hoot! I finished series one and watched the first episode of series two last night. It’s totally mind candy and the best kind of trash TV. Why had I not known about this show before?

* Eureka – was way better than I expected, if a little cliched. WTF, it was fun and I’ll watch it again.

* I think I need to make myself a Captain Jack Harkness icon.

* TGIF…that is all.

Haven’t had much of a chance to catch up on LJ today, but did take a quick break to see this news item.

Can I just say WTF? As in What the EVERlasting FUCK?

250,000 first printing?

$275,000 for promotion?

My mind boggles.

I really really really don’t understand the publishing industry.

Should I present myself as a part of a secret supernatural family? Would this make NY publishers sit up and beg me to sell them my book for a ridiculously high amount of money?

::headdesk::

I just don’t get it.

You know it’s hot when the a/c kicks on in the wee hours of the a.m.

I’m a total heat wimp and have NO freakin’ clue how I survived nearly 25 years+ in Texas. Not that DC in July is so much different, except for the fact that I expect our heat wave to go away much sooner. ::g::

In any case, it’s a hell of a good reason to stay indoors!

For those of you who appreciate John Glover, here’s a neat article from AfterElton.com. Evidently, Wolfe Video is releasing An Early Frost, a groundbreaking 1985 AIDS movie that includes John G, Aidan Quinn and others.

Watched the rest of the Entourage eps last night (yay, cable On Demand!) and am now caught up.

I’m off to work and hopefully the day will be quick and painless. I had a crap Monday and really would rather the rest of the week go well.

Happy Canada Day to all my friends north of the 49th and to those of us honourary citizens. ::g::

I’m back in my apartment.
The cleaning people came yesterday.
The new grocery delivery came last night.
I’m going book shopping and then having lunch with a dear friend. (Tanya Huff’s new book is out!)
And it’s stopped raining.

Can’t get much better than this.

Oh, yeah – it can…On Wednesday, beledibabe and I go to see an RCMP presentation at the Smithsonian.

Life is sometimes so very sweet.

Hugs to all who need them.