la_marquise

The last two days have not been great. Virulent outbreak of illness followed by exhaustion and severe shoulder pain. Apologies to anyone I may have let down as a result: I simply haven't had the energy.
Tomorrow, I probably have to drive to Hereford. It can be done, she said, grimly.

In better news, the shiny new microchip cat flap is a great success, and Black Monster is not only no longer getting in, but is less likely to be in the garden at all. And Horus is now used to the click.
Ish has not yet managed to open it when it's set on 'in only' (which suits us) and is training us to respond to voice commands about his privileged access to Teh Out. Due to rain, he's been a rum tum tugger since 5 pm today. ('Out now!' 'Hello, it's raining out there, I'm back', 'Out now', rinse and repeat...)

Today, we have snow. Yay. I like snow -- yes, even when I have to drive in it or walk somewhere awkward. Yes, I'm odd.
We also have a new cat flap, which only admits cats whose microchips it has learnt. It knows our three, but not Little Black Monster, and so far today he has not got in. This is good and we approve.
The cat flap itself, however, is productive of some feline consternation. You see, it clicks. This is unexpected. Ish isn't too bothered. It clicked, but it let him in anyway, it didn't eat him and it hasn't got anything he wants. So he can deal.
Moon and Horus are less sure. They have both used it to go out, but in is more challenging. It makes a click! Did I know it makes a click! Moon, who is a cautious sort, patted it with her front paws, so that it opened a bit, but wouldn't come too close (thus convincing it that the cat was not entering, leading to another click). She eventually deigned to use it when we held the flap for her.
Horus... It clicks! It makes a click! By his nose! Much shouting and bafflement, and again we had to hold the flap. Hopefully they'll learn.
Some writing done (fx: virtue). Gym visited. Shoulders are so-so.

Skirt of the day: denim.

So, writing happened. Still not a 1000 words, but my right wrist is very painful today, and I need to stop typing and go and do something else. (This was going to be ironing, but with it being the right wrist, that isn't so clever either. Shall think of something.)
Back on The Drowning Kings today. It's in that awkward middle stage, where I know what needs to happen next, but first I have to get the characters through the talk-about-current-issue-and-travel stage. Which is dull and book-slowing. The talking has to happen, and I probably need a scene or two on the journey, but in order not to be even less pacey that it already is, what's really needed is getting to the next location. I suspect I'd do the 'what about the women' scene and then jump to 'N weeks later' in the next chapter.
Which will be Tintagel, by the way. This is an International Bl**dy Celtic book. (Dyfed and Cornwall were two separate kingdoms at this time, therefore...) Here's a short ( snippet )

In other news, Horus is scared of the cat flap today, because it's flapping and banging in the wind. I was good and went to the gym and gerbiled (and over-strained my right wrist, stupid marquise).
I remain deeply underwhelmed at the plans of our new masters regarding welfare, work and community indentured labour service.

Skirt of the day: long purple silky (with red crinkle doing petticoat duty underneath. It's cold here today)

So we went to the USA for 10 days.
It did not begin well. We set off in good order for Heathrow to be greeted with large signs telling us that our flight -- fine when we set out -- had been cancelled.'Oh,' said the American Airlines rep, 'the computer has rebooked everyone'. Except us, it transpired, and the marquis had a flight he had to get the next day, and 'it is half term, you know'. I never did work out how, somehow, it was our fault that it was half term. I said, 'Look, no children', and 'business trip', firmly, but it did not really get through. The rep was nice, but we were complicated or something and and and... We did eventually get rebooked, onto a United flight the next day, which was fine, though we had to pay extra to sit together and the marquis missed seeing more than a fleeting glimpse of our Chicago friends B & J.
The reason for the cancellation? AA had run out of planes. This later turned into 'technical reasons', but we are still picturing someone counting planes and coming up short. And they did not at any point apologise. (They put us up for the night in the Renaissance Hotel, beloved of Eastercon overflow, and we did get to go to the good pub, which was something.) When I rang B to tell her what had happened, she laughed and said, 'That's so like American.'
We finally got there around lunchtime on Sunday and went out for brunch at a very nice nearby place before the marquis had to head on out to Ohio. His flight -- AA again -- ran late and he ended up not getting to his hotel till midnight, having had to negotiate the Cincinnati by-pass in a strange car with an automatic transmission. Then he spent three days working in Milford, Ohio, which seems mostly to consist of malls and intersections. By this point, AA were becoming distinctly unpopular with both of us.
I meanwhile had headed back to B & J's where I was rapturously welcomed by B's two beautiful, huge black-and-white cats. All trips are improved by friendly cats. Spats followed me around so that he could wash my hair (long hair is a novelty) and Mambo regularly came by for fuss. It's been something like 6 years since I last saw B and J, which is far too long, and I had the best time. We ate doughnuts, and watched movies and talked and talked. (tamaranth, B and I have decided that there needs to be a remake of Some Like it Hot with Messrs Depp and Downey Jr in the Curtis and Lemmon roles. Can you bear that?) Monday night, they took me to a wonderful wine-tasting place in Chicago, where I had a really good Viognier from Oregon. And we watched Religulous, which was hysterical, and talked politics -- the negative campaigning going on was gobsmacking. I'm used to parties badmouthing each other, but this was solidly personal, and the only Ohio candidate with a policy was the anti-abortionist. I love spending time with them -- B and I are founder members of the International Yuen Biao Sisterhood -- and I missed them the whole time I was in Ohio.
More later.

Help my humans have gone mad they are torturing me. Evil black cat that Does Not Belong tried to beat me up he bit my foot but I beated him I am tough. It was cool only my foot hurt and I had to hold it up and hop it was not good I could not do stairs it was bad. Bad humans grabbed me and put nasty stingy stuff on my foot, then they made me stay in all yesterday they are horrid. And today girl human put me in the Big Evil Box of Doom and took me in the Hell Thing That Moves and Smells and then made me go in the Bad Place with Sharp Things. And I poohed on Evil Box and peed on it and on Hell Thing and that was my revenge I am good at revenge. Bad Place people fussed me and said I am handsome they are nice humans I like them. But then girl human put me back in the Evil Box and the Hell Thing so I did more pooh and then waited till we stopped and threw up on Hell Thing I am clever. But they are Bad.
And then she put nasty stuff on my tummy it is sticky. But I am magic I stared at her she gave me tuna and Ish and Stuck-Up Mooncat did not get tuna hah hah.
But she still won't let me out to beat up Evil black cat some more. Please do diggings and make me tunnel to go out.
Horus.


Or, in the human version, Horus managed to get bitten on his front left paw late on Saturday -- we suspect the small black cat that has been hanging around the garden lately. He's now on antibiotics and painkillers, plus nappy cream for his nasty scabby tummy (he's reacting to something outside). He's not amused. Neither I am I. Taking Horus to the vet is a special for of hell, as he is utterly terrified of the cat, shrieks the entire way, loses control of all his bodily functions, shrieks even louder in distress at that... You get the picture. Plus, cat pee and cat vomit on the car seat: does not want. How he managed to get both through the cat-carrier grill is beyond me. He'll be staying in most of this week, and will, I suspect, become spherical, as when shut in he tends to eat everything in sight. If you want to meet him, this would be a good week, as he tends to be more sociable when he's bored.

New words today: 1074
First new line: ‘Welcome,’ he said. ‘Follow me.’

There's a feast and I am struggling. Unlike desperance, I do not have the gift of food porn. Chaz, how do I make fish and pork and root vegetables sound exciting?

Mooncat likes her new outdoor litter tray very much, though the structural engineer doesn't appreciate our neighbour's trees. Builders are taking tomorrow off while the engineer and the architect talk foundations.
It's too hot. I am wearing one of my lightest skirts and I'm still warmer than I like. Horus is basking in the shade, Moon is monitoring all activities. Ish I haven't seen all day: he has Duties, after all.

Skirt of the day: floral flippy.

New words: 1041
Project: The Drowning Kings
First new line today: He said, ‘I’m sorry. About the dog.’
Gif is uncertain and Owain isn't sure he knows how to talk to girls.

Why, I ask myself, do I not only give the dog a name from a very early nursery rhyme, but then bang my head against a nasty textual problem in the two lines therein that I need to translate? Mutter, mutter, mutter... There's nothing like Welsh history to send you to the dogs (and the dictionary) sometimes.

The builders left early today, as they have run out of stuff to do without their digger,a nd that doesn't arrive till Monday. So all is nice and quiet. A friend of a neighbour has come round and collected the marquis' ancient Honda CM125 motorbike, intending to rebuild it, and the marquis is happy that it's finally found a new home. The cats are fascinated by the new aspects in their garden -- no shed! Lots of bits of ex-shed leaning on the hedge to be sniffed and marked! Big open sandpit! Wheel-barrows! Ish likes the new things to investigate, Mooncat like having new people to supervise and everyone likes the new tunnels behind the leaning bits of wood, but Horus is rather baffled by the sudden reduction in branches and height of one of his climbing trees.
Skirt of the day: denim. It's cooler weather and I have no brain.

We're off to Derby alter today for Alt.Fiction. And, as ever, I don't know what to wear (not helped by the weather, which is unsettled and unsettling). The Professional Writer Dress is a good default, but might be a bit cool -- having never been to Alt.Fiction, I have no idea what to expect in terms of layout, temperature, floors (that makes a huge difference to shoes, let me tell you), availability of seating etc etc. Being professional self in public: does not like.
Who else is going? It would be good to know I'll know people!

And in other news, Mooncat once again has a boyfriend. This first happened when she was 2-3 and Ish was just out of kittenhood and into catlet mode, but not yet fully grown. Her first boyfriend was a lovely tabby and white boy of great softness and cuddliness who tried very hard to move it for some months, apparently convinced that Moon would eventually start calling. (She was spayed at 7 months, but she can flirt with the best).
And now she has a new gentleman caller, a small light tabby with big jowls and a rather short (but complete) tail. She loves him dearly, of course -- much rolling and ear licking, to the disgust of both boy cats. He's shyer than Boyfriend and doesn't come in all the time, but last night he followed me up and down the road and demanded much fuss, which let me have a good look at him. (I've been trying to do so for a week or so.) He seems well-fed and healthy -- good coat, not skinny, clear eyes and ears. He's had several spats -- lots of scratches on his upper forelegs, which I have reason to suspect were inflicted by Ish, who has also had indication of fights recently -- but nothing serious (he let me feel all over the leg and check for abscesses without complaint). So I don't think he's a stray -- he understands cat flaps, we discovered (he came into the utility room) and he's very happy to be stroked and even picked up. He's either visiting from the other side of the airfield -- would be in range for an entire tom, which he is, or he belongs in the street (I suspect I know which house, in that case). I'll keep an eye on him, in case he *is* mildly lost, but as we don't see him by day, I strongly suspect a home somewhere nearby which he sleeps in all day.

Shoulders are a lot better (yay), so the book is moving along again.
New words: 1012
First new line written: Unlike its bond village, the abbey settlement showed no signs of poverty.

Owain is fretting, Gif is dozing and Something Is Rotten.

Had a lovely weekend with eleyan, miramon, frostfox, maeve_the_red, tower_of_chaos and the marquis, with food and lovely alcohol and cats. Then home to the discovery that somehow, the cat-flap (left on in only) had got itself effectively set to out only, and all three cats were stuck outside. Moon was indignant, Ish sanguine, Horus skittish but pleased to see food. I was, of course, mortified. And very relieved that all three were fine. My precious kitties shut out all night! It was very fortunate that all three turned up very fast when we came home -- Moon and Ish were door-stepping and I found Hor8us very quickly when I called. I am a bad pet-owner. I grovel.
They got special gushy food as an apology. And lots and lots of fuss.

The marquis started two weeks' jury service this morning, which will be interesting, and means he'll be home at sensible times for once. He's quite looking forward to it, as it will be a break from work and a chance to focus on something else for a while. Meanwhile, I still have to do the laundry.
And inamac and lil_shepherd are visiting tomorrow. Yay!

Skirt of the day: black jeans.

I've declared today a day off from writing, as I woke this morning with a headache and sore shoulders. (So should not, in fact, be on the computer. Ho him.) Instead, I've done useful things like shopping (for more painkillers. Also lip-salve) and laundry. The marquis's beautiful-but-complicated skirts are hand-washed and drying nicely. Meanwhile the cats are treating the house like a hotel -- Ish is presently engaged in his new Best Thing Evah, which involves apparently planting himself in the vegetable bed amongst the beans and basking. Moon spilled coffee all over my desk while trying to bury it -- the coffee, not the desk --- and Horus is intermittently wandering in to see if any fresh salmon cat food has manifested itself in his bowl. Oh, and I have a new plant, to replace my poor weeping fig, which failed to survive the cold winter. The new plant is a very small jade plant (aka money plant) which will have pretty white flowers and lots of big fat green leaves when it gets bigger. Right now it's a rather quaint little thing, holding its foliage politely over its knees and getting used to the new place.

Skirt of the day: silk patchwork.