Today is the first day that readers can get their hands on Country Mouse - if you pre-ordered from the website, it should be on your bookshelf.
Other than that, a couple things have been happening. I've started work on a story I'm currently calling "SB" or "that pilot story", and I'm about 8k in. I expect it to reach around 15k in total, and the ending (I know now how it ends), makes me swallow dryly. I don't like seeing these things coming, but I guess I don't really get a vote. The Muse will do what he will.
In house-related news, we've received prices for what we're planning to do to the garden, and it's going to be expensive. In the end, I do have an expensive taste - expensive enough to do the whole thing in a couple stages over maybe a year or two. Thankfully, I'm being backed up by another guy with a paycheck. That helps. There's a lot of rationalization possible with that kind of investment: it won't lower the value of the house, we'll be looking at that landscape outside for a fair few years (I frankly don't believe we'll be moving at all) - so it becomes an "investment" rather than an indulgence.
The first step will be to dig up the concrete behind the house and lay a sandstone patio, then put in some raised beds and replace 30m worth of fencing along the left side of the property and rip out the bushes and trees and the wall of ivy that hems us in on that side. Once all that is done, we'll "grow into" the new look and decide from there what we'll be doing with the rest of the garden, while squirreling money away to be able to afford it without taking money out of the house.
And next week I'll book an appointment to have a three-piece suit and some shirts made. The tailor is just around the corner from where I work. Happy coincidences. I doubt it'll happen before my birthday, but certainly next month.
So, yeah. I better get writing to earn that cash. (Writing's going well, though. I only bitch and moan when it's not.)
Other than that, a couple things have been happening. I've started work on a story I'm currently calling "SB" or "that pilot story", and I'm about 8k in. I expect it to reach around 15k in total, and the ending (I know now how it ends), makes me swallow dryly. I don't like seeing these things coming, but I guess I don't really get a vote. The Muse will do what he will.
In house-related news, we've received prices for what we're planning to do to the garden, and it's going to be expensive. In the end, I do have an expensive taste - expensive enough to do the whole thing in a couple stages over maybe a year or two. Thankfully, I'm being backed up by another guy with a paycheck. That helps. There's a lot of rationalization possible with that kind of investment: it won't lower the value of the house, we'll be looking at that landscape outside for a fair few years (I frankly don't believe we'll be moving at all) - so it becomes an "investment" rather than an indulgence.
The first step will be to dig up the concrete behind the house and lay a sandstone patio, then put in some raised beds and replace 30m worth of fencing along the left side of the property and rip out the bushes and trees and the wall of ivy that hems us in on that side. Once all that is done, we'll "grow into" the new look and decide from there what we'll be doing with the rest of the garden, while squirreling money away to be able to afford it without taking money out of the house.
And next week I'll book an appointment to have a three-piece suit and some shirts made. The tailor is just around the corner from where I work. Happy coincidences. I doubt it'll happen before my birthday, but certainly next month.
So, yeah. I better get writing to earn that cash. (Writing's going well, though. I only bitch and moan when it's not.)
Oooo I envy that you at least have a vision for your landscaping. Our house is almost done but the land/yard is still just clumps of dirt. I have no idea even where to start!
ReplyDeleteI'm mulling expansion plans for Riptide - how to finance, how to pull it all off, and at which point to cut my losses if it won't work (and it very well might not).
ReplyDelete...NOT what I needed to see this morning...
Kassandra - I hired some help. :)
ReplyDeleteAlex - It won't have anything to do with the rainbow English-language side of the business. It would be an imprint that's pretty much independent. :)
Okay, so you were just talking about the expansion not working *WHEW*.
DeleteSorry, little high-strung this morning...You can ignore my DM tweet
As always, you have so much going on. Can't wait to see you rock it all.
ReplyDeleteI /do/ hope the chainmaille goes well with your new suit. Seems vera vera stylish in my mind. :)