Cold. Rainy now. Chance of snow showers tonight, with a freeze warning.

So we wound up with about 10-11 inches all told, another couple inches having fallen in the evening. I ate breakfast, and came into office to check email prior to gearing up to go outside to shovel. Then I heard a snowblower. This time, it's neighbor himself.

I think I'll be baking cookies Sunday or Monday...

Snow's pretty much stopped. I think we wound up with 7-8" of heart attack-grade stuff.

I decided last night to work at home today. Got up this morning to find the ground still clear and no snow falling, but by the time I brewed coffee and fired up the work laptop, it had started. I muttered to myself. Got stuff done. Worked in my jammies for the first time in recent memory--I usually get dressed as soon as I get up because I don't feel ready to face the day otherwise. But today the jammies felt ok, for some reason.

I figured I would wait for tomorrow morning to attempt to shovel. Heard a snowblower around 4pm, and looked out to find my neighbor's son clearing my driveway. He did the whole thing--all I had to shovel were the sidewalks and the deck. Bless his heart. He save me about three hours hard labor.

Looks like a couple of inches so far. It's supposed to continue throughout the day, so shoveling may need to wait until tomorrow. Temps are in the mid-30s, so maybe some of it will melt first.

Live in hope.

I know we get these easter storms every so often, but dang, it's an unpleasant development.

1) crocuses starting to push through
2) robins
3) grass starting to green
4) Winter Storm Warning, with 6-10" expected over the next 24 hours or so

It's gorgeous at present. 40F or so. Feels cooler thanks to a breeze off the lake. Bright blue cloudless sky. Ground is drying out, with most of the snow melted.

::bloody hell::

And snow totals so far? A dusting.

The Lake Effect Snow Advisory is still on through the afternoon, and they're still calling for 3-6". But they dropped the warning for southeast Wisconsin, which seems to indicate that the bulk of the snow will hit south of me, into southern Lake and Cook. This is fine. Let it stay there. I dreaded the prospect of having to shovel this morning.

I'm glad I didn't cancel King's vet appointment in anticipation of Weather. And since I got the grocery shopping out of the way last night just in case, I have extra time this morning to do other things.

Zippo writing production these past two days. I was blindsided by a desk drawer synopsis on Thursday, which was triggered by an item on the list of "books we'd like to see this month' posted on arcaedia's agency website. So, opening and major plotline have been reworked, at least in my head. Maybe I will work on it when I hit bumps in the wip. There really is no such thing as too many proposals, is there?

Much snow has melted over the last few days, despite the chill temps. Roads and driveways are nice and clear.

So of course we are under Lake Effect Snow Advisory from this evening through tomorrow afternoon. 3-6" expected, but they can't say for sure because it will come in the form of lines of snow squalls. We could get 5", and five miles down the road they might get zippo.

I wouldn't care except I'm supposed to take King to the vet for an inoculation tomorrow morning. I usually transport him in Harrison the Ford, which I don't like to take out in snows even with the 300 lbs of sand in the back. But I don't want to cancel because there's always the chance that we could wind up with only an inch or so.

What makes this even more irritating is that temps will hit 40s/50s next week, at which point all will melt into memory.

Rain with possible t-storms tonight, changing to snow tomorrow. Snow likely 5 of the next 6 days. No clue as to how much, although Tuesday could prove a real winner. I am so blasted sick of this that I could scream.

At least the weekend thaw was long enough to melt the ice in the gutters. Rooftop is pretty clear. Basement is dry, though probably not for long.

Funny how having to write a certain amount each day drives one to do other things. Four loads of laundry this morning, along with the removal of about ten boxes of stuff out of the basement. Some of the newspaper wrappings were dated 1985--this was stuff my Dad had taken out of my grandmother's house after she died. One thing I found that I couldnt bring myself to toss was a small box containing a device called a "Salad Maid Vegetable Chopper." Looks like a meat grinder, but with food processor-type blades. The date in the instruction manual is 1955.

It's been two weeks since I got the wireless working, and I'm wondering how I did without it this long. The only problem is that the connection between the external hard drive and the base station keeps getting dropped. I'm wondering if this happens because the drive goes on Standby, or whether the USB connection is so slow that things get dicey and then break down. I wonder if I should switch to a firewire connection.

Why is it after midnight already?

Warmer today, with rain tonight. That means thawing, which likely means more puddling in the basement. I placed a call to a basement waterproofing place, and I'll start getting estimates. I'm hoping it's just a case of needing to fill cracks.

Began yesterday very industrious. By noon, I had changed bedding, tweaked LJ profile, compiled changes to website and sent them off to web mistress, mailed off tax stuff to accountant, and grocery shopped. Came home, and ate something that torqued my stomach. No major issues, just a general feeling of not quite right. I blame middle-aged stomach--it seems to have gotten touchier over the last few years.

ANYway, technically I missed my first 70 Days goal in that I didn't hit the wordage until after midnight. But I didn't fall asleep until I made it, so I'm counting it. 803 words. Slow going, but I'll plead that fact that I'm expanding upon and embellishing existing scenes, which makes for slow going. I have a few more days of that, I think, before I leave the already-written chapters behind and break new ground.

I think we wound up with 3-4" of something I'd call heavy powder...except at the bottom of the drive, where the snowplow left packed snowboulders. Took an hour and a half or so to shovel, so I got to work a bit late. Roads were a little slushy. By the time I went out at lunchtime, all was wet only. If we have to have more snow events, let them go as this one did.

I guess Johnny Depp will be coming to town. Chicago, at any rate, and various small Wisconsin towns.

Gov. Jim Doyle's office confirmed Tuesday that Depp will be in the state to star as bank robber John Dillinger in "Public Enemies." The film will co-star Christian Bale and be directed and produced by University of Wisconsin graduate Michael Mann. Bale will play FBI Special Agent Melvin Purvis, who led the manhunt for Dillinger in the 1930s

Sounds good.

Oh well.

Back to the tax spreadsheet...

They canceled the Winter Storm Warning, scaling it back to a Winter Weather Advisory. The 6-9" 5-8" or 5-9" or Way Too Much originally predicted for my area has been reduced to 3-5". I hope the morning finds it closer to 3" than 5". An hour's quick shovel, and I should be able to get to work.

Blasted sick of snow. Now Tom Skilling, the WGN weather guy (and brother of Jeffrey), is saying that it's a la Nina winter, and if a la Nina summer follows, we're in for a hot one.

Mr Good News.

It's snowing. By tomorrow, we will end up with anywhere from 5-8". Brought home work laptopn just in case it's closer to 8", which will make getting out of the driveway problematic especially if them as plows leave another dam at the foot the of the thing.

I Did Not Finish My Tax Stuff last night. I am lower than dirt. I did watch Pride & Prejudice, though, and I will say that while I liked aspects of Ehle's and Firth's perfomances well enough, there are places where this version fell down when compared to my fave version, the 1985 David Rintoul as Darcy version that no one ever mentions.

1) I like Joanna David, who played Aunt Gardiner, but she couldn't hold a candle to Barbara Shelley. Part of the reason was the script--in the '85 version, the closeness of Eliza Bennett and her aunt is more thoroughly portrayed, and several key conversations shown. In the '95 version, the close relationship isn't shown, and thus the growth of Eliza as she comes to realize that some of her first impressions were well off the mark isn't portrayed as well as it might have been.

2) I HATE THE ENDING OF THE EHLE/FIRTH VERSION!!!!!!! That preachy sermonette about marriage was a lame, smarmy, lead balloon of an ending, and the scriptwriter should have his head handed to him. All the grace of a waltzing rhino. Clunky, iow.

Back to taxes.

It's still snowing.

It's a grey, foggy winter morning of the type I always associate with February-early March. Rain is dripping from the ice/snow packed gutters. Crows are gliding back and forth and cawing. I haven't been outside yet to get the papers--and dread the prospect, frankly--but I hope the rain washes off the snow cover before it all freezes tonight and the rain turns to snow.

They're not expecting much snow, but they've been wrong before.

Coffee is brewing. Never was it needed more.

Today, I hope to start on the receipt collation for the accountant, and maybe dump some paper along the way. Dinner will be salmon loaf, a recipe I pulled off the web involving black beans and a Dijon mustard sauce. It's a salmon loaf kinda day.

Update: rain, rain, rain, and snow cover and frozen ground. Trekked down to the basement to toss in a load of laundry, and was treated to the sight of puddles. Three, so far, caused by seepage where wall meets floor. Looks like some foundation work may be in my future.

Yea.

Yesterday at this time, we were getting hit by the Dreaded Lake Effect snows (tm). Drove to massage appointment on roads made of suck, using backroads when possible because what they lacked in the way of plowage was compensated for by what they lacked in the way of other cars. Was soo happy to get home. Leftover pizza never tasted so good.

Today was the sort of winter day that makes up for DLE. Sky cloudless and faded blue. Temps in the 20s (F), which is cold but not OMGCOLD!! The sidestreets were still slippery in places, but the main roads were wet only. The surface of the fresh snow glittered, so white and crisp.

I did have to shovel this morning. Didn't like it, but had to. Awoke to 3-4" of fluffenstuff in the driveway, which I wanted to get out of the way because it was a sunny day with the possibility of melting and you know the drill.

But it was still a pretty day.

So many posts lately about the financial lives of writers. Jay's tale is closest to mine own, in that we both see the advantage of having the day job, and for reasons each our own, can't quit at this time. I've been at my company a while now, though--21 years in September--and I'll be 50 in July, which means that early retirement is a possibility if and when the stars align. So, quitting the day job may become feasible at some point in the not too distant future. One advantage to having started at this writing game comparatively late in life is that it may become a reasonable second stage of life career, assuming I have sufficient backup saved as a result of the first career--Christ, I know I sound like something out of MORE magazine, but I've lived poor and saw my folks enter their later years with nothing but Social Security and we're just too old to take stupid risks. There's no legacy out there waiting. No safety net. There's just me. So.

FWIW, I will likely make more from writing this year than I have in any previous year, somewhere between $19K-26K. Sounds really nice. But that's the gross--knock off about half for taxes/agent's commission. If that was my sole income, of course taxes would be lower, but we're still talking part-time income at best for someone with a house and two aging dogs to support.

(I should also add that some of that money is carryover from deals made last year. The middle of last year. I could conceivably receive payment for the latest contract, which was worked out in December and which I signed and sent back last week, before the payment for a deal done over 7 months ago. Which is one reason why writing is such a jim-dandy way to make a living, and why they tell you to have as many months' worth of living expenses banked as you can possibly afford.)

(Or have a day job)

There's also the matter of What I Want To Do. I don't want to pro-blog, write non-fiction (despite the fact that it can by all accounts pay very well), teach, or anything else that writers sometimes do. I want to write Fiction, the Fiction that I want to write. This isn't to say that I'm not thinking about breaking out or trying to expand my audience. The next books will be supernatural thrillers, and I am in the process of learning some interesting lessons as to what it may take to make them appeal to more mainstream readers. From what I've gleaned so far, it seems to be a matter of building up non-genre aspects of the plot that a pure genre reader might think interfere with the story. Non-genre drivers. It's difficult to explain, and explaining writing has never been a strong suit of mine anyway. In the case of the wip, what drives my protag forward, at least in the first section of the book, isn't anything supernatural, but more mundane concerns about her health and her family. Things a wider band of readers can relate to. That seems to be, if not THE key point, a pretty important one. Because part of the business is thinking about the product and how to make it appeal to a wider audience. At least, it is for me. If that makes me venal, so be it. I like being read.

Next couple of years are going to be interesting. And busy. I hope it works out, because I do like making things up.

I need an icon of an ice cube.

We're under Wind Chill Warning. According to the Weather page of the Trib website:

A wind chill warning means the combination of very cold air and
strong winds will create dangerously low wind chill values. This
will result in frost bite and lead to hypothermia or death if
precautions are not taken.


( Weather and computers and such )

Never got around to working on setting up the home wireless yesterday. The time allotted for that was spent chipping ice off my driveway. Snow had melted thanks to the couple of days of above freezing temps, and I should have cleared things then. But I delayed, and thanks to that I now have about a inch of ice coating the lower third of my driveway. There's a thin layer of snow covering it now, which will either provide traction or a lesson in just how low a coefficient of friction can go. I'll find out when I gird up to go outside and get the newspapers. But I need to finish my coffee first. This could take some time, she said as she listened to the wind.

I went out to clear the drive at about 415. Took one look, and almost turned around to wait for Spring. I shoveled to the garage, then dug out the snowblower, which can handle snow up to a foot deep at first pass. The stuff in front of the garage was over a foot high, so I went back to the shovel. I figured I'd work until 7, take a Keith Olbermann break, then go back out and keep hammering away at it.

The snowplow went through as I shoveled away. I figure he left a two-foot damn at the end of the drive. Wet hardpack "heart attack" snow.

I had gotten rid of the worst of the stuff in front of the garage when I noticed someone at the end of the drive pushing an industrial-size snowblower. It was my neighbor's son. I walked down to thank him profusely. No problem, he said, I'll help you out.

I worked on the top half while he somehow managed to clear the snowplow mess. Then his dad came by with a shovel and cleared in front of my mailbox. Then son took the shovel while Dad took over the blower and cleared the bottom half of the drive. What I figured would be a good 4-5 hour job was done in an hour and a half. I thanked them many times, and pledged chocolate chip cookies. They didn't seem to think it was a big deal...though I think they'll take the cookies.

My driveway's clear. I don't believe it.

Finished self-assigned project for editor. It's not perfect, but it's better than it was in that it now incorporates things editor and I discussed. I had wanted to vacuum, dye my hair, and run. Instead I did this. But now it's done and I can get started writing an actual book. Yea. No more free time for the foreseeable future.

No, I'm kidding, sorta. I will have some free time. I will *make* free time. Hell, I've had altogether too much free time over the last few years, and I can have all the free time I want if I simply say 'never mind--not gonna write this book. Sorry.'

But I'm not going to do that, so I may as well shut up and eat my snowshoes. Speaking of which, it's snowing again. 1-3" by the time it's all over. Rain tomorrow, followed maybe by a little more snow, or maybe even ice. And as we all know, Ice is Nice.

I am feeling a little punchy, yes. And I have the Sunday night "don't wanna go to work tomorrow" whingies, especially since there will be more snow on the roads to make driving a sheer pleasure.

Sick of winter. Can we have Spring, please? Post-mud season, with a side order of sunshine.

In other news, I noticed that King limps for a few steps when he gets up from the floor--it doesn't happen when he rises from one of the dog beds, or maybe it just isn't as obvious. He shakes it off after a few strides, and he doesn't seem to be in any pain. He's only been doing it over the last week, week and a half, which makes me think it could be some sort of injury, a strain or something. Or maybe it just took this long for the hardwood floors to aggravate any developing arthritis. Poor guy. He still runs without a hitch, and trots just fine. It's just those first few steps after he gets up.

After I saw the weather predictions yesterday, I decided today would be a vacation day. Good call. We have about 8" so far, and it's still coming down. Could wind up with 10-12" by the time it ends this afternoon. Not going to try to shovel before then.

King performed his sworn duty of getting me out of bed before 7:30am. I let him outside, then stood at the door with a towel in hand to wipe him off as he barreled back inside. He and the Mickster are dozing now. I've just made coffee, and am waiting for the water to boil so I can add the steel-cut oats. Probably have them with sliced banana and maple syrup. A little milk.

Then I'm going to write a little.

That's what the stick-on-the-window thermometer showed earlier this morning. The one attached to the tree about 6 feet away from the house showed -5F.

( cold, baking, etc... )

That's about -19C. The suction thermometer attached to my living room window reads a balmy 3F (only -16C), but the old device attached to a nearby tree reads -4F.

A nice, round -20C.

My office is about 63F, thanks to old windows that no longer close as tightly as they should. I know I should get them replaced for the sake of energy conservation, but it is fresh air that's leaking in and I have read stories about how polluted the air in well-sealed homes can get. Besides, at this point, 63F feels downright toasty.

Of course I didn't do all the things I wanted to do yesterday evening, so of course I have to go out. Needed to get stuff out to the curb for a charitable drive pick-up (and I bet those guys are listening to the weather reports and wondering "Why today?") King came outside with me, of course, because that's what he does and also because he thought we were going for walkies. Unfortunately, even though I tried to block him with bags of clothes, he still squirted past me and through the gate to !!Freedom!! Dashed around, doing what dogs do, then hied off to the neighbor's yard. They have a spaniel, so there was a lot for him to sniff. But he kept his eye on me as I dropped the bags at the curb and walked back up the drive. Imagine my surprise as I stood at the gate and witnessed the happy wanderer cut short his wanderings and COME BACK. I'm not kidding myself. If it weren't so damned cold, he'd still be running. I made sure he remained inside when I toted the old microwave oven out to the curb. I could've carted the clothes outside last night and left them out, I think, but not the oven. Not sure that old electronics could handle the cold for that long. For all I know, a couple of hours might be too long, but I hope not.

Anyway. Still need to grocery shop. Still need to fill the woodboxes. Should be a good day for writing. Baking will be committed as well--I found a recipe for Pioneer Bread, a quick bread containing dates and raisins. I'll be substituting dried apricots, though, and maybe some nuts. Bet it will taste good with cream cheese.

In other news, they're predicting snow for Monday, anywhere from 2-6 inches. And it's going to remain pretty cold--nights below zero and daytime temps in the teens and 20s. Yea.