Author: annabowling

Fall Cleaning And Other Stories

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Two years ago, yesterday, we left our last apartment, not knowing it would be over a year before we found a new one. 0/10, do not recommend. In two more weeks, we will celebrate -and that is absolutely the right word- our first full year in our new home. Lease renewal came yesterday, which I think is awesome timing. Tomorrow is both a state inspection for code on our building, and the first time I will have seen two of my cousins (who are mother and son) since I lived in CT. One is coming rom NJ, the other from AZ. There is a large age gap between me and my older cousin, as my mother was her mother’s baby sister, and adopted me in her forties.

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

This will be the first time I will have seen them without an older generation present. I am interested to see how this will go, how we interact as adult to adult. I look forward to getting current with them both, and introducing the to Real Life Romance Hero (who will be on Storm duty during the inspection; he’ll join us later) and Housemate. Introducing my family to my family. After that, it’s back to writing. Really, Okay, and planning on getting stuff out of storage and putting down some dang roots. I am excited to be reunited with my secretary desk in the very near future. Also my gargoyle pencil holder and collection of classic historical romance novels.

Today, apart from writing this blog post, I am on tidy the house duty, aka fall cleaning. Thankfully, that won’t take much, and I will have a decent amount of time at the end of the day to delve into my Sims and/or read. I could definitely do better with reading. Especially bundled in blankets, against the mountain of pillows on the big bed, with a cup of hot tea and feline companion Storm as near as feline-ly possible. I need a certain amount of relaxation to get into the type of read I prefer, and that hasn’t been the most prolific thing in the world for a while. Time to train myself into it again. That’s not a bad thing.

Fall has always been when my super powers return. I joke sometimes about having Seasonal Affective Disorder installed backwards, where fall and winter perk me and spring and summer have the opposite effect. That’s actually a thing. I have learned to lean into it. That works rather well for days lie today, when there are still chainsaws to juggle, but now they are the fun kind.

So, where am I going with this? Well, I have a blog entry now, and have a short break from the housework stuff, as well as a reminder that Many Writing Things lie ahead. I get to fuss and putter and put things where I want them to be, some sort of TV-ish thing playing in the background for added normality, though our TV is still in storage and will probably stay there. Streaming services fill that need quite nicely, and at my convenience. Still needs more survival dramas, though. Producers, please get on that. Thank you.

What are your plans for this week?

Typing With Wet Paws: Freestyle Hydration Edition

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Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. Aunt Anna is adulting again, so I get to write about whatever I want. Since I am a cat, that is no surprise to anybody that I pick myself as the theme. I mean, look at me.

yes, this is a greatest hits picture. I’m a cat. Uploading is hard.

Anyway, the first story is about how smart I am. I am a strong, independent kitty. I am a strong, independent kitty who don’t need ho hoomans. Okay, I do need hoomans. I flew solo for a few days last summer, and 0/10, do not recommend. Indoor kitteh for lyfe.

Anyway, I have three water bowls. One is in Aunt Linda’s room and the other two are in the big bedroom with Aunt Anna and Uncle Rheuben. I like to stay hydrated. When one of my water bowls is empty, I rattle it with my paw. That usually attracts a human to fil the water bowl, and then I can drink again. This time, my rattling did not wake any humans. I was to learn later that Aunt Linda did hear it but didn’t recognize that I was asking her for more water and thought I was just playing. Silly Aunt Linda. Water is serious business.

So I thought to myself, Self, how else can we get some water? Then I remembered that there is a big water dish in the bathroom, aka people litterbox. There’s lots of water in that. Maybe the seat would be up and I could get to it. Well, it was, and I did. That was also exactly when Aunt Linda walked in. I am not going to tell you what she wanted to do with the big water bowl in the people litter box, but I bet you can guess. It’s gross. I did not get down because she told me to get down I got down because I wanted to get down. That’s an important difference.

Needless to say, all of my bowls got refilled after that and the natural order has been restored. I should also mention that Uncle Rheuben and I finally got to share his birthday tuna. I do enjoy a good dish of people tuna, and when I can share it with my favorite (only) uncle, that makes it even better. He puts mayonnaise in his, though. People are weird.

The other big news here is that it looks like I am getting a new cousin. One of my other aunts, who lives in a different state, found a little guy under her car the other morning. He has six toes on each foot. Some people call that polydactyl. Some call it Hemingway cat. I call it overachieving, because I do quite fine with four beans on each paw. Not really something he picked on his own though. I won’t say more until I have permission from the aunt to say more, but he’s a cute booger.

There is a bunch of fall cleaning going on over here, which is part of why Aunt Anna is adulting. That kind of thing allows her to work out writing things in the back of her head, so it is kind of writing related. She refreshed my favorite hangout spots with a sprinkle of catnip. I think that was very considerate of her. At present, my favorite spots are:

  • upside down lap desk next to Aunt Anna’s people desk
  • actual cat bed on the linen chest at the foot of the people bed
  • the big people bed (especially when people are on it)
  • windowsill in Aunt Linda’s room
  • Aunt Linda’s reading chair
  • Aunt Anna’s office chair, but I have to get out of it when she says
  • Uncle Rheuben’s desk (on top of it)
  • my big cardboard box

I know that’s a small list, but it works for me. I also like crossing under the bed and pretending I am driving through a tunnel. Uncle Rheuben calls this “the expressway.” Fun fact: I can make it from the big people bed to the door that leads to the kitchen in one sproing. How’s that for energy efficient?

I think that’s about it for right now, but remember. No matter what the weather report says, there is a one hundred percent chance of Storm activity at our place.

love, Storm

September

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The fans are off today, though the windows are still open. I have leggings and a sweatshirt on as well as one of RLRH’s oversize t-shirts. I am making hot tea. Bed is made and laundry put away. I have the first point on my list of edits for A Heart Most Errant running on my brain’s back burner as I do these things, and things I have stressed over since literally February, are falling naturally into place. This feels right.

On Tuesday, I had a wonderful four and a half hour “lunch” with an IRL friend who is now also a writer friend. We both spoke of wanting an in-person writing buddy to talk at(this is extremely important for extroverts, as talking and thinking often happen at the same time) and, well, we were in person, and we are both writers. We don’t exactly write the same sorts of stories, but close enough, and we obviously mesh well, so we are giving biweekly Zooms a try. That starts next week

On Wednesday, I had a three hour video chat with another bestie, Our conversations go allll over the place, and this was no exception. After that I crashed. Hard. Then Real Life Romance Hero came home and ordered delivery (meatball subs from a local establishment, which were amazing) and I spent some time playing Sims 4, then actual sleep. Nine hours. No fan, no earbuds. Also amazing.

Which brings us to today. Not going to lie, I am thrilled that I can wear a sweatshirt (and I will need more as the season progresses.) Abovementioned bestie sent me a treasure trove of perfume samples, which I am wearing every day. We are coming up on the one year anniversary of moving into this apartment. That also means it will have been about two years since I had been presenting myself the way I would prefer to do. As in makeup, clothing, jewelry, hair, etc. That this happens at the same time spooky stuff is showing up in stores is not a bad thing by any means. Not that I plan to suddenly turn this into a style blog, but style is something I love. Being able to express it again is an absolute delight, especially when some areas mean basically starting from scratch.

Photo by Andrea Davis on Pexels.com

The blog I had planned for yesterday would have been about my fascination with survival dramas (Lost, Dark, The Rain, The Walking Dead universe, etc) and I still plan on doing that in the future, but the special thing about today is how regular it feels. I like that about today. I am already thinking of another cup of tea. Maybe. It’s not quite fall enough to start baking cookies but I think it is indeed getting there. I can get used to that. After dinner tonight, I have a date with a good book. Swell, more than one. Reading one on the front burner, letting the writing questions about others sort themselves out on the back burners.

No real point to this post, which is okay. Sometimes a stream of consciousness is what feels most authentic, so that’s what goes on the page.

How about you?

Asking the Right What Ifs

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On Wednesday, it will be September. In our family, that means the unofficial start of autumn, and maybe more importantly, the return of my superpowers. It’s also the time for the seasonal turnover of planners, which took up a lovely portion of my Sunday afternoon. I love that ritual, of curating my planning supplies, moving from summer vibes (as much as I do, which isn’t much, as it’s not my favorite season) and into my natural environment. Bring on cool days, warm afghans, hot tea, big books, and all that good stuff.

In a writing perspective, that includes writing those books as well. Another part of the afternoon was me going over my edits letter from Safeword Author Services, which I cannot recommend highly enough for any author looking to hire an editor. Awesome encouragement, excellent insight, and I actually agree with the changes my editor proposed…so why haven’t I made them since February? That’s kind of a while.

First, let me introduce you to my non-besties, Anxiety and Depression, and the common author challenge of mind numbing terror when it comes to working on some of the tough stuff. But is it really? Sometimes, it’s as easy as asking the right questions. When I set up my writing notebook for historicals, I made sections for A Heart Most Errant, and Her Last First Kiss, with another for general tips and ideas for future project. For AHME, the first thing in there is the editorial letter. I read it through, then highlighted the areas I needed to address, color coded for hero (blue) heroine (pink) and general writing (green.) If I had a villain POV, which this book does not, then that would get a yellow highlight, because yellow is my least favorite color.

When I have Character A flip flopping from X to Not X a couple times throughout the story, making that decision for them wasn’t going to do. Instead, I turned to a fresh page and asked myself, “How does Character A feel about X, really?” Pros. Cons. Why they can hold both beliefs at once. Both hero and heroine in this book are trauma survivors (which is probably true for most of my characters in any story) so that is going to play into how they react to things, even good things. There’s also whether Character B would really focus on Y at a given moment. If they don’t focus on Y, then what would catch their attention instead? What would be more important? How does Not-Y fill a more urgent need than Y?

The only way to find that out, for me, is to do what I did when I wrote the beginning of My Outcast Heart, my first published historical romance (out of print right now; stay tuned for reissue talk) — follow my character as they run off on their own and write down what they do. It’s not entirely pantsing, as I can tell them “okay, here’s what has to happen next,” but usually, they figure out how they are going to that on their own, in their own particular way. It’s also not always in order. When I wrote Orphans in the Storm, my fourth historical (also out of print right now) I wrote both ends against the middle. I knew how it started, I knew how it ended, but connecting those two?

Season 5 Whatever GIF by Paramount+
grab this gif; not mine

That was a matter of connecting “what happened after that?” with “what happened before that?” Repeat until the two ends meet. (I do not recommend the other notable thing about this manuscript, which was losing the whole file, after I had already sold it, but if you do, be sure to have an awesome critique group with hardcopies.) In this case, it’s translating to “okay, if X didn’t work, what could be Y?” Not what is, necessarily, but what could be? In the words of an online writer friend, “it’s just riffing.” Have fun. Chuck some ink on that paper and see what transpires. For my money (and that which I hope comes from it) it’s well worth the trip.

How are you getting ready for September?

Survival Dramas, Historical Romance, and Stationery Love

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After a long time of not watching TV (streaming, on devices; we haven’t taken our TV out of storage and don’t miss it) I finally came back to it, when Netflix added Season Ten of The Walking Dead. I binged that very quickly, immersed in the lives of characters such as domestic abuse survivor turned badass at large Carol, can-he-be-redeemed ex (and future?) villain Negan, and waaaay beyond fixing Alpha. Carol/Ezekiel, or Carol/Daryl? (I prefer one, but the other is good, too.) Michonne scarpered off in search of vanished husband, Rick, leaving their children, Judith and RJ in good hands, and into the future of the franchise.

When I got to the end of the season (and will be watching the season premiere as soon as I do the AMC+ thing this weekend) I still needed more. Which led me to the spinoff series, Fear the Walking Dead. When I first tried to connect to that series, I couldn’t quite grasp it. There is also the time I fretted over being too far away to read the English subtitles during a scene in a Mexican church, before remembering that I speak Spanish and could just listen instead of straining my eyeballs.

This time, though, was different. Well, there was the matter of a reboot a few seasons in, trading in the original protagonists for some new arrivals and even some crossovers from the original series This time, I got it. I cried when one of my favorite couples came to the “death do us part” part, annnd un-death, requring the surviving spouse to put down their zombified beloved. That hurt, in the very best way. There’s also a horrible villain, succeeded by their mini-me, who was, somehow, even worse. At the season’s end, there are literally nuclear warheads coming down. How could the apocalypse get even worse? Well, yeah, nuclear warheads would do.

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

How does that connect with historical romance? This connection was easy. All that stuff I mentioned above? Put it in historical context. Yesssss. It’s also an essential part of my work on the first round of edits for A Heart Most Errant (finally!) Since the whole concept of this story world is “postapocalyptic medieval,” then it only makes sense to immerse myself in that world.

When I got to the end of the most recent season of FTWD, I searched for other survival dramas. Other shows mean other perspectives,. I binged The Society in pretty much one day, and while I am still salty that season two was cancelled, that doesn’t stop me from figuring out my own end to the story. Not proper fanfic, but maybe fan synopsis. I saw the first two episodes of The Beyond, which has two seasons and a similar premise, but had to take a break because episode three opened with zoo animals, and it’s their wellbeing that pokes my anxiety. Gord, the farmboy, would-be soldier and moral center may get filed away to marinate for character inspiration someday. I’ll talk about other survival shows and inspiration gleaned from them later.

This brings us to the stationery part. Picking the right stationery for a project isn’t wasting time or procrastinating. It’s part of the process, at least for me. Part of that is getting into the groove of the feeling of the piece. Looking through my stash, it’s a symphony of colors and formats and giving the front of my brain something to do while the back burners work their magic and unravel tangled beneath the surface threads.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

For getting the historical romance work things out book ready, it means fountain pens. They feel right. There’s a process of filling fountain pens, getting the ink going, and somewhere in it all, the focus shifts. Don’t ask me to explain it more than that. Not that I can’t do anything without it, but it does make it a heck of a lot easier, and more fun. Also, a local writer friend has a ritual of filling three fountain pens before she coposes longhand. When all three are empty, it’s time to transcribe. I might like to give that a whirl.

What out of the box techniques would you like to try?

recommendations of survival drramas also very much welcome

Can Less Pressure Equal More Art?

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Today is off and on rainy, but still muggy. Must be the end of August. Next week, I will be setting up my planners for September, putting summery decor away and sliding into fall, my most productive season. That’s a good thing, because I have plans.

Melva and I will be going through Drama King again, to address oncerns that were raised in our good rejection from our current publisher, and make sure the very best versions of Jack and Kelly are the ones that readers meet. Tha’s going to take more time than we had expected, but such is life.

Photo by Lisa on Pexels.com

If I had my druthers today, I would spend it reclining in front of a fn, bingeing my current Netflix seriess, while I write longhand, throwing messy ideas down on paper and making them pretty later when I can stand to be at the keyboard, preferably at a time when the air is not so humid we have air fish. Apparentlyk I do have a druther or two laying about, because that is exactly what I am going to do. I do also have the task of reading through the first two chapters of Drama King, as we are not letting any grass grow under our feet on this one, Even that works well with paper and pen, and thank God for laptop and their mobility. True, I could read files on my tablet, but eh, laptop is better for the eyeballs.

I can actually do quite a lot of work with paper and pen in front of the TV, even if TV right now means a smaller screen. We have left our TV in storage, and honestly don’t miss it. Streaming can take the place of traditional TV, and it gives me a lot more options, as in shows from all around the world. The current show I am bingeing, is originally in Arabic, dubbed in UK English, and the voice actors are a pretty good match tot he actual actors, so I don’t feel like I am missing anything. Not the survival in the wild type of thing I have been devouring lately, but mean girls in a private school in possibly the UAE? Honestly, does it get any wilder than teenage girls left to their own devices?

I’m still caling this current fixation on survival dramas as research for the second medieval book. Granted, I need ot get the first book’s edits done before I embark on book number two. I know the hero for that one already, but still have s=zero clue as to the hoerine and that’s not usually something that comes this hard for me. Still exploring, and I will find her in time Unless I am wrong about the hero. That would count as overthinking, though, and I am very much not here for that.

Welp, that’s about it for right now, as I have actual fiction writing and editing things to handle, but it feels good to check in on the right day. I like the idea of more art coming from less pressure. How about you?

Typing With Wet Paws: All About That Storm

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Tails up, Sorm Troopers! lI’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. It’s very cloudy here in NY’s capitol region, which is good weather for Aunt Anna. She was in such a good mood today that she said I couldd write about anything I wanted, so, of course, I am going to talk about me.

photo by https://www.instagram.com/rheubenbowling/

Picture above by Uncle Rheuben. Used because Aunt Anna said so. Also, he said okay.

Anyway, Aunt Anna is in a few cat groups on FB, and sometimes they do fun posts telling people important information about members’ cats. Aunt Anna did one or maybe more of these about me a while babck, but did she save them for the benfit of my fans who are not in those groups? No, she did not. I still love her anyway, so I wiill make my own version. I may not get all the questions or add some of my own, but hey, I’m a cat. That’s what we do.

Legal Name: Storm Bacon Truss O’Malley Hart-Bowling. I was already Storm when Aunt Anna and those guys got me, but I was really young when I got that name, so I don’t remember why. Maybe the super hero? Is Marvel’s Storm a super hero? I bet she is. She has a cool name. Bacon is becaue Aunt Anna promised a friend that she would name her next cat Bacon, after a random cat in her Sims game (game-generated cat) and she did. Truss is my first mom’s last name, and Aunt Anna remind me my first mom loves me very much and did an awesome job raising me. O’Malley is inherited from Big Sister Skye, and because all girl cats in this family are O’Malley from here on out. Hart is because of Aunt Linda, and Bowling because of Aunt Anna and Uncle Rheuben.

My nicknames are: Needles McGee; The Calico Comet. The first one is because my claws are really really sharp (son’t ask how they found out about that, but it was an accident) and the second because I am queen of midnight parkour. Aka I am super fast.

My Age is: Three-ish. The iish is because they thought I was two when they got me, but that didn’t match with my behavior and how I seemed to be getting bigger, so I was probably yunger than that but we are not sure how much. My first mom said I came from “a house with a LOT of cats,” so it’s possible I got mixed up with a different litter.

My Best Friend Is: Aunt Anna! I was understandably wary of my new situation when I first came to these guys, but after a coulple of days of watching from the safety of my adventure cave, I came out, plastered myself to Aunt Anna while she was sleeping and went on from there, We are tight. I am her buddy. I never let her go to the people litterbox alone, I want to be where she is, and do what she’s doing whenever possible. If she is writing longhand or journaling, I am there to help. Sometimes that involces sitting on her pages or stealing her pens, but it’s all part of the deal.

My Best Sleep Spot is: Also Aunt Anna. Specifically on her hip if she is on her side, or her midsection if she is on her back. That is a way to say “I love you” in cat, and also the best way for me to see what she is watching on her tablet screen. Best friends watch TV together, right?

My Favorite Human Food is: People tuna. One of my best treats is for Uncle Rheuben and I to share a can of people tuna (but in separate dishes.) My first mom said I can also have plain people chicken, but prople turkey is no bueno for my tummys, so I don’t get that. I am pretty happy with cat foo, and I know that “not for kitties,” means don’t even think about eating whatever people food it is that I am considering.

My Breed is: Calicoooooo! Okay that is a fur color, not a breed, so I would say American Shorthair, but some people don’t think that’s a breed weither, so IDK, regular cat?

My Favorite Thing to Do is: Hang with Aunt Anna. Don’t care what she’s doing. Cuddles are good, as are belly rubs, and I already talked about watching TV. Oh, and playing with toys. I have OG Mousie (mouse on a string) from my first mom, and I still LOVE him and play with him a lot. I have some store bought toys but mostly I like to find the interesting ones that humans drop on the floor. Pen caps, and hair ties, and that kind of thing. My favorite-favorite toy is Red Dot, but we are waiting to get a new one, so I will definitely let the humans know I want to play with it All The time when it gets here. Seriously. All. The. Time.

Do I Have Siblings?: Well, originally, yes, biologically, but I don’t remember a lot about them. I am an only kitty right now, though I will probably get siblings when we move to a bigger apartmment someday.

Do I snore? No.

Do I Like Car Rides?: I love them! They are the best! Can we go on one now? I better have a Very Good View out the window, though, or I will complain Very Loudly until I do. Not kidding.

Am I an Indoor Cat, Outdoor Cat, or Both?: Indoor, 100%. I tried outdoor once, and it was not that great. I mean, I did get my paw stamped so I can go back, but that was really only to be polite to the possum. He was pretty cool. Seriously, inside is best.

Anything Else?: IDK, you ask me.

Headbonks!

Mid-August Recalibration

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Welp, we are now officially past the halfway mark for August. Shelves are stocked with back to school supplies, which is pure heaven for us stationery aficionados. The fact that loving stationery and being a writer are not mutually exclusive makes this an especially delightful time of year. Well, ecept for the heat. It’s been brutal here in NY for the last while, and temperatures that are in the range of “do not kill the heat-sensitive” are extremely welcome.

August has not been the best month for productivity. Insomnia has been raging, with seven sleepless nights out of the first fourteen. My local RWA chapter voted this week to dissolve. That hit me hard. Harder, even than I would expect. It’s not entirely gone-gone, as there will be some sort of non-affiliated group, though not under the auspices of Romance Writers of America. I’m not sure what the future of the national organization will be, and that’s another big sad. I’m not even over the loss of Romantic Times magazine (the OG RT, not the RT Book Reviews it was at the end.) The thought that the organization that was The Thing back when I was but a wee princess could be floundering into nothingness sticks. A lot.

Melva and I also recieved news about our current submission that was less than we had expected. That doesn’t at all mean that nothing will happen with Drama King. On the contrary, we are meeting tonight to discuss our options. Whatever we choose, I am sure it will make Jack and Kelly’s book an even beteter one. I won’t say more until we have had a chance to talk between ourselves, but we are writers, and writers write.

Photo by lilartsy on Pexels.com

The same applies to historical romance. The best way to feel connected to it is to, well, connect with it. Read lots, and of the sort I want to produce, and then proceed to write horrible first drafts. Then turn those into slightly better second drafts.

There is still the part of me who set up a TV tray in my dad’s living room, propped an electronic typewirter (yes, that long ago) popping the soundtrack from Camelot on his hi-fi, and confidently pounding my way through a set number of pages, because that’s what one of my favorite writers of historical romance did. Easy peasy.

Only not. Part of me wants to stamp my foot and grumble about being here again, not exactly at the start of the road, but boy does it feel like it at times. There is only one way around that, and that’s to wite. Keep writing. Then write some more. Then more than that. Write pages that are steaming piles of poo, because piles of poo can be shaped, but blank pages can’t. For the extroverted writers like moiself, (yes, I know that’s not a word) staring, hands on hips, at the place where my RWA chapter used to be (well, on Zoom now) and tapping foot, this means going back out there into the wilds of other writerdom. Critique group/partner applications are now open. Must love historical romance, grit over fluff, and have a taste for the epic. I’m serious. Talking and thinking happen at the same time with this gal, and talking with other writers of historical romance is now a priority. We will see how that goes.

Well, then. This is the pat of the post where I sum things up in some sort of order and/or sense, but I have to be honest; I am thinking about how many episodes of The Walking Dead I can get in before conference time. I am about three episodes from the end of Season Ten. After that, I can go back to where I left off with Fear The Walking Dead, which isn’t the same, but close enough to scratch the itch. Maybe I can call it research for the post-plague medieval world of A Heart Most Errant. Yeah, we’lll go with that.

A Short Summer’s Nap

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Right now, I am camped in the corner of Housemate’s room, in her office chair, with her fan pointed directly at my legs. I am minutes off a three hour plus video chat with one of my besties, our topics ranging from family to historical versimilitude versus entertainment (not mutually exclusive,) makeup (including me demonstrating product on the back of my hand and holding it up to the camera) and our version of a revival of The Nanny. I have a Jamaican beef patty (nom!) and a cold beverage, and Real Life Romance Hero is taking a well deserved nap in our room. I can head bak in there now that I am done with the chattering magpie convention, as he terms these weekly chats.

The day is beastly hot, though our own beast, Storm, is keeping cool in her “house” (akagiant cardboard box with new bubble mailer bed) and has an extra bottle of water. I have been up once again for the past two days (ugh) so a nap would be very much welcome. I also have library books, some journaling, and season ten of The Walking Dead to keep me company if sleep eludes me once again. Yes, a show about a zombie uprising is my comfort viewing. Read into that as you will.

There is a strong possibility I may perk somewhat after sundown. Whether or not this is proof I am a vampire remains to be seen. I do have long dark hair and an affinity for long black dresses, and my favorite ring is shaped like a skeleton hand. Then again, I do like garlic bread.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

My original plan for this post was to talk about the icky angry/sad mood I was in this morning. Tough chanes are happening for some people I love, changes are pending for an organization I have drawn a lot from in my writing career, and there is the up and down (this time down) of submitting manuscripts. I don’t summer at all well, I’m tired, and sometimes taking a dang nap can ge the most productive thing I could possibly do. The fact that it would be in front of the big fan makes it even better.

By now, I am well aware that I am babbling, but at least “write blog” can now get crossed ovff my list, and if I want to be salty about bumps in the road, that’s normal and natural. For a hot Wednesday in August, one might even say par for the course. In the words of my FIL, “well, what are you going to do?” For now, dismantle temporary desk and put laptop back in bedroom, then attempt to settle down fofr a short summer’s nap. No point this time, only blabber. How’s your day going?

Typing With Wet Paws: Apparantly *Not* Summer Vacation Edition

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Tails up, Storm Troopers! I’m Storm, you’re awesome, and this is Typing With Wet Paws. Aunt Anna informed me that taking a month off is not, in fact, the traditional way to celebrate the one year anniversary of coming back from my unchaperoned field trip. I beg to differ, but she congtrols the cat food, and whether I get to sleep on the people bed, so I’m back. TO be clear, I was in the apartment the whole time. I am a 100% indoor girl now that our camping days seem to be over, and I think I am adpting rather well.

greatest hits picrure from this time last year

Some of my favorite hangout places are the window in Aunt LInda’s room, the window over Uncle Rheuben’s desk, and wherever Aunt Anna happens to be at any given time. My first mom warned her that I would foollow her everywhere, and I had an awesome first mom. Let’s just say that Aunt Anna will never die of loneliness while using the people litterbox. You’re welcome.

Actually, it’s been a full week, with Aunt Anna’s brain throwing slumberless parties for most of the nights> Hencer the erratic posting schedule. It will all sort out in time, especially because I am one hundred percent here for doing my weighted blanket duties, aka being an additional weighted blanket and making sure she stays in place. Not that staying in bed is the only thing, but it helps. Also, that does put me in front of the box fan, so I get to be close to my favorite people and feel the breeze in my fur. Keeping Aunt Anna in one place at night also helps her work toward her reading goals. Theoretically, it would also help her with her Netflix/Hulu to be viewed list. Theoretically.

gorgeous from this angle,too

Moving right along, because Aunt Anna needs to head out and go grocery hunting, and I have to keep an eye on Uncle Rheuben, so let’s go with some random bits of trivia about me:

  • I like chicken, but turkey gives me icky tummy
  • I frequently join Aunt Anna in her You Tube viewing, by settling on her hip. Yes, I do complain if I don’t have a good view.
  • On a related note, if one human shows another something on their tablet, they have to show me too. It’s only polite.
  • The humans agreed I was going to be the cat who eats on a set schedule, and I do; mine. Families eat at the same time. AKA, if the humans are having food, they need to put something in my dish as well. Usually cat food.
  • While I am curious about everything, “not for kitties” is enough to tell me to get my face out of whatever the interesting thing might be
  • I love belly rubs, but only from Aunt Anna

For those who are wondering, no, I don’t miss being outside. Outside is BIG and hot in the summer, and NO BELLY RUBS. In short, horrible. I mean, I met some cool possums and the feral cat colony around where I had my adventure was one where everybody was fixed. I didn’t get in any fights, I didn’t get pregnant, and I was only gone for foru days. The aunts came around and fed me every morning and night until they could convince me to let them get close, so I know I had it a lot easier than a lot of outdoor kitties. That being said, I have zero desire to repeat the experience. Indoors is awesome, it is safe, and all of my humans are super good to me.

I get to sproing around the apartment all day with a happy tail. I have two office chairs to curl up in (Uncle Rheuben has a desk chair, but it is not technically an office chair; I curl up on that, too.) I have two litterboes and two water bowls and I get to eat every time the humans do (plus snacks.) I also have fun toys, which I can play with alllll night long. That’s pretty exciting. Same as me.

That’s going to be it for now, but I do owe Aunt Anna a new blog post, so when you least expect it, expect it.

Headbonks!

yeah, I probably could use some editing on this pic