Thank the Goddess, the heat dome has dissipated!!!! Today’s high is forecasted for 81f. That’s 30 degrees lower than Monday!

Right now, I’m in my office. The a/c unit in our bedroom is off. It’s been working overtime for the last 3-4 days and earned a rest. My window is open, and my fan’s off in here as well. There’s clouds, a light breeze that’s actually cool, and I’m getting stuff done.

During the heat wave, I was staying up late (seriously screwing with my sleep schedule. Going to be napping for days to catch up.) to do laundry and dishes after the sun went down. I didn’t want to run the appliances and add to the heat in the house.

Monday was the worst. Our power flickered twice before I went to work, but stayed on. Came home, laid down on our bed….and it went out. It took an hour to come back. The power grid was taxed to the limit and most residents in the area lost power during the hottest part of the hottest day.

We drove around in an air conditioned car while the units in the house worked overtime to try and cool the bedrooms down, ate dinner out.

I have today off of work and plan on doing a lot of catch up stuff. The dishwasher’s going already, as is the laundry. I’m planning on doing 4 loads. Sheets, blankets, and towels will be caught up today. As well as some work in the daughter’s bedroom. She’s moving home from college in a month, and I need to get our stuff out of there so she can. Given that I have surgery in 16 days, it’s gotta get done today.

I got notes back from one of my betas on Sunday, went through them last night. She absolutely loved the book, which is good. Not many notes, but I’m still waiting to hear from the other 4. I know my agent’s submitting the first one to publishers, so I’m hopeful you’ll be able to read them sooner over later. I’ve still got the one scene in my head that needs to get put down. Honestly, it was too damn hot to write for the last several days. The room won’t take long, though, so I’m confident it’ll get committed to paper today.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll do more than just the one scene. LOL

On another great note, one of my chosen brothers is making it back to the gaming table! I’ve been coaxing/bribing/cajoling/threatening Matt to make it back for a year now. He and I finally worked out a timeframe where he can play on Sundays (he works some that day) and be home in time. I proposed the shift to the rest of the group, letting them know that the adjustment meant we got Blastaar back, and they all enthusiastically agreed! Our table will be full again on July 18th, right after surgery, and I can’t wait.

So much good is coming out of the bad right now. The Murder Hobos will be complete again, the weather’s tolerable, and my hands are getting fixed. The trigger fingers, anyway. Can’t fix the arthritis. I’m back to writing, plotting, and being comfortable with that process. It feels like so much longer than a year. COVID isn’t gone, but we feel better now that we’re all vaccinated. I have hope that Denise is going to find the publisher who loves Thia’s story as much as I do.

As much as I hope you do.

BB/Chan Eil Eagal Orm