A Curious Statistical Anomaly

It’s that time of month, and this time things are really, really, tight. Hyperion and I will be covering Malice Domestic, a wonderful mystery convention held in Arlington, VA this weekend. We’ll also be at Maryland Sheep and Wool on Sunday — the biggest sheep and wool event on the east coast.

And, we’ll also be trying to get SFRevu and Gumshoe Review up and live with the May issues on the 1st.

Stay tuned to see if we actually managed to do all that and remain moderately sane at the same time. [Hyperion: I predict a 7.23% probability]

Meanwhile, the cat (Emnot) finally went to the vet this past week. We’d thought Emnot was a she but the vet, after careful and intense looking, found that she was really a he. He’d also already been neutered so that was a relief. But, he had round worms and ear mites — as well as fleas (good thing he’s an outdoor cat). So, now it’s medication and ear drops for him and he’s not a happy cat just now. However, we came back from a doctor’s appointment this afternoon and found a dead lizard and the remains of a mouse. Wonder if he’s trying to warn us off about the medications….

Raining off and on all day.  Rain always seems to create the perfect day for reading, especially mysteries — maybe it’s the grey sky, overcast cloudiness, and feeling of oppression — or is that just the headache .

Anyway, I spent a good part of the day reading Holly Blues by Susan Wittig Albert. It’s a China Bayles mystery and the review will be in the May issue of Gumshoe Review — got the book too late to make the April issue. So far, it’s exactly what I expected — lots of interesting characters, lots of surprises, and new interactions between people, and the mystery keeps you reading. Check out the full review next month.

Meanwhile, tea, aspirin, and a good book makes a dreary day go by much better.

Today was one of those days where you go as fast as you can all day but never get anywhere. I sent out the notices on the reviews on SFRevu and Gumshoe Review. Moved books forward for another month for the reviewers. Entered some news items. All while doing the wash, folding clothes, and other household tasks.

Of course some of the slow down is due to the fact that from Friday evening (the WSFA Meeting) through to Sunday night. I was out straight doing one thing or another. We ran all our errands on Saturday. Raked another big section of the yard. And on Easter Sunday went over to a friends for Lunch and a walk along the Potomac — followed by dessert and some good talk and camaraderie.

It was all great but the fibro kicked in today and I feel like I’m walking through molasses — not, you understand, that I’ve ever spilled enough molasses to walk through so that I could compare the experiences. Nevertheless, today it just seems that if there is a speed between dead stop and slow I’ve found it or maybe even the setting between that one and stop.

But, I did make a dent in the small chores that have to be done before gearing up for the next issue. But now I think I’ll call it an early night and see if more sleep makes any difference.

It took until nearly  1 a.m. on April 1st but SFRevu and Gumshoe Review both were up and live before I went to bed last night.

Gumshoe Review has an original short story Critic’s Choice by Rekha Ambardar as well as our usual collection of reviews. The US Books column lists the books coming out this month that we know about along with a cover image and a short blurb.

SFRevu has a review of Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis along with an interview with the author. We’ve also got book reviews, magazine reviews, some DVD/Blu-Ray reviews. We also managed to review a graphic novel and a children’s fantasy book. Not to mention the non-fiction review this month, The Secret Feminist Cabal: A Cultural History of Science Fiction Feminisms by Helen Merrick. Then there’s the UK Books Column and the US Books Column.

I hope you’ll take the time to check them out and perhaps make visits to SFRevu and Gumshoe Review sites that you regularly check out online.

Finally, and in a blaze of stress and last minute finangling, the online magazine are up.

SFReuv: science fiction and fantasy books review along with a review of Skin Horse Volume 1, and some suggestions for Hugo Nominations for short form.

Gumshoe Review: Has an interview with Rhys Bowen and a review of her new book, The Last Illusion. There’s also an original work of fiction, “Negative Reaction” by Lee Hammerschmidt.  Then there’s the usual assortment of reviews.
Check them out and I hope you enjoy them.

My busy day I’ll admit is not the same as most people’s busy days. But for me I did a lot. (Remember I’ve got that whole lack of spoon things still going on.)

Well, I did the wash, dried,  folded, and put it away.

I made bread. Okay so we’ve got a bread machine but it’s now old and wonky but I managed to get it to produce a loaf so we could have it with the chili for supper.

I managed to gain on the email. Answered, sorted, handled, responded, entered in forms, whatever. It got done. Managed to weed the backlog down to under 100 — hopefully tomorrow I’ll get the rest of it taken care of.

By then the headache was starting so switched to reading some of the stuff I need to get done for March.

After supper we watched a movie and knitted on my sock — the plain vanilla one not the sock club one. I’m doing the cuff now and should finish it tomorrow. Then I get to start the next one of this pair.

See. Not much. But I feel right now like I ran a marathon. Sigh but still that’s improvement.

Woke up to find the house surrounded in fog.  At first I didn’t notice because the rain was pattering on the sky light and it was rather dark.  Once I got up and looked out there was fog, the thin grey blanket type over, around, and cloaking everything.  It made for the kind of grey, lazy day where you just spend your time catching up on all the little chores you’ve been meaning to do.

Picked up the kitchen and cleaned the counters and stove top.  Then started on the big job.  Taking down the Christmas tree.  Wish we could leave it alone since my back has been quirky for days now.  But, it’s not the decorating statement I want to make.  The hold up was having to replace the ornament boxes which we’ve had for years and were more tape than box now.  So, lots of shopping and checking in stores as we did errands over the last couple of weeks and found a couple of reasonable substitutes.  It seems that ornament boxes have become tiny little things that won’t hold ornaments — go figure.  So, today we took all the ornaments off the tree and got them packed up.  We started going branch by branch to pull the branches towards the center: you know when you separate and fluff them when you put the tree up that you just have to squeeze them all down again.  Got about 1/6th of it done.   Hopefully, tomorrow we’ll finish that bit of it and get the tree apart, wrapped, and stored.  Then it’s clean the living room and rearrange the furniture and the plants.

Meanwhile, I’m almost done with a sock … maybe another 1/2 inch and bind off. Then start the second one.  I joined the Rocking Sock Club and I’m really looking forward to the first package.  I’ve never joined a sock club before but heard a lot about this one.  I  just never remembered about it during the signup period.

I’ve found the black yarn for the bear’s face so hope to get that done tomorrow or at the very least over the next week. I’ve been finishing things lately and that’s a good thing.  Got the cowl done.  Just need to sew in the ends and block.  Should have pictures up for that soon.

Meanwhile, I’ve been reading in all the in between times to get my commitments for reviews done this month.  Trying to catch up and arrange some interviews before it gets too late, too.

Gumshoe Review published it’s first original short story this month.  We’ve already chosen the story for February.  We hope to have a new story featured each month.  This is a new venture for us and we’re still working out how to streamline the system: reading the submissions, ranking them, going over our favorites, notifying the authors whether we’re interested or not.  We’re getting better but still need to get a system that’s easy for us to deal with and make swift decisions for the sake of the authors.

Nevertheless, I still feel even though I got a lot done today that I’m still running in place rather than moving forward.

I’ve been kidding myself and I suppose you all knew that, right?  It’s definitely flu and since I got a flu shot months ago and I’ve got all the symptoms except fever — I’m guessing swine flu.  I have asthma and allergies and the past three days I’ve been forced to use my rescue inhaler.

That doesn’t sound too bad unless you know that normally, I use the rescue inhaler one a month when I go to a meeting that’s at a house with two dogs, two cats, and a bunny (all indoors).  On that evening I usually have to use the inhaler once maybe twice depending on how long I’m there.  Yesterday, I used the rescue inhaler four times.  Today, I searched the house and found my nebulizer, which I haven’t used in about two years.  I’ve managed to keep myself breathing (and I’m saving you from some TMI too).

Tomorrow I hope to get in touch with my allergy doc and see if I’m doing all I can or if I should be doing something else — something to keep me from getting so shaky — I hate the nebulizer, it always leaves me shaky and dizzy but breathing better so useful but not pleasant.

Anyway, if you’re looking forward to the zines going live tomorrow night — they will but with content coming in over the first few days as the staff recovers from illness, computer crashes, and other incidents of severe life experiences.  But believe me we’ve got a lot of stuff lined up to help you with finding new things to read over the holidays and maybe to buy for gifts.

I think I’m going to sit and breathe deeply while I can and enjoy the experience before my chest tightens up again.