SO...in regular news, I have joined the CPAP crowd. Been using it about a month now, and yes, it's a pretty dramatic difference. My energy is way up, my base anxiety is lower, and I'm doing more. I had a CPAP like 15 years ago, and wow, has the tech changed. This is super quiet, the whole mask thing way more comfy, and there isn't a hurricane force blasting through my head. So, yes...glad I did the sleep study.

I'm currently working on my big bang! :-D I alternate between "oh no prob, this will be done" to "oh dang..."

Adding to the big bang pressure is that I'm going to NJ Con!! I wasn't going to go since I already have tickets and arrangements in place for Charlotte Con in August, and then Jared even had to pull out of NJ. But then...Jeffery Dean Morgan signed on! So I got a copper pass and a couple of ops :-) and it's in a coupe of weeks! It is going to add to my bang stress though.

Anyway, the big news is ...

I'm working to launch my first m/m romance book this year. After talk talk talk the last few years, I am trying to 'woman up' (well, I can't man up, can I) and do it. I'm now through beta and sending to copy editor. I'm trying to go a bit at a time because it's very easy to feel overwhelmed by this first time. I'm happy to say I'm getting some great support already *whew*

So I'm now working on 'establishing a social media presence' under my author name. I've chosen Ellis Colton for that. I have a Facebook page already, and will be looking to set up Twitter and Instagram. Please feel free to offer advice lol!!

If you are on FB, Here is my page. I'm also compiling a list for a newsletter, and if you'd like to be on it, please email elliscolton.author@gmail.com and I'll add you!

I'm alternately excited and terrified lol.

I hope you'll join me :-)

Stole this from dizzojay!

A topic a day for the month.

Today and yesterday:

December 01 - A photo of you taken this year


December 02 → your holiday wish list:
World peace
Democracy in America
A sparkly ring with my birthstone
a fun day with my family

( the rest, coming soonCollapse )

Sign-ups are OPEN for a new round of Salt-Burn-Porn!!! Sign up post is here: https://salt-burn-porn.livejournal.com/211463.html

As so many of us are, I am finally completing the move over to Dreamwidth. I've imported this journal and will now post from there. Please add me there as fireheart13 for this LJ and also firesign10 for my other LJ.

See you there!

Well, just had the final Christmas get-together with friends, so today I am de-decorating. On the one hand, I'm happy to put things away, but on the other, it's fun to have festive stuff out. Glad to have had it up til now.

This week, hubs is putting together my new shelves in the study. Yay! Pics will follow. So now I have: desk, sofa, new ceiling fan/light (with Supernatural pulls!), and an area rug. The shelves will start clearing up the boxes I have sitting full of stuff. I still need a TV. Ultimately will also have a docking station and monitor for the laptop, and we'll paint. Yes, painting should probably have been first, but rather do it when the windows can be open, plus nothing would have changed yet.

I joined Noom some months ago, and i really like it. Way more doable that WW for me. But because I was doing it so-so, I've only lost 10 lbs. Now, before Noom, I wasn't sure I'd ever lose anything again, so I am pretty happy about the 10. Nonetheless, more must be dropped. Made it through the holidays without a gain (a 2 lb. fluctuation back and forth) so now I am recommitted.

One of the stumbling blocks is drinking. I like to drink. Since pandemic, hubs and I have been drinking substantially more :-P Now with holidays over, we are taking ourselves in hand. My current allowance is two a day Sunday-through Thursday, and then I can have an extra on Friday and Saturday, if I choose. I'm hoping for more weight loss, plus it's when I have more to drink that the eating self-discipline tends to fail ;-)

Also, I'm now on the treadmill twice a week. Hoping to go to 3 times this week, after two weeks at the 2x. I'm going slowly because I am way out of shape and don't want an injury derailing me. I haven't done karate since (again) pandemic, so I'm also gently walking thought some forms and combinations, to loosen up. Lots of stretching. This should also help with the weight loss, and also toning.

Writing update on firesign10.

First of all, Ethan's test for COVID was negative! He was tested in the morning at the pharmacy, and two hours later he walked out of his room with his arms open wide and hugged me :-) What a relief!

Becca and her SO Vic both have January birthdays, so we had a combined birthday dinner for them. Grilled steak, roasted taters/carrots/broccoli, and then I made apple pie and pumpkin pie! Both pies came out really delicious, if I say so myself. There was a lot of vodka and hilarity, but I crashed around 10. Woke up later with a migraine (boo). They all stayed up till the wee wee hours playing Magic.

Continuing to poke at the study. I ordered black cubby shelving, which arrived this week. Hoping hubs can assemble them this weekend :-D and there will be pic update then. That will help a lot getting things organized. I did have to look for a paper the other day, so that meant kinda burrowing around. With the entertaining, I tend to just pick things up and stick them somewhere, but when something like this happens, I can't find what I need. I did a lot of setting up files etc right before the holidays, so I need to do some of that and get things a little more methodically squared away. Happily, the issue I needed the paper for - my mortgage company didn't pay my homeowner's insurance - has now been successfully concluded.

It's hella cold here. It was 4 when I got up, and it's 14 now at noon. Tonight is -1. I'm not going anywhere.

A little writing update will be posted on firesign10.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

Christmas was absolutely lovely. I actually helped with shopping (IRL and online) and had fun doing so! Christmas Eve day I got pretty anxious for a while, stupid anxiety disorder, but I kept doing things. By evening it was a lot better. CHristmas day itself was perfect. Becca, Vic, and DaddyMark all came over, and we had pastry and coffee and fruit whilst opening gifts. After that (which takes a long time because we go one at a time), we had REAL bagels and REAL bacon with more coffee and eggnog for those who could drink it. Mark stayed most of the day, and Becca & Vic stayed overnight. We all took a nap around 5, and then Mike made an incredible shrimp boil for dinner. After that, it was drinks, nibbles, and Cards Against Humanity until 2:30 a.m. lol. PERFECT!!!!

So that was just so lovely and enjoyable. The following week was very lazy. Mike only had to attend a couple of virtual meetings, and we just kinda lazed around and relaxed.

The one downside was that on the Monday after Christmas, Ethan was exposed to COVID. He's had to quarantine in his room since then :-( The first testing appt he was able to get is Tuesday the 4th. When he's out of his room, we are all masked. It ruined his New Year's, because he was going to have a few friends over, including his new girlfriend. So that was a huge bummer. So far, he's had no symptoms, so of course we are hoping his test is negative.

Posted a story for sn_specials Saturday Night Specials on New Year's Day. Sparks and Ashes, inspired by an art piece by tx_devilorangel. Some new things on deck for writing, so that update is on firesign10.

( a couple of PicturesCollapse )

well, I would say how I suck here, but I've noticed that I'm being kinda mean to myself lately. So I'll just again plead for forgiveness for being so errantly absent. I have been reading more, but just not posting.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. Daughter and her SO, her dad, Ethan, Mike, and Ethan's best friend were all here. Mike smoked two turkeys (AMAZING) and Becca made everything else. It was all so delicious. Even more though was the wonderful time. We had all afternoon, ate around 6:30, and then just digested while playing dominoes. It was everything you could wish for for a holiday.

Getting ready for CHristmas now, and I'm working on not stressing too much. I love Christmas, but it's often past my ability/anxiety level. This year, the house is in upheaval, which is yikes. Basement/family room was taken over by attic stuff, so we have to finish dealing with that in order to set up tree and furniture and look like a room. The kids last week went through all of their stuff, which was super helpful, so I think we're down to putting away a bunch of empty tubs and just stashing what's left over to one side.

I'm excited that my study (Becca's old bedroom) has made significant progress, but there's still a bunch of boxes in there I have to go through. My desk is here, and Monday my loveseat/sleeper sofa arrives. So, very exciting, but we really weren't thinking about the timing lol.

I've done a little shopping in person, and we're doing a bunch of online ordering, thank goodness. As of this moment, there is not a single bit of decor or anything out. Today Mike will bring the Christmas tubs down from the attic and I'll hopefully start putting some things out.

Mike was sick this last week, so of course we were worried it was COVID. We all masked up, and he slept downstairs for a few nights. Two home tests (one and then a second later) were negative though, so that was a relif. Just a bug. He stayed masked just to help not give it to us. He's much better now.

I haven't written since my 3 Halloween SPookfest stories. I was wrestling with some self-esteem issues and a little resultant block, but I fell I'm about past it now. Once the dust settles from all this house hoo-ha, I'll be back at it. More about what's up on deck at firesign10.

Hugs and happy holidays to everyone!!

IT'S TIME! The clock has struck! The moon is full! It's time to hit the Halloween Spookfest Comment Meme & write some SPOOKY-ASS PORN! Creepy, cracky, or just plain sassy--find prompts & post your stories/art or links here: https://sn-specials.livejournal.com/22342.html Spread the word!