In Common with Humans

Yep. Another power outage! Remind me again which century this is? 🙁

This one was not wholly unexpected, and I guess I can’t complain, because it didn’t happen during my Full Moon ritual. That would have been a nuisance, because I use a cut of music that is exactly ten minutes and one second long, on repeat, to time the rituals when I want to conclude at a precise time. There was a wind advisory up, and the wind was gusting away outside, with steady wind as high as 30mph. I’d just seen a news item on the WHDH website that the wind was causing widespread outages in New Hampshire.

Sure enough, at 4:28 p.m., poof! Here we go again–the third outage in less than two weeks!

I called National Grid’s hotline, which I now have memorized, and heard a recorded message saying there were outages in numerous surrounding towns. Obviously, the power crews were having a very busy day. I decided to do what I didn’t do the last two times, and get some things ready. I got out the Coleman lantern, filled and tested it; got out extra candles and candle lanterns, most of which had glass covers or chimneys so they’d be less of a hazard to Mr. Brightest-Light-On-The-Tree-Only-When-He-Sets-His-Tail-On-Fire. I brought in the very last of the firewood, and started a fire (it was 36 degrees outside, and the wind just sucks the heat out of this house). I even found the right connector for the “PowerAll” for this computer, in case the battery ran out like last time. I figured there were two possible outcomes: either all this preparation would invoke Murphy’s Law, and I wouldn’t need it; or, the power would be off well after dark, and I’d be ready for it this time.

A little later I called the hotline again, and Pepperell was on their list, and they said power should be restored by 8:30 p.m. They usually give a much later estimate than actually turns out to be needed.

Murphy’s Law prevailed and the power went on at 6:40 p.m., just in the nick of time for my sunset attunement. I didn’t need the Coleman lantern after all! Now I have to drain the fuel and put it all away. But that’s okay. Besides–it’s still windy. The power could go off again!

I continued working on The Longer the Fall, with a somewhat uneasy feeling. The characters in the book happen to live in an old house that doesn’t have electricity (it’s 1952 in rural Maine). You don’t think there’s any possible connection between my concentration on getting this book finished, and all these power outages we’re having…do you? *faint twinkle of Twilight Zone theme…* Naaaaaaaahhhhhh….

Happy Ostara / Vernal Equinox!

I did my observance last night. The actual Equinox point was 1:37am local daylight time this morning, and I always do my observance on the “waxing” or approaching side. The Tarot reading for the octave was somewhat better than the last few have been–really, the last several readings have made me wonder why I bother. Maybe that’s because I’m actually working on The Longer the Fall now, and therefore the temporal tendrils are pointing in a more constructive direction. Or it could be because the phone rang when I was just starting the reading, and was an automated spam call cheerfully announcing that I was eligible for a $1500 loan. “Yeah, right, $1500, wouldn’t that be nice,” I thought while I shuffled the cards. So the Outcome card was the 10 of Pentacles. *heh* (Don’t worry, I got my usual chewing-out. My Tarot Muse is very stern.)

The ritual went fine, anyway. The work on The Longer the Fall is going well, too. I’m completely ripping apart and redoing Chapter 4 and it’s an immense improvement. Chapter 4 sets up the entire rest of the book. Of course, this is the third time I’ve completely ripped apart and redone Chapter 4 and every time I thought it was an immense improvement…*wry smile*…but it was never quite where I wanted it. Now I’ve got a finished, published novel and a projected series to tie the story into and a much clearer idea of how I want to strongly differentiate Diana and Thomas from the rest of the characters in the series. It’s “settling,” like the daemons in Philip Pullman–it’s found its real shape. That feels good…but it’s also hard work.

It’s bleak, soggy, dreary, chilly and gloomy here, and WHDH says we may “just miss” a really big storm next week. I need to drive up to my dad’s and water his house plants and check the house for him. He’s on a Caribbean cruise!

Happy Birthday, dracschick!

I hope you have a great day!

So, the Triple-A serviceguy arrives in a plain pick-up truck and produces one of those battery packs they use now. He hooks it up to my car’s battery, and I tried the key. Well, the dash lights barely go on and the car only makes these tiny groans, and the starter won’t even grind. The driver looked at his battery pack and says, “maybe the battery pack is dead. I just took it off the charger, it should be all charged up, but I better go back and get another one.”

!!!!!

He left and returned with his humungous flat-bed tow truck, that has a jack for actual jumper cables–the kind they usually only use now for huge trucks. He connected the jumper cables to my little Aveo’s battery and this time, the car started. By then I had noticed that the left back door was slightly ajar. I don’t know why I didn’t even see it before. If I’d left it that way when I got home from the airport on Thursday afternoon, it would explain the dead battery. I wouldn’t have noticed the interior lights on, as it was a bright sunny day. By the time I went back out after dark, it was late at night and the battery would have already been dead and the lights off. This is the first time since then I’ve used the car.

I’m letting the car run a bit, which is technically illegal (we have a “no idling law” here)–but WTF. I’ll bet my little car, which runs very clean, emits less pollutants than all my neighbors’ honking rider lawnmowers! I’ll take it out and drive around a bit after I have something to eat.

The down side of working at home and doing so much less driving, *sigh*. The tow truck guy did say that the power outage on Tuesday night was someone hitting a pole, as I’d guessed.

So, how is your weekend going so far? *g*

I hate to complain, given how little I really have to complain about compared to so many people, but…I am very tired of winter. Just…really tired of it. It’s been too long, too snowy, and too expensive. It hasn’t been quite as cold as some, but it’s been cold for longer than most. I’m tired of it. I’m just…tired of it. Winter can go away now, thank you, good job, your work is done, so long! *sigh*

I got up to about an inch of melting slushy snow and dreary gray skies. I waffled on going to the post office–on Saturdays I need to get there by noon, and it’s always crowded. The parking lot is badly designed and whenever I stop there on Saturday I think I’m going to end up in a minor accident in the lot. I finally decided to go, because I haven’t picked up the mail since Wednesday (not that I’m expecting anything). I took my dad to the airport on Thursday morning–he’s in Florida and then going on a Caribbean cruise with my sister’s family.

I went out, brushed the slush off the windshield and tried to start the car. No dice! The battery is dead!

I have no idea why! I’d hardly think I left the headlights on, since the last time I drove anywhere, it was bright and sunny. I didn’t leave the house yesterday.

So, I’m waiting for Triple-A to come and jump-start the car. When I called, they said the serviceperson would do a free battery test and possibly replace the battery, if necessary. But Triple-A just called me back and said sorry, they don’t do the battery testing on Saturdays. So they will come and jump-start the car and I guess I’ll let it run or drive somewhere and hope the alternator does its job (maybe that’s the problem
🙁 ).

There definitely seems to be a theme with electricity failing me lately, doesn’t there?
🙁 I could walk to the post office, but it’s several miles, and I couldn’t get there before it closes. *sigh*

more fun with utilities under cut to spare f-lists

another long update under a cut to spare f-lists

I have finally, finally, finally hit on a title for Book Two!!!

You can’t imagine how I’ve been beating my head against the wall on this. It wasn’t as if various possibilities hadn’t come up, but either they were already in use, or they didn’t quite capture the heart of the story. This book, for those who have read Mortal Touch, is Diana’s story, and it had a working title, but I didn’t want to use it for a number of different reasons. The core of the story is a very long and elaborate magickal working that has…unplanned results. I wanted something that would convey the self-provoked twist of fortune that is the core of the story, and I just couldn’t come up with it.

Finally I did. The Longer the Fall. I even have a quotation from The Book of Tao: “The greater the height the longer the fall and the narrower the path.” I’ll have to see if I can get permission to use the quote. It’s perfect. One image that the story always reminds me of is the Tarot trump The Tower.

I searched the phrase on Amazon, Bookfinders.com and Google and there is no book title on the ‘Net even close to it. Now, there is no rule saying you can’t use the same title as someone else. Book titles can’t be copyrighted. But if you can avoid the possible confusion, it’s always preferable.

Now I can assign the ISBN! (978-0-9793028-2-4, sometime-2008!) And enter it in Bowker! And design the cover! (I’ve got some ideas…) And start putting out PR materials!

What a relief!!! I just had to share. 🙂

Or Happy Saint David’s Day, to all my fellow Cymry a Cymraesau out there, by birth, heritage, or affinity! Alas, I have neither leek nor daffodil to wear. Oh, well…

I just spent an hour shoveling snow–again–and I’m soaking wet. 🙁 I’m no longer snowed in, at least, but I seldom go out on Saturday. I have plenty of projects to work on!

personal newsy stuff behind cut

Are things ever going to stop being so depressing, upsetting, expensive, and humiliating? I feel like spending the evening drinking all the ritual wine.