Got my FB account hacked yesterday, and the beginnings of a larger attempt at stealing my ID. Frikkin annoying. Took hours to get back to normal. If you can call this normal.

Writing today, though I may take a day off from walking - I walked a TON yesterday in 90 heat (in part to burn off all that annoyance from the FB thing) and may have overdone it a tad. Gonna be another hot one today. I will take it easy.

No Talia, no baseball, heavy sigh. But we do have: Costco coffee, and a selection of teas: Sleepy Monkey and Kitty Zoomies! And cookies!

That looks fun, Gill.

Another hot and dry day here. I am learning to enjoy walking in the heat. I’m going out later in the afternoon to avoid the most intense part of the day.

No Mets played in the All Star game. Alonzo was in the home run derby at least (and dropped out first round).

Wallace the cat is acting all floppy, next to me, wanting attention. I clearly have been wasting the morning in his eyes.

Enjoy the day! A coffee and a cookie.

Ape, are you really off to Iceland!? There's a big volcano there, like right now! Will you get to see it? That sounds amazing, but be careful! Bucket list stuff.

https://apnews.com/article/iceland-volcano-eruption-tourists-e997b7293f20322033649e42236df2c0

Where is everyone? We'll get some Costco going in the percolator, some Drowsy Dan and Bavarian Marching Juice steeping in the pots. Meanwhile, an assortment of Sara's cookies on a plate. eats all the cookies

Hot and sunny out there. Gonna write, walk, and watch the the All Star game. It's prime grilling season, I may wander to the store and get some salmon and some steak. Last time we tried to grill we ran out of propane because I am an idiot It still turned out pretty well; I'm a salmon and steak ninja!

Enjoy the day!

This was hitch-hiking, so other people were doing the driving, but I hitch-hiked from Iowa to NYC TWICE! Once in college, with a friend, a straight shot that took maybe three days. A few years later I did it again, but by myself, and via Canada. That took me two weeks.

Deeply fun and no regrets, but I would never do it again. SO dangerous. I was lucky.

Pueblo Co to Detroit MI, via Chicago, with two tiny tikes in the car.

wine

nice

Thanks for the setup!

So, Talia has a new job! Starts August 1st! Pays better, but more importantly will treat her better too. Sadly, it means no more working form home. Small price to pay, but we haven't told the cats yet. We celebrated at our favorite patio bar/restaurant.

The window has closed for submitting to Cosmic Horror Monthly this year. They are my great white whale, and I sent them my best story this weekend. Wish me luck.

Watched the movie 65. My mind is still spinning from how dreadfully stupid it is. And I liked Moonfall!

Coffee and cookie please!

Quote by gillianleeza

I'm reading The Pallbearers Club by Paul Trembly. "A cleverly voiced psychological thriller about an unforgettable—and unsettling—friendship, with blood-chilling twists, crackling wit, and a thrumming pulse in its veins, from the nationally bestselling author of The Cabin at the End of the World and Survivor Song."

I like some of his other books, and it's very entertaining so far.

I really like him. Have you read A Head Full of Ghosts?

The Cat's Meow. An evolutionary biologist writing about cat behavior. It' good

Watching season 2 of Cruel Summer. It's just a teen show now, all attractive young people relationship drama. Too bad, the first season was clever and twisty.

Quote by Mendalla
Oo, something's up in the verbal household. Now you've got us all in suspense, amigo.

(Talia got a great new job offer.)

ping

pink

It quit raining! Supposed to have scattered thunderstorms later. I'll try to sneak out for a haircut before it rains.

We have some good news, that I can't quite reveal, but I am taking Talia out to celebrate tonight at our favorite restaurant!

Other than than that, things are chill. Hope everyone is well.

Five wins in a row for the Mets! A coffee and a cupcake-shaped cookie would be excellent.

Iceland sounds cool.

Warm and overcast here. Weird weather all summer. But we are getting much needed moisture, so I am not complaining. Write, walk, eat some chili dogs, watch some baseball.

Talia is back at the office four days a week. Heavy sigh. I miss her. So do the cats, clearly. Regardless, I hope it isn’t too hard a lifestyle change, after mostly working from home for three years.

Four wins in a row for the Metros. We still have a losing record, sadly. But they’re watchable again.

A coffee and a cookie are!

We saw No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence. Oddly sad (especially Jennifer's character), and only occasionally funny, but I did like it. Maybe wait for streaming, but it's pretty good.

Reading

Writing

Walking

Watching baseball (especially the Mets)

Travel (we JUST discovered Airbnb)

Astronomy

Gardening

Politics

Quote by verbal
So what then happens, when a supersoldier built only for war finds themselves isolated from their army with the war largely lost?

I start with character (which is why I'm so bad at plotting), and the idea of a lost lonely robotic soldier, post-war, yearning for a new purpose is really compelling.

#

I'm world-building now as well. Near future. There's a new drug on the street called Wax, which gives you a stupid grin when you're on it, like drooping lids on high people. The kids call the look Wax Lips.

I don't have much, yet.

Run

Gnus (as in more than one gnu)

Swimming. Love swimming.

Dancing or dinner?

Quote by Mendalla

So what then happens, when a supersoldier built only for war finds themselves isolated from their army with the war largely lost? Could they have a life that is not about fighting and killing? Could such a being learn to love in any meaningful way, esp. a "normal" being? I mean with sex gone, romance is likely gone, too, but "love" in an agape sense of caring for others more broadly.

Nice premise.

bunt - unit

Train. We're trying to get it together and take a sleeper car to California.

Slow relaxing journey to your destination, or pedal to the metal?

He did seem like a nice guy. Odd story. Perhaps an acquaintance was checking in with his password.

I hung a flag on the 4th! It was cool! I felt good about it. I sometimes get the sense that only the right is thought to be patriotic in the US, and wanted to walk the walk. We had grilled salmon and chili dogs. Low key fireworks watching afterward. It was fun.

After two weeks off, I am back to writing. Gonna trying pantsing a novel - meaning writing by the seat of my pants, with no plotting or outlining. We’ll see if it’s a horrible idea or not.

Mets won three in a row!

Coffee and a firecracker cookie please.

pans - spit

Sailing

Northern Lights or Total Solar Eclipse

Just wander. I was born to wander.

Hard workout at the gym or gentle walking/hiking?

Happy Canada Day!

Gonna start writing again today. Two weeks off is enough. Of course, I haven't written a word yet. But the day is young. Warm and sunny, not a cloud in the sky,

Hey, the Mets haven't lost a single game in July! (Yet.)

And...the Braves hit more home runs in June than any team in any month in the 100+ year history of baseball. Go Braves! They are a juggernaut this year.

A coffee and a Canada-shaped cookie please.

Red, we put a net around our tomatoes and peppers, so that the wind/rain/hail/deer/coyotes don’t get to them. Can’t net every flowering thing, sadly.

We re back home and finally rested, after a CRAZY travel day (days, actually). Nice chill weekend. Chili dogs will be involved.

Enjoy the 4th everyone. A coffee and cookie!

Ugh. Got home from the airport at 4 a.m.. We are safe, if annoyed and tired and irritable.

Any coffee?