Erulisse Dances

There are a lot of you who were in the path of Hurricane Sandy yesterday. If you have power and if you possibly can, please check in here to let us know that you and your families are all right.



The power of this storm was phenomenal and wide-spread destruction ensued. The subway system under the East River is flooded and shut down for at least several days. Ocean City, a favorite place for Dawn Felegund, was badly flooded and is still flooded. The hurricane came to land around Atlantic City, New Jersey and conditions were so bad that some of the rescue shelters were flooded, requiring a second rescue for some of the residents.
( this is not a long post, but there are a couple of additional pics so I put things under a cut as a courtesy )

There are some interesting benefits to signing up for NaNoWriMo, one of which is the opportunity to test-drive some writing software and, if I like it, to purchase it after November at a reduced price. I had already been checking out a trial version of Scrivner, which I liked but which had a steep learning curve for me. (I'm just a writer, usually using MS Word or Open Office to put my words to screen, not really setting up larger pieces.) After reading through many of the offerings that would work on a non-Apple PC, I decided to download and try a program called WriteWay. Now I'm playing with the program to get used to it before November 1st.


( choices and Hurricane Sandy below the cut )

So today I can't seem to bring my thoughts to ground. I found out yesterday night that I hadn't paid the health insurance bill from last month to the tune of $2500. I thought I had paid it, but after checking my payment history and checks written/e-payments made, they are right and I am wrong. BAD! Looking at my accounts this morning, I don't have the available money for it either. So I spent time examining options available to me. I settled on one, but I'm not happy all the way around. Still, the bill has to be paid.

( I needed pretty pictures, so I have two wonderful ones below the cut. )

Tomorrow and the remainder of the week are supposed to be miserable - very hot, very humid - the kind of days that will make me bemoan the fact that I don't have A/C at home. I don't do heat well. I used to have no problems with it, but that was more than 35 years younger and more than 50 pounds lighter. I think if I had less poundage things would be better, but the one thing that has aged with me is my metabolism. So even though I maximize my days by minimal sleep and maximal experience, I can't keep my weight at a reasonable level with minimal maintenance as I used to be able to when I was younger. AGING IS NOT FOR THE TIMID! Oh you readers of mine who are younger than my own tickling 60, take that to heart.

( To be younger, to be older, thoughts below the cut )

 Because my day off was shortened, I didn't get as much accomplished as I had wanted to. Not good! Last night we were hit with severe thunderstorms just pouring rain down on us as if a faucet had been opened above. It was quite dramatic, but moved in waves so we didn't flood because it wasn't constant for us. The winds yesterday afternoon and evening were extreme, up to 75 miles per hour, which actually shut down our airport for a while. Once the sun set the rains came. I'm quite sure that there was some flash flooding and I might have leaked at the shop which won't make me happy but which is a regular problem from Day 1. *sigh*

Since we had thunderstorms, and since inspiration to write is tied up in my characters for NaNoWriMo right now, I offer you four pictures of lightning and unusual thunderstorm clouds instead as a visual apology for lack of words.

( pics and captions - an easy read )

I got a lot of writing done yesterday and today's prompt should be fairly easy and short so I'll be caught up again :-) But we've had fabulous weather for the past several days. The weather people say that we're running about a month early with our Spring. I'm loving this, although I hope that we won't get an extra long and extra hot summer as a result of this. But right now, temps in the upper 60's and lower 70's when our average would be 40's - this is wonderful!

( Read more... )

How can I wake up at 3:30 am and be running late at 5:45 am? Well, I know why I'm late - I had to catch up on a few new chapters in stories that I have been following. So...bad me.

( Read more... )

I have so many friends and relatives on the East Coast who are being and will be affected by Hurricane Irene. I am thinking about all of you today and through the next few days, I hope that everyone rides this out safely and that nobody is harmed through this storm. Property can be rebuilt or repurchased, lives cannot. Be safe!

( pic and text below... )

 Yesterday was interesting.  Not really in any way we intended. 

( Text and pics below the cut... )

 So, it's my birthday, combined with my day off, combined with my studio day today.  I have one story being beta read by a friend in Arizona, and another that I will post later today. 

( Photos and Odd Historic Fact below... )

We had clouds like this over our western suburbs last night when

we had hail and tornado warnings.  Ah...spring in Minnesota.

But for having spent years walking this earth, I doubt I would change much.  This past year has been wonderfully growth-oriented.  I've started great projects, continued work on my artistic focus, gained many new internet friends, and started writing.  I really can't complain because it's all good. 

As a note of historic significance, on this date in 1659, the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans banned Christmas celebrations claiming that they were too Pagan.  Love it - thank goodness we loosened up a bit from those days :-)  Enjoy your day - I know I'll enjoy mine.