A listing of obligations

NaNoWriMo is over. While 25,000 is not my weakest word year, (that was last year with 1500 words) it was still only half way. But it's more words than I've written in one month for years.

Now, it is almost December. While I still have two brain cells left to rub together, I need to make some lists.

Dec 4: Oli conference

Dec 5: Oli appt

Dec 6: New story on Patreon
Dec 7: Cloud to vet

Before Dec 8:

1) Mail etsy stuff

2) Return torch

3) Make bath salt

4) Finish Who Scarf

5) launder scarf and belle

6) Mail Who, Belle and Baths

7) Make Relax-a-Witch kit

Dec 9: Yule with churches: food and present

Purchase:

fudge making items

electric toothbrush

Candy

Other stocking stuff?

Before Dec 21:

Make 3 hats

Finish Shawl

Dec 21:
Yule with Grove (wrap stuff)

Dec 23:
Jonner

Dec 25: Stockings!

Dec 31: Oli

On being a guy who knits

While making the change to manhood is requiring me to give up a few fripperies I love (lily scented perfume, purple and pink argyle socks, bright colors [until I present more manly]), I adamantly refuse to give up my knitting needles and crochet hooks.

Although knitting is associated with gray haired old grandmas making hideous sweaters, it has been around for nearly a thousand years. The earliest fragments, of socks, are from the 11th century (about the time of the Norman Invasion) and Egypt.

And it has never been just women who knitted. Although in the 1950s and 60s, only girls were taught this in school, men knitted throughout both world wars and into today. Knitting was seen as something those on the homefront could do to support the troops.

There were even popular songs about it

And some celebrities took it up. Women of course, but even some men.

 
Cary Grant used to knit on set. Christopher Walken still does. They find it soothing between takes.

 
David Arquette and Ewan MacGregor are two prominent current celebrity knitters.

 

FDR and Fred McMurray

 



George Lucas and John Glover knitting during down time. (the latter makes only scarves)

 
Misha Collins (working in the round) and Russell Crowe both knit for stress relief.

And this man? I have no idea who he is, but I kind of want to grow up and be him.

So I will keep knitting, secure in the knowledge it's a manly pastime as well as good for my arthritis.. But I would anyway, because I love it.

Cyber Monday!

I have a featured CyberMonday sale at the Literary Underworld.

Get the ebook of WILD HUNT for free when you pre-order the paperback. Paperbacks ship for holiday gift giving.

But only at The Literary Underworld.
http://www.literaryunderworld.com/The_Literary_Underworld/Home.html

While you're at it, get Elizabeth's new one, MOONLIGHT SONATA.

Planning for the week and month ahead

2017 has been a rocket sled on rails. And we have 36 days left of it.

SO MUCH TO DO!

Saturday 25:
Reset Michaels password, get Yules off
laundry
clean out car
find all stocking stuffers
Make 9 soap
Make 45 bath bombs
make 9 bath salts
Take Oli's boy to bus station, 6 PM

Sunday 26
1115-330 work
food plan
grocery shop
Lunch and food prep for week

Monday 27
Work
write

Tuesday 28
work
11 AM conference, re: Oli
Renew license plates
afternoon work

Wednesday 29
work
write

Thursday 30
Work
write

Friday, Dec 1:
Begin Yuletide Youtube

Saturday:
1145-630 work

Sunday:
Phantom of the Opera, 1 PM!

Sat Dec 9:
Yule, Summerland Grove. Relax-a-witch kit and food item

Fri Dec 22
Yule, household
(stocking stuffer presents for
Gabriel
Cat
Kevin
Fin
Maeve
Oli
Evan
Nick)

Sat Dec 23,
Jon

Mon Dec 25: stuff stockings for Mudd and Jon

Sun, Dec 31
Oli

Planning for the week ahead

I doubt I can win at Nano. I haven't even broken 20,000 words.

Sunday: Work, find The Two Towers, knit, prep for the week, heat and eat

Monday: Work (take the prius), gym, write, lunch, heat and eat, knit. Call Memphis Spay and Neuter for Cloud and Cirrus

Tuesday; Work, gym, write, lunch, heat and eat, knit

Wednesday: Go with Gabriel to get his name changed. Alter Cat's dress, drop off Oli's blanket and pick up the snowflake molds. Buy baking soda, citric acid, corn starch, epsom salts, peppermint
Dad and Jen arrive in town, join them for dinner. Make pies.

Thursday: Thanksgiving. I am off.

Friday: Work 8-12. Day with the family.

Saturday: Dad and Jen leave after lunch, make nine bath sets for Monday Shipping

Goals for the week: hit 25,000 words. Put roses on Belle. Finish Who scarf. Get 2 bath sets completed and delivered. Have the 9 ready to mail, with Belle Afghan and Who scarf

BPAL: Veritas

I placed my second BPAL order ever for my birthday. I wanted Highwayman, but they were sold out. I did get some Old Scratch, as I was out of it. It's a lavender fougere, with tonka, amber, rosewood and patchouli. It's a masculine floral with an earthy undertone and I love it.

The imps were Veritas and The Scales of Deprivation.
(BPAL sends out free tester vials, which is a great way to hook your customers into coming back for more.)

Veritas:
The essence of honesty, integrity, and veracity: frankincense, white carnation, angelica, chamomile, and heliotrope.

Imp: Lots of frankincense, some floral
Wet: FRANKINCENSE! two drops and my whole bedroom smells of it.
Dry down: Florals coming out. Definite chamomile and some carnation.
Dry:


I really like this.

First Book in 4 years

So in 2014, I gave birth to three ugly babies. For the really geeky, I birthed three later Remillards. Terror of the Frozen North (Madeline) was a sex obsessed mess that should be brilliant. It's been rewritten 4 times and is approaching its potential.
The Sweet Science (Jon) needed to be completely taken apart and redone. I think we're getting there.
But Wild Hunt (Luc) was supposed to be much more than it was.

We finally finished therapy and rewrites, and Wild Hunt is ready.

Buy Link: https://www.patreon.com/NickRowan
$5

Blurb: 
When the Preternatural and Magical Squadron dumps an ugly batch of child serial murders into her lap, DJ Admire has a few weeks to find the killer before the next victims are found dead in their own little beds, with all the flesh missing from hip to thigh.

On the Nightside of Memphis, few things are as they seem and even allies have their own agendas. And DJ has no magic, just a Desert Eagle and an ongoing romance with Captain Morgan and Admiral Nelson. Those are probably not enough when she finds she has to tangle with the Fae.

Excerpt:
I settled back for another drink and started explaining the case to the empty chair across from me. It was my best thinking technique.

Except that today, the chair wasn't empty. I hadn't even heard Jinx come in. My cousin, the mortal nuisance, sat there, drinking in my every word. Since he was listening, and not interrupting my train of thought with his asinine questions, I kept talking.

“Wowzer, Deej. You got a bad one this time.”

“Thank you, Captain Obvious.” I was half-drunk, and grouchy because even though I had laid it all out, I was no nearer a solution.

“There are a lot of stories about mortals challenging Fae, even up to Queen Mabh herself, and demanding a favor if they win,” he suggested.

That was absurd, utterly ridiculous. I had no shapeshifting powers, no musical skill, no nothing. And I couldn't beat a Fae in a drinking contest.

“All right, Jinx, what brings you here?”

“Do you know you can't hire a hitman with a personal check?”

My Holiday Wish list

On Live Journal, we had a yearly wish list. People would check other people's listings and fill anything they could.

I no longer post on LJ. But there are still things I want.
(this is also advice for those wondering what to get me)

1) BPAL: if you have any imps or bottles not being loved, I will try them.
If you have Highwayman or Bow and Crown of Conquest in a bottle that is unloved, we can work a swap.

2) Bookshelves

3)  I have an Amazon wishlist

4) Patreon patrons I put out content and you enjoy.

5) Another binder (i'm a 4X)

6) Book and music recs. Fanfic welcome.

7) recipes. Any recipe.

8) A weighted blanket

Planning for the rest of the year

Nov 17: I turn 50
Nov 22-26: Thanksgiving break
Dec 3: Phantom of the Opera (belated birthday present from my Dad)
Dec 9: Yule, SG
Dec 20: last day before break
Dec 23: Jon
Dec 31: Oli is 18

[Trans stuff] An interesting question

So the other night, a very old friend asked a rude but salient question:
"Do you really want a dick?"

This got me thinking--again--about what levels of surgery and alterations I want for my body. And about the kind of sex life I plan to have after transition.

Neither of these left me sanguine, so I decided to write them out and see if it helped.

1) My nipples are a primary erogenous zone. They are also too large to appear masculine (a decade of pregnancy and nursing), even on a flat chest. In point of fact, I would look like someone had slapped an evenflo bottle on my chest.

2) My breasts need to go. Until these DDDs are off my chest, I will never read masculine.

3) I need to keep whittling on my hips. I'm hourglass shaped (okay, it's a 3 hour hourglass), and carry as much sand in the lower half as the upper. The first place I lose is my waist.

4) I do want hormones. I'm told this may be enough to enlarge my clitoris to a workable size. My response was a hollow laugh an the words "You mean it might be visible."

5) Phalloplasties are extremely expensive (50-150K) and don't take in about 30-60% of cases. I don't take skin grafts well (ask my ENT doctors) so this would possibly be a waste of time, money and pain. They are also highly subject (55%) to fistulas. The end result is fairly realistic, although if it dies, it can end all erotic sensation (about 20%).

The thing is, without the phalloplasty, I'll never be anything but a bottom eunuch. I'm already resigned to being a bi guy, with the understanding I will be primarily gay. And in my current relationship, me being the bottom is the only way we'll stay together. I could resign myself to twenty sexless years, but that feels not only unpleasant, but unfair to my husband.

It's one of those many awkward conversations I'm not sure how to have and I'm not sure either of us even has the vocabulary to hold.

In short, this all requires a lot more thought and research.

For those who want to know, my answer was "I would love one. But they're just not up to par yet. I'll wait for actual transplants."

Update on the help needed

A huge thank you to all who have helped!

Olivia has her new wheelchair thanks to your generosity, and we can manage the mattress so I can quit being sliced and diced by my own bed.

The insurance payment will be a bit more work, but the immediate health issues are fixed. We love and appreciate you!

Dysphoria

They say sentience is the ability to recognize the person in the mirror is you and not someone else. Most animals are not sentient as they regard the reflection as an interloper.

Where does this leave me when I glanced at the mirror yesterday, saw an attractive, if overweight, middle aged woman and thought, "She's nice." Because it wasn't me in the mirror at all. Not me as I see myself and not me as I appear most of the time.

It was very weird and I haven't had one of those before.

Asking for help and hating to do so

We find ourselves in a tight spot. It's not as bad as last year, but we've a lot piling up all at once. I don't ask to just be given money, I do offer items in return.

1) My daughter's wheelchair needs replacing. It was about third-hand when we got it and the brakes have gone bad. It's heavy and awkward to maneuver. She has Reynaud's syndrome and doesn't walk between October and April because of the pain. Estimated cost, $175 (with tax)

2) My son got his driver's license. Unfortunately with that comes insurance. Since we pay 6 months at a time, he's going to cost us $800 to get mobile. He's job hunting to cover this, but it's a slow process.

3) My bed is eating me. The springs are through the mattress and I am getting cut up in the night. It's also too low for me to get out of with my arthritis. I can sleep in another bedroom, but I prefer to sleep with my husband. The box springs are fine. So a bed frame of the right height and a mattress can be had for about $500 (again, with tax)

We're working on raising $1400, which has no actual deadline (although sooner is better). We have $100 of it.

How you can help:
I have an Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCarpentersWyfe
I'm not taking large commissions (Dr Who scarf, afghans above infant size) for Christmas delivery. (that's where the $100 comes from)
But hats, hoods, soap, footies and arm warmers are all welcome.
I also do custom bath baskets, email for details.

 

 



I have a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NickRowan
I'm a writer. My first book in 4 years is coming at Patreon on Nov 17. The $1 subscribers get the short stories in that universe. The $5 subscribers get the book. If you like Urban Fantasy, this is the place to be.

I have a backlist: http://brooksandsparrow.com/
I can send you .pdf format of most of these (GRITS, Dragons Composed and Dreams of Steam are not available) for $2 for novels and 50c for short stories.
Send the money by paypal, with a list of what you want.

 

 





My paypal is valarltd at yahoo.com

Thank you for your assistance!