At least, for now. Last week was pretty slow with nothing pressing going on. Which was, you know, good in many ways. Things are going to pick up a bit now. We have chili cook offs coming on fast for the next few weeks, plus we are going to see Chicago (the band) at the Xfinity Center next Sunday. There are a few other things sprinkled in there as well. Summer is moving along quickly now.
The garden is also getting into full swing. Tomatoes are turning red, I have cucumbers that need harvesting daily, and the basil is out of control. I am planning on making a few jars of pickles this week. I think I am just going to do refrigerator pickles, since I won’t get enough jars at any one time to justify pulling out the canning stuff. And we do have the extra fridge in the basement. From the looks of things, most of the tomatoes may be ripening at the same time, so I may have to do some canning there.
I’m starting to get some feedback on the beta reads of Two’s Company. As usual, most is good information, and is making me think about what I need/want to do with the next revision go-round (which starts, actually, today). Some has been giving me some things to think about, but in the long run, I don’t think those bits are right for this story. And there are the rare bits where it seems the comments are meant to make the story into that person’s idea of what it should be, not mine. That’s always the tough part about deciding what parts of a critique are most valuable. While much of them are, in one way or another, right and valid points to make, I have to stay true to the story as I envision it and want to tell it. At any rate, I will be digging in seriously today, and hoping for a finished second revision by the end of August.
The BaldMan has decided to get back into homebrewing! Yay for homemade beer! He’s not going to bother with bottles (a true PITA) or the small kegs anymore. We’re going for a full on kegging system. He’s going to modify a chest freezer into what is known as a keezer. It’s actually a pretty simple process, doesn’t involve cutting into the freezer at all (unlike some mods of actual refrigerators), and will be a good bit less expensive than a ready-made kegerator. He’s got the stuff for his first batch of beer, which he is doing from a kit, but then he is going to go all grain. And, of course, what he has in mind for future upgrades is going to turn the basement into a small brewery! But we will have some really good beer all the time!
Speaking of getting back into hobbies, I am planning on setting up my 10 gallon bowfront aquarium again. I think it will be my winter project, so for now, I am gathering information, figuring out what equipment I saved when we moved and what I will need, looking at options, and drooling over pretty pictures of beautifully planted tanks. It’s really just another version of gardening, but this one will be underwater.
That was my week, and some of what’s ahead. Summer is rolling toward it’s final days with August almost here. How has yours been?
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Coming soon: Two’s Company, a sci-fi novel in the space opera tradition. Artificial intelligence, corporate plots, spaceships, a heroine with an attitude. More details soon!
Available now :
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And So On... 