Dramatic dogs are dramatic. I can understand not wanting to go outside when we’re going through one of our springtime or summer storms. But this was a light drizzle, and he went to go pout when I told him to go outside for a few minutes.
You’d think I’d get the drama from Korra. She’s at least half-Husky, so I’d expect her to give me grief. Nope, it’s the Corgi.
Well done, kid. If she stays with her training, it won’t be long before she’s teaching me. We’re very proud of you, Han.
I think the word for this week is going to be “ambitious”. I would not be surprised if by Saturday, I’ll be in bed and unconscious before the sun has fully set.
But I can’t say I didn’t see it coming or didn’t accept that it’d be a hectic week. It’s Spring Break week, and that means fewer coworkers (so more work for me and everyone else unable to get the week off) as well as time off for the kids from school. Just yesterday, I pulled a 12-hour shift and somehow stayed awake long enough to prep a quick meal for the next shift.
This doesn’t mean I can’t put in the effort needed to make the week worthwhile. For myself, I still need to get the next chapters for the Sidewinder story written and posted (Chapter 5 went up yesterday, so go read!) before Saturday. That’s my personal challenge.
But it’s also a big week for Hannah! The 5yr old is testing for her first sash (white) in Kung Fu this week! She’s been practicing, but like any perfectionist, she’s not sure if she’s ready. She is; she just doesn’t accept it for herself yet. Hopefully, she’ll remember what I’ve been telling her since she’s started trying out new hobbies: we don’t ask for her to be perfect, just that she puts in the effort and try her best.
With that, break time is over and it’s back to sorting mail and thinking over plots. Enjoy the day, readers.
-JB Swift
PS~ Just realized that while the chapter was uploaded (correctly, this time!) and is available for reading, it didn’t send out a notice that it had done so. So if you’re looking for it, here’s a link:
Don’t be fooled by him. He only looks like he’s being an old man wanting a nap in the kitchen. But the moment I take out the stuff to make my late-night dinner, he’ll be right there, ready to “assist” me in cleaning up any mess. Until then, he plays the long con.
In Louisiana tradition, we started the morning being swarmed by the mosquitoes and scrambling to find the eggs (sorry, it’s a favorite pun) that were scattered through the front yard.
It’s hopefully going to be an easy day, Holy Day of Obligation notwithstanding. There’ll be a family visit, food and possibly another Easter egg hunt with the next generation of kids. Or it’ll be us first-generation kids having our own Easter egg hunt, done with hunting beers in the bushes.
I don’t think I’ll be doing any writing today, though I did get a request to get the next chapter of the Sidewinder story uploaded soonest. Beyond that, I hope all of you have a happy Easter holiday (or a regular Sunday gathering/non-Christian holiday for those non-practicing/practicing) and enjoy the day!
-JB Swift
They say it’s a good thing to give yourself fresh challenges as you get older. Personally, I thought getting through my 20s while staying marginally sane (and marginal is optimistic) was an accomplishment, but there will always be something new on the horizon to attempt.
Such as getting my walking route done in under 7 hours when it averages out to about 10.
The reason is simple: My family needs me. The kids need to be picked up and there isn’t a bus route from their schools to our home in the country. When we go down the list of who can handle that task, I’m the last one for obvious reasons. But I will never let it be said that I don’t put my family first before everything. If my wife and children need me, I’ll be there.
This’ll mean walking (not running, that’s a safety concern in the Post Office) an average of 15-18 minute miles. Possible? Yes. Most likely to make my legs cramp while I sleep tonight? Also yes.
There might not be any route pictures, for those of you who’ve liked my small moments of photography. But if I spot something worth noting, I’ll do my best.
Not all cats are great hunters. Some of them try their best and mean well, but they’re just not cut out for life outdoors. Such is Apollo, who routinely goes up to the dogs in an attempt to snuggle them. This never works out well for him, as all the dogs are old and don’t especially like being snuggled. If I let Apollo out into the world, he’d get himself killed trying to make a friend of a neighborhood dog (or, knowing him, a possum) and I’d never forgive myself.
So, getting him set up for life indoors. At least his sisters have proven more survival-oriented than him.
Don’t be fooled by his pity-me act. He’s already had his evening meal, but he’s getting greedy and nuzzling up against my leg to beg for more. No, Indy, you’re a wheat bread loaf, not a sourdough bread loaf.
The day job has been nearing the end of the Heavy Season, but it’s been leaving me too exhausted to write in my books, much less keep up with the blog.
I hate it when that happens. I promised myself I’d get as close to daily posting as possible. It’s a promise I’d like to keep, and that’ll take some discipline.
In the meantime, look at these old guys napping adorably!
Points for effort, kid. She tried her best, but she has discovered her fear of heights today. I was a bit puzzled by this, as she will gleefully climb a magnolia tree some 50-feet into the air, with no harness or safety line, but give her the bells and whistles that say “you can totally fall and be perfectly fine” (in fact, the business said that falling was the way to get back down) and she’d freeze.
Better luck next time, kid.
Sidenote: Yes, I got this photo by getting on a harness for myself and climbing up. Yes, I was still in my postal uniform. No, there are no photos of this happening.
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