It's all about Balance

Funny I just finished reading a book about that and it's true. In my head I need to balance things. I was disappointed, severely, today when Soldiers of the Sun didn't get an honorable mention or final in the Rainbow Awards. It would hurt less but there were only 13 entries and only four didn't final. So yeah, ouch.

But you know what, I still love that story. Even if no one reviews it. And the only one who did outside of Kira and ELD hated it. I still think it's better than people give it credit for. I do think, however, it's in the wrong spot (It's just not really romance) and needs to be moved. I'll work up the energy to open that can of worms after the new year.

To balance that, I did post the Christmas Blog hop (go see jana_denardo's post today to see all kinds of LGBT holiday stories for sale and some free!) and in that one of the better known authors reposted it with the comment about how good The Darkest Midnight in December was. That made me smile. Just a little. But I'm still so disheartened by how bad Soldiers sold that I haven't even tried to do the next in the series.

I was gone all day today which did nothing to help me prep for this week. I need it all done by tomorrow since Wednesday is my endoscopy and none too soon seeming as I just threw up a little brown stuff so is that coffee form almost 3 hours ago or coffee ground emesis, i.e. bleeding. Guess we'll find out.

I had to get my oil changed. They did not do the filter. They said 'it wasn't necessary' and knocked 50$ off the price. I happen to know that filter is 5$. Dad was NOT amused by this. Nor was I. They say my tires are okay though which I thought they were balding. Fine. That'll save me hundreds. But that was all the way up in Chillicothe and if I had gone home I would have been there only a half hour before having to leave again for Athens for the nano's group combo happy birthday to our ML, TGIO and goodbye to one of the students party.

So I went shopping. I have now officially overbought. For like everyone but dad and my brother. Sigh. I couldn't resist some of the stuff. But what I couldn't find is celery root. I saw it all the time and now that I have a recipe that needs it Kroger's no longer seems to stock the ugly sucker. I went to three of them. Sigh.

I also went to eat at Red Lobster. Forgot my coupon (which turns out was in the trunk). I wanted that new thing in the ad but that was 30$. Um. No. I got a shrimp dish that was half that. I should have asked if I could have had my 'shrimp my way' as two helpings of scampi because one scampi and two fried shrimp types was too much grease for me. Oh well. At least I was too nauseated to eat Tim Horton's donuts when I finally got to Athens.

It was interesting because I have never driven 50 all the way from Chillicothe to Athens (which is ironically 50 miles). The land feels strange there, just off. Seriously so (the other Wiccan in the ground concurs). Especially between Londonderry and MacAruthur (I do like the feel of MacArtuhur).It's a strange drive closer to Chillicothe because you can see where the glacier flattened it to pancakes. Then there was one area that I'd swear was Adena Indian mounds. I wonder if they've been explored. Probably. One spot made me wish I had my camera on me. I was in a glacier bowl facing the Appalachian hills and a heavy mist was all around. Cool stuff.

Will be very sorry to see our student go. Wishing her luck in all that comes next. Also very grateful to have the ladies I do in our nano group. Also grateful that at least in the Tim Horton's in Athens a group of Muslims can be sitting there talking and laughing without anyone harrassing them (we gave them some of the party cookie). Athens is pretty good that way, a bastion of diversity in the backwoods. It's one of the reasons I really like it.