You are wondering about the chosen title for this entry, aren't you?  Well I shall explain.

 

 Today while slaving away on the next Argeneau book there was a sudden cawing out side my window.  A most annoying sound only because it was repetitive and managed to drag my attention from work and to the window.    Seated as I was in the sauna called a sunroom -- Sun is right!  It is hot as Hades in this bloody room.  Now that the walnut tree is gone, the sun just pours in, heating it up something fierce.  Who’s stupid idea was it to cut that damned thing down?  I am considering moving to a hotel room for a couple weeks to write these bloody books…or failing that, to run out and buy a table and chair set for the deck so I can sit out there in the shade and cooler breeze.

 

Oh, enough whinging, where was I?  Oh yes, seated on the wicker sofa in the sunroom, I couldn’t see much outside, so when the caw, caw, caw continued, I stood and moved to the window to see what was up. 

 

What was it? You ask?  It was a bloody Blue Jay squawking at the sunroom window.  The moment I approached the screen, he moved to the closest branch he could get, peered at me expectantly, then cawed again several times.  Not being a total idiot, I was able to translate this to “Get me some nuts, woman!” 

 

I just stood their staring at the pretty bird with amazement, unable to believe it.  Which just encouraged him to squawk some more.  And it recalled me to last Thursday when my lovely insurance man drove all the way down from Guelph to see us about an insurance matter because he knew I had deadlines and couldn’t take the time to drive up.  That morning, I woke early (9:30 rather than my usual ten or eleven.)  I figured if he was taking the trouble to drive down, I could get up and take a shower before he got here.  And that’s what I did, got up, put the coffee on, hopped in and out of the shower, then threw some clothes on and wandered downstairs, sniffing the scent of freshly brewed coffee.  Dave stepped into the kitchen from the deck as I came  into the dining room, announced he was going for a shower himself now I was out, kissed me in passing and jogged upstairs

 

I poured myself a cup and wandered out on to the deck to enjoy it, only to freeze as the door closed behind me.  I had stepped onto the set of a Disney movie.  Snow white, I think..  There were three black squirrels feasting on nuts on the left side of the deck, a grey one eating on the right side of the deck, two Blue Jays flittering about on the right hand deck rail with their own pile of nuts, and finches lined up on the front deck rail with their breakfast of preference, bread crumbs.  It was like a little zoological lineup at the food bank.  They had stopped by Chez Spice for breakfast and Mr. Spice had already served them.  So, after regathering myself, I settled in a chair to enjoy the show, marveling at how well he had them trained.  There was no fighting or anything.

 

After today, however, I realize it isn’t the animals that are trained really.  It’s us.  Because, yes indeed, my response to the Blue Jay’s repeated calls was to go below, grab a handful of peanuts and take them out on the deck for the Blue Jay on my way to checking the laundry I’d hung out earlier. 

 

I’m living in Disney with Dr. Doolittle….Only, I don’t remember the birds and other small critters in Snow White being this demanding.  I must watch it again.

 

Mrs. Spice

 

P.S. Resa, Darius was beheaded in battle.  And Katt, if you click on the picture at the bottom of Mr. Spice’s blog, it should open big.  I think it’s  a wasp myself.

 

So, I'm cheating and mostly just posting pics today.  Well, one pic and a family tree.

 

The pic is the new cover for Love is Blind which comes out next month and which I wrote under the title Clumsy Clarissa.  I like the new cover better.  Sorry, I'm just not a yellow chick.  And really, he looked to be wearing fisherman's boots and her a skirt made out of curtains in the original which is still in the book covers section I think.

 

The family tree is for the Argeneaus.  Sadly, I'm ahead of the publishers so there will be Uncle Lucian and his lifemate which I did last November, has been edited and is now at the proofing stage, preparing for publiscation next January or February as Bite Me If You Can.  I really really had fun with Lucian and his mate.

 

The tree also has Vincent's father Victor and his lifemate, whom I am enjoying tormenting right now under the working title The Accidental Vampire and should be done with in a couple weeks.  You'll have to just ignore those entries as I didn't think of that before Dave went and took photos of the tree for me to post, or I would have covered them up or something.    Ah well.

 

Speaking of the Argeneaus, A Bite To Remember comes out tomorrow, YAY!!  Actually, I gather it's out in some places right now.  The emails are starting to roll in....Hmmm....Guess some places put it out early.

 

Anyway, I'll upload the pic and tree now, then am back to work. 

 

Lynsay

(P.S. Remind me to tell you about the Pirate's tale last night when I have more time. (EG))

 

Good morning!

 

So, today I am posting scads of photos from the expo.  I might post a comment or two in the comment section for photos as well. 

 

But first, today is the day our refrigerator gets delivered.  YAY!! WAHOO!!! WOOWOOOWOOOWOOOOWOOOO!!  Gad, I’ve missed having a refrigerator.  But it comes today, so YAY!

 

I forgot to mention in my long update blog that Saturday saw me up a ladder cleaning gutters.  This project didn’t take very long at all, maybe half an hour.  You see we’ve known for a while that the gutters were full, but were waiting until the tree was down to deal with it.  Well, Saturday I was up in the sunroom writing and was fretting over a plot point.  While thinking, I began to pace the sunroom and stopped to glance out the window at the roof over the back door which was covered with old branches.  Hmm, I thought.  You know I often find that thoughtless, physical activity somehow seems to spur thinking along, so I ran downstairs to get a broom.  I passed Dave on the way, he was on his way to the shower he told me.  I said okay, kissed him and continued on.  I grabbed the broom and jogged back upstairs, removed the screen on the window and peered down at the roof. 

 

My intention had been to climb out on the roof from the sunroom, but now, looking down at it, I didn’t think with my stubby little legs I could get back in.  Wouldn’t that be a pickle?  So, I leaned out and started sweeping the branches around that I could reach.  Then I heard a clang to the side and glanced over to see my neighbor, Mike, on a huge long ladder cleaning the gutter on his roof.  

 

I called out a greeting and he glanced over and smiled, wished me good morning, then said he was just finishing up and rather than put the ladder away, could just move it over to our roof if Dave wanted a go at the gutters.

 

 “Dave’s in the shower,” I announced, then blurted.  “But I’d love to use it.”

 

IDIOT!!  I had forgotten the one rule my parents had despairingly repeated while I was growing up.  Mostly they repeated and repeated it because it’s a rule I have trouble grasping.  “Engage brain before opening mouth.”  I’m a bit impulsive, you see, making decisions on the spur of the moment.  But then, why not?  You have all the time in the world to regret them after, right?  What’s that saying “Act in haste, repent at leisure” or something.

 

Anyway, Mike looked concerned by this announcement and said he could leave it out for a while, Dave could do it after his shower.  This was like a no to me.  I dislike nos and naturally rebel against them. 

 

“Don’t be silly!  I can do it!”  I cried cheerfully, then pulled myself back in the window and hurried out of the sunroom before he could decide I shouldn’t.  I raced down the stairs, my mind going ninety miles a minute.  Dave would surely freak and stop me from doing it if he knew, but he was in the shower and if I was lucky I would be done before he knew what was happening.  My sister had done it just weeks ago at her house and if she could do it, I could too.  I’d be quick, I assured myself.

 

I grabbed gloves and a pail and rushed out the front door and around to Mike and Karen’s yard where Mike was just finishing moving the ladder to the end of the roof.  I scurried up in shorts and a t-shirt, red pail swinging from my hand and all smiles.  “Thanks Mike.”

 

Mike was frowning as he watched me approach.  “Why don’t I do this for you?”

 

“Don’t be silly!”  I laughed, but his gaze had found my feet and his frown deepened.  “Maybe you should put some shoes on, then at least.”

 

“Oh no,” I assured him.  “I can grasp the ladder better bare foot.  I’d probably slip and fall off with shoes.”  I’m afraid of heights you see, so any little advantage was a good one in my mind.  I hurried around him to the ladder.

 

“But it will hurt your feet barefoot,” he said following me.

 

“Nope,” I assured him, starting up the ladder, the pail hampering me.  “I grew up on an island climbing trees, and rocks.  I have really hard calluses.  In fact, my feet are disgusting, don’t look at them.”

 

I had climbed up several rungs and my feet were probably at eye level at this point, and that admonishment probably made him actually look at them.  They really are callused, but oh well.  No one’s perfect.

 

“Hang the pail over your arm.  It will free both hands,” Mike instructed and I could HEAR the frown in his voice.  He was probably thinking at this point that he had an idiot for a neighbor, but you didn’t really think I was thinking at this point, did you?  I was climbing a ladder.

 

I was fine for the first third of the climb.  “Don’t look down and you’ll be fine,” was the mantra in my head.  Then at about a third of the way up the damned ladder began to wobble alarmingly, an issue that just got worse with every step until by halfway up I felt like I was clinging to the mast of a sail boat, swinging in the wind. 

 

Gad, have I mentioned I’m afraid of heights?

 

I slowed and nearly stopped then, but Mike was at the bottom holding the ladder and I’d look like a big chickenhead if I backed out now, so I gritted my teeth and continued upwasrd, my eyes locked on the eaves trough, my fingers aching just to touch it and have something solid to hold onto should the ladder plummet to the ground beneath me. 

 

Our house is big, three stories and a basement.  The gutter was only on the second level, but the floors here are high, at least ten feet or more plus whatever is between floors, and the basement is half above ground, so I was going up two and a half stories.  Did I mention I’m afraid of heights?  I was reassuring myself that you have to fall three stories or more to die (I think that’s true) when I finally was able to touch the eavestrough.

 

A gusty little sigh slid from my lips as I grabbed it and I stopped.  This was far enough, I determined and clung to the ladder with one hand while swinging the pail around.

 

“Go up another couple of rungs, then you can hook an arm through the ladder,” Mike said from the ground.   

 

Go up?  More?  I thought.  Was he insane?  I really thought I could do it from there.  NOT!  I needed one hand to scoop the stuff out of the eaves trough and one to hold the pail, which left nothing to cling to the ladder with but my bare toes.  Unfortunately, I never trained my breasts to wrap themselves around things.  I was thinking I should try doing that, but for now it was too late. 

 

This wasn’t going to work, I realized unhappily.  I was going to have to go up a couple more steps.  Damn.

 

Taking a deep breath, I forced my reluctant feet up two more rungs, then hooked the arm holding the pail around the ladder so that it hung just below the eavestrough and took a look at the situation.  Now that I could actually see into the eavestrough, I was amazed to see that it was full to the brim with branches and leaves.  Fortunately, it hadn’t rained for a while, so it was dry, but GOOD LORD!  There were small walnut tress growing in it!  It obviously hadn’t been cleaned in quite a while.  I began to scoop the stuff out of the gutters, dropping it into the bucket and chattering nervously away to Mike about this and that as I did.  In truth, I couldn’t tell you what we talked about, I felt a bit feverish.  Probably panic.  I could feel my legs trembling and was greatly relieved when I got out the last that I could reach.

 

I think I probably scrambled down a little more quickly than I went out.  Mike then moved the ladder along the roof and I headed up again. 

 

“How long does Dave take to shower?” Mike asked after I’d been up and down the ladder a couple of times.

 

“It depends if he’s showering or bathing,” I answered.  “If it’s a bath, it will be a while.  If a shower, quicker, but he won’t know what I’m doing unless he comes outside.  He’ll just think I’m in the sunroom writing.”

 

I think Mike was wishing Dave would come out and take over.  I was just hoping to get the damned thing done before he did.  Dave can get cranky when I do stupid things…Not that I ever do stupid things, and really, this was going fine.  It was even maybe getting a little easier to go up each time….maybe…Well, my legs were still shaking, but hadn’t given out on me.

 

I was just finishing the second last trip when Dave came out on the deck and greeted Mike.  I risked a glance down and then realized how stupid that was.  NEVER LOOK DOWN.  I caught a bare glimpse of the top of Dave’s head as he started to glance up, then quickly turned my attention back to what I was doing.  (I’m really sorry I missed his expression.  From Mike’s later laughing and saying, “You should have seen his expression when he saw you up there!” it was probably a doozey. ) 

 

Mike was now talking, saying he’d offered to do it for me, but I’d insisted.  And I wouldn’t wait for him to get out of the shower.  Dave was suspiciously quiet.  Not a good sign.    

 

Oh, oh, I thought.  Darn, if he’d just waited a couple more minutes….

 

I finished and scrambled down again.  Dave had come around and taken over holding the ladder, which probably explained the two holes I’d felt burning into my backside as I worked.  I suspect Mike expected a marital row and had made himself scarce, but Dave would never yell at me in public (I don’t think) and didn’t say a word.  He moved the ladder over for the last time and I quickly scrambled back up to avoid any unpleasantness, or his suggesting he’d take over.  I’d started it and I was going to finish it, dammit. 

 

Up I went.  Surprisingly, the last time was the worse.   I started to almost hyperventilate on the last trip as I scrambled to empty the eaves trough.  All told I was only up there for maybe half an hour, but it felt like centuries.  Sweat was pouring off me as if I’d run a marathon, and there were still those holes burning into my backside.  I was extremely relieved to be able to come back down the last time and know I didn’t have to go back up.  I was also chattering a mile a minute as I dumped the pail for the last time…That’s a good way to keep a man from saying anything he might regret later, you know.  Don’t give him a chance to say it.

 

I ran around to thank Mike and ask him what he wanted us to do with the ladder.  He said to leave it where it was and he’d grab it in a minute, so I raced back around, told Dave and then hurried back around and threw our yard, talking a mile a minute.  Dave was walking.  He has long legs you know, so merely has to walk to my scurrying.  He was also silent until we stepped into the kitchen, then he muttered, “My daredevil wife.”

 

That was as far as he got, I laughed nervously, squawked “I’m off back to work.” And raced upstairs to let him recover on his own.  That’s always a good technique too.  Make yourself unavailable until the storm clouds have moved on. 

 

Sigh. 

 

He followed me up not long afterward and climbed out the sunroom window to sweep the branches and debris off the roof, the chore I’d started hanging from the window.  I think I told him about that while up the ladder, though I’m not at all sure, I was just babbling like an idiot the whole time so he couldn’t give me hell.  He then took himself off to mow the lawn or something. 

 

So….well….Alls well that ends well.  And the gutters are clean which is a good thing since it’s raining today.

 

Now, don’t you wish I’d continued to forget to mention this story? (Grin)

 

I’m off to post those pics, then it’s back to work for me.  Ciao for now!

 

Lynsay

 

P.S. His hair really was already that lovely silver when I met him.  I'm not making him grey.  Really.

 

I’ve been mostly working, interrupted by several intrusions by life.  We got home Tuesday, I posted here and I went to work.  That was the pattern for Wednesday and Thursday.  Get up, work, grab something to eat, work….work…work….go to bed, get up, shower, grab a coffee and work. 

 

Friday, however, was my birthday.  I got up, found a lovely card from Dave perched on my computer (which tells you my first stop in the morning), grabbed a coffee and went outside to thank him for the card, then went to work. 

 

I worked until about 1 o’clock, then he dragged me out of the house and took me to lunch and shopping for my gift.  He’d bugged me for weeks about what I wanted, but I was at a loss.  I pretty much have everything I need.  “Not need, want,” he kept saying.  Hmmm. 

 

Finally, I came up with something, I wanted a new microphone/headphone combo for my computer.  He argued it was a need not a want, but really it’s all I wanted.  I had one, but it wasn’t working all that well after the trip over from England and I wanted a good set.  He caved in and let me get away with it, but said we had to wait for my birthday to get it.  So, we on our shopping trip we bought one, then a blouse, then spent ridiculous sums of money at the Lancome make-up/perfume counter in the bay.  Does anyone else think they charge ridiculous prices?  GAD!  They must sprinkle everything with gold dust.

 

Anyway, we then headed home and I took my new microphone/headset upstairs “To try it” which translates to “I went back to work” LOL.  Around dinner time, I stopped and went back downstairs.  Dave had said he was taking me out to dinner too, but I was thinking at this point I didn’t want to struggle with the masses that would be out on a Friday night and would rather just order a pizza and relax for a bit.   It being my birthday, I got my way <grin>  So we ordered pizza and I thought I’d relax and watch the tube for a bit.  Unfortunately, while Dave was on my side, fortune wasn’t and there was absolutely nothing on the tube.  Hmm.  We stepped outside for a minute after the pizza to feed the blue jays and got talking to our neighbors and got discussing movies.  Karen kindly gave me one and I thought “Great!  Something to watch and relax to.”  Only problem is, when we went back in, I decided I’d best go up to the sunroom and turn off the computer.  I got up there, glanced over what I’d done, had an idea and went back to work.  The movie sat collecting dust and the computer got turned off at 4 A.M. when I stumbled off to bed.

 

Saturday I woke up and grabbed a coffee and got back to it.  In the afternoon, I went downstairs to get some ice water, but one tray was empty, and the other full of water.  Hmmm, I thought, Dave must have just refilled this.  That’s weird, he doesn’t usually use ice, but I filled the other tray and popped both trays back in the freezer.  Later in the day when I checked on the cubes, it was to find they were both still water.  I mentioned to Dave that the freezer seemed to be having trouble with the heat and maybe we should turn the settings up.  He came over and helped me find the knobs which are always in a different place on these bloody things.  We turned both the frig and freezer settings up, then closed the door thinking the problem was solved…..until Sunday morning when I opened the freezer to find blood dripping out of the sirloin pack.  The refrigerator hadn’t been struggling with the heat, it had died…and taken all our food with it.  Steaks, chicken breasts, etc., etc  EVERYTHING was gone.  The only things saveable at this point were some condiments and cheese.  GEEEEES. 

 

So, work Sunday was interrupted by running out to buy a new frig (That won’t be delivered until Wednesday), then removing the food form the old one which was beginning to smell in the excess heat.  But I went back to work once that was done, sticking to it until 4 A.M. again before toddling off to bed once more.

 

Today was work again until we had to go out for lunch, then again for dinner.  I took a break to clean a bit and then went back to it, but now stopped to write this and update you all on why I’m not visiting blogsites (I‘m sorry.  I’m counting on Dave to let me know if anything happens I should be aware of) 

 

Yep, the glamorous life of a writer; work and more work.  I hope you’re all having a more relaxing time of it….and that your refrigerators are working…I add that because Tori and Stavros’s refrigerator broke down just before Dave left for England so it may be an epidemic. (grin)  Come to think of it, I think theirs came with their house too.  Hmmm.

 

Ciao for now, Lynsay, off to bed at 3:46….oooo, it’s an early night tonight

P.S.  Just remembered about the pics from the expo.  I'll put one up.  The ladies are from left to right, Maureen of the operated on mouth (I hope you're feeling better Maureen!  And hope I spelled Maureen right) Tracey, Jade and Margaret.  I am the chick in the middle who always takes bad pics.  You should note that Margaret and I  have the same "Dear-God-take-the-picture-already" looks on our faces.  We could practically be sisters.  It's so nice to know someone else who takes bad pics.  The others were worse of you and I Margaret.  Everyone else looked good though...Sigh. 

Well, the name of the second gal was Robin (read previous post to understand).  I met her mother Monday and saw Robin again too.  Her mother is as charming as she is and does NOT look old enough to be her mother.  Great genes in that family.

 

The signing went well.  I signed 144 books in an hour and a half.  That’s two boxes of books, all the books they brought in.   I couldn’t believe I signed so many that quick.  Gad, I do talk to everyone as they come up, I don’t know how I managed to do that and get through so many books so fast.  Fast is probably the key word here, Dave says I talk a mile a minute.  I guess it must be so. 

 

Dave was great by the way, taking pics and talking to everyone and not minding when he was talked about (grin)  At least, he was great right up until he dragged over the Chum city people (a television station for those who don’t know.  They also do radio, but these were the television guys with a big scary camera and everything) to interview me on camera.  I am sure I muttered and stuttered and sounded like an idiot and that the interview will land on a cutting room floor which is the only reason I haven’t carried out some terrible vengeance plan on Dave.  

 

Lovely as meeting so many readers and the lovely ladies who sell me in bookstores, as well as distributors and so on was, I was completely exhausted by the time we made our way back to the hotel.  I laid down for a nap while Dave patiently relaxed and read, promising to wake me to get ready for dinner.  By the way Katt, we went to Joe Badali’s for dinner the night we arrived, Saturday, I just forgot to mention the name. 

 

We met Joann, Paul and Brooke in the hotel bar at 7pm.  They all love Dave, by the way, and I think would have liked to knight him for the tv people thing.  (Rolling eyes and sighing here as the long suffering one who actually got dragged in front of the camera.  LOL.  Seriously, the interviewer was quite lovely and I think did everything she could to try to make me feel at ease and it actually worked to a degree, but I’m a writer, not a public speaker)   

 

Anyway, in Dave’s honor, they took us to an Indian restaurant for dinner.  His favorite.  You’ll understand what a sweet thing this was when you hear that we later learned Paul isn’t keen on Curry.  

 

We again had a lovely time.  We then had a drink in the hotel bar and made plans to meet for breakfast before heading to our rooms.  Dave and I were so exhausted, we pretty much just collapsed into bed, but it was a sort of happy exhaustion.  We’d done our best and avoided any embarrassing calamities or major gaffs.  I think…hope.

 

This morning we were up at 7:30, got ready, packed up, then went down to check out, leave our luggage with the desk and went out to breakfast with Paul and Brooke before we all returned, collected our luggage, and headed out. 

 

I had mixed feelings as we left the hotel and headed for the highway.  Part of me was sorry to see such a lovely time end.  Dave and I both enjoyed the company of Brooke, Paul and JoAnn.  They are an awesome trio.  However, another part of me looked forward to getting home.  And now, it is lovely to be home.

 

Margaret, my dear, it was great meeting you and yours as well.  You were all wonderful and helped make things so much easier and less stressful for me, believe it.  It was “sick” lol.  Tell Jade if I can do it, she can.  Contrary to popular belief, writers are not some odd breed of creature hatched from eggs and raised in the dark on a far off planet.  We really are just people <grin> 

 

Dave and I enjoyed meeting with you, Maureen, Tracey and Jade.  We truly enjoyed talking with you.  The proof of that would be that we stood there so long doing it, lol.  Had we not been enjoying your company, we would have made some excuse to leave.  You’ll note we didn’t, and I was glad to see you the next day too, but was in such a panic about the signing, I desperately needed a nicotine infusion before I had to take my seat and try not to sound like a babbling moron, lol.  

 

Tell Maureen I hope she is feeling better and hope to see you all at the signing in August.

 

Lynsay, off to work on one of the books due August 1st

 

P.S. I shall post pics next time I promise, however, they're on my portable and I didn't think of that and wrote it on my desktop.  Figures, huh?

 

Yes, you read that right, I said Sunturday.  All day yesterday we kept thinking it was Saturday and had to remind each other it was really Sunday.  Ah well.

 

So Dave and I wandered out to have breakfast, then made our way to the expo.  We went to the Dorchester booth first to greet Brooke and Paul, and support Tara.  We promptly ran into Margaret, Jade, Tracey and Maureen, then two more lovely ladies, one of whom was named Chrysta.  I am so sorry, I never caught the other gal’s name, but if she comes again today I’ll be sure to get it.  Anyway, they were all lovely and Dave and I stayed talking to them for quite a while.  Poor Maureen had just had surgery on her mouth and we made her laugh a couple times, which I felt bad for when I realized it was causing her pain.  Poor you Maureen!!  I’m sorry!!

 

We then wandered off and went shopping…where else?  Book stores, lol.  We walked all over and did hit a shoe store or two as well where I tried to talk Dave into half boots of snakeskin that would have looked great with his jeans.  I actually succeeded in the convincing, only to find they didn't have them in his size...ah well. 

 

We then wandered back to the hotel, returning at about four.  We took a nap then to be woken by a call from Paul.  Dinner was to be at 7pm, meet them in the lobby.  Dave and I jumped about getting ready, then headed down to meet Brooke, Paul and this time his wife JoAnn.  Tara was tired after her signing and didn’t join us.  We went to Wayne Gretzky’s where the food was good, the company was great and the waitress was excellent, talked away for hours then returned to the hotel.

 

Now it’s Monday morning, my signing is at 11 and we’re about to head down to breakfast before making our way there.  Urgh…arrgh….oh gad!  I’m a nervous wreck.  My readers are always lovely, but it doesn’t stop me from being as nervous as a virgin on her wedding night.  Sheesh.  Have I mentioned I’m shy?  Okay, so it will be fine.  And if I’m very lucky, one or two people might show up to get a book signed.  Sigh.

 

Later

Lynsay

 

 

We got to the hotel at around 3:30, checked in and ordered a coffee and sandwich to split while we unpacked.  We had intended to stop at a service centre and grab a sub for lunch on the way up, but our exit from the 401 came right after the first service centre which caught us by surprise.  We expected to drive most of the way to Toronto on the 401 but it turned out that wasn’t the case and there were no service centers on the second highway.  We were both starved, but there were some plans to have dinner with Paul, and Brooke and Tara that night and we didn’t want to ruin supper so only split a sandwich. 

 

Paul called shortly after that to firm up the dinner plans and we went down to meet everyone in the lobby at six o’clock.  Paul is a wonderful guy, he’s the head of distribution for Dorchester Publishing here in Canada and Brooke is a doll, a real sweetie and the promo person for Dorchester in New York.  Both of them run the booth for Dorchester here at the expo.  They take care of us while we’re here and are awesome at it.  Tara is another writer here to sign at the expo.  She was born in Canada but now lives in Australia and was very nice.  We had a great time at dinner, all of us yipping away. 

 

Dave was absently playing with his napkin while we talked after dinner and folded it into this sort of complicated cracker or popper type thing with ends sticking out at either side, that o-pens when you pull the ends.  LOL.  Brooke asked him how he’d done it and he taught us to make them, all of us laughing as we worked at it.  Brooke has decided she’s going to practice and get it perfect so that she can make them for the dinner at RWA and put little chocolates or something inside them so that they tumble out when the diners pull the ends to open them.  We have been warned she will enlist our aid with the task, lol.  Brooke is always fun.  There’s a reason she’s a favorite among the writers at Dorch.  I’ll take pics today and get them up.

 

It was after ten o’clock before we left the restaurant and headed back to the hotel.  Brooke and Tara had just flown in that afternoon and Paul had been setting up the booth all day, so they were all tired and ready for bed.  Dave and I were still a little wound up, so we walked them back to the hotel, hugged everyone, then Dave and I went in search of somewhere to sit and relax for a bit before heading up to our room.  We went to a little pub where he had a beer and I had an Irish coffee while we talked for a bit before wandering back to the hotel.

 

Our room is great, the company is great, I’m sure the expo will be great and goodness, I don’t know why you’d want to know all this, but I figure I’d better blog while I’m here, because I’ve been absent for so long and this is all I really have to blog about at the moment.

 

Today we woke up, ordered coffee and are now going to get ready for the day.  We don’t really have plans yet except to hit the expo and visit the booths.  I imagine Paul will have one or two people for us to talk to; distributors and such.  Tomorrow is my signing…gees, I hope some people show up.  Guess I should go shower.  Hope you’re all having a great day!

 

Lynsay

So, as usual, I am under the gun work wise.  Two books due August 1^st and life just keeps trying to intrude.  Tuesday was dental day.  I had to take Dave to the hospital to have five -- count ‘em FIVE teeth taken out, and the majority of them were teeth that had shattered and had to be dug out.  Poor baby.  Dentistry isn’t the best in England in my opinion.  The only time I went to a dentist there, the nurse saw me into the room, bibbed me and got me ready, then the dentist walked in.  I opened my mouth without being told to, he took one look, paused, met my gaze and said, “You aren’t from here….  North American?” 

 

“Canada,” I answered with surprise since I hadn’t spoken a word for him to know from the accent.  “How did you know?”

 

“Your teeth.  Definitely North American.”  He made it sound like they were fine jewels from a foreign continent. 

 

I sort of understand this after the trouble Dave has had the last three years or more.  The man has rarely been without a toothache in all the time I’ve known him.  Paradoxically, he has also spent more time over that period at the dentist’s than anyone I have ever known, trying to get it all straightened around.  He also takes the best care of his teeth of anyone I know, electric toothbrushes, flossing, mouthwash, metal tooth pick, etc.  The man takes care of his teeth, and yet was constantly suffering pain and having teeth shatter when the dentist drilled away too much on each and filled them.  I am glad to have had Canadian teeth.  Or perhaps I’m just glad I never had to use his dentist.  When I went, I didn’t go to his but called another one.

 

Anyway, as I say, they took five of his teeth.  Anyone from Canada knows that is rather amazing, because Canadian dentists are ALWAYS determined to keep your teeth in your mouth.  Removing them is an extreme measure they avoid as much as possible, so wanting to rip five out is unusual.

 

It’s done now and hopefully he can be pain free at last.  Then he’ll get the pleasure of posts and crowns, but better that than constant tooth aches.

 

So, that was my Tuesday. 

 

Wednesday was Walnut tree day.  They cut down a walnut tree that we had at the side of the house.  We were told when we bought the house that we might want to get rid of the walnut tree because it drove the neighbors’ nuts.  I can understand why.  While the trunk stood on our side of the fence and shaded the sunroom, when it dropped its leaves and walnuts, it dropped them mostly on the neighbor’s yard.  So, lovely shade or not, it had to go.  The men came yesterday morning bright and early and cut it down.  Once they’d left, Dave and I went out to move the wood. 

 

Oh GAD!  Have I ever mentioned I am a clumsy chick?  Well, if I haven’t, I am telling you now.  I wander around most of the time, half distracted with story ideas and plotlines, my mind only partially on whatever else I am doing.  Especially physical activity, I’m really barely engaged on such things, my body moving automatically while my mind wanders off to medieval England, or to romp through the streets with vamps.  You shouldn’t be surprised then to hear that as I was helping Dave empty the wheelbarrow on one of the trips, I picked up a huge stump (well, huge to me and huge enough to do damage) turned to set the damned thing down, misjudged the space I’d left for it and managed to catch my hand between it and another stump, crushing it between the two stumps.  Crushing is too dramatic a term and suggests more damage than was done, though at the time I was sure I’d “crushed” it.  The pain was horrible, but I could move my fingers and I thought it would be all right.  After all, Dave was managing with a face all swollen and sore from surgery.  I could manage too I decided and continued with a couple more trips back and forth with him, using my left hand now to hold most of the weight and the heel of my right hand, the one I’d injured, just to help balance each stump.

 

Hmmm….Well, after two or three more trips, the pain hadn’t stopped, but had seemed to intensify and I called a halt, thinking to rest it until the pain eased, then continue on. 

The only outward sign of injury was a pattern of red dots that followed the veins on the backs of my hand, but it was growing a bit puffy as were my fingers and the skin itself was aching as it was filled to capacity and strained.  Dave insisted I should have ice on my hand.  After wimping out half a dozen times because touching it even with water seemed to increase the pain, I sank it in ice water for as long as I could, but it hurt everywhere, and the pain seemed to be running up my arm as well as down into my fingers. 

 

I was now growing concerned.  We are going to the book expo in Toronto this weekend where I am to sign books, but I was beginning to think that might be out.  I was also beginning to worry that I wouldn’t be typing for a while as I couldn’t close my fingers to make a fist and couldn’t open them all the way either, a worry when the two deadlines are looming.  The pain was increasing with no relief no matter where I placed it or how I rested it.  Frustrated and angry at the idea that I may have messed up my hand when I really needed it, I took ibuprofen for the swelling and Tylenol for the pain, then gave Dave heck for going out and trying to continue on his own.  After extracting a promise that he would wait for me, or at least wait for someone else to be able to help him with the last of the wood (we had moved the worst of it) I went to lay down with my arm raised on a pillow to encourage the swelling to go away.  His mouth must have been bothering him more than he would acknowledge, because Dave soon joined me and we both slept for a couple of hours. 

 

The break did wonders for my hand, the swelling went down some and the pain was more bearable.  I stopped worrying it was broken, I think I just bruised the bone badly.  I made myself go out and string lights, using the right hand as little as possible, but still using it and by the time I’d finished it was less stiff and feeling oddly better.  Today it is much better and should be perfectly fine by the weekend for the signing.

 

And that’s it.  My life at the moment.  Fortunately, tomorrow I get to concentrate on writing before we head for Toronto on Saturday.  Hopefully, I can get some writing done there as well and get a good start on things.  Oh, except I forgot to say, “YAY!  DAVE IS A PERMANENT RESIDENT!!!  WOOHOOO!!  No more England!”  (No offense to my British friends, but England was a real bummer for me.  I missed the sun and space and family)  Oh, and I dropped another size.  My body is so happy to be back in Canada its getting itself in shape again.  Gotta love that. 

 

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.

 

Lynsay