Will this week be the answer to life and everything? Unlikely. Truthfully, I didn’t love The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Just not my style of comedy. Also, I like when there is a clear plot. But I suppose the world we’re living in right at this moment may be more absurd than the novel.

DIY and Projects

Plans for this week included finishing all the steps needed to get my fridge back into my kitchen. I didn’t have a lot of hope given the head cold that still had its grip on me on Monday. Indeed, I did not get as much done as I wanted to, but I fixed a too big gap between my sink and wall. Caulking should hopefully fix the rest of it.

I suppose next week will be the week that gets my fridge back in the kitchen possibly.

Gaming and Videos

I got to level 100 in Sun Haven by around 9PM on Monday. It seems like a lot, but they add various skill levels together to get that (Mining, Combat, Exploration, Farming, Fishing). I didn’t do much other gaming. I didn’t feel up to it with the head cold.

Health and Fitness

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the taste of acetaminophen. It’s often hard for me to swallow pills and there were a number of times that the cold and sinus caplets would get stuck on the way down and make me want to vomit. I emailed in sick on Tuesday. I rarely take sick days, but after a weekend of barely any sleep, I woke up still feeling fevered and decided another day without work was needed.

Recently, I realized that I spend a lot of time reminding my loved ones that they are worth it, they deserve better, they deserve peace, and more. It’s taken me 44 years to realize that I do too.

On Wednesday, I felt better enough to go out and watch a friend’s softball final. It was orthodox style and I really enjoyed watching it. They allow bunting, stealing, and sliding. The homeplate was the size it should be. There were two umpires. One at home and one that moved around as needed. The other league folks were friendly and welcoming. Despite the slaughter happening on the field, it was a relaxed vibe. Her team led until the very last inning where it briefly got rough. But they pulled it together to win the trophy. The whole game was more energetic and strategic.

This week I allowed myself the grace to move on from karate. I’m really not into learning kata at this point in life and I don’t want to be in classes with children. I will stop by and let Sensei know that I won’t be back out of respect for him and the dojo as I’m not one for ghosting unless I’m feeling harassed after setting boundaries. But I still want to kick and punch things, so I’m hitting YouTube until a school I’m interested in has finished their move.

As it turns out, other than books, I came home from the annual writing convention with strep throat. The next morning I got a virtual appointment with a doctor for a prescription before going back to sleep while I waited for it to be ready to pick up.

Reading and Writing

This weekend was Can-Con. Can-Con is a local speculative fiction writer’s convention. This year, I only planned for the Saturday due to cost, time, and energy. I planned to attend five panels plus the evening dance party. After work on Friday, I did the prep I needed, which was putting gas in my car, buying food, and deciding what to wear. I wondered which, if any, writer friends would dance.

The evening felt a bit like the calm before a storm. A good storm, but Can-Con is full of socializing, learning, and movement. It’s a lot of fun, but also often exhausting for this introvert. All that aside, I was excited to see my writer buddies. Many of them I only see at this convention in person and otherwise stay in casual contact through social media during the rest of the year.

The morning of Can-Con was frenzied for me. I quickly showered, began packing snacks and items like a phone charger and writing implements, and I managed to get some music sorted for my car. Next, I had some breakfast and planned to stop at Starbucks along the way. With my writing socks, some new music, food in my belly, and some caffeine, I was ready for a hyper social day with people I hadn’t seen in awhile.

The highway was down to one lane on the drive there, so I was just slightly late for my first panel titled Gothic Horror in the New Age. I enjoyed it and am looking forward to some future reading options. Next up was Arm Yourself Against a Sea of Chatbots: Writing in a World with AI, which talked about the ethical and environmental issues with AI. They also talked about good uses for AI, but I was surprised that no one brought up the potential as an accessibility aid. I would have asked a question about it, but the time ran out. Sometimes that’s just how it goes. We also learned about some of the problems teachers are seeing, including students thinking of the AI they use to write an essay for them as their only friend. Critical thinking is becoming a lost skill in many students because of AI as well. It has many of us worried for the future.

I took a break and chatted with friends when I wasn’t in the vendors room getting some books to add to my collection. Then I went to a panel that told me so much about my own writing, The Heroine’s Journey in Modern Science Fiction and Fantasy. This writing guide by Gail Carriger is a feminist answer to Joseph Campbell’s book. I’ve ordered a copy and look forward to reading it because I’m already instinctively writing in that way, but I’m having difficulties in places because I have Campbell’s method in mind and it doesn’t fit what I need.

After that was Monstrous Retellings: Weaving Classics and the Supernatural. One of my favourite local authors was on this panel, so I knew it would be a good one. This is another one that inspired me for both reading and writinig.

The last panel I attended was Lived Experience as Story Fodder. Not only was it interesting, but it put my mind at ease about some things.

I hung out with a friend I hadn’t seen in awhile and was about to head home when our buddy we had been waiting on finally arrived. The introvert in me was sad because my social battery was drained, my feet hurt, and my throat was raw from a long day. But I had to see him for a bit. He’s often in a bush somewhere and I hadn’t seen him since last year.

I suppose this week actually provided me a lot of answers in life and my writing after all.

Catch you on the flip side,

Rae