Good morning, Readers!

My publisher, Renaissance Press, is having a sale to help you all relieve your boredom with some fantastic books.  From their release:

I love my publisher.  They took the time out of their day to email their authors and check in on them. It was really so very sweet.  Anyway, they're having a sale, and you should definitely go check them out.

Of course, I would encourage you to buy my books (Daughters of Britain and Skylark) from them, but the truth is, they've published a tonne of really fantastic titles, and you should check them all out.

Also, if you do buy one of mine, or anyone else's for that matter, please take the time to rate and review it on places like Goodreads and Amazon, or even your own blog. Word of mouth is really the only chance smaller publishers and lesser-known authors have to get themselves seen.

Even a small, one line review can mean the world.

Anyway, go check out awesome books, and tell boredom to go to hell while we wait for this pandemic isolation recommendation to be lifted.

Stay safe everyone, and be kind, especially now.,

And wash your hands.

Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

Ordinarily, I would have left work last night and headed out to go to the gym and practice my kung fu.  I can't, as my practice location is closed. For very good reason.

So, instead, I decided to get my bored housewife act on, and I followed a YouTube workout video at home.  It was only half an hour, which is a fraction of what I usually train (martial arts for me on Mondays is usually an hour, more if there's space and time, two hours on my actual training days, and four hours when I'm teaching... so, like... between nine and ten hours a week), but it was far better than nothing, thank you very much. I'm impressed with it this morning, as my thighs are actually a little sore.

Following my half hour housewife role play (it's the closest to a housewife I'll ever get), I fired up my Playstation and started replaying The Last of Us. Apparently this pandemic had me yearning for the aftermath of a zombie plague? And also heartbreak?  Yes, I cried.  Again.

But also, after finishing the first chapter (up until Tess' leaves the group), I headed up to bed feeling so much better than when I started. I don't understand the psychology behind why killing infected folks while an actual pandemic is going on was so therapeutic, but it was.  I felt so much better, despite the heartbreaking nature of the story.  Maybe part of it is returning to something I know I love deeply.

For the record, Joel can get it, and I'd die for Ellie.

Damn, this is a fantastic game with a fantastic story, and I'm so excited that Neil Druckmann is working with HBO on the television series so I can finally share this story with my dad (who does not game).  I think he'll absolutely love it.

I'll play more tonight, I think. It's sooooo good.

I am, alas, still having to come into work, from where I'm writing this. I do want to shout out to OC Transpo who haven't stopped their service for folks like myself who have to come to work or forfeit their much-needed pay, but also, taking steps to keep their drivers safe.  Backdoor boarding, and well as caution tape giving the drivers six feet of space so they're less likely to get unwell, are two of the most obvious things I noticed.

That's good of them.

I got no writing done yesterday. I'm not sure I'll get any done today.  Plenty of daydreaming, though. That counts for something, right?

Okay, I should let all you go to do whatever it is you have planned today; provided that what you have planned in inside, at home, away from everyone else.

Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

The world feels very odd right now, doesn't it? Thing are legitimately crazy. A pandemic has swept the world, and it is so severe that there are mass graves in Iran that are visible from space, entire countries are shutting down, and doctors in Italy are being forced to let some folks simply die in order to treat others that have better odds of actually surviving because the infection rate is so damned high and so damned fast that their healthcare system is utterly overwhelmed.

Here in Ottawa, things have more or less shut down as well. All publicly funded schools have closed for three weeks. Universities have closed their doors and are moving their classes online. Exams have been redesigned for online, or outright cancelled. My martial arts classes have all been cancelled; one set until April 5th, the other indefinitely. Both gyms I can attend have shut down as of today. Folks who can work from home are, if the empty buses and transit stations are any indication.

In Ottawa, at least, it really does seem like the majority of people are taking this quite seriously.

It's an anxious time, sitting at home, watching the world crumble.

Of course, it probably won't be all that bad. Life will stop for about a month, and then resume more or less as normal. Perhaps some folks will have learnt a lesson or two. Too many folks will likely be grieving. But on the whole, life will do what it does.

If we're really lucky, here in Canada we'll look back and everything we did to try and slow the spread of the virus - flatten the curve, as it were - will seem like an overreaction. Which is good. That is the whole point of everything shutting down now; to spare us the mass graves of Iran, or the horrible choices Italian doctors must now make.

I'm quite sad to no longer be teaching my martial arts classes. They really were the highlight of my week. I also understand, though, that it's very necessary. I hope others do too.

It's not for myself I worry. I'm quite healthy, and suffer none of the risk factors. I worry for my father, who's age puts him at a much greater risk. I worry for his girlfriend, who is a bit older than him. I worry for the parents of my friends, and the grief my friends must endure if their parents become a statistic. So while I'm alright, and probably will remain alright even should I contract the virus, I will do the whole social distancing thing as much as I am able.

Unfortunately, only one of my jobs permits me to work from home; my writing job. So, I'm at my work desk as I type this. I am the only person in the office at the moment. I will be having a chat... or sending an email, if no one shows up... asking for permission to stay home for as long as the warnings last.

I doubt I'll get much work done at home, but maybe I'll be able to write a whole bunch. Who knows?

Speaking of writing, I have more to do, so I'll leave off here. I hope you're all safe and healthy and happy.

Wash your hands.

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

I didn't get much writing done Tuesday or yesterday.  I was entirely distracted by the arrival of something I'd ordered about a month ago and had been waiting forever to get in my grubby little hands.

It's an Itaki - a lunchbox that cooks your food for you.

Like, legit, I can bring the raw ingredients to work, put them in the lunch box, plug it in, turn it on, and bam, a hot, healthy meal at lunch.  It cooks with steam.  Literally, you put everything in, put in some water, it steams it up, heating the whole thing and cooking it for you.  It cooks for as long as there is water to turn into steam.  It's really nifty.

I figured I'll get it (also, it was SUUUUUUUPER on sale, or I wouldn't have been able to justify it) so I can cook healthy meals at work (as there isn't really anything to cook with in our kitchenette other than a microwave... which is gross to cook with). I can make rice, pasta, steamed veggies, all kinds of meat, dumplings, dumplings....

I don't have much time in the evenings or weekends usually, so food prep is difficult.  This way, I can prepare everything I need the night before - max 15 minutes - pop it in the lunch box, put the lunch box into the fridge, take it out in the morning and just go to work.  That works for my schedule so much better than all the cooking involved with weekly meal prep.  Plus, I can have it all set up and cooking while I'm working, and then it's just ready by lunch time.

Easiest. cooking. ever.

This is all part of my attempts to eat better and be healthier, while also keeping to my fasting window.  Oooh!  Quick note on the fasting thing, after three weeks on a plateau, I've lost another kilogram (give or take).  Now, whether or not that'll hold is not certain, I'll find out at my next weigh-in, in which I might have gained it back.  Still, last weigh-in was the closest to the weight I was in high school I've ever been, and I am feeling pretty good about it.

Anyway, in order to use my Itaki as I intended, I need to do a huuuuuge grocery shop this weekend, as I have nothing.  I do, however have eggs, cheese, green onions and salted pork, so for the past two days, I've been using my little lunchbox to cook up an omelette for breakfast.  It's worked so well, and I couldn't be happier.

I'm a little too excited to try my hand at making lunches with this thing.

Anyway, it's arrival on Tuesday, had me excitedly sorting through the various pieces of the lunchbox, researching recipes and cooking times, and daydreaming about delicious lunches I can now have at work.  So... I didn't write.

Yesterday, I didn't write for a different reason: work called and there just wasn't time.  Then I had to go home and stream, so... no writing.

Hopefully today I'll be able to write.  We'll see.  For now, I'm off to brag about my new little gadget to anyone who will listen to me.

My life isn't all that thrilling.  Lunchboxes get me excited.  Right, I have to go.

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

I’m deliriously excited at last week’s HBO announcement that The Last of Us will be getting a television series on HBO. I have a deep, abiding love of this story, and this game. Strangely, the news made me far more excited than hesitant. as similar news of other properties I have enjoyed have made me (The Witcher, for example).

Part of why I’m not so hesitant this time around is that the production will be working directly with Neil Druckmann, the game’s creator. That tells me that the show is not likely to go off in crazy directions that utterly negate or disrespect the source material.
​
This is truly important to me. The story and the characters left such a lasting effect on me

Good morning, Readers!

So I had a weird dream last night involving a kung fu brother of mine I haven't seen in a very long time. I don't really remember what the dream was about, exactly, but I do recall that it was odd, but it nevertheless invoked warm, happy feelings. Not surprising. He was a great bloke, and I wonder what he's up to. I also dreamt that I was part of a grid iron team, and we were practicing drills. We were supposed to tackle a member of the line running to us. I stuck out my hand to do so, I managed to clock my target in the face and give her a concussion. I had helped her into the shade to sit while we waited for the paramedics. Then my alarm woke me up.

If dreams are truly meant to teach us something, I must admit, I'm rather lost as to what I was supposed to learn last night.

Today was a day of dropping literally everything. I accidentally dropped my travel shower kit on the floor in the quiet of the morning, making a loud noise.  I tripped over something else, making more noise.  Forgot two very important things, so had to run up and down the stairs twice to retrieve the.  I dropped my hat and gloves beneath a bus.  Also I fell. Also, I'm tired. Daylight savings is the dumbest thing, though Galahad appears to be pleased to be getting pets about a hour before he usually does. I might go a little easier on myself today. I also have training tonight.

Oh, last night as I was waiting for the bus to go home after training, a gentlemen pulled out this fascinating guitar-like instrument, but it only had three strings.  Some research has revealed that it was most likely a 'dulcimer guitar.' Anyway, he whipped out this instrument and began to play for a bit. It was a lovely rich, mellow sound, and even though it didn't appear to be any song in particular, it made for exceptionally pleasant listening.

So thanks, random gent, for making my commute last night a little more interesting, and much more pleasant.

I did not get any writing done yesterday, save for what I wrote for my Black Gate article due this week. So, I have a bit of catching up to do. On that note, I need to go.

Have yourselves a lovely day!

​Ciao!

Good morning, Readers!

So... I am a terrible, horrible thief.

You see, last Thursday during training, I nabbed a mat.  Which was good, good because we were supposed to acquire a mat.  You need them it you're going to be throwing folks around.  This mat, however, was already in use.  Which is bad, because, what the hell, Sonia, someone was using that!

This is going to sound totally weird... or maybe not, for those who know me better than I know myself... but I honestly didn't clue in at all.  Only when it was pointed out and I was halfway across the gym with the pilfered item, did it clue in for me.  I committed to the bit at that point, trying to make it into a really bad joke.

Ugh.

I honestly don't understand what my brain was doing.  At the time it didn't clue in.  But in retrospect, yeah... duh.  That mat wasn't for the taking.  What the hell, Sonia?  I mean, I had to literally detach it from another mat that was also in use.

Now, part of what had my brain so shut down, I think, had not a little to do with my anxiety, which was spiking at the time.  You see, there's this guy at training.  He's an instructor, who comes in on occasion.  He's very knowledgeable, and a good fighter.  We all could learn a lot from him.  But I guess he just doesn't like me.  In all my dealing with him during training, it's been snide remarks or visible eye-rolling when I'm struggling to understand or implement a concept he's trying to teach.

My favourite incident was not mat-stealing-Thursday, but the last time he was in when he stated out of the blue to my training partner, "Sorry, but Sonia just really annoys me sometimes."  My crime was... I don't know.  I was just doing the drill to the best of my ability (which, I mean, given how he often teaches concepts that are just so counter to the way my body naturally wants to move or even the other things I've learnt under other trainers that I've been drilling for forever, probably wasn't much at all).  That's all I was doing.  He just walked up to us as I was training and spoke those words.

Honestly, it hurt at the time as I hadn't been doing anything but the drill, but I just shrugged and said, "It's true."  Because it was.  Every interaction before that point had made that plainly, painfully clear.  And, to be perfectly honest, after years of that nonsense, the feeling is entirely mutual.

Thursday was just the eye rolling.  It's not the worst interaction I've had with this guy.  That didn't matter, though.  The minute I saw him, my anxiety shot up.

Every time I see him enter the room, knowing that I'm going to have to train under him, I get really, really, really tense.  My anxiety spikes.  Every.  Single.  Time.

When I finish a training day where he is present, even if he wasn't teaching, I usually need a good decompression cry.

I count my lucky stars that he doesn't come around all that often, and that all the other instructors are genuinely wonderful, patient folks who put up with me so well.  If they don't like me, they hide it very well.

So maybe I lost all situational awareness because my anxiety was screaming.

Or maybe I'm grasping at straws to try and explain my own behaviour which even I don't understand.  It was a thoughtless, ignorant, and, frankly, bitchy thing to do.  Stealing a mat.

It's one of those things that I spent three days straight beating myself up about, and no doubt it'll be one of those memories that will pop up on occasion.  When I'm out having a good time with friends, my brain will just send me that little bite.

Hey, you remember when you literally stole a mat at training, not cluing in that it was in use and not for the taking, even though literally EVERYTHING about that situation made it obvious?  Remember that?  What the fuck, Sonia?

And then my night will be ruined.

Then I might giggle about how literally no one stopped me, 'cause that was also weird.

Right, I have to go write stuff now.

​Ciao!