Since it’s finally on the market, I can make the general announcement here.
I’m selling the John Street House. I’ve moved, and am living at least part time in the tiny house that I built out on the property that Blaze (and now we) own.
http://www.matrix.nwmls.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?ID=23489358232
I will always split my time between the tiny house and the main house out on the property. I’ve had to spend more time at the main house recently because we needed to build a set of cat stairs. (The kitty did NOT like the existing stairs.) Those should be finished today and the kitty will come and spend more time with me, so I’ll spend more time living in the tiny house. Or at least that’s the plan. We’ll see what she actually thinks.
I didn’t really want to talk about the move until after the house went on the market. (Seemed silly to me to announce that hey, there’s this empty house and no one is around all the time.)
But when I’ve talked about doing physical things for the last couple of months…That’s been packing up boxes, then picking up boxes and moving them around. Then more packing, and trips to GoodWill, and moving furniture, and…
In February, when I should have rested but instead, pushed and so got really sick for a couple weeks…the day I pushed was the day the movers came. I couldn’t have rested a lot, but I could have rested more than I did.
I’ve learned that lesson well, and this last weekend when I had a stomach thang, I did rest. It lasted only two-three days as a result.
This last week has been the first of what I would call “the new normal”. Blaze has retired from his day job so he can write full time. The first week of his “retirement” we were in Lincoln City, OR, at a workshop. The second week, we were at the John Street house every day, painting and getting the house ready. Last week we were out here, at the property, for most of the week.
This week is much of the same.
I *like* the new normal. I’m super busy, but in part, that’s because I’m trying to catch up with the things I hadn’t been doing in terms of publishing. However, I’m mostly finished with the rebranding of the Business for Breakfast series. I’ve finished the new covers for the Science Officer series print books–just need to upload those.
I’ve started to write again. As soon as I finish this blog post, I’m starting a new short story. I’m hoping that by mid-April, I’ll be back to novel. (Will start with finishing off the last of the Cassie novels, “Bloodied Ice”.)
Come May, I expect to be fully in the writing groove again.
My goal at that point is 3000 words a day, five days a week. So, 15,000 a week, 60,000 a month.
That may sound like a lot. It isn’t. I write about 1000 words in an hour. So that’s three hours of “work”, five days a week.
Hitting a daily word count only kind of works for me. A weekly word count is much better for my brain. That way, if I’m sick, or I’m busy, or what have you, I can still take a couple days off and get in my word count.
We’re still figuring out what the new normal looks like, between Blaze and I. This weekend I found myself making assumptions based on old habits–Generally, Blaze only had so much time on the weekend, and I didn’t want to waste it.
Every day is Saturday, however. We have time, now. Time together, time for adventures, time to write, and time to publish. I feel so much better, as though I can finally breathe again. We still have the occasional bump in the road as we figure this out. And I do have to remind myself to be patient with myself, as it’s only been a little more than a week. It’s okay to not have everything figured out.
I’m sad to let the John Street house go. I loved (still love) that house. Fortunately, I really love where I’m living. I love writing out here. Plus, we have an Airbnb budget already set up, so I can still go into the city on a regular basis. I’ve been talking about “neighborhood dating” — staying at various different neighborhoods in Seattle, trying new restaurants and such.
So that’s what’s going on in my corner of the world. I’m sad about letting go, but also so very excited about my future. As it goes.
Also–still no migraines.