I'm itching to dive into reading manuscripts, but I realized that it would be easier to manage if I waited until the bulk of them were in (I expect some to trickle in after the deadline). So I'm working on other things today, trying to clear as much as possible off my plate, so I can focus on them this weekend.
One of the projects I've been waiting to do is to put together a mailing list of SH authors (done!) and let them know that they can buy t-shirts and mugs at cost (done!) and let them know about our plans with Fictionwise (done!). I'm waiting for the blizzard of e-mails asking me for more details; I'll tell them as much as I can, but some of it's still up in the air, and I may just have to answer -- "I don't know that yet." I'm a little nervous that they won't be happy about this move to offer a downloadable version of SH (without paying them extra), but really, it's not a bad thing for them. Not as good as paying them more would be, of course, but that's just not in the budget. Hopefully, they won't be upset. Since the download will be free to the public (starting in September, hopefully), there's just no income to pass along to them. I hope they're okay with it, I really do. Fingers crossed.
It's a big SH day for me here -- I'm planning on doing checks and contracts today (though that depends a bit on when Kevin wakes up, 'cause I did promise to go bed shopping with him today). If you haven't stopped by this week, you really should -- we have a Chris Barzak story up, "Plenty", which is getting lots of praise, more than a story has gotten with us before. I suspect some of that is because Chris has lots of friends on the net. :-) But it's a good story, I like it. And I really like the Rachel Hartman article on women in medieval times; she does such good research, and makes it interesting and fun. She can even make being a nun sound (relatively) attractive... :-)
10:40. I'm not sure where the day went. Okay -- I didn't get up 'til 9. I worked 'til 1 p.m., around when I posted the earlier entry. Then Kevin got up and we went and bought a mattress and boxspring for the new condo, way off in the middle of nowhere at a mattress warehouse (like half the cost of a normal place, so I guess it was worth it -- these things are expensive). So then we went to the mall, 'cause Kevin's been owing me a ninth anniversary present for a while, and was nervous about buying it without me there. Jewelry, y'know. Guys are weird about jewelry. We hit a couple stores, and at Whitehall found a nice little sapphire pendant to go with the earrings he got me (also with me doing hand-holding) a few anniversaries ago. That was fun, and I am most contented with my present. It was *also* half-off. I like things that are half-off, especially when they're pretty. The pendant is prettier than the mattress. It's nice getting pretties, even if they are a month or so late. He was sweet enough that I forgave him for the lateness. Though I think he's more comfortable when he's buying me electronic gizmos instead of jewelled pretties. Which is fine with me -- I like those too, and I can't afford either. :-) I tend to buy him books. Or shirts. Though I got him a nice flannel robe last Christmas (which I've been wearing a lot, and it's most comfortable :-).
Then we went to the electronic stores, where I lusted over cameras fancier than mine (though I love my little Elph S100, I do I do -- I'd just *also* like to have her big brother, the one who's really endowed in the megapixel department, y'know? nudge nudge wink wink...). Kevin eventually bought a tv. Some kind of tv. He kept trying to make me give him advice, but frankly, all tv's pretty much look the same to me. My only concern was that the room he's going to put it in is pretty small, so I thought one of the flat ones would be cool. Then he gently explained that one of those would be at *least* quadruple the price of the ones we were looking at. Oh well. I think he got a Sony eventually.
Okay, so shopping took a little while, but not that long. By 4:30 we were back at the condo, unloading the tv. Oof. Very very very very very heavy. I wish I had more muscles. Well, not more, but bigger. We couldn't actually lift it out of the box, once we got it into the room -- we just tore the damn box down and slid the tv out. And y'know, there were tv's *much* bigger than the one he bought. They must use cranes to install them.
And then we had a nice Italian dinner -- too much food, most of which we brought home, and I had a glass of red wine. Mmm... I've mostly been making curries and we've been eating those, which is fine, but it's nice to eat someone else's cooking for a change. I had ravioli made with crushed walnuts, mascarpone cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, cream, and pear. Pear! Cool, huh? I was afraid it would be too sweet, but it was actually nicely balanced -- but much richer than I'm used to eating. I think I had four ravioli. Though all that bread I had earlier with olive oil and parmesan and roasted garlic (while we were waiting for Kev's risotto to be ready) might have had something to do with my full tummy.
And then we got home. And I checked e-mail. And watched tv. And checked e-mail. And watched tv. And checked e-mail. (You think I'm being silly, but really, that's what I did. Several more times. So did Kevin. His laptop is on a really long cord, that reaches to the couch.) And now it's almost eleven, and I did work for four hours this morning, but nonetheless, it feels like I lost a lot of the work-day. But I spent the rest of it with Kevin, doing domestic-type stuff. Making decisions together. Walking in the rain. Asking his advice about book stuff, not because he's likely to know more than I do, but because I like listening to him think. Laughing. Hauling furniture. Curling up on the couch. Which is not such a bad way to spend part of a day, when I think about it.
We've had a lot of wobbly bits; we're very different people in some ways, and we're both amazingly stubborn. It makes life...umm..."interesting" is probably too kind a word for this. But after nine years, there's still no one in the world I'd rather haul furniture with. If I'm being forced to haul furniture, that is.
Happy anniversary to us. :-)