Me, and January the Opossum, a few years ago
Apologies for missing a week’s worth of postings. At least it left my favorite poem so far—Chihuahua Dog Sled—up for an extra week.
Bronchitis
I went down with my first real sickness since March 2020, when we quarantined for Covid-19. I’d always been somewhat housebound, but after that I spent a couple years being almost totally housebound (except for seeing the family we were bubbled with). The next couple of years, I’ve gone out to a couple of stores, but not much. I’m still at home most of the time. I don’t see people and I don’t catch colds or flus.
I think my husband brought a cold home from his students that turned into bronchitis, because before Covid-times, colds had started always turning into bronchitis for me.
So I’ve been reading on the couch, on stereoids, with an inhaler and lots of tissues. It’s almost passed now. Things are better.
Computer
At the same time, my computer’s recycle bin got corrupted and I couldn’t even boot windows on the darn thing. Called Egghead Computers and they took the computer and fixed it, but I was computer-less for a couple of days. (Including D and D night, which bites.)
Reading
Meanwhile, I’ve shifted my entire reading stack to new books. I didn’t want to watch TV or crochet or anything while I was sick—just read. I read a pile of excellent books:
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle Jensen - hot Viking lust
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton - beautifully written, but tear the last 5 pages out and don’t read them
Before and After the Book Deal by Courtney Maum - wishful thinking for me
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 - P. Djeli Clark - damn fine storyteling in a lush magical setting
An issue each of Haven, Apex, and Strange Horizons
Halfway through Babel by R. F. Kuang, Tomb Sweeping by Alexandra Chang, and Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba
And now you are caught up with my life. Except for the cats, and they’ve just been lazy.