So I should be at least into a new novel – I did *technically* start a new one, but I’ve barely been at it at all. Most of my word count has been on the current WIP, and even that is kind of abysmal. Now, before I go blaming Calypso, here’s the backstory:
Coworker found her crying on a freezing night, Halloween to be specific. This coworker happens to own a dog that can only not be trusted, but can be expected to eat the kitten. You ever sit around the table and compare stories? We medics do that a lot – and occassionally, we bring up our pets. This dog WINS; they have a second, very well-natured dog. Anyhew, mutual coworker I’m friends with posted the pic on FB. I’m watching all this, meanwhile she has extreme allergies to the kitten. We had cats when I was a little kid, and I already have a dog, so I figure – hey, what’s one more? I hastily looked up names for Tortoise-shell cats. Calypso came up; technically it is the name of a character from the Odyssee, I thought of the music. Before you say, “What is calypso music?” You probably recognize at least one song:
So I was feeling really good and well about being friends with animals, but in the meantime, my neighbors who I am attached to – they had two dogs when I moved in, two yorkies, one was a puppy, younger than Dodger. They got rid of the boy (the girl is maybe 5 lbs and roams the neighborhood, honestly I don’t know how she stays alive on base) about a year after I was in, saying they had no time for him. Naturally, six months later, new dog. Big, fluffy, neglected Riggs, who as a puppy roamed the neighborhood, but buddy here is 80-100lbs and about as good natured a suck as you wouldn’t expect. I walked him every once in a while so he’d get exercise.
Anyway, he stopped being chained in my attached back yard and last month, ending up chained to another yard (he was an escape artist) and recently, he was roaming the neighborhood at night. Yeah, we had snow on the ground before Halloween even though it’s been unseasonably mild, this dog likes the winter but still: I’ve pulled in both dogs when it’s raining because some people can’t pull their dogs in. Rigg’s picture is currently at the pound in Portage la Prairie. Let’s just say, I’m not happy, but I’m capped at two animals and, my hope is some farmer comes in and gives that dog space to run. So if I’m testy or ornery about animals, I should know better but I’m tired of this. I helped with an animal, and I know bloody well that I see so much abuse, neglect and general incompetence and people act like it’s not weighing on their souls.
But as for Calypso – she took a little while to warm up to others but seemed to be relieved to have someplace safe and warm to be, food is plentiful and she stalks the dog. I’ve mostly been keeping an eye on those two to make sure he isn’t being too rough, technically she was too young to be taken from her mum and Dodger’s honestly been pretty good about everything, I just want to make sure it stays that way. Other work excuses for not getting my novel finished/started include reorganizing my spare room and shredding a lot of old paperwork I don’t need anymore. I’ve been looking at properties and ideally, I’ll find something for the Spring, but I’m in no rush so we’ll see what happens over the next few month now that I’m approved. The goal for the end of the year is to get this rough finished, edit one novel and have another that’s just needing some finishing touches taken care of. I said it was going to be a goal to work on Terran in 2017, but I’ll be honest and say I haven’t really touched it, but depending on whether or not I sneak off or stay for my vacation end of January might see me doing heavy writing-related work. Work has honestly been really decent and I’ve barely done any OT, so it feels nice to not be stretched so thin for the time being. That means time to start reassessing and setting goals, but in general, things are pretty good, so hopefully I’ve grown as an artist in 2017 and that growth will continue well into next year.
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