Happy Almost-Spring to my fellow Canadians! Here in Ottawa, we’re getting warm weather and more sunshine, which is absolutely lovely. I’m looking forward to sitting out in the park and writing again.
Of course, we’re still getting ridiculous amounts of snow. Here’s Saturday’s damage:
I’ve been continuing to work on the Marvelous Makeover Murders, which is coming along! I was hoping to have it to beta readers by now, but, like you’re probably used to by now, not yet.
Part of this is good! I’ve been working with my editor, and she’s been giving me a tremendous amount of feedback on how to improve the novel, which I am very grateful for. I think the book is in a much better place than On the Shoulders of Demons was when I sent that out to beta readers (hopefully, they will agree). But it does make a lot more work: I meet with my editor every other week, and after our last meeting I spent a full week just working through her suggestions (since several of them involved significant rewrites).
But part of the delay not so good. As I’m getting ready to move (which itself takes up a lot of time), I had to track down information on a line of credit I closed 2 years ago… only for the bank to say they can’t find it. After lots of stress and phone calls, I finally found a solution (the bank still couldn’t find anything; thanks, TD), but it killed my writing for a week. And then getting all the good habits back…
Personal News
In personal news, things are going pretty well. As mentioned above, I’m getting ready to move this year, which is exciting and terrifying. Interest rates are high, and living in the province with the greatest housing shortage of the country with the greatest housing shortage in the G7…
Thankfully, one of the things I’m really good at is saving (I have cheap tastes and prefer cooking to going out). So I should be OK. And, in terms of net worth, since Ontario’s housing shortage is projected to get worse, buying a new place right now when interest rates are high will likely be good. Also, it’d be nice to have a office space separate from my bedroom!
I’ve been baking a lot, as always, and this is the spread I made for Brendan’s birthday (ice cream not pictured):
I actually have been making so much onigiri that I decided to buy onigiri molds, and I should have done it years ago. Not only does it make the onigiri hold its shape together better, but it also improves the rice:filling ratio.
I’ve got my diet back on track after letting it slip around Christmas (a yearly habit I really need to break):
I do need to get back to running once the trails are consistently clear, which is about now. Of course, it’s so hard to find the time!
So, with that, I leave you, dear reader. I hope your life is doing well, and I look forward to talking with you again soon!
Political Postscript
The rights of queer people are under attack in America right now in a way they haven’t been since the gay marriage debate. Drag is being banned because, when aimed at adults in nightclubs, it caters to the “prurient interest”; meanwhile, straight comedians can pivot from family television to filthy nightclubs without problem (note: this is not an attack on Bob Saget. My point is that queer people should be able to do the same thing he did, and change their performances to be appropriate for their audience).
Gender-affirming medicine is being restricted around the US, and lawmakers in Florida are actually threatening to abduct kids . Meanwhile, the “whistleblower” on the youth trans centre seems to be completely ignorant of what actually went on, and gender-affirming surgery is among the least-regretted surgeries.
A reminder: Having a diversity of viewpoints among friends and family is good. I love debating about monetary policy, command economies vs. capitalistic economies, gun laws, drug policy, regulation vs. pigouvian taxes, rent control vs. freeing developers to increase supply, etc. These debates are opportunities for learning and growth.
But if you support stripping rights from my friends—then you’re no friend of mine.