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Sunday, September 23, 2012

It's a long, long way...

...from there to here.

No, not the Clare of the song to which the line belongs - though it is a long way from Clare to here also, but 'tis a long way from here in the Bay Area to there in the magnificent Midwest - Kansas City, MO.

The plan, such as it was, would have had us decamp for KC, MO at the end of October, or the beginning of November at the latest. The activities up to that point consist of getting our current condo ready for the market, arranging work items to transition, getting quotes from movers (recovering from the shock of getting quotes from movers) and planning an 1,800 mile drive.

This last is on me. I come from an island that's about 200 miles wide. The idea of driving anywhere for 1,800 miles has a certain appeal.

Well, two gallons (Imperial or otherwise) of activities don't fit into the quart-sized pot of time we have. Quelle surprise!

So, we've postponed the departure till the 1st week of January, 2013.

That gives us more time to finish up what needs finishing up. A little more time to get ourselves together, We, neither of us, do well with rapidly approaching deadlines.

Plus, it gives us another Thanksgiving spent at our favorite getaway, the Highlands Resort in Guerneville near the Russian River. A hundred or so miles north of here. Lynette and Ken are the owner/operators and they've become friends over the years. They, and their resort, will be missed so the chance to stay one last Thanksgiving there is a good thing.

We'll not be heading to Kansas City for Christmas this year — that would mean too much back-and-forthing to be practical.

While all of this "planning" was going on, work decided to get over-busy. It's nice to be wanted, but I ended up working some hours on several weekends. I'm getting too old for such nonsense, and it cut into time needed for the rest of life.

My "Fear of the Dark" novel (novella?) is in the process of being copy-edited. The read-through went well. Now it's just(!) a question of making sure she doesn't go into the wide world out there with her slip showing.

We live in hope. And I've figured out the title for my next novel — and a handle for its two follow-ons. A busy time.

6 comments:

  1. Oh, so much news! I'm glad to hear it since I was starting to worry after not hearing from you for so many weeks! But all that work and being busy with a move to boot, totally understandable.

    Thats fabulous news about the progress on 'Fear of the Dark' and the ideas on your next novels.

    Good luck with the move. If you get sick of Kansas city then you can always shift here to Texas. We'd love to have you in the Lone Star state (although you might not love the Lone Star state back as much, hee hee). Wherever you are, I hope you're happy and safe with all your fountain pens around you to keep you content.

    Jai

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    1. Hi Jai, thanks for the comment - and I'm sorry I was a cause for concern or worry. All's well this end. I was back in the office at work on Wednesday and by the end of the week things were much better.

      I suspect it'll by quite a while before I get sick of Kansas City. Been going there most Christmases for the past 18 years. Still fond of it. Living there full time will, though, be different.

      I'll keep Texas in mind, just in case.

      There's a fountain pen store about 10 minutes form where we're going to live in KC. That spells trouble!

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  2. Yes, it's a long, long way! I shake my head at you looking forward to the drive. We drove from Northern California to Tampa, Florida when we moved. I'm still groaning and that was 10 years ago.
    I'm glad to hear you're finally making the move though. It's been a long time coming. :)

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    1. It has been a long time coming, Laura. I comprehend the grimaces on people's faces when I mention the idea of an 1,800 mile car trip.

      But, my brother drove from the East Coast to here back in '94. A cousin of mine made the trip West Coast to East back before that.

      Guess it's in the blood - something about an open road...and a long way from there to here. :-)

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  3. It makes me happy that you've postponed, maybe because I don't like fast approaching deadlines either. How wonderful that you'll get to spend another Thanksgiving at your favorite place with friends, and a last Christmas there, too.
    Can't wait to see where you move though, make sure you provide photos! :)

    And congrats on "Fear of the dark" in copy-editing! That must be exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time...

    PS: thank you so much for your comment, it took a little bit, but I just replied.

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    1. Estrella, be assured, there's be photos taken. KC, MO is a picturesque town (city, but "town" seemed to fit just then.)

      I've been assured by my copy-editor that there's nothing to fear. There's just some polishing that'll be going on. Having the eye of a well-respected professional, which is what my friend is, cast over my writing is a good thing. I keep repeating this to myself.

      Actually, it really is. She's a very caring individual - and an excellent writer. I'm in safe hands.

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