Look, walls n such! (an update)

Posted on by K. M. Herkes

A disclaimer: Spouseman & I are NOT doing this renovation ourselves.
This amazing work is being done by a wide array of highly-trained & fully licensed, bonded & insured professionals. We recommend every one of the companies involved so far, especially the Plan-Design-Build firm who’s wrangling them all for this project.

(Our home improvement skills begin with knowing where shut-offs & breakers are, kludging repairs via Duck tape, screws, & mending plates,  rough carpentry, and so on–with an occasional foray into “unplug it & plug it in again, flip the switches, check the connections, change the batteries.”)

First, the main hall, what you see when you come down the stairs. (Click on any pic in each collection to biggify them as a slideshow)

Here’s the gaming zone:

And some before & mid-project pics from areas that simply weren’t worth snapshots (or didn’t have enough light to photograph) before renovation began.

Midway through the estimated project schedule, we’re only 2 fixes & 2 installations away from having all major goals achieved.

Our main concern was getting the generational hodgepodge of electrical, plumbing, & HVAC systems modernized, redesigned efficiently & brought up to code. Only 1 minor electrical project & HVAC zone damping left. We also wanted a half-bath down there, a (more) level floor, and modern windows that would open. Leveling starts next week!

Then it’s all, “prime, trim, paint, install new fixtures, & make with the pretty.”

… A’course, this means I have to go shopping for a new washing machine & dryer soon. And maybe a new dishwasher. All were near the end/past of their typical operating life when we moved in, and we’d already budgeted their replacement.

Ugh. Am NOT looking forward to that.

I confess I am excited about the new laundry room. It’ll have a light switch, its own window, and all the mod cons.

These are the things that make daily life easier, and those make writing easier.

So many little big things.

For those wondering, my revisions & drafting progress slowed to glacial speeds last week. Wall installation was MUCH more distracting than demolition & roughing-in work. It was curiosity — I hadn’t ever seen plastering done. (Yes, I could go work elsewhere, but I LOVE seeing the progress. Hence the distraction.)

But. ANYway. I did get other things done, and this week should be much better. I have a second alpha reader waiting for Sharp Edge scenes now, & new readers always give my momentum a big push.

Until later!

 

Gen Con 2019 post #2

Posted on by K. M. Herkes

So many good things happened today. I want to write about all of them, but I am bleary-eyed tired & sleepy & full of good food from Bazbeaux Pizza and cannot possibly process it all.

I am also full of contentment after the long, busy Gen Con Saturday experience, what with all the meeting & chatting & connecting & sharing. And new ideas are firing up, sparked by great conversations with new friends.

Thanks to all who stopped by my table to chat, from Greg, who let me show him all my “baby house’ pictures, to Very Vocal Viking Troy who swung by for a return visit (!) and brought his wonderful friend Chandra, who bought the big book bundle and let me give her the free pins that went with it. And special glittery internet hugs for Shell who wanted me to know exactly how much she loves my characters.

Cheers to Patricia the artist with gorgeous line drawings (whose card I still need to grab) for letting me moon over all her beautiful art, all hail my many, wonderful aisle-mates on Authors Avenue for making me feel welcome, and big gratitude to all the passers-by who let me babble excitedly at them about my wonderful fictional worlds.

AND HAVE I MENTIONED SHANNON EICHORN? My table mate, my rock of stability, my holder of ipads and issuer of gentle reminders to hydrate?

Yeah. This con would not have been a success without her staunch support. Just saying.

ANYway. I could go on and on, but there’s still Sunday to go, and it’s late, and I have ideas to ponder & dream on before tomorrow arrives.

Until later.

Gen Con 2019 blog post #1

Posted on by K. M. Herkes

Preliminary verdict on how I feel about Authors Avenue: I’m loving it (The picture on this post isn’t Authors Ave, I just love the image of gamers taking over the stadium floor.)

ANYway. I digress of course.

I’m having an absolute blast at Gen Con. Wonderful, welcoming table neighbors, visits from friends & friends of friends, and even a reader who bought Rough Passages at a con earlier this year. They wanted me to know how much they enjoyed it.

Yes, I did a total happy dance.

Special shout outs to Maria Turner & Hans Cummings, who have been steadfastly supportive & patient with my noob questions since long before I got my table this year, and to Matt Press, whose luggage & displays got lost by the airlines for the first day & 1/2, but who still put together a great display & who has a free book on Kindle just for this weekend.

So. Anyway. I’ve passed out loads of “Love Is Positive” stickers & ribbons, gotten to talk about the Restoration world and the incredible characters in Rough Passages, and a lot of people signed up to get my free email story.

All that AND I’ve sent books off to new homes too!

So. Yeah. It’s all the happy.

I’ve been recharging by hibernating in the room for a long while after the dealer’s area closes, then walking out to get some food before crashing. My throat is sore from talking over crowd noise, but so far, still feeling healthy.

Time to rest up & brace for the Saturday crowds!

Big thanks to everyone who stopped by and hello to all the new readers! (And a few extra exclamation points, just to make sure I use them up!!!!)

Until later, all.