e-life in the rutted lanes

Putting back my e-life after the disk crash. Big nasty mess with Norton lasting endless hours and finally I had to wait on the phone for 1/2 hour to ask for a refund. Went to Staples, bought McAfee, installed in about 5 minutes with no issues.

Except for win-zip, I have all my software (that I can remember) re-loaded. Lost all my "favorites" on AOL. Research for two books, technical sites, editors, agents, blogs, health sites, insurance, finance, people I do business with all the time. Gone, baby gone, in the blink of an eye. C'est la e-vie.

I have escaped into a weird novel, The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly. I could see how she was setting up the story, no subtlely there, and most of the characters are stereotypes, but at least I will finish the book, now. On my nightstand are 6 books with bookmarks, all around page 30. Easy to pick up, easy to put down.

Anyway, the novel takes place in what is now Pakistan, then India. I had wanted to set a contempory novel on the "frontier" between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and decide it wasn't going to work without a collaborator and he turned out to be rather strange, and so I'm back to my California in 1928 novel. I found the "antagonist" in my artist, so now the cast is complete. A lot of things will work better. Isn't life crazy? You walk into an exhibit at the MFA and you find a character. Love it.

Scene at the vet's today: scrawny tortoise cat that belongs to the vet's office on counter, where she usually is. This cat has nerves of steel. Big dog on leash comes in with owner. Dog eventually notices cat who has already, long, long ago noticed dog and ignored. Dog does not ignore cat. This is something very interesting. . . something he would like to investigate, get closer to. Straining at leash, a bit of whining. Cat continues to ignore. Dog very curious. Is it a cat? A cat that doesn't hiss, run, fluff up her fur? A cat ignoring me? What an interesting thing this cat is.

Standoff continued. Cat can run into back room is necessary. One cool customer.

Back to the e-trenches.

Grapeshot