Wayne Gray

LOL. Wow. Okay, so my week just got funny. Was in my home office, on a call with our Public Health Department. This particular guy is the head of their labs and an important figure in healthcare in our area. Anyway, we finish up, and he sorta smirks at me. "Looks like you're ready for your workout." "Huh?" He laughed and said "Oh, nevermind. Talk to you later." The call ended, and I stood up. Behind me, I noticed my workout clothes hanging from the closet door. Along with a bright red jock. I had a mortified moment but then had to laugh. Always check your background, folks!

I bet it was outsourced to Baltimore because it was cheaper at the time. And I bet the issues from having it remote vs local outweigh all benefits of having it outsourced in the first place. Ahhh ... those little unknowns, adding up to a big headache!

LOL. Wow. That's fantastic. 😄

I'm currently working through another story, but these guys are tempting. It'd be fun to come back to them.

Thanks for taking the time to read/comment! Travis showcased Wren's change in environment/company. He was an example of just how out of place Wren was when he struggled to make it work in San Diego. And ... since I left Travis in such a state, I didn't want to leave him there. Trying up those strings (or ropes, whatever you're into!) is important, unless the plan is to pick up again later. I'm glad you enjoyed it. This one was really nice to write.

I don't think she was advocating for posting before I'm done. Just to ... write faster. LOL The biggest surprise I ever pulled on myself was writing Guarded and posting chapter by chapter, yet still somehow keeping it a mystery. I will NEVER do that again. I agonized over chapters before posting - if I'd said too much and given it away, if I wasn't leaving enough clues, etc. Yeah. Never again! This latest story is a fun one for me. There's lots of potential for drama, growth, and angst. I mean ... The Hazards of Love should be a clue!

Hello, folks! Happy Friday! @mollyhousemouse, commit to having a great weekend, and make it happen! @kbois, hurry up and relax on your one day off! I hope your boy is doing well. @Reader1810, stay warm! BRRR! 🥶 After work today I'm reading through all of the chapters (working on chapter seven now) I've written so far for The Hazards of Love. I'm at the point where I need to go back and make sure the past meshes with what I have planned for the characters in the story, and I'm updating the previous stuff too. This is the HUGE advantage to waiting to finish a work before uploading any part of it. It's weirdly warm and sunny here in Humboldt County, California. It was 72F yesterday, and we grilled our dinner out in the side-yard. Crazy!

Hey! I feel attacked! 😛

You know, it's frozen, waiting for one of those days here. But ... I think you've earned it!

I am as pure as the driven snow! You know. Driven. As in driven on. By big trucks.

Oh, you deserve one!

SAME. But ... the clinic got the data to me, and then I fought with HRSA's website to get the data uploaded. It's DONE. With thirteen minutes to spare. LOL Screw it. I'm still having a special muffin.

I have 61 minutes to enter some data required of us by the federal govt for a COVID-19 test distribution project. And I have a single site that has yet to send their data I had requested yesterday. If I get the data in time, it'll be a rum night. If not, it'll be a "special" muffin night washed down with some rum.

Of course. I hope it helps you write something great. This was one of those things where I'd had the tune, the melody in my head for literally years. And I'd hum it over and over, until it had made me a little crazy. So I was having one of those days on the way to work, and I stopped in the parking lot, and pulled out my phone. I literally wrote it in maybe six minutes. But it had been long overdue, and it just wanted OUT. So, out it came. 🙂

Thanks, JACC! I like the written (and sung) word a lot. I'm happy my little song prompted you to re-react to the chapter. 🙂 I appreciate that you'd take the time to comment. Thanks for that.

"Real" is an interesting concept now-a-days. We experience the world through physical means, but more and more through electronic mediums. Does that make our relationships or friendships here less? We allow these electronic friends power over us by emotionally connecting with them. We let them in. We invest in one another's lives and spend emotional currency on them. You've hit upon a truth, I think. Friends we make here are people we have entrusted with a part of our hearts. Great poem, friend.

I think I speak for your trainer here. "No." LOL

Great job! Resistance training (bodyweight or otherwise) has been shown to be the biggest preventative measure to brittle bones as we age, so keep at it. You will feel the effects of your effort tomorrow and the day after. Your trainer will know this, and he'll modify things so you are either forced to work and burn through the lactic acid build up and flush it out, or he'll have mercy on you and allow a tiny bit of recovery. If I were him, I'd ... Well. I'll just let the immortal words of Robert Frost take it from here. ... From what I’ve tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire...

Doing good. Got a little cough hanging on, but it's almost gone now. I actually worked out today for the first time in over a week. I took it slow (well, slowER) and didn't go nuts like I'd normally have done. I lost six pounds in a week from a lack of appetite. That comes and goes, but I'm making myself eat at least twice a day. FYI - COVID is not a recommended diet plan!

Yassssss ... flannel, coffee, hats, raincoats. In July.

Ahhh! Humboldt, CA here. We're literally a 1/2 mile from the coast, so we get the wet, moderating effects of the ocean. I love it. Rain, green, cool, misty paradise.

Thanks, all for the well wishes. And my fever broke dramatically last night. I woke drenched in sweat. My temp is still 100.3F, but that's a degree lower than it was when I went to bed. I'll keep checking it throughout the day. But things are looking pretty good, and most important, I feel pretty good. 🙂

Looking at all of the numbers related to the Delta and Omicron variants, I suspected since I'm in healthcare and my husband is in one of those "Essential Services" positions with lots of customer service interaction, that it was only a matter of time before we got hit. The night before, I felt ... odd. Cold. I went to bed dressed in a sweater, sweat pants, a knit cap and two pairs of socks. I woke the next day to largely the same symptoms. But I was feeling mostly okay - to the point where I debated working out or not (really glad I didn't!). Then we got a text from our friend, Matthew. We'd hung out with him on Thursday, and he texted to say he was sick, and positive. So. I pulled out our home antigen kits, and tested Kevin and I. Mine was barely positive after about twelve minutes. But coupled with the fever, I knew it was right. Kevin's converted positive within thirty seconds (with a fifteen minute incubation, so he has a LOT of antigen, or virus). Honestly, I think Kevin already had it from his interactions through work. He had minor symptoms (thank you vaccine!) for a while, and we did test him a few days prior to these events. He was negative then, but it was likely because he didn't have enough virus built up. Last night I still felt mostly okay. I thought, well, I can just work from home. I have evals to do, and I can do those from here. Then I went to bed. Shortly after I got up, and pulled out a space heater. I set it up right by the bed and cranked it. Before going back to bed I took my temp again. 101.4F. So. Yeah, this thing is definitely nasty. And no, I won't be doing evals or work today. I have way too much brain fog for that. But ... I know we'd have been so screwed without the vaccine. We'd have probably survived, and ultimately been okay, but I don't have any desire to have this drag on for weeks, or develop "long COVID" symptoms. Anyhow, I'm going to go back to bed. You guys all stay well.

Of course. Thank you for taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it. That often keeps authors writing, so it's appreciated. Take care. And I hope you find another story to like.

Great picture, Fae. Yes, it has been a strange year. But even during the craziness, there's joy to be found. As you've proven. I wish all the best to you and SP.