Home Improvements, Things I Should be Doing, and back to Ocean City…
There has been quite a confluence of incidents in recent days. Anyone who has noticed on social media will see that my house has been the scene of nearly unprecedented activity. Likely akin to the mad renovation work that needed to be done on this place ten years ago to get it to pass inspection and into my hands.
I have had a habit of putting things off, usually the little things of no account or the big things that are important, but I just never do. I finally just had to pick a date to have this hideous carpet yanked up in the house; it had its unique stench, cat hair, burn marks and likely a ritual murder or two in the bedroom… that’s before I got in there, by the way!
My studio had to be repaired in 2021, thanks to horrible weather and inept ideas about how to hang gutters on a roof! Anyway, Couch Potato Flooring (look them up) did the job quickly back then. I didn’t forget them, and called them in for the big job.
This meant ripping up carpet on the stairs, all the way down the hall and into the bedroom. All of it, the underpinning, and the fixing of broken and loose boards. The gentlemen were up to the task and put in two very long days.
This happened Friday and Saturday. We were then reminded on Saturday morning about how old houses are rarely, if ever, up to code. Mine is apparently not in some places. While drilling a hole in the floor at the top of the stairs, they hit a water pipe.
Not a big one, but damp headed straight down into the basement. They shut the water off, and I was able to get a man from Neffsville Plumbing and Heating to come out straightaway and make the fix. While all this is happening, I’m removing a ton of soggy and dampened boxes and junk that needed to go anyway. A lot of running around, and a lot more money, but oh well…I had it saved for this.
Okay…Sunday, my dear friend Alice came over, and we put the bed back together (it was hers; I don’t know how you put it together!), and put in the new ceiling fan, set everything back up, and OMG…I have a home again!
It feels amazing.
Here is the slideshow — enjoy!
There are also videos of how all this went down. But yes, all is done, and, well, it's an amazing relief for me. Kao is also relieved, because she doesn’t have to spend all day in the basement while the strange men clump through the house. She was a hit with Davide, the plumber and fellow cat parent.
Okay, now that that is done, on to the next fun things!
First, on Sunday, I will be at the Easton Book Festival — Sunday is the last day of the weeklong event, and I will again be part of the Small Press/Indie Expo at the Sigal Museum on Northampton Street. A lovely little museum, and a big thanks again to Darrell and the gang for having us all. I will have all my books to sign and sell and all that.
I got some sad news: Cleveland Concoction 2027 will not happen. Organizers sadly announced that CleCon is taking a break, but will return in March of 2028. I’ll be there; I missed out this year due to my health concerns, so it’ll be sad to miss everyone again.
I’ve gotten another place, though—I’m headed back to Anime Ocean City in April of 2027 — I’ve missed it the last couple of years, so I’m happy to head back down to the sea and meet up with my fellows. This is a great event of authors, cosplayers, artists, makers, performers, you name it—special guests as well. I’m excited to get the chance to go back.
Now it is true that we do have some events coming up under the AEN banner, and I’ll be at some of those. There is so much I need to do.
Oh, there’s also travel up to New England once more. I’m headed that way on Samhain/Halloween Weekend for a special event and to visit family. I’ll spend my birthday up there too…I’m 59, damn it!
I also got some questions recently about a compilation of writings from Sunbury Press’ fiction imprint, Brown Posey Press. I helped edit the collection, and it will be a selection of unreleased poems, chapters, short stories, and bits from several current and former BPP authors, myself included. I believe you will find them most interesting, and I hope to have copies of those with me, too.
Okay, I have really got to get going! There is so much more to do!
Peace, Out!