I almost didn’t post today. I’ve barely been at my computer for the past few days. The new chemo pills have officially kicked my ass. I’ve had (and pardon me for sharing TMI) some side effects I can’t ignore and push through on my own. Fatigue, horrible diarrhea (I’ve written that word so many times these past few days, I don’t have to pause to remember how to spell it!), and body aches in every joint and major muscle group.

Today, after trying over-the counter remedies, I contacted my oncologist’s office to discuss it with them. So, I’m off the pills for the next few days (I’m still scheduled for a Keytruda infusion on Monday!), and I’m going to take a prescription anti-diarrheal med for the next while. Hopefully, I’ll stop dragging butt and wanting to stay in bed all day.

Now, let’s change the subject! See my cute cake? My birthday is tomorrow, but the family could all be together this afternoon, so they surprised me with the cake and gifts a little while ago. Everything was space themed. They so know me. Also, my sister sent flowers, and they arrived this afternoon today! They’re lovely on my desk and as soon as they start to wilt, I’ll be painting with them. LOL

Anyway, I’m heading back to bed for a wee bit. I’m drinking lots of water, eating bananas, and doing my best to think positive thoughts! I love you all! ~DD

UPDATE: The winner is…Sara D!
*~*~*

Happy Juneteenth!

First, today is Juneteenth—Freedom Day—celebrating the actual date of the end of slavery in the US. Learn more about this relatively new Federal Holiday here: What is Juneteenth?

My Messy Desk

I don’t have a panoramic lens on my iPhone, so I took four photos, left to right of my desktop, just to share images of the chaos. Why? Just cuz. Today, I’m going to pull everything apart to dust underneath it and, maybe, find things that might be removed to make more room for “me” rather than my little treasures. But what should I remove? Do you see the four containers that hold pens and markers and paintbrushes, including a very pretty pot a friend of mine painted and gifted to me? Should I remove the 11-year-old’s toys sitting on top of my printer? (It gives her joy to see that I value her treasures!) Maybe I can move the painkillers and the black box holding my blood pressure cuff…? Maybe I’d forget to use them if they aren’t there in my way. I guess I could move the Halls to a drawer.

Maybe I can scale back the art supplies, the crystals and fossils… But I do love holding them in my hands and meditating. Notice I’m not mentioning removing my watercolor water pot or the paint and oil pastel sticks…

See all those mechanical toys on top of the storage caddy? The superheroes dish? I pause to play with the wind-up toys. I pull a superhero to inspire me. Maybe I should remove the To List because, obviously, I’m not making use of it. The list is old! Maybe I can scale back to one paint palette rather than four, but one doesn’t always have all the colors I love to use when I get the inspiration to paint.

So, maybe I could work on the stack of paperwork and the little notebooks I have standing there. I can certainly get rid of the hand lotion and hand sanitizer…? Maybe I’d forget to use them. Excuses, excuses. So, you see my problem? I’ll move everything around to dust underneath my “stuff” (treasures!) and stack it all better, maybe.

So, question. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, what would you suggest I remove, or do you think my chaos is acceptable?

Quick Health Update

Overshare time. Last week, I had an infusion of new chemicals that are part of the new treatment I’m getting to battle my cancer. On Tuesday, I received the second part, a package of pills that arrived in a hazardous materials bag with instructions about how to handle the new Lenvima pills I have to take daily. The instructions include closing the toilet lid before I double-flush. Washing my hands after handling the pills. I talked to the pharmacy that FedEx’d the pills to me to review my current meds and supplements to make sure nothing will interact negatively.

We talked about side effects. There could be a lot. So far, I’ve only been hit with fatigue and dizziness. But I have to watch for my white blood, red blood, and hemoglobin counts to take a nosedive. There might be more pain in my feet and hands (I still have neuropathy from the chemo that ended at the end of December.) I have to watch for my skin yellowing and other signs my pancreas might be affected. And it goes on and on. They offer a 24-hour phone line to call if I have negative effects. This is serious stuff. I set an alarm to take my pills at noon each day so that I at least have the mornings to work before I get hit with the sledgehammer of muzzy fatigue. Fun stuff.

I asked whether this protocol is really forever or I might be able to get off this medicine at some point. I could tell from the way she paused and then cheerfully told me they’d adjust my meds based on my oncologist’s recommendations that this will continue until I die. Well, I’m getting my mind wrapped around that. I’m getting off this stuff, eventually, because I’m going to win this fucking battle. Period. End stop.

I could use a little nudging to get stuff done, y’all. I’m enjoying the sun and the pool a little too much. I have work to do. ~DD

Report Card

Last week…

1. I didn’t accomplish much of anything. I had the entire week, without any editing gigs going on, and I did zero writing.
2. I did read through what I have of Ignition, the last of the Delta Fire stories, to refamiliarize myself with the story and come up with ideas about how to finish it. (BTW, I still don’t know how I’m going to finish it. 🙁 )
3. I swam every day the weather cooperated. The pool is now a lovely 85 degrees. I’m not gasping when I sink beneath the surface. I’m getting my exercise in!
4. Healthwise, I got a blood draw at the hospital in preparation for next Monday’s immunotherapy appointment. My cancer antigen test continues to show improvement. At my worst, the CA-125 level was at 1100. Last Thursday’s test was a lovely, normal 15.
5. The #the100dayproject challenge ended for everyone else. I honestly thought about ending my participation, too, but I only have 20 pieces to go, so yesterday, I restarted, and this is what I painted. (I love using the real coffee, watercolor paint…the colors, the scent…)

This next week…

1. I’ll restart work on Ignition—writing new words. Lord, I hope this is the last time I will say that.
2. I’ll continue painting to complete #the100dayproject.
3. I’ll hopefully have time to take pictures and reopen my Etsy shop for the summer to sell some of the bookmarks and small paintings I’ve been making!

Open Contests

Be sure to check out these posts and enter to win the prizes that are still up for grabs:

1. Gabbi Grey: When Life Delivers Lemons… (Contest) — This is the last day to enter! Win TWO BOXED SETS of stories!
2. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway! — This one ends soon! Win a SIGNED BOOK!
3. Gabbi Grey: Five Years! (Contest, plus F*R*E*E Read) — This one ends soon! Win a FREE book, and get your FREE read!
4. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Lost in Space — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
5. May Into June (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
6. Anna Taylor Sweringen/Michal Scott: Mary Annette Anderson Smith – First African American Woman in Phi Beta Kappa (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
7. Celebrate Repeat Day! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
8. Gabbi Grey: The Story that Happened When I Wasn’t Looking (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
9. It’s Drive-in Movie Day! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
10. Saturday Puzzle Contest — Morning Cup of Joe — Win an Amazon gift card!

UPDATE: The winner is…Sara!
*~*~*

Today is Drive-In Movie Day. Drive-in movies are no longer a thing. If you can find a drive-in theater, it’s a kitschy, retro thing. However, a long time ago (yes, I’m dating myself), these were very, very popular.

When I was a child, my father was an airman in the Air Force and had to work extra part-time jobs to support our family—so, not a lot of money for anything except the necessities. My mother sewed our clothes, sewed Barbie clothes (mine was the best dressed in the neighborhood!), and entertainment wasn’t something we paid for except for special occasions. We had a green station wagon to haul our family around inside. There were six of us, so we had to have the larger car.

One of my earliest memories was a trip to the drive-in. We went to see Cat Balou (released in 1965 and starring Lee Marvin and Jane Fonda). My mother popped a pillowcase of popcorn, brought drinks, and we brought sleeping bags (camping was another cheap entertainment we enjoyed). We folded down the backseat of the station wagon and rolled out the sleeping bags in case the younger kids fell asleep during the movie. We propped the speaker in Dad’s window and watched the show. I can still remember the tinny sound of that speaker, but didn’t mind. It was pure magic.

Cut away to college in the late 70s. We had a drive-in theater in our little Arkansas town, and yeah, we were still cash-strapped. I was barely in college, but had a Chevy Impala with a very roomy trunk. You paid per person rather than per car, so we loaded four or five kids into the trunk while my brother sat in the front seat with me. We had to wait until the sun went down to pop the trunk and let our passengers out. If you can imagine a bunch of teenagers, giggling like mad, farting and moaning, it was hilarious for my brother and me, but we loved going to the drive-in with friends.

The most memorable experience was when I took my sister (Elle James) to see The Texas Chainsaw Massacre at the drive-in. And now, you can imagine what happened. In the middle of the most stressful scene, where we were already sinking in our seats due to the horror on the screen, someone at the back of the drive-in revved up a chainsaw. You never saw cars fly out of a place so fast. We were right there with them, screaming and laughing. Needless to say, we missed the end of the movie.

That drive-in theater closed years ago. It couldn’t compete with the large, multi-screen theaters, and I’m sure there were fewer and fewer folks willing to endure the mosquitoes in a hot humid summer. I miss it, though. I wish there was one nearby so I could share that experience with our kids now.

So, those are my stories. For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, let me know whether you’ve ever been to a drive-in movie. Share your experience. Or if you haven’t, what was your most unusual movie theater experience?

I’m posting late. My nothing day started with me waking up later than usual. Then I awoke and remembered I’d promised my brother I’d visit him, his wife, and MIL for coffee this morning. We gossiped and caught up on family news, then my dd and I walked back across the street and I remembered, “Oh yeah, I’m supposed to have a blood draw today.” So off to the hospital we went.

When I got back, it was lunchtime, and the 20-year-old made ceviche. Lord, I love ceviche. Salad on a hard corn tortilla. After that, I checked the weather and realized it was the perfect time according to the weather forecast to swim because clouds were moving in. So, the 11-year-old and I jumped into the pool.

Now, I’m finally sitting at the desk, the day already mostly gone, and I am making spaghetti and meatballs in another hour, so really, what can I hope to accomplish? Nada. Not a dang thing. I’m wondering if I should fill the next hour instead with an episode of Psych or Lost in Space…

Oh yeah, tomorrow’s my dd’s birthday, and I haven’t wrapped her gifts. So, maybe I should do that instead.

I wonder if I have adult ADHD because my brain is just jumping from one thing to the next and the last thing I want to do is sit at this computer today.

How’s your day been? Has yours been as “nothing” as mine?

UPDATE: The winner is…Jackie Wisherd!
*~*~*

May

1. I completed 4 editing projects for other authors in May!
2. I found new artwork for a previously published anthology of erotic short stories, Ultra Strokes, Vol. 1. I recovered it and reuploaded it.
3. I compiled my second volume of erotic short stories, Ultra Strokes, Vol. 2, and published it! It’s my first release of the year! Progress, finally!

Health-related:

1. I finally went to the optometrist since I’m far enough away from chemotherapy that I don’t think my eyesight is going to further degrade any time soon. I have new glasses, and the screen is no longer blurry!
2. I fought a second UTI and have completed another round of antibiotics. I feel great!

Happiness-related: 

1. I continued my participation in #the100dayproject. Here are a few small pieces I completed:

June

For work-related, I plan:

1. To finish writing Ignition! No excuses! This will complete the Delta Fire series, my erotic firefighter stories. The pre-order will be set up this week, and the book will be out by the end of the month!
2. To begin work on Built Like Mack, the next story in my We are Dead Horse series.
3. To await the arrival of two editing projects around mid-month. Not having any at the moment is fine with me. Again, I have nothing to get in the way of my writing mojo, other than me.

For health-related, I plan:

1. To continue to focus on recovery! Rest when I need to, and some light exercise—housework and swimming.
2. To endure another immunotherapy session this month (I tolerate it so much better than chemo!) and a wellness checkup with my general practitioner.

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To spend time with the family during this summer break. We have plans for fun meals, movies, flea market shopping, and lots and lots of swimming.
2. To complete #the100dayproject and create more art.

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier, or tell me what you plan to read in June…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Report Card

Last week…

1. I completed one author’s edits. I’m currently working on another’s.
2. The weather cooperated so that I got to swim four days this past week. We had a thunderstorm yesterday that knocked out our power for hours. 🙁
3. I’ve continued painting and trying to catch up with #the100dayproject challenge. This was my favorite piece for the week because the paint was made with actual coffee and smells like it!
4. Healthwise, I battled another UTI. I’m currently on antibiotics. It’s always something. Gah!

This next week…

1. I will complete one author’s edits and then I have no more on the near horizon, so it’s time to get writing!
2. I’ll begin assembling my next Ultra compilation for publication.
3. I’ll restart work on Ignition—writing new words. I’m ready to get back on that treadmill. And yeah, I know I said this last week.
4. I’ll continue trying to catch up with #the100dayproject schedule.
5. I’ll hopefully have time to open my Etsy shop for the summer to sell some of the bookmarks and small paintings I’ve been making!

Open Contests

Be sure to check out these posts and enter to win the prizes that are still up for grabs:

1. 1. Gabbi Grey: Challenge Accepted (Contest) — Last day to enter! Win an Amazon gift card!
   2. Flashback: Big Sky SEAL (Contest–2 Winners!) — Last day to enter! Win a FREE book!
   3. Memory Game: Wildlife Where I Live (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
   4. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Mad about goats! — This one ends soon! Win an Amazon gift card!
   5. Clear My Bookshelf Giveaway (Contest) — This one ends soon! Win a SIGNED book, plus a hand-painted bookmark!
   6. Cameron Allie: Love Spells, Full Moons, and Silver Bullets (F*R*E*E Read, Excerpt, & Contest) — Get your FREE read, plus a sticker bundle!
   7. Word Search: Let’s Celebrate Buy a Musical Instrument Day! (Contest) — Win an Amazon gift card!
   8. Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Surprise Blooms! — Win an Amazon gift card!