Friday, July 26, 2024

Remodel update and some recommendations.

Welcome, I’m Mary Louisa Locke, the author of the USA Today best-selling Victorian San Francisco Mystery series and the Caelestis Science Fiction series. In this daily newsletter, I reflect on my life as an indie author trying to age gracefully, including my struggles to maintain a balanced life, what I listen to, read, and watch for entertainment, and occasional bits of information I’ve gleaned from doing the research for my novels.

In addition, now and again I will provide some of my fiction to read, for free, on this newsletter. Everything is available to anyone who subscribes, but I am always pleased when someone shows their appreciation for the newsletter by upgrading to paid.

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Daily Diary, Day 1423:

Oh my goodness, the end of the remodel is truly in sight. The tech yesterday worked all day and got everything finished in the powder room. As a result, this morning I have started moving things back into that room, as well as ordering if some items like so soap holders to match the countertops. I won’t take photos until the mirrors are up because I want people to see the completed project.

A different tech arrived around eight this morning and is busy working on the hall bathroom, and once again, I think except for the missing mirror, there’s a good chance this room may be completed today as well.

The original completion date was for the second week in August, and even if the mirrors and the painting that still needs to be done (doors and ceiling) take awhile, from our perspective, having workable bathrooms this early is wonderful.

I had my usual busy Thursday yesterday, but I did get in both walks, and even got some reading done.

We have been pretty happy with our choices this week in terms of tv watching in the evening, as we wait for it to cool off enough to be comfortable without the AC before we go to bed. We have been alternatingly watching the new episodes of the British police procedural Grace, going back and rewatching the first season of Shetland (which we have never rewatched before), rewatching George Gently (frankly seeing the 1960s hair and clothing styles are reason enough to watch), watching the first season of Resident Alien (which we are enjoying as a good source of laughter), and then last night watched the first episode in the second season of Hacks. I can recommend all of these shows if you are looking for something to watch.

Last night we also watched Before Sunrise (the first part of a trilogy about a couple who meet and spend one day together.) This movie came out in 1995, and I don’t believe we have seen it since then. Pretty much a tour-de-force since it is really just 2 people (Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy) walking around, I don’t believe we have seen the next two which were set and filmed 9 years apart (Before Sunset, Before Midnight) and I now look forward to seeing them as well.

And I am excited that in my last walk yesterday I actually got a photograph of a butterfly. I have noticed both Monarchsand Tiger Swallowtails showing up a lot recently. I can never get a good shot of the Monarchs, but when I looked up the Tiger Swallowtail after the fact, the website said it was “Often a photographers dream as it lands spread-winged for some time drawing nector from a variety of flowers.” Hope you hall have pleasant weekends planned!”

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