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Home from ChiCon7 last night, and this morning only a slight residual case of “train legs” (room still feels like it’s swaying slightly). First load of laundry’s in the machine; second is ready to go. And right there on the kitchen table is a big box of copy edits for me to go over. Production has its hooks into Limits of Power now, and when I send the copy edits back, it will be on to the next stage. But as always, there are deadlines–Production’s deadlines are hard deadlines, the kind that cause a lot of trouble if you miss them, because the next stages of the process have Limits on several other peoples’ schedules–it has a slot, and it has to fall into that slot when it’s supposed to.
Which is why, until the copy edits go back, I will be busier than ever. Book V did make some progress while I was gone and will get some work even during copy-edit-time, but the big deal at the moment is getting the copy edits back as quickly as possible.
The train ride home went very well for the most part, once someone in another roomette opted to move to the handicapped room downstairs. My initial assignment had a nonfunctioning electrical socket (not impossible to deal with–my netbook was fully charged when I left the hotel) and a door that wouldn’t close completely (much less happy to deal with.) But because the person in the other room moved, it was possible for me to move, and the sleeping car attendant got permission from the conductor to close down #8 for the duration of the trip to Los Angeles and move me to #3. Yay!
In addition, our car was the tail car on the train from St. Louis on (the train was hauling a spare coach car, empty, from Chicago to St. Louis.) That meant we could see out the back to the tracks…and in Fort Worth it meant I could stand behind the conductor who was on the little platform as the train backed across multiple switches and into the station…and look closely at the switches and so on. Loved that. Also, in chatting with the conductor once we reached the station, I mentioned that it was good research for a writer. He noticed my A-Kon T-shirt (which is a great train shirt) and asked if I wrote SF/F. I said yes; he asked my name; and–lovely surprise–he’s read my books and likes them.
Several fen were on the train too, one in the roomette next to mine, and he helped me retrieve a fallen knitting needle from a very difficult place. But that’s a long story, the cereal’s eaten, and I need to get to those copy edits.
Comment by Jenn — September 6, 2012 @ 7:34 am
So you when from Chicago to St. Louis to LA to Texas. That is quite an adventure. How long does it generally take?
The only trains I have ever ridden were the TGV from Paris to Rennes and Paris to Strasbourg. Strasbourg and Colmar are gorgeous by the way.
There is nothing worse than dropping a knitting needle and watching it roll off into the netherworld of behind the couch or under the fridge.
Comment by elizabeth — September 6, 2012 @ 8:27 am
The Texas Eagle runs from San Antonio to Chicago. In San Antonio it connects with the Sunset Limited, which runs from New Orleans to Los Angeles. I rode it from Temple to Chicago and back–didn’t make the run out to LA on this trip. It’s about 25 hours when you don’t run into a truck on the tracks, and some hours longer if you do.
Which we did on the way up.
Comment by Richard — September 6, 2012 @ 4:28 pm
Elizabeth
By the laws of probability, someone must be unlucky enough to be on the outer limb of the distribution curve – it doesn’t make you Amtrak’s jinx passenger that hitting the truck was the second recent incident on one of your journeys. And the conductor on the way back has gone a long way towards making up for the outward delay.
Comment by elizabeth — September 7, 2012 @ 11:17 am
Jenn: I actually had plenty of size 5 needles with me, as I had the two pairs of socks, each with its wool and its needles in its own little sack. I said that several times to the helpful people trying to extract the needle (before we got it out) but it was an interesting challenge and we were all somewhat invested in being inventive and creative and so on.
Richard: Definitely the conductor’s appreciation for the books made a big difference to my mood, though not (sadly) to my energy supply.
Comment by Jenn — September 7, 2012 @ 1:44 pm
Your sock-u-pines sound very organized.
Have you ever had a needle break while you were using it. That is a horror. It can happen if you are using a small needle like a #2 with worsted weight (for toys) or while making large thick cables. It makes you convert back to metal needles even thought the wood ones are so nice.
I have got a nice stash of grey, natural and green bulky hand spun that keeps telling me it wants to be a unisex jacket and it has found nice buttons could I please find or make up a pattern for it. I am trying to find a cowichan pattern style I like to no avail. Sigh.
Comment by Elizabeth D. — September 7, 2012 @ 2:35 pm
Because the weather is warm, my grandson wasn’t wearing the sweater that my daughter Pamela (a.k.a. Paks or Cheshire Cat) knit for him. She is far more ambitious than I am, using difficult stitches and cables on her first project. I was lucky enough to knit a baby blanket for my grandson with crocheted edges out of plain stitches (one big sample, too heavy on the needles). She is hoping to be able to knit another sweater for him this fall. Neither of us have tried socks, although most of our friends always seem to have a sock on their needles. A friend of mine knit lace for her daughter’s wedding, but she knits at twice the speed as anybody else. Several friends go to a coffee shop once or twice a week and knit together; they tend to discuss science fiction and fantasy there 🙂
Best wishes on the copy editing.
Comment by elizabeth — September 8, 2012 @ 8:12 am
Got on Grace the Assassin-Bike yesterday to restart the conditioning program. All was well until I started the second segment, at which point I somehow (not sure how) caught one or both feet in the works and went *splat*.
Owie. Took awhile to get up, rode a simple circle, and quit, as my leg (same leg, different part of it) was hurting quite a lot. Iced it down and this morning it’s better. Grace teaches very…strictly. Hoping not to fall today. Except I’m sure that THAT would get caught in the works, I’d use the quilted horse leg wraps on my legs from knee to ankle…
I think I need a different bike until I’m better at this stuff. Cannot afford serious injury. Not on copy edit deadline. However–the “cold” front is here (it’s only supposed to reach 90F today instead of well over 100F) so I’d best get out there and tackle Grace again while it’s this cool.
Comment by Iphinome — September 9, 2012 @ 1:36 am
Oh dear.
Your Ladyship, getting back on the horse, so to speak, is commendable. Sustaining serious injury is not. Please be careful. Both silver Paks and fat Paks are too far away to provide a healing should something go wrong.
I’ll tell you what, if you can finish your copy edits and book five without breaking any bones you can have this. *pulls the horse pin off her cloak*
Comment by elizabeth — September 9, 2012 @ 2:57 pm
In light of the multiple bruises on three of four limbs, plus a rib, plus a hip, decided not to get on the bike this morning. Instead, copy edits.
Comment by Elizabeth D. — September 9, 2012 @ 9:36 pm
Please don’t injure yourself! It’s wonderful that you are able to bike off-road, but it isn’t the only form of exercise at the moment. I think you need a little help from Stammel in finding some drills that might help.
We are looking at a very busy week: Kris’s chemo, Pamela’s surgery, Aedan at school (which will be helpful). Today I only had to do laundry, dishes, dinner, cat litter, trash and recycle. (And this morning sing in the choir as usual.) For a lazy person, I count all that as exercise.
Comment by filkferengi — September 11, 2012 @ 7:18 am
Did you get my message via LJ offering to send you the recording of the Tolkien song cycle concert?
Comment by Ginny W. — September 11, 2012 @ 2:46 pm
I hope the bruises fade quickly. Perhaps Grace is telling you to stick to the copy edits, (and horses for the duration!). God bless your return home, autumn (and cooler weather) are coming.
Comment by elizabeth — September 11, 2012 @ 10:47 pm
Ginny: Grace was kind today, and I got some exercise. I need exercise to work off the tension of the copy edits as well as for better health. But (don’t tell her) Grace is about to be replaced, in the next few weeks, by a bike that a) fits me and b) will be easier to ride. Grace will be retained for her good points, but not be the bike I ride to town, for instance.