WISH I COULD GET PAID SICK LEAVE HERE!

Status: You guessed it: I'M SICK.

Doing: Playing on my new Disgaea 2 game I purchased a few months back. (This game is sooo twisted.)

Listening to: The Cars: Greatest Hits CD

Reading: Kushiel's Scion. Page 252.

TOPIC: ....(someone give me a barf bag! QUICK!)

Several days ago I was hit with the flu. Or something like that. Intense pressure in my neck, the base of my skull...in my head...plus a raging fever and an urge to sleep more than I'm used to. (Not to mention my ears being clogged--like I've gone up a few atmospheres and someone forgot to decompress me on the way back.)

As a consequence, I haven't been in any real contact with anyone in my groups (save for a few people today), or done any serious writing on my Starchild Duel novel. Please forgive my lack of participation--but I've called in sick this week.

Until I get better. (Burping up grapes here.)

Thankfully, I had a little money left over from this past week's contributions and I had my wife (April) run to Wal-Mart to get me some cold medicine and decongestant. (The rest I dumped into paying another chunk of my Verizon bill off. I've got something like $53 left on it--after they gave me some new numbers. But that's not including next month's new addition. Still? That's better than $132.)

Let's just say that both helped me be a little better coordinated, but I'm still feeling like road kill at the moment. I won't be making a run to the doctor's unless I absolutely have to.

I was going to post a couple more interesting things today in this blog, but I haven't had the energy or the strength to do much of anything.

So please bear with me.

Sky

DOWN WITH THE FLU

Status: SICK

Doing: Writing this blog; surfing the net; answering e-mails; taking it easy

Watching: Nothing on the RTN channel. (Retro Television Network.)

Listening to: "Carbine [Escape Mix]" by Nokturnal Transmission's (Blue Amazon)

Reading: Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey (Page 173)--haven't read this book in a month

TOPIC: SICK

Okay. So it's official. After 3 years of not having the flu--I get waxed by a strain called the Brisbane N1-H5 rhino virus--which is not covered by this year's vaccine; against the current strains.

As a result, I've been out sick this week--and thus no writing. Nothing on Stories of the Dead Earth--Book 3: Jasper (left off on Chapter 27.

I've been taking it easy--doing little more than resting and relaxing. I've reduced my weight training to 3 sets instead of 5 for the week. (But power lifting has become troublesome--because of the weakness and achiness prevalent in my body.)

My e-mails have backed up some, and I still have to post a chapter my novel, The Price of Freedom on my other blogger account. I might be able to get one done with my Stories of the Dead Earth saga.

I dunno. I was pretty backed up last month and didn't post. This month? Well, welcome to the flu.

After my 2 week vacation (ending on March 16th), I have to get cracking on completing Starchild Duel and then start Starchild Ruin.

I know what I said before about my current housing situation, but I promised some people that I would end POF on a good note--if things go sour this summer.

But the book is far from being completed--as predicted. I'm still on Chapter 190.

So until then, I have lots of hot tea and honey to chug down, plus this persistent bladder infection and more kidney stones to worry about. (Passed another one last night--making it two for the week.)

Sky

VACATION OVER--WORK BEGINS ANEW

Status: On vacation (One day left)

Doing: Writing this blog; recovering from being sick.

Watching: Nothing. (Seeing how the Mariners got spanked last night by Tampa Bay. I was passed out yesterday night--so I didn't see the actual end to the game.)

Listening to: Some old Electrobox taped music from C-89.5

Reading: Resistance by J.M. Dillard (ST-TNG)

TOPIC: STARCHILD DUEL AND THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

The week starts anew with a revival of both Starchild Duel and The Price of Freedom.

The plan is to complete the last three chapters to Duel before the final battle between Cara Hastings and Isis McGowan--and go from there.

The intrasystem fight between the two combatants is going to take a more integrated and complex approach.

I could most likely start the fight off by a brief tussle over the Moon before both jump towards Mars via a hyperspace conduit. (These are short jump methods of travel used by the Starchild of Ancient Lore. For long-distances, a hypergate bypass conduit is more favorable.)

I'm still not sure if Talia McGowan is going to want to remain behind. Since Jalen Osoro of Pasik III merged her spirit with the stranded Starchild of Ancient Lore.

I don't think that Tarnek is going to be able to stop her from leaving anyway.

And as soon as Isis gets done playing her role as the 'human ice cube'...?

She's going to have her hands full as it is.

So the novel is sitting at 291,504 words with 144 chapters in play.

As for The Price of Freedom...?

Things couldn't anymore dicier for Kenneth Sparks and Kayla Sorenson.

The shit's flying in the fan as reinforcements from Wynne show up on the heels of an Neos strike force.

Having switched sides, Timothy Caldwell, Kim Sanders, and Anna Ellison join in the fight--and eventually the journey to Jonesboro, Arkansas.

But old scores between them have to be settled first--and that's provided they can survive the Neos as well.

Previously, the 101st Combat Division; 13th Reconnaissance Unit had been partly massacred by another Neos incursion--short of Wynne itself--and at the hands of Kayla herself; when she had been transformed by one of Mother's Seeker units.

The survivors were taken hostage by Susan Meyers people in Wynne and tortured for information and other things--as per Neos sympathizers.

Kayla was left inert and in a stasis lock, while Kenneth Sparks spent 17 days as the female overseer's prisoner and personal sex toy.

This aspect of the storyline took 208 pages to flesh out.

The book so far sits on 174 chapters with 295,656 words.