Personal note: Excitement! Chaos! Fandangos!
There have been developments since I last posted...

First, my agent called yesterday afternoon with a huge project for me that -- as is typical -- has to be done at top speed on an emergency basis because it started being desperately needed some months ago. It's a totally nonlinear project, with Pieces X having to be done before other Pieces Y -- that those Pieces X ought to be based on -- are done. It will for sure cut into my LJ time, and I'm sorry about that. On the other hand, because it has to be done so fast it will be over in a hurry and I'll get the time back. This too shall pass.

Second, our day began here with a whopping thunderstorm, and the power going off. George went out to turn on the generator, something that ordinarily takes no more than three or four minutes at the most .... and he didn't come back, and didn't come back, and didn't come back, and the generator didn't come on. The idea that he'd been struck by lightning was starting to bother me -- and I was trying to decide whether going out to check on that and getting struck by lightning my own self would be a rational move -- when he did at last appear and the generator (and lights and water) did come on. [Thank you, Providence.]

What had happened was that when he took off the tarp that serves as cover for the generator, he was greeted by a wasp nest complete with angry wasps. He had to go to his shop -- where he found no cans of wasp spray -- so he grabbed a can of spray paint and a towel, went back and spray-painted the wasps into a sodden clump, wrapped the whole mess in the towel and stomped on it, and then was able to turn on the generator. Not quite like killing a wooly mammoth and hauling it back to the cave, but impressive all the same. Especially since it meant that we could now make coffee. [Thank you, Providence.]

Moving right along...