I didn't realize that this could be an annoying part of moving...

It's two weeks and two days until I move, and... I'm done. Everything is packed except last minute stuff that I'm still using. I've done nearly all the move-out cleaning that I can do with boxes in the way and me still living there. I'm all done, yet I still have two weeks to wait and do nothing.

On one hand, I should enjoy this time. I have AC, and I'm moving into a place without it. I'm in a pretty, nice complex, and I'm moving into a place that's more than 50% smaller and a whole lot less nice, so I should just enjoy the last of my time here. But I can't. Because I'm moving in two weeks.

It's actually better to have stuff to do because I feel like I'm accomplishing things and getting stuff done when I pack. Now I'm just sitting around, twiddling my thumbs, and stressing/worrying about all the what-ifs. I just want to get on with life -- get moved, get unpacked and settled, iron the bugs out of my new place.

The first day there is going to be interesting. All of the apartments are being moved in to at the same time. (They were all being renovated, the whole building.) I don't know how all the moving trucks are going to handle it -- there's so little parking, and people are going to be moving in all day. Hopefully it will be a little easier for my people, since I'm taking Thursday the 1st off for the move. Maybe more people will move in on Friday the 2nd or the weekend.

Ellie New Cat update: Her nonstop meowing begging for food is 90% corrected in the evenings, yet somehow only 20% corrected in the morning. (How do kittybrains work that she can't connect the two?) Whenever she meows, I run at her hissing and waving my hands over my head (just plain running at her stopped working after a while). It's a good thing I live alone, as I'm sure that would be amusing to watch. However, since she's improved so much in the evenings, I have hope that eventually the mornings will get corrected as well.

I no longer make her talk for a treat, as I think that would send mixed signals. Maybe not, maybe meowing on command might register differently in kittybrains, but I don't need to risk it.

2016 books: The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog, The Wild Ones, Chasing Sunrise

The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog by John R. Erickson
Rating: Okay (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)



When I saw this book, I snapped up a copy. Long, long ago, I saw it on a Saturday morning Storybreak Special (animated half-hour long show based on a book! It was the best thing ever to young me!).



The story wasn't bad. A "talking animal" book, which is one of my favorite kinds. Extremely dated, but on purpose. Hank the Cowdog lived on a ranch, and a murder (of a chicken) took place. As boss of the ranch, it was his duty to solve the case.

I liked Hank's voice, but the story was just flat for me. I reached almost exactly a third of the way into it (30%) and gave up.

The Wild Ones by C. Alexander London
Rating: Okay (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)



Another talking animals book. This book had the odd thing of being well enough written that I enjoyed it, yet it was so full of plot holes. (The animals wore clothing, coats and hats and such, yet humans never noticed the clothing...)

Though a YA book (or younger?) it had some surprisingly dark scenes. A young wild/woods raccoon had to move into the city because his parents were killed, only to discover that the city was more wild and dangerous than the woods. At one point he was threatened with being "rabbited" -- nailed to the wall by his ears, and so if he struggled, his ears would be pulled long long a rabbit's.

Though the writer seemed skilled and could craft enjoyable sentences, the story just didn't hook me. Got a third of the way in (33%) before giving up.

Chasing Sunrise by Lex Chase
Rating: Hated (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)



This book was billed as dark and supposedly dealt with abusive relationships -- it should have been perfect for me! It started by doing the thing I hate: It had a glossary of terms and phrases that the story used. Dear Authors: If you cannot explain something in-story, naturally, you're doing it wrong. If you want to have a bunch of different vampire clans, introduce their names through the story as needed! If you want to have a bunch of different were-animals, introduce them to the readers through your characters!

Not only did this book have a glossary, it was so long that it took up the first 3% of the book! I skipped most of it and I was able to follow the story mostly fine.

I really shouldn't have bothered. If I had known this was a vampire story, I would have skipped it. The whole thing was overly complex (thus the need for the glossary), with a second world existing overlaid with our world. The vampires and were-creatures lived in that other world, keeping humans as cattle for food. The story followed a toddler as his royal parents were killed and some guy basically took ownership of the prince and raised him as his puppet.

The writing wasn't good, the story didn't hook me, and after the glossary that was three strikes. I gave up on it quickly.

Currently reading: Red Fox by Lara Fanning:

In the 1950’s, a Siberian scientist began an experiment with one goal in mind - to breed a domesticated variation of the red fox. After ten generations of breeding the scientist had reduced the adrenalin levels in the animal and created a tame creature named the Silver Fox.
Decades later, the Australian government use this knowledge to devise a shocking plan that will end humanity as the world knows it...

Though that summary has two typos/misspellings in it, I'm enjoying the story so far.