And now I’ve got it. <sigh>
Covid: The Domino Falls
posted in: personal news
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Happy New Year?
posted in: holiday greetings, home improvements, personal news
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Covid. That’s how we started 2024. Allysen has it; most of the family has it. Jayce and I are the only two left standing, still testing negative—and feeling okay, if you don’t count the queasies from overeating over the holidays. No one is enjoying their virus, but also no one got deathly ill, and all are getting better. Jayce and I are grateful for the updated vaccine that may have helped protect us. Allysen is really annoyed to have lost her status as never having gotten Covid.
That’s not the best intro to a new year, so let’s start over.
Happy Three Kings Day, everyone!
Also, work has begun on building the new porch.
Too Late to Turn Back Now
posted in: home improvements
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I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.
Nothing left but the concrete block foundation posts. They should be gone by this time tomorrow. The crew has been working hard. In the rain.
Merry Christmas 2023!
posted in: holiday greetings
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I’m sending Kevin a day into the future to deliver these greetings early.
Kevin/Santa and all of us at the Carver Star Rigger Ranch wish all of you the very best Christmas and greetings of the season. Blessings, everyone! Grab a mug and stay toasty by the fire.
This Time I Really Mean It
posted in: home improvements, Home repair
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Did I say the porch project had begun? That was several weeks ago. Then nothing happened, as we waited and fidgeted while the town building department sat on the permit application. (According to the contractor, this was extremely unusual. Generally it’s in, stamp, you’re done.) Meanwhile, possibly the last of the mild weather was going by, and we have concrete that needs to be poured. Frustration all around.
Two days ago, the permit finally went through, and the dumpster moved in. First up, jackhammer the concrete steps to pieces. That started yesterday, and is only half done. Those steps were built to last! Anyway, work has started. Let’s hope the weather holds for a few more weeks!
It Has Begun
posted in: Home repair, personal news
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Our front porch is braced for rapid scheduled disassembly, as soon as the building permit goes through. Here’s a last look at the way things were.
The tree out front, our spiky companion of thirty-some years (and decorated with blue lights at Christmas for many years), had to come down. Here’s Allysen after the first set of cuttings. And then…
Farewell, tree!
Electrical Schmelectrical
posted in: home improvements
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We’re just emerging from one of the big house projects, which is a major upgrade to our electrical service, taking our whole two-family house from 200-amp service to 400A. This involves bigger meters on the outside, bigger panels on the inside, and an even bigger payday for the electrician. Also, bigger and better circuits and power in the house.
And the first of the two new meters…
One of the things this is making possible is getting rid of our 30-year-old Caloric gas range with its accompanying hydrocarbon fumes and replacing it with a GE Profile induction range. We’ve been wanting to do this for a while, but the driving factor was to spare our lungs from the insidious pollution of natural gas and replace it with the mind-altering effects of strong electromagnetic fields… no, wait—I mean, replace it with a cleaner, more climate-friendly, and better-controlled cooking experience. Seriously, we’ve been doing at least half our cooking for the last six months on a portable induction “hot plate” sitting on top of our gas range. We love it. Cleaner, safer, less waste heat, and way better control of the cooking. The only downside was having to buy a couple of new pans. We’ll be getting a nice rebate for the induction range.
Also part of this project was putting in some switching to make possible the use of a backup generator in the event of a prolonged power outage. For now, the backup is the little generator in our campervan, but in the fullness of time, we’ll upgrade that, as well. (But while the power was off during the work, I did keep two refrigerators and a freezer going with the camper gen. And it should keep the heat on, as well, since the gas-fired steam boilers only require a small amount of current to run.)
The job took so long, I thought we were going to have to offer the electrician a room to stay in. The major work is done now, though we still have a couple of small things for him to do. In the meantime, I think we’re close to agreement with the outside contractor to build new front porches on the house. I’m not doing any of this work myself, but I feel tired!
Here’s our new range. It will go downstairs with us when we move.
The Infinity Link for Next to Nothing
What with inflation, and I don’t mean cosmological inflation, $.99 really is next to nothing. Well, that’s the price right now for the ebook of The Infinity Link, complete with the new cover art and spiffed-up interior layout. Limited time only! Pretty much anywhere you like to buy ebooks.
Here’s how the ad writers at Bookbub distilled it: “Humanity is on the verge of first contact with visitors from the stars, and one woman holds the key. Is her telepathic link with the intergalactic visitors a beacon of hope, or will it spell doom for the entire human race?”
And Publishers Weekly: “A long, ambitious work, painted on a canvas as big as the solar system. The concept itself is even larger—the eventual linkup of various intelligent life forms of our galaxy, including humans, whales and several alien races. Carver carefully sets up his story and develops it in a meticulous fashion…it works very well.”
Read all about it, and choose your preferred store here! And tell the world—the whales are counting on you!
Cheap Thrills
posted in: personal news, quirky
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Odometer on our Ford Fusion, yesterday…
I like this one, too…
I’m a lot of fun on a date!
A Little Love from Australia
posted in: Reviews, Sunborn, The Chaos Chronicles
4
I’m a big fan of Australia. Not only do they have kangaroos and koalas, many of my favorite actors and actresses are Aussies. I hope to go there someday. Do you suppose I’ll meet Hugh Jackman or Cate Blanchett or Margot Robbie? Probably not. But it turns out that Aussies have great taste in science fiction, as well.
An Australian SF magazine called Aurealis has just reviewed my novel Sunborn. This is amazing. How often does a book get reviewed almost 15 years after it was published? Never, that’s how often. Well, hardly ever. But in this case…I think it’s time for me to count my blessings. Reviewer Terence MacManus has just given a thoughtful (and favorable) review of the fourth book of The Chaos Chronicles, and concluded with this:
Sunborn is a wonderful synthesis of the best classic science fiction elements with the novel and unique storytelling that sets Carver’s work apart.
It’s nice to be appreciated. From Aurealis Issue #165.
