ALNM: 245
BH: finished read-through, typed up all notes
exercise: abs, 15 min cross-trainer

Well, I suppose I should start with the bad news and work up from there.

Eclipse’s blood levels are way up again. The vet says it’s hard to estimate, but she has weeks or maybe months to live. The irony is that she seems to be eating more today… Anyway, we could try injecting her with subcutaneous fluids regularly, but that wouldn’t fix things, just prolong her life a little. Given how much she hates her twice-daily pill and antibiotic squirt, I don’t think that would be a happy prolonging. So. At some point in time she’ll stop eating and/or start getting wobbly from the neurological damage, and then we’ll take her in.

If I sound calm about this, it’s because I think I knew this was where it was going. It’s nearing time for the Wheel of Life to turn, and Eclipse to be with her brother Snowdon and her unnamed stillbirth sibling.

The big cat center has a brick walkway where you can buy bricks and have a name put on it. Ken suggested we do that for Eclipse later on. I like that.

She’s been very cuddly today, curling up on my lap (which is unlike her) while I sat and worked in the library. I want her final days to be happy ones.

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We didn’t for a bike ride today. We were almost ready to leave (I had one motorcycle boot on) when we looked at the big cat info again and realised that Wednesdays are the only day they’re _not_ open. Then we realised that our new pool filter hadn’t been delivered yesterday as planned, and when we called, we learned delivery would be today. So we stayed home.

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So instead we both buckled down to work. Ken’s been sending out more résumés and getting more job leads. I finished my languishing read-through of BH, then typed up two pages’ worth of notes, in a table form: chapter number, basic plot events, whose pov for that scene, and things to change/fix/check. I also listed basic info to remember (names of minor characters, dates) and general things to keep an eye on. Next step is to do a little research, and then I can start the editing pass. Critiquers, be prepared for the first chapters to come your way by early next week. (I’ll send out a few at a time.)

Well, phooh. I was going to warp my inkle loom with the pattern to make my protégé belt, but I don’t think I have enough red cord. I’ll have to pick some up tomorrow.

So I exercised and made dinner (meatloaf, au gratin potatoes, and steamed broccoli), and Ken’s been working on the bike (tearing it apart to install the GPS, intercom system, and better headlight). In about half an hour we’ll curl up to watch the penultimate episode of this season’s “Angel”, and tape “The West Wing”, and maybe watch “South Park” as well. And then maybe we’ll sew. [g] In the meantime, I wonder if I can’t just crank out a few words on ALNM?

A few words accomplished, and I know what comes next. I’m toying with the idea of some sort of May Dare, but I haven’t quite figured out what yet. (And, technically, I have only a few minutes left to come up with something!) I’m thinking a simple 1K/day that I’m home (e.g., no event days or whatnot). Maybe start out with dividing that between BH and ALNM until BH is done. Although it’ll be hard to track BH words because some will be deleted. Ah well. We’ll see. I just need to get back to work, is all.

Today’s title means “obscurity in the air, arising from smoke, fog or dust; South and West England (800s to 1800s)”.