snapefan520

I just realised I promised to post updates to my lj account about my WIP status.  Whoops!  I think I am failing at that, lol.

So... A Change In Circumstances is taking a mini-break/backseat to my promptfest fic, which hopefully will be in my beta's hands within the next couple of days.  Then I can get back to my WIP.  Well, assuming my kids don't drive me batty since school will be out on Wednesday.

On another note, today I am 40.  So far, 40 doesn't feel much different than 39.  I just hope it stays that way...

I got to experience the not-so-fun thrill of a hospital stay.  Especially surprising since it started off as a stomach virus.  Unknown to me, you can literally bust a gut with a tummy bug.  Or I guess to be more accurate, rupture your esophagus from violent vomitting.

The ER visit turned into a two day stay when they couldn't find/stop the bleeding, and I had to leave my 2 year old for more than a night for the first time ever.  I don't know who it was worse on, me or her, after talking to my mom and MIL (who took care of my kids.)

I'm so thankful to finally be back home, even with all the new dietary and lifestyle restrictions.  Apparently, a GI bleed can be fatal, and people tend to ignore them too often.  I'm glad I went with my gut (literally) and had hubby take me to the ER.

The funny thing, after all of this, was that I was finally going to get back to my writing this week, and now my arms are killing me because the phlebotomists literally blew most of the veins in both my arms and hands.  They are black and blue and very sore.  I can only type in small spurts at the moment.

So my beloved sshg will have to wait at least a couple of days, but on the other hand, I am SO glad to be home...

Well, I had hoped to successfully dodge the awful stomach bug that has invaded snapefan's house, but either it has finally caught up to me, or my gallbladder has once again decided to wreck havoc with my GI system.   Not fun in general, but tomorrow is the start of my kids spring break, and we have a picture appointment at 10:40am to boot.  Yay, me.

Don't even get me started on my WIP.  I had planned on working on it over the break, and now I just want to lay on a heating pad and die.  Seriously.  This sucks.

So I apologise to those waiting for an update for A Change In Circumstances.  Hopefully I can get to it within a day or two.  Gah, I'd rather be doing anything other than being somewhat tethered to my bathroom.

I've spent two evenings/nights reading Doctor Who fanfiction, and not sshg.  It is my new guilty pleasure.

Does it make it any less offensive that it is the Tenth Doctor, portrayed by David Tennant, who just happened to play Barty Crouch, Jr. in GoF?  Pretty please say it does, because I have really enjoyed reading those 2 (or was it 3?) fics.

David Tennant... those eyes... that Scottish accent... (((wipes drool from mouth))).  Alan may have just a teeny-weeny bit of competition...

That is all...

I've been having an internal battle for several weeks, and it pretty much all came to a head within the past three days.  I've been spending far too much time on social media, and too little time with my kids and getting things done around the house.  Sometimes it just takes getting some signs to actually realise it, though.  One sign was the death of a really good friend of my sister's two days ago.  An accidental drug overdose at age 38.  He had finally almost straightened his life out... he had a job and a fiancee, but he just hadn't kicked the drug habit... yet.  And 'yet' never came for him.

Since we never know where life will take us and how much time we have on this Earth, I've made a promise to myself to spend more time with my family and less time on my computer.  Where writing falls in the scheme of things is still yet to be determined.  I've had some not-to-positive, at least to me, aspects come to light recently about my writing, and I'm just not so sure I am really cut out to be a writer.  For one, I'm pretty sure I don't have a thick enough skin.  But that is a topic for another time.  I will finish all WIP and I did promise to do the sshg promptfest, and I will do everything I've signed up for, but beyond that is a  big question.

My muse has temporarily left me, probably due to the indecisiveness in my life, and so I'm taking a mini-break from my writing.  I'll be around, just not nearly as much as I was.

So I just realised I hadn't updated on here in...hmmm...(looks at calendar)...almost two weeks.  This is my little 'what's going on with snapefan' update.

I'm still working on 'A Change In Circumstances', my WIP which I've been trying to update at least every 2-3 weeks, as time permits.  I'm putting the finishing touches on the next chapter, after a good look-through by cybrokat and it being betaed in a couple of days by CRMediaGal.  It is probably about at the halfway stage, at least according to my outline, unless I decide to flesh out some more side-stories in it.

My newest WIP, which isn't posted yet, although I do have the prologue finished is tentatively titled 'Healing the Mind, Body, and Soul' (the title may change before I start posting it, although I'm really liking the title right now.)  It is my own spin on the old MLC, but with some major changes.  Mainly, Hermione and Severus don't marry each other.  Don't worry, it is SSHG, but it takes a while to get there.

Oh, and you really need to check out the sshg_promptfest if you are a writer.  It will especially cathartic for those experiencing exchange withdrawal, like myself.

<center><a href="http://community.livejournal.com/sshg-promptfest/profile"><img src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/sshg_pf_mod/56313174/454/454_original.png" alt="SSHG Prompt Fest"></a>

That's it for now, but I will try to keep this page more current from this point on :D

I've personally wondered whether I should put my WIP on hiatus, since I am not very happy with how often I am able to post.  I've already put this on the sshg on fb, but more input would be lovely.

Would you be willing to wait two to three weeks for updates on a story?  And it is outlined, and I'll definately finish it, but real life suddenly became very complicated, and I can't make any promises to updates any more often than every two weeks or so.

My two youngest kids are going to have to see specialists (pediatric neurologist/opthamologist for son, speech therapy for daughter), and now I have to get a precancer on my face checked out.  And my life was already complicated since my youngest son is autistic.

Writing is my outlet, and I do love it, I'm just short on time right now...

Okay, so I know I don't post much about my family or my cats, but I am kind of in shock after going to the vet's office this morning for their yearly vet appointment and vaccinations.  We got the cats shortly after we got married, and our 15th anniversary is this summer...the kitties will be 15 in a couple of months.

I knew that my male kitty, Quincy, had lost weight.  I could tell every time I picked him up.  What I didn't realise until today was that he had lost two pounds.  That's a lot in a little cat body...that is about 20-25% of his body weight.  And he is long-haired, so I really couldn't tell how much until he was weighed today.

Considering his age and the weight loss, the vet is running some bloodwork to see what is going on.  The really bad news is that it is most likely either his thyroid or the early stages of kidney failure.  With kidney failure being a bit more likely since he is an indoor cat (not sure why, but that is what the vet said.)

I'm so hearbroken over the idea of his lifespan being shorter.   Or more painful.   There are a few treatment options for both thyroid issues and kidney failure, but the ones for kidney failure would pretty much only buy us a couple of years or two.  And having three kids, very expensive options would be difficult.  Prescription diet and medication we could swing...any surgeries would be doubtful.

I don't ask this often, but any prayers or positive thoughts for my little fur baby would be greatly appreciated!

And just a few pics of the boy...



And one from a couple of weeks ago...

You know the saying 'when it rains, it pours'...well, it's true.  Fate, the fickle bitch, always seems to serve bad stuff in spades.

First, my daughter has been on-again, off-again, sick since Friday.   Let's just call this 'mystery illness with a fever, horrendous breath, loss of appetite, and severe grouchiness.'  Not pleasant in a two year old that already has a stubborn streak a mile long.  On top of this, she had to go to the local Children's hospital for a test on her kidneys (she has kidney/urinary reflux) and had to be sedated and catheterized for a series of x-rays called a VCUG (google it...it really sounds very unpleasant.)

Next...I had to make a pediatric neurology appointment for my five year whose migraines have increased from once every 3 months or so to once a month.  Yay, we get to get a CT scan.  I'm hoping sedation is an option since 1) he's autistic 2) he has sensory issues, and 3) he separates from me quite poorly.

Now throw in the fact that mommy...ie...moi...has depression and this winter has been a bitch on my mood swings, and that makes for a very frustrated person right now.

And the cherry on top...which normally wouldn't bother me that much (really, it wouldn't)...I got a three paragraph review criticizing an OC character name in one of my fics.  Considering it was a first chapter review, and the fic is currently ten chapters, there isn't much I could do about changing the name.  And that would be assuming that I want to...and no, I don't.  I researched that name for a whole day, and am very much happy with it.

All I am asking for right now is just a little bit of normal.  No sick kids, no specialist appointments, no hubby working overtime.  Then I could deal with any reviews I receive with my usual 'who gives a fuck' when I disagree.

If you actually made it through this rant...bravo...I'll give you a virtual medal.  Thank you for letting me vent...

I still can't believe I won my first writing challenge.  It was the January Challenge on The Maple Bookshelf, a rare pair challenge, and there were so many really good writers who entered the challenge.  And it couldn't have come at a better time, because I have really been in a funk over my writing, and a few positive vibes goes a long way towards inspiring the muse.

And this fic was really out of my comfort zone.  I put aside my two SSHG fics to write this, and then it took a life of its own.  I don't think I'd have ever put Neville with Millicent, but I ended up being pretty happy with the pairing when all was said and done.

I don't know how many of you voted in TMB's challenge, but I really want to thank you.  This has not only made my day, but my week as well.

Link to the story...

on TMB...http://themaplebookshelf.com/Literati/viewstory.php?sid=426

on ff.net...http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8985726/1/