Finishing Failure to Engage just about wiped me out. I’ve been sleeping a LOT compared to December, when I sometimes missed entire nights. I also had to give up coffee, which sadly, was causing all sorts of health issues. I had no idea at the time, but I’m feeling better.

I got up early this morning, though. About 3:00 am, actually. I don’t know what was the matter with my cat, but the rotten little thing kept pouncing on my ankle. Then she’d bite me! Flinging the cat off the bed (a completely normal reaction to being bit in the wee hours of the morning, let me assure you) didn’t dissuade her.

The real problem, I think, is that she was hungry. Ordinarily she knocks things off my nightstand. One. By. One. when she feels the need to be fed. She sits on the breakfast bar and does the same thing when I’m sitting on the couch writing. Eventually, those repetitive clatters do get my attention. Lacking nightstand items to knock off… sometimes she chews the lamp, but if she did this time, she didn’t wake me. Anyway, she went for the Achilles heel.

I got up and fed her, thus assuring that she will do this again. Brilliant, don’t you think? I don’t feel too badly about it, though. I challenge anyone to think very clearly at that time of morning.

In spite of it, I got out my laptop and worked on Lochlan Museum. It’s on page 34, and Disengaged is on 71. A far cry from Failure to Engage’s completed 525, and I hope it stays that way! I’m shooting for 300, not the epic length “Failure” achieved.

I’m happy with what I’ve got on Lochlan, and Disengaged. As I have a tendency to say… these are different. I expect Lochlan to be out sometime after Failure to Engage. Disengaged will be out next winter, if things go according to plan. They seldom do.

Happy reading, and I’m going to get back and forth to Lochlan, and Disengaged.

And if you feel HORRIBLE all the time, it might be coffee. Something to ponder!