So here we are, into Fall now.  I turned on the furnace yesterday, though I wish I had bought wood this year as this is the time of year we should be burning the logs in the evening.  The years we've done that we've been able to heat entirely by wood until December.  Oh well.  Whenever I can ever get my finances back on track I'll be buying cords of wood again.  It would be nice to have a high efficiency wood stove though; again requires more money.

I have a wish list:  for the house, solar panels with battery backup capability for black-outs, tied to the grid so my bill is mostly paid.  For the garage, a solar self-contained system for heating, lighting, and the power required to run office machines and an internet radio station with recording booth.

To repave the driveway; to waterproof the foundation of the house; to have some sort of a fence so the church next door will stop doing stuff like piling old toilet pipes behind their shed (which borders on our lawn) and also to stop people from cutting through the yard and the church from piling snow on our lawn so it melts into our basement in the spring.  Most importantly though, I'd like to keep the animals in the yard.

Hmm.  Hydro One just left a message.  I have a $660 hydro bill that was due Sept. 23rd.  I'm going to have to pay that (with what I'm not sure because I budget for about $250) before they cut me off.  I'm hoping that damned security deposit will stop them from doing that but I'm not sure.  Why is it that the electricity, one of life's most essential utilities can get away with giving people less than a month to pay and then less than a couple of weeks after that before they can cut you off?  It doesn't make sense.  I am owed my acting pay, and I think still some back pay so hopefully that will come in before the threateninig letter does (this is important because if they've mailed one of those then the security deposit is pretty much lost forever instead of being returned next April).  Anyway, I need to see about a better hydro plan - I think my current one is up next month.  Actually, I'll look into that this evening - part of my problem with this is that the plan I signed up with 5 years ago had rates that looked okay (since I had just moved from Mississauga) and later when I realized I was paying more than the local hydro rates there was nothing I could do about it.  Now there is I hope.  Plus, when the air conditioner is done being paid for (9 months), I'll be looking at solar to at least reduce the costs and do the power back up thing.

Okay, well not much else to say.  I got 75% on TME1 in my university course, am working towards finishing the modules for TME2, TME3 is a written project with research but the modules behind that portion is just reading, then the exam.  Here's hoping I don't have to do the final extension, I really do want this course done before the end of the year.

Sadly it means I will likely not be doing Nanowrimo this year; between the project I'm on, my course, cleaning at night, work, after school stuff like Air Cadets, etc., etc., I don't think I have any time anywhere to do that.  Sigh.

I will, however, see if I can enter something in the CBC Radio Short Story competition.  Maybe.  On other matters related to writing, nobody has bought my book other than the two that are recorded as sold - which brings a question.  Why, if on all the Amazon sites there are used copies of my book, some at very inflated prices, am I not receiving or even notified of any sales for the supposed already sold copies?  Who are these resellers and what are they reselling if they haven't bought any copies?  I befuddles me.  I'm contemplating a paperback and Kindle version of it but right now I'm wondering if I'd just be throwing extra time at something no one will ever read anyway.

I haven't lost hope though.  There is still Off Air, which for all intents and purposes is a very good book I think.  I just don't have the oomph to continue editing if it's pointless.  Add to that my best editor got married and I haven't heard from him in months, well, I don't know.  Somebody out there please tell me it is worth my while to continue publishing my writing, I feel like a hampster on a wheel these days.

Well, gotta get son from school (it's my compressed day) - more later,

Cathi

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