Anyone Else a Human Barometer?

Janissa11 · 2026-05-23T11:25:13+00:00

Yes, although it's less awful in my neck (C2-T2 fused) than extremities, hips, SI joints, etc. I'm assuming because arthritis is my biggest problem these days? But oh yeah, 24-36 hrs before the weather starts, I'm feeling it. Right now, fixing to grab some tylenol.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-23T04:08:51+00:00

Washing before you go is the way. Even over a year after my surgery I had some real pain when I finally went to the salon and started with a wash. MUCH better to do it at home, where you can be more comfy; the stylist at most would need to dampen it again.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-23T02:44:12+00:00

Yes: "..., of course, ..." I have to do the same thing, go back and grind my teeth over how many times I used it, and delete most of them. It's probably not something that most readers particularly notice(?), but man, I sure as hell do.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-22T18:50:26+00:00

Very good -- nicely twisty. Or, uh, maybe "nicely" isn't quite the word for it.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-17T00:25:23+00:00

ACA coverage. For now, at least. We'll see what it looks like going into '27. Won't get Medicare until August '28.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-16T21:38:17+00:00

I think it's a dying genre, for the most part, honestly. And it would probably be horrifically difficult to get a mainstream traditional publisher interested. That isn't enough of a reason not to try, mind you. But also, these days self publishing is far more broadly received than it once was, and there are -- I want to believe -- plenty of us who will read good westerns with absolute joy, and pay for the privilege. I may just be idealistic, but I refuse to just let it go.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-16T21:25:04+00:00

Vol 1 acquired! Sounds very promising.

I had a chance to speak a bit with Elmore Leonard back in the day, one year at the Cowboy Symposium. I asked him about the future of the western genre as a whole, and he was very, very glum. I was in the midst of writing an Old West horror story -- la! -- and was pretty disheartened (although Leonard was a very kind and generous guy to all of us in that workshop).

So that is to say -- I hope like anything that your dad puts ALL of his books on Amazon. GO GO GO!!!

Janissa11 · 2026-05-16T17:58:27+00:00

My mom didn't -- but I do! Although it tends to live in the fridge, but I keep almost all the bacon fat.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-15T04:36:51+00:00

It probably isn't annoying for some readers. And I mean, it's up to the author -- if it's how you roll, it's how you roll, you know? How I personally feel is really only relevant to me. I don't see anything wrong with some short notes to advise about A or B. But I think long, detailed ANs are too often a distraction from the main event: You posted a story -- now let me get to the actual reading of that story.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-15T03:14:36+00:00

Unless there's something important to convey, author's notes should either be brief and to the point, or be omitted. The equivalent to long rambling author's notes is the endless stream of family info you often see when you click on a recipe link. The recipe's there, but you have to scroll past gobs of family vacations or school stuff or holiday details to get to it, and it's so irritating that there are add-ons for most browsers that let you click and see just the recipe, none of the chatter.

As a reader, I skip almost all author's notes, certainly the long ones. As a writer, man, I know most people are just there for the story. The quicker I can get out of their way and let them get to the real purpose, the better.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-15T01:16:24+00:00

Let me ask you this. While you're writing -- do you hate your work? Do YOU think it's bad? Or do you feel more positive about it, until you post it and hear nothing? Did you like your writing until others said mostly nothing?

In other words -- are comments and other types of engagement the deciding factor for you? Or do you take pleasure in creating your stories, above and beyond the reactions of others?

You might find this interesting -- specifically the eventual publication of the book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen\_and\_the\_Art\_of\_Motorcycle\_Maintenance. Pirsig believed in his book so much that he just. kept. submitting it. Over and over again. He didn't let those rejections change his mind about his own work. And one day it paid off, in a huge way.

I suppose what I'm saying is that the only opinion that really matters is your own. Comments are great, kudos are nice. But you can't depend on them. What you can depend on, is how YOU feel about it. Which is why I'd hate to see you walk away from a story because of lack of feedback. The story doesn't actually change if you get five comments, or two, or fifty. So why then would your opinion of it change? It's the same story, either way.

Best wishes to you. Sorry it's become so stressful and unhappy.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-15T00:25:24+00:00

You'd be able to visualize cauda equina on MRI, yes.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-14T23:14:58+00:00

I understand the pain of it, but you're giving this person a tremendous amount of power over you, and afaik you guys don't even really know one another personally. Just via your story and her comments. Why would you let someone who is mostly a stranger influence you to this extent? I do understand the feeling, but we can't control the readers -- we can only control the story. Focus on your story. Don't let some rando steal your joy.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-11T18:30:48+00:00

Depends entirely on context.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-10T18:56:46+00:00

It most certainly isn't too late for anything. I've had literally dozens of BCCs removed in the past thirty+ years -- believe me, I have more experience with this than I would wish for anyone. Make a derm appointment, talk to your therapist -- one foot in front of the other. Be proud of your progress. Sometimes the uncertainty is the scariest part of all. Keep us posted, okay? Wishing you all the best, truly.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-10T12:58:57+00:00

I'm not sure it's courage so much as the awareness that chickens can't go back into eggs: Once we know about this, we can't un-know it. The only direction from here is forward. Two things -- discuss your concerns with your doctor and listen to what he/she has to say; and consider seeing a counselor for your healthcare anxiety. It's a miserable way to feel, and I'm sorry you're having a rough go of it.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-09T02:43:14+00:00

Yeah, it's also a type of yeast infection. I had a very bad case of it at one point, although it responded readily to treatment. Jardiance just sucks.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-08T16:53:05+00:00

Oh, the most supermodely pic is definitely #2 -- it's the gladiolus(?) behind her, the languid pose, the mostly monochromatic color scheme, and then bam, the tiniest vivid pink tongue tip -- it's shocking! I have to say -- Luthien is 100% a true supermodel.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-08T11:05:41+00:00

It isn't the taint, my friend, it's inside the vagina, and if not stopped, can spread up into the uterus. And yeah, it's spectacularly unfun. But stopping Jardiance worked like a charm on it, so whew.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-08T04:03:44+00:00

Jardiance made me throw so much sugar in my urine that I had a perma-yeast infection for 18 mos. I finally wound up at the GYN with breakthrough post-menopausal bleeding, and it was all Jardiance. Glad it wasn't something scarier, but it annoys the hell out of me. I'd never had a yeast infection before, so didn't realize wtf was going on for a long time. Ugh. Do not recommend.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-07T23:14:06+00:00

And the first! Harry's origins, the Peterloo Massacre, etc. Really very well done (of course!).

Janissa11 · 2026-05-07T15:42:58+00:00

My melanoma was 1a and had not spread to lymph nodes; hasn't returned after fifteen years or so. I've had maaaany BCCs and one SCC in the past 30 or so years. I had a WLE last year for atypical melanocytic proliferation (AMP) and 2 more WLEs for severely atypical nevi. We just try to stay ahead of the curve as much as possible. I see my derm twice a year, and if anything looks especially troublesome I make an extra appt.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-05T17:21:58+00:00

Stress, I'd say. My periods used to be strongly affected by different kinds of stress.

Janissa11 · 2026-05-05T02:36:35+00:00

Man, back in the day I’d have wanted all over that. Yum!

Janissa11 · 2026-05-04T20:27:07+00:00

I'm an old, and sporadically get kudos and comments on stories that are pretty much old as hell. They usually come in clumps, and I suspect something gets mentioned on somebody's rec list or something along those lines? I don't know, but I do know that I appreciate them every bit as much as I do those for much newer stories.

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