8:35pm

Hello, and good evening!

Well, it’s evening here in West Virginia as I write this. I can’t guarantee it’s evening where you are.  🙂

It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update here, and that’s mainly because I didn’t really have anything post-worthy to discuss.

There are a few things going on in the indie author world at the moment, but I don’t want to fan the flames of the “Crisis du Jour.” I probably shouldn’t explain why I used that term, either. I’ll probably hurt some people’s feelings.

So, I think I finally have a handle on one of my recent health challenges. That’s always good, especially since it allows me to focus on another one I’d like to corral. I’m debating how much I want to share right now. I can’t decide between maintaining my privacy and at least giving a bird’s-eye view of the situation in the hopes it might help someone else to decide to consult a medical professional. This particular health challenge isn’t too serious in the grand scheme of things, but it’s incredibly easy to leave untreated. Goodness knows, I did just that for a long, long time.

Okay, fine. Bird’s-eye view it is.

In the final quarter of 2023, I began experiencing blood pressure and heart rate (pulse) spikes. They weren’t Mount Everest-grade spikes, but they certainly weren’t bumps in the road, either. The first time one happened, the ER recorded my blood pressure as being something like 202+/100+ with a pulse over 100. It’s been a fun ride since then, but I feel like my doctor and I have fine-tuned the medication to get it under control. The only thing left to do on that front is to build my stamina back under “the new normal.” My blood pressure has been so high for so long that there was absolutely an adjustment period.

When I’m a Good Rob, it’s rare now for me to experience blood pressure or heart rate spikes. I’d love to find some new grape-flavor water packets that do not have Potassium in them. One and a half Propel packets (i.e. 1.5 16.9-ounce bottles of water flavored with Grape Propel) sent my heart rate into the uncomfortable 90s for a short period of time, right as I started typing this post. But I can already tell that it has calmed back down.

I’m firmly convinced Time is the ultimate non-renewable resource, and we owe it to both ourselves and those who enjoy having us around to take as good care of ourselves as possible. And if you’re reading this utterly convinced no one enjoys having you around, I highly doubt that and encourage you to seek out a qualified and competent mental health professional. There’s nothing wrong with trying to better our mental health while improving our physical health. Matter of fact, I have my first appointment with a professional of that stripe on March 20th, and I’m looking forward to it.

Hrmmm… I think that’s enough of a personal update on me. Let’s talk stories and writing!

I was not pleased with my mindset when I tried returning to writing at the beginning of the month. I still didn’t care whether I did it or not. So, I went back to relaxing and letting my mind wander until I was so freaking bored, I needed to write. And I resumed writing on Tempus today.

As you’ll see from the Log screenshot below, I wrote Chapter 20, and I’m excited to write Chapter 21 and all the ones that follow. My target for this one is 85,000 words… which means around 31 to 32 chapters. And if I maintain a rate of one chapter per day, it’ll be ready for my round of proofing not too long after the first of March.

As bored as I felt earlier today–coupled with the feeling of a heavy weight of words settled around my shoulders–I suspect I won’t have much of an issue maintaining that pace. Especially since I wrote a whole chapter (2,847 words, this time) in one hour and twenty-five minutes of writing…

That felt good, I have to say. But I do feel like I’ve kinda hit my limit for the day. So, I’m going to post this, make a screenshot, and work on going to sleep.

I’ve been a Good Rob lately, in terms of maintaining a good sleep schedule, and I don’t really want to break it.

I hope the days treat you and yours well.

Stay safe out there.