Long Time, No Updates...

Sorry for the lack of any updates! The unexpected hiatus has been mainly due to:

- I suddenly moved back to my parent's house. (And I MEAN 'sudden!' I spoke to my folks one day and moved the next - a move of over 600 kilometres, back to the Okanagan!)
- Almost immediately after I arrived in the Okanagan I got not just one, but TWO part time jobs - due to my lack of luck job hunting in Vancouver, I guess this means it was meant to be that I came home here!
- Due to those part time jobs plus a regimen of cooking meals for my night shifting parents (so that they don't have to eat nasty sandwiches at work) I've been really busy and tired. This doesn't mean I haven't been working on my manuscripts though!
- I kind of hit my photo capacity for blogger and I like pictures in my posts. I tried buying more space for my pictures, but somehow that didn't work, so I dunno. I still have photobucket, but it's a huge pain in the ass re-coding every single picture that I want to upload!

So, as you can guess, lots of stuff has gone on. Here's a summery of things which have happened beyond the stuff keeping me super busy.... (as usual; do I EVER truly take a break?!)

- I've been hiking THREE times since I moved here! All have been pretty great hikes. The last one was a 9 kilometre hike and I didn't feel a lick of pain ANYWHERE in my body until the last kilometre (the tendon in my left arm that likes to act up - it's some stupid genetic thing I got from my mother that kind of ache-hurts) and I was never out of breath the entire hike. What really helped with controlling my speed was letting my Dad take point, instead of galloping off ahead of him and using all my energy way too fast. (He's not slow but he takes like 10 billion pictures when we hike - which is awesome - but it means we stop a lot, which is sort of a good thing I guess!)
- I'm slowly, slooooowly, getting sound. My irritable bowel syndrome has been acting up because I've been eating blacklisted items (like too much cheese and eggs - all animal products are no-nos) but because I walk up to 8 kilometres every day, I'm starting to build up my wind again, which means that I'll possibly be strong enough to do some backpacking next summer!
- My cats like it here! They're getting along okay-ish with my other older cat Smoky. Unfortunately, they gave her fleas, but I'm working on that. (How two indoor cats got fleas sort of escapes me, but they did and they got them back in Vancouver. I couldn't afford any flea treatment back then.)
- I'm still mourning Sunny. I'll probably be mourning him for the entire rest of my life. (He was just that special!)
- I'm getting some more solidified ideas about my future, living here. I've learned a lot about myself in this past year and I'm really hoping that I can apply all of it to making the right choices from now on and ignoring that damn Coyote! (I'll explain Coyote.) I've got several demons to take on though before I can get anywhere. Luckily, they're identified demons!
- Speaking of Coyote, I had a medicine card reading in which I learned that I have more totems than previously thought. Some were unexpected (like Coyote, which is a double-edged knife) and some were previously known or expected (like Wolf and Dog - yep, I am both a Wolf AND a Dog!) I'm not going to mention all of the spirits who follow me here, because I hear you're not supposed to, but among the spirits who govern me, there are Dog, Alligator, Wolf, Coyote and Rabbit, the evil one. (There is absolutely NOTHING good about having a rabbit totem because they represent Fear.)

Thanks to the medicine cards, I've gotten some good ideas about how I should proceed with my life. Wolf is my Teacher and because he's been known to me all my life, I feel this means that I am meant to teach others too - and Dog reaffirms that - dog is Loyalty, the servant. I must do something that serves and aids my beliefs to be happy as Dog. Because I am also Wolf, I have the power to teach people, so I must assume that I will serve through teaching - I am meant to be a teacher. No, not a classroom one. I think I need to do something with nature, such as the biology thing or working for Parks Canada in a national park or educating people through eco-tourism. Thus, right now, my goals look like this:

- Learn to drive. (Currently studying for my Learner's license or 'L.')
- Take a NOLS course. No matter what I end up doing, be it guiding on horses, being a warden, a field biologist, a ranger or just a park interpreter, getting trained with NOLS will help me survive in those fields as well as get a job in those fields.
- (Possibly) Learn French (because French is Canada's second language.)

I can't do anything about my future loneliness (when I move out from my parents') right now. It's impossible to know what will happen with me socially in the future. For now I'm home and because of that I'm emotionally stable (aka not lonely) because I'm getting the social interaction which I so desperately needed from my parents (like Dog, I desperately require companionship and cannot live or thrive without it). Right now the only idea I have for my future predicament is to get a dog, because dogs, unlike cats, can go hiking with you and go on trips with you. A dog would keep me active, which is important, because I need to stay sound and the only way I will will be through excersize. Right now, the breeds under consideration (also which I just plain like the best) are:

- The German Shepherd - there aren't many disadvantages to this breed. They have been known to do just fine in apartments (provided they get enough stimulation and walkies) and they've been a favourite of mine for probably my entire life. I love GSDs, plain and simple, but some stuff to consider are that if I have a GSD, I would like to give it a job (such as teach it Shutzhund or tracking) as these are extremely smart animals (third smartest breed in the world) and I would have to make doubly sure that I socialize it well as a puppy. (And I think I would get a puppy, because I want my dog to be fine with my cats and to my cats to be okay with it, which I think would be better if they meet it when it's still a small size close to their own so that they're less intimidated by it.) Some considerations are that GSDs can be prone to hip displacia (damn you improper breeding!) so I would have to make doubly sure to get my dog from a reputable breeder using German working stock. (NOT crappy American show stock!)

- The Canaan Dog - I never even considered this bloody dog before I started getting it as a suggestion on almost every 'breed selector' test that I've taken. Reading up on them, there's some pretty great aspects to this breed, such as them being a very healthy, ancient, long lived breed with almost no health problems. They're also extremely smart (like the German Shepherd) and have been used as herding dogs for thousands of years in Israel (aka Canaan) while in more recent years, they have been employed as war time sniffer dogs, sniffing out landmines (again, like the German Shepherd!) The only real disadvantage to this breed as far as I can see (its temperament being similiar to a GSD but its health being sounder) is that it's pretty rare, so a puppy would be hard to find. Also, it's not really recommended for first time owners, but really, it doesn't seem like ANY dog is recommended for first time owners! (I think, judging from my personal studies of canine psychology I have a leg up over most first timer people who are thinking about getting a dog.) Another good point for these dogs is that they're a spitz, (like a husky or an akita) so they look cool. Also, they might be pretty easy on the wallet in regards to feeding; they are easy keepers, expense wise.

- Swiss Mountain Dog - big, lovable and completely gorgeous! Sweet tempered, they love people and would probably make the best first time pet of my list (according to most dog people anyway) but disadvantages abound for them, despite their beautiful nature. Firstly, they don't live long with a projected natural lifespan of 6-8 years. Second, they have some health problems and third, they're really big dogs, which means they might have really big appetites, which might not be so friendly for my wallet. Despite disadvantages, these low key dogs would probably be quite happy going hiking with me and packing their own stuff.

- Rottweiler - I love rotties for the same reason I love pit bulls (though I don't like the looks of pitties as much) - they have a very sweet and loving nature, provided they are raised properly. Rottweilers, like German Shepherds and Canaan Dogs, were originally herding dogs, used by the Romans to herd their cattle, so this makes them not only smart, but also, yes, naturally protective of their 'flock.' If I had a rottie, I wouldn't get one with a docked tail because I believe that while undoubtably cruel, the docking of a rottweiler's tail also contributes to its 'mean look.' All dogs look better WITH tails! (Unless they were actually born without one!) Rotties have some of the same health issues as GSDs (though maybe not as severe) and to get one with a good temperament, I would have to be very sure to seek out a good breeder and it would be of extra importance to meet the parents of my dog.

- Jack Russel Terrier - I have some experience with these; my old best friend had a pack of four and I used to spend quite a few weeks every year living with them, so I'm accustomed to these spirited dogs. Personally, I'm not really into small dogs, but I am making myself consider Jack Russels because financially, a small dog would be easier to take care of than a large one. Jack Russel Terriers are great little dogs with enough energy and spunk to go the distance on a hike for their size, though if I got one I would do well to find a breeder who is mindful of good genetics and does not dock tails. I will not have a dog with a docked tail. I will not support that disgusting fad and Jack Russels look cuter WITH a tail anyway!

- Cairn Terrier - CUTE. They look like little wiry foxes with cute stubby puppy tails. As terriers they're feisty little things and they have a good coat that would keep them warm in cold conditions. Cairn Terriers are best recognized for the character Toto, who is the dog in the Wizard of Oz. Besides possibly being more economical than a big dog feed-wise, they are also comparable to the size of my cats, which could be a good thing if the animals decide to have an argument.

So anyway, those are my dog ideas. I don't plan on getting a dog until I'm settled into whatever career that I'm going to have, so it will be a while, probably years before I have a pooch. For now, I'm pretty happy with my cats.

Right now (away from the dog topic) I'm working on a self-imposed production deadline of finishing the first book of Emperor's Blood by Christmas (and if not Christmas, than December 31st.) After that, I'm supposed to work on spiffing up the manuscript of Ashes of Hope for three months before beginning the writing of Kill Copper, the second book in the EB trilogy. I'm giving myself a year for that and I have to shop out AOH while I write it. After KC is done, I will (if I stay on target) begin writing Imperial Spirit in March 2013. That's the goal. After that, I will spend up to six months (but hopefully only three) editing the trilogy together for continuity, flow and characterization. Hopefully I can keep these deadlines!