So, the school work continues. Last night was cutting yards of lamination film away from the homework folders. This morning, I’ll be pressing them with a warm iron.

The quality of lamination film sucks, as does the heating element of certain laminators. And I refuse to double laminate objects that used to only need one lamination, particularly when I am paying 29 cents a foot.

Spiders apparently love me. I am dealing with the fourth spider bite of the summer. This time it’s on the back of my hand and not the side. It itches, flares up if I brush my hand against something, and is annoying. I don’t know if it’s the heat or what, but the spiders are thriving. As are my tomatoes and all the squash varieties.

Yesterday’s brainstorming meeting on my summation of the second novel went really well. Sure there are things I’m going to change or move to the third book, but overall? I’m happy and looking forward to writing it.

Of course, I haven’t actually started, so the looking forward period will eventually end and I will become submersed in the actual doing, which is a completely different animal.

There are things that scare me about this novel. Characters with other characters in their heads, for one thing. But we resolved some bits of Mareet’s journey in this one, and Deb’s ideas to have her personality fuse with the other and somehow become new speaks to me. A lot.

It’ll also make the squicky parts less squicky.

And then there’s that whole aspect of exploring an older person’s memories of themselves at a younger age that can be so horrifying/astonishing to a younger person.

Just ask me about my mother’s experience with an ax murderer if you don’t believe me. (Mind you, said story didn’t come up until I was well into my 50′s, but I would have used that cautionary story on my daughter all through her early teens had I known it. Trust me.)

In other news, my life revolves around school, which is sad considering school hasn’t actually begun, and won’t until next week.

It’s a good thing we have a camping weekend planned to celebrate the eldest child’s 30th on Labor Day weekend. We’ve got beach reservations at Gaviota, which is north of Santa Barbara, and no matter how hot it will be here, I’m sure the beach will be tolerable. Like Ventura was yesterday when I had to laminate.

And now, I’m off to walk. This should have happened an hour ago as I shift my time around to before school–I was certainly vertical at that time with a coffee cup in hand.

But somehow, the best intentions….

Tomorrow.