PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 30, 2024

 Other than managing to finish getting all my handwritten material on ZEPHYR LILY transcribed into the computer, I unfortunately didn't get anything accomplished writing wise this past week. 😞

On the other hand, I had a great holiday weekend with my extended family! 😁😎

I've been trying to catch up on housework and other responsibilities today and my weekly grocery hunting trip is tomorrow, weather permitting.

So hopefully I can at least start my final proofread of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA after that because I'd like to get that done and the manuscript off to Airship 27 before the end of 2024.

In any event, take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

1 December, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 23, 2024

 Since I don't post PROGRESS REPORTS on Saturdays, I hope those who celebrated had a good Doctor Who Day November 23.

Now then, as mentioned last week, ♫I'm back in the saddle again♫ to quote one of my dad's heroes: Gene Autry, trying to catch up on my writing.

At the moment I'm still transcribing all my hand written notes.

After I finished those to complete SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA, I started a new novel called ZEPHYR LILY.

The title lady was originally to be my contribution to Jim Beard's 1970s set sequel to the SUPER SWINGIN' HEROES 1968 SPECIAL Anthology from Mechanoid Press.

That project unfortunately got canceled, but Jim was nice enough to let everyone keep the material(s) they were working on, hence I still have LILY.

I had no luck finding a home for the original short story, so I'm rewriting and fleshing out the entire plot and concept into a full length novel.

In the coming weeks I'll share more details about who ZEPHYR LILY is but, since I'm in a musical mood today, ♫“Where it all ends I can't fathom, my friends,♫ to quote Jimmy Buffett.

However, there is no way I will let good material wither in my files.

I still have Chapter 2 to finish transcribing, which will give me about the first 5000 words to the overall manuscript.

Once that's done, I will take a short break to go back over and proofread SOLITAIRE 2 before sending it off to Airship 27 for publication.

Then I will be devoting at least the rest of 2024 to ZEPHYR LILY, when I'm not dealing with The Free Choice E-zine and the rest of my life's responsibilities.

The latter includes the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, which will be spent with friends and family.

Sadly, as the years pass and times change, there are two personal Thanksgiving traditions that I have been unable to observe since the start of the current millennium.

Enjoying the annual Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Turkey Day marathon and one particular episode of WKRP In Cincinnati.

In any event, I hope those celebrating remember to be thankful for the good things you have in life, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Take care.

Lee Houston, Junior

24 November, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 16, 2024

 

After another involuntary absence, I'm back again.

At least this time I didn't lose any files, but it took quite a while to get the computer back online and 100% working again.

Not sure what happened.

The technician ruled out user/human error AND mechanical problems, but would never commit to an official diagnosis of what was actually wrong.

All I can tell you is that everything was working fine October 18 when I preposted the October 19 Puzzle Corner on The Free Choice E-zine before shutting down for the night.

Yet the next morning all I saw on the monitor when I turned the computer back on was the BIOS screen and no matter what I did, the display never changed.

Eventually the Operating System had to be totally reinstalled from scratch and then it was a couple of days of endless system updates before I could reinstall my personal files (backup everything EVERY day folks!) and declare myself back online and operational again.

In the meantime, while it was all handwritten on legal pad(s), I did finish SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA and even started a new novel project, which I will discuss in more detail within the coming weeks.

Right now I've got to finish transcribing all those handwritten pages into a word processing document file and by then I can give SOLITAIRE 2 one last read through from start to finish before submitting it for publication.

In any event I better get back to "work" now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet, including my new texting home on BLUE SKY!

Lee Houston, Junior

17 November, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 12, 2024

 Another busy week on both the personal and professional fronts.

Not much to say on the personal side that hasn't already said before about housework, errands and my entire "staff" consisting of me, myself, and I.

However Facebook now thinks that whenever I try to share one of my Filling Blank Spaces blog posts on their site that I'm guilty of spam and delete the attempt within moments of hitting ENTER.

Yet they run ads all over the place, even to the point of interrupting videos with them!

I'll figure something out on that front eventually, especially when there's important news to share with everyone.

I'm well into Chapter 33 and past the 57,000+ word mark on SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA.

There will be at least another chapter or two for sure once I'm past the fight scene in progress because Solitaire hasn't completely finished her latest mission yet, but I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

Have a great week and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

13 October, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 5, 2024

 Another busy week on the personal side of my life.

Had a long drive to make the bi-annual round trip to see my Cardiologist this past week, but at least I'm still as healthy as a 62 year old man with (pre-existing) heart issues can be.  😁😎

I also got the results of my colonoscopy.

Unfortunately, there were three polyps, compared to only one from my previous test ten years ago.

The good news is they were all BENIGN! 😊😃

However, between them and my age, that doctor wants me back in five years instead of the ten that passed before the colonoscopy I just had.

I wonder what the prep liquid will taste like then?

Last time I thought it was like a liquified cheeseburger with extra onions.

Next time? 🤷

So you can imagine that there wasn't very much writing on SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA accomplished this past week. 😢

Hopefully this coming week will be a different matter because the only excursion I have planned (at the present time) is the weekly Grocery Hunting Expedition at some point.

In any event I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

6 October, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 28, 2024

 LIFE, OR SOMETHING LIKE IT.

WELL...

I did manage to finish Chapter 32 of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA.

I have all the physics finally worked out and it's a great action scene, if I do say so myself.

As it stands at the moment, I'm almost at the 57,000 word mark and figure there are at least another 3-5 chapters to create in order to finish the first draft of the manuscript.

UNFORTUNATELY, I haven't been able to accomplish much since then because I had to get ready for a colonoscopy at the end of last week and will be making my semi-annual pilgrimage to go see my cardiologist at the beginning of this coming week.

When you get to be "that age", on one hand you're seriously happy to still be around but are shocked over some of the things you have to go through to stay that way.

Especially when you have outlived the manufacturer's warranty. 😉

Take the colonoscopy for example.

This was only the second in my entire lifetime, but it was as enjoyable as trying to push a boulder uphill during a blizzard.

The Prep Liquid certainly tasted better than during the previous test a decade ago.

Last time I mixed this powder into a gallon of water and had to drink it all down within X amount of time.

Even the "flavor packets" the prep came with did absolutely nothing to help the situation.

Preparation now involved two prepackaged bottles that I had to drink at specific times in regards to when my colonoscopy was scheduled to be performed.

I swear the stuff tasted like someone liquified a cheeseburger with extra onions.

But regardless of my thoughts on the subject, when that stuff "hits"...

In any event, I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

Have a great week, and I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

29 September, 2024

PROGRESS REPORT: WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 21, 2024

 I had to scrap most of what I had originally written for Chapter 32 of SOLITAIRE 2: THE AGENDA because when I had my Friendly Neighborhood Beta Proofreader and a few other friends go over that section, they discovered that the physics involved just wouldn't work despite what you see in the visual mediums of movies, television and comic books. 😟

Obviously I'm now in the middle of seriously rewriting that action scene into something much more viable while being at least just as exciting as the previous incarnation.

Hopefully I'll have all the bugs worked out within the next day or so and the first draft of the manuscript completed before the major fall/winter holidays that will be upon us at the end of the year.

Guess what I got in the mail this past week?

I was totally flabbergasted to receive a contributor's copy of CODE NAME: INTREPID CLASSIFIED

Volume 3 from Robert J. Mendenhall and Blue Planet Press because I've never been given a Contributor's Copy of anything before.

Granted, I've always been sent the PDF galley to review and correct any possible mistakes before publication of any book I written or project I contributed to, but this was a whole new experience for me.

THANKS ROBERT!

I hope those who have already purchased their print or e-copy of the anthology have enjoyed the adventures presented by John L. French, Brian K. Lowe, Brian K. Morris, James Palmer, Robert and myself.

And if you haven't had the opportunity yet, you are missing out on some seriously exciting stories.

In any event, I better get back to writing now.

Take care.

STAY SAFE!

And I'll see you around the Internet.

Lee Houston, Junior

22 September, 2024