Welp. It's a new year.: seanan

Welp. It's a new year.

We have survived the great beast 2012! Hooray and stuff! So here is my post-game commentary.

First, the bad, since there was actually less of it by weight, but what there was colored a lot of things. I did not move to Seattle in 2012. I'm trying really hard. Banks are difficult, and my day job is difficult, and it's all still a work in progress. This doesn't change the fact that by the end of the year, "so when are you moving?" became a question that was guaranteed to make me start a) yelling or b) crying. Sometimes it's really hard to live in a fishbowl, and when I don't have something I really, really want, and people keep asking about it...that's one of those times. So until I say "this is a thing that is happening, it has worked out with the bank and with my current housemate and with my job," please don't ask.

I developed a severe issue with my left foot in 2012. It's called "plantar fasciitis," and it basically means "screaming pain every time I put my foot down." This is a problem, especially since I walk both for exercise and for recreation, which has had to be cut way, way back, due to the whole "screaming pain" thing. This is negatively impacting my fitness, which I don't like. I'm doing what my doctor tells me and I don't need help, but it's bad, and it means that sometimes, I walk on a cane or not at all.

Now, the good. I went to Disneyland twice! I saw the largest intact Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton in the world! I went to Maine! Basically, through these things combined, it was a damn good year. I got Vixy into pin collecting, which gave me someone to collect pins with (always good). I saw amazing movies and watched a lot of TV, and I don't even know how many books I read. So many books. Truly we live in a magical time.

Oh, and I won a Hugo for never shutting up. I make a wish on it every night. (Yes, sometimes I wish on my Hugo to win a Hugo for Blackout. I never said I was reasonable.)

Publishing-wise, I couldn't tell you how much I wrote in 2012, because I seriously lost count, but I released five books: Discount Armageddon, Blackout, Ashes of Honor, Velveteen vs. The Junior Super Patriots, and When Will You Rise. I had my first reprint, "Lost", and my first reprint-in-a-book, "Crystal Halloway and the Forgotten Passage." It was a pretty slow year for me with short fiction, but there were some pieces I'm really proud of, like "San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats", and "In Sea-Salt Tears." I finished nine Velveteen stories, which is three more than the six I promised in 2011. It was a good writing year.

I'm excited about 2013, in all the ways. I'm going to spend my birthday in Disneyland. Wreck-It Ralph is coming out on DVD. And we're spinning our way around the sun again.

Whee!

bekitty

January 1 2013, 23:52:22 UTC 4 years ago

New comment

Wait, you're planning to move further away from Disneyland? o.0

seanan_mcguire

January 2 2013, 00:49:36 UTC 4 years ago

It seems counter-intuitive, doesn't it?

vincentursus

January 1 2013, 23:54:51 UTC 4 years ago

Sympathies on the bad (I have heard tell of 'plantar fasciitis' and those two words are enough to make me wince), congratulations on the accomplishments, and some echoing squee on the stuff that is fun and/or nifty.

If I recall correctly spending your birthday in Disneyland means that you're going this weekend. Have fun. ^_^

January 2 2013, 00:49:48 UTC 4 years ago

Thanks!

browngirl

January 2 2013, 00:19:11 UTC 4 years ago

Hooray for all your accomplishments and here's to resolving all your problems! *cheers*

January 2 2013, 00:50:02 UTC 4 years ago

Hooray!

scarybaldguy

January 2 2013, 00:46:13 UTC 4 years ago

>.< I dealt with PF a few years ago and holy hell that SUCKED, especially since my job requires a good deal of walking. My absolute sympathy.

January 2 2013, 15:49:26 UTC 4 years ago

Thanks, hon.

peachtales

January 2 2013, 00:50:52 UTC 4 years ago

YAY for all the publishing and other good stuff, and a serious BOO on the bad. May 2013 be better all around!

I'm dealing wit the bad you mentioned as well. I hope this year finds improvement for both of us on the state of our feet.

January 2 2013, 15:50:18 UTC 4 years ago

100% agreement.

reedrover

January 2 2013, 01:05:27 UTC 4 years ago

Yay for the good. Boo for the bad. Super über hurrahs on the Hugo! And I'm totally with you on the plantar fasciitis issue. What is it about left feet being the bad ones?

January 2 2013, 15:50:45 UTC 4 years ago

It probably has something to do with right hand dominance.

ayashi

January 2 2013, 01:12:38 UTC 4 years ago

I dealt with plantar fasciitis in 2011 and it seemed to last for most of the year :( When it started I ended up going to urgent care because it hurt so bad I thought something was broken! It started with one foot but eventually ended up being in both feet and it was horrible. Ultrasound therapy helped me a TON, as well as getting inserts for my shoes (which I still use to hopefully prevent it from ever coming back). I hope you recover quickly!

Happy new year :)

January 2 2013, 15:52:40 UTC 4 years ago

I worship my insoles.

dragonsally

January 2 2013, 01:16:08 UTC 4 years ago

Do you want some plantar fasciitis hints because I've had it on and off for years? I wouldn't offer any hints unless you want them because I know how damned annoying they can be.

kshandra

January 2 2013, 01:54:12 UTC 4 years ago

If our lovely hostess should say no, I would welcome said hints being dropped in my inbox here, as I have a fresh diagnosis of my own, and it has seriously begun to damage my calm.

4 years ago

dewline

January 2 2013, 01:46:31 UTC 4 years ago

Speaking as someone trying to get back to regular walking exercise, which is not easy right this moment given the weather hereabouts, I just winced when I read how the plantar fascitis was messing things up for your fitness/recreation regimen.

Congratulations on the writing progress!

January 2 2013, 15:53:20 UTC 4 years ago

ktsparrow

January 2 2013, 02:00:10 UTC 4 years ago

I feel like everyone in my life has had plantar fasciitis and it sucks so hard. But the same thing seems to cure everyone, which is having a chiropractor rub a hard metal thing over the foot and you think you're going to die and then three sessions later it goes away. Of course all our bodies are different, but in case you hadn't heard about this treatment.

lauowolf

January 2 2013, 02:05:31 UTC 4 years ago

Lacking a chiropractor, take a small -- smaller than a tennis ball -- hard rubber ball.
Sit in a chair and roll it really hard under your arch.
Even stand lightly on it.
A lot.
Basically, think of a bow, as in archery.
The tendon is the bow string.
You are making the bow itself bend, to take tension off the string.
Then shoe inserts, under the arch.
Or Birkies.
(Which is why I wear Birkies.)
Combined, the PF is basically gone.

falnfenix

January 2 2013, 02:07:59 UTC 4 years ago

god, my feet are cringing in pain for you.

January 2 2013, 15:54:13 UTC 4 years ago

It sucks SO BAD.

huggebear

January 2 2013, 03:21:20 UTC 4 years ago

I also had plantar fasciitis this year, and it sucked. The doctor took an x-ray of my left foot, and I had a heel spur roughly the size of the claw of a prehistoric cat! The doctor said it wasn't the biggest he'd ever seen...but it was close! Stretching, custom orthopedic insoles, and an overnight foot splint seemed to work for me. It still acts up once in a while, but I will do the stretches for a couple of days and it goes away.

January 2 2013, 15:54:33 UTC 4 years ago

Maybe you were mutating!

kittylady

January 2 2013, 05:45:35 UTC 4 years ago

So unless something major happened in the dinosaur world that I am unaware of, that means you got to see Sue! When she was in Cleveland, there was a side display showing how distorted the orignal skull had become over time and in many ways I found that to be almost as cool as the giant skeleton itself.

Dinosaurs are always cool.

January 2 2013, 16:01:56 UTC 4 years ago

I saw Sue! And she was FANTASTIC.

wendyzski

sandpanther

January 2 2013, 05:55:12 UTC 4 years ago

I did a bout with plantar fasciitis for about a year. It was unpleasant, to say the least. It went away, and has never returned other than the occasional twinge now and then. May yours do the same, and soon!

January 2 2013, 16:02:10 UTC 4 years ago

Here's hoping!

groblek

January 2 2013, 06:37:41 UTC 4 years ago

It's been a good year for your readers, the books and stories you released this year were thrilling, tear-jerking, and overall great fun to read, and I think some of your best work yet. Especially Blackout - you landed the series beautifully. And the release parties were loads of fun - we're looking forward to the next one!

My sympathies on the Plantar Fascitis, as I too have had it, and it does suck a great deal. Mine's been under control for a couple of years now, but I still remember the pain involved. I hope that yours responds well to whatever your doctor's recommending.

Here's to an excellent 2013!

January 2 2013, 16:02:22 UTC 4 years ago

Aw, thanks, hon!

joecoustic

January 2 2013, 10:59:25 UTC 4 years ago

I too have had whatI decided was plantar fasciitis and it is a miserable experience!! I did tons of research but the only way I got a handle on mine was cobbling together a number of things that seemed sort of counter intuitive and many the opposite of conventional wisdom - or expert recommendations. I won't give advice though as I too have had too much of that and have found the hard way what works for others won't necessarily work for you!! I hope yours gets better soon though!!

Yay for all of the good in 2012 and I wish you a wonderful new year!!

January 2 2013, 16:02:42 UTC 4 years ago

Happy New Year!

azurelunatic

January 2 2013, 11:43:03 UTC 4 years ago

Hooray for the good bits, and best wishes for ... well, *all* the bits.

When my own intermittent foot pain troubles kick in, one of my perpetual thoughts is "This is not a fun part of being a mermaid."

January 2 2013, 16:03:18 UTC 4 years ago

Agreed. I am more impressed than ever by Ariel's ability to walk.

elialshadowpine

January 2 2013, 13:08:10 UTC 4 years ago

Oh lord and lady, hon. I can't say I've ever had plantar fascitis (... which I can never remember how to spell and clearly Chrome's spellchecker is no help as it offers "fascism" as the primary suggestion) but I did severely injure both achilles tendons when I was 19. "Screaming every time I put my foot down", I am well and truly familiar with and dearly hope your doctors are more help to you than mine were to me. *good thoughts*

January 2 2013, 16:13:45 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you.

omnia_mutantur

January 2 2013, 14:08:42 UTC 4 years ago

Ditto on the having PF, ditto on the understanding anecdotal advice can sometimes be wicked annoying and ditto on the offer to share the aforementioned anecdotal advice if you're looking for.

January 2 2013, 16:14:04 UTC 4 years ago

I really and truly appreciate your understanding.

skelody

January 2 2013, 16:19:03 UTC 4 years ago

Pins! Like Stanley Howler at the Post Office pins, or like... hatpins? Accessories?

January 2 2013, 17:12:49 UTC 4 years ago

Disney collectible trading pins.

ladymurmur

January 2 2013, 21:36:20 UTC 4 years ago

Wow - I'd never heard of plantar fasciitis until the doctor gave me the diagnosis (it was my left foot, as well), and now it seems all the cool kids have it! Not a club membership I'd wish on anyone. It gave me sudden and immediate sympathy for the little mermaid in the story, dancing on what felt like knife blades to please her prince. Following my doctor's advice, and investing in good footwear has made all the difference.

You bring so much joy to so many others, sharing your worlds and your words. I wish you all the joy that 2013 has to offer!

February 15 2013, 20:29:06 UTC 4 years ago

Thank you, and the same to you!

dornbeast

January 2 2013, 21:46:25 UTC 4 years ago

I did not move to Seattle in 2012. I'm trying really hard. Banks are difficult, and my day job is difficult, and it's all still a work in progress.

Drat. I was beginning to suspect that the plans were falling into the woodchipper, but this is one of the cases where being right sucks.

Not as much as hearing about the "screaming pain" thing, but still - that sucks.

Still, there's always the future...

thedragonweaver

January 3 2013, 22:41:05 UTC 4 years ago

I always assume that when someone states something like "moving" as a goal for the year and that I didn't hear further on that score, that Things Went Awry. As Things do.

I also experience similar irritation when people say, Why didn't you do [common thing that almost everybody does], or worse, What are you planning to do for [common significant event that everybody does something for]. 'Cause, well, there's this thing called Broke* that is often my lot, and those common things aren't universal, and I hate having to be a downer by restating my relative poverty.

*Honestly, we're in really good financial shape, but that includes things like a house which needs a lot of upgrading, so our money gets encumbered pretty quickly. And for some reason I keep ending up in circles of friends which have more money than me, so it's only Broke by comparison. (My highly-successful sister with the second home for skiing trips and various trips abroad doesn't help, though at least she mostly doesn't assume I can afford the same things.)

vettecat

January 2 2013, 21:50:01 UTC 4 years ago

I developed plantar fasciitis a couple years ago and have found that a good pair of sneakers helps tremendously.

February 15 2013, 20:29:35 UTC 4 years ago

I'm in an air boot now.

starmalachite

January 3 2013, 01:31:16 UTC 4 years ago

Best wishes for all good things of your choice in the new year, e specially less foot pain, a bank that gets a clue how devoted your readership is, & more dream domicile.