I have a weird feeling this week. It’s like I overlooked something or forgot some bill, and I keep checking to see what I missed and can’t find it. And it’s Thursday already. How? How?
Gordon’s surgery is next week. They will clean the scar tissue from his shoulder, and he will have to immediately go into physical therapy. If we miss an Inheritance installment, that’s probably why. Hopefully we will stay on track. I am going to try to get the next three posts lined up so Mod R can just click Publish and then do the hard work of moderating.
To people asking about craft projects: I haven’t been able to knit or crochet because the hands are not cooperating. Especially the wrist rotation with the hook is a no go. I haven’t been able to see a neurologist either. I can’t even get on the schedule. It is a bit frustrating. Okay, it’s very frustrating.
I need to get back to workouts. I chickened out this week because we are having a heat wave. It’s overcast today and it cooled off to 96, wooo! We were at 101F (38C) yesterday. It’s hot and humid. I think lifting weights was helping a little or maybe it’s my imagination.
Since I can’t knit or crochet, I’ve been trying to play a little bit of computer games, although I have to limit that, too. Both Planet Crafter and the Enshrouded are releasing updates: the Enshrouded one already came out, and the Planet Crafter is coming on 16 or 19th.
I have been playing the Humble expansion in Planet Crafter in preparation for the expansion. It’s a neat game where you are a convict dropped off on a barren rock of a planet, and the only way to escape is to terraform it into a garden planet.
Right now I’m breeding butterflies in different colors. The game is pretty, although Humble isn’t my favorite. I like a lot of water at my base locations, and the centrally located lake is more like a puddle.
The new update is supposed to let you terraform more moons in this alien solar system. I’m excite!
Finally, we have gotten a couple of puzzled comments – mostly from international readers – regarding the widespread use of dishwashers in US. About 75% of US households have them. They are convenient, and we are encouraged to purchase them because they use less water. A typical modern dishwasher will use 3-4 gallons for a load of dishes, while washing the same load by hand uses 15-27 gallons. It also saves energy, because most people wash their dishes in hot water and heating that water adds up. To that one commenter who wondered why an off-the-grid home in the Southwest would need one – their water is likely limited. They are trying to conserve their resources. A small dishwasher can ran off solar, and washing dishes is not optional.
To the person who is now vigorously typing how their handwashing never uses that much water: Having a dishwasher doesn’t make you lazy, not having one doesn’t make you a dirty planet polluter. It’s a convenient appliance. Some people have space for it, some don’t, and there is no reason to have a moral superiority battle over it.
I’m trying to figure out what to read next. LitRPG is my new military SF. I usually read outside of the genre I’m working on and I’m unlikely to ever write a strict LitRPG. I am sadly out of the Azarinth Healer. I have Bushido Online in my library for some reason. Maybe I will try that one next.
So sorry for all the physical stuff. It always just creeps up on a person. Thank you for all the great words!
I feel like it’s important to point out that we, Ilona and I, both grew up in houses without dishwashers. Well, in my little patch of Appalachian paradise, my cousins and I were the dishwashers. We know how to wash dishes by hand. We still do wash some things, like wooden cutting boards and large pots and pans, by hand. For both of us, it’s kind of a luxury. We grew up poor and now we have a fancy German dishwasher. I regret nothing.
::high five:: We have arrived. We have a dishwasher! Hehehe. Do you remember that time the kids put my really nice cutting board into the dishwasher and the glue melted so it fell apart?
I do. I also remember telling Kid 1, repeatedly, not to put it in the dishwasher. I think that’s one of the hardest thing for adult children when they have to come home. They’ve lived in their own home, they ran things the way they liked and it’s difficult for them to readjust to our rules. That and the constant battle over the thermostat. Every dad does know when someone touches it. Oh, 74 is too warm, sweetie, maybe try living outside (in TX) where it’s triple digits in May!
In our family it’s the one brother who does most of the cooking when we’re all together because he likes doing it. But he will rearrange your kitchen to his liking and buy kitchen gadgets or ingredients and leave them, even though you’ll never use them again. And if he forgot he bought a gadget the last time he was there, then you might find yourself with two.
He’s also been known to destroy parts of a kitchen. I live alone in a smaller house, so I don’t host family events and have evaded most of that. He did rearrange my kitchen once, though, when he and his wife came to visit.
Tink, I think we might have the same brother. This is eerie.
I have kid 2 home for the first summer. Teaching them that they are part of the adult fabric of the home is teeth grinding. You did not come home for maid service and a cook.
I was literally coming up to the comments section to ask if you got your dishwasher installed
I hear you, Gordon. My parents didn’t have an automatic dishwasher either when I was growing up. My brother, my mom, and I were the dishwashers. I learned long ago to clean up as I was learning to cook as a teen. That way when supper was done, the majority of the dishes were done too.
Now, I just let the dishwasher do all the work. Yes, I even put my wooden cutting boards, that can fit, into the dishwasher. I know for a lot of people that’s a no-no, and I would get looked at like I don’t know what I’m doing. However, I do this because I don’t want to get any food borne illness and whatever else could be in the raw food that I cut on the cutting board. If the cutting board doesn’t fit, I make sure to scrub the board really well in the sink before rinsing it. I put the board on a towel and let it air dry.
Patricia, have you seen this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00081YSC2?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2
I have this and it can go into dishwasher and it is treated cardboard, not plastic. This is my raw chicken cutting board.
Those composite cutting boards are the bomb! We’ve had our two for years and they’re still going strong. Beats plastic cutting boards for raw meat etc
“Epicurean Gourmet Series Cutting Board with Juice Groove”
“Juice Groove” makes me think of music and dancing.
Wood is actually antimicrobial. a quick soapy wipe and you are good. Plastics collect bacteria in the scratches.
There are studies that show that there is a bactericidal effect of the wooden cutting boards and if you swab them over time they have significantly less bacterial growth than non wood. So, I always put my non wooden cutting boards in the dishwasher but am ok with not dishwasher sterilizing my wood cutting boards.
me, too. all the tests that were supposed to show how wonderful plastic cutting boards were proved the opposite: they have much higher bacteria levels because wood has natural antimicrobial properties.
Same for me and my husband. We also didn’t have washing machines (or dryers) in the home and had to travel for laundry service. So we feel like we’ve made it, let me tell you. (First gen college goers, represent!)
Really dating myself but My Grandmother had an old wringer washing machine in her coal cellar. We would help put the clothes through the wringer and thought it was lots of fun.
I remember playing with my grandma’s wringer (we called it a mangle). It was fun seeing the things come out really flat 🙂
When I was small I tried to put my fingers through my grandmother’s mangle. She got rid of it and regretted it ever after. I still have guilt over it and I don’t even remember it happening.
We had a “mangle” too but it was for ironing. I loved it and was only allowed to do the flat stuff like pillow cases, napkins and handkerchiefs as a kid. It was a big deal when I graduated to tablecloths and sheets. Yes – we pressed our sheets. I still iron but not the sheets😂
Sending healing juju to both authors❤️
Yup. I was the dishwasher as a child. Now I am handwashing dishes and our house has experienced an exponential increase in the need for me to nag our teen0aged children as I shop for a new dishwasher and replace the tiling under the dishwasher so it will be ready for the new one. Maybe there is a good reason you don’t want to share, but if not, now I really want to know what dishwasher you got. The last one we got was Bosch and was excellent until a rodent chewed through some wiring. Now we are debating between splurging on a Miele and getting another Bosch. We have zero interest in a dishwasher that wants to have conversations with our phones and send us notifications. We just want one that works, and for which we can find a reliable lovely local human who will fix it when something goes wrong. So – do you want to spill?
Our dishwasher just died (after only two years!) and I’m having issues making myself spend the money to replace it – we did NOT get our money’s worth with the last one and I picked it out after researching and everything. I didn’t grow up with one and I have a 12 & 15 year old – it’s not that big of a deal for us to wash by hand while I deal with my anxiety. My kids job was to load and unload the dishwasher when it was still working. They had to rinse their dishes after meals. They actually do LESS now because I am the one handwashing the dishes and I do them often enough to let them air dry. My kids are complaining MORE now. I can’t tell if this is a generational thing, like YouTube and commercials on streaming services, or if we’ve somehow failed as parents. (I mean my kids are lovely people, but… maybe we missed a lesson somewhere?)
Is it a Miele? A Bosch? I am surely not the only German Horde member who is curious about this?
I am single and also have a single person dishwasher in Germany. Quite some people I know have one. Love mine to bits! It gets all the tea stains out of the mugs, which I didn’t manage washing dishes by hand.
I have a Miele and you have to be an architect to figure out how to load the darn thing. Gets my dishes super clean though!
In the UK they’re super common too. When I was moving house 4 years ago one of my non negotiables was it must have (or space to add) a dishwasher. Sadly it broke down 6 weeks after I moved in and was replaced ASAP. It’s a life essential.
My brother is in a 1 bed flat and has a slimline (45cm) one.
I was pretty certain at least one of you had experienced serious poverty, because the details in some of the books(where characters are experiencing poverty), are *so* spot on—I immediately knew that was the kind of detail that could only come from lived experience(the same experiences I had as a kid).
Here’s to enjoying the small luxuries we didn’t have as dirt-poor kids 🥂
Also, I was a life-long Texan until recently and y’all make me miss home *so* badly every time you mention the heat, or anything at all about TX. I was even just re-reading(for the 15th time) ‘Sweep of the Blade’, and when Maud mentions the cicadas at Dina’s Inn, I had the most intense wave of homesickness 🥺
I’ve adjusted to the 80-ish degree summers so quickly in MN, tho, I have to say!
I didn’t have one growing up either. Just a big, cast iron sink. once upon a time, I liked washing the dishes. then my 10-ish year old self broke 2 coffee pots in 3 months.
I honestly think I was just growing. my limbs were longer than I thought they were and cast iron does not forgive.
my parents thought I did it on purpose to get out of doing dishes (that i volunteered to do). i got yelled at and I wasn’t allowed to wash dishes anymore.
I have a dishwasher now. when glassware breaks we simply clean it up with no more fuss than injury prevention requires.
Wow, and First! Thank you again!
LitRPG recommendation: Shadow Slave, available on https://www.webnovel.com/
I love the sanitize feature on the dishwashers. When you have immunocompromised people in the house it is one more thing to keep them healthy.
But I do the knives and big pots by hand.
Hi. About three years ago, I was diagnosed with erosive arthritis in my hands. I thought I would have to retire early because my hands would hurt after typing at work all day. Did a lot of research and started taking a Boswellian pill once a day as well as as turmeric/cur cumin pill twice a day.(high quality from the health food store). Used Valeran cream on swollen knuckles during the first two weeks of the pills then stopped. Started seeing a difference after 30 days. After 60 days I found that I have very little pain. This might not help your problem, but it sure helped mine.
Thank you, but my issue is a little different. My hands go numb. 🙂
You might consider trying Lions Mane Mushroom pills to help alleviate the numbness. My sister takes it after chemotherapy played havoc with her fingers and toes. She says it helps some.
I take Lions Mane every day (have been for 3 years now) to help with the damage long covid caused to my nervous system. If I don’t take my supplements for a few days, I feel a real difference.
The brand I use is a white bottle made by Real Mushrooms. Like, the name of the company is Real Mushrooms with a tiny little tree symbol before their name.
That said, when my upper arm muscles were so tight from pushing too hard too fast with working out that they were pinching the nerves to my hand…Lions Mane didn’t stop my fingers from going numb. It’s not a miracle cure, it’s a “help your body repair itself” item.
My numb hands turned out to be caused by carpal tunnel (in both wrists!) Cortisone shots helped, but wrist braces wound up helping more because it turns out I curl my wrists when I sleep so I wear the braces at night.
Is there a particular brand/type of brace that is best? I’ve started having carpal tunnel issues, but my pcp didn’t specify which one to get. (I think he said the ‘yellow one’. None of them were yellow.) Especially weird when I wake up with half a hand numb. I’ve been training myself to keep my wrists straight while sleeping, but as u might imagine, it’s not 100%.
Sending good wishes to HA!
I have used several different ones and they all work as long as they have a metal splint stabilizer. That is what keeps my wrist straight during the night.
Thanks!
my mom’s hands go numb, it’s not her wrists but her spine that’s the problem. the bones in her spine are growing inward, squeezing the spinal nerves. the only hospital that does the surgery to fix it is out of her betwork.
fingers crossed you get in to see someone, and it’s an easy carpal tunnel outpatient repair.
All the hand or just some of the fingers? Anyway numbness can be caused by a lot of stuff, but if it’s only specific fingers check the nerves. I suffered a lot because of inflamation of the ulnar nerve, still cannot wear my wedding ring cause it annoys me after a wile. I observed a lot of improvement just taking an ergonomic approach to my computer station. Ulnar nerve suffers a lot when compressed and the mouse hand was the worst of the two. BTW, Italy here and the dishwasher is something of a stranger to me, never owned one. …and you think TX summers are hot? Try one in Sardinia than we can talk… lol.
Red Light therapy has fixed so many of my joint problems it’s unreal. I’ve got everyone I work with and all my family members using them. There are definitely different qualities but there is a good really penetrative one that works on joints that I love. My nephew calls them Jesus Lights. LOL.
P.S. Numbness can be nerve compression (pathophysiology of carpal tunnel) red light seems reduce inflammation and promote healing by increasing intracellular ATP production. This might reduce the amount of pressure on the nerves and might fix the problem if it hasn’t gone on too long.
It’s been hot and humid in the DFW area. I’m just glad we didn’t break a record yesterday. To me, it’s too early for this. We really don’t need a precursor to what will happen next month all the way through late September/early October. 😀
Hooray for automatic dishwashers!
Stay cool and hydrate.
With the power grid issues Texas has had in the past, I bet the whole-house generator market has taken off. I can’t imagine triple digits without at least a bunch of fans going if not the A/C.
We had a whole house generator installed after multiple years of days with no electricity (trees taking out lines usually), and ours literally came on the day after it was installed. I laughed until I cried. And yes, they have absolutely taken off here.
Best wishes to Gordon for a successful surgery and PT rehab!
mr gordon: sending blessings for fabulous physical therapy
Not exactly LitRPG and more like cozy isekai, but Demon World Boba Shop by R.C. Joshua is a fantastic series, and I believe it’s complete. The author also has at least one other series that’s more sci-fi.
While I enjoyed both series, they are totally opposite styles. Demon World Boba Shop is extremely slice of life, cosy calm whereas Azarinth Healer is so not.
Boba shop +1 suuuuper calm, cozy, and cute.
given that just my husband and I fill a dishwasher every single day ( how?? why??) even though we wash as we go when cooking, I would have lobster red peeling hands without a dishwasher. I would have to build or buy a multi layer drying rack. I would be sooooo unhappy without my trusty steamy sanitizing dishwasher friend.
Sending best wishes and healing thoughts for surgery and beyond. Hopefully other important appointments can get set up soon too. Hands are hard to navigate around.
I don’t have LitRPG recs, but maybe a baseball gay romance (realize the romance part overlaps with your writing so maybe not), would be of interest? Unwritten Rules series by KD Casey are fun! (https://www.kdcaseywrites.com/books)
I hope everything goes well with the surgery and physical therapy.
I am currently reading The Wheel of Time series for the first time, I somehow missed it during my book a day phase in my teens and early twenties.
For games I am rotating between replaying Mass Effect; the Elder Scrolls Oblivion remaster, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I really recommend that last one if your wrists can manage it; it’s beautiful and the story is really well written, though sad.
I forgot to say earlier that I hope you get that appointment with a neurologist soon and that he helps with the pain.
I wouldn’t be renting the house in Europe I am if it didn’t have a dishwasher!! I sure miss my garbage disposer!
LitRPG – reading suggestions.
Azarinth Healer – you’ve already read what is available on KU it and it is awesome. – completed
Definance of the Fall – Kindle Unlimited aka KU – ongoing
David North – Guardian of Aster Fall – KU – completed
J.L. Mullians – Millennial Mage series – KU – ongoing
C. Mantis – The Path of Ascension – KU – ongoing
He who fights with monsters – KU – ongoing
Zogarth – Primal Hunter – KU – ongoing
Mangowo – The Dragon Heir (A Monster Evolution/Progression LitRPG) -ongoing
Will Wight – Cradle – KU – pure cultivator series – completed
ADASTRA339 – Savage Awakening – KU – ongoing
Sean Oswald – Induction: A Litrpg Apocalypse – KU – ongoing
Aaron Shim – Corruption Wielder – KU – ongoing
Ellake – The Runic Artist – KU – ongoing
Todd Herzman – the Accidental Champion – KU – ongoing
Sean Oswald – Resistance: Welcome to the multiverse – KU- ongoing
Cerim – Hell Difficulty Tutorial: A litrpg adventure – KU – ongoing
SunriseCV – System Change: A litrpg adventure (system universe) – ongoing
Non LitRPG – but was found on RoyalRoad
Alex Gilbert – on Kindle Unlimited – multiple series- aka KU – 2 completed series, 3rd 83 chapters in.
Other Series
Glen Stewart – Dutchy of Terra – Amazon – Completed – KU?
Glen Stewart – Changling – Amazon – Cmpleted – KU?
+ David North – Aster Fall – ongoing: Young man finds out he has a rare affinity with the system, changes species and helps save his world. Also crafting.
+ Zogarth – Primal Hunter: Ordinary guy becomes a mythical hunter and goes off having fun and killing stuff. Also best friends with a snake god and alchemy. So much alchemy.
+ ADASTRA339 – Savage Awakening: Shy guy likes to hit things. Becomes the best at hitting things. Also genius girlfriend and divine Rhinos.
I just want to throw The Wandering Inn out as a suggestion as well. It’s ongoing and going and going. Their last Patreon update was 45,200 words and that’s on the smaller side for them. They update Saturdays, with usually one releaase break each month.
It’s on Amazon, but I don’t know if it’s on KU. Obviously the Amazon releases are not caught up to the website, however.
Good list 👍
For uninitiated what exactly is LitRPG? Many thanks for reading list so I can get initiated 😎
It’s a fiction genre, stands for Literature Role Playing Game 🙂 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LitRPG
Take care of yourselves AuthorLords. Advanced wishes of speedy recovery for Gordon and hoping that Ilona can show us what awesome things she knitted when she’s able to.
It’s hot here in Florida too but when I put the AC on it turns into Arctic zone at night. I have to turn it off in the wee hours of the morning(I’m from the Caribbean and grew up with island breeze, so my kids make fun of me for wearing winter gear when the AC is on 🤷🏽♀️).
Happy weekend to all…
My mom never fully trusted the dishwasher, so we all washed dishes by hand and used it as a drier. I was married for ten years when my husband managed to convince me, that with three little kids, it may be easier to use it. Now, ten years later, I can’t live without it. Full convert 😆
Read Welcome to the Multiverse by Sean Oswald. It is absolutely amazing, great concept, great story, characters that you actually give a shit about. Romance, humor and a lot of cute in jokes if you have read other series that don’t take away if you haven’t.
MCA Hogarth has some LitRPG that’s a little unique in the approach, but I really enjoy them! Her Haley and Nana novella series and her new release Live, Love, Level (totally different world, stand-alone piece) are very good.
I enjoyed Haley and Nana, even though I don’t usually like LitRPG. The idea of a divine game master (or whatever you call that) was entertaining.
Thank you for this recommendation – I have just finished Live Love Level and I loved it. I’m going to try her other books but not until the dishes are done! LOL
The Healers Way Series is a favorite LitRPG of mine. In case you needed a recommendation.
Dungeon Crawler Carl is a really great LitRPG series if you haven’t tried it yet! Carl and his sidekick Princess Donut (the Queen Anne Chonk) are the best.
I love Carl & Donut & cast!!! They make me laugh so hard, cry just as hard in a couple of places, but are all around enjoyable! This is probably the only series I recommend for listening without a read first, because it’s just that good.
Dammit Donut! You beat me to it!
Me and my Dad listened to the while series while road tripping and after my surgery 11/10 recommend the audiobooks!
Came here to recommend this.. I’ve been reading the books and I’m not usually an audiobook person but I may make an exception and try the audiobooks for this series. Regardless, reading them has been so much fun and I have been recommending this series to anyone I know.
Goddammit, Donut!
First of this genre I ever read. Devoured all seven books without a break which I NEVER do. I like to pace good reads. But I couldn’t stop. And now I had to get the audiobooks.
I will legitimately fight the author if sone bad happens to Donut.
Currently reading The Game at the Carousel by Rob Lastel which is a horror movie LitRPG. Not super gory or anything, but definitely intriguing.
I hope everyone gets better soon!
From a LitRPG perspective, I’m currently working on The Primal Hunter and I’m liking it. I’ve also enjoyed Emberstone Farms (but sadly that one is only 2 books so far).
Sending good thoughts and healing light to Gordon.
My friend (who reads more than I do and that says a lot) recommends Dungeon Crawler Carl.
The voice actor for the audio books is freaking amazing but truthfully I find the story sounds a LOT like a D&D run my son and his DM (writing) partner are doing.. to the point I’ve told them they should start writing LitRPG.
I really really like your style, and would love to find more like that… the dungeon crawler stuff I think I’d rather sit in on a real D&D run.
LitRPG recommendation available on Kindle Unlimited
The Hero of the Valley series By Gary Spechko
https://www.amazon.com/The-Hero-of-the-Valley-4-book-series/dp/B09FB2NW2Y
Can recommend ice cream as one of those “whole patient” therapies after surgery and PT! 🍨
I have good memories of washing dishes with my dad and grandpa after dinners at my grandparents’ house. At our house, dishes were a chore, but at their house it was fun. Lots of family stories which my sister, brothers, and I loved to hear.
Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery after surgery and PT! Thank you guys for letting us have a peek into your personal lives and reminding us that you too are human (with human appliances that break). Hope your hands feel better soon, Ilona.
I have no LitRPG recs, as I haven’t read them (aside from Solo Leveling, does that count?) but I’m taking notes on everyone’s comments to add to my TBR list!
good luck for the surgery!!
I would offer a suggestion of Elena Socol (author) and the five book series starting with Stitched. Sadly total sympathy and understanding for your hurts. it seems the world is one great big obstacle as I get older, not what I was expecting at all! However authors and books such as yours make it worthwhile if that doesn’t sound smaltzy.
sorry, Sobol. finger twitched.
I very much enjoyed Bushido Online when I read it.
Another series that I recall being quite lit RPG was the Arcane Ascension books by Andrew Rowe. Book 1 is titled Sufficiently Advanced Magic
So I really couldn’t get into Andrew Rowe’s series, but his standalone How To Defeat a Demon King In Ten Easy Steps is crackalakatastic!
AND the audiobook has the famous Steve West aka fated voice of Hugh d’Ambray doing a role. I must have listened to it at least 4 separate times.
some Lit RPG recs.
Dungeon Crawler Carl. it’s the best series in the genre atm. Ex soldier and his ex gf cat has to survived the televising of earth’s apocalypse.
Quest Academy. it’s lit rpg heroes akin to my hero academia. it’s written by one of the writers of Baldurs Gate 3.
all the skills. it’s a card deck rpg with dragons.
I just finished “Dungeon Crawler Carl” by Matt Dinniman. I am late to the LitRPG game so you may have already discovered the series.
I am not a gamer but still loved the first book.
I blew through the first 4 in audible before my hubs got annoyed with me using the credits. I definitely recommend the audible version, he’s hilarious and great with female voices.
+1 Fantastic, hilarious, immersive
When I was a young child in the 50’s, my dad proudly purchased a dishwasher for my mom. It was an unheard of luxury in our very modest lifestyle. I think it may have been 2nd hand, but we were thrilled! You had to drag it from the wall (it was on casters), wheel it over towards the sink, attach the hose (yes, exactly like a garden hose) to the sink faucet, turn on the hot water, make sure the washer was plugged in and then, voila!
It eventually was used for storing old plates.
OMG! My Granny had one of those dishwashers! My other grandparents washed dishes by hand. I prefer dishwashers.
Goid luck on surgery and PT.
My Mom had one of those in the 1960s. With 5 kids to wash up for (even though we washed, too), I like to imagine her doing a Lysistrata to get my (rightfully, budget was tight) penny-pinching dad to buy it!
I still remember the hose coming loose once, water spraying everywhere, and Mom dancing & shrieking like a demented chicken!
I have been that demented chicken as well!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Best of luck with the surgery and therapy after.
Have you read The Divide trilogy by J.S. Dewes. It’s a great read and the audiobooks are just as good. Loved the characters and story.
Sending good vibes for a successful surgery and speedy recovery. Also hope your hands and wrists get to feeling better 🫂
Hope all goes well,
I am awaiting the release of RoadCraft and currently rereading the series Domestication (Battle Mage Farmer Book 1) by Seth Ring
I also recommend Blue Core: Book One by Inadvisably Compelled
& Unintended Cultivator: Volume One by Eric Dontigney
If you haven’t read ”he who fights with monsters” by shirtaloon do. The audiobooks are amazing!
Feel better, the both of you!
It LitPG or whatever but I am reading a book by Nia Quinn called “Banshees and Boba” about a maturer woman who is joining a Mercenary Guild after losing her regular job and there is a section where she has to deal with a “chameleopard” (a leopard that has chameleon abilities. One character calls “Here, kitty, kitty” and the main character states that she immediately thought about “one of (her) favorite book series. But we were facing down a leopard today, not a lion shifter.”
OMG! The AL are important enough to be referred to in other books!
Congratulations!!!
(And it all made me laugh again)
p.s. ModR, if this is not acceptable to post, sorry! And remove
This is so cool to hear!
Sorry to hear about the wrist issue. Have you tried either heat or ice as a way to reduce pain and inflammation? That may help with mobility too. If movement is difficult you can also try a wrist brace to reduce repetitive motion. It will provide support of the joint, and avoid further injury. When you have time to get to the MD about this it may not need to be a specialist, your PCP may be able to determine treatment. Hope you both have a quick recovery!
One of your RN fans
Thank you so much for your suggestions.
Unfortunately, Ilona has been dealing with this issue for a very long time 🙁 The simple solutions and non-specialists have been exhausted at this point.
https://www.amazon.com/Heir-Ancient-Bloodline-Living-Book-ebook/dp/B0CN3M6TCQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=13VFEKO6Y5TRK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.e4ZqIPYUV6h0syt8eCPt5QkapqW_gsXRbLRoTU-X46XavaL4uDJCEXAB3QfRB0VqtSRY7LYNty-v9LeaEjl3S4xqKtmW5N0weIGrtqCWs9TvbI5Uewo8GkZrOL1tSCdMdQkvO5Fkbv3f0W2nOrBr2Gxkw1LMJu3_gHs8U2SN8gqQyg8EptFhS5xdi2Z2qOON.ObXOP-o0mySylVOtsEr0NCRvVVt4cwa-08t5cSRoG10&dib_tag=se&keywords=dmitry+sheleg&qid=1747337131&sprefix=dmitey%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-5
This is a Ukrainian author. Only the first 4 have been translated into English. I’ve really enjoyed them.
https://www.amazon.com/Heir-Ancient-Bloodline-Living-Book-ebook/dp/B0CN3M6TCQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?crid=13VFEKO6Y5TRK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.e4ZqIPYUV6h0syt8eCPt5QkapqW_gsXRbLRoTU-X46XavaL4uDJCEXAB3QfRB0VqtSRY7LYNty-v9LeaEjl3S4xqKtmW5N0weIGrtqCWs9TvbI5Uewo8GkZrOL1tSCdMdQkvO5Fkbv3f0W2nOrBr2Gxkw1LMJu3_gHs8U2SN8gqQyg8EptFhS5xdi2Z2qOON.ObXOP-o0mySylVOtsEr0NCRvVVt4cwa-08t5cSRoG10&dib_tag=se&keywords=dmitry+sheleg&qid=1747337131&sprefix=dmitey%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-5
This is a Ukrainian author. Only the first 4 have been translated into English. I’ve really enjoyed them.
I will again recommend Magical Girl Gunslinger on Royal Road.
In my opinion the best writing on Royal Road.
It’s good, but it’s super depressing at times, and the author is going through some health issues and publishing chapters is really inconsistent, with months between the last installments. Can’t say I can recommend it until the publishing schedule is back on track, although of course the author’s health takes priority.
I suggest The Primal Hunter by Zogarth which I think is classified as an Apocalypse LitRPG. I’ve just gotten into LitRPG books over the last year and that is one that I have really enjoyed. I will be checking out the Azarinth Healer next!
KM Shea has a pen name for LitRPG – AM Sohma, the “Second Age of Retha” series is incomplete (and she is taking 2025 off for some health issues) but the first 3 books are a complete arc and pretty wonderful.
I love these books!
My Mom made it to dishwasher status when her 3rd child in 4 years was due in September. She made it through a complete home renovation and two kids, but the 3rd one required an automatic dishwasher.
Besides, how are newly married folks supposed to learn how to argue about how to correctly fill the dishwasher if they don’t grow up with one? 😉
I have been on a LitRPG and Cultivation/Xianxia kick on Royal Road lately. Sometimes together. LitRPG us harder to recommend really good ones, but for Cultivation I highly recommend Beware of Chicken, which has the first three books on Kinle Unlimited and books 4 (completed, probably going to Kindle soon) and 5 (in progress) on RR.
I second Beware of Chicken! It’s more lighthearted and philosophical, and I love Canada meets Xanxialand.
Best wishes to Gordon for an uneventful recovery! And to Ilona for finding a neurologist. I really hate making those kind of calls; it takes me months to work up to it sometimes. I had an epiphany two weeks ago that instead of putting “schedule [mower repair]” on the calendar, I should put “research [mower shops]”. Because what was keeping me from scheduling was the necessity of finding some appropriate shops to call. Actually finding them and paring down the list took all of 20 minutes, but took me two weeks to steel myself to do because I had written down the job as a whole rather than the first step of research. Took me another couple minutes to call the shop I chose from that list, and I’m super happy with them.
With the exercise, I have finally learned to just start. I don’t have to do a full workout if I don’t want to, because it’s too hot or I’m running late for something or something hurts too much. I just start: two sun salutations, a diagnostic to tell me how much more I can do that day. Once in a while, it turns out they’re the only exercises I’m going to do that day. Usually though, if there’s a problem, I can modify, or do fewer reps or sets of some things, or leave out certain things, or just do the breathing part or whatever. The key for me is to Just. Start. I don’t have to finish – but once I get started, I usually get farther than I thought I would.
And then I deserve a treat, of course. 😀 Although theoretically the feeling of virtue should be reward enough. But a mocha and/or a good book is better.
Yes yes yes to all of this. I have the same issue. Sometimes really I have just have to commit to changing into workout clothes. Then since I’m already wearing them, I may as well do an exercise or two. Then I can take it from there.
Hoping Gordon’s shoulder surgery goes well.
As far as dishwashers, they are a personal preference for each household.
Sending up prayers Ilona that you can get the next three posts lined up for the ‘ inheritance’. Thank you for trying. We really appreciate it.
You have probably heard these ideas before but…
Portuguese knitting can relieve some issues because you move differently.
Weaving is again different movement but still yarn!!!
Either way, I’m sorry you are hurting and unable to do what may relax you at a stressful time.
Have you tried acupuncture ? I’ve used it for many years firstly for my lower back. I swear it kept me in work & now I’ve retired & the arthritis has taken over the joints are protesting at everything I do. 2 years ago I had breast cancer & now have lymphodeama so am not supposed to push/ pull/ lift etc but being a full time carer that goes up in smoke lol.
My acupuncturist is a lovely woman who makes house calls because of my circumstances. She comes by every 6 weeks or so punctures me lol, tapes me up & Voila! I’m good to go. I try & keep the tapes in place for 4-5 days & the benefits gradually fade over the weeks. I recommend it if you’ve never tried it BUT you have to have an open mind. I’ve found in the past it’s better to approach it favourably. Of course I don’t JUST rely on this, I have the good old Morphine patches as well🙏🏻. Unfortunately the X Stitch has had to go because I can no longer hold the needle comfortably so my hobby now is ….Books which is where House Andrew’s come in amongst many others.
Here’s hoping Gordon’s surgery goes well🤞🏻
Book suggestion: the Belisarius series by Eric Flint and David Drake. First book is called An Oblique Approach. It’s not LitRPG, it’s military alternate history, but it’s definitely outside the genres you’re working on, and it’s a complete series at 6 books. I’ve found it very re-readable too. 🙂