High summer, and book news

It’s summer in Alaska and we’ve been blessed with freakishly high temperatures, sunny skies and daylight stretching out past midnight. It’s intoxicating and giddy. It’s difficult to stay indoors. It’s so damned awesome.

Except (there’s always an except, isn’t there?) I haven’t been able to do the things I love the most, namely running and writing. I haven’t been procrastinating and I’m not burned-out. I just, you know, did something really stupid.

While I was running, I banged my head on a steel bridge under construction. My head spun and lights flashed and I thought, “Why, you actually do see stars.” Then I ran myself home.

Later that evening, as the world swirled and my head ached, I put myself to bed and really, it felt like riding a ship, the way the bed tossed and churned.

The next day, instead of resting, I headed out on a 14-mile trail run because I’m that stupid when it comes to running. Luckily, I called it quits after 5.5 miles, returned home and went immediately to bed. And I stayed there for the next three days. I couldn’t read, watch videos or even listen to Mike talk. My poor and frazzled brain demanded that I lie still, and so that I what I did. I did nothing but breathe.

It turns out that I had (have?) a concussion. And so I rested. On the fourth day, I was able to read for short periods. On the fifth day (when god created the sea, according to Genesis), I walked the dog on the beach, and it was good and fine, and if the world wobbled and I couldn’t quite walk in a straight line, no matter.

The following week I began running again, and while my head hurt a little, it didn’t hurt that much. So I did a hilly 16-miler. By the time I got home, my head was pounding and I was back in bed, but this time only for a day, and this time I could read.

This went on for three weeks. Right as I started to feel better, I went out for a run and messed my head up again. You’d think I’d learn. But I love running so much, and the summer is so short and the trails are so green and lush and beautiful.

In the midst of this all, my cover proofs came in from Raised Voice Press, and I had to chose the best one, and they were all so wonderful and I obsessed and doubted, obsessed and worried. I printed them out, hung them on the wall, stared at them until my head ached. Then I went to bed for a few hours, got back up and obsessed some more.

A few days later, my final edits came in. Because bright lights and screen glare still made my head ache, I wore two pair of sunglasses. It was kind of ridiculous and I had to take it slow, but I made it through.

So now my book is almost finished. I still have to do the Acknowledgements and there are a few more blurb requests I must send out to big-name-authors-who-will-most-certainly-ignore-me-or-decline-, but the bulk of the decisions have been made.

Whew!

This Saturday and Sunday I felt well enough to head up in the mountains with the dog. So yeah, life is good. Still a little wobbly every now and then, but good.

In a few days, I’ll do a cover reveal and provide information on pre-ordering my book.

Wait. Have I mentioned the title yet? Oh dear, I’ve gotten ahead of myself. It’s MALNOURISHED: A MEMOIR OF SISTERHOOD AND HUNGER.

Okay, I’m shutting up now and sharing some photos of the very easy, very slow Middle Fork Trail run I took with Seriously on Saturday.

P.S. Special thanks to Karen Kidwell, Kevin Brennan, Luanne Castle, Marie Bailey, Deb Vanasse, and Julie Valerie for their input on my book cover design dilemma.

Seriously getting her beach on.
Middle Fork, one of my very favorite trails.
Seriously, leading the way.

14 thoughts on “High summer, and book news”

  1. Whoa, Cinthia, a concussion! Take it easy for a spell let Mike be your personal assistant. 😉

    At least you have some exciting tasks to take care of for your book while you rest. I can’t wait to see it in print!

    (And thanks for giving me a chance to chime on on the cover options too … A pleasure!)

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    1. I love the idea of making Mike my personal assistant, hee, hee. I’m doing pretty well, taking it easy and taking walk breaks during my runs. But it’s hard because it’s summer, you know. And summer up here is so short but yet so glorious. Hope everything is well with all of you down there.

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  2. Can’t wait for your book.

    A woman I have worked with for the last seventeen years had a skiing accident in May. Besides destroying her shoulder, she also got a concussion. Two months later she is still suffering the consequences of that concussion. Don’t underestimate the injury. I know it’s hard, but respect it and take it slow in recovering from your concussion. My friend is still not back at work and has at least one more month before her doctors will even consider releasing her to return to work.

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    1. Thanks, Mark. Who would have thunk that a bonk on the head could cause so much trouble? I wonder how boxers handle getting punched in the head, over and over. Their poor brains must be fried by the time they retire, and football players too. Our brains are so fragile and yet we rarely give them much credit. P.S. We had a mama and baby moose in our yard earlier this evening. So cute! Will post pics on Twitter soon. Take care.

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  5. Oh, Cinthia! Please take care of yourself. Concussions are serious business (which you painfully know). But, gee, how could anyone resist Middle Fork. What a gorgeous trail. That’s great news about your book. I can’t wait to read it!! And it was indeed a pleasure to look over the book cover designs. I think I would have wound up picking one with my eyes closed. They were all very good.

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    1. I know, Marie! It’s so beautiful here and summer is so short. But I am being careful. I’m resting a lot and sleeping a lot (like sometimes over 12 hours some days) and eating really, really healthy. What kills me is that I have to limit screen time, which means almost no writing. And yes, I was fortunate to have a very talented designer for the book cover. So happy with the outcome. Cheers and enjoy the rest of the summer.

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  6. Cinthia, running is not as important as your life even if you feel sometimes that it is your life. This is SO serious. Remember Natasha Richardson? So stop!!! Please!
    As to the new book, I can’t wait! So excited!!!

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    1. Thanks, Luanne. I’m not running, I’m basically hiking with little spurts of very slow running. I’m feeling better, just mostly sensitivity to light, which could linger for months.Mostly I’m swimming, which doesn’t cause any head jarring and there are lifeguards at the pool in case I begin to sink. (I didn’t know who Natasha Richardson was and had to look it up–scary!). Hope you are well and enjoying the summer down there. It’s the monsoon season, right? I do love the smell of desert rain.

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      1. Yes, so scary because she thought she was ok.
        Monsoon season, yes. Monsoons, no. No delicious smell. No break from watering plants outdoors. No excitement.
        OK, I am glad you are taking good care of yourself. I have that sensitivity to light as a permanent migraine-related condition, so I can empathize with that one well. I got a Costco membership today, and they let me keep my sunglasses on for the photo LOL. Hope you get completely well very soon.

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