A debilitating sneeze

I had just gotten Lex to sleep on Thursday night when I felt a really powerful sneeze coming on.  I wanted to do my best to not wake her up, so I did everything I could to restrain it.  Once I did sneeze, I felt my bad ribs pop and move around like crazy.  Needless to say, I've been in almost debilitating pain ever since, and have not been getting much sleep.  If I had to rate the pain, I'd call it a seven or an eight, and you have to keep in mind that I have a very high threshold for pain.  I can't get comfortable unless I'm sitting up, and then it has to be on something soft like the couch...not the best way to sleep.
This made us decide to do some research on possible corrections.  One thing we found is that there are very few surgeons that will actually re-do the procedure I had on adults.  And of course we also found that in general, insurance companies won't cover it, and the procedure runs $10,000-$30,000.  We don't know if a complete re-do would be necessary, because we were having trouble finding surgeons who even had any idea of what they might be able to do for the pain, and the one we did find was a quack and a half.  Once I'm insured again, we will renew the search.
Also in our research we began to wonder if my procedure had been screwed up.  Even all those years ago, it was typical for a surgeon to insert a bar to support the sternum, and given that I had the worst case my surgeon had ever seen, I'm forced to wonder why this bar wasn't inserted.  Yes, it would have been another procedure two years later, but maybe that would have helped me avoid all the pain I'm in now.  I'm sure no doctor will say that because they'd worry that I'd sue my surgeon, but he wasn't all that young at the time of the procedure, so I'm not even sure if he's still with us.
For now, I just have to try to deal with the pain.  The 800 mg of Ibuprofen every 4-6 hours just isn't doing the trick anymore.  No matter what, this is an awful place to be, and so far we haven't found anyone that might be able to help me out of it.

The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Colonized Space

We've combined the first six volumes of the EEG into one tome, and it's now available:
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Colonized Space is a combination of the first six volumes of the Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica.  It looks at each sector of space that is controlled by one of the six species.  An invaluable supplement for anyone playing the Ephemeris Science Fiction Role Playing Game, especially those that have been looking for campaign settings for their games.
A useful tool for both players and game masters, this supplement will help elevate your Ephemeris game to the next level.
Before ordering, please keep in mind that this supplement contains the same information that was released individually in the EEG for sectors 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, & 21.
 Order from Nomadic Delirium Press at: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/the-ephemeris-encyclopedia-galactica-colonized-space/
or
Order from DriveThruRPG at: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/127376/The-Ephemeris-Encyclopedia-Galactica-Colonized-Space
We are also working on releasing this as a paperback.  More details as they are available.

Insurance company BS

We got a letter from our health insurance notifying us that they aren't going to pay for Alexis' overnight stay after her surgery because they deemed it unnecessary.  I'm not exactly sure what their criteria are for "necessary," but I think it's ridiculous that a health insurance company thinks they know more about health care than the actual doctors.  From the beginning, it was expected that she would stay overnight.  The only reason she wouldn't have is if they only had to remove the cyst, but the fact that they actually had to remove part of a bone from her neck made the overnight stay necessary in the eyes of our doctor.  This is the kind of BS that needs to stop.
When I was unsuccessfully trying to get treatment for my chronic pain, the health insurance company wanted to refuse a cat scan for me.  I really love these guys.
Based on the rambling letter they sent us, it sounds like they actually aren't going to screw us over, but instead they're going to screw the hospital over.  And people wonder why health care is so expensive.
We need a complete dismantling of the insurance industry, not stop gap fixes.

The new Cosmos

I watched the new Cosmos series last night.  I have to admit that being a huge fan of the original series, I was a bit skeptical about this one.  After watching the first episode, I'd have to say that I'm not as skeptical as I was, but I'm also not completely sold on it either.  I liked that they made it different enough from the first series that it didn't seem like a rehashing of that series.  I also liked that they paid tribute to the original series, especially showing Carl Sagan's planner with the name Neil Tyson on one of the Saturdays...it was a nice way to show some continuity.
Will this show be able to live up to what the original series did?  It's hard to say.  The original series had a huge impact on a lot of people, especially me.  I was only ten at the time, and fascinated by science, so this hit me at the perfect time.  That's a little hard for the new series to live up to.
Thinking back to the first series, the first episode was a little slow, just like the new series...more of a tease for both than an actual episode.  Suffice it to say that I will tune in next week, and hopefully this one will pull me in like the original did.

The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sector Ten (Human Space)

The Human sector of space has now been charted in the latest installment of The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica:
The Humans are the newest species on the celestial block.  Some view them as a breath of fresh air, while others view them as being the biggest threat the galaxy has ever seen.  Now you can learn about the planets they’ve colonized, the systems that they couldn’t colonize, and the systems that they hope will lead them to galactic colonization (conquest).
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica will be a multi-volume collection looking at each sector of space.  The Encyclopedia continues with Sector Ten (Human Space).
Pick up your copy from us at http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/ephemeris-encyclopedia-galactica-sector-ten-human-space
or
Pick up your copy from DriveThruRPG at http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/127192/The-Ephemeris-Encyclopedia-Galactica-Sector-Ten-Human-Space

Holy crap! There's a teenager in the house!

My oldest turns 13 today.  That's absolutely unbelievable, and something that we're not entirely ready for.  We're so proud of the young woman she's becoming, but we hate watching her fall into a lot of the pitfalls that we fell into as teens.
I remember my teen years as a mix of good memories, and truly horrible memories.  Being a teenager is never easy, and I think for girls, especially in modern American society, the challenges are one hundred times worse than they are for teenage boys.  Still, we're doing everything we can to support her as she grows up, trying to help her avoid the mistakes we made as kids (and often failing miserably.)  We hope that she realizes that we will be here for her through the good choices and the bad choices, and we hope that she will come to us, instead of giving into some of the insane things her friends (or boys) might try to talk her into.
Needless to say, the next few years will be interesting...to say the least.
And just in case she's reading this instead of paying attention in class...Happy Birthday, Eryn! I love you.

GM's Day at DriveThruRPG

Now through March 8th all Nomadic Delirium Press RPG titles are on sale at DriveThruRPG for 30% off.  This includes all of the Ephemeris titles, as well as The Battle for Turtle Island.  If you haven't tried the games, this is a great chance to give them a shot.  If you are playing Ephemeris, then this gives you a chance to pick up some of the supplements for less than you'd normally pay.
Go to

E-book sale

March 2nd through March 8th you can get any of Nomadic Delirium Press's e-book titles for 25% off. Simply go to https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/nomadicdelirium and use coupon code REW25. This sale is good all week on any of their titles, and you can use it as many times as you might want to.
This sale includes one of my novels, two of my short story collections, all of the Ephemeris products, and several zines that I edited.  Grab them while you can!
 

The stitches are out

Alexis had her stitches removed Friday.  There's still a nasty bump by the scar, but the doctor says that's caused by her neck trying to adjust to the hyoid bone being removed, and over time, everything should go back to normal.
Overall, her health is good, and we've had the best outcome we could for.  We're just very glad that this ordeal is over, and we hope to never have to go through anything like it again.

February recap

EEG pictures
Busy day
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sector Twenty-One (Arbonix Space)
If only I'd had money
Why there are no black holes in the EEG
Surgery tomorrow
Healthcare in the 21st century
A reprint sale
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sector Nine (Tulmath Space)
The March issue of The Fifth Di...

The March issue of The Fifth Di...

The March issue of The Fifth Di... is now available.  This issue: The Fifth Di… features some of the best science fiction and fantasy fiction and poetry. In this issue: Henry Brasater, Wayne Carey, G.O. Clark, and many more.
You can order it from us at http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/fifth-di-march-2014/ and if you use coupon code "zines" it will be 20% off.
You can also order a variety of formats from Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/411191.

The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sector Nine (Tulmath Space)

The latest supplement in our Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica is now available:
The Tulmath are the most peaceful of the six species, focusing more on trade than on anything else.  They may want to dominate the other species economically, but they aren’t usually the type to go for military domination.   Now you can learn about the planets they’ve colonized, the systems they struggle to try to control, and the systems that they hope will launch them deeper into space.
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica will be a multi-volume collection looking at each sector of space.  The Encyclopedia continues with Sector Nine (Tulmath Space).
Order from us at: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/ephemeris-encyclopedia-galactica-sector-9-tulmath-space/
Order from DriveThruRPG at:

http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/126737/The-Ephemeris-Encyclopedia-Galactica-Sector-Nine-Tulmath-Space

A reprint sale

I've sold the reprint rights for my story "Origins" to Tales of the Talisman.  It will appear in their Winter issue...not this winter, but next winter.  This is a great magazine, and I always love when my work appears here.

Healthcare in the 21st century

After having two days of watching the American healthcare system in action, I'd have to say that I'm very disappointed.  The people who were responsible for Alexis' care were outstanding, some of them even amazing.  Everyone did everything they could to make a scared little girl, and her scared parents, as comfortable as they could.  The problem was that the hospital was horribly understaffed.  The first time she needed pain meds, they didn't have any of them on the floor, so they had to order them from the pharmacy.  That took about an hour and a half...which for pain, especially pain in a small child, is completely unacceptable.  The other problem was that there weren't enough nurses in her section of the hospital.  They were friendly and seemed skilled, but there were too many patients for them, so we had to remind them often of what she needed.  In fact, when it was time for us to be discharged, there was actually only one nurse working.  The desk was being run by a nurse who was supposed to be on her lunch break, so she was eating and working at the same time.
So, kudos to everyone for taking care of my little girl, but something needs to be done about staffing in hospitals.  I realize that a lot of this has to do with the insurance companies, and whether someone thinks Obamacare is the best thing to ever happen, or the worst, I think most people would agree that there is a desperate need for an overhaul of the insurance companies in this country.

Surgery tomorrow

Tomorrow will be Alexis' surgery.  The surgeon, of course, tells us how it's just a very routine and simple surgery, but there's nothing routine or simple about having your three year old operated on.  The surgery is expected to take 45-75 minutes, but I can already imagine that that will be the longest 45-75 minutes of our life.
She's expected to stay overnight, but we will hopefully be bringing her home on Thursday.  Obviously we will both be staying at the hospital tomorrow night, while the older girls stay with grandma and grandpa.
Even though she's young, she's expressed some fear about the surgery, so we're doing everything we can to keep her mind off of it.  Rebecca will be taking five days off, so we can both be here to help her recover.  We'll obviously be watching a lot of movies, especially a lot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles...her current favorites.

Why there are no black holes in the EEG

I've had a few people ask me why the volumes of the Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica don't include things like black holes, pulsars, quasars, nebulae, etc.  The answer is pretty simple.  When we designed the game we wanted it to be as close to hard SF as we could make it.  Yes, we did include hyperspace and yes, all of the species are basically at the same technological level, but those were necessary for the game.  All of the stars listed in each of the volumes are all actual stars, and we've done our best to use what modern science knows about those systems to create planets that might be realistic.  Granted, when we get to the systems that are more than 200 light years away, we're going to have to create some stars because it's a lot harder to see some of those stars (like G and M stars.)
Having said this, as far as science knows, there are no black holes, pulsars, quasars, or nebulae with a couple light years of us...so we didn't include them.  We want the game to be as realistic as possible.

If only I'd had money

Looking back to late 2012, early 2013, I can honestly say that I wish I'd had money at the time.  If I'd had money, I think I would have tried to talk Tyree Campbell into letting me take over Sam's Dot Publishing.  It was an amazing small press publisher, and when I see what's happened to it after Tyree left, I'm truly sad.
When I first started working for James Baker at ProMart, Tyree was an unpublished author, and then I picked up his first story, and the rest was history for him.  When Jim was sick in the hospital and dying of cancer, he'd really wanted me to take over ProMart, but I wasn't able to because of finances, but luckily Tyree stepped in and took the company to the next level and beyond.
Now, I wish I could have taken over and continued the things that Jim and Tyree started.  There would have been a lot of authors and editors who wouldn't have been left hanging.
Still, even if I can't save Sam's Dot (which I still wish I could), I'm going to do the best I can to keep Jim's dream alive at Nomadic Delirium Press.

The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica: Sector Twenty-One (Arbonix Space)

The latest supplement in our Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica is now available:
The Arbonix are the only race in the Ephemeris RPG that can fly.  They basically want peace, and the chance to colonize, but they’re ready for a fight when they need to be. Now you can learn about their sector of space. Learn about the planets they’ve colonized, the systems they battle to try to control, and the systems they’ve devoted to their religious need to find out about their origins.
The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica will be a multi-volume collection looking at each sector of space.  The Encyclopedia continues with Sector Twenty-One (Arbonix Space).
Order from us: http://nomadicdeliriumpress.com/blog/product/ephemeris-encyclopedia-galactica-sector-twenty-one-arbonix-space/ Use coupon code "ephemeris" to get 20% off.
Order from DriveThruRPG: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/126131/The-Ephemeris-Encyclopedia-Galactica-Sector-Twenty-One-%28Arbonix-Space%29

Busy day

Yesterday was quite the busy day.  Our middle child, Juliah turned nine, which is almost impossible to believe.  When I first met her, she was only two, and now here she is almost a tween.  So there was much cleaning, cooking, and baking yesterday...and as I look around the house today...I notice that it's quite trashed.  I guess I know what I'll be doing soon...
Yesterday was also Alexis' pre-op appointment.  There wasn't much to it.  The doctor asked if we had any questions.  He explained what was going to happen, and they gave us scrips for antibiotics and pain medication for after her surgery.  It's getting closer, and it's getting all too real...

EEG pictures

I've been asked a couple of times why we're using pictures of stars on the covers of The Ephemeris Encyclopedia Galactica when there are so many more dramatic images from space that we could use.  The simple answer is that each of the stars shown is actually in that sector...
Sector 3 is Miaplacidus
Sector 8 is AU Microscopii
Sector 13 is Zeta Doradus
We're not sure what the star will be for Sector 21 (Arbonix Space), but we wouldn't be surprised if it was Mizar...