Good news healthwise

Well, yesterday was pretty much good news, healthwise. Went in for a Heart Catheterization, to get some details regarding my Aortic Regurgitation, and see the status of my heart in advance of surgery.

Bicuspid (Most people have a TriCuspid) Aortic Valve has (recently?) started leaking. (Question on the recently, because I have never had any indication about it previously in my life, but also never had anything specifically looking at the heart in that detail. However, there has been no changes in the heart as a result of it.)
Yesterday confirmed that there is nothing else wrong with my heart, no blockages/narrowing. So while I should get the valve replaced sooner rather than later, it is not urgent enough that I have to get it right away.

This is good, as I will be able to fully fund my HSA next year, to cover most of the Out of Pocket costs. (This was >$600.00. Their 25% discount took it down enough that it was worth it to stick it on a credit card.

Time to RESEARCH!!!

Hy Hugo Ballot (so far)

(and mini reviews on some of them)

Novel:
1: Skin Game by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files, was the one I had the most fun reading. I think I have read the first book in the series, and a couple of comic series by Dynamite. javarod has the whole series, or at least most of it, and I am planning on reading the rest of the series. I've read a couple of mentions of adding series and sagas to the Hugo ballots. Dresden Files would definitely qualify for saga.)

2: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (Also enjoyable, though she overdid it on the names/titles a bit. There was a glossary at the back, though didn't know till I was done with the book (read e-book.) Steampunk level type world. Seems to have been a one shot. So I may switch these two at some point before the ballots are final.)

3: Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (translated by Ken Liu) Moderately interesting, and already reviewed.

4: Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie not bad, already reviewed.

5: No Award

Not voting for The Dark Between the Stars by Kevin J. Anderson. I was unable to actually finish it.


Best Novella (17,500-40,000 word stories)

1: "Flow" by Arlan Andrews Sr. (Analog, November 2014) Interesting. would be interested in reading more set in this world.

2: No Award

I am not voting for the other 4 nominees. 3(!) by John C. Wright and 1 by Tom Kratman. Basically, a boycott of Castalia House, the main backer of the Rabid Puppies slate. I wonder when the last time one author had a total of 5 works in the Hugo ballot. Something tells me whenever it was, the stories were MUCH better than Mr. Wright's.

Best Novelette (7500-17,500 word stories)
Not done reading them all yet.
Mostly they have been OK. Not really outstanding. Will probably vote no award, after some and before others. Will use all 6 slots.

Best Short Story (<7500 words)
Not done yet, includes 2 from Castalia House (including another by Mr. Wright) which will not be voted on.

I have also read proposals to consolidate the short fiction categories a bit, which would probably be good idea.