Was Reading. Instead, Headache

     This post was supposed to be about the nicest bunch of fictional vampires I have encountered -- though some of them are very bad indeed.  Octavia Butler's Fledgling is an unusual novel, written while she was recovering from writer's block encountered while researching material for additional novels in her harrowing Earthseed series and deliberately intended as "something lighter."  Of course, it is a murder-mystery--

     Lighter, perhaps, but no lightweight and a fascinating book.

     It's probably more fascinating if you don't read the last half of it while suffering from an intense bilateral earache/headache.  The pain woke me up in the very early hours and the timing of my OTC painkillers was such that I just had to ride it out.  It's probably caused by a combination of our up-and-down air pressure and, well, I may be grinding my teeth in my sleep again, thanks to some work-related stress that I can't do anything about.

     This morning's painkiller and a sinus rinse should be starting to take the edge off.  Any minute now.

     Please spare me the amateur doctoring in comments -- it won't be published.  This is what it is; I've spend lots of time and money with the professionals and it's nothing simple or easy.