Category Archives: Blog Post
Daily Update: A little birdie
My neighbor brought over a little bird this morning. It had fallen from a tree (or the sky) into her back yard. I’ve never raised a little bird, but she had to go to work and said she’d found a place that took in stray wildlife. Being the good neighbor I am I said I’d keep on eye on the little guy while she went to work. She was going to take it when she got back.
The little did well. Posed for a couple pictures. Drank drops of water from my finger tips. Declined any bread and being that I didn’t have any bugs I didn’t know what else to offer the little guy.
He spent the better part of the day either in a shoebox with a towel mat, or in my hand as it’s a little chilly and I wanted to keep him warm. By the time my neighbor arrived back home the little guy was having trouble keeping its head up and its cheep had gotten noticeably weaker. In the time it too the neighbor to get ready to drive it over to the place she’d called, the little guy gave up.
I barely knew you.
It’s now got a full time place in my back yard where I’m sure I’ll be either the victim of zombie birds later in the year, or I’ll be growing birdie flowers. Either way I did what I could. I feel bad I couldn’t do more for the little guy.
On the happier side, I didn’t write last night. Wait, that’s not happy. Crushing sinus pressure had me taking my good medicine last night. I think I got out maybe a dozen words and the pain had grown so much that it hurt just to sit up.
Why did my head hurt? It’s raining today and is supposed to rain through to the weekend. I don’t mind the rain. As a kid I loved the rain. The rain meant (and still means) release from sinus pressure and pain. The rains coming means that the low pressure system that brought it is moving on. There’s a little bit of sun right now, but I’m sure it’ll go away and we’ll have more rain later today.
As a kid I would play in the rain, swim in mud puddles, it didn’t matter. I would be outside and having a great time. My mom attributed this to me being a Cancer (a water sign). Now that I’m older I know better. It meant a clear(er) head and happier times. I celebrated the rain and enjoyed every part of it. I still do. It drives the wife and my favorite daughter when I’m wearing sandals in the rain and walk through puddles, but I love the feel of cold water on my feet. Always have, always will. As for cold water on the rest of my body, that’s a different story.
I don’t think there is anything going on tonight. At least I hope not. My favorite daughter had volleyball practice last night so between that and an achy head, well, you get the picture. Tonight should be different. At least that’s what I’m hoping.
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
Daily Update: Some days it’s never easy.
I almost let yesterday’s writing slip by. I sat, wrote two words, would get distracted, didn’t get back to it for a couple hours. Sat again, wrote a couple words, got distracted again. You get the picture.
We went and got the wife the new iPhone. She needed a new phone as hers had gone through the wash. Twice. It still worked, but the cracked screen cut her fingers more than once and who knows when it’ll finally give up the ghost. So rather than wait for the inevitable, we did the needful.
Siri is nice and I had to teach the wife to speak slowly to Siri. It wasn’t her accent that Siri didn’t understand, it was too many words in rapid succession. It’ll take getting used to, but she’ll get the hang of it I know. The wife is smart and adaptive.
I did not get a new phone. I still love my Atrix. It does all I need and more and I push it to its limits some times. I did a couple daily updates with it and I’m sorry for the number of typos that likely slipped past me. It autocorrects and odds are I missed something. I have a ‘voice command’ feature on it that I’ve never used. Seems like it’d be similar to Siri without the talking back part. I think. I’ll have to check it out as I’ve never used it.
Then there was gas, dinner, a visit, all distractions. It wasn’t until after 9PM that I actually got to writing and I burned through 45 minutes and got out just over 1000 words. I hit around 1700 on the day. Not too shabby, but I always feel like I could write so much more than I do.
In case you missed it, Unorthodox Writing Tips volume 1 is available all over the place. Here’s the smashwords link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/150171. It’s also over on Kindle and Nook. It covers the first 25 blog posts from this site as well as 6 unpublished episodes that were recorded as audio versions at Get Published. It’s around 25,000 words of advice goodness without telling you how to write words, but more how to inspire yourself to write words.
There are times I sit down to write these posts and I have a lot of negative thoughts. I think about money problems, bad drivers, people that make me angry, political rants, or just random negative thoughts. One thing I’ve tried to do is keep all that away from here. I want to project a positive light on what I’m doing with these daily posts. Hopefully you don’t think I poop sunshine every day. There are times when I just get worn down like everyone else. Some days I need a pick-me-up. Today feels like one of ‘those’ day. I think I need a shopping trip to Fry’s J
There’s a lot to do and I’d better get to doing it.
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
Daily Update: Home Again
Yesterday was another fun-fill day in Lemoore. I didn’t know how I could top seeing a giant of a horse, but it was still a great day.
My nephew (my wife’s niece’s husband) took the guys on a tour of the ‘other’ side of the base where he works. I was within touching distance of an F-14 Tomcat. When I say working, I’ve been next to F-14s before, but not one in full working order. I’ve been on the Midway museum and those were sterile, locked-down planes. This one was a working model. I so wanted to take a picture of it, the base, the weapons, the bunkers, etc, etc, but I had to contain myself and realize that pictures are not permitted.
Even though I spent time in the military, I had decided it wasn’t a lifestyle fit for me. Even though I chose to leave the military, I still have a great respect for those that serve. It’s an outstanding tradition and these men and women put their lives on the line each day. It’s no small feat and each person is a small part of a much larger whole. Take some time to thank a military person whenever you have a chance. Even if you don’t agree with U.S. policy or position, these men and women are doing what is asked of them and getting little in return for risking their lives.
That being said, the Lemoore NAS is awesome! It’s nice to see a base that does it right. I spent time on several bases and during my time these bases were old, run down, and in much needed repair. I don’t know if that’s even happened, but the buildings I stayed in were from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. So the newest building I had set foot in during my time was at least 20 years old. Lemoore NAS is a up-to-date, in great shape, and has a lot of nice perks for military families.
We left the base for a service. I had thought we were going to the base chapel, but we went off base. We went on a drive to the church and sat through a service. I could say a number of things I didn’t like about the service, but I won’t. The kids had a great time looking for eggs, breaking a piñata, and socializing. That’s what it was about for me; the kids.
We went back and had a Sunday ham. Oh, I like me some ham you’d better believe it. It was during the time the food was being prepared that my nephew needed to go to the store and get some rolls. This was when all the guys piled into the car and got our tour of the ‘other’ side of the base. We were gone for about an hour (maybe a little longer) getting rolls, but we had a good time looking at all the big toys.
After eating it was the long good-byes. We finally got on the road around 2:30PM or 3PM and started on our way. Three stops and a lot of light traffic and we were home. Well, we dropped off my in-laws anyway. Then we headed over to see The Millicans and have another thanksgiving dinner that couldn’t be beat. Oh, wait. No. We got to hear of their Julian adventures, be envious about the apple pies and apple dumplings, and apple this and apple that. My favorite daughter received a very nice Easter Basket with lots of candy and a bottle of homemade root beer. We will have to make a trip so I can fill my fridge with some homemade root beer one day soon. Oh, and an apple pie or two.
Perhaps you don’t know about Julian. It’s a small town (very small) that’s know for its apples. So if you can make it with apples, they make it. For the size of the town, they get a lot of traffic, but if you time it right, you can get in, do walk from end to end, and be eating pie, lunch, buy some goodies, and be on your way back home before the masses arrive for dinner (or supper). If you live in the area and have never been, you owe it to yourself to head on up there. During the winter, they even have snow J
I need to get back into the work groove. So far no strike has been called. That’s a good thing. If a strike does occur, it’ll impact my life in many ways even though I’m not a Union member. Let’s hope a resolution can be achieved.
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
Daily Update: Zombie wife and the world’s largest horse.
One of the things I forgot to mention yesterday was an interesting dream I had. It made the wife and my favorite daughter laugh. I have those really odd dreams that defy explanation.
So I am in some weird house. I’m not even sure where or why I was in this strange house. But my wife had been turned into a zombie and wanted to eat my brains. She chased me through the house and trapped me in a closet. I decided that the best thing to do was buy my way out of the situation. I had $300 in my pocket (which is odd cuz I never carry money.) So I gave her $100 to leave me alone.
She decided that $100 was enough to not eat my brains. I felt a little more relaxed except there were a lot more zombies out there. I took her to a restaurant where zombies get cured. My favorite daughter had the same idea for her friend, the Millican’s younger daughter. We ate, they got cured…
Then the wife woke me up. She had a kink in her neck so her head was cocked to one side. It took me a moment to realize that I had been woken up and not talking to my zombie wife.
We had driven 6 hours from San Diego to Lemoore NAS. It wasn’t a difficult trip and we got lucky to escape any major traffic.
Day 2 or our Easter Adventure and we had Carne asada. Oh yeah. I love me some Carne asada. No one told ne the salsa was habanero salsa until I was turning red from my first taco. Woo! Tasty but man o man was it hot.
Later in the day we took a walk down to see the horses. I’m not normally intimidated by horses but when you see a sign that says World’s Largest Horse it’s hard not to be intimidated.
The horse stood taller at the shoulder than I am. I posted a pic to facebook and Twitter. He was kind, gentle, and old. A great horse that didn’t smell too bad and very well cared for. The owner said the horse, I wish i’d gotten the horses name, used to be one of the buddweiser horses and did a stint at seaworld.
After getting my picture taken it was off to see the younger clydesdales. The ponies, both also taller than I am, were in a pen with a white tape instead of a normal fence. I had seen so.e kids touch the fencing, but I didn’t touch the tape while petting the massive horses.
Until one walked away and I coaxed him back so I could pet him some more. I had the tape in ny armpit and could just reach to scratch the horse’s nose. The some one slapped my in the arm out and I got a shock from the horse’s nose on my fingertips. Needless to say the horse didn’t like that and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
My brothers in law laughed at me as I came to the realization that the tape was a new kind of electrical fence. My shoes didn’t allow me to be grounded and get a shock, but touching the fence and a horse did. YEOUCH!
Later on that day we played spoons, but…
Until Tomorrow!
Woo Woo!
Daily Update:In Lemoore
Greeting from Lemoore NAS. We left home yesterday at around 5am. Stopped off at the in-laws and picked them up and we were on the road around 5:45. Luckily we didn’t hit any traffic and before you know it we were stopping for breakfast just north of six flags magic mountain.
When the wife and I were dating we used to get season passes to Magic Mountain and go any weekend we could. We’d get a hotel room and go for two or three days. Heck, we would be some or the first in line before they would let cars in and we would be there until they started shutting thing down and asked us to leave. I remember one time we convinced the Viper ride operators to send us four time in a row with out getting off the ride.
But I ‘m getting sidetracked.
So before you know it we were stopping once again because I forgot to get gas when we stopped for breakfast. Whoops. And all in all it took us just under 6 hours to arrive in bright and sunny Lemoore. Now when I say bright and sunny I did not say warm. Good grief was it cold. I brought shorts and short sleeve shirts cuz it was supposed to be warm. Ah well.
We came to Lemoore NAS because the wife’s niece’s husband is stationed here. They’ve got four kids and weren’t able to come down for Easter. It’d been a while sine we have seen them so a bunch of us packed up to come see them. I think 13 of us in all so just a small contingent of the family.
It was great to see the kids. I love tossing them into the air and they lo e being tossed in the air. So far I have a perfect track record without dropping one child or bumping on into the ceiling. Hopefully I wont break that streak.
We had a strange snack that had some grain that I never had before with lots if veggies in it. Good stuff. I think it was a vegan dish. We had pizza for dinner. Oh yeah.
We are staying on base in what used to be old Navy barracks and is now a Navy Hotel. It is really nice and I can tell the y used to be barracks. Nice barracks though. Not as much concrete as I remember from my days. Very comfortable and great accommodations.
I will lost more about our adventures and my encounter with the world’s largest horse tomorrow.
Until Tomorrow!
Woo Woo!
Daily Update: I’ve played buffet before.
Once upon a time I used to be able to do some damage at a buffet. I’d get my dessert (life is short, eat dessert first). Then I’d move on to at least three plates of main courses, maybe some salad, and back to more dessert.
Last night it was buffet night. As I mentioned earlier in the week, we were planning on having dinner with some good friends. Apparently this was a surprise to the Millican who wondered who those good friends were and if he was invited. Apparently his wife never told him he was going.
Barona, in case you didn’t know, is a local casino. A little gambling happened. But the line was so short that we were seated before we knew it. While the ladies and the kids got their food, I got a piece of cherry pie and some cookies. The Millican and I started out right.
My first plate started out humbly enough. Normally it would be piled high and go down fast. I had some turkey skewers, a sausage, some mac and cheese and a couple other smaller items. I discovered grilled pears in brown sugar. Oh yeah! Those were awesome.
The second plate was a small salad. I mean not much at all. Oh, and I had a couple pieces of sushi. Let me tell you that following up eel rolls and wasabi with a chocolate chip cooked is a bad idea.
Then I got a plate with some roast beef and mashes potatoes. I love me some mashes potatoes and gravy. But I felt full. I mean really full. I still got a dessert plate and a half dish of ice cream.
The pain afterwards made me quite uncomfortable. I’d been full before, but not like this. I have never eaten so much that it made me sick but last night I though bad things were in store. I have eaten twice that amount in the past. Last night I just couldn’t hang with the big boys though.
On the writing front, I got my 2000 words knocked out. My Teacher is a Werewolf is coming along nicely. I think I’m at about the half way point with the story. I’m going to have fun keeping this series going.
Speaking of keeping things going, I have a great idea of where Golden West will be going. I had a vague idea of where I was going with it, but now the idea is a lot more fully formed. As soon as I get done with My Teacher is a Werewolf I’ll be diving back into Golden West.
This morning was up very early. We headed to Lemoore. We’ll be spending the weekend here. More news on that…
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
Daily Update: I can do so much better.
I keep having this nagging sensation that I’m letting myself down during this entire Lent season. Yes, I set a goal of 2000 words per day. Even though I did 3500 words yesterday, I still don’t fell like it was enough. Between distractions and other commitments it’s tough to start and stop. I’m getting better at it though.
Having your flow interrupted is painful. It’s like cruising down the freeway and having a tire blow out. It’s not a matter of getting back on the road, but how fast you can get back on the road. After getting three or four flats in a row, it gets harder and harder to get back on that road.
That being said, it should also be getting easier each time, right? I feel like each time I stop writing I should be able to hop back into it faster. Unfortunately it’s just the opposite. I get frustrated, I get upset, I lose focus, and after several interruptions it’s over. I can’t focus or get any more words out. I’m trying to correct this as I know things will happen. I need to be able to focus on those 5, 10, and 15 minutes of downtime to produce words. If I’m going to have a successful JuNoWriMo and NaNoWriMo I need to work at short busts.
I also need to start typing faster. My last speed test was ~60 words pre minute. That’s pretty good, and I know I’m capable of better. I’m looking at what’s slowing me down while I write and taking steps to overcome those or find ways around them. It’ll take time and practice, but that’s what this entire year is about, right? Practice, getting my writing chops back, getting my work out there, getting myself out there. Proving to myself that I have what it takes to be an author, not just a writer.
In other news, my favorite daughter had a couple of awesome practices the past couple of days. I’m SUPER proud of how she did. I told her last night “You don’t realize how high you’re jumping, do you?” She didn’t. There’s an archway in front of our complex and she jumps to try and touch it each night. When she’s not thinking about it and just jumps she can touch the numbers on the plaque. When she’s thinking too hard, she can just touch the arch. I keep telling her to stop thinking about it and just do it.
Getting back to me (this is a blog about me, isn’t it?) I’ve been telling myself the same thing. Stop thinking about it and just do it. I need to quit distracting myself and take those few minutes here and few minutes there and when I have a chance, type furiously. This is how I wrote 100 short stories in a year. This is how I wrote a 60,000 book in a week. By taking advantage of every minute I could and just typing without thought and just letting the words happen.
Of course, I didn’t have some of the personal things in my life happening that I do now. It’s a matter of finding that clear moment in my thoughts and just letting it all go. Realizing that I don’t need a 1, 2, or 3 hour block to pound out a large number of words. All those 5, 10, 15 minute segments will add up and I’ll get more words done. It’s amazing when you really think about how much free time you really have in a day.
Oh, in other happy news. I have this belt. Let’s call it belty. It’s a BIG belt (as in goes around my waist big) and long ago in a house far, far away I had to put a new notch in it. Well, that notch hasn’t seen much action lately as I hadn’t needed a belt to hold up my pants. Recently that notch got some use down around my hips. Yesterday it got some us up around my waist. I’ve always said a waist is a terrible thing to mind, but gee, shedding a few pounds and seeing my clothes fit better (or just plain fit) has done wonders for my outlook. I may get a little grumpy at times, but I’m getting over that. I think more of that stems from putting pressure on myself to produce words.
Walking the past few days (did I mention I’m walking again?) has helped clear some cobwebs. It’s nice to get out there and just let the old mind wader, get some fresh air, and get the old heart pumping. Not shin splints yet, and hopefully I’ll be able to avoid them this time around by going VERY slow and building up even slower. It’ll take time, I know, and I don’t want to hurt myself again. That really sucked.
On even happier news, I demoed what I’d been working on (actual work) to my boss’s boss and she was very happy with what she saw. I’ll have a very relaxing weekend knowing that I still have a week of development and the project is pretty much complete. I’ll be doing a lot of tweaking of code, fine tuning queries, and just making it a happier application.
So even though I’m a little down about missing my Lent goal (by around 20,000 words) I can’t be too disappointed that I only wrote (67,876 as of this writing). My goal was 88,000 for the entire Lent period. I missed, but I got nearly 80% of my goal over the forty some odd days of Lent. I have a lot of gaps in fiction output, but still have a running streak of blog posts and Unorthodox Writing Tips. I won’t be breaking that streak. I’ve got 3 UWT in the can (scheduled) so I won’t miss. They’re now coming out on Friday. If all goes well we’ll see the first UWT ebook released in the coming days. I’ve asked Dan Dan the Art Man for another cover. I’m sure it’ll look awesome! He’s good like that.
There is a lot to do and only a little time to do it. So…
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
Daily Update: Trying not to be overwhelmed.
It’s easy to have a lot going on. When it comes to my writing I have a lot going on. There’s also a lot going on with my work life and my home life as well. It’s easy to say “Oh, I’ll just keep track of that in my head” but it’s so easy to lose track of something. I have been getting better about writing things down to keep track and it does help.
Even so, I still feel overwhelmed. I feel like I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. I almost would rather not be so busy, but I know the rewards waiting for me at the end far outweigh the crushing feel of everything I’ve piled on myself. I’ve got lofty goals, and I’m getting them done. I really am.
That’s what I keep telling myself and looking at my word count spread sheet I can see the results. I’m on a diet and losing weight. Putting on clothes and seeing them hang on me versus forcing the fabric to extremes is a visual confirmation that I’m doing the right thing. Tracking my walking progress (walked yesterday, slowly, but I walked) helps me see how much time and distance I’m putting in. I’m a very visual person apparently.
This helps me keep track of what I’m doing and how well I’m doing, but I still have moments of when I sit down and my brain wants to play Angry Birds (even though I’ve solved all the current levels) or play Plants vs Zombies (even though I’ve solved all the levels). Sometimes my brain just isn’t into the task at hand. I’m working on a better way to get into the groove and be as ambitious as I was at the beginning of the year. I’ve been derailed a couple of times and I’ve done my own fair share of self-sabotage in getting started again. The only constant I’ve had has been getting these daily blog posts out. I’ve got that steady stream unbroken since the start of the year and I’ll keep it going.
The other goal I’ve kept going is Unorthodox Writing Tips. I’ve managed one a week since I started. I’m proud of that. I’ll be assembling them all together in an ebook when I hit 25. I’ll let you know when I drop that one out there. I’ve also gotten out a good number of short stories. I need to get more out. I’m having a blast watching the number of them that go out. I’ve gotten a few good reviews which always makes a writer happy.
Even so, it’s easy to ask “Why?” which is what I’m doing lately. Not sure what my brain is going though. I know the overall goal is to see a book published by a major publisher and it’s difficult waiting game. I think that might be what’s getting to me. Waiting. It weighs on your mind, pushes all other thoughts aside. I should push it aside.
Right. That’s what I’m going to do. Put the waiting aside and out of my head for now and press onward. I’ve got a lot of other projects that require my attention. I’ll distract myself so the waiting stops killing my brain J
Thank you for listening. I just had to get that off my chest. Now to make that word count meter go in the right direction a little more.
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
Daily Update: Hey!
Last night I didn’t do any writing. Darn it. I did, however, have a couple great skype chats and got a little bit of audio edited. Okay, I got a lot of audio edited. Well, the same audio multiple times really. If you’ve ever done a podcast you know that it’s not just record and post (unless it’s a chat/interview) and requires multiple takes, editing, processing, and listening through for errors. Usually it’s 3-4 times it takes to record.
So what did I edit? Well, I had recorded my part of the Action Pack Podcast the night previous and last night I got the audio edited and prepared, then I spent the next three hours producing the podcast. OH! Hey!
THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE ACTION PACK PODCAST IT OUT! GO GET IT NOW NOW NOW! http://actionpackpodcast.com
Enough with the yelling.
Also head on over here (http://www.ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com/)to Tee and Pip’s site for the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences. You’ll see their latest announcement of the upcoming Tales of the Archives coming over the next few weeks. Hop on over there. Buy a book, but a short story, check out the first volume of short stories. Trust me, it’s worth it.
So, again, I didn’t get any writing done. Darn it. Yes, that Lent goal is slipping away. I’m sure I’ll be smitten (smited? Smithed? Smythed? Smothered? Whatever) due to my lack of commitment. I’m still days ahead of my annual goal and I’m not slipping there, but I’m not getting ahead of the game either. This is kind of when I wanted to punch out a lot of words during the Lent season. This weekend will see light updates from me. Sorry about that. I will update. I will get words out. Just very few.
All of my projects have my with high excitement levels. This makes it very painful to not be writing fiction. Watching the word count slip is one thing. Not fulfilling my need to produce fiction is difficult. How will I get over that? I’ll have to take a day and do some binge writing. See just how many words I can crank out in a day. This week it’s not likely to happen. My favorite daughter has a BBQ today, practice tonight, practice tomorrow, we have dinner with friends on Thursday evening, and we’ll be up at 5am Friday to head of to Lemoore to spend Easter weekend with family up there.
There’s a lot going, so I just need to find a few minutes here, a few minutes there and write what I can during this week. It’ll be challenging. I won’t have a block of an hour or two to sit. I’ll have to make use of whatever time I do have available.
On the non-writing side, I saw a clip for Space Battleship Yamato 2199. http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/scifi/watch-10-minutes-space-battleship-yamato-2199-battle-footage.html. I LOVED this show as a kid. I didn’t get to watch the entire thing until I was an adult (just a few years ago) and I can’t wait to see the remake. From the looks of it, they’re sticking true to the original story/theme. It’s in Japanese so I can’t understand what they’re saying. Darn it. I’m hopeful a translation/subtitled version will be forthcoming. I will purchase this collection!
Watching it got me to thinking if this was what Battlestar Galactica used as a basis. That got me to thinking of Battlestar Galactica and Almos. That got me thinking of a story my dad told me of being at a dental convention and seeing someone that looked exactly like Almos. He introduced me to the man and it turned out he was actually Almos’s cousin. It’s such a small world. Then I missed my dad and thought about him for a little while.
You never really think about the influence some people have had on your life until they’re gone. I miss my dad. Some days more than others.
I should post another story about Uncle Bob. As long as I’m thinking about it.
Uncle Bob’s motto in life is why stand when you can sit (he used to carry a folding chair around with his) and why sit when you can lay down. When at home he will lay down instead of sitting in a chair.
My dad and Uncle Bob were roommates for a while. My dad had given Bob money to go buy groceries while my dad went to work. Bob found a great deal so when my dad got home there was a wedding cake sitting on the table. Bob had two forks (one in each hand) and was eating like there was no tomorrow.
There were other times my dad would come home and Bob, a great artist, would have drawn something like a wrench. My dad said he saw two wrenches sitting on the table holding down a piece of paper. When he tried to pick up the two wenches, he only got one. The other Bob had drawn.
Unfortunately Uncle Bob is quite insane (paranoid schizophrenic) and cannot function normally. He had joined the Navy and gotten a section 8 discharge (also called a Psyche discharge). During his testing he was dressed in a hospital gown and not one of the modern ones that cover you all up but one that’s open in the back, and he decided that he didn’t want to be there so he ran away. Down the street. And it took them a couple hours to catch him and bring him back.
Oh, I’ve got more little stories about Uncle Bob. I’ll share them at a later time. He’s a fun and colorful character. I guess I should get to getting…
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
Daily Update: Ever have one of those days?
It hasn’t been one of those days. At least not yet. It’s been one of those weeks. Every time I think I’ll have a little time for sit and write, or record, or get something done on a project, the time evaporates and whoops, nothing got done. Not just nothing, but less than nothing. Sure I got my blog posts out (almost missed a day) but my production this week has lacked severely.
This week isn’t looking much better. With Easter weekend coming, my favorite daughter out of school for the week, and traveling up to Lemoore (a few hours north of LA) on Friday morning. This will also be a light week. Hopefully I’ll be able to get some meaningful writing done between now and them.
On the plus side, I spent a great deal of time with the Millicans, watched my favorite daughter have a couple awesome practices, took a great walk and will walk more from now on, and had some quality family time. I also got to see the Three Musketeers (awesome, go see it). So I don’t count the missed writing time as a loss.
What have I discovered about myself this week? That I’ve gotten into a writing groove. That it pains me when I cannot write. I get antsy. I tap my fingers on any surface thinking about what I’d be writing. I translate scenes in my head and try to add humor to them and how I would include it into a story. No matter how hard I try, I need to write, not just want to write.
I really do love writing. I love all aspects about it. Watching my word count pass me by is difficult at best. I struggle to get up early and write, and it has been a struggle lately. When I was walking I found it easier to get up. Now that the wife and I are walking, I’m hoping that I’ll sleep better and wake up more refreshed. As it stands, waking up is difficult.
Some of the funny things I did the past week. Yesterday, April Fool’s Day, The Millican and I took his son shoe shopping. His son joked “My two dads are taking me shopping.” So when we went into one store and a sales clerked came over and offered assistance I said “Oh, we’re just looking for shoes for our son.” She smiled, The Millican and his son both had to turn away because they were laughing. The girl looked a little puzzled and left. I went into the corner and burst out laughing. I’m not sure how I managed to say it with a straight face.
Second funny thing: I’ve got annoying neighbor dogs. One is blind and loves to bark. She’ll bark at the wind blowing through the trees, cars honking, the sound of a door opening. She’ll bark at darned near anything. The other dog isn’t blind and doesn’t bark nearly as much. One day I decided to remove the doggie door (there was a draft) and when I leaned it against the fence and peeked over at the two dogs, the sighted of the two dogs barked at me. I hid behind the glass of the doggie door and she cocked her head to the side. I peeked out, bark. Hid, cocked head. I was pretty sure she could see me and for some reason found this a game to play and did so several times during the day with the same result each time. Well, I was amused.
Even though it’s been a tough and low productivity week I’ve kept my humor level high and just had fun with it. I know I can’t stress out about goals. I’m ahead of my annual goal. I know I’ll make that one. So I missed on the Lent goal. I’m not even going to try and fight it at this point. I will still put down as many words as possible, but I’m not going to fight it. I will post my final Lent numbers next Monday. I’m still happy with the result even if I don’t produce another word. Speaking of producing words.
Until Tomorrow!
WOO WOO!
J.R. Murdock 