That's all

We might as well roll up the streets on the month of January.  This being the last day of the first month of the new year pretty much says it all, even if it is a mouthful.  That's it for now.  Whatever we went into this month thinking about doing, well, the time has passed on that first deadline, milestone, marker.  January is pretty much done.
But no worries.  Look.  Another month is behind this page on the calendar.  That's right.  And what if the days all get blurred together and I'm not sure if today is Friday or if it's Wednesday?  What's on for today?  Didn't do it yesterday?  Well, how about today?
Maybe a slight amount more focus might be in order but as far as January is concerned?  That's all folks!
TT

Give it a stab

I am working through my last few 10 minute writing assignments.  I knew the next one was dialogue and I wasn't worried about it since I've used that quite a bit even in my other assignments.  Then I read the assignment.  But first, the lesson tells you about direct and indirect dialogue.  You know, direct is when each character talks to each other.  "Blah, blah," said Caroline.  "Blah, blah, back," said Henry.  And indirect can be, Henry went on for hours with his blah, blah, back.  Got it?  Simple enough.

And then the assignment:  Write their conversation...a woman has kidnapped a baby (why?  you decide).  Her husband comes home, finds his wife changing diapers in the living room, and wants to know what's going on.

Really?  I don't know about this.  I really don't want to make it harder than it is but a kidnapped baby?  Oh, no.  I should try to stay focused and give it a first stab but I'm developing a bad attitude about this subject matter.  Agghhh.  Do I really want to write this?  No.  Not really.  But, it's only a 10 minute assignment.  But I only get out of it what I put in.  So I should give it a stab - but I am not really feeling it.

You know...it looks nice enough to go for a run about now.  I think I'll get more out of that at the moment and I will have to think about the other.
No wonder I haven't finished these assignments yet.
TT 

Progress

Time for me to do a little catching up.
I slept much later than normal today so I guess I was catching up on some much needed rest.  I already completed all of Jay's bookkeeping for last year so I am caught up on that.  There are basic laundry and cleaning I need to do.  I have more miles to pound out, too.
According to my reading meter on goodreads.com I am 'on track' for reading 100 books this year.  I am not worried about catching up with that.  It happens without any effort.  Sometimes the hardest part is picking which books to read.  And then there is the writing.
I'm not exactly sure where to go with it again.  I have a couple of 10 minute writing lessons I need to finish so that will be a good start.  I will, of course, spend more than 10 minutes on each.  I always do, but I think I need to clear that slate.  I should have been finished with all of them by this past Wednesday and I still have four to complete. 
Then, I guess, I need to decide on a solid project.  I need to keep up with revising by first draft but then I want to do a shorter, full length story.  Shorter.  More focused.  More developed.  But simpler.
I don't know what about yet or who will be in it but I want a simple plot that hinges on the main character desire.  And I will go from there.  It'd be nice to hash it out with someone else but hey, the reality is that I've got me. 
I have some catching up to do and the sooner I start the better it will be. 
TT

Gloppy

I've been doing a lot or reading lately.  Mostly, I've been reading a lot of just filling the time type of books.  Nothing special, nothing really exciting.  They have been books by authors I know but old.  No - the authors aren't old, or maybe they are, but I meant the books I have been reading by them are old.  I have been reading some of the early books by authors I read now.
Two of these authors actually started out writing some kind of romance novels.  One in particular was massively published by Silhouette.  If you aren't familiar with Silhouette Publishing just look at those paperbacks with the passionately entangled couples on the covers that you see while waiting in the grocery check-out line.  They are usually short, inexpensive and well, gloppy.  Yes - gloppy is how I would review most of them, if not all.  Their only goal is to take two characters and get them together romantically.  All else in the story is totally immaterial.  Really.  And I was surprised when I read this one by an author that has come so far to find it was so poor.  Wow.  She has come a long way. 
The premise of this story was a young woman looking for the father she hadn't seen in 15 years.  She uses her last bit of money to fly from Paris to Hawaii to find him which she does.  But she doesn't spend any time with him while she is there.  She is shown around the island instead by his handsome, much younger, richer, business partner.  He is supposed to be very intelligent and much needed at work, yet he is taking all kinds of time off to show her this and that.  They get close, then they argue, then she leaves in a humpf back to Paris without saying goodbye to her father and doesn't write to him for two weeks after.  But the two get together in the end.  No, not the father and daughter...the two passionately entangled couple on the cover of the book.  That was all, it seems, that mattered.
 I don't know.  It probably doesn't help me much to read these.  I don't want to read bad books by good authors.  Gloppy.  Just plain gloppy.
TT

Bring it

I had another run around the block this afternoon!  It wasn't fast, it wasn't long, only a three miler, but it felt so good to be out there.  Let's keep this up for a consistent while and I might get used to this.  The weather is holding up as promised so far and I will take it every day - bring it on.
TT

Late

I'm caught it an all-out rush and tumble this morning!  Did I try to pack too many things into one cube of time this morning?  Yes.  And now I'm late - and still trying to fit more things in before I head out and even then I need to make a stop and even though it's close it will eat into the already time I am late. 
So...then...instead of being at my desk at what most people would think is the most odd-gawful time of 6:30 I will be there at what?  all of 6:45? I think I can handle the extra 15 minute deficit without all the drama.  Don't you?
TT

Great weather

Finally, finally! What great weather and I didn't pause for a moment when I got home to change up and run out.  Run out around my block and do a simple three miler in this weather that finally broke and gave me this opportunity.  Finally, finally!  And it's supposed to last all week. 
But I've got a few things I need to get done now and can't stop here...just couldn't believe after waiting all month for these great weather days and finally!  Looking for more.
TT

Much better

This past three day weekend roared through with plenty of goings-on and I still managed to sweep up the streets and put everything in place before this morning.  I don't think there was much time to pause and think about what needed to be done because most of the time was spent doing it.  And yet some things weren't what you might expect me to be doing.  These were things beyond the normal things.

And yet I'm not thinking about the things that were put aside.  There was some nice balance for a change and I'm beginning to think there are a whole lot of things I need to be expanding into or returning to once again.  Things I've put off and not done for a while that I used to do before.
So much to look forward to.  This past weekend was very productive and at the same time very restful.  I'm looking forward to the week ahead and, of course, the coming weekend.  So much to do, so much to look forward to.  So much better.
TT

Deflated balloons

Hey everyone.  It's mid-month already!  The first month of 2013 and we have arrived at the mid-marker.  How are those resolutions going?  How are those things that we pledged we would do and improve and stick with coming along?  It's easy for me to say those things since I didn't pledge or promise or say I would stick with anything.  I've done that before. 
I'm not doing that this year.  The problem I have with pledges and promises isn't that I make them and stick to them meticulously to get them done.  Oh no.  My problem is that I suck all the joy I could possibly get out of those things until they lie lifeless at my feet, like a deflated balloon, gasping for it's last breath.  Yeah, I know, balloons don't gasp for breath but you get the idea.  I make so many rules about how I will get through my own pledge and raise the bar continuously higher it becomes a lesson in frustration.  It gets to the point that no matter how very well I do...It never is good enough.
So my pledge, my promise, my resolve this year is not to stop the things I want to happen.  No.  You heard right.  I'm not walking away from any of the things I would like to achieve.  Not at all.  The difference is that I will not push myself around about them.  The highest goal I have is to work on all my resolves but to reap the highest amount of happiness and fulfillment out of them.  To realize the achievements as I make them and not dilute them down because they have just been upped by my mere achievement of them and that I have set a new goal in place that I haven't met yet. 
I don't know what is making me so thoughtful this morning.  Excuse me.  I have some balloons at my feel I need to resuscitate.
TT

Tessa at work

They say timing is everything.

Jay seems to have an incredible sense of timing.  He cut out this cartoon from the newspaper and showed it to me this morning.

I took it and looked at it and read it.  Go ahead, take a look at it. 

Pretty incredible he would find this and then think of me.  I asked him what he made of it?  He started to mumble something I couldn't get him to repeat. 

Don't get any ideas.  I haven't exactly started chopping firewood and I haven't taken up smoking cigarettes.  The dog won't come into the room but she will curl up at the top of the stairs when I am in here.

Now the picture above is my actual desk.  It faces the windows just like in the cartoon.  I sit in the chair much like the wood chopping novelist and although there aren't cords of wood littering the room I am still struggling with the novel as the rain pours down.
This is just a little uncanny.  Did this cartoonist take a peek into my room?  Did he know I have been filling up time with other duties instead of working through the revisions I keep thinking about?  Should I take up smoking? 

What did Jay say when I asked him what he made of it?

Wait a minute.  I'm a cartoon character.
TT

The Odd Roommate

Fiction - Why not a diversion?  Something I cooked up as part of my lessons. 


It had been pure luck that Kristy happened to meet Jennifer at yoga class.  Kristy had seen her there before and they were sitting at the juice bar afterward the way they had a few  times prior.  They always seemed to find something to laugh about and this time Jennifer mentioned she was considering a roommate to share expenses.  It was perfect timing for Kristy.  She thought about how much money she could save if she didn’t renew her lease on the pricey apartment she had.  “Come on,” urged Jennifer.  “We can go over right now.”
Kristy checked her watch and shook her head, “I’ve got an appointment in an hour. Maybe we can go when I have more time.”
“No, no,” said Jennifer standing up.  “We can go now,” said Jennifer excitedly.  “It’s just a block away.”  Kristy glanced at her watch again but quickly decided to go ahead and they soon were walking over as they giggled about yoga and expenses the entire way.
Jennifer put the key into the lock and opened the door wide.   “Come on in.  I’ll show you around.” Kristy walked in and stood with her mouth gaping open and  her eyes wide in amazement.  It looked like a magazine article.  The expensive cream colored sofa was centered in the room with a coffee table of dark wood in front of it. The matching side chairs had colorful pillows on each and a small table in between.  While Kristy gaped at the living room Jennifer closed the door and walked off to the small kitchen on the right.  She came back and outstretched her arm to hand a bottle of water to Kristy.  “Here,” she said, “You need to hydrate.”
Kristy took the bottle and twisted the cap.  “Thanks, Jennifer.  This place is gorgeous,” she said as she looked around and took a sip of the water.  She slowly walked through the living area glancing from floor to ceiling until she reached an archway and peeked into a beautifully appointed bedroom.  Kristy didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she started to speak.  “Would this be my bedroom?” Kristy asked excitedly as she turned back to Jennifer.
“Oh, no,” said Jennifer sternly as she crossed the distance and pointed Kristy to the other door.   Kristy took a last, longing glance at the white lace that draped the four poster canopy bed and French armoire before following Jennifer into the second bedroom.  As Kristy looked through the doorway of the second room Kristy wasn’t sure she was in the same apartment.  She blinked and took a step back as if needing to brace herself.  The  room was decorated very minimalist with a steel framed bed and glass topped night stand.  Plain blinds were the only window coverings but managed to block out all light and the gray carpet on the floor looked industrial.
“Oh,” said Kristy.   “It’s different from the rest of the rooms.”  She tried to bite back her words but added, “I can bring some of my furniture over to soften the look.”  Jennifer was frowning and shaking her head firmly.  “No.  I’ve set it up this way and I told you it came furnished.  We would need to leave things as they are.”
Jennifer turned in a huff and stiffly walked back into the living area as Kristy took another look at the cold room.  She shivered slightly as she went to sit across from Jennifer on the sofa but before Kristy could sit down Jennifer popped out of her chair with her arms outstretched, “Wait,” she shouted almost angrily.  She rushed over and brought out a towel that she spread on the cream sofa and then motioned Kristy to sit.  Kristy watched as Jennifer went back to her chair and sat down.  A shallow smile slowly crossed Jennifer’s lips as if nothing was bothering her as she asked, “So this is your last semester?”
Kristy slowly lowered herself to land directly onto the towel and scrunched her brows together in a frown. “Yes.”
“How exciting.  Your last semester until you graduate.  What have you been studying?”
Kristy tried to relax and leaned forward a bit.  “I will be a veterinarian.  I have a job lined up with a doctor at the animal clinic to start after graduation.  This apartment is really close to the location.”
Kristy noticed the neatly stacked magazines on one corner of the coffee table and a beautiful glass ornament.  She placed her water bottle down on the coaster on the table and reached over to examine the glass ornament more closely when Jennifer abruptly stood up again.  “Don’t touch that.”
Kristy tensed up and pulled back her hand as she stared up.  Jennifer’s face was taut which she quickly replaced with a smile as she smoothed her hands down her thighs and sat down again.  “It was a gift from my mother,” Jennifer said motioning to the glass object.
“Of course.  You have a great place,” said Kristy, while looking down at her hands.
Jennifer nodded firmly, “I try hard to keep it this way.  If we decided to move in together,  we would need to be careful about any animal hair and such.  I would like to have these things for a time.”
Kristy looked up.  “Animal hair?”
“Well, yes.  You said you would be working with animals.”
“I don’t have a pet.  I wouldn’t be bringing a pet with me.”
“Of course, not.  They aren’t permitted.”
Kristy wasn’t sure if pets were permitted in the building or if Jennifer decided they weren’t permitted.  It didn’t matter.  Kristy was sure this arrangement was not going to work out.   There was something about Jennifer that wasn’t right.  What happened to the bubbly girl from yoga class?  Kristy checked her watch and waited.  She looked around the beautiful  room and wondered about the person sitting across from her that decorated it.  She checked her watch again and while carefully keeping both palms on the towel she slowly eased herself up off the sofa.  “I better get going or I’ll be late for my appointment.”
“Oh, sure,” said Jennifer as she stood and walked over to the front door.  She opened it and held on while Kristy went through.  “Thanks for the water,” said Kristy as the door closed loudly.
Whoa, thought Kristy.  I need to find another yoga class.
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Anonymous Comment: 
I actually know people like this, where they are so over-bearing and controlling. You wrote some non-fiction there. Lol
I was waiting for Jennifer to knock Kristy out and lock her in the ugly room. Liked the story.

Objective was:  Your character meets his/her new roommate in a shared apartment.  She thinks the roommate wants to control every little detail of the apartment and also wants to control our character's life.  Don't tell us any of this.  Show it.

I'm wondering if I shouldn't change the ending and take the commenters advise.  Maybe Jennifer should knock Kristy out and make the whole thing more sinister.  Or maybe I should just move on to the next subject.  ; )
TT

Catch up

I'm running behind on my writing lessons.  I should have finished lesson five because I've already received lesson six and after that there is only one more lesson.  They come weekly by email and I haven't started five yet and I should be on six.  I did read lesson five and I know what I need to do and what it covers but I haven't done anything yet.  I haven't put anything down on paper.  So I guess that counts as being behind and I need to catch up since I already have another lesson waiting and then another will arrive next Tuesday.
Well, I'm not really worried about it except that I want to be working on it and haven't.  It isn't like anyone is waiting on it so there isn't any pressure there but the idea and discipline to have a short lesson each week can be lost if I keep missing the week I should be working on it and they all get backed up.  But then no, I won't count my excuses. 
So then my choice is to work on it.  And then work on the next and then the final.  They all have been good exercises and I think they have reinforced things I needed to be reinforced.  You get as much as you put in to it and some of the lesson I've completed I feel pretty good about.  It's an easy thing to say when no one else if looking at them but hey...kick that thought away.  They are pretty good period.  I'll leave it at that.  They are writing exercises that I have been enjoying and learning from.  That is all I wanted from them so it's exactly fine.  Except that I am running behind.
TT

Enough

Either I'm not getting up as early or I'm not moving as fast in the mornings lately.  It seems I don't have the same amount of time to myself before work in the mornings.  I'm going to come right out with it and blame the weather.
Cold.  Cloudy.  It's raining and expected the same for today and tomorrow.  How is a person supposed to operate under these conditions?  Can I get a little sunshine?  Can I get a temperature that actually might, just maybe, be above 50 degrees?  This is blowing my entire...my entire...everything.
Yuk.  How I dislike winter.
TT

Get going

And then it was Monday.  Yes.  And it's still cold and I would like to work on my writing lesson but that is because I would rather not think about the things I need to get done during my workday and I would rather be at home.  Such a spoiled child I have become.  I knew that long time off on stay-cation would muddy up my routines.  But as they say - in a good way.  Except it left me spoiled for wanting to stay.  Very spoiled.
But that is not how it is going to be.  I have a full day, a full week ahead of me and I will have to piece meal my want-to-do's in between that time.  Just another challenge in my journey, I suppose. 
So I will figure it out.  It's not as if I don't start early enough in the day (or dawn) but let's see how much or rather what I can do after the job is done for the day.  Then I can start the other 'jobs' that I am spoiling to do. I need to stop the whining and get going.
TT

Check that off the list

I am happy to report that I was so very well organized yesterday!  I am hoping it will spill over into today and I can continue this momentum of getting things done. 
I was able to take down the Christmas tree and package it all up to be stored away.  That alone was an undertaking considering I needed to put each individual ornament back into it's specific box.  I had decided a few years ago that I would go ahead and use my collection of yearly dated ornaments to decorate the tree.  I have purchased a Christmas ornament every year since 1979 (some years I bought two) and I always told the boys that when they grew up and moved out I would use the collection to decorate the tree.  Who knew that what I said back then would come true.  It did and I have been using the collection of over 33 dated ornaments to fill the branches.
So it can take a while to remove each individual ornament off a branch, place it into it's original box, and store it up.  But it's done!
The cleaning up of the tile floors downstairs was another story and a lot of work.  The cold rains we recently experienced permitted the dog to trace muddy footprints all over the floor.  It took a while to sweep up and mop but I can report that there are no longer any evidence of the infraction.  Luckily for the dog (and Jay) that the case against them has been dropped.
I then had to venture out and purchase a new bathroom scale.  It wasn't because of the new year or anything like that.  I have always had a scale and unfortunately the one I have had the past few years finally decided it couldn't stand me standing on it anymore.  It gave out.  Couldn't take the pressure, I guess.
I had to make two stops to find one.  I thought the local sports store would have one.  I walked in and asked the salesgirl up front where they might be.  She said in the camping department.  Camping? Scale?  I didn't think that made sense but I walked over to those aisles.  I kept thinking what kind of logic was used to put a bathroom scale in the camping area with sleeping bags and lanterns.  I didn't see any scales in the four aisles devoted to outdoor living so I asked another salesperson.  They looked at me like I lost my mind and I do on occasion but I think I was pretty sane at that moment.  Bathroom scales?  No...don't carry them.
I then checked the local Walmart and found one for $14.95, price dropped, of course, from $17.97.  I grabbed it up, paid and brought it home.  The only problem I can see with it so far is that I gained 3 pounds from the old scale to the new.  I guess it might have a correlation to the price drop.  I mean, I couldn't have gained 3 pounds, could I?  Don't answer that so quickly.
Things are going rather smoothly this weekend.  The temps are supposed to give me a break and climb to a mere 60.  Maybe.  Hopefully.  At least I can see the sky again instead of accumulated cloud cover and the sun might decide it misses it long lost friend - ME - and come out.  Maybe.  Hopefully.  Always good to hear from a friend.  But now I'm off to get a few more things done.
TT

Lesson Five

I am starting lesson five on my weekly writing lessons.  I found a online site at the beginning of December that would e-mail a lesson a week for seven weeks.  They didn't offer any more than the lesson and a place to post your completed attempts.  I guess the idea was to get feedback from other students that were also taking the course since there wasn't any instruction or feedback from the instructor.  Well, unless you wanted to pay the over $300 for that.  I took the economical approach and paid only $15.87 for the lessons only and have posted on their site.  I've gotten a few comments on my pieces but sure enough, it always seems as soon as I post anything the place turns into a ghost town and there isn't another student to comment in sight.
The main thing I've found about getting the assignment email each week is that I've really worked on whatever they have sent.  I've come up with some interesting shorts and have felt better about the finished assignments.  It's amazing what a little direction can do.  And the few comments I've received have been helpful although I am always wishing for more.  I always want to hash it out a little better.  Do I change this or that?  Did you mean to do it this way or what did you mean?  I'm so greedy.
I could hyper analyze each comment but I'm sticking to just completing my assignments.  Here are two examples of comments I received:

• I love the theme and descriptive text. Wonderful. However, you need to take a break. There has to be a place for a couple of paragraph breaks.
• Nice background on the character. This piece gives us the reader a sense of why the main character acts as she does and hints of the strain between her and her parents.
  This piece is believable and I would want to read more.
  One constructive feedback I would give is to be careful of the overuse of the word 'she' in writing. 

I knew when I signed up I was not going to get feedback so I've approached it that way.  I've stuck to trying to complete each individual assignment the best I can and learn from what I can get out of each one instead.  That seems to be working.
TT
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Link to where I've been posting assignments

Good Morning 2013

Here we all are.  Another year to take on whether we are ready or not.  Are you up, still asleep, waiting on coffee, making your way?  It's all good.  Remember that.  We can now put aside all the articles and commercials about resolutions and weight loss and better nutrition and getting organized.  We can stop paying attention to all that we are being talked at about.  All those things about what we need to do.  It's time to do what we already know we need to do and just start getting it done. 
Now is a good time.  It's going to be a good year.  Can't you tell?  Don't you already feel it?  You should.  It's your year.  This one right now, starting today. 
It's mine, too and I'm taking it.
TT