I wasn't able to get into blogger this morning...It seems to be working now but my time constraints limit me and I will need to continue later...
TT
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
I had a real hankering for some pasta yesterday. I managed to throw together some homemade spaghetti and meatballs for dinner last night. I put the sauce on early and let it simmer. I don't know another way to do it and someone needs to take the camera away from the kitchen because I tend to take pictures of food prep like I was trying to write a cooking lesson blog or some such.
This morning I was making breakfast and then decided I would try again at my turtle candy cookies. 
I put them all together with the idea I was given to half bake them, then to pull them out of the oven, add the caramel, and finish the baking time. That method worked perfectly for the taste, texture, and creaminess of the caramel. It worked! But unfortunately, they don't look appealing and who wants to eat a cooke that doesn't look good?
Ah well, I'll take the cookies to work tomorrow and let them eat some ugly but tasty cookies. Remind me to take the camera out of the kitchen.
TT
Pep talking
I have taken a good amount of time this weekend going over my book. I got the entire length together and went over it and read it through. I needed to see where it was and if this isn't the right way to go about it - well, I did it anyway - because I think this is the way I needed to do it. I refrained from any editing but went from top to bottom to see where it was.
The beginning will need some work. I can see areas and glaring spots that will need to be re-done. There isn't anything that will change the progression of the story but it's slow and can get boring and needs re-arranging, and I see all these things that need improving. Going from writer, to reader, to editor doesn't seem to be that hard for me - just the holding back when I am only supposed to be a writer just now.
I went through the rest and it's progressing. There was some threads I hit on very lightly that I didn't realize were running through. That was good to see. Then I let my emotional side take over and my confidence soared down into the black depths. I also know it's terribly rookie, plain, and going to be hard to keep driving away at it. But I cannot let the negativity creep into this or I won't be able to keep at it. What I have written most recently is much better than the beginning, so I will take that as a positive.
I have to keep approaching this as a challenge I have given myself and the goal is to get it all down. Good, bad, hard, negative, positive, just right, needs works...all of the things I can think of to stop me or keep me going all matter and don't matter. The goal is to get it all down. Period.
Of course I would want it to be fair and somewhat good when it's all done. I will be working on that as I go but more importantly I need to keep going.
Sorry you had to be around when I needed to give myself this pep talk. I'll post something else to take your mind off this. I took a good amount of time doing some cooking this weekend, too. Maybe I'll post that above so this won't seem so...well, you know, so,so...
TT
The beginning will need some work. I can see areas and glaring spots that will need to be re-done. There isn't anything that will change the progression of the story but it's slow and can get boring and needs re-arranging, and I see all these things that need improving. Going from writer, to reader, to editor doesn't seem to be that hard for me - just the holding back when I am only supposed to be a writer just now.
I went through the rest and it's progressing. There was some threads I hit on very lightly that I didn't realize were running through. That was good to see. Then I let my emotional side take over and my confidence soared down into the black depths. I also know it's terribly rookie, plain, and going to be hard to keep driving away at it. But I cannot let the negativity creep into this or I won't be able to keep at it. What I have written most recently is much better than the beginning, so I will take that as a positive.
I have to keep approaching this as a challenge I have given myself and the goal is to get it all down. Good, bad, hard, negative, positive, just right, needs works...all of the things I can think of to stop me or keep me going all matter and don't matter. The goal is to get it all down. Period.
Of course I would want it to be fair and somewhat good when it's all done. I will be working on that as I go but more importantly I need to keep going.
Sorry you had to be around when I needed to give myself this pep talk. I'll post something else to take your mind off this. I took a good amount of time doing some cooking this weekend, too. Maybe I'll post that above so this won't seem so...well, you know, so,so...
TT
Friday, June 4, 2010
No complaints
I didn't give my laptop a sideways glance last evening. I don't think it had anything to do with anything except that I just never got myself upstairs. Truth be told, I could have used a run. You know...late in a harried week of work, almost at the end, but could use the advantage of a go-to stress reliever.
I am not allowed to complain about the problem with my heel tendon that has me sidelined for two weeks. I was told I had gone on about it enough. So no complaints but it's been a while since my last run. It hasn't been since this past Monday, but the Monday even before (5/24) since I've run - that's 10 days. I know, I guess typically that doesn't sound like such a long period of time. But that week of 5/24 I had already put in 11 miles (in two days). Then just for fun I went back to my past schedule (which I have been avoiding this entire time) to see what my weekly averages at the time were. Would you believe my totals for the most recent previous weeks were: 28.25 miles, 29.48, 23.05 and 24.01? I don't believe it so how do I expect anyone else to believe it.
I was in the middle of week 9 of a 12 week training program, I was hovering between 2nd and 3rd place in a running challenge and I was working on a goal with a 6/22 deadline. I think I had good reason to avoid my site that contained all of those stats. I don't know that it made me feel any better. I can go and back out of all of those things. It is as easy as a click of an option to take myself out, but maybe I'll just avoid looking for now and then see how it goes.
Some kind people have suggested I do some cross training, strength training, which I am allowed to do. It would be nice if I had a buddy to go with me but that won't happen so I will have to think about that a little more.
And how is the tendon? I don't know. I am still feeling it so it can't be right yet. I will have to wait it out some more and hopefully give my laptop more than sideways glances.
TT
I am not allowed to complain about the problem with my heel tendon that has me sidelined for two weeks. I was told I had gone on about it enough. So no complaints but it's been a while since my last run. It hasn't been since this past Monday, but the Monday even before (5/24) since I've run - that's 10 days. I know, I guess typically that doesn't sound like such a long period of time. But that week of 5/24 I had already put in 11 miles (in two days). Then just for fun I went back to my past schedule (which I have been avoiding this entire time) to see what my weekly averages at the time were. Would you believe my totals for the most recent previous weeks were: 28.25 miles, 29.48, 23.05 and 24.01? I don't believe it so how do I expect anyone else to believe it.
I was in the middle of week 9 of a 12 week training program, I was hovering between 2nd and 3rd place in a running challenge and I was working on a goal with a 6/22 deadline. I think I had good reason to avoid my site that contained all of those stats. I don't know that it made me feel any better. I can go and back out of all of those things. It is as easy as a click of an option to take myself out, but maybe I'll just avoid looking for now and then see how it goes.
Some kind people have suggested I do some cross training, strength training, which I am allowed to do. It would be nice if I had a buddy to go with me but that won't happen so I will have to think about that a little more.
And how is the tendon? I don't know. I am still feeling it so it can't be right yet. I will have to wait it out some more and hopefully give my laptop more than sideways glances.
TT
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Perusing
...Cassie stood a little straighter and watched. He wore a dark suit with a shirt of starched white cuffs that peeked out of his sleeves that were exactly the proper length. Even with his tall height his trousers hit the precise spot at the tops of what she thought were Italian leather shoes. Since he was facing away from her she had the opportunity to take in the lean length of his back. She continued to grin as she perused the nice cut of his jacket and wished it wasn’t covering so much of what she imagined was a taut backside. She couldn’t help but think it was probably just about the right…
He turned his head toward her as if he was reading her mind. Cassie quickly averted her eyes back to the wine rack and stood a little straighter.
“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to hog the space,” he said.
“No, said Cassie shaking her head, not sure if she should attempt looking at him to see if he could tell of her viewing. She let her long bangs fall across her face. I was still deciding,” she managed confidently.
“Oh, he looked down at the bottle of claret in his hand. Did I take your choice?” He looked back at her.
She couldn’t tell if those crystal blue eyes held any of her secret at the moment.
“No, no. Well, it was one of them but I’m going with the merlot tonight.” Cassie bravely stepped up and removed the merlot from the rack. The movement in such a small space put them close enough for her to brush his sleeve as she retrieved the bottle. The brief contact almost made her jump. She did a good job of steadying herself and looked up for a daring attempt to read his face.
It was a good face. His dark brows framed the lighter eyes with amazing contrast. His completion was smooth with the faintest beginnings of a dark shadow around his chin. His lips were full and starting to move upward the slightest bit as she realized he was also looking at her.
“I need to go,” Cassie said quickly and turned toward the checkout.
She juggled her items and made her way the short distance. She could hear her own heels tapping like jackhammers the entire way. She knew she was getting flushed but smiled and kept her cool as Mrs. Sampani started to ring Cassie’s items.
Just a bit of a teaser from my piece of fiction. This particular part was written months ago and it's only 411 words out of the just under 17,000 I have accumulated so far. I'm sure it's hard to tell anything from the few words above and it is definitely still a work in progress.
But it has progressed...
TT
He turned his head toward her as if he was reading her mind. Cassie quickly averted her eyes back to the wine rack and stood a little straighter.
“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to hog the space,” he said.
“No, said Cassie shaking her head, not sure if she should attempt looking at him to see if he could tell of her viewing. She let her long bangs fall across her face. I was still deciding,” she managed confidently.
“Oh, he looked down at the bottle of claret in his hand. Did I take your choice?” He looked back at her.
She couldn’t tell if those crystal blue eyes held any of her secret at the moment.
“No, no. Well, it was one of them but I’m going with the merlot tonight.” Cassie bravely stepped up and removed the merlot from the rack. The movement in such a small space put them close enough for her to brush his sleeve as she retrieved the bottle. The brief contact almost made her jump. She did a good job of steadying herself and looked up for a daring attempt to read his face.
It was a good face. His dark brows framed the lighter eyes with amazing contrast. His completion was smooth with the faintest beginnings of a dark shadow around his chin. His lips were full and starting to move upward the slightest bit as she realized he was also looking at her.
“I need to go,” Cassie said quickly and turned toward the checkout.
She juggled her items and made her way the short distance. She could hear her own heels tapping like jackhammers the entire way. She knew she was getting flushed but smiled and kept her cool as Mrs. Sampani started to ring Cassie’s items.
Just a bit of a teaser from my piece of fiction. This particular part was written months ago and it's only 411 words out of the just under 17,000 I have accumulated so far. I'm sure it's hard to tell anything from the few words above and it is definitely still a work in progress.
But it has progressed...
TT
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Notice anything?
Have you noticed these posts are coming more regularly lately? I had made a rule for myself when I hit 365 posts in exactly one year that I would hold up on the blogging to use that time writing on my bit of fiction. I went for a good while without posts and unfortunately, also without writing. It kind of worked but not really. Okay. It didn't work the way I thought it would.
Here's what I've figured out. Anything and everything can stop me from writing my book if I let it. It can be this blog, it can be my running, it can be my reading...It can be anything and everything that I let stop me. But it works the other way around, too. Nothing can stop me from writing if that is what I decide to do. Somehow, things fit in and the more I do the more I find myself doing.
There is no such thing as a perfect time to write. The perfect time is 15 minutes here or 2 hours there or all day long, whatever is available. Waiting on time to write will turn into exactly that...waiting. If I start writing with only 10 minutes, I sometimes start something I am more than anxious to start up again than if I never used those 10 minutes. It gives me a great going back-to point. I am having to pull myself away from writing to make time for the things that kept getting in my way of writing before. It is amazing how those things still get done, except now I am also writing. And that few minutes needs to be used every day. Some days a few minutes can turn into two hours before I know it.
So stopping my posts to free time to write? It didn't work the way I thought it would.
Now I am not only writing on my fiction, but also racking up words on my posts. So did you notice there had been more entries here lately? It's because there has also been more words there on my fiction. I'm not even breaking my own rule...no matter if it worked or not. Something seems to be working right now.
TT
Here's what I've figured out. Anything and everything can stop me from writing my book if I let it. It can be this blog, it can be my running, it can be my reading...It can be anything and everything that I let stop me. But it works the other way around, too. Nothing can stop me from writing if that is what I decide to do. Somehow, things fit in and the more I do the more I find myself doing.
There is no such thing as a perfect time to write. The perfect time is 15 minutes here or 2 hours there or all day long, whatever is available. Waiting on time to write will turn into exactly that...waiting. If I start writing with only 10 minutes, I sometimes start something I am more than anxious to start up again than if I never used those 10 minutes. It gives me a great going back-to point. I am having to pull myself away from writing to make time for the things that kept getting in my way of writing before. It is amazing how those things still get done, except now I am also writing. And that few minutes needs to be used every day. Some days a few minutes can turn into two hours before I know it.
So stopping my posts to free time to write? It didn't work the way I thought it would.
Now I am not only writing on my fiction, but also racking up words on my posts. So did you notice there had been more entries here lately? It's because there has also been more words there on my fiction. I'm not even breaking my own rule...no matter if it worked or not. Something seems to be working right now.
TT
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Spoiled
I am off to work today after over a week of not having to head off to work. I am not wanting to go back. I knew if I would take any extended amount of time that this would happen. I knew if I took extra unplanned days off I wouldn't want to ever, ever go back. I felt really strongly about it yesterday but today I have either resigned myself to the fact or I got over my tantrum.
It isn't as if I don't have a great job. It isn't as if I can't do the work well. There aren't a whole lot of negatives I could really say about it. But it's just a job.
I've spoiled myself terribly by taking this extra time. Now I am watching the clock and rushing to get things done this morning so I can leave in time to get to my desk. This after a week of, a week of, well, a week of not caring what time it was or rushing and instead of doing work for someone else I was doing it for myself. It was still work but with a whole different feel.
I did put in some full days of work while I was off. My time table might not have been the exacting one I follow day to day with my regular job but I can say I put in the same if not more hours. It was still work and there were times it was more difficult than my regular job but now I need to head back to the outside world again.
So I am rushing off now to get things done so I can get to my (other) desk and see what is there for me from over a week.
Did I say I was leaving now? I'm leaving now. I have to get going. I need to go into work. Gotta go...
TT
It isn't as if I don't have a great job. It isn't as if I can't do the work well. There aren't a whole lot of negatives I could really say about it. But it's just a job.
I've spoiled myself terribly by taking this extra time. Now I am watching the clock and rushing to get things done this morning so I can leave in time to get to my desk. This after a week of, a week of, well, a week of not caring what time it was or rushing and instead of doing work for someone else I was doing it for myself. It was still work but with a whole different feel.
I did put in some full days of work while I was off. My time table might not have been the exacting one I follow day to day with my regular job but I can say I put in the same if not more hours. It was still work and there were times it was more difficult than my regular job but now I need to head back to the outside world again.
So I am rushing off now to get things done so I can get to my (other) desk and see what is there for me from over a week.
Did I say I was leaving now? I'm leaving now. I have to get going. I need to go into work. Gotta go...
TT
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