Sooner than expected

I am trying to do too many things this morning with what I know is not enough time to do them in. I am sure you might have been in that situation a time or two before. Maybe not but I usually don't even try to acknowledge that is the case but run around frantically not really getting any of the things accomplished in any half-baked form. It looks like this morning is going to be one of those. And of course it is a Monday so I wanted to be a little more ready for the week. It doesn't look like that will be the case this morning. I have also managed to wreck my desk here. It is at the point that I will need to spend some time going through all the papers and miscellaneous objects that I have managed to litter the top of my desk. Then I will need to turn around and clear all the items I have cluttered my separate work table with that is behind me. I knew the stuff seemed to be growing as my work space seemed to be shrinking. I guess it has finally gotten to the point of no more!

Those things might be the trigger for the feeling of trying to do too much in too little time this morning. Everything here is a mess! I don’t have any room and I don’t know what all this stuff I have is that I have accumulated. Well, I know they are things I planned to go through and organize but that was to come later.

But then later always comes so soon.

TT

Afternoon diversion

I spent yesterday afternoon and evening out of town. It was a splendid time with people I had not seen in a while. I didn't mind the drive at all and even coming back home to get here just before midnight last night wasn't so bad either. It was well worth it. And now I still have today to get myself organized.

My first stop was meeting up with the youngest of the Voltaggio clan. We decided we had time to drive out to a new vineyard located thirty minutes from where she and her husband live. It was a pleasant drive and gave us time to talk, not that we ever stopped. We arrived and the grounds were slightly parched from the abusively high temperatures we have been experiencing and yet still lovely. There was an expanse of hill country green with the straight lines of vines tucked neatly to one side. The main winery and restaurant was designed like a Tuscan villa. It was too new looking to bring you back to the old country but the terra cotta roof was very appealing to the eye. I can’t tell you how wonderfully relaxing the entire time was. I don’t even know how long we where there. Time wasn’t an issue and we of course tried a bottle of the winery’s own label. Too soon it was time to head back. I had another party to attend.

I was only an hour fashionably late. It turned out many people had also just arrived so I guess that is the norm. At least it was the norm for this party. There were quite a few people attending. It was a relatively small house with many people gathered inside and me not knowing any of them. I really didn’t have a problem with that. I believe I was the only one attending from out of town and I also think I might have been the only one that had not met my friend (who’s birthday we were celebrating) from her work. I have known her since we were 13 which made for some interesting introductions considering our ages now. But never mind about that. It was a good time.

It was a good day all around. The best part is I was still able to get up this morning, make my coffee and spend a few moments putting words on a page.

These types of days are so essential. My luck on that still continues.

TT

Don't stop

I woke up this morning with a scene from my book in my head. That book that I keep inching toward but haven't actually started writing yet. The book I have not written any words for yet. Yeah, that book. I had a lovely scene playing in my head that would fit into that story. The two main characters were there and the setting was just perfect. I was watching a movie in my head of it as it played out. It was one of those unconscious idea thingy's that happen to me when I least expect them. I didn't have any index cards or tiny spiral notebooks on my nightstand to jot it down, but it's still there. I'll mark it down soon. I won't let it go without capturing it.

It's a piece that wouldn't even happen until possibly a hundred or so pages into the book. It was a little surprising that I would have thought it up at that time and maybe even this morning. I have so many other regular things to do today that writing wasn’t going to be one of the higher priorities on my list. I wasn't even thinking about it lately. Well, okay, let me be honest. It is not always far from my thoughts but I didn’t think it would be particularly forefront today.

But there it was. That wonderfully scripted, blocked, comfortable scene playing in my head. What an exciting moment for me. That’s at least two scenes knocking quietly at that door. When the first happened a while back I just pretended I wasn’t home. I thought since it wasn’t something that was going to happen until much later into the storyline that I would just call it up much later. It was too soon to dive into that thought. Now, yet other scene is knocking again this morning and I am beginning to wonder who is actually on the opening side of this door.

I think I am going to have to follow my instincts and write up these scenes that have been patiently waiting. They are not in the right sequence order of the story but my characters seem to be talking to me. I think I need to start listening to them whenever they come by and stop ignoring the knocking.

I so don’t want them to stop!

TT

Temperature check

I spent some time yesterday afternoon browsing my own blog. I am not sure what made me stop and read parts of it but I allowed myself the time to focus on it. I seemed to have been rushing in and out of my own site lately almost at the speed of light. Probably not that fast but let’s just say I have been so rushed writing, posting, done, and out, that I had not really been noticing the amount of posts I had accumulated. I had been moving so fast for the last weeks I had not stopped to check on myself.

I know quantity is not the proof of anything. It is not the answer to good writing or interesting writing. I know I could have scores of posts and all of them could be just god-awful. But excuse me, if it is all the same to you, dang! I have like over 125 posts! I have over 125 posts since April. I have had a consistent post every day since the first of July …well, except for August 17th. I didn’t have a post on the 17th of this month but (oh goodness, I didn’t realize until I just checked) I posted twice on July 17th. (I really didn’t know it was the 17th on both months —coincidences)! But that would still total a post every day for almost two months straight.

Since I was allowing myself to go through and read some of my own posts, I found a couple, a couple...well I found a couple that are not so bad. There are a couple of posts that are actually a little funny. I found a few that needed a lot of work and some that are just heartfelt and part of my life.

So there. I am talking to myself when I say that. You see, I might have proved something to myself by just taking notice of what I have done lately. By stepping back and taking a look at what I had already done, I was able to see that I have made some steps forward.

Having lots of post might not be the answer, but I think this is starting to work well for me. With a little more focus and more of the same consistency, I might be getting somewhere. I’ll keep at it. Then I will check back on myself again to see if I am still progressing and if I still feel the same way.

Right now, I’m feeling not so bad.

TT

Kitchen smells good

I didn't have time to write after work yesterday. I knew I needed to get a few things done after work and I never made it up to my workspace. It sometimes doesn't feel quite right when I seem to miss. But, like I said, there were some things I needed to do.

Since I knew I would be occupied after work I did my mile and a half during my lunch time. I am staying on track with my simplified work out schedule so far if you can count three days as sticking to it. I did Zumba class on Monday, mile and half on Tuesday and again mile and half on Wednesday. Not the longest work outs but consistent so far.

I had been asked to donate some cookies for a charity bake sale on Friday and knew I didn't want to wait until the last minute. I know they stay perfectly fresh in the tins I have so I was baking last night. Since they needed to be broken down into smaller (salable) portions I had to change up my packaging. I was able to find a small clear cello bag that fit three cookies just perfectly. I added my cookie label and tied it off with some silver raffia ribbon. It came out rather nice if I am allowed to say so myself. I don't have any concerns with the cookies themselves. It is the recipe I came up with for my Cinque Cicciolato...my five chocolate cookies and they have been proved to be a crowd pleaser. And I do actually use five different chocolates in the mix...cocoa powder, white chocolate chip, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chips, and bittersweet chips. You would think it would just be too, too much, too rich but it doesn't turn out that way. Ask anyone that has tried them. Mmmm. So, the project with the cookies turned out nicely. Jay thought they looked good enough to take a picture and sell in any holiday catalog. The smaller packaging worked out very well.

By the time I got cookies baked and worked on dinner - sliced pan seared pork loin, mashed potatoes, sautéed zucchini with caramelized onion and a romaine and tomatoes salad with olive oil vinaigrette - it was late! The kitchen smelled really good though. And I realized the second episode of Top Chef was beginning. Of course! Perfect finish to all that real cooking is to watch even more on TV!

It turned out my Voltaggio guys did really, really well in this episode. Michael managed to win the quick fire challenge and Bryan, his older brother, came away with winning the elimination challenge. I have never rooted for anyone on any show before...but the name connection seems to have made a difference. I keep trying to see if there is any resemblance and I could see where they look like the third brother of the Voltaggio's I know. He happens to be a Chef also but...that's just too many coincidences.

So with all the things going on and not much writing, I still am feeling pretty charged about this week. So much better than last! And I think I can count these few words as something…

TT

In the family?

I wanted to take a moment to mention one of the cooking shows I watch. I had recorded the first episode for the new season that just started so I had not actually watched it when it first aired. I viewed it later at the end of the week. I knew there was some new twist where two of the Chef contestants chosen to compete on this cooking show were brothers. I am not keeping the show a secret. The show is one of the returning seasons of Top Chef on Bravo. I have watched this show from the very first season and the cooking challenges are always interesting to me. I don’t or try not to get too caught up in the reality drama that goes on but there have been some really interesting cooking going on if you can get past the reality bits.

I had settled in and turned the show on to play when I was finally ready to watch. There are a total of 17 Chefs that have been chosen to compete and at the beginning intro of the show they always play short clips of each Chef and their names. Very good. Like I said, I am settled in and catching the flashing pictures of these new chefs as they appear. Then I push myself to the front of my chair, hands gripping the arm rests, ready to stand, eyes inches away from the TV set as I see the names of these two brothers that are in the competition. Have you seen the show? First one brother is revealed with his name appearing at the bottom of the screen. What? Did I read that right? Then the second brother appears and there is no mistake on the name. Now I don’t recognize either one of these brothers but their name is Voltaggio. Bryan and Michael Voltaggio. Have you seen the show? I am falling out of my chair. Really? Voltaggio? I grew up with a Voltaggio family! I never knew any other Voltaggio’s except the ones related to that family. I know there has to be others but it really struck home. Could they be somehow related? I found out these brothers in the competition are from Maryland which is many, many miles from where the family I know lived when growing up. But the papa of the Voltaggio’s I know so well was from Newark, New Jersey and that’s like a four and something hours drive away. Could there maybe, possibly be a relative or two here?

It’s really interesting that I am going out of town this Saturday to attend an evening party of a good friend of mine from High School. Now get this - I had contacted the youngest of the six children in the Voltaggio family to get together Saturday afternoon since she lives there too! This was before I had viewed the episode. Did I mention we were close? I will have to find out what her take on all of this is. I am amazed. Here I go again. What odds am I playing lately? There just seems to be one coincidence after another with me! Oh – and the name of this seasons show is Top Chef – Las Vegas. Vegas - odds…Go figure.

I am still shaking my head in disbelief.

TT

Still have time

I am working on getting organized. I guess I should be using the word re-organized because it seems I spend the majority of my time re-doing. I know I must have done it first at some point but I can't remember when that original doing happened and all I have left is fixing up what I originally did, or what I have re-done from some other point. Confused yet? I live this way.

Anyway, I had decided some time mid-last wicked week that I needed to get back on track with my fitness. Ah, yes! The great love-hate relationships I build around me. I prove that to be true over and over. I love the work outs, I really feel so much better when I am in that groove of working out, but dragging myself there to get it done seems to be so hard when I am trying to get back into it. Or maybe it's just so easy for me to avoid. So the plan is to get back.

I am not going to set any outrageous goals (this time). I am going to keep it fairly simple. I have a really easy run training that could take as long as seven weeks. That only means the increase in miles is very low. That should make it really easy to start out since there isn't much pressure to push hard right away. I could probably cut a good two to three weeks off of this schedule and still get the miles accomplished. But wait...that's not the idea. The organization here (re-organization) is to keep it easy enough to not make it such a chore to get it done. I am also trying to factor in the possibility that I won't only be running. If I want to take an occasional class I will be able to do that. It should keep it all interesting. I actually started out with a Zumba class yesterday. I may do another today or at the very least get my 1 1/2 mile run in. That's it. That is the distance I am starting with. If I get myself into some proper shape I should be able to do the Zumba class and run that distance afterward. But wait, I need to slow down. No big expectations here. The idea is to keep it easy enough to slide back into the program.

And I should still have time to write.

TT