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A journal for 30DBC and other feline musings. |
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"This...is my lab. And THIS...is my LABORATORY!" Seriously, though. This blog is gonna be where I throw paint at the wall just to see what sticks, and sometimes just to throw paint at the wall because it's friggin' relaxing to throw crap. Welcome aboard, and please keep arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. "In case of emergency, the exits are here-here-here-here-here-here-here... ANYWHERE!" P.S. If you recognize one or both of the above quotes...you are automatically my new best friend.  AlyCatAuthor
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| 30DBC January 30 Prompt: Former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, born on this day in 1882, once said "I'm not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues." How important to your success (in any part of your life) is it to surround yourself with talented, knowledgeable, and/or fun people? I'm feeling pretty good today, for once, and even better since WE MADE IT!! My first 30 Days of Blogging, officially complete after this entry.  I will probably give myself next month off from the group, though I'll browse through the fundraisers and see what I can't contribute to either donations or just participation in general with some things. February is gonna be a busy month, though, and I'm trying to take it easy, at least until pregnancy symptoms let up. They say the second trimester is the "honeymoon" trimester, where I'll be able to get a good night's sleep and not have to nap 3 hours during the day, and also not be sick all the time and not have literally zero motivation to do anything. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to that. Now, on to the prompt! I think it's very important, and that may sound surprising coming from an introvert. I honestly suck at being a self-starter, so having people around me who are putting in the work every single day is SUPER helpful NECESSARY for me to maintain any kind of momentum. I enjoy logging on to WDC and seeing what new items everyone is posting, even if I never read them. It's the activity in the Hub that reminds me that I'm not the only writer in the world, I'm not alone, and I'm surrounded by hard-working individuals who inspire me to do more. Also, on Facebook, I have quite a few groups from writing and coaching classes that I'm a part of. The people in those groups inspire me, either directly or indirectly, with their questions, their honesty, and their day-to-day presence. In one group, there's even a Monday goals post where we're asked to input what our goals for the week are. If I post, I try to like and comment to encourage others in their goals, though I don't always post. I'm also trying to stay off of Facebook more, since the aftermath of Pres. Trump's first week is displayed ALL OVER THE PLACE (and I'm sure we're all just sick of seeing it at this point). I'm also part of a 365 group on Facebook that has every member input their daily word count into a spreadsheet to see how it measures up against their daily goal. It's alright if you have 0 days, but you can make up for what you lost down the road and still get an average daily word count that's at or above what you set for yourself. I've had days that are all over the place: I wrote over 3K words one day, while on another day, I wrote a whopping 79 words. But my daily average is pretty sweet so far. I think I'm a little over my goal of 300 words per day at this point, but I'll have to go check (and input my word count from yesterday and today). I can't leave out my bestie and alpha reader. We've lost a bit of touch over the past few months, but I attribute that to my pregnancy "blahs" and her going through a lot of stuff/finishing her own awesome novel and editing it. However, without this girl, I would never have finished "Kingdom of the New Moon." She's listed on the dedication page, 'cause seriously, until you've had a best friend who doubles as your writing bestie pretty much every day for a year, you wouldn't understand how closely we've bonded, even being just virtual besties from across the country. All in all, without the communities that I've become a part of and the friends that I've made, it would be so hard to keep going. I'm reminded every day that I'm part of a larger community, made up of writers of all walks of life who all want to do one thing: change the world with their writing, even if that change is as simple as taking someone out of their bad day and into a new world full of adventure. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC January 29 Prompt: Please, I don't care what you want to talk about today, just no politics. Find a story that makes you feel good about the world and tell us about it. I don't blame you one bit for the politics ban.  Yesterday, I saw a beautiful video of a couple sitting in a room. They looked nervous and excited. A woman entered the room, a newborn baby bundled in her arms, and placed the bundle in the seated woman's arms. The man buried his hands in his arms and wept, while the woman peeled back the swaddle covering the baby's face and smiled at it, tears also streaming down her face. I realized this video was portraying a couple receiving their adopted child and holding it for the very first time. The couple then held the baby together as camera flashes went off all around, the euphoria on their faces bringing tears to my eyes. Knowing there are parents out there who are unselfish and love children so very much as to take them in when their own mothers can't take care of them just fills my heart with gratitude. My own husband was adopted from such a mother, and I know just how fiercely his adoptive mother loves him. It truly is love that makes a parent, not biology. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC January 28 Prompt: Pick one of the following scenarios and expand on it: 1) An animal you can humanely wear while it's still alive; or 2) A house you can live comfortably in that is made entirely of edible materials. I don't want to talk about food right now.  So I'll go with number 1. The first thought that came to my mind was a cat. I see people wearing cats as hats just to be silly online and stuff. And sometimes, cats will just climb up on your shoulders and snuggle up to you, especially kittens. I have personally worn quite the scarf of kittens in my day, lying on my bed in middle school with 4 or 5 kitties all snuggled up around my ears and neck.  I once had a cat that wanted to be worn as a fanny pack. One day, I walked to the back door of my mom's house, probably to head outside and hang around the woods/feed the animals. My cat met me at the door, meowing strangely. I patted my stomach, trying to get her to reach up to me with her paws like she sometimes did, so I could pet her. Instead, she launched herself at my stomach and clung onto my clothes. This was a very fluffy, fully-grown cat, mind you. I grabbed her so she wouldn't fall and laughed so hard I thought I would lose my balance. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC January 27 Prompt: On this day in 1926 a Scottish inventor named John Baird demonstrated a pictorial transmission machine called the television. Do you remember seeing your first television...the one your parents had when you were a kid? What were some of your favorite shows? Do you still watch any of the old programs you enjoyed as a teenager? Well, I'm still pretty young, so I grew up watching "Barney and Friends" and "Sesame Street." As I got a bit older, some of my favorite shows were cartoons on Nick and Cartoon Network: "Rugrats," "The Powerpuff Girls," "Digimon," "Rocko's Modern Life," "Hey Arnold!", and "Spongebob Squarepants" (I still watch that last one to this day, especially if I'm just feeling cruddy and need a good laugh). I used to think that the actors/cartoons on television could actually see you. This could be due in part to the many TV shows for children that portray the characters asking for direct input from the viewer (curse you, Dora the Explorer!). Hilariously, I never wanted to participate in my aunt and mom's exercise video workouts with Richard Simmons because I thought "that weird guy can see me."  Surprisingly, my favorite shows for kids didn't turn up on my radar until my sister was born. I was around 10 when she was born, and as she grew up, I saw kids shows with more of a mature eye. Some of her favorites are ones that I would consider letting my own kids watch, and most of them are from PBS: "Cyberchase," "Dragon Tales," and "Between the Lions" are just a few I can recall. Educational, well done, and entertaining, even to a 15-year-old. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC January 26 Prompt: Today's winner, pulled from all eligible entries via the Virtual Dice, will receive two tickets to the Week 1 drawing of our upcoming "The 30DBC Mega-Raffle Extravaganza!" ...part of the 30DBC's February Fundraising activities (everything will be open no later than February 1st, with the first drawing TBD, but no later than Feb. 12th). Plug time! What are some of the WDC events you'll be taking part in during the month of February? Well, with my stomach having decided it wants to boil acid and send it shooting up my throat at random times throughout the day, I'll probably keep this one short and sweet. I know I'll be participating in the "I Write in December-January-February"  next month. I was a big doofus and forgot to do my entry this week, after pulling double duty last week and getting in two entries within a couple days of each other. This will only be my second missed entry, though, so I'm still doing okay.I'm also considering doing the 30DBC blog tour next month during the off month, though I can't say I'll be posting as consistently as I did for the actual challenge. I've enjoyed building up a bit of a writing habit each day, though, so who knows.  I also need to send out some snail mail for "The Snail Mail Group," get my auction prize package in the mail, and just in general, start reviewing people again. I'd like to participate more fully in the next Power Reviewer's Raid next month, as well. If I think of anything else, I'll add it later. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC January 25 Prompt: Do you believe in miracles? Speculate on your idea of a miracle you'd like to see happen. Great. Now that one song is stuck in my head. "I believe in miracles...where you from..." Ugh. Anyway. Yes, I do believe in miracles. I believe my car wreck that happened about a year ago (and the fact that I got out all in one piece) was a miracle in and of itself. I do believe the angels had perfect control of my car and wedged it just so in between the cables of the cable barrier I plowed into. For reference, I was going about 85 miles per hour around a curve when I lost control of my car. They were wet, very curvy roads. Interstate, but through a mostly mountainous/hilly area. The police officer even scratched his head as he looked at my car and asked, "Ma'am, how'd you manage to do this? Those guys are gonna have one heck of a time trying to get this car out of here." My car was perfectly parallel with the road in the direction I had been traveling, hugged tight on both sides by the cables. So somehow my car got IN BETWEEN the cables, as if someone had picked it up and just set it all snug in the middle of the barrier. I myself escaped with little more than a cracked sacrum and some mega sore muscles. My car was still recognizable, and the windshield wipers were still wiping although the wheels had been nearly flattened into the ground. Two men had pulled over to help, and since the cables were strung tight around both sides of my car, they had to open my hatchback and help me out of my car that way. As far as a miracle I'd like to see happen, there are many. That the whole world would recognize their greatest Good in God; that infants would be protected in the womb AND that more fathers would take responsibility for their children; that pregnant women would receive the care and support that they need EVEN AFTER CHILDBIRTH; that terrorist groups would disappear off the face of the planet. Those are just a few. AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC January 24 Prompt: If you had a "spirit animal" that wasn't an animal, what would yours be? (Pretty sure mine's a burrito in case anyone asks, but no one is and I could be totally wrong *Laugh*). And what would you think some of your fellow bloggers' "spirit animals (that aren't animals)" are? Seems the site didn't want me to finish my post, so I'm starting over again.  Some of my best writing friends affectionately call me "Fountain Pen" because each time they ask me a question about writing or publishing, I seem to give them an essay. I could also see myself as Klaus Baudelaire from "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Always carrying a book and a notebook, he is the epitome of the writer/reader powerhouse that I used to be (and want to be again). Being pregnant, I can't leave out Pacha's wife from "The Emperor's New Groove." Sassy, smart, and the only pregnant woman I've ever seen accurately portrayed in a kid's movie, with a temper and lack of grace to boot. Meg from "Hercules" also stands out. A sass-master, good-hearted, and well-intentioned (usually). As for my fellow bloggers, I have a few ideas. Jay O'Toole   , who so kindly (and fairly accurately) portrayed me as Thomas O'Malley from The Aristocats, I could imagine as a cat himself...the Cheshire Cat, to be precise. Upbeat, funny, and with just a touch of charming ADOS (Attention Deficit...OOH SHINY!)Naveed  strikes me as Disney's Aladdin--optimistic, determined, and with a good sense of humor.SB Musing  is Mulan-- kicking butt and taking names, persevering, and with just a hint of good-natured stubbornness. Apondia  reminds me of "Madame" from The Aristocats--sweet, nostalgic, and with a love of life.Sorry that all these were Disney movies...that's really the first thing that came to mind.  AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC January 23 Prompt: Actress Tiffani Thiessen, born on this day in 1974, once said "When you interact with someone you always take something from them." What is something you've been able to take with you from any of your fellow challengers so far this month, and how have you been inspired by each other? I've been inspired to get back to the productive little student I used to be in college. There's a few college and high school kids that I just really admire for their constant energy and dedication to posting and writing, even if it's late and they have to do, like, 15 entries in a day (here's looking at you, Dragon is hiding   ). Of course, I'm dealing with things in my life that I never had to worry about before, at least, not to this extent. I have a whole apartment that's basically mine to take care of, since Hubby works upwards of 60 hours per week (and I'm home working part-time). I have bills to pay and a bank account to stay on top of, laundry to do literally every single day (even if it's not much, there's always SOMETHING to wash), and now all the symptoms of pregnancy, which have had me NOT feeling like my usual productive self. Maybe it's because I can no longer have coffee. I'm telling you, that stuff fueled my college career and has really helped advance my writing career as well. Now that I no longer can stand drinking it, I find myself just sleeping in until 10 or 11 a.m., trudging through the house bleary-eyed and with an upset stomach, and in the bathroom more often than I'm out of it. Regardless of all that, I need to resign myself to the fact that this is my life now, and figure out a schedule that works for me so that I can get more stuff done. And I'm taking my cues from the lovely students here on WDC and within this blogging group, who are always working, always creating, and never seem to lack energy to spread joy and humor everywhere they go. AlyCatAuthor |
30DBC January 22 Prompt: Seven WDC authors were just promoted to Moderator status! ("Note: Congratulations to...") Visit one of their ports and review one of their items...and in your entry here, now would be a good time to tell us what your goals are for being with WDC (whether you're a newbie or someone who's been around the block awhile). Make sure you include your review, using the Invalid Review  tag.Wow!!! So many new blues! Well, I've technically been around the block awhile, but I took a few years' hiatus after I first joined back in high school. I became very busy and couldn't really come back all that often. Just this past year, I've really gotten back into things and have had a great time getting to know new people. My goals are really just to make friends and keep up a writing habit, every day. That's why I like doing things such as the 30-Day Blogging Challenge and the "I Write" activities. I sometimes struggle with how much time to spend here versus actually working on my books, and then I always realize, "Hey, I can put my brainstorming and my rough draft chapters on WDC and get feedback." Only I always forget to post it. And then it's back to the same unnecessary struggle. . I used to put all my stuff on here, crap or not. Now I'm holding back for some reason and just posting blog entries and contest entries because I have to for the activities. Not so much any of my stuff that I've created on my own. I'm not sure why that is. I also used to review like crazy. I'd just hit the "Read and Review" button and review any old thing that I came across, like five times a day. But I was doing that BEFORE I had a blog to run and marketing to do and more novels to outline. I want to get back to some semblance of regular reviewing, especially for friends who've said they need some reviews before they can go back and edit. I just suck at making time to do these things, especially now that I'm an adult and have to pay bills, do chores, prepare for a new baby, cook meals, buy groceries, and make money on the side doing freelance work. And I've really let myself slide these past few weeks just because of my pregnancy fatigue. I gotta do something about this. I didn't expect this blog post to drag that much out of me. O.o Oh, well. I guess it needed to come out. Oh, and here's that review: Review of "While You are Here" I'll post it directly in the forum entry, too, just to be sure it's seen.AlyCatAuthor |
| 30DBC January 21 Prompt: Describe how any personality trait would/could look as a physical characteristic, and create a character who embodies or uses this to his/her advantage. Ooooh, this is an interesting one. A shy girl named Sara can literally make herself invisible. She hides her face behind her hair, and her whole body becomes transparent. Or, a deeply-intuitive young man wears glasses and has piercing gray eyes that reflect the color of the aura, and emotion of, the person he sees and talks to. Like a walking mood ring. The girl he likes often gives off an aura of violet when she's happy, so he writes her a sweet note with purple ink. She is amazed that he knew her favorite color without having to ask her. A confident woman's head is just a little bigger than normal. Her shoulders are strong and square, and her business-like clothes sport a variety of bold colors. She impresses most everyone she meets. But the deeply-intuitive boy can see her aura is startingly gray. AlyCatAuthor |
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