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 |  probably stuff i think is funny. or aggravating. or both. |
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hi! i got some sleep last night!!!  today was fine, except for my suck-ass paycheck. thppt. i missed a day of work (jan 1st) due to ugly double-ended spewy plague happenings. normally, no big deal, right? except jan 1st was, of course, a paid holiday at work. since i was scheduled and missed it, i wasn't paid. in addition, i didn't get paid for the 'holiday' hours that go along with it, since i missed the actual holiday, so my paycheck was about 2 days short. thppt. well, life is still good, and i'm not living so close to the bone that i'm in financial craptown because of missed time. i just like getting regular paychecks. okaaaaayyyy....kinda boring, right? i know. my life is pretty routine. i work, i sleep, i eat, i void my bowels. i joke around, and spend some time complaining (see above paragraph). i play with dogs, and kitteh. and p. we play well together.  and i write stories sometimes.  and i spend time talking with and reading the work of some bright, talented folks here at wdc (you know who you are). thank you for letting me hang out with you, share your daily life and efforts working on a great story, or just drop in for some kamikaze smartass remarks.   you guys are a high point in my day! i hope we all realize the successes we're aiming to have, and stay grateful for the happinesses we already do. ps--yay, obama!!!!! |
| yeah, i'm at low-function mode right now. tonight, the dogs may not get to go out at 1am. they may have to cross their little doggy legs and hold it until 3:30, because i think i'm gonna be in a temporary coma from about 8pm on. soooo tie-tie. don't hold me responsible if i get too goofy on this here thing. i remember being 20 years old (not that long ago), and i understand not being too wrapped up in politics. nothing on a national level seemed to affect me, back then. i also understand the natural urge to appear 'cool', to not be too enthusiastic about anything, unless that particular thing had been approved already as 'cool' by cohorts. sure, i get that. i'm still disappointed in my younger coworkers who seem to have no opinion about the november election coming up. yeah, i know. it's ten months away. but after the near-constant barrage of political campaign coverage started back in, well, 2004...surely even the most casual news follower would know the candidates, would have some opinion. not so much, i've discovered. these young folks do work in a bookstore, surrounded by titles published by almost every candidate (even huckabee's weight loss primer), so i'm doubly disappointed, and not a little concerned. but then, i guess i'm just old. i remember being way more fascinated by whichever guy i was dating, or keeping up with my workout regimen. i just wanna....i wanna shake them. i also don't buy the cynics, who tell me none of this matters. it matters, both on civic principles and practical consequences. i hope the next president drives around to low-turnout towns around the country and gives the youngsters there wet willies. there's a practical consequence for ya. hmmm....what else? shannon butcher's new (and second) book is out! she's jim butcher's wife, and a fine romance writer. i enjoyed her first, and look forward to some thekthy action between the pages over the next few days. i'm also reading 'the darkest evening of the year', which is intriguing, so far. i'm waiting to see how things tie together. so far, sociopathic arsonists vs big-hearted labrador rescuer, with a dash of preternaturally peaceful, down's syndrome-afflicted little girl who will likely figure prominently in the larger story. okay, now i'm just rambling, and it's not even entertaining. i'll stop punishing you. go have a popsicle or something as a reward for slogging through. g'nite, all. time for jammies. |
so, once again, i will get about five hours of sleep tonight, at best...it is my own fault, i take full responsibility. but tomorrow's gonna suuuuuuck.  it's the darned democratic debate! i cannot stop watching....and anticipating the post-game analysis. i am addicted to this stuff. (taps vein in crook of arm) today was good. i worked really hard, and then bought some hand lotion. pauluk's probably gonna say something cheeky about that, but really, i just really like lotion. my hands have been wrecked since moving to the inventory team, and they weren't so great before. whooee.p and i were talking a little while ago about hunting. like most people, as i've gotten older i've mellowed somewhat. my sensibilities still lie in the heart of liberalism, but i have shifted more to the center on many principles. at one time, i would've argued vehemently against hunting, and gun ownership. while i still don't own a gun myself, i can acknowledge the rights of responsible people to do so, and wouldn't desire to take that right away. hunting i have mixed feelings about. again, i believe people have that right. what troubles me is the desire people have to exercise that right. with so many instances of animal cruelty in the news (and how many thousands more that remain unreported), i have to question our ability as a species to feel compassion for other living beings. we sometimes have trouble feeling compassion for our fellow man, much less creatures we don't deem 'equal' to us, legally or spiritually. we own animals. we eat them. we wear their skins on our bodies. all of this i recognize, and on principle have come to peace with. i don't believe animals are on a higher pedestal than we are. but i do believe we should attempt to lessen the suffering we inflict on them as much as possible. hunting for sport seems to conflict with this principle. i learned to shoot a few different types of guns and rifles as a youngster (hi, i'm from texas ), and really enjoyed target practice. i've never had a chance to shoot skeets, but that sounds like fun, too. what i don't understand is the pleasure to be gained from killing for sport. you're wondering if i'm a vegetarian, aren't you? no, i'm not. i think humans are omnivores, and benefit from eating everything they can keep down--the more variety the better. i recognize the necessity for slaughter, and wish to god the livestock and poultry industries operated in a humane manner, as much as possible. i can't believe we can make a slaughterhouse a happy place, no matter how comfy we make the holding stalls, how efficiently and humanely we kill our food. but there's that circle of life thing. we all die, and before humanity hijacked the evolutionary process (as much as we could), we were eaten by plenty of predatory animals. sometimes we still are. so, i don't philosophically have an issue with eating meat. i do get kinda nauseated if i have to pull the head & legs off my shrimp before i eat them, tho.  so, what's my issue, then? what's my...beef? (bwaaa! wipes away tears of laughter) it's back to the compassion. the respect for living things, to not take lightly the suffering and/or death of another creature. i'm not convinced sport hunting helps teach people that important sensitivity. i'm not sure i'm expressing myself completely and clearly, so i welcome your comments on this, pro and con. i can only benefit from questioning myself about this stuff. |
| makes me happeeeee...... boy, i just keep creeping in here later and later. i slept for about eleven hours last night, after a string of four-hour nights. i feel goood. still kinda groggy, but like i have some solid sleep in my brain. weird-ass dreams, too. i love those. today, we did not much of anything. we watched the cowboys lose  , made pancakes, did a bunch of laundry, read some of dean koontz's new book (ripping my heart out!!), edited and posted the next lesson for the writing class, trolled wdc for good mystery writers, and picked up ingredients for a banana creme pie, which i'm attempting tomorrow. woohoo!hey, if you (or anyone you know) is interested in teaching the A-1 Academy's Mystery Writing course, give Rob G. ~Led by the Master~  a ringy-dingy. the curriculum is set, so really, they need a facilitator and coach, someone to prod discussion and offer subjective guidance for the assignments. i'm sure they could use teachers for other courses as well, so pop on in there if you're curious. so, tonight, i plan to work on the ole novel. yyyyep. gotta keep on editing. oh, crap. and i have an article to write, too. dangit. forgot about that.  ooh, and i submitted a few stories to http://www.espressofiction.com. they should respond within 6 weeks, so we'll see. check them out, if you're interested in online publishing for your short stories. they pay, too.  |
| is he an original director or hack? i can't decide. but i have to admit, i've seen 'the sixth sense', 'the village', 'signs', and now 'lady in the water', and i do have a visceral reaction to his films. i think that's worth something, even if he is self-indulgent, or weak on plot, or whatever technical issues might abound in his films. i'd heard for the last year or two how butt-awful 'lady in the water' is. i've read ebert's one-and-a-half-star review, and a few others which qualified the movie on a similar level. i can't argue with the critics, but i did notice most seemed to take personal affront at the (uncomplimentary) film critic character in the movie. hmm. makes one wonder how personally removed these reviewers are... here's why i liked this fairy tale film more than i expected: i LOVE the idea that typical people would not only be willing to suspend their disbelief and take on the challenge of interpreting sketchy mythology as crucial, but be willing to commit themselves to the well-being of a person/fairy creature at their own peril. all on the power of belief. no proof, at least, not until late in the movie. much of their planning and effort was taken on the basis of one man's word. i thought that was the magic of the film, and while the idea was mentioned in some reviews, the power of that magic was almost entirely discounted. thppt. that feeling of limitless potential, of magic just beyond our senses, that's why i go to the movies. if i don't feel moved by a film, high production values aren't going to get me seeing it again. it has to have heart. and i took that as the point of m night's movies. they all seem to be about strength of belief. so, maybe he's not a 'great' filmmaker. i dunno. but i like his movies. |
| so, i stayed up late last night to finish book 7 of harry potter. *SIGH* you hear that, jk? eh? that's all i'm saying. today, i've gotta move on, find a way to be excited about reading something else...somehow 'salt' by kurlansky just isn't doing it for me. harry potter captured my imagination and is holding it hostage!!!!!! (and i don't wanna be let go.... )okay, off to work, blinky and cranky, and full of orange juice. hope you have a great day, y'all.......*sigh*..... (if you have any suggestions for reading, please let me know. thanks!) |
at what point does blogging for the sake of having blogged become cheating? i mean, what the heck am i doing this for? besides the fun? the self-conscious stream of conscious effluence...?  well, i told myself i was gonna try to blog every day i could...the discipline, thing. i'm very good at talking myself out of doing things that are good for me. if juries could read my mind, i would've made a great trial lawyer. it's my speaking that loses them... so, today was another workday. up at 4am, off to throw boxes around for seven hours (plus an hour lunch break), and then back home. today's weird because p's working a different shift--we usually work in tandem--so i'm home alone, all sleeeeepy, while he's still slogging away at work. feels funny... so i'm groggy, slouched on the sofa under a verrrry comfy blanket, computer in my lap....but i can't doze off or i'll miss out on sleep later. oh, the ridiculous torture of 'saving myself' for later, when the sleep 'counts'. heh. i watched a movie the other day called 'last night'. canadian-made, with sandra oh and sarah polley in the cast, it's about the last night on earth. the world is ending at midnight (the whys and hows are never explained--the characters all just know, at this point), and the movie follows a string of somewhat related characters through their last several hours. not having heard of the movie before, i went in without expectation, relying on the short plot summary provided on the tv menu, and was happy with how i ended up spending those 90 minutes. these people met their untimely ends with dignity (most of them) and consideration, refusing to abandon most of their morals at a time when it would seem they'd no longer be necessary, or even a hindrance to accomplishing those last few tasks before the end. the whole movie was thought-provoking and understated, leaving the audience to decide for themselves what it meant. i like those movies. the last scene, especially poignant, left me feeling quiet and pensive. *sigh* ever seen 'miracle mile'? another impending apocalypse movie, more action-oriented, leaving next to nothing up to the audience. still good, gripping and frightening and romantic (sounds odd, i know). how'd i get on this? oooh, found a new anthology titled 'wastelands'. stories about the apocalypse. all written after 2000. eenteresting, don't you think? well, i'm outta juice. i hope everyone had a great day. see ya tomorrow! |
| this one isn't depressing....but i'm all teary-eyed after watching. http://www.madmustard.com/Videos/A%20Strategy%20of%20Peace.wmv so much darned potential.... yes, i've posted three times today. please scroll down for the other posts! |
| warning: upsetting photos for anyone who hates animals' suffering...even more upsetting article. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id... p forwarded to me this link, showing a visitor zoo in china that specializes in throwing live animals (goats and chickens) to a pit of lions to be torn to shreds, for the entertainment of families. the visitors purchase the animal to be killed, drag it to the edge of the pit, and toss it over. it falls about fifteen feet to be immediately surrounded by a full pride of lions, and ripped limb from limb. the lions are kept hungry to ensure a lively response. chickens are tied to bamboo poles and dangled above the lions until one can hook into it and pull it down to ground level. i am describing the article in graphic detail because this barbaric attitude toward the suffering of living creatures needs to be communicated. the good news is a high percentage of china's population supports legislation designed to protect animal rights, but the bad news is the political powers that be and the interests they serve refuse to pass these laws. i don't have a link you can follow to protest this cultural bias, this inhumane treatment of those that can't defend themselves, but i bet sending a strongly worded letter to any chinese government official couldn't hurt. maybe try these guys: http://www.china-embassy.org of course, we can't even eradicate dogfighting and cockfighting in this country, so... |
| "The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." --Eden Phillpotts i read this and picture clouds of stringy stuff floating above my head, all pink cotton-candy, keeping just out of reach. if only i could jump a bit, maybe skip so it wasn't obvious, i could catch a thread and find a new idea. all those gauzy threads, and so few in my head. ah, well. my ex was a proponent of psychotropic drugs--mushrooms, lsd, etc--he felt they literally opened up our minds. he also thought this was a mixed bag, because the aliens monitoring us were alerted to this level of our development by the beacons of our accepting minds twinkling above the darkness of the mundane blanketing the planet. and they'd pay closer attention to those who explored this level of consciousness. he might've been a bit paranoid. but i have a story about that, actually, if you wanna hear it. freaked me the hell out, it did. i've read some terrence mckenna, some robert anton wilson, and am familiar with theories about our development as a species spurred on by coincidental exposure to psychedelic mushrooms; that eating the mushrooms jumpstarted our brain's evolutionary progression. i've also read that aliens landed long ago and visited primitive man, leaving behind dna which led to our advanced evolutionary status. hm. i don't know. i really don't. but it's fun to imagine. either way, we've got these wrinkly brains and the concurrent obligation to use them for all they're worth. i hear pumpkin seeds are really good for that. happy pondering, y'all. |
| new haaaaaaaaaaaaampshire!!!! man, i love this stuff. okay, i've said it, and now i'll move on so i don't bore you all to tears. today was good--dragged my bootie out of bed with less than six hours of sleep (i really do need about 7.5 to be bippy), and schlepped off to work to KICK ASS all day. woo! i'm not even kidding. feels good, getting stuff done. after work, we came home and cocooned, played with the doggies, mashed homemade lentil soup into our faces, and now we sit with the tv on, watching the unmentionable (see above for hint). ahhh...the perfect evening. i've asked off for feb 5th, in case i'm asked to work at a primary voting location. i've got my various wdc assignments and responsibilities under control, but haven't worked on editing the novel for several days. thppt. how am i gonna give nora roberts a run for her money if i can't even finish my first book??? these are the questions that plague me in my sleep...except they emerge as metaphor, with my longing for success symbolized by a large swan, neck bent and bill tucked under its wing, blood sluicing from the slash in its neck that only i can heal by laying my hands on it and concentrating on bringing the words into the flesh to knit it together. i think all this happened at the zoo...what do you think it means? hope you all had a fabulous day, and have epic, confusing but uplifting dreams tonight. |
| about ten years ago, i was thinking pretty hard about getting a tattoo. i'd thought about it before, back in college, but could never decide what to get or where to get it. i knew i didn't want the skull and crossbones, above an ornate 'mother'. i also knew i didn't want something too cute, or pop-culturey. or anything photorealistic. (you can probably see why i had trouble thinking up a design that made me happy.) then, after a few years, i saw that everyone was getting tattoos. for me, when i'd been considering, the purpose was to mark a milestone in my life. (i had a few to choose from.) i liked the idea for the analogy, the metaphor. my life experience represented on the inside through my gained wisdom, and on my outside through a beautiful design. once everyone started getting 'inked', i felt that aversion i'd always had of following trends...also, i've always had an instinct to appear as innocuous as possible, not attracting attention, because flying under the radar leaves me free to think what i want without scrutiny. a tattoo would be a potential chink in that invisible armor. so i've never gotten one. i've seen a lot of tattoos on other people i'd regret, and a few i thought were truly gorgeous. i've not regretted staying 'plain.' when i think about it now, it feels like a part of a past me. so, what am i up to these days? as far as urges go? hmm...i have to say, the thought that flits through my brain most often (besides, 'when's lunch?') is my fantasy of living on a wide open homestead, working from home as a novelist, and owning all kinds of animals. P would keep the house and outer structures (barn, fences, greenhouse, garden) in good shape, and probably spend lots of time tramping about in the nearby forest. i imagine. i don't know why, but i see him as a carpenter, working with his hands. i think he'd enjoy the work, really. |
| hallo, all. weird things afoot. one of them being a development from last night: i'm a wdc a-1 writing academy interim instructor. i know! lookit: ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** things is just crazy. i've never been an authority figure before...i feel funny. but Deborah Owen and Rob G. ~Led by the Master~ contacted me last night with a really lovely email, and i offered to help out on a temporary basis. i mean, i am supposed to be concentrating on my novel, yes? who knows what'll happen? maybe i'll learn to love absolute power. i could be the groovy college professor type...on a related note: if you happen to know anyone who writes children's literature or adult mysteries well, and who might be interested in teaching, please contact Rob G. ~Led by the Master~ asap--he'll be deliriously happy to know of them. thanks. in other news: yesterday p & i drove up to summerhaven, a wee town on the top of mt lemmon. wildfires in 2003 burnt down most of it, so rebuilding is going full blast, but the forest is still wonderful, and the wintry temperatures and snowbanks are fabulous, too. we tramped about, ate some chili and pie (a la mode), and enjoyed the peaceful surroundings. then, we watched the new hampshire debates last night, and had some laughs.  well, back to editing the lesson thingy! (that's a technical term, you know.) hope everyone's having a lovely january evening. sip some hot cocoa for me. |
| hey, all--take a look at this. http://www.worthyofpublishing.com it's a site created in new zealand, totally free, dedicated to giving writers exposure for their books. you upload a chapter (or several), and the higher rated submissions can attract the attention of publishers....hey, couldn't hurt, eh? i'm on there as 'laurie marie', and have so far only submitted a collection of stories you guys have probably already read from wdc. but when my novel's ready? ooh la la... tell me what you think! |
| putcher hands in the air, wave 'em like you just don't care! i'm having a great day, thanks! i know the flu is making the rounds, many of us stuck in our sick jammies for several days, and that's no fun, but life overall is good, people! plus, i had a good hair day today. i decided to take a risk and blow dry it this morning. i won't bore you with the details of my day (like i usually do  ), but i felt happy and confident; one of those days that just happens sometimes, and lets us stand a little straighter, speak a little more forthright, and laugh a bit easier. anyhoo, gotta take the tree down. exciting news: take a look at this!
i'm taking part in Acme 's upcoming writing workshop:ACME'S HISTORY WORKSHOP Although aimed at beginners, this workshop should prove great for those wishing to hone their skills as history writers, or for those working on novels and short stories where context is vital to the story's credibility. History Workshop A workshop focusing on three main uses of History in writing: History Uses in Fiction Writing How much research do you need to do? How much detail do you need to include, and what are the 'traps' to look out for ? History Essay Writing Examining information sources (primary and secondary) in research, and expectations in delivery/structure Expression of the Genre There are many different ways of expressing history in your writing, perhaps poetry, essay, short stories are some, but what about your tone and style? Acme acme"i've never intentionally used a specific period of history in my writing--i'm excited and a bit nervous about this concept. i've been thinking about various places and times, and realize i don't really know very much about any particular era.  which ones do i like? hmm....i've always liked the idea of the wild west in america, 19th century. both the romanticized and brutal aspects, something about self-reliance, the immediacy of daily struggles, some life and death, the leather chaps. worldwide? hmm...i'd like to not focus on carnage too much, but the bubonic plague in europe? that's a surreal, unique period in history--at least for the scale and devastation. with the surge in apocalyptic fiction over the past five years, the black plague is a gimme. i think. tell me if i'm wrong, people. tell me now...before the workshop. hey, here's an idea: you guys, please tell me your favorite places and eras throughout history! the what, the who, the when, and the why--anything you wanna give me. i need some ideas, here... |
| oh, hold me close, citizens!! i'm hanging out, listening to the pundits following the iowa caucus so closely they're almost passing caucasers (?) around like cheese danishes........hey, everyone wants a cheese danish, oy. early numbers for the democratic caucuses have TRIPLE the numbers showing up than in 2004 which, as you remember, was a relatively active turnout. so, WOW!! i'm touched, seeing so many people getting involved for the first time. i wish i was there, just to feel the energy. *sigh* the republican caucuses are running their counts differently--a direct head count, by my understanding. so far, it's the expected head-to-moussed-head between huckabee and romney. i don't know the statistical chances, but if ron paul could pass that magical 15% 'viability' threshold, i'd be dancing in tulips. (thumpa thumpa thump... ...you gotta wear wooden clogs to dance in tulips, you know.)you might have noticed the title for this entry. that particular sound of overexcitement comes from a long-cancelled show on mtv, the name of which escapes me, that featured hand puppets performing skits, singing songs, etc. in a most unwholesome way. some of it was hi-larious. anyone remember 'the llama song'? no? well, once you've seen a felt puppet projectile vomit out a second-story window, your world view shifts just a bit. the show could be described as a watered-down 'meet the feebles', if anyone's witnessed that spectacle. porn, disease, addiction...every vice imaginable (and most portrayed in vivid technicolor), all acted out by a menagerie of animal puppets. i'm not saying it's tastedul, or even produced that well, but man, you're not gonna see anything else quite like it. hey, directed by the fantabulous peter jackson! (http://imdb.com/title/tt0097858/) so, back to the 'guh guh guh!'....although, now i've rambled on so long i've forgotten the reason i brought it up. ah, well. welcome to my brain. hmmm...time for ice cream, i think. ooh, wait! i haven't told you about my day, yet. i worked, got a lot done--shelving books and organizing photography and graphic design books--work i find therapeutic and very satisfying. sure, it's not drilling into someone's cranium, but i get a lot of thinking done, while touching and shifting and grooming the book sections. like the thinking we get done in the shower. the repetitive action is relaxing and almost counts as exercise , lots of lifting and squatting and shifting and carrying. every day, now, i go to work and accomplish something tangible, something i can look back on and feel happy about. i don't care that my paycheck isn't so fabulous...really, it never was. today, i was fantasizing about farming. growing food, keeping a few chickens, and a goat. okay, maybe no goat. ooh, but a sheep! a sheep i could get sweaters AND companionship from...hm. anyway, i romanticize the hell out of the whole thing, i know. farming in reality is hard, complicated, and prey to the whims of mother nature. but recreational farming? that might work. now, to talk p into it, and to move somewhere we'd have enough space. p's finger is doing all right, all raw and multicolored, but he's only banged it against a few things today. have a good night, everyone, and let me know tomorrow if you heard me tonight yelling at the caucus results on the tv. yay to active-minded citizens!! |
| good evening, everyone. don't you love that feeling after getting better from a cold? that feeling of get-up-&-go? not feeling achey? sickly? puny? back to being your normal, conquer-the-world self? i love that feeling! so, today i kicked ass at work, then came home to a fabulous dinner from p. great day! i'm sore now, but it's a good sore...like i earned it. p, with his zest for, well, everything, accidentally skinned his pinky knuckle down to the meat on a piece of metal...*shudder*...he's okay, wrapped his finger with a paper towel and some tape after he sprayed blood around the back room (!). i didn't hear about this until after work, but a kindly little old lady gave him a bandage after she noticed his impromptu wrap staunching the flow of blood. then he let me put hydrogen peroxide on it when we got home. i LOVE hydrogen peroxide! it does kinda sting, but the fizzy bubbles are so much fun...you know they're getting in there, making stuff happen...i picture them eating up all the bad germs. nom nom nom. that scrape is gonna be sore, though. it really is gross. if i had any command of technology i'd have posted pictures of it for you. he does this stuff, from time to time. and he's not clumsy...he just works with abandon. a few years ago, he slashed into his thumb with a box cutter and almost severed a tendon. i was in texas at the time, and heard about it after the fact. of course. he didn't want to go to the hospital, but our boss made him. sheesh. what's my point? well, partly to just tell gross wound stories. but also, i was thinking about p, how he just jumps in and tries stuff, no fear, no what ifs. i've always been the cautious one (except when it comes to love ), and i wish i was more like p in that respect, that lack of inhibition. he's gotten me to try stuff: weird food...(i still hold firm on the whole liver thing, though. no thanks. )...roadtrip adventures i'd never try on my own...he helps me feel i can do anything i set my mind to, and not to worry about failing. he shows me he has faith in me, and that's just amazing to me. oh, gosh. i'm gushing, aren't i? so, even though last year was fruitful for me, with the writing, i'm going to make a concerted effort this year to get somewhere. to become better. to finish what i start. to make a commitment to being published. the local community college has an annual writer's conference every summer, and i'm signing up for that. a good opportunity to work on my writing and meet some editors, maybe drum up some interest in what i'm trying to do. we'll see. i've got a lot of work to do before then, if i'm going to be ready. but time is finite....here's a secret....i'm turning 40 in june. 40!! i better get crackin'. tomorrow is the iowa caucus, and all the brouhaha will only get bigger, here on out. i'm anxious to see who wins tomorrow, and what effect it'll have on everyone's campaigns....obama's in the lead, in the polls!!! but sssshhhh....i didn't say anything....don't wanna jinx it. (crossed fingers, shakes some chicken bones, offers up a cigar and some rum to le Bon Diei) good night, y'all. have a great thursday! |
| oh, wow. it's january 1st, 2008. it's never been january 1st, 2008 before...it's a unique day, and today's the start of a yearful of these unique opportunities for, well, anything. anything could happen! i love a clean slate. we don't think we get these chances that often, but it's all in how we look at things, isn't it? perspective is everything, somebody said. so, if the possibilities are endless, what would we like to accomplish? true love? peace of mind? a new hometown? a new way of life? it all can begin right here, this moment. go, begin to fulfill those dreams! our only obstacle is time. carpe diem!! huzzah!! (the previous blog entry was sponsored by alka seltzer cold medicine and copious amounts of hot tea with honey. thank you.) |
| i don't know what it is about new year's. every year, i imagine that wide, fresh expanse of newness ahead of me, and feel excited. hopeful. clean and chock full of potential. all the years past don't matter, because i've got this new year ahead of me now. i can start again! part of it is the perfectionist side to me, the one that gets squishy at the possibility of new opportunity for a year of real achievement and growth, and the self-imposed pressure to accomplish the near-impossible. as soon as i mess it up, that pressure will evaporate, so i know that's not all of it. some is just giddy hope. this calendar demarcation between one year and the next is arbitrary. i know this. our lives are just one long journey made of single steps, and not large temporal chunks parsed out and measured by the accomplishments contained within...but the passing of another year does bring out my measuring stick. what did i accomplish? what did i abandon? what did i come to terms with? there's a lot. in the interest of not boring everyone, here are a few:  nano 2007--for the first time, i took it on. woohoo! i've come to terms with not being physically perfect. it ain't gonna happen. instead, i focus on trying to be healthy, and appreciating my good qualities. i like cheeseburgers way too much, and refuse to give them up. i haven't begun editing/rewriting any of my stories! i've made many new friends here at wdc--all of them fabulous support and inspiration in my quest to someday be published (and paid for it. ) i've gotten much better at blogging regularly. now, to add substance... i've retreated from my friends in 'real' life. i just don't seem to have time or energy enough for socializing...remember when we were kids, and you could just walk over to your buddy's house and knock on the door, hang out playing in the dirt for a few hours? why don't people just hang out anymore? seems like we're supposed to do stuff now. okay, clearly i should wait to try these lists until the cold medicine's worn off...what was i saying, again? i need to take notes, and then refer to them later. happiest of new years to you all, my friends!! may you achieve your wildest dreams in 2008, and not need copious amounts of cold medicine to do any of it. i'll be back.... |
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