1
February

Lots to do and no real inclination to get anything accomplished. I know. I’ll read.

Except for the tendency to click (clockwork knees, anyone?) and swell, the knees seem to be settling down nicely. I’m still icing, although I’m not sure how I’m going to accomplish that at school, which is what the PA wants. Physical therapy is next on my list, and hopefully, I’ll get that handled today.

So I’m free.

Or not. I have a recital in a week and a half, and I need to work–really work!–on not pulling down. If I have a nemesis, it’s my soft palate, and what a pain it is. I’ll be working on that today and tomorrow, in between updating my lesson plans for next week, reading my second novel on my daughter’s Kindle, and cleaning whatever I should clean (my bathroom and vacuuming the stairs and bedroom.) I also need to write lesson plans for Wednesday, because I’m out all day for the writing committee, and after that, I’ve got a two-hour meeting on trimester assessments.

I would just like to say having a week off will not compensate for that one day on my rear. No matter how much we accomplish as teams. This year is all about putting out wildfires, and I’m getting whiplash.

However, an image mugged me yesterday, and now I have a character with a story, although she’s not sharing much yet. I’m doing some research in order to dig it out of her and my subconscious is taking its sweet time letting me know just what it might be. There may be some first person narration going on to tear it out of her.

I’m still working on the old short story, and researching blackbirds to find some more strange/horrific elements to add. I’ve also got plans to do a reverse outline on the thing, to see where I need to add or subtract. We’ll see how that goes and thanks to one of the Posse for that notion.

And since the dog is asleep at my feet, I do believe I’ll start with some reading. It’s a freebie, so if I can’t stand it, I won’t feel guilty about not finishing.

 

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30
January

Life is so much fun when you’re certifiable

The knee is still swollen. I have no idea how long for it to subside, so my imagination is adding months to my original concept of a week or two.

Bummer.

The knee doesn’t belong to me yet. The skin is tight; when I rub my hand along it, the minimal sensation bothers me. That’s due to the pressure stocking, I suppose. One more day for that thing, and I can’t wait, I’m telling you.

The post-surgical checkup is tomorrow. Then there will be physical therapy. I don’t know how long that will run. Since I’m walking normally, taking the stairs normally, I’m hoping not long. And I really want the release to return to my normal activities–walking the dog and hitting the gym. I guess we’ll see how my return to school goes. If I don’t swell more there, then maybe everything will be okay fairly soon.

There’s clicking in this knee, though, which didn’t use to be there. Ominous clicking. Time-bomb clicking. I’m just praying no knee replacement in its future clicking.

However, I’ve slept enough to catch up on my rest. Yesterday, I opened a short story and wrote. (Okay, rewrote. And did some research.)

I can’t remember the last time I’ve done that. Probably since last summer. It’s a start. Which means I have five more days to get my head wrapped around the story and getting it done. At some point, I’ll be able to share it with the Freeway Dragons–I don’t think I have yet.

Today, there’s some up and around for me. I have some housework I want to  accomplish, although it’ll be light housework. And since I have choir tonight, I have to find some pants I can put my swollen knee in without cutting off that leg’s circulation. I’m a little worried about that, since I think I have one pair of jeans and maybe a pair of sweatpants. It will make dressing for school a tad interesting next week if so.

In other news, I discovered The Bloggess and her entry for her 16th wedding anniversary. I’ve fulfilled all my spouse’s suspicions that I’m crazed by laughing hysterically, and I think he will continue to remember this when our next anniversary rolls around. If nothing else, he might not open the front door with an easy mind.

My torture here is done. ;)

 

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14
August

With the best intentions

So, the school work continues. Last night was cutting yards of lamination film away from the homework folders. This morning, I’ll be pressing them with a warm iron.

The quality of lamination film sucks, as does the heating element of certain laminators. And I refuse to double laminate objects that used to only need one lamination, particularly when I am paying 29 cents a foot.

Spiders apparently love me. I am dealing with the fourth spider bite of the summer. This time it’s on the back of my hand and not the side. It itches, flares up if I brush my hand against something, and is annoying. I don’t know if it’s the heat or what, but the spiders are thriving. As are my tomatoes and all the squash varieties.

Yesterday’s brainstorming meeting on my summation of the second novel went really well. Sure there are things I’m going to change or move to the third book, but overall? I’m happy and looking forward to writing it.

Of course, I haven’t actually started, so the looking forward period will eventually end and I will become submersed in the actual doing, which is a completely different animal.

There are things that scare me about this novel. Characters with other characters in their heads, for one thing. But we resolved some bits of Mareet’s journey in this one, and Deb’s ideas to have her personality fuse with the other and somehow become new speaks to me. A lot.

It’ll also make the squicky parts less squicky.

And then there’s that whole aspect of exploring an older person’s memories of themselves at a younger age that can be so horrifying/astonishing to a younger person.

Just ask me about my mother’s experience with an ax murderer if you don’t believe me. (Mind you, said story didn’t come up until I was well into my 50′s, but I would have used that cautionary story on my daughter all through her early teens had I known it. Trust me.)

In other news, my life revolves around school, which is sad considering school hasn’t actually begun, and won’t until next week.

It’s a good thing we have a camping weekend planned to celebrate the eldest child’s 30th on Labor Day weekend. We’ve got beach reservations at Gaviota, which is north of Santa Barbara, and no matter how hot it will be here, I’m sure the beach will be tolerable. Like Ventura was yesterday when I had to laminate.

And now, I’m off to walk. This should have happened an hour ago as I shift my time around to before school–I was certainly vertical at that time with a coffee cup in hand.

But somehow, the best intentions….

Tomorrow.

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3
August

Why do I do this, again?

So Wednesday looked like this:

-Walk dog 2 miles
-Six hours of moving furniture in classroom, including lifting bookshelves and everything else stacked on ledges. Because I am insane, some things got moved three and four times in my efforts to create the illusion of more space.
-Unroll and drag new 15×18 rug around, then reroll it backwards to get out the curls.
-Gym for 30 minutes
-Vacuum downstairs and stairs

Writing? Heck no. My hands hurt.

Yesterday:

-Walk dog 2 miles
-Clean kitchen and mop floor
-Continue moving furniture and hanging bulletin boards. Little lifting, thank heavens. Hands still hurt.
-Contemplate scrubbing bathroom.
-Collapse in stupor and stare at Olympic coverage for a while.
-Die early.

Writing? Dead, remember?

Today:

-Walk dog 2 miles.
-Clean bathroom.
-Return to classroom and continue processing room. I have to get it in shape if I’m going to do any assessment of incoming K’s before we post classes. I cannot putter, iow.
-Gym for 30 minutes
-Attend a cabaret for two musical theater students from Penn State. (Can’t wait to hear and see the girl I know–she’s fantastic.)
-Collapse in a puddle

Writing? I will try before puddle time.

This weekend is just about as bad, with more walking, more out (Shakespeare in the Park, a memorial service, and a food/wine with a bunch of friends.)

Tell me it will be better by Monday. Because I still have file boxes here and homework folders, library folders, memory books, and a whole long list of prep to accomplish next week. I’m trying to get myself organized enough that I can be available for the new-to-K-and-our-team teacher and actually help her.

The new novel is swirling in my head, and I don’t like what ramifications I see if the worst happens to my protag. Mostly the ramifications are overwhelming–kind of like that middle-of-the-novel morass when you’ve got too many plot threads open and you have to somehow close them all.

Just like that.

But I have to have something by Sunday for the Posse to chew over, so I will. Even if I’m puddled or dead.

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20
June

Ways to kill off a character that I never contemplated doing

but now must because of FB, my sil, and a California county coroner’s book:

Death by circus train.

How can I possibly ignore that?

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5
May

Now, with added itchiness

Okay, so not necessarily more. Just ongoing. Damn pink eye/conjunctivitis or whatever.

But it didn’t stop me from writing today, and that was even after the two First Communion masses. I managed a good 1700 words over the last three hours, which is very good for me.

Extremely good.

Which means I can do it when I just sit down and write. So there you go. As if the universe had to give me the reminder.

New words are wonderful, you know?

Now to add drops to my eyes and just hit my bed. I had a short nap this afternoon, and it’s as though that sleep does not count for anything. Maybe it’ll all be better in the morning.

It had better be. I’m going back to school Monday one way or the other.

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8
March

Plodding

You know, the worst thing about starting a new habit of any kind is consistency.

Yeah.

So Saturday, when I slept in? No words. And then Sunday, when I ran out the door at 8A to sing? No words. And then came Monday, and I had either allergies or a cold (the jury’s still out on what this is) and I decided to sleep that extra hour. Ditto Tuesday. Tuesday night arrived, and I got 100 words, but not on the novel, and not the 200 I was aiming for.

My bed developed tentacles Wednesday morning.

This morning, I was up late, but not as late as I had been. Still no words, because I’m not counting these.

The hardest thing about starting a new habit is starting over when you fail. And starting again. And again. Because for me, that one miss becomes a hurdle, and the next day it’s a hill, and by the third day it’s grown to be a mountain.

And then, even though I wrote twelve days in a row, I landed on the not-writing plain where I began.

I’m bummed and disappointed with myself.

And I’ll see what happens when I get home tonight.

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2
March

No snooze for the wicked, dagnabit

I have no idea how it is suddenly March. Next week’s letter is Rr and I should have started my senses unit earlier this week. Guess we’ll do it all today, in between bits of assessment. Report cards come out next week.

Am I done? That would be a huge no. Thank heavens, I have a half day today for the end of the trimester.

This 5A business is working–as long as I get up. This morning, I hit the alarm button and settled back down for a minute. Just a minute. The snooze button went off five minutes later, and I tried to kill the radio with a slap, as I usually do. Everybody dance now! kept shrieking, I kept smacking to no avail, and I finally had to turn on the light to see what I was doing wrong.

Trust me, I was up then.

I fed the dog, grabbed a cup of coffee, and set to work. I’m almost done with my word count today, and that makes day 12.

Tonight I am going to collapse and I have plans to sleep in tomorrow. Thank heaven for weekends.

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29
February

5A, day three

I can’t say it’s getting any easier. It’s dark, my bed is warm, and I have to argue with myself. It’s certainly not helping that my bedtime hasn’t shifted from 10P or later.

I’m not quite walking into walls, but getting there.

Writing, however, is far easier at this time in the morning, and I feel pretty good about accomplishing it. Another day, another two hundred words. Step by step.

Shifting about to write big scenes by big scenes is helping. I’ll string them together after the fact, and rewrite the bits that link them then. I thought of a new scene I had to write last night, because things changed (again!) on me. I think where I’m going now is better–there’s more angst in it for one protag, and the other will get to argue/fight with him and lose, so I’m calling it a double win.

But now, more coffee and getting dressed for the day. Bleh.

School is hard this week.

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27
February

Day 8

OMG, 5A is waaaaaay too early.

On the other hand, I have words. *waves all 200+*

(This does not bode well for staying awake long enough to watch Smash tonight. Good thing there are reruns.)

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