JIM's due date was May 15 and even though he's full-term, he could have cooked for three more weeks. He was a little over 5 pounds at birth. But since his due date was May 15, we had made plans for me to go their house, help them with baby prep clean-up, and go to Avengers. As of May 3, JIM was still in the hospital so we would keep those plans. I left my job Friday afternoon and went to Lafayette.
The first derailment hits after I'm in Target in Lafayette buying contact lens solution. JIM has improved so much the hospital is ready to have the parents room-in and take a infant CPR course and prove that they can take care of him. So Eric (JIM's dad) and Suzanne do that Friday night and I go to bed much earlier than I ever have sleeping over at their house. :p
Saturday morning: I wake up and tackle turning the storage room I'm sleeping in into the guest bedroom that they want. By the time I reached the limit of what I can do and am more than ready to channel my inner Nicey Nash from Clean House on both of them, Eric brings me Diet Dr. Pepper and takes me out to lunch. We map out the cleaning strategy: stop at Big Lots for items it has become clear are needed for house; go through the stuff stored in the shed for trash, donate, and keep; go through the stuff stored in the room for same thing; make a donation run; see Avengers tomorrow.
Suzanne still at the hospital with JIM wants take out. Taking her the take-out eats up nearly 2 hours (I wish I had timed it better, I thought it would be an in-out drop off.). Eric and I get back to the house and have two boxes pulled out of the shed when we get the news the hospital wants to discharge JIM.
"They couldn't have told us this when we were stuck there earlier?" Stop cleaning the shed, go to hospital, discharge slams into shift change for the NICU. I watched four episodes of Disney Channel sitcoms before we got out with JIM. New plans (no, at this point we still haven't learned not to use the p-word): order pizza for supper, work on shed under lights, then move into bedroom. Avengers next weekend. Then Eric's parents fix supper so we don't have to wait on pizza and we decide cleaning off my bed again is more important than the shed.
During supper I realize what's wrong with coming next weekend. "I can't, it's Mother's Day and my mom will KILL me."
Eric blinks, then points to his wife across the table. "That's why you spit him out early!"
After supper and while Eric is going through paperwork I found all over the guest room and filed into one box to go through, Suzanne wanted me to switch shows and become Stacy London from What Not To Wear and help her clean out her closet. I see issues in the closet that makes me realize I need a Matt to fix things and I don't have one.
Closet and the rest of their bedroom storage issues are put off for another weekend, and I do promise that I will come back. I finally crawl into bed at midnight. Wake up Sunday morning around 7am to find out that parents and JIM haven't slept at all. JIM has to go back to the hospital for lab work. Eric's father has to go to the airport for a flight. The shopping list has grown again and the donation pile is big enough to go. Suzanne and JIM are put to bed and Eric and I tackle the shed. We actually finished the shed before lunch!
The after lunch plan was for Eric's mother to take Eric's dad to airport, then Suzanne and JIM to the lab; leaving me and Eric free to give away the donate pile, go to Wal-Mart, and tackle next cleaning project. Then Suzanne's parents arrived. Eric's dad did make it to the airport on time, but nearly right after they left the visitation from the church official started (I can't remember his name, sorry). Eric's friend Nick came in between the two, but we never got a chance to start a new project that he could help with.
At 5pm, I left to go home. I made it home in time to watch most of Once Upon a Time. And that is why I haven't seen the Avengers yet.
- Mood:
exhausted
Since sobbing uncontrollably really isn't my thing (and I don't have a crying gif yet), let's go with this reaction instead.
And can we see Eureka become a courtroom drama? Because I don't think whatever DoD contracts they have covers 21 counts of kidnapping and now one count of murder.
- Mood:
shocked
"I don't know; I've always gone straight to Wal-Mart."
Don't think this is a bash against Wal-Mart. I do shop there, but I try to limit the trips. I've already gone once this month. However I was willing to go if it was the last resort for anything to block that damn street light out of my bedroom.
Why poster board? I searched on blackout shades. Target has blackout curtain liners, but I don't have curtains or curtain rods. Lowe's had something that looked like the old solid sheet roll down blinds for $144. Wal-Mart listed one that you trim to fit your window and press 'n stick in place but it rolls up manually. I couldn't wrap my brain around that description and decided taping poster board over the glass was a) cheapest, b) easiest, and c) least permanent.
Dollar General does have poster board: white, black, and orange. I chose white since the house is white and my blinds are white. But I had second thoughts after I put it in the windows. Sure, it dimmed the sun, but didn't block it completely. I figured tomorrow I would go buy some black poster board and stick that on the windows too.
But I'm happy to report as of bedtime that I don't have to buy any more poster board. Because there's not orange glow in my bedroom now! WOOT! Light does come through the white, but now it matches about what I got from a full moon B.S.L. (Before Street Light). I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep.
This morning I woke up feeling like I had more sleep than I have the past two nights. I'm so glad I don't have to spend any more money.
- Mood:
excited
Part of the reason my focus has been so not there, TV to watch. But there’s so little I watch I find it hard to feel guilty. The real problem is WHEN they air the shows (no DVR and I tried the taping thing, I still need to watch the third season of Castle). Three days in a row with late bedtimes, and I am a cranky girl who doesn’t want to think. However most of what’s on the TV now are wrapping up their seasons so soon I will sleep again.
Justified: I only watched because of Neal McDonough, but this show soon snagged me as a fan. I don’t know if I’m a fan enough to continue to next season, well, I probably will if Limehouse comes back.
Full Metal Jousting: the History Channel’s show about real jousting and real training for it. And it was a competition for $100,000. I was rooting for the Red team and none of them won. Better luck next year! Seriously, I wonder if they are going to let previous competitors come back.
Shows you already know I love: Castle and Bones. ABC should have ordered more episodes because this spacing the new episode’s out in two-week intervals so the finale falls on May 4 is whacked. Especially how every time they have air a rerun limited to this season (good), and it has never been the few episodes I missed! (WTF?) Bones moved to a new night but it works for my schedule.
Shows I’m trying out and am now probably a rabid fan of: Finder, Once Upon a Time, and Grimm. I adore Walter, the Finder, brain injured war vetern who can see all the patterns no one else can and generally doesn’t give a damn about societal niceties, but I will accept the fact that this is Fox and Fox is stupid so I probably will only have this precious, precious season. Once Upon a Time has me sitting on a list of names these people have on both sides and timeline notes because I should write first before I try to unsnarl the clues. Grimm: this show has dragged poor Nick’s development so damn slow I think it can become the Monroe Show and more people will watch it. The world is fascinating, so I haven’t wrote it off yet.
Dancing With the Stars: I’m watching and voting, and now the other channels have filled up Monday nights so that makes it hard. I’m rooting for Jaleel White.
The light pole saga, or as I like to call it, the new pain in my neck. A couple of weeks ago, Entergy put a stake and a notice that a new pole was going in on our neighbor’s property. The speculation has run the gamut: one of my cousins finally take the piece he inherited, new line getting strung to the cousin at the end of the driveway, new wires getting strung to the cousin at the road. Friday, I found out what it was for when I went out to get Mustard and found my front yard lit up by the new outdoor light.
This light streams in through both my bedroom windows because it is aimed at the driveway and not anyone’s house but mine, so many yards away. Who has issues sleeping with light? That’s would be me. So far I haven’t suffocated myself as the covers go over my head to make the orange glow go away.
Dad got a hold of the cousin who ordered it and he promised to ask Entergy to put the light on his side of the pole. I sent Entergy a complaint to put a lamp shade on it or something. But I think I’ll still buy something to blackout my windows just in case those efforts don’t decrease the light pollution.
- Mood:
hungry
On Friday: My Good Friday was 90% non-religious unless you count “Oh God why aren’t you open!” as a prayer, then the number changes to 60%. For starters I had to go shopping, get the oil changed in Rizzo, see about getting a haircut, and go to a great-aunt’s funeral.
Crap, learning things actually started on Thursday when I found out Paris Parker no longer give complimentary haircuts for Locks of Love donations. This is the only way I’ve cut my hair for the past ten years, so changing things now. *raspberry*
Back to Friday, Dad said the oil change place opened at 7am. I left home at 7:30am. New hair salon was closed (expected since it was the crack of dawn) but didn’t have hours posted on the door (unexpected). Headed to oil change station and they’re setting up for the day. They open at 8. Go to Tuesday Morning. They open at 10. Ross opens at 9:30. I reminded myself I needed a new extension cord that I can get at Lowe’s. Lowe’s is open because they cater to contractors.
Not only is Lowe’s open, the parking lot was full. Which makes sense, everyone in Hammond was there because nothing else was open! Extension cord procured, followed by the oil change, which took about 30 minutes. So I headed to TJMaxx, since none of the other stores on my list were open. TJMaxx opens at 9:30.
At this point, the breakfast I had at home was long gone so I retreated to McDonald’s, refueled, and waited for 9:30. Everything I needed was at TJMaxx and I made it to the funeral on time.
Lesson: I have successfully reprogrammed my bio-rhythms out of sync with my home town and if I have been up for hours, you should be too. *growls*
Saturday: I learned that Dad’s Santa Fe has a kill switch, but I don’t know how I activated it. Luckily, the car started again before someone exiting the Westbank Expressway killed me and Mom.
Sunday: I finally had time to really flea treat the house. I had already dosed Mustard with the spot treatment, so first he got shampooed and kicked out of the house while I vacuumed and sprayed the floors. I learned that one large can of the flea killing spray is only enough to cover half the house.
Monday: There will be no time for writing when over half the office is M.I.A. and there’s a payment deadline on the 15th along with the mail running on Good Friday. I ended up working an hour and forty-five minutes overtime. Which derailed my plans for after work, luckily there were adjustable.
- Mood:
bouncy
Today's my last day of work. Tonight I'll be driving to Austin. Saturday Sherwood Forest Faire! SQUEE! I'll be back home Monday and back to the normal routine Tuesday.
- Mood: excited
Jan. 23rd: Bad News, Invitations, Punishments, and Insights
Feb. 4th: January's Done
Feb. 10th: The Shining Analysis
My vacation expense budget has been approved, my time off has been approved, so next weekend I'm going here and hang out with Robin Hood, Maid Marian, and the Bedlam Bards. And see my sister when I crash at her place and shanghai my new powder monkey, er, okay, my nephew for anachronistic fun! SQUEE! So this weekend will be a fun mix of sewing and writing, which I'm fairly sure is a new mix for me.
And for Oz/Tin Man fandom: io9 found the creepiest and slashiest Tin Woodsman and Scarecrow images ever. And the ones of Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion raise eyebrows too. I don't think I've ever been so divided in my reaction to costumes before, but I don't want to spoil the surprise. Check them out and tell me I'm not just imagining it.
- Mood: excited
I’m shilling for George Lucas. After swearing never to give the man any more money, he finally gets “Red Tails” out in theaters Jan. 20th. He is the producer and has been trying to do this movie about the WWII heroes the Tuskegee Airmen for 35 years. Hollywood has been, well, Hollywood about it: i.e. majority black cast, nobody will pay to see it. Cuba Gooding Jr. and Terrence Howard both star in it and people besides Lucas wrote the screenplay and directed it. This is a WWII action movie like “Band of Brothers” and “Saving Private Ryan”, so support it for the Greatest Generation and to prove the studio heads wrong.
Movie Mom: Red Tails Interviews
Due to the way my paycheck falls, I'll have to see it the weekend after it opens. But I will see it in the theaters. I hope you will too.
Read Free!
The BookWorm
P.S. SOPA protest: I've sent emails to my senators and will be sending more emails to my representatives once I get home.
- Mood:
optimistic
I do like how this forces me to examine the results I made in the previous year. Often I surprise myself.
Stories I finished:
"Words of Parting" - 4966 words, the only original story I finished all year. I submitted it to the Triangulation contest, but it wasn't selected for publication.
"Something in the Air - 2673 words for Crossover Challenge #4. It's a brief glimpse of Glitch and Az in Kansas from the sequel to Dragons and Ninjas. If I participate in more of these challenges, I may get the major scenes of this story written before I actually write the story.
"Representing the O.Z." - 198 words written for tm_challenge Round 20. I couldn't resist answering the challenge with a little bit staring the Mystic Man and my OC Franklin.
Tin Man/Medical Investigation: Alchemy - 33,804 words for the annual BDPT. This story had been banging around my head for a while, so I made it fit into the prompts to help my team win, and then the results were never tallied!
I wrote 107,062 fictional words in 2011, which leads to a new section in this meme. Stories I didn't finish:
Untitled steampunk mystery - 434 words. I have the characters, setting, and plot, but it hasn't gelled completely yet. I typed up an opening scene and haven't gotten back to it.
Tin Man: Prince of the Outer Zone - 8974 words are done in this sequel to Tine Man: Pirates of the Nonestic. I thought turning to this story on Mondays (which are brutal days to write on with the paying job) would give me a boost when I turned back to Stellar Gift of Death. I didn't really see a boost, but I have typed the first two chapters now.
Stellar Gift of Death - I wrote 56,013 words in 2011, giving this story a total word count of 74,148. I have the beat sheet and it works. I have characters who I understand. So I think my brain, Perfect Girl, and the Fear Monger are latching onto what I don't know about the setting and the universe to freeze up the process. In 2012, I will have to break past that.
My favorite story this year: Alchemy. I was a tad bit nervous about the Medical Investigation half, but everyone who has read it has enjoyed it.
Story most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: "Something in the Air" but I really don't blame anyone. I think it needs the context of the rest of the story.
Most fun story: "Representing the O.Z."
Stories I wrote that I never thought I'd write: "Words of Parting" I didn't think this part of Mealte's back story could work as a separate story. It needs revising, but the core holds up.
Hardest story to write: Stellar, otherwise I'd be finished with it!
Biggest disappointment: I only typed 158 days out of 365. Granted some of the remaining 207 days were spent on rough drafts, plotting, or unmeasurable world building stuff, but that still leaves plenty when I didn't do any of that.
Biggest surprise: Miles/Az in Alchemy. With as much brainstorming I did on that story, it didn't develop until I started writing.
Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would, less, or about what you predicted? I got really close to the total number of fictional words I wanted to write 182,500, 59% complete. But I had a goal of not writing fanfiction until I finished four original stories and I only finished one. And still wrote three fanfics!
Did you take any writing risks this year? What did you learn from them? I meant to submit more and promptly forgot all about doing that.
Did you meet last years' goals? Write 182,500 fictional words between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2011
- Specific: Write at least 500 words every day - Considering I only have 158 days when what I wrote was countable, I'm mildly impressed I got to 107,062 words.
- Measurable: Post the weekly total every Saturday at DUF using the Writertopia progress bar - I've been consistent with the posting.
- Keep track of daily progress with a marathon spreadsheet - I've been consistent with this posting too.
- Action-oriented: Finish Stellar Gift of Death by March 20, 2011 - nope.
- Finish a 5000-word short story for Triangulation submission by March 31, 2011 - yes.
- Finish steampunk mystery - nope.
- Finish another story in the Piper of Shadows universe - nope.
- Finish the "Blue Man on the Porch" - nope.
- Realistic: Finish four original stories before any fanfiction - nope.
- Trackable/Time-based: Each story has a marathon tracker of its own, and metrics are posted daily at DUF - yeah, I think tracking is now a habit.
- Specific: Submit to six markets by Dec. 31, 2011 - I submitted to two markets and neither was accepted.
- Measurable: Find a tracking method that I can update without fuss. - I found Sonar3, which I like for as little as I have used it.
- Action-oriented: Look for 12 markets - didn't do.
- Realistic: Send out at least one story in February, April, June, August, October, and December - didn't do.
- Have conversations with the Fear Monger; it helps - didn't do.
- Trackable/Time-based: Honestly note the anxiety over each submission on tracking method - Sonar3 lets me do this; I just banished the whole goal of submissions out of my mind.
Do you have any goals for the coming year?
Fiction Writing
- Specific: Finish Stellar Gift of Death
- Edit "Words of Parting"
- Edit "Blue Man on the Porch"
- World building for the steampunk mystery
- World building for Piper of Shadows universe
- World building for Zy's universe
- Edit Forget the Sun for Mez's 2012 project.
- Write 2000 words a week and pick out a new project once Stellar is finished.
- Measurable: Post the weekly total at DUF using the Writertopia progress bar.
- Action-oriented: Dedicate at least 30 minutes on a writing project every day.
- Realistic: Write what I feel like I can't not write.
- Trackable: Each story has a marathon tracker of its own, and metrics are posted every day at DUF.
- Specific: Submit to three markets.
- Measurable: Enter submissions into Sonar 3
- Action-oriented: Look for 12 markets.
- Realistic: Look for email markets.
- Trackable: Note how anxious I am about the submission in Sonar3.
- Mood:
amused
Lessons learned from 2011’s Goals: I need to find my doable point before I can stretch beyond that. While I like the yearly plan and will keep it, I’m going to break it down to what I can accomplish in a month. Carrying the metaphor of Big Rocks, the monthly goals are my Boulders, things to finish in a week are the Big Rocks, and daily chores become the Pebbles. I’m also crossing fingers and hoping that the monthly focus will change some things into daily habits.
The big topics this year: Monetary concerns, taking health seriously, spirituality practice, incorporating writing into my life more fully, and getting non-anxious over submissions.
Monetary Concerns
- Specific: Follow the budget set up by the CC Fairy.
- Measurable: Update Quicken every day.
- Action-oriented: Do the exercise assigned by the CC Fairy. Due on January 20th: a spending diary and reports on my spending habits.
- Realistic: Prioritize spending:
- Food
- Gasoline
- Utilities
- Mortgage
- Chase Student Loan
- Family Loans
- All other loans
- Trackable: Update NetWorthIQ badge every month.
- Update the zero-balance budget spreadsheet each month.
- Specific: Follow Primal guidelines on food and exercise
- Measurable: Weigh every morning
- Take body measurements once-a-week
- Action-oriented: Exercise every day.
- Realistic: Lose 4 pounds by next check-up with Dr. Miller
- Trackable: Keep a food diary and measurements at FitDay.com
- Fill out the workout log book every day I exercise and show progress at Joe's Goals
- Specific: Carve out sacred space in my house where I can store the tools and conduct rituals.
- Measurable: Read 365 Goddess.
- Action-oriented: Create a new Book of Shadows
- Realistic: Celebrate the Sabbats.
- Trackable: Journal exercises and Sabbat rituals in the Book of Shadows.
- Specific: Finish Stellar Gift of Death
- Edit “Words of Parting”
- Edit “Blue Man on the Porch”
- World building for the steampunk mystery
- World building for Piper of Shadows universe
- World building for Zy’s universe
- Edit Forget the Sun for Mez’s 2012 project.
- Write 2000 words a week and pick out a new project once Stellar is finished.
- Measurable: Post the weekly total at DUF using the Writertopia progress bar.
- Action-oriented: Dedicate at least 30 minutes on a writing project every day.
- Realistic: Write what I feel like I can’t not write.
- Trackable: Each story has a marathon tracker of its own, and metrics are posted every day at DUF.
- Specific: Submit to three markets.
- Measurable: Enter submissions into Sonar 3
- Action-oriented: Look for 12 markets.
- Realistic: Look for email markets.
- Trackable: Note how anxious I am about the submission in Sonar3.
January Boulders
- Due on January 20th: a spending diary and reports on my spending habits.
- Start reading 365 Goddess
- Research for Imbolc celebrations on Feb. 2
- Self-assessment for exercising.
- Take measurements on Jan. 1st
- Finish Stellar Gift of Death
- Write 15 minutes x 2
- Exercise every day and track what is done
- Update Quicken every day
- Mood:
determined
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