Other than being at war with my skin, things are going pretty well.
The Good Stuff:
- We started scraping the west wall of the house
- Hubby got the second color coat on the front wall of the house
- Noticed an announcement for the local city clean up on the radio website, and hubby and I were able to load about half the mattresses and box springs we need to get out of the shop onto the trailer and take them over and get rid of them this morning (the guys didn't even hesitate to pull them off the trailer and load them into the front loader they had waiting). That saved us having to buy a permit from the city to do it at some other time of year. I've noted the approximate date for next year in Things, so we'll be ready to go with the rest of the mattresses. Woo Hoo! We may even get the compressor out of the dead fridge that's there and take it, too. The mattresses are the big hassle -- we can cut up the nasty press board furniture that's no good and put it out in the weekly trash, but mattresses are a little tougher.
- We got a little wind earlier this week, which screwed up a couple of shingles at the very peak of the garage. Before putting the scaffolding away today in preparation for going to San Antonio, we set up three levels in front of the garage, and hubby, with his handy coat hanger third hand tool, got the loose shingles repaired (we are NOT happy with the job the local builder did on this garage -- very poor quality work; they won't get $50k of our cash again -- I don't expect shingle troubles for 20 years on a roof, we've been tacking shingles back on since three; they didn't use roofing nails, which is part of the problem).
- Got a little work done on PBOTL
- Got more work done on scene cards for MAY DAYS (originally ROAD TRIP). I'll be able to write on the Grand Tour. Not sure if it will be a stand alone or a trilogy. Characters are multiplying at exponential rates. This is not good. People had too many kids in the 60s.
- The fig plant is growing rapidly. We're going to bring some dirt back from San Antonio and get it planted when we return.
- Hubby mounted my can crusher, so I've been crushing cans.
- Hubby got his desktop computer set up and operational upstairs right where he wanted it. I plugged him into the network, and he's humming along, ready to work on his next newsletter issue.
Not So Good Stuff:
- I think I'm at war with my skin. When I finished the prescribed steroid dose, I still had 18 tablets left. I suspected when my rash wasn't completely gone, that I might have troubles. They're just different than any I've had before with poison plants. After finishing the steroid treatment, I developed a rash on my hands and face. It's a light reddening of the face, leading me to suspect rosacea. The hands are like blisters that won't burst and really itch, mostly on the backs of my hands and fingers. Realizing I missed my opportunity to see my doctor this week and not wanting to make another emergency room visit to Fort Sam next week unless absolutely necessary, I worked out a schedule for the remaining 18 steroid tablets -- 3-3-2-2-2-2-1-1-1-1. I started it yesterday and have noticed improvement. That will get me through until we return to Central TX at the end of next week. If I'm not better, I'll make an appointment with my primary care physician. I'm wondering if this may be a form of psoriasis on my hands. I already get it on my scalp and elbows, but I don't have the silvery plaques, so maybe it's more like an eczema? I've ruled out ringworm or impetigo.
- I'm not happy with my weight status. I lost two pounds this week, which I AM happy about, but the overall way I'm dealing with things is not good right now. I've reached that point where it's not easy, and I hate this place. I've always said losing weight was like a mercury switch in my head. When it's in the right position, everything is easy. When it gets tipped out of whack, everything is impossible. I've never found an in between, and I struggle when it goes "out" to get it back. I'm determined to figure it out -- before I gain all the weight I lost back!
- I didn't get work done on the islands this week. Part of me things I reduce my exposure to plants until I get this skin problem under control.
- I'm still not getting much reading done for this year. Still reading Stuart MacBride's HALFHEAD. The man writes sick fiction. He and Tammy are two peas in a pod.
The Week Ahead:
- We head to San Antonio tomorrow. Hubby want's to spend his birthday down there. Looking forward to letting the cats play outside (we don't have a yard they can do that in up here), getting my hair cut, getting Pinky (Yes, that's his name. I don't know; he's hubby's age, so he's been called that for a lot of years) set up on my iPad, finding some dirt for the fig tree, mowing the lawn, maybe remembering to make some more cuttings, finding new slides (my old ones are worn out), and, of course, spending some time at Timbo's, the best burger, salad, and beer place in San Antonio.
- We'll be back on Thursday, so I'll be prepared to mow the lawn up here, too.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Wendy's Week
Good Stuff:
- Sent in my Frasier entry a few days ahead of the deadline.
- Started tomato and pepper seeds inside.
- Started broccoli and lettuce seeds outside. (They like cooler weather, and a late frost won't faze them if I cover them up.)
- Helped Eric mow the lawn (it was only 6" high) and started pulling weeds out of my flower beds. In March. Ridiculous.
- Started research on what I hope will be my 3rd book of 2012.
- Got my Scottish Games budget done and sent it to the guy who did it last year to look over.
- Started contacting participants for the Scottish Games, and told Eric he's going to be a volunteer. (Well, why not? He's going to be there anyway, and it gets him in free!)
- Went to see The Hunger Games. Really good movie.
- Made hotel and airline reservations to go to San Diego in late April for my FIL's 3rd wedding. For as much as we're spending to go out there, I sure hope this one sticks. We had to wait to make sure we could go because of possible changes in Eric's contract.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Not much progress on the clutter, but Eric is taking some vacation time next week and I've made up a honey-do list. We're making a Good Will run on Tuesday.
- Not as much writing as I'd like, and what I have done is more editing.
- For some reason, the warmer weather has given me the munchies. I find myself wanting to eat even when I'm not hungry. Most times I hit the grapes or drink some water, but it's disconcerting after having had that under control for a while.
This Week:
- Good Will run.
- Set up the rest of the new garden pots and dismantle the old raised bed.
- Get clutter out of the loft and dining room.
- Clear off our dressers.
- Finish editing what I have already written so I can get to the real writing.
- Sent in my Frasier entry a few days ahead of the deadline.
- Started tomato and pepper seeds inside.
- Started broccoli and lettuce seeds outside. (They like cooler weather, and a late frost won't faze them if I cover them up.)
- Helped Eric mow the lawn (it was only 6" high) and started pulling weeds out of my flower beds. In March. Ridiculous.
- Started research on what I hope will be my 3rd book of 2012.
- Got my Scottish Games budget done and sent it to the guy who did it last year to look over.
- Started contacting participants for the Scottish Games, and told Eric he's going to be a volunteer. (Well, why not? He's going to be there anyway, and it gets him in free!)
- Went to see The Hunger Games. Really good movie.
- Made hotel and airline reservations to go to San Diego in late April for my FIL's 3rd wedding. For as much as we're spending to go out there, I sure hope this one sticks. We had to wait to make sure we could go because of possible changes in Eric's contract.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Not much progress on the clutter, but Eric is taking some vacation time next week and I've made up a honey-do list. We're making a Good Will run on Tuesday.
- Not as much writing as I'd like, and what I have done is more editing.
- For some reason, the warmer weather has given me the munchies. I find myself wanting to eat even when I'm not hungry. Most times I hit the grapes or drink some water, but it's disconcerting after having had that under control for a while.
This Week:
- Good Will run.
- Set up the rest of the new garden pots and dismantle the old raised bed.
- Get clutter out of the loft and dining room.
- Clear off our dressers.
- Finish editing what I have already written so I can get to the real writing.
Tam's Week Thirteen
Gonna have to switch to numericals for my post titles, maybe.
I apologize for my absence the past couple of weekends. While I could blame it on simply being busy (which would be quite true but also utterly inaccurate), it's actually been about my increasing frustration with politics. I've never really been political before - as a Centrist, I've just held my nose and voted for the lesser of two evils, and mostly didn't give much of a crap about specifics because they're all crooks as far as I'm concerned - but as I watch various intrusive bills that target women, their individual rights, and their reproductive health flare up all over the country and in our national congress, I've become quite upset. Foamy at the mouth, even, and the treatment I've received from some of MY ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES who are supposed to at least pretend to care what I, one of their constituents think, has only served to increase my anger and frustration. I'm ticked off, still, about what my congressman's office idiot said and did to me over the phone, and for the ongoing war against women, but I'm not spouting off constantly like an over-heated tea kettle. Least I don't think I am.
Anyway, I was far too upset to post anything other than a vicious anti-religion political rant, and none of you needed to hear that. I'll try to leave the rest of my politics packed up from here out and get on to my regular list.
The Good Stuff:
- Did layouts for the two big quilts I'm making this year.
- Got the polished concepts sent to agent. He and his associates seemed to like SPORE best, so I did some brainstorming and background work on it, fleshed out the first 50 pages, and it - and a 2 page synopsis - have been sent to pre-readers. Seems like my prose is pretty clean, but there are story issues. Excited to get things fixed.
- Planning on sending a polished proposal packet to agent next week.
- I've been INCREDIBLY happy with writing these past couple of weeks, which is really, really weird for me. Even a low-word-count day has been lovely to work through. No angst, no guilt, no pain, just happy writing. Yay!
- My husband has decreed that whatever he can do to help me get this book written, he will DO!! Which, too, is awesome.
- Housework is caught up, other than some clutter. Even mopped! Woot!
- Been maintaining the weekly date with Bill. Definitely great, there!
- Been walking at least three times a week, 18-20 min each, and, while I'm not down to my all-time-low since we'd moved up here, I'm close. Only about 3.5 lbs to go! That gives me a total weight loss from my high of 23lbs! Woohoo!!
- The sleeping pills are a godsend. Oh my, the difference in my mood! And I don't ITCH constantly! Double bonus points for that! ;)
- Watched a Dr Oz episode about body shape, fat stores, and weight loss. Apparently I need to eat low fat, high protein, high fiber and only complex carbs. Um yeah, definitely (doesn't everyone??) But as he showed different tips for different shapes, it really got me thinking. I FEEL much better with more protein, less fat, and more fruits/veggies but not carbs. But eating that way is pricey, especially with everything getting crazy expensive like it is. Yet I must. I'm 47 and my good overall health won't last much longer if I don't straighten up. Not sure how to make it all work, tho. I gave up Diet Coke and sodas in general, surely I can give up processed carbs and add more fruit (but I don't like fruit! Waah!!)
- Starting the A to Z Challenge tomorrow and I'm pretty excited about that.
- Got the laptop converted over to my accounts, like email and all, so I'm not fighting against my daughter's defaults so much.
- Bought new clothes for summer; capris and cute shirts. Haven't bought decent clothes for myself in years and it's kinda nice.
- Daughter's work schedule and Bills have finally stabilized so my schedule has stabilized. Big help, there, being able to plan for things again instead of always being at the whim of someone else's life.
- Started a 'Get Happy' regimen and, btw, I love you, and I am thankful for you. ALL of you. {{huggs}} It's amazing what spreading a little love can do.
Not So Good:
- Have not sewn. At all. Other than my regular once a month sampler sewing class which was too easy to really count as sewing.
- Desk is a mess. Again. But that's pretty standard.
- I use too many exclamation points lately. Prob because my mood is awesome, but I do need to watch them. ;)
- One of my quilt guild friends died this week. She was 85, but it's still a shock, she was just fine two weeks ago at club meeting and I was unaware of health issues.
- Had some unexpected but necessary expenditures (like $250 for shoes for Bills job, aack!!) which have put a dent in the checkbook, but nothing so bad a week or two of frugality won't clear up.
Not So Sure:
- Having, um, digestive issues with pork. Had them off and on before, but it's become a consistent problem lately and is adding to the complication of improving my diet (adding protein) without costing too much money. Family LOVES pork. Not sure how to resolve this. Maybe by buying stock in Cottonelle™? ;)
Plan for Next Week:
- Write. Write write write.
- Expand story scope and layering for SPORE
- Send polished opening and synopsis to agent.
- Get better at watching my food intake and logging it.
- Sew something. Anything. Because it's good for me and my psyche.
- Increase length of walk route to 30 min as pre-prep to begin Couch to 5k in May! Woot! I might even buy a running stroller!
Have a good week, everyone. {{huggs}}
Sunday, March 25, 2012
What I did
Let's see. What did I do last week?
- Cleaned house. Sigh. I don't think of myself as a messy person, but somehow messes happen.
- Cleaned house. Sigh. I don't think of myself as a messy person, but somehow messes happen.
- Regular daily chores. I want a maid! To clean house. Get your minds out of the gutter. :)
- Walked four days. Knee swelled, and I had to skip one day. Arthritis is a ... female dog.
- Continued on the low carb diet. Blood sugar is doing well. Not as low as I'd like, but I think it will get there. Bought a no-sugar cookbook. Collected low carb recipes.
- Went out to eat four times with various friends. Ate low carb each time. Rather proud of that.
- Waited for the arrival of the anthology proof copies, which arrived Wednesday and Thursday. They look good. A few formatting errors, but easily fixed.
- Went to the writers group meeting Saturday morning. Gave out proof copies. Discussed contracts and what comes next.
- Went to Wal-Mart in the afternoon and was actually able to buy jeans there in my size. A side effect of my diet is that I've lost 4 inches around my waist and 36 pounds. Quite amazing. Wish I had done this six months ago. Who knows how well I'd be doing by now?
- Went out to eat Saturday night with three friends, including one from my writers group. Two of them ate low carb, too. One did not. I wore a pair of my new "slimmer" jeans.
- Church today. Watched a couple of old movies while cleaning my desk and getting my book notes organized.
- Wrote up the contract for the anthology for all the authors to sign at the next meeting.
- Posted on Createslate, which is what I'm doing right now.
This week:
- Walk at least four days.
- Continue on the low carb diet.
- Daily chores.
- Renew tag on car.
- Pay bills.
- Write each day -- at least one word, dang it -- on Murder by the Mile.
- Proofread my anthology entries one last time.
And if I do all that, I'll be really pleased.
Wendy's Week
I had a week. I think it was pretty good. It's just I can't think what I did specifically because my brain is all muddled from my allergies. It's virtually my only symptom today, other than a hint of a headache, which has been around so long I barely notice it anymore. I'll give specifics a shot, but I don't know if I'll come up with anything good.
Good Stuff:
- Wrote.
- Cleaned house.
- Read "The Hunger Games" trilogy. Yup, the whole trilogy. It's YA, so it's an easy read and worth the time. I thought the first book was the best. Yes, I'll be going to see the movie.
- Played with a pudding recipe. Not elaborating lest I cause temptation.
- Went to dinner with a friend I haven't see in a few months. Her son just left for Army basic.
- My seeds arrived.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Realized I didn't introduce my heroine in the first scene of the book, so I cut the conversation Stephen thought was too cheerful (it hurt to cut the line about big bones) and got her in at the end. I'm allowed 1500 words for the entry, and I'm at 1500 words.
- The synopsis is giving me fits because I don't have the details of the end figured out. I know more or less where they're going to end up but not the route they're taking to get there. Story of my life, but I need to get a move on. The deadline is next week and I don't want to wait until the end.
- No progress on the Highland Games. Must work on it this afternoon.
- No additional progress on the house. I have 3 weeks to get it done, plus, in that time, we should be having our water heater replaced and our ducts cleaned, and hopefully our bathtub ripped out and replaced with a walk-in shower. I'm tired just thinking about it.
This Week:
- Highland Games stuff.
- Take the pile o'stuff to Good Will.
- Make a new pile.
- Work on church powerpoints.
- Decide which seeds to start in advance and get them going.
- Decide on garden configuration. I need Eric on this one so we can figure out where to put pots so they'll be easy to mow around.
- Get the Frasier entry submitted.
- Give Tammy and Stephen until Tuesday to prove they're still alive before I make the call to the National Guard.
Good Stuff:
- Wrote.
- Cleaned house.
- Read "The Hunger Games" trilogy. Yup, the whole trilogy. It's YA, so it's an easy read and worth the time. I thought the first book was the best. Yes, I'll be going to see the movie.
- Played with a pudding recipe. Not elaborating lest I cause temptation.
- Went to dinner with a friend I haven't see in a few months. Her son just left for Army basic.
- My seeds arrived.
Not So Good Stuff:
- Realized I didn't introduce my heroine in the first scene of the book, so I cut the conversation Stephen thought was too cheerful (it hurt to cut the line about big bones) and got her in at the end. I'm allowed 1500 words for the entry, and I'm at 1500 words.
- The synopsis is giving me fits because I don't have the details of the end figured out. I know more or less where they're going to end up but not the route they're taking to get there. Story of my life, but I need to get a move on. The deadline is next week and I don't want to wait until the end.
- No progress on the Highland Games. Must work on it this afternoon.
- No additional progress on the house. I have 3 weeks to get it done, plus, in that time, we should be having our water heater replaced and our ducts cleaned, and hopefully our bathtub ripped out and replaced with a walk-in shower. I'm tired just thinking about it.
This Week:
- Highland Games stuff.
- Take the pile o'stuff to Good Will.
- Make a new pile.
- Work on church powerpoints.
- Decide which seeds to start in advance and get them going.
- Decide on garden configuration. I need Eric on this one so we can figure out where to put pots so they'll be easy to mow around.
- Get the Frasier entry submitted.
- Give Tammy and Stephen until Tuesday to prove they're still alive before I make the call to the National Guard.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
So Here We Are.
Yes, another week has flown by. I have felt mostly crummy all week. I'm not sick, but I'm not quite right either. I don't think I'm suffering from any allergy things, but I think this is what people suffering from allergies probably feel like. If so, I'm sorry. I don't know how you get anything done. I guess sheer necessity.
The Good Stuff:
- I mowed the lawn with the riding mower. I haven't swapped out the gas yet, but it ran better. Not great. But it had enough oomph to crawl through the yard and mow the grass and had brief sequences of running closer to what I would have expected.
- I cleaned the undergrowth from the base of the crepe myrtles.
- The rash on my arm is healing fairly well
- I got a very little work done on PBOTL
- Sigh. So much for completing a book in a shorter timespan. ROAD TRIP is morphing into MAY DAYS for a working title. Yes, I'm dealing with six days -- each, across three separate natural disasters over a span of 30 years! Six main characters. I think some people would break it into three books for a trilogy, and if I can get enough material, that may be the way to go. We'll see.
- My fig cutting is thriving. I meant to take a couple more cuttings last time I was in San Antonio, but I forgot to get them.
- I got the menus planned and shopping done, and the "What's for dinner?" hassle has gone pretty smoothly this week as a result of that.
The Not So Good Stuff:
- My ears feel plugged, and that's where I'm getting that shrouded feeling I hear allergy sufferers get. It's not conducive to getting things done.
- I've felt generally bad physically all week. I'm not sure what's up with that.
For Next Week:
- Hubby decided he wants to use my little mahogany desk and file drawer for his computer. I'd cleared off my computer desk upstairs for him, but that's not what he wants. So, I moved boxes out of the corner of the den where he wanted to put the desk, and the desk is in place. But I have boxes of my stuff that I need to deal with sitting in the middle of the room. This would be a good week to finally deal with that stuff, I think.
- We need to lug hubby's printer upstairs.
- I think the islands need work this week for yard work focus.
- I'm selling my iPad 1 to a friend of ours who has no computer, so this will be his first computer. He's excited about getting it, and we're excited to make it possible for him to surf the web and do some light computing. I'm looking for all my iPad 1 stuff to make sure I have it ready to give him. I have the keyboard and extra screen protector. It's in it's rubber case and the protective slip cover is with it. I think I have the box for it here somewhere. We're heading to San Antonio for a couple daysthe first week of April for hubby's birthday, so we'll do the transfer then.
The Good Stuff:
- I mowed the lawn with the riding mower. I haven't swapped out the gas yet, but it ran better. Not great. But it had enough oomph to crawl through the yard and mow the grass and had brief sequences of running closer to what I would have expected.
- I cleaned the undergrowth from the base of the crepe myrtles.
- The rash on my arm is healing fairly well
- I got a very little work done on PBOTL
- Sigh. So much for completing a book in a shorter timespan. ROAD TRIP is morphing into MAY DAYS for a working title. Yes, I'm dealing with six days -- each, across three separate natural disasters over a span of 30 years! Six main characters. I think some people would break it into three books for a trilogy, and if I can get enough material, that may be the way to go. We'll see.
- My fig cutting is thriving. I meant to take a couple more cuttings last time I was in San Antonio, but I forgot to get them.
The Not So Good Stuff:
- My ears feel plugged, and that's where I'm getting that shrouded feeling I hear allergy sufferers get. It's not conducive to getting things done.
- I've felt generally bad physically all week. I'm not sure what's up with that.
For Next Week:
- Hubby decided he wants to use my little mahogany desk and file drawer for his computer. I'd cleared off my computer desk upstairs for him, but that's not what he wants. So, I moved boxes out of the corner of the den where he wanted to put the desk, and the desk is in place. But I have boxes of my stuff that I need to deal with sitting in the middle of the room. This would be a good week to finally deal with that stuff, I think.
- We need to lug hubby's printer upstairs.
- I think the islands need work this week for yard work focus.
- I'm selling my iPad 1 to a friend of ours who has no computer, so this will be his first computer. He's excited about getting it, and we're excited to make it possible for him to surf the web and do some light computing. I'm looking for all my iPad 1 stuff to make sure I have it ready to give him. I have the keyboard and extra screen protector. It's in it's rubber case and the protective slip cover is with it. I think I have the box for it here somewhere. We're heading to San Antonio for a couple daysthe first week of April for hubby's birthday, so we'll do the transfer then.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
More Brainstorming
I'm leaning towards a shift in working title to Six Days in May or Six May Days with the story being three generations of the same family as they live through six days in May across a span of years. One generation in 1968, another in 1990, and the third in 2012. During each six day period, a natural disaster hits their town. The story will cover each couple's lives from the day before the disaster to four days afterward. Each couple is transformed by the events of the disaster in some way.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Jean's Brainstorming
I've been spending a little more time brainstorming on ROAD TRIP today. I'm getting some amazing ideas, and I think it's going to be, gasp, a romance. I'm going to see if I can complete the book in a timeline of less than a week book time. Most of my books cover YEARS. I really want to see how to get to the full story over the course of a couple of days like other people seem to be able to do.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Wendy's Week
Good Stuff:
- Got my first scene almost all polished up for Frasier and started the synopsis.
- Came up with a better working title. "Honor" has become "King Or Country."
- Kept up pretty well with the house and made a little extra headway. I have a whole box of stuff from my kitchen drawers and cupboards to go to Good Will this week, and that's after the kids picked through it for stuff to put aside for their kitchens.
- Sinuses are better. I've started using my neti pot, and while I don't much like it, rinsing my nasal passages does seem to help a lot. So do the head reflexology points. Yes, desperation set in.
- Picked up some big pots and a composter for my garden, and made a list of the other bits I need to buy. Seeds ship tomorrow.
- Had a good date day with Eric yesterday, shopping (though we didn't find anything very interesting) and dinner with our Scottish society pals.
- Walked in the rain with my honey. My feet got soaked, but it was fun.
Not So Good:
- Only swam once.
- Had to have a talk with my daughter about how passive aggression does not get you what you want. She's having a tough time finding her adult self while still living at home. I agreed to treat her more like a roommate, and she agreed to increase communication. Yeah, it was a super fun spring break. She's either working or in school every day this week, so it will be quiet around here!
- We're still having trouble with laundry peeing. (The cats, not Vicky.) Not as much as when Jeli was here, but still dealing with it. I'll be buying a tall laundry hamper this week and getting the upstairs litter box out again. I have some cleaner, too, that's supposed to get rid of pet smells in carpets. I really think it's because my girls are getting on in years and it's sometimes just easier to go in there than go downstairs.
- I agreed last year to take over the history and culture part of the STL Scottish Games this year. Not only have I not started anything for it, my budget is due in about 2 weeks at our next meeting. No idea what I'm supposed to be doing with this, other than the big broad strokes. Luckily, the guy who used to do it is still on the committee and has said he'll help me.
This Week:
- Get stuff for the garden set up, specifically set up the composter and transfer my pile into it, and shovel dirt out of the raised bed we're retiring into the pots.
- Put weed preventer in the flower beds and clean out the dead wood.
- Find some sample synopses online so I can figure out what exactly a synopsis is supposed to look like. (Tammy, do you have one floating around I can peek at?)
- Finish the first scene and synopsis. I can post the scene here when it's done if y'all want to take a crack at it. Shouldn't take long to do; I just need to add in some sensory detail.
- Start recruiting for for the Scottish Games and put together the budget.
- Keep going on the cleaning/decluttering. Mom is here in 3 1/2 weeks. The goal is to have to change sheets in the guest room, put out towels, and do a light vacuum/mop the week she's due rather than spend three days cleaning.
- Got my first scene almost all polished up for Frasier and started the synopsis.
- Came up with a better working title. "Honor" has become "King Or Country."
- Kept up pretty well with the house and made a little extra headway. I have a whole box of stuff from my kitchen drawers and cupboards to go to Good Will this week, and that's after the kids picked through it for stuff to put aside for their kitchens.
- Sinuses are better. I've started using my neti pot, and while I don't much like it, rinsing my nasal passages does seem to help a lot. So do the head reflexology points. Yes, desperation set in.
- Picked up some big pots and a composter for my garden, and made a list of the other bits I need to buy. Seeds ship tomorrow.
- Had a good date day with Eric yesterday, shopping (though we didn't find anything very interesting) and dinner with our Scottish society pals.
- Walked in the rain with my honey. My feet got soaked, but it was fun.
Not So Good:
- Only swam once.
- Had to have a talk with my daughter about how passive aggression does not get you what you want. She's having a tough time finding her adult self while still living at home. I agreed to treat her more like a roommate, and she agreed to increase communication. Yeah, it was a super fun spring break. She's either working or in school every day this week, so it will be quiet around here!
- We're still having trouble with laundry peeing. (The cats, not Vicky.) Not as much as when Jeli was here, but still dealing with it. I'll be buying a tall laundry hamper this week and getting the upstairs litter box out again. I have some cleaner, too, that's supposed to get rid of pet smells in carpets. I really think it's because my girls are getting on in years and it's sometimes just easier to go in there than go downstairs.
- I agreed last year to take over the history and culture part of the STL Scottish Games this year. Not only have I not started anything for it, my budget is due in about 2 weeks at our next meeting. No idea what I'm supposed to be doing with this, other than the big broad strokes. Luckily, the guy who used to do it is still on the committee and has said he'll help me.
This Week:
- Get stuff for the garden set up, specifically set up the composter and transfer my pile into it, and shovel dirt out of the raised bed we're retiring into the pots.
- Put weed preventer in the flower beds and clean out the dead wood.
- Find some sample synopses online so I can figure out what exactly a synopsis is supposed to look like. (Tammy, do you have one floating around I can peek at?)
- Finish the first scene and synopsis. I can post the scene here when it's done if y'all want to take a crack at it. Shouldn't take long to do; I just need to add in some sensory detail.
- Start recruiting for for the Scottish Games and put together the budget.
- Keep going on the cleaning/decluttering. Mom is here in 3 1/2 weeks. The goal is to have to change sheets in the guest room, put out towels, and do a light vacuum/mop the week she's due rather than spend three days cleaning.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Pout
And how are you on this bright Saturday? Except it's not bright here; it's cloudy and windy, but not our Wendy who is bright and sunny and sent me a lovely card that I should have acknowledged before now and knew that I should have, but instead I have been in a pout.
Yes, yes, yes, I know. Pouting is unattractive and immature. If my mother was still alive, she would have plenty to say to me. And it would all be good advice. "Count your blessings." "Grow up." "Get busy." "Pray." "Hope." "Sing." "Work." "Do your chores." My mama was a practical person. She struggled with depression her whole life, but never gave in.
So I know what I should I do. Pick myself up. Get moving. Pursue my dreams.
However ...
I find myself sitting in my dark living room, mindlessly watching old and dumb TV shows. I find myself tossing and turning in bed until I get up and wander my house at night. I find myself refusing to do any of these things that I should be doing.
Not quite true.
I am doing one thing. And I suspect it's the cause of this extended pout. I'm on a low low low carb diet for my blood sugar. And I am keeping that. I'm not drinking fruit juices, I'm not devouring bread, I'm not enjoying pasta, I'm not gorging on Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Cookies, I'm not guzzling Dr Pepper, I'm not doing dozens of things I used to do. And ... I miss them.
Oh Lord how I miss them.
The diet is working. Dang it. My blood sugar is trending low. Not as low as I'd hope -- as I think it should be considering how hard I'm finding this -- but lower than ever. I've even had normal levels -- I should say normal like non-diabetics since my normal is apparently around 200, which is bad, but feels so much better than 103.
Well, there I am. And I'm so cranky. And depressed. Even Eeyore would find me a downer. And I know I'm being one. Gloomy. Bleak. Goth. I'm even wearing black clothes. (Actually, I wear a lot of black, anyway, on the mistaken assumption that it hides some of my ... ah ... flab.) If I had black eye shadow -- well, I wouldn't wear it, but you get the point.
Enough of that. Let's count my blessings and accomplishments.
1. The diet is working.
2. I got the writers group anthology submitted to the publisher. We're not through with it yet, but we're so close I can taste it. I will be grateful when it's done.
3. I've been helping a friend work on his book of devotions. I'm hoping it should be out in September.
4. I kept up with most of my chores, although the house could do with a good dusting.
5. I've walked some at the gym. Not as much as I should have. But I have.
6. I had lunch with a couple of friends this week. And kept the diet.
7. Received a lot of nice compliments from the writers group members about the cover of the anthology, which did turn out nice.
Anyway, that's what I've been doing. Next week I want to not pout and write on Murder by the Mile. Sorry for the pout.
Yes, yes, yes, I know. Pouting is unattractive and immature. If my mother was still alive, she would have plenty to say to me. And it would all be good advice. "Count your blessings." "Grow up." "Get busy." "Pray." "Hope." "Sing." "Work." "Do your chores." My mama was a practical person. She struggled with depression her whole life, but never gave in.
So I know what I should I do. Pick myself up. Get moving. Pursue my dreams.
However ...
I find myself sitting in my dark living room, mindlessly watching old and dumb TV shows. I find myself tossing and turning in bed until I get up and wander my house at night. I find myself refusing to do any of these things that I should be doing.
Not quite true.
I am doing one thing. And I suspect it's the cause of this extended pout. I'm on a low low low carb diet for my blood sugar. And I am keeping that. I'm not drinking fruit juices, I'm not devouring bread, I'm not enjoying pasta, I'm not gorging on Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Cookies, I'm not guzzling Dr Pepper, I'm not doing dozens of things I used to do. And ... I miss them.
Oh Lord how I miss them.
The diet is working. Dang it. My blood sugar is trending low. Not as low as I'd hope -- as I think it should be considering how hard I'm finding this -- but lower than ever. I've even had normal levels -- I should say normal like non-diabetics since my normal is apparently around 200, which is bad, but feels so much better than 103.
Well, there I am. And I'm so cranky. And depressed. Even Eeyore would find me a downer. And I know I'm being one. Gloomy. Bleak. Goth. I'm even wearing black clothes. (Actually, I wear a lot of black, anyway, on the mistaken assumption that it hides some of my ... ah ... flab.) If I had black eye shadow -- well, I wouldn't wear it, but you get the point.
Enough of that. Let's count my blessings and accomplishments.
1. The diet is working.
2. I got the writers group anthology submitted to the publisher. We're not through with it yet, but we're so close I can taste it. I will be grateful when it's done.
3. I've been helping a friend work on his book of devotions. I'm hoping it should be out in September.
4. I kept up with most of my chores, although the house could do with a good dusting.
5. I've walked some at the gym. Not as much as I should have. But I have.
6. I had lunch with a couple of friends this week. And kept the diet.
7. Received a lot of nice compliments from the writers group members about the cover of the anthology, which did turn out nice.
Anyway, that's what I've been doing. Next week I want to not pout and write on Murder by the Mile. Sorry for the pout.
Coasting
Not a bad week. Not a stellar week. Just cruising along. It's warm and humid here. We're expecting rain next week, and I hope we get it.
The Good Stuff:
- Ummmm. I got the lawn mowed and some trimming done.
- I worked on PBOTL
- If you need timeline software for a Mac (which also syncs with Scrivener), give Aeon Timeline a look. For the next month or so, it's still in beta, so it's free, but the commercial release is due by the end of April at less than $50 a copy. For fantasy writers, you can customize the calendar for your stuff. If for some reason, it glitches the first time you open it and it doesn't work, close it, open it again, and it should be fine. I'm entering PBOTL index cards into it now and figuring out nuances.
- I got the bookshelf and books moved upstairs.
- I charged the riding mower battery and installed it
- I wasn't sleeping one night, so I put on iTunes and brainstormed some ideas for the train project. Working title: ROAD TRIP.
- Had I mentioned an unintended side effect of the prednisone treatment for my rash is a significant reduction in joint pain levels? Heavenly. I can actually walk up and down stairs normally and not like a toddler this week. But the meds are tapering down, and this is only temporary.
The Not So Good:
- I didn't do any Wii or recumbent biking. I did trudge behind a lawn mower most days this week for a couple of hours. I'm okay with that.
- The riding mower isn't running properly, which is why I trudged behind a lawn mower for most of the week. I suspect the gas that's been sitting in containers around here all winter in "too old." So I'll feed it into the Navigator a little at a time and take the empty containers to the gas station and get fresh gas. Then, I'll drain the gas from the lawn mower and put in fresh. Hopefully, that will make it peppier.
- I gained two pounds this week. It's me. I'm not doing points. I'm not paying attention to points. I don't have a good attitude about points. I don't have a good attitude. This is normal for this phase of weight loss. I will find a way to get through it. (Or could I blame it on prednisone? No. I'm not going there, because I don't really believe that.)
Not sure how to categorize: Amtrak changed the schedule on our departure leg of the Grand Tour. Strangely, we think it may work out a little better. Instead of departing San Antonio at 5:30 am, we'll be departing at 2:30 am. Oddly, we think it may be less disruptive of our sleep for that than the later departure time. I read about the change on Twitter earlier in the week. Amtrak made an automated call yesterday informing us of the change.
For Next Week:
- Hubby comes to town on Monday. I'm looking forward to it, but we'll need to reintegrate with one another again. That can be a challenge. Mostly, in setting up menus.
- To try to keep life smoother next week, I guess I should build a menu to keep us from having the "What's for dinner?" discussion. We still have it, but it's a lot easier when I can say, "I have this planned." And when I get a less than enthusiastic answer, it's a much easier discussion when I can say, "But if you prefer, we can have this or this or this."
- I also need to make sure hubby's favorites are in the house and available to him when he gets here on Monday. I let that slip on his last trip up here, and he felt unloved and uncared for. Definitely not the case, but I dropped the ball on that one.
- Keep going on yard work. This is a key time of year, and I may be a little behind where I should be at the moment.
- Keep working on PBOTL
- Read
- Do more development on ROAD TRIP
- Increase water intake for the added work and summer heat (which may also serve to reduce my pop intake, encouraging less snacking)
The Good Stuff:
- Ummmm. I got the lawn mowed and some trimming done.
- I worked on PBOTL
- If you need timeline software for a Mac (which also syncs with Scrivener), give Aeon Timeline a look. For the next month or so, it's still in beta, so it's free, but the commercial release is due by the end of April at less than $50 a copy. For fantasy writers, you can customize the calendar for your stuff. If for some reason, it glitches the first time you open it and it doesn't work, close it, open it again, and it should be fine. I'm entering PBOTL index cards into it now and figuring out nuances.
- I got the bookshelf and books moved upstairs.
- I charged the riding mower battery and installed it
- I wasn't sleeping one night, so I put on iTunes and brainstormed some ideas for the train project. Working title: ROAD TRIP.
- Had I mentioned an unintended side effect of the prednisone treatment for my rash is a significant reduction in joint pain levels? Heavenly. I can actually walk up and down stairs normally and not like a toddler this week. But the meds are tapering down, and this is only temporary.
The Not So Good:
- I didn't do any Wii or recumbent biking. I did trudge behind a lawn mower most days this week for a couple of hours. I'm okay with that.
- The riding mower isn't running properly, which is why I trudged behind a lawn mower for most of the week. I suspect the gas that's been sitting in containers around here all winter in "too old." So I'll feed it into the Navigator a little at a time and take the empty containers to the gas station and get fresh gas. Then, I'll drain the gas from the lawn mower and put in fresh. Hopefully, that will make it peppier.
- I gained two pounds this week. It's me. I'm not doing points. I'm not paying attention to points. I don't have a good attitude about points. I don't have a good attitude. This is normal for this phase of weight loss. I will find a way to get through it. (Or could I blame it on prednisone? No. I'm not going there, because I don't really believe that.)
Not sure how to categorize: Amtrak changed the schedule on our departure leg of the Grand Tour. Strangely, we think it may work out a little better. Instead of departing San Antonio at 5:30 am, we'll be departing at 2:30 am. Oddly, we think it may be less disruptive of our sleep for that than the later departure time. I read about the change on Twitter earlier in the week. Amtrak made an automated call yesterday informing us of the change.
For Next Week:
- Hubby comes to town on Monday. I'm looking forward to it, but we'll need to reintegrate with one another again. That can be a challenge. Mostly, in setting up menus.
- To try to keep life smoother next week, I guess I should build a menu to keep us from having the "What's for dinner?" discussion. We still have it, but it's a lot easier when I can say, "I have this planned." And when I get a less than enthusiastic answer, it's a much easier discussion when I can say, "But if you prefer, we can have this or this or this."
- I also need to make sure hubby's favorites are in the house and available to him when he gets here on Monday. I let that slip on his last trip up here, and he felt unloved and uncared for. Definitely not the case, but I dropped the ball on that one.
- Keep going on yard work. This is a key time of year, and I may be a little behind where I should be at the moment.
- Keep working on PBOTL
- Read
- Do more development on ROAD TRIP
- Increase water intake for the added work and summer heat (which may also serve to reduce my pop intake, encouraging less snacking)
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Wendy's Week
Good stuff:
- Spent a fair amount of time working on my plot. I think I have the first two acts down.
- Started editing Chapter 1 and writing the synopsis in preparation to enter the Frasier contest. The self-imposed deadline for Chapter 1 is Thursday, and I have friends from the retreat who are working on the same thing, so we're all accountable to each other.
- Not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but I ordered heirloom seeds for the garden. I mention it only because I found the confirmation in my e-mail a few minutes ago and followed up on when they're going to ship. It's been so mild I'd like to get them started, but that's hard if they're not here.
- Got a big chunk of my house cleaned because we had a guy come out to do some estimates to install water and air filtration and to see if a partial bathroom remodel is feasible or if it goes on the house bucket list. The air and water filters and a new water softener got installed on Thursday. We're going tankless on the water heater and having our air ducts cleaned, but I don't know yet when that will be. The bathroom specialist will be here tomorrow night. (The guy last week didn't have much info.) The air filter seems to be helping my allergies. Headaches are decreasing and I've been on one medication instead of two for most of the week.
- Both kids are on spring break this week. It's on the Good side today; next week it might be on the Not So Good side. ;-)
- Worked the youth fund raiser at our church last night. My kids are out of youth group now, but the Boss (who goes to my church) always does the appetizers for the black tie dinner, so I still volunteer to help.
- Volunteered to judge entries in the ACFW Genesis contest.
Not So Good:
- I got some writing done, but I don't feel like it was enough. I'm trying not to beat myself up, but I don't want to cut myself too much slack, either. After all, it's going to be my full time gig pretty soon. One small advance will replace the income I'm losing.
- The adrenaline from the retreat finally wore off and I've been pretty muddy-headed. It's bugging me because I have all these pretty colored notecards begging to be used and I can't think what to do with them!
- Only made it to the pool once last week. That makes once in three weeks, and it's looking like the best I'll do this week is once (or twice in four weeks). I'm working Tuesday-Friday, so that knocks out two days.
This week:
- Maintain what I've gotten done on the house, and up my game a little. Mom and Aunt Shirley will be here in a little over a month.
- Finish Chapter 1 edit.
- Try to find an additional time to get to the pool this week. Maybe if I get a good swim or two in, it will help clear my head.
- Spent a fair amount of time working on my plot. I think I have the first two acts down.
- Started editing Chapter 1 and writing the synopsis in preparation to enter the Frasier contest. The self-imposed deadline for Chapter 1 is Thursday, and I have friends from the retreat who are working on the same thing, so we're all accountable to each other.
- Not sure if I mentioned it earlier, but I ordered heirloom seeds for the garden. I mention it only because I found the confirmation in my e-mail a few minutes ago and followed up on when they're going to ship. It's been so mild I'd like to get them started, but that's hard if they're not here.
- Got a big chunk of my house cleaned because we had a guy come out to do some estimates to install water and air filtration and to see if a partial bathroom remodel is feasible or if it goes on the house bucket list. The air and water filters and a new water softener got installed on Thursday. We're going tankless on the water heater and having our air ducts cleaned, but I don't know yet when that will be. The bathroom specialist will be here tomorrow night. (The guy last week didn't have much info.) The air filter seems to be helping my allergies. Headaches are decreasing and I've been on one medication instead of two for most of the week.
- Both kids are on spring break this week. It's on the Good side today; next week it might be on the Not So Good side. ;-)
- Worked the youth fund raiser at our church last night. My kids are out of youth group now, but the Boss (who goes to my church) always does the appetizers for the black tie dinner, so I still volunteer to help.
- Volunteered to judge entries in the ACFW Genesis contest.
Not So Good:
- I got some writing done, but I don't feel like it was enough. I'm trying not to beat myself up, but I don't want to cut myself too much slack, either. After all, it's going to be my full time gig pretty soon. One small advance will replace the income I'm losing.
- The adrenaline from the retreat finally wore off and I've been pretty muddy-headed. It's bugging me because I have all these pretty colored notecards begging to be used and I can't think what to do with them!
- Only made it to the pool once last week. That makes once in three weeks, and it's looking like the best I'll do this week is once (or twice in four weeks). I'm working Tuesday-Friday, so that knocks out two days.
This week:
- Maintain what I've gotten done on the house, and up my game a little. Mom and Aunt Shirley will be here in a little over a month.
- Finish Chapter 1 edit.
- Try to find an additional time to get to the pool this week. Maybe if I get a good swim or two in, it will help clear my head.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Tam's Week Ten
Last weekend we had a blizzard. This weekend, mid 60's and sunny. Crazy weather.
The Good Stuff:
- I finished all 49 blocks. They look marvelous!!
- Decided I do not like the new concepts, so I've tossed them. If my heart isn't behind the idea, it won't fly, that's all there is to it. So I'm going through old ideas I had before my brain broke and, yanno, they're not too shabby. Onward into developing Slippage, Spore, Anonymity, Insul, and Paul (need a title for this last one)
- Caught up on laundry and cleaning. Mostly.
- Had a couple of good date nights with Bill.
- Exercised three times. With Richard! Is that cool or what (sure, just 10 min each because I've been sitting on my butt too long, but *still*). Three separate times on three separate days.
- Saw John Carter (with Bill) and liked it, but I would recommend seeing the 2D version since the 3D was cheesy. Story all right, CGI excellent, 3D cheesy.
- Down a couple of pounds but still higher than I was in January.
Not So Good:
- Barely logged food
- Desk is a mess. Again.
- How can I find time to write again when I barely have time to think?
Plan for Next Week:
- Write
- Put together at least one quilt top
- Log my food
- Move up to 15 min, three times, with Richard
Have a good week, everyone. {{huggs}}
Friday, March 9, 2012
Loving the Rain
We're finally getting some rain this week in Texas. It's been a dark and dreary two or three days with more dark and dreary throughout the weekend, and I love it. My husband is photo-tropic, but I love the dark.
The Good Stuff:
- I think I managed to eat a little less this week, and some weight may have dropped off. It had through Friday, anyway, but I'm posting this before my Saturday morning weigh and measure, so the actual numbers aren't final
- I took myself to Fort Sam Houston on Tuesday for what I thought was poison ivy settling into my left ear, but it turned out to be an ear infection. I don't think that would have waited until I got back to my doctor, so I don't feel so bad about the emergency room visit on a slow Tuesday morning. My blood pressure was curiously elevated to my pre-medication level, and I was concerned about that. The prednisone clone they gave me for the poison ivy rash began drying it up immediately, so I'm very happy there. The ear has not been clearing up as quickly as I would have hoped, but it's not getting any worse.
- I got the punctuation critique completed this evening and returned to the person. I hope she finds it helpful.
- Helped hubby in the driveway excavation a little this week as he managed to get everything done he needed to get done in anticipation of the rain that hasn't really arrived in San Antonio
- For San Antonio yard work, I got the leaves raked in the front yard, many weeds dug in the back yard, the back hedge finished (we cut it down to about three feet high in preparation for fresh spring growth), I got the inner hedge around the hot tub trimmed, and got the excess water drained from the hot tub -- onto the back yard grass where it can do some good. That's the only exercise I got all week.
- Cats got significant yard time (despite discovering a cute little calico had made herself at home on the back patio our first night back in town -- she was gone by the time the cats were unleashed)
- I upgraded the iPad to iOS 5.1, I upgraded the MacBook Air to Lion, and I may have a buyer for my iPad 1, which may change my views on whether I want the new iPad or not.
- I finished reading my first book of the year this week. Finally.
- Despite my comment below, I did accomplish what I set out to do this week
The Not So Good:
- I'm back in Central Texas, but I haven't done anything productive toward the house. I thoroughly enjoy my time on the computers, and it's siren call is strong.
For the Next Week:
- Continue reading
- Resume work on PBOTL and HTRYN
- Move the Great Books bookcase upstairs along with the five boxes of books they comprise (I brought it back from Wisconsin, and it's just been sitting in the parlor since my return -- Tarzan and Lady think I brought it back for them to climb on)
- Look at a dresser that needs repair to see if I can handle the job
- Resume workouts on the bike and Wii
- Begin to explore what writing project I want to take on the Grand Tour in May (I want to use part of the trip as an Amtrak Writing Retreat). It needs to be contained on the Air and the iPad for space considerations.
- I need to remove my unused PC from the computer desk upstairs to make room for hubby's desktop when he brings it up here. I also need to decide what to do with my 26" widescreen monitor. It doesn't really fit on my rolltop desk downstairs, but I hate seeing it not being used. Hmmm. I wonder if it has an HDMI input? I don't think so, but I don't recall. If so, it could replace my TV upstairs.
- Charge the new lawn mower battery and install it in the riding lawn mower in preparation for nicer weather
- I guess some decluttering would be in order. I still need to clear out some things from the upstairs office.
The Good Stuff:
- I think I managed to eat a little less this week, and some weight may have dropped off. It had through Friday, anyway, but I'm posting this before my Saturday morning weigh and measure, so the actual numbers aren't final
- I took myself to Fort Sam Houston on Tuesday for what I thought was poison ivy settling into my left ear, but it turned out to be an ear infection. I don't think that would have waited until I got back to my doctor, so I don't feel so bad about the emergency room visit on a slow Tuesday morning. My blood pressure was curiously elevated to my pre-medication level, and I was concerned about that. The prednisone clone they gave me for the poison ivy rash began drying it up immediately, so I'm very happy there. The ear has not been clearing up as quickly as I would have hoped, but it's not getting any worse.
- I got the punctuation critique completed this evening and returned to the person. I hope she finds it helpful.
- Helped hubby in the driveway excavation a little this week as he managed to get everything done he needed to get done in anticipation of the rain that hasn't really arrived in San Antonio
- For San Antonio yard work, I got the leaves raked in the front yard, many weeds dug in the back yard, the back hedge finished (we cut it down to about three feet high in preparation for fresh spring growth), I got the inner hedge around the hot tub trimmed, and got the excess water drained from the hot tub -- onto the back yard grass where it can do some good. That's the only exercise I got all week.
- Cats got significant yard time (despite discovering a cute little calico had made herself at home on the back patio our first night back in town -- she was gone by the time the cats were unleashed)
- I upgraded the iPad to iOS 5.1, I upgraded the MacBook Air to Lion, and I may have a buyer for my iPad 1, which may change my views on whether I want the new iPad or not.
- I finished reading my first book of the year this week. Finally.
- Despite my comment below, I did accomplish what I set out to do this week
The Not So Good:
- I'm back in Central Texas, but I haven't done anything productive toward the house. I thoroughly enjoy my time on the computers, and it's siren call is strong.
For the Next Week:
- Continue reading
- Resume work on PBOTL and HTRYN
- Move the Great Books bookcase upstairs along with the five boxes of books they comprise (I brought it back from Wisconsin, and it's just been sitting in the parlor since my return -- Tarzan and Lady think I brought it back for them to climb on)
- Look at a dresser that needs repair to see if I can handle the job
- Resume workouts on the bike and Wii
- Begin to explore what writing project I want to take on the Grand Tour in May (I want to use part of the trip as an Amtrak Writing Retreat). It needs to be contained on the Air and the iPad for space considerations.
- I need to remove my unused PC from the computer desk upstairs to make room for hubby's desktop when he brings it up here. I also need to decide what to do with my 26" widescreen monitor. It doesn't really fit on my rolltop desk downstairs, but I hate seeing it not being used. Hmmm. I wonder if it has an HDMI input? I don't think so, but I don't recall. If so, it could replace my TV upstairs.
- Charge the new lawn mower battery and install it in the riding lawn mower in preparation for nicer weather
- I guess some decluttering would be in order. I still need to clear out some things from the upstairs office.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Jean's Update
Other than a nasty poison ivy outbreak, the week has been fine.
Good Stuff:
- good work on PBOTL
- in SA for the week
- doing,you guessed it, yard work
Not So Good Stuff:
- weight remains the same
- the afore-mentioned poison ivy
This Week:
- finish raking leaves
- weed back yard
- do a punctuation critique for someone (which will give me a good refresher)
- left PBOTL in Central TX, so I'm taking a break on it until Thursday
- get skin healed
Good Stuff:
- good work on PBOTL
- in SA for the week
- doing,you guessed it, yard work
Not So Good Stuff:
- weight remains the same
- the afore-mentioned poison ivy
This Week:
- finish raking leaves
- weed back yard
- do a punctuation critique for someone (which will give me a good refresher)
- left PBOTL in Central TX, so I'm taking a break on it until Thursday
- get skin healed
Tam's Week Nine
It's snowing here. Been warm and dry almost all winter until this past week. Crazy weather.
The Good Stuff:
- Sewed 15 more blocks
- Expended my five concepts to paragraphs.
- Made a big dent in housework
Not So Good:
- Been sick all week with cold/flu/congesty cray
- Didn't log food
- Didn't journal much - once or twice, I think
- Didn't write any new narrative
- Didn't eat well
- Don't like my five concepts and the people I've showed them to all disagree on which ones are good. Or crappy.
Not So Sure:
- Been
arguingdiscussing a political matter with Bill - frankly, because he confronts me with it and there's no escape - and it leaves me angry, frustrated, and disappointed.
Plan for Next Week:
- Write
- Sew
- Log my food
- Get back to exercising, as soon as I can take a deep breath without coughing a lung up.
Have a good week, everyone. {{huggs}}
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Wendy's Week
I'm home, and the last week is finally starting to catch up with me so this will be short.
GOOD STUFF:
- I learned so much at the retreat that I'm still processing it all.
- I have a big chunk of my plot figured out. I have to get more of the history of the clearing of the Highlands in so that my hero can have increasingly large twinges of conscience before, well, I won't spoil the plot. ;-)
- Here's an acronym to help find the first line of a scene:
S -what are the Stakes?
Hero/Heroine's emotions
Anchor the reader in the setting. Where is he? How's the weather?
Run-don't just start the scene, start a few minutes into it. Hit the ground running.
Problem to be started or solved in the scene
This was probably the single biggest take away for me.
- Eric and I got our bedroom furniture moved around. Tomorrow we'll clean up debris.
-In spite of the fact that they fed us like crazy, I only gained 3 pounds.
NOT SO GOOD:
- My allergies have been bad and my sinuses are a mess. The silver lining is that I'm learning how to work through it. Someday I'll be glad for this, when I have a deadline and a raging migraine.
That's about it for me. How was your week?
New York Minute
Meant to post this last week, but accidentally deleted it and didn't take the time to type it again. So what's going on with me? In short, I've been in crisis mode since last Wednesday night when my blood sugar soared to a whopping 349! So ... a trip to the emergency room that night and a Thursday trip to the doctor, and lots of things changed.
First, I'm probably going to go on insulin at the end of March. Not keen about this, but it's much better than losing my eyesight or a limb or my kidneys. Right now, we're doing some things to see how my body is actually doing, and that will determine insulin or not (although it's almost certain that I will be starting some form of insulin) and if insulin, what my dosage will be.
Second, I'm on a low low low carb diet. Between 30 and 60 carbs a day. Ouch. I'm hungry all the time. And I do mean hungry. I look forward to each upcoming meal.
Third, I feel lousy. As the doctor said, carbs are my body's drug, and I'm going through withdrawal. I ache all over, my head pounds, I sweat like a horse at times, and I'm not sleeping much. But that will get better.
Fourth, the diet is working. My blood sugar last night before I went to exercise was 101. Well within the normal range. So I went from 349 down to 101 in just a little over a week. I'm glad the diet is having these good results. If I had to cut back like this and it wasn't working, I'd be at the doctor right now demanding insulin so I could eat.
Fifth, what am I eating? Well, too many eggs. Or actually egg-substitute because I also have to watch my cholesterol since I'm a diabetic. Many salads. Many veggies. Tiny portions of fruit, and certain fruits are simply a no-no. Beef, chicken, fish, tofu. No bread. No sugar. No Dr Pepper. No rice. No potatoes. It's actually better than it sounds. Like Friday night, my friends and I went to eat at Santa Fe Steakhouse. I had a steak, steamed veggies, and a salad. I missed the bread and the potato, but it was still a good and filling meal. Naturally I can have those items, but I have to know their carb counts and limit my portion to the appropriate size. Or I can after this first month. It may be easier to simply not have them.
Sixth, no work on Murder by the Mile other than reorganizing my notes and doing some editing. It's hard to concentrate right now on anything.
Seventh, did my taxes. No refunds, but only having to pay less than $20. Overall, I'm pleased.
Eighth, the weight is really falling off me. I'm kind of amazed by it. But that's good, because insulin is well known to cause weight gain at first. So when I go on it, it would be nice to down some.
Ninth, also been working on the writers group anthology. Much writing in it is good, but several of them don't know the basics of punctuation. And they have real trouble understanding the different between "its" and "it's," and "there," "they're," and "their." Makes me crazy.
Tenth, speaking of crazy, I'm a little crazy right now. Mood swings that would impress a bi-polar. I actually called the doctor about it, because I was so concerned. Comes with my body adjusting to the low blood sugar levels. He says. Pray for my roomie and friends. They're bearing the blunt of me.
Anyway, that catches you up. Here's next week's plan.
1. Continue on the low low low carb diet.
2. Continue to walk as many days I can.
3. Finish inputting the corrections on the anthology.
4. Write 1,000 new words on Murder by the Mile.
5. Print and mail the March newsletter.
6. Find some peace and joy among all this chaos.
Now, what's up with you?
First, I'm probably going to go on insulin at the end of March. Not keen about this, but it's much better than losing my eyesight or a limb or my kidneys. Right now, we're doing some things to see how my body is actually doing, and that will determine insulin or not (although it's almost certain that I will be starting some form of insulin) and if insulin, what my dosage will be.
Second, I'm on a low low low carb diet. Between 30 and 60 carbs a day. Ouch. I'm hungry all the time. And I do mean hungry. I look forward to each upcoming meal.
Third, I feel lousy. As the doctor said, carbs are my body's drug, and I'm going through withdrawal. I ache all over, my head pounds, I sweat like a horse at times, and I'm not sleeping much. But that will get better.
Fourth, the diet is working. My blood sugar last night before I went to exercise was 101. Well within the normal range. So I went from 349 down to 101 in just a little over a week. I'm glad the diet is having these good results. If I had to cut back like this and it wasn't working, I'd be at the doctor right now demanding insulin so I could eat.
Fifth, what am I eating? Well, too many eggs. Or actually egg-substitute because I also have to watch my cholesterol since I'm a diabetic. Many salads. Many veggies. Tiny portions of fruit, and certain fruits are simply a no-no. Beef, chicken, fish, tofu. No bread. No sugar. No Dr Pepper. No rice. No potatoes. It's actually better than it sounds. Like Friday night, my friends and I went to eat at Santa Fe Steakhouse. I had a steak, steamed veggies, and a salad. I missed the bread and the potato, but it was still a good and filling meal. Naturally I can have those items, but I have to know their carb counts and limit my portion to the appropriate size. Or I can after this first month. It may be easier to simply not have them.
Sixth, no work on Murder by the Mile other than reorganizing my notes and doing some editing. It's hard to concentrate right now on anything.
Seventh, did my taxes. No refunds, but only having to pay less than $20. Overall, I'm pleased.
Eighth, the weight is really falling off me. I'm kind of amazed by it. But that's good, because insulin is well known to cause weight gain at first. So when I go on it, it would be nice to down some.
Ninth, also been working on the writers group anthology. Much writing in it is good, but several of them don't know the basics of punctuation. And they have real trouble understanding the different between "its" and "it's," and "there," "they're," and "their." Makes me crazy.
Tenth, speaking of crazy, I'm a little crazy right now. Mood swings that would impress a bi-polar. I actually called the doctor about it, because I was so concerned. Comes with my body adjusting to the low blood sugar levels. He says. Pray for my roomie and friends. They're bearing the blunt of me.
Anyway, that catches you up. Here's next week's plan.
1. Continue on the low low low carb diet.
2. Continue to walk as many days I can.
3. Finish inputting the corrections on the anthology.
4. Write 1,000 new words on Murder by the Mile.
5. Print and mail the March newsletter.
6. Find some peace and joy among all this chaos.
Now, what's up with you?