Monday, November 28, 2011

Procrastination my daily ritual!

Believe it or not I started at 4 this morning. Long time friends and relatives are scratching their heads about now. I'm still hard at it on the NaNoWriMo Project. Total words at this very minute 75,709. I've decided I'm going to send it in for verification tomorrow if I've finished the novel or not.  After an earlier brush with the NaNo site's technology, I don't want to risk any last minute snafu.


I will finish this one, but I have got to get back to some semblance of what passes for normal around here. This puppy has cost me $75 in late charges this month (I let three different due date for bills pass right by while I was 'writing'). Other than Thanksgiving, I haven't cooked a really good meal and Thanksgiving only happened because Rick tricked me into inviting guests. I have done the laundry (that was one of my crises') but it's been a weekly pick your things out of the 'clean basket' cause the drawers are empty kind of deal. I'm lucky I don't find myself sleeping on the beach somewhere.


I have to admit, I am married to the best guy around. He puts up with me. He puts up with all of my hair brained schemes and supports me completely. He was leery about this NaNo thing and it turns out rightly so. But, all the same he reads the daily's and adds the commas. What a guy! I don't say it often enough or public enough, but I love You, Honey. You are my better half. As a side note,he claims to be waiting patiently for that 'best seller'. He's even picked out his sailboat and promises to name it after whichever book pays the bill. I love that he has that kind of confidence in me.


This story has taken so many twists and turns it is nothing like the one I planned to tell. It's way better and closer to my heart. I will get this one published. That's a promise I make right here, right now to you and myself. Superstition be damned, I said it out loud.


You may have lost patience with me. I really have neglected this blog. I've been a bit more diligent about the Far Away Series,so if you really want to catch up with me go here. Also,if your interested in the real ghost story that inspired my NaNo Project, check in there, because I'll tell it next Tuesday December 6. If you don't have that link it is: http://farawayeyes1.blogspot.com


Remember 'thinking is always optional'.

Monday, November 21, 2011

JUST A QUICK RANT

Just checking in for a quick rant. I promise.


I've been posting updates on my NaNo project, well last night when I went in to update my word count the site wiped me out and posted a 0 word count for me. It's November 21 and I have a 0 word count in NaNoWriMo.


If your not a writer or not doing NaNo this year that probably doesn't mean a thing to you but I am seriously disturbed about this (Yeah,more seriously disturbed than normal).


Oh well, I've got to get back and write more words that NaNo refuses to count.


Maybe what disturbs me most is that I really do not think of myself as a head hunter/number chaser in any sense of the word. If that's really true why is this making me so nuts? Probably better if you don't try to answer that.


You know what I always say...

Sunday, November 20, 2011

A Week Gone By

Realized yesterday that I have been silent at this space for over a week. If you have missed me, sorry about that. I have been trying to shut up. I have been trying to write. Trying to finish up NaNoWriMo.


Here are some of the basics:


NaNoWriMo: Crossed a finish line of sorts. I passed the 50,000 word mark. New goal is to finish up the novel by the 30th of November. That will be a miracle because right now I'm stuck. I figure it's going to take me about another 40k words to finish this story up and I have written 0 in two days. Oh well, I'm thinking.


Rick hurt his back over a week ago and is still limping around. Then he caught a terrible cold which he gave to me in the form of a sinus infection. I'm not very good at the Florence Nightingale thing and normally he doesn't want any fussing, but this time he's been a pain. I know that's terrible to even think, let alone say, but he's driving me crazy. Yesterday both of us slept all day long. I hope we're better soon.


Yesterday, I realized that Thanksgiving is next Thursday. We invited some people over for dinner. Rick's idea. I think we was buying insurance that I would stop writing long enough to make a nice dinner. Anyway,now I wish we were not having guests. I'm sure it will be good for me.


That's it. I'm trying not to rant and rave so much. Actually this sinus infection and the accompanying headache have me wanting to go lay back down. Lucky you. 


I've been keeping up the bog at http://farawayeyes1.blogspot.com so if you really want to hear my 'voice' stop by over there. Some really lovely person actually gave that blog an award. Go read all about it.


That's it from a place where "thinking is optional' thank goodness.

Friday, November 11, 2011

The Law of Attraction and All That Jazz

Do you believe in the Law of Attraction? I do kinda, sorta(talk about a vague ambiguity). Anyway, I have got to change something about my life.


Remember I told you a few weeks about about the fact that we were having 'current' (electrical power) problems and somehow this ate my fridge. We spent some time living in 'hunter/gatherer mode' living in one condo and storing our food in another. Well this past week we had another 'current' problem. We had a serious interruption of power for about twelve hours. This is not supposed to happen, because the condo project where I live has monstrous generators that kick in automatically when the power goes off. 


Anyway...something went kerflueey and the generators never came on and it took twelve hours to fix. When it came back on I started a load of laundry and promptly forgot about it. A few hours later, when I went to put the clothes in the dryer, the washer was full of water and my soggy towels and nothing else was working.  Yippee! Apparently,the big bad 'current monster' ate my washer.


I waited until Rick got home that night hoping he could figure out what was wrong. Rick re-injured his back (initial injury occurred when we were in the DR)and was no help at all. I was going into Christiansted with some friends the next day, and stopped by the Property Manager's Office to ask them to get the repair man out and they said they would. This was on Wednesday. Today, Friday, with a load of soggy towels still sitting in the washer and not smelling too good (remember, I live in the Tropics) I decided I had better walk down to the condo office for some tokens (they have a laundromat here,but the machines take tokens not coins).  Well it is Veteran's Day and the condo project was closed. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I mean I understand Banks, the Post Office and other Government Services, but the Condo Project. 


In the VI we take our Holidays seriously.


OK, now I'm getting a little crazy. That happens when I feel helpless. I try to call the Property Manager and see what's up with the repairman, to find that the phones on the island are not working. I take my cell phone up into the parking lot to try to call and can't get service where I normally do. HAS THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE MOVED OVER A FEW DEGREES OR WHAT?


Calm down I tell myself. Your a grown up. You can handle this. No I cannot. I'm a writer in the middle of NaNoWriMo and I have no clean clothes. I am losing it. This is what happens to me when I'm completely sucked into my writing. Normally, it's not this bad, but this thing with trying to write a novel in thirty days is a little over the top. Add to that, all of a sudden this book is writing itself. I have to go into the NaNoWriMo site and take down my synopsis, because the book that is being written does not look much like it.


Do not get me wrong, I'm having a good time, but I really stress about the clean clothes thing. After all, the laundry is the last vesture of domesticity that I'm clinging too during the month of November. If that goes, who knows what will happen. I could be left open to all forms of insanity and wildness.


Long story made short. I decided to go to the pool and think this laundry thing over. My motto; when in doubt go get neck deep. The President of the Condo Association happened to be there visiting with some other folks. I went and asked him, if he might have any laundry tokens. A pleasant conversation later one of the couples there, who are owners of a condo here, down for the month of November, invited me to bring this load of laundry over to their place and wash it. I had met these people a few times before but did not know their names. Do you think I took my laundry over to their condo. You better believe it. No one ever called me shy and I really needed clean clothes.


The end of this story. I have clean clothes. We spent the evening visiting with these people.They are from New Jersey. I now know their names. We all had a pleasant time. 


I have got to stop being so crazy. I have got to stop attracting some of this stuff from the lunatic fringe to me. I have got to get back to my book and tell this story.


When I was posting Ghost Stories on my other site http://www.farawayeyes1.blogspot.com people kept asking me; Are these really true stories? Yes they are. This story above is the truth and nothing but.
Would I lie to you or worse make something up? Actually, I might make something up, that's what I do, but I would tell you it was made up.


Living in the VI, you have to adapt. I think I'm doing pretty good and then something like clean clothes (I value my washer/dryer more than my fridge and stove) completely throws me. No matter where you live, you will do better if you learn to think outside the box. Do something like going to a complete strangers condo to do a load of laundry. Hey what better way to make friends. Right?


Some people might even call it crazy. Then again...




I love this commentary, actually it's an Apple Ad. No matter, it's coming from a place where 'thinking is optional' and it's all about the doing. Go ahead call me crazy, I don't mind.


Enjoy your weekend. I'm going to the beach. Neck deep in salt water, my favorite place.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Thunder on the Water

More storms moving through the Territories today. Big deep blue clouds, flashes of lightening and thunder rumbling over the ocean. Kind of spooky, but I do love that sound. Of course, every so often there is an 'up close and personal' strike with a crack of thunder that lingers for about three minutes, and rattles the filling in your teeth. Scares the crap out of me, but I love to be scared. Unfortunately, we're not getting much rain.


The old phrase "water, water everywhere," has new meaning when you live on an island this small. No rivers here. Oh every gut turns into a rushing turret when the real rains come, but it runs off into the ocean or soaks into the ground pretty quick. The water we use is 'collected' water. Even the fanciest places have cisterns. The condo project that I live in, has a sophisticated system for collecting water and recirculating their 'grey water' to flush toilets and the like. Gives a whole new meaning to "Don't drink the water". Yeah, I learned that one the hard way.


As we head into winter, our normally dry season, if the cisterns aren't full most folks will end up buying water and it ain't cheap. Unfortunately, the folks most likely to encounter water problems are poor. A lot of folks here are poor. I love the storms, but the dry storms don't do us any good. Among other things, pray for rain. Nice gentle rain here in the Caribbean. No mud slides please.


As most of you know (if you reading here and not skimming, you know) that I am currently consumed in NaNoWriMo. This is my first time and I am having a ball. What a way to write? Sorry my posts here are not as clever and entertaining as usual, but you know, I gotta save it for the book.


I do want to mention that I watched an interesting movie last night. "Limitless". It was a freak show. Now, I wish I could write something like that. Rent it sometime. You might like it, or you might see how warped I am. Either way.


I'm probably not going to post here on Wednesday. It's hard keeping up and writing something worthwhile for you to read. Know that I AM writing somewhere.  By next week I'll try to post something from The Ghost's Story on  http:/ farawayeyes1.blogspot.com Rick says this is my best one yet. Of course, he is still dependent on me for food, so you can't really trust his judgement.


I'm going to try to add a link for a song here. This is on my writing playlist. I'm missing my horses as I write this one. I'm feeling homesick for the ranch in Colorado and the ski town we used to live in. Unfortunately, the place I'm homesick for doesn't really exist any more. Only in my mind. Ah change.


If the song doesn't show up you will know I'm still blond, still cyber-challenged and still live where 'thinking is optional'.


I'm practicing my French,so Bonne chance for today.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

a Day Late and A Dollar Short ~ Just more of the usual!

Ok, I'm a day late and a dollar short with my Friday post. Nobody is too surprised, are they? I did mention to y'all about NaNoWriMo, right? Well I am driven, consumed, obsessed and having a really good time. 


The story is one inspired by an experience I had in an old house we lived in on a Colorado ranch. This place had it's own ghost. Yes,I did see him. When I questioned the family history about the place,I found out who he was. I'll tell you that story in December when I finish NaNoWriMo. I don't want to taint the novel I'm writing by getting into the real story. Does that make sense?


Anyway, as I write this story everything is so vivid,I can see these places, because I actually know then. I'm having a great time, if not making myself a little homesick. The truth of the matter is that whenever I get homesick, it's for that ranch and that little (what used to be little) ski town in Colorado. The incredibly sad part of this is that what I'm homesick for doesn't even exist anymore.  Most of our friends have left, it's now a big mega dollar ski resort, and the ranch we lived on has been bought and sold several times by rich investors, who by the way have been rumored to never be able to stay in the old homestead house where we used to live. This ghost has got to like you or you are outta there real quick.


Enough of a stroll down memory lane. I'm having a really good time with this story.I'm enjoying NaNoWriMo even though it is kind of grueling. There is so much support and encouragement on the 'net' from other writers,that it makes you feel like you are part of a real community. For old 'loner' me that's an accomplishment in and of itself. 


Hang in there with me. These posts might be short and far and few between, but know that I'm writing. I may even post some excerpts to see what you think. When that happens they will be on http://www.farawayeyes1.blogspot.com I post there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so check it out and see if a bit of 'The Ghost's Story' goes up. It will probably be a week or two before that happens.


Well guys, it's the weekend. Go out have some fun. Spend at least a few minutes of your weekend where 'thinking is optional'.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Insecure Writers Support Group - Who Me?

I'm such a loner that it doesn't occur to me to look for support. Looking or not it seems to come. You know that old saying about "mad dogs and Englishmen", most days I'm both. What I'm trying to say is that so many of you take such good care of me, even though I don't have the good sense to ask for help. 


I write goofy things on this blog, of course, it's like my Journal so what ever is in my head that day shows up here. That's not always good. This would be the reason I started the Far Away Series Blog where I try to sound a little more sane and promote my writing. At either site it feels good to write and write I do. Often I post something and think; 'oh, this will really mean something to so and so'. I can't wait to see what they comment. Well most often so and so never comments, but someone completely off the wall will say the sweetest thing or be touched by something I've said. That's what makes it worthwhile. That's why I write.


I stated in an earlier post how we all live for the applesauce (applause-old theater joke), those comments are the applause, whether good bad or indifferent (BTW - there is no such thing as an indifferent comment, if you cared enough to say it, you cared enough.). Keep them coming. They keep us alive. They keep us in touch with each other and with our own reality.


I am such a loner that sometimes I don't even recognize that I am outcast. No matter. If I do not know it, I am not it. Likewise; if you do not tell me that you love me, I will not know it.


I was speaking to a friend from Idaho last night who is still astounded to hear I have written two novels and am working on a third in this month of November. Ahh, the things we assume we know about someone, but forgot to ask. My husband says that I like nothing better than the sound of my own voice. While I do love that sound, I like even better the sound of your voice telling me about mine.


NaNoWriMo is working out good for me so far. I have to keep reining in the muse, it likes to get ahead of me. (Bird by Bird, I keep reminding myself). It's important to tell the whole story, in the right order. I knows what's in my head, but you don't. Well,maybe some days even I don't know.


When the in securities get to big, scary, dark, overwhelming, nerve wracking, about to gobble you up, get yourself in some water. That's what I do. I know it sounds crazy, but it works. If you are lucky enough to live at the beach, salt water is my favorite. If you have a pool nearby, go there. If nothing else take a shower or bath. Let that velvet flow of water wash over you and rinse all the scary stuff away. Your muse will thank you. You will thank you. Try it, you'll like it.


OK,I admit maybe this is the craziest advice you will find in any blog on this support group, but it's practical advice, something everyone can do. You don't need to wrap your head around it, just wrap some water around yourself.


OK, maybe I'm more than a little crazy. Remember I live where the commas don't, and thinking is optional.