ROW80, AMW, Dorothy, & Tallulah

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

I owe A Round of Words in 80 Days (ROW80) another Wednesday check-in. Fortunately, I finally have something significant to report.

My original goals were to sleep (get to bed before midnight, I believe); eat well (get off the white stuff, processed foods, added salt, sweeteners); and show up at critique meetings with something to be critiqued (in other words, write).

Before I discuss progress, I’ll note that Austin Mystery Writers (AMW) is alive and well. Several members have been on hiatus, dealing with other projects (such as work), another can’t attend regularly (again, work), and this week our Grand Pooh-Bah moved a hundred miles to the north. Only two non-Pooh Bahs remained to stay the course, and we considered four eyes insufficient to ferret out the flaws in our respective manuscripts.

Last night, however, concern vanished. Two new members joined us, a third has promised to drop in next week, and two others have listed themselves as maybes.

American writer Dorothy Parker (1893-1967) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Being in a critique has been a good experience for me. In addition to ideas and advice, I’ve received encouragement and support for my writing and for my personal life. My partners have helped me over some rough spots in the past couple of years.

I’ve also learned a lot. Since we’ve been together, one partner has published a novel and has more in line for publication. Two others have completed manuscripts. While in one sense I’ve been stalled–scrambling down bunny trails, trying to get my plot under control–I’ve learned about the business of writing.

As to my own WIP: Pieces continue to fall into place. Listening to a presentation at the Austin Sisters in Crime meeting last Sunday, I had a brainstorm–a detail that would make a central character’s motivation much more credible. I flipped to the next page in my notebook and scribbled it down. I’ve also had another idea about reframing the novel to update it a bit. When I realized that Molly hadn’t once, in nearly three hundred pages, gone online, I pulled out Chapter One and inserted Internet.

Today I retyped Chapter One. The experts say not to do that–especially considering the number of times I’ve rewritten it, trying to get the foundation right–but I’m not revising so much as remembering. It’s been through many incarnations, and typing requires me to read more closely than I would if only my eyes were involved. I’ll continue this process for three or four more chapters, inserting new segments where appropriate (I hope!). Projected changes add originality. They give Audrey Ann, a minor character, more opportunity for mischief-making. Audrey Ann is a hoot, and I look forward to spending more time with her.

(One of my critique partners suggested Audrey Ann would make a good victim, but she’s too much fun to kill. Very much like my first intended victim, whom I couldn’t bring myself to knock off. If this becomes a trend, I’m in big trouble.)

I’ve added a progress meter to the sidebar on the left. Five percent represents progress on the current draft–in other words, what I retyped today. I’ve been working on this project, and talking and writing about it, for a long time. I don’t want to give the impression that I’ve eked out just four thousand words.

Now, as to my plan for eating real food: Sometimes I have and sometimes I haven’t. I have, however, dropped nineteen pounds since the first of the year, so I claim at least modified success.

(Who am I trying to kid? I rock.)

Regarding sleep: It’s after 1:00 a.m. No excuses.

One last thing about Austin Mystery Writers: When the other left-behind critique partner mentioned we might need to put several of the coffee shop’s tables together to handle the potentially large turnout, it occurred to me that if we works things right, AMW could become the Austin equivalent of the Algonquin Hotel’s Round Table. A heady thought. Critique partner said I could be Dorothy Parker. She wants to be Tallulah Bankhead. I wish I could be the glamorous one, but with my evil tongue, Dorothy P. is right down my alley. More’s the pity. I’ll try to be nice.

*****

Bad Sleep Leads To Unhealthy Food Choices (medicalnewstoday.com)
What Does This Picture Mean To You? (kiefinsanity.wordpress.com)
How The Brain Becomes Impaired By Sleep Deprivation, Leading To Improper Food Choices (medicalnewstoday.com)
Food Processing (eatfittolive.com)
Americans Spending Less Money On Groceries, But Greater Share Of It On Processed Food (huffingtonpost.com)
Want to lose weight? Sleep on it (lfpress.com)
Graphic! Internal digestion process on video (biosil.wordpress.com)

ROW80 01.08.12 and Excuses

Posted on January 9, 2012April 19, 2016 by Kathy Waller in Austin Mystery Writers, Humor, Uncategorized, writing

Here’s my progress report for the first week of January:

On Tuesday, I attended Austin Mystery Writers. I had not submitted anything for critique, but I took a bit of the newsletter I was editing for CP to proof. My printer had cut off an inch or two on the right side of the document, so CP had difficulty proofing. I learned to look at documents while I’m still able to try again.
On Wednesday, I saw I’d made no progress, and I was lethargic, wanted to sleep all day, so I postponed reporting until Sunday.
On Thursday, I fell victim to cedar fever and wanted to sleep all day, but I went out and bought a stationary bike and allowed David and the cats to assemble it while I slept in a chair. I woke up and rode the bike for twelve minutes, whether I wanted to or not.
On Friday, I attended the Just for the Hell of It Writers, where CP and I discussed changing the name of the group. We discussed several other things as well, including the fact that I had made no progress because I was perpetually sleepy. I rode three minutes on the stationary bike before sitting down and going to sleep in a chair. I woke up and posted on my blog that cedar fever was upon us.
On Saturday, I developed a light case of allergy flu (I rarely have hay fever, I prefer to host a virus) and sat around the house feeling miserable and moaning and sighing several times an hour so David and the cats would know I was miserable. David decided to visit a friend. They cats hid upstairs. I didn’t ride the bike. I finished putting together a newsletter, prayed for accuracy, and published it.
Today I woke up feeling better, no flu, but looking disgusting enough for David to offer to cook breakfast. He prepared dinner several times during the week, too. I updated the blog for my writing practice group and posted the link on Facebook. Then I corrected the date and posted the correction on FB. Then I corrected the address and posted the correction on FB. Then I corrected the address in the address correction I’d already posted on FB and posted that to FB. Then I made a correction to that correction; I had said it was the fourth correction, but it was really the third. The correction process having taken a lot out of me, I considered going to bed but decided to post my report instead.

Summary: I did not meet my goal of working on my novel every day. Instead, I coughed, moaned, and felt sorry for myself. To my credit, I did not eat a gallon of Campbell’s tomato soup made with condensed milk and further gooey-ed up with smashed saltine crackers. Said soup is the only halfway effective palliative for a condition involving the sinuses, but it is chockfull of sodium, preservatives, coloring agents, and various other chemicals I’ve sworn off. So ate baked chicken, salad, fruit, and cough drops. And suffered.

So that’s my report. Cedar fever isn’t the best excuse in the world, but it beats the dog ate my homework.

*

Note to my former students (and all others who monitor my grammar, usage, and punctuation): I know this post contains a comma splice, and I know I told you all that using a comma splice qualifies as sin. But I’ve loosened up a lot over the years, and now I find that the judiciously placed comma splice can be just the ticket for getting my meaning across. Using run-on sentences, on the other hand, those jammed together with no punctuation mark at all, still constitutes sin.

*

Image by DonES at en.wikipedia. Later version(s) were uploaded by Hohum at en.wikipedia. [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

ROW80 1.2.12 Goals & Boiling a Frog

Posted on January 2, 2012January 2, 2012 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

A friend says resolutions should be brief. Her resolution for 2012 is Move.

Ten years ago, when she was into metaphor, she adopted, Boil the frog slowly.

The former refers to being more physically active. The latter might be phrased, Make small, incremental changes.

I admire her artistry, but deplore her lack of clarity. They’re her resolutions, however. If they work for her, that’s all that matters.

A Round of Words in 80 Days #5 begins today. I was supposed to announce my goals January 1, but didn’t get around to it. Whether such tardiness portends good or ill remains to be seen. I’m pretty sure I’ll accomplish more than I did during ROW80 #4, when I met about 1% of what I’d set out to do. I offer no apologies for the lapse. I remember 2011 as one long series of lapses.

A medical professional, and my hero, once told me, “You can’t tell your hypothalamus what to do.” Unfortunately, my hypothalamus has no problem at all ordering me around.

Anyway, while good old HT and I are on speaking terms, I re-enter the challenge and state my goals:

1. Write about Molly at least 5 days a week.

2. See #1.

There it is. Simple. Measurable. Doable.

Concerning goals for the non-writing part of life, I haven’t made it beyond the one that’s topped every New Year’s list since I was fifteen. I’ll come up with something else before the end of the month. The process is complicated this year because I’ve gotten so many good ideas from other bloggers:

Ariana at Pearl’s Twirl introduced me to “The Anti-bucket List.” Those resolutions are no trouble at all to keep.

Totsymae helped me with both 2012 resolutions and my anti-bucket list in “Things You Should Admit to Yourself Before You Enter the New Year (or Positively Negative).” Totsymae knows what she’s talking about.

Kate Shrewsday, in “The Milestone Mirage,” reminded me that our small acts define us, and convinced me to write down my pebbles.

Pseu1’s Blog showed me how to record small stones and introduced me to River of Stones.

So. I’m off to tell ROW80 what I’ve decided.

And then I’ll visit Molly. She’s a delightful girl. If only she didn’t depend on me to choreograph her every move.

To see what other ROW80 participants are up to, click here.

#ROW80 11.13, NaNo, & Viral Accord

Posted on November 13, 2011November 13, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

Ampersand in plain and italics. — Image via Wikipedia

NaNoWriMo / ROW80 update:

I’ve been working on Molly but haven’t been averaging the 1667 words per day required to reach the target by the end of November.

According to the NaNo stats page, at my current rate, I’ll reach 50,000 words on September 28, 2015.

But there is hope—if I write 2,753 words each and every day for the rest of the month.

Is it possible to write 2,753 words in one day? Of course. Call it a blog post and I’ll write twice that.

Sick of staring at Times New Roman, I switched to Accord SF.

Now MS Word 2007 asserts it independence by saving Accord SF in italics. The italics icon on the toolbar, however, isn’t highlighted, and no amount of clicking or unclicking it affects the text. Nothing affects the text. It’s in italics and it’s going to stay that way.

I think the dysfunction is related to repeated crashing of blog documents several weeks ago. I saved in Accord SF but after each crash reopened to italicized Accord SF. Why italics have leaked over into text documents, I cannot say.

If anyone can shed light on this case, please feel free. In the interim, and probably forever, I’ll be using Open Office, which I like better anyway.

Except for blog posts. I don’t have time or patience to read the OO instructions. And Word blog format is on its best behavior.

They say the secret to winning NaNoWriMo is Never Delete.

That’s not my way. I revise as I go. Like this:

Word word word word word word word Delete delete delete Different word different word different word Word word Delete Different word…

It’s slow, but my OCD feels comfortable with it.

NaNo, however, despises it.

NaNo likes something like the following:

Word word word word Wrong word Right word Word word word word Wrong word Wrong word Wrong word Right word Right word Wrong word…

Which just drives me up the wall.

I saved. Word crashed. I reopened to italics.

What it will look like when it’s published to WordPress I won’t try to predict.

Just once, I would like to live through a day in which I don’t have to eat my words, my hat, or a large portion of crow.

#ROW80 & Decency

Posted on October 19, 2011October 19, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

This week I did not meet my writing goals, and I joined four groups.

The groups are activity-optional, so I can’t get too bent out of shape about signing up. One of them sends me recipes I have no intention of trying.

Although I didn’t achieve my target would count, I worked on plotting Molly. A couple of knotty problems appear to be unraveling. It’s about time.

I also offered to read and comment on three novels. I initially volunteered to read only two, but the one I left on the table had a very pink cover, and the face of the young man across the table from me was very pale. Because if I didn’t read the pink book, he would have to.

Sometimes you just have to give in and do the decent thing.

#ROW80 & Symboling

Posted on October 10, 2011October 10, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

“Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” ~ Robert Browning, Andrea del Sarto

My reach last week exceeded my grasp.

I followed Tuesday’s stellar 1000 Molly words (or 921, depending on who’s counting) with 0 Molly words for the rest of the week. But I was so pleased with the 1000 that the 0 hasn’t worried me.

Anyway, I’m not going to use them. I realized, after the scene had symboled* for a couple of days, that it should be seen but not heard. Instead of setting the altercation (among three jealous thespians) inside the cafe, I’ll put it on the patio, where Molly and her cohorts can watch through the picture window.

Establishing distance between the two groups of characters creates detachment. Molly, who has already been yelled at once this morning, merely observes the battle. She doesn’t get involved, as she would be required to do if the brouhaha took place in her presence. She’s free to comment on the behavior of the egomaniacs on the other side of the glass. And comment she does. A generally restrained person, Molly is having more and more trouble curbing her tongue.

So that’s what I accomplished week: 1000 words I will not use.

Does this bother me? No. I wrote; I learned. I demonstrated to myself that less can be more.

I didn’t do so well at keeping records. I brought them up to date this evening, but they’re not complete. A daily log would have shown more writing time than the one I cobbled together from memory.

Regarding goal #3: I did not join or volunteer for anything this week. I did promise David I would dismantle the bulwark of books and papers surrounding my chair. We were having friends over tonight, and he thought we would appear more welcoming if we didn’t make them climb over my library to get to the tacos. Having spent more than two years working in tort litigation, I agreed. But picking up toys doesn’t constitute joining or volunteering.

Lest it be thought I wrote 1000 words and stopped cold, I’ll add that I put out another newsletter, approximately 6600 words, most of which were not written by me. But I did wrestle them into place. That’s worth a couple of brownie points. At least by my estimation. And since I award my own points, the say-so is mine.

*One of my freshman literature professors had a cook who claimed that soup tasted better if it was allowed to symbol for a while. The professor said she thought writing, too, was better when it was given time to symbol. I don’t remember a great deal about Beowulf, but the lesson on symboling has stayed with me for—a long time.

#ROW80 10/5 Check-in & The Music

Posted on October 5, 2011October 5, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

For the current Round of Words in 80 Days, I set a goal of 1000 words a day, exclusive of blog posts or the newsletter I edit.

Tuesday, the first full day of the round, I wrote 921 words. That number doesn’t meet my self-imposed standard.

If, however, we round 921 to the nearest 1000, then I achieved my goal. Exactly. On the nose.

While I’m on the topic, I’ll admit Wednesday’s word count won’t meet yesterday’s. Because I began drafting those words at 10:00 p.m., after the Austin Mystery Writers meeting, and finished at 2:00 o’clock this morning.

Yes, you’ve read it here before, and yes, you’ll read it here again, because I’m at my most creative in the middle of the night. And because when it comes to connecting the dots between staying awake all night and being a bear of little brain the following day, I can’t even find the dots.

Now I’m going to un-gracefully transition to another topic:

I’ve been reading Roger Rosenblatt’s Unless It Moves the Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing. I may have more to say about the book in later posts. But I came across something today that, even though it has nothing to do with the rest of this post, I have to share.

Discussing the nature and the importance of poetry, Rosenblatt says, “It may be that poetry is favored by my students, including those who do not write it or intend to, because it seems like history’s protectorate, kept safe for no other reason than its aim of beauty.”

He continues–and this I find startling and beautiful–

In ancient Ireland, poets were called The Music. When one king would attack another, he instructed his soldiers to slaughter everyone in the enemy camp, including the opposing king. But not The Music. Everyone but The Music. Because he was The Music.

*****

To see what other ROW80 participants are writing, click here.

#ROW80 10/3 Goals

Posted on October 4, 2011October 4, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

Queen's Christmas tree at Windsor Castle 1848,... — Image via Wikipedia

Round 4 of A Round of Words in 80 Days begins today with a statement of goals. Here are mine:

Write 1000 words a day (excluding blog posts and HotShots!)
Keep a daily record of activities related to writing
Don’t volunteer for or join anything else

Those are the official goals. If I were listing Vague, Airy, Sure- Would-Be-Nice goals, I would include Finish the draft of the novel.

If I completed the draft by the end of ROW80, I could give it to myself for Christmas.

It’s just what I’ve always wanted.

To see what other ROW80 participants are working on, click here.

*****

Image: Osborne House Christmas Tree illustration in Godey’s Lady’s Book,” December 1850.

#ROW80 & a Star

Posted on August 28, 2011August 28, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

A pleasing development: Story Circle Network has awarded a star to To write is to write is to write.

Story Circle Network is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to helping women share the stories of their lives and to raising public awareness of the importance of women’s personal histories.” It sponsors publications, workshops, writing contests, reading circles, writing circles, and other programs, many of them online. There are SCN chapters worldwide.

Membership is open to all women who have stories to share. No writing experience is necessary–just the desire to record life experience and to read about the experiences of others.

Over one hundred SCN members are bloggers. For a list and links, click here.

#ROW80 8/7 & 100 Words

Posted on August 8, 2011August 8, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

From US Patent 19783 Combination of Lead-Penci... — Image via Wikipedia

On Sunday, I wrote on assignment: 100 words.

The assignment was extraordinary because someone asked me to write it.

People don’t often ask me to write. I usually ask myself, and then I either grant or refuse my own request.

If I want me to write a blog post, I write it.

If I want me to write something requiring effort, I make a list of all the housework I need to do, and then I sit down and start an old P. D. James mystery on Netflix and immerse myself in e-mail.

Or I take Ernest to the vet.

Never mind. That was last week. Monday has arrived, and with it new resolve.

Today: Draft new Molly scenes and send to critique group.

I’d like to add a sunny little punch line here. If one occurs to me later, I’ll add it.

*

Image by Dmgerman at en.wikipedia [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

In Arrears

Posted on July 14, 2011July 14, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

A business teacher of my acquaintance, when asked by a student what arrears meant, answered, “It means you’re behind.”

Not the definition her class expected.

But a good story for the teachers’ lounge, and a fitting introduction for this post.

For I am in arrears.

In reading blogs, in answering comments, in answering e-mails, in reading books, in preparing for tomorrow’s meeting of Just for the Hell of It Writers, and in submitting Wednesday’s A Round of Words in 80 Days report.

Last things first: the title of this post will have to suffice as my ROW80 report.

It will have to do for the rest of the post as well, or I shall also be in arrears with respect to sleep.

One specific item: This morning I shot off my mouth and announced to a Facebook group that I would submit a story for publication as soon as I’d proofed it five or six more times.

But after a good twelve hours, I still haven’t clicked Send.

I’m not afraid of rejection per se. I’m afraid of rejection because of some idiocy on my part: omitting the word count, formatting incorrectly, forgetting to do some tiny but important bit of business.

So the story sits in the draft folder, waiting for one more proof.

Fortunately, I’m not on deadline.

The window it is busted and the rain is coming in
If someone doesn’t fix it I’ll be soaking to my skin

But if we wait a day or two the rain may go away
And we don’t need a window on such a lovely day…

Mañana is good enough for me.

The fault, dear Brutus

Posted on June 8, 2011June 8, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

A friend asked where I am in my Molly-writing process.

I explained:

My horoscope for June 7 read as follows:

“June 7 – SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You may not want to show people your work because you feel that it’s unfinished. But a project that is completely finished is lifeless. So show where you are in the process, and you’ll be enthralling.”

So.

On June 7, I bought a new notebook. I have always believed that buying a new notebook will solve all my problems. That’s why I have so many notebooks and so little money.

I also bought some new Pilot Precise pens–black, blue, red, green, and some other color. Pilot Precise fits my hand.

I also bought 300 lined 3×5 index cards, plus a soft plastic card file that closes with an elastic band and contains more index cards and some clear plastic tabbed dividers.

The notebook and the card file are green. They don’t match perfectly, but I thought green would be the easiest color to see when they get lost among my other notebooks, books, and various other paper goods.

I will grapple the notebook and the card file (and a couple of pens) unto my soul with hoops of steel (when they’re not under a stack of something) so they’ll be available every time I have an idea or write a word for Molly.

That is where I am.

And that’s where I thought I was.

While proofing this post, however, I realized I had misread one word. I thought the astrologer meant that if I left Molly completely unfinished, the novel would be lifeless. That would goad me to action.

But it actually says

But a project that is completely finished is lifeless.

After rereading and pondering, I understand the meaning of the original statement. And it’s all right. I accept it.

But I like my way better.

So, with apologies to all concerned, I’m adding an un-.

“June 7 – SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You may not want to show people your work because you feel that it’s unfinished. But a project that is completely UNfinished is lifeless. So show where you are in the process, and you’ll be enthralling.”

Now, critique groups, prepare to be enthralled.

*****

Scorpio for June 7, 2011 can be found at Horoscopes by Holiday by Holiday Mathis (or by clicking the link below). It also appears in the Austin American-Statesman, where I read it this morning before my eyes had finished opening.

*****

Check on other ROW80 participants’ progress by clicking here.

Holiday Mathis’ horoscope for Tues., June 7 (pbpulse.com)

ROW80 Wednesday 6/1 Report

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

Pursuit of Goal #2 (exercise 30 minutes a day) having resulted in a disgusting case of sun poisoning rash, I cannot pursue either Goal #1 (write 500 words a day on Molly) or Goal #3 (go to bed by 11:00 p.m. every night).

I’m much too busy scratching.

Tomorrow, Goal #4: Calamine lotion.

To check up on people who are writing instead of scratching, click here.

***************

Image of cat by Hisashi (originally posted to Flickr as D01_6510) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

ROW80 Sunday 5/29/11 Report

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Kathy Waller in Uncategorized

Sunburn, photographed 2 days after a 5-hour su... — Image via Wikipedia

In the pool three days this reporting period. Sunburned Thursday morning, slathered on Neutrogena SPF 60 Saturday afternoon, slathered on SPF 60 and waited until after 5:00 p.m. and found a spot in the shade of an umbrella today. And all three days, wore a hat.

For the record, I am not the woman in the photo. I looked like that once, and it was unintentional. I sat beside the Frio River in Concan one August afternoon, painting the scene and managing to forget that no amount of shade protects against the sun reflecting off the water. I burned through the white tee-shirt I was wearing.

The other time I risked looking like that, I answered the call to garden by creating a twine lattice for the queen’s crown to climb around my side porch. At high noon. On a 100-degree June day. I didn’t burn, however. I broke out in an itchy rash on my face, neck, and arms. I went to the doctor and begged for steroids, my only hope of stopping the misery. Two weeks later, I walked in on a group of my colleagues taking a break from the library’s summer reading program.

“I have a job interview on Monday,” I said. “Should I mention the rash, or just ignore it?”

The response was unanimous. “Mention it!” After disposing of my question, they asked their own, beginning with, “What in the world did you do to yourself?”

I’ve spent time in the sun–on bicycle, on horseback, in river and pool–but I’ve never been a sunbather. The heat, the sweat, the glare (which made reading impossible), the boredom…Soaking up rays for the sole purpose of turning into toast is not my idea of fun.

I learned about ultraviolet radiation when my family joined my aunt’s family for a day on the beach at Galveston. I was three years old. My mother spent the day rubbing me down with Sea-N-Ski and dragging me back into the shade of the big umbrella. She later explained she was afraid that if I burned, she would have a very sick child on her hands.

As it turned out, she should have made my father, who shared my black hair and blond complexion, spend his day under the umbrella as well. He was unable to work the next day. My mother assigned him and Lynn, my thirteen-year-old cousin, who had come home with us, to twin beds in the large, airy back bedroom. Several times a day, she applied her favorite burn remedy: Foille. It had been used on our soldiers in World War II, she said, and was therefore the best balm for civilian burns as well.

Unfortunately, Foille, a nasty-looking yellow ointment, had a doubly nasty odor. Daddy didn’t complain–I don’t think he said much at all that day–but Lynn did. The exchanges went like this:

“Oooohhhh, Crystal, that stinks. It’s going to make me sick.”

“No, it’s not. Now be still and let me put this on your back.”

“Ooooooohhhhhhhhh, it sti-i-i-i-i-i-nks. I’m going to be si-i-i-i-i-ck.”

“Lynn, stop that right now. They used this on the soldiers in the war. Be still so I can put it on your back.”

I remember all this vividly because I observed it first-hand. Every time Mother went on a Foille raid, I trailed along behind. I spent the rest of the time making raids of my own to check on the invalids. Exchanges went something like this:

“Lynn, when are you going to play with me?”

“Uuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Go away.”

“You want to play Chinese checkers?”

“Go away.”

“Will you draw me a picture of a horse?”

“Crystallllllllll, make Kathy GO AWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”

Mother made me go away, I sneaked back, Daddy went to work the next day, Lynn got up and drew me a picture of a horse. And for years after, I periodically reminded everyone of the time Lynn and Daddy got sick from too much sun and I didn’t.

I was an insufferable child, but cute.

This began as report on my progress regarding exercise, sleep, and writing, but, as so often happens, it drifted. Since there isn’t a lot to say about sleep and writing, I’ll stop in mid-drift. There’s still time to work on sleep before the sun comes up.

ROW80 Wednesday 5/26 Report

Posted on May 25, 2011April 19, 2016 by Kathy Waller in family, Humor, Uncategorized, writing

I am too tired to speak of goals or progress. I will say that I got to bed by 11:00 p.m. two days in a row, and that I’m about to make that three.

I am still trying to come up with just the right way to begin Molly Chapter 5. That means, of course, I’m fighting a losing battle. It’s interesting, the things you do when you know they’re not going to work. Or perhaps you don’t. But I do.

My conclusion: I must go back to pen and paper, slow myself down, write what’s wrong, leave it there, scratch it out, whatever, but–live with it. Let it stare me in the face while I keep a-going. End up with a mass of scribbled-on paper instead of a screen blank from repeated deletions.

Someday, when I’ve broken through the need for perfection–or at least the idea that I can attain it–I’ll return to the keyboard.

Regarding exercise, I ran all over the house this afternoon trying to get out the door to an appointment. Last-minute tasks kept calling me: find keys, find socks, find purse, find sunglasses, find cash, take clothes out of dryer, put clothes into dryer, put note on door for AC technician telling him not to let cats out…

It wasn’t the last-minute things that caused me to run late, though. It was the amount of time I spent trying to put on a pair of David’s jeans.

Sally Barber, stop laughing.

*****

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