I have been a fool for lesser things

There’s a new chapter of Risk over here. Thirteen chapters up, eleven more to go. The cool thing about this is that it’s inspiring me to continue to write. When I die, I will have a trunk full of stories and novels and I will be famous and if you’re still alive, you can say you knew me when I was just an obscure blogger. I know you’re looking forward to that.

I haven’t been working on Nanowrimo (although I will this week). I know where I’m going with it, but I had to figure out how I was going to get there. Probably I should have thought of that before I started writing, but I’m a last-minute, impulsive kind of girl.

I’ve also made a few more life decisions this weekend. I was supposed to start back with my Phoenix classes next week. I only have 39 credits left, just a little over a year and I hate to put it off again. But I have to start looking for a job because my mother will let me move in, but she will also make me leave Indy outside on the balcony. So. I’m going to bury myself in the Cisco world and try to take the exam in mid-December.

In other news, Jo AnnE (with an E!) had puppies a few weeks ago. Wait. Her dog had puppies.  MoC and I are going to see them in December, when they’ll be 7 or 8 weeks old. I think. If I did the math correctly. Anyway, they’re bundles of fun and I’ll take lots of pictures. If I time it right, the visit will be just after I’ve passed the exam – or just after I’ve flunked it. Either way, it will be time for a break.

I’ve stolen a picture Jo AnnE sent of the latest puppy pile:

6 years, 10 months, 2 weeks of muttering

… or week 354.

I should be studying, but I’m not. I should be writing my 50,000 word novel, but I’m not. I should be doing any number of constructive/productive things, but I’m not. I’m actually thinking of taking a nap and it’s only 9:30 am.

Let’s play a game. Maybe a round of Unconscious Mutterings will snap me out of it. Either that, or I’ll take a nap and have weird dreams about all the words in the list. If you answer before I go to sleep, maybe I’ll have weird dreams about all of your words. You could be famous.

1. Alarm ::
2. Guest ::
3. Worm ::
4. Puppies ::
5. Honor ::
6. No! ::
7. Stomach ::
8. Counter ::
9. Waffles ::
10. Plates ::

losing it

In April 2007, I got disgusted with myself. I had just lost (and regained) my job and I was thinking about changing careers and getting my act together and meeting people and dating and having a real life with real friends in it. Then I looked in the mirror and discovered something.

I discovered I was fat, the fattest I had ever been.  I have never been skinny, except maybe when I was 7, but I wasn’t ever fat, either.  All of a sudden I went from not fat to needing to lose 80 lbs. 80 lbs. That’s a whole person. A short person still in grade school, but still a whole human being.

So I went on a diet and I lost half the weight and I got stuck. I couldn’t lose any more. The diet program people gave me a “plateau buster” that basically consisted of parsley and an orange for three days. That’s when I went a little ballistic. I couldn’t do much damage, though, because I was weak from hunger.

pictures. and words. and then another picture.

The photos for the October photo contest are up at Kacey’s blog. There are some great pictures this month and a lot of people submitted, so we get to vote for our favorite three. It was still tough to only pick three. Go over and give me a boost … but if you like another picture better, don’t feel obligated. I mean, vote for me, of course. Just don’t feel pressured.  Much.

The Nanowrimo story is coming along very slowly because I’m having to work out the mechanics of the story itself, but I am pleased with the progress.

I kind of hope the Phillies win. The Yankees are probably a better team, but that would just make a Phillies win even sweeter. I suppose I’m being disloyal to the American League, but I’m stuck with the Royals, so give me a break. Besides, the Phillies have pretty red caps.

Also, I think the neighbors’ cat, the Evil Twin, has been abandoned. I can’t let him in, but I guess I have a new step-cat to feed.  I’m posting this picture just because I love the look on TRC’s face. It’s a little blurry, but that’s part of what makes it work. I may tell her about the Evil Twin just to see if I can evoke this response.

Holy flying colored things!

Click to get the full effect of the “what the …?!?” look on her face.

i just make it look hard so you don’t feel so bad

The new chapter of Risk is up over here. It’s getting easier to post it without freaking out over all the editing it could use. Probably because no one is reading it. Maybe I should work on promoting it on some blog directories? Nah. It’s more fun to whine that it’s not getting hits.

For now, I’m re-working the new story. If I were writing according to the Nanowrimo schedule, I would have 3200 words today. What has actually happened is that I’ve had to rethink the whole thing because I realized that what I wrote all those years ago was crap and I couldn’t use it as a starting point. If I ever get a usable/readable chapter together, I will post it on Capricorncringe

Later this week I plan on delving into HR 3962, the latest House version of the health care bill.  There was a time in my life when I didn’t care what politicians did because I didn’t think it had any affect on me. I really miss those days.

This week I also plan on working on the questionnaire from the school’s placement assistance office. I need to start looking for a job. Now.   I really don’t think I’ll be ready to take the CCNA exam until mid-December at least. That’s just too long to wait before I start looking, especially if I fail the exam, which is very possible. It will be helpful to have the certification on my resume, but I think that if employers know I am preparing for it, that will be almost as good.

Remember those dreams I had? Every bit of symbolism that I looked up had to do with change, uncertainty and fear.  Maybe if I channeled some of that energy into my resume, I’d feel more confident.