Thirteen Things I Did Today
1. Got out of bed. This was much tougher than it sounds. After months of super hot days and sweltering nights during which my "swamp" cooler didn't cool, the temperature last night dipped to a lovely, cool 51 degrees. My bedroom was just right, my bed comfortable, my pillows exquisitely soft and in just the right position. I really didn't want to get up.
2. Drove my daughter to work. We're sharing a car right now because hers needs some repairs. I, being the big pushover mom that I am, let her take my car to work most days. Some days it doesn't bother me; some days it does. Since I had plans later today, I drove her to work, which means that . . .
3. I changed out of my usual deadline meeting outfit (pajamas) and into actual street clothes suitable for seeing strangers and passing myself off as a normal human being.
4. Stopped at the grocery store for milk and rawhide dog bones (much needed distraction for when I leave home for aforementioned plans).
5. Wrote a chapter in my book that's now 5 days past due. Luckily, the characters cooperated, and I finished the chapter in about 2 1/2 hours.
6. Pulled myself out of deadline funk mode and actually applied makeup to my face. I also did something more ambitious with my hair than I usually do when I'm on deadline.
7. In the midst of all this unusual activity, I gave rawhide dog bones to the dogs. I have to do it that way, because if I give them the bones as I'm leaving, they refuse to take them and then, in retaliation for the attempted bribe, they inventory any garbage I forgot to carry out with me and sometimes even decorate the living room with shredded toilet paper. I have discovered that the timing of the bribe is everything!
8. Drove across the valley to meet author buddies RaeAnne Thayne and Nicole Jordan for lunch. Had a wonderful couple of hours talking about author stuff. Thanks again, Nicole! I owe you one!
9. Picked up my daughter from work since the end of lunch and the end of her work day coincided quite neatly. I sat in the shade of a large oak tree for about 15 minutes waiting for her to come out of her office, during which time I . . .
10. Started reading the book my book club is reading this month: TENDING ROSES by Lisa Wingate. It's too soon to have much of an opinion yet, but the few pages I've read were well written and pulled me in to the story. I'm eager to get back to it.
11. Decided which restaurant I'd like my kids to take me for my birthday tomorrow. With Ian leaving for the Middle East in just 10 days and Vanessa planning to spend half of the time he's gone in Missouri with his family, the only thing I want for my birthday is time with my family. So my kids are taking me to Red Lobster for my birthday dinner tomorrow.
12. Developed a sudden, intense craving for ice cream in a waffle cone which I indulged with my very first visit to Stone Cold Creamery. What can I say? Tomorrow's my birthday. It was all the excuse I needed.
13. Wrote another chapter of the WIP while also watching the live double eviction show on "Big Brother." Yeah, I know, it seems weird, but when I was a kid doing my homework, I needed background noise. My sister needed absolute quiet to do her homework. I did mine to reruns of "Perry Mason." The TV in the background thing still works for me. I don't know why. Maybe it's because it keeps the work from feeling like work. Or maybe I'm just extremely odd. All I know is that silence doesn't work for me when I'm writing, and music only works some of the time. However, I will clarify this by saying that the TV in the background really has to be TV in the background. Reruns work well because I don't have to pay attention to follow the plot. Shows on the Food Network or HGTV work well for the same reason. There's no plot, so I can tune in or tune out as necessary because I know that the recipes and/or instructions will be available online. I can't write while watching a movie or a show I've never seen before.
Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. Mama Pajama
(leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)
1 comment:
Oooh. We watched Big Brother too. Nice to see someone else admit to it....you either love it or hate it....bye bye Jess and Eric...
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