The Drift of the Story

Late, late, always late Sheila thought as she slammed the car into gear reversing the sluggish, cold car out of the drive. "I really must take time to warm up the car" she said to her son Tony as she started on the short commute to his school while the sun slowly rose in the east. Luckily the frost on the windshield resembled a snowflake painting instead of a solid mass of ice.

Sheila turned onto the busy street connecting their neighborhood with the local elementary school. Suddenly the sun broke over the trees and the windshield became opaque. Sheila attempted to steer by what she could see, the ice encrusted side of the road through the extreme right of the windshield, slowing the car to a crawl and mentally apologizing to any cars behind her.

"Can you see?" she asked Tony who, at 6, was of limited help with navigation. "Mom!" he squeaked. "Don't worry, Tony the road curves just ahead and then I'll be able to see" she reassured her son as best she could over the "shit shit shit" monotone she heard in her head.

"AAAAAHHHH" they both yelled as the car suddenly lifted on the right side and bounced loudly scraping over the ice wall on the side of the road and suddenly coming to a stop. Sheila looked over at her son, thankful that no one was hurt.

"Don't tell Daddy"

How to be a Writer

So, I've been reading "I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After 20 Years Away" by Bill Bryson and listening to David Sedaris on my iPhone and so am really motivated to write. Well, I'm motivated with the idea of writing.

I read somewhere, sometimes, that the difference between a writer and someone who is not a writers, is that a writer writes. That was profound in a true Yoda way and so it has stuck with me through out the years of non-writing.

So, last night when I couldn't possibly be writing anything (which is usually when I feel the most pull to write - like you only feel like cleaning our your bedroom closet when you are at work) I debated with myself as to whether 500 words a day would make a writer, or 1000. And, would I be able to think of enough things to say... I mean write. So, of course, today my biggest goal was trying to figure out how to determine how many words I had written. It's easy to do in a writing tool, but not on a blog. And, did I want to write there and post here, but then why not just save there since really who was going to read it here anyway.

I decided, that I'd just guess and that would be close enough. (I did cut and paste a bunch of words into a document to see what 500 words looks like - it's really not all that many, so that is now my goal).

Ok, I couldn't help myself, the above is 260.

I read an article in the paper this morning about how the US had promised in 2002 or maybe 1999 to lower it's carbon footprint (signed it's name on the dotted line and all) but hadn't. Hadn't even really tried. Oh Wait, that was in Bill Bryson's book. Well, anyway, source not withstanding, it's not exactly surprising, but I've been trying to do my part. Today, I've done a good job of turning off lights when I'm not there. I did baulk at turning off my computer. Really, it takes way more than 2 minutes to start everything up again Bill... And, since the laptops now hibernate, I think this may not be necessary. But, I am trying to be more aware of lights and fans. (395)

My other great productivity sink today was to learn about Mousehunt on FB. I'm still not sure if I'll get addicted to this game like so many of my friends, but I do really how easy it is to say to yourself, I'll go do this very productive things, but wait, I bet it's been 15 minutes since I did a mouse hunt, I'll just go hunt really quickly and then clean out the 'fridge - which then reminds you to write 500 words and maybe you really should shower at some point, but then again, 500 words takes 15 minutes, so go ahead and hunt one more time.

oooh - 505... one quick hunt and then productivity!

I signed up for the Susan G Koman 3 day walk in Boston

I'm very excited about it. It's a great cause, and it will also be great incentive for me to get into better shape.

I walked 2 miles today on the treadmill. I did a little over a 17 minute mile. That means I'll do 20 miles in less than 6 hours (if I keep the pace and not stop). I don't have to start until March for the actual training, so until then I'm going to work on my pace. I'd love to do a 15 minute mile.

I have no idea what to expect from this event. I hope I find someone to walk with me.

I also signed up for a Biggest Loser challenge at the gym. As you can probably tell, fitness is my particular goal for 2008 (although it was also there for 2007 - Fit by 40 - well, I'm now 40 and not fit so I'll do Fit in the 40s).

Have you ever googled yourself

and realized that there are lots of people out there with your name; but, none of them, evidently, are you.

Fit by Forty

is off to a slow start as well. I'm starting to question the whole goal after listening to "The Sweet Potato Queens' Wedding Planner/Divorce Guide" read by the author Jill Conner Browne. She read that the "experts" decided that carrying a few extra pounds actually made us live longer. I contrast this with the National Georgraphic's August 2004 issue that I can't seem to get out of my bathroom with the cover story "The Heavy Cost of Fat" which seems to assert that we're all fat and going to drop dead of it at any moment (at least us Americans).

Actually, I like the fit part, but maybe the fat part is ok as well :)

Well, already I'm a slacker

I fully intended this year to have 365 posts... but already I cannot do this.

Friday we were bad parents and took the kids out of school and went to the Atlanta Aquarium. We thought it wouldn't be crowded since it wasn't a holiday - but it was amazingly crowded. We got down there just a bit after 9 and by 10:15 it was as crowded as I could stand - I wonder what the weekends are like? Since we've got season passes we've decided to always plan on being there from 9 until 10 and just see what we can see. Maybe go to Centennial park aftwards when its warm and play in the fountains.

That evening we had what we thought were going to be a few people over to watch the opening ceremonies. We ended up having 12 kids and 12 or so parents over here watching - it was crazy busy and not planned so we had to bake 4 frozen pizzas and two lasagnas and everyone just ate whatever they found. I love how casual my neighborhood is... The ceremonies themselves were weird as usual, with that many people in the house I couldn't hear very well, so maybe the weirdness was explained, but I doubt it. I loved the spider people. I've not gotten into watching the sports much, but they haven't been showing many of the popular sports yet.

Saturday saw my youngest daughter turn 6. She had a party on her birthday and it went very well. I love the parties where you go somewhere, its all set up, people come, people go, you write a check, and you go home. I know that sounds lazy, but I plenty of quality things with my kids - this is not one I enjoy, so why suffer?

Today we had snow, which is very unusual in Atlanta. Big huge fluffy flakes, but other than on our deck, no sticking. Best kind of snow, although I could have handled some sticking - since it was the weekend, I'd have loved a couple inches on the yard.

365 days until I turn 40

and the day started out well. I had a good night's sleep. I got up on time, my husband was as sweet as can be. The kids got ready with minimal fuss. I got work done. I had a great lunch with my girlfriends. I shopped for my younger daughter's birthday. Then I got the phone call. The one that ruins a day. It's not that the call itself was all that significant - it wasn't. It was the tone. The mean person on the other end who is asserting something that is untrue, but hard to prove over the phone, and then he hangs up on me. Just hangs up. Hangs up. Who does that???

And, I let it upset me, for the entire evening. I hate how anger makes such a physical reaction that is so unpleasant and lasting. Headache, sweats, nausea. I hate it.

And, it's my birthday.

Well, maybe my birthday is starting this way because its going to be a great year - ya' think?