My Week Away

Today's Word: "tetchy"
tetchy \TECH-ee\ (adjective) - Peevish; testy; irritable.*

Wednesday. Had an absolutely lovely time with the BMWs - and we didn't even work. Three of us have birthdays close around this time, so we went out for dinner and celebrated. Great little Italian place in West Nashville. Good pizza.

Thursday. I think I actually had a normal day on Thursday. I've spent the past week keeping myself purposely away from the computer and getting some reading done - and I'm doing something I rarely, if ever, do ... I'm reading more than one book at a time. One fiction, one nonfiction. Stephen King is changing the way I view myself as a writer.

Friday. I have reached the age now where certain things have to be taken care of in the realm of health maintenance. And we'll just leave it at that, shall we? Friday started out rather *meh* and then got better - spent most of the day just relaxing in the recliner and reading. You're beginning to notice a pattern here? It's really rather liberating, not pushing myself to crank out my 1,000-1,500 words a day. I'm taking time out for some mentally soothing activities - all the while I know that the WIP is simmering ... not so much cooking as sort of bubbling, with all the flavors and spices and main ingredients blending into one another - in the back of my brain, ready for me to tackle it again. And this will happen soon, as soon as I've finished with the King.

Saturday. Saturday was pretty much the same as Friday. By now, you're yawning ... boh-ring, JB - is that all you're doing is reading? Well, yes. Yes, I am. Because I've been given free license and rein to do that, thank you very much. World's best advice in a little paperback book: Read a lot, and write a lot. I've been doing more of one than the other recently, and I need balance. I'm catching up and moving forward.

Easter. I did forget to mention that the WGH had one whale of a sinus infection last week, and bless him, he was kind enough to share some of his germs with me. So, I've been fighting a scratchy throat and the sniffles for several days, and now Little Bit has it and has stayed home from school today. But in the midst of the cold, I got out on Sunday morning and went to church, to serve as a "parking lot greeter" for our late service. This amounted to 45 minutes standing out in the chilly but sun-shiny weather and welcoming folks as they came in from the lot, directing them to the sanctuary and wishing them a Happy Easter. The WGH had gone in early to play for the first service, and the kids rode in with me. By the time the second service was ready to start, I was ready to go home, and bless my hubby's dear heart, he called me on the cell and said, "The music's going to be really loud" (our late service is contemporary as opposed to traditional) "do you want to go home with me?" Oh yeah, that sounds like a great idea. I called the Tall One to make sure she had keys to my car and told her she could drive herself and her siblings home, and the WGH and I came home, put on our comfies and spent an hour in blissful, quiet napdom. Topping off the day, my supervisor let me take half my shift off because work volumes were low, so it turned out to be a nice, quiet Sunday afternoon. We like.

Monday. So we're starting a new week, and I'm still in down mode. Once I get through today, though, it's going to be full steam ahead, all engines running, with a goal of 1,500 or more words a day until this manuscript's first draft is finished. No excuses. It's a good story, and by jiminy I'm going to write it.

Now, I'm sure all that probably wasn't worth the wait, but since at the moment I lead a fairly mundane existence, I'm afraid that's as good as it gets today. But don't get tetchy. At least you know I'm still here.

Read a book. Or three or four. It's good for you - probably better than you realize. (Even the WGH said the other day he thinks he needs to read more - but what he'll read is for another post.)

=) JB

A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors.
-- Charles Baudelaire, French poet and critic (1821-1867)

*from ArcaMax Vocabulary, 03/09/07 [And no, I'm not really in that kind of mood today, I just thought it was a cool word.]