Break and Day 3 of Journal (8/3/96)

I'm taking a short, rare break from my tasks.  I just needed a breather from the task I'm working on, so I figured I'd use the moment here.  Also, I'm eating lunch and there's no one here to take an official break with.

I still haven't made a new game plan on how I'm going to approach the last edits on my manuscript.  After which I need to write a good synopsis and send out more queries.  I figure this time away from the book is only going to help.  Diving back in with a fresh outlook is usually recommended, so aside from the fact that I don't want to put it off so long that I just never get around to it, I'm not beating myself up over this time not editing.

The jewelry is going well.  I've been busy to the point where I'm making something or polishing and finishing something on a nightly basis.  That's all fine except for the fact that I really want a break from everything once in a while and it has been a few days since I've felt like I've been able to have that.  I get home from work after picking up the kiddo from daycare, then she and I watch a cartoon, play, eat dinner, she goes to bed and I start working on jewelry.  I get done by 9:30 and I'm too tired to read or do anything much for myself. 

On Sunday, I made time for myself (even during Father's Day, haha) to go to the Central Library in Phoenix during the kiddo's nap.  It was GORGEOUS.  Five floors!!

I checked out a bunch of kids' books and two books for myself.  Every time I go to the library I have a mental battle over whether I should get myself a book.  I always break down and check one or two out but I usually never end up reading them or even opening them. 

The first of the two I checked out is Tenth of December by George Saunders.  I had heard a lot about it when it was first released, and since it was available and I knew it was a compilation of short stories, I didn't feel bad about checking it out.  I've already read a couple of the short stories and I'm really enjoying it.  The second is a full novel but it looked like a light read so I'm hoping I can start it in a week or so and actually have it done before they're due back.


Now on to my journal entry from August of 1996...

 

Diary 8/3/96

Forget those first pages!  That was a while ago and now I am not who I was!
  The other day I went for a run and on my way home I was walking up a hill and (I was too tierd to run!) I saw a huming bird!  It was as big as a wasp!  The thing that was so great about it is that I touched it!
  I'm crying now because I think, I don't know how to put this in words so I'll explain.  Never Mind!
  I still HATE Jessica and Sarah!  Their both BITCHES! (excuse my french) I'm trying to make new friends but that's hard to do during the summer!
  I haven't done much during the summer, just stuff with Rose and Jeanette.
  On the 22nd My family and me are going to Hershey park.
  Why is my handwriting so bad?!?!  It gets worse every day!  I guess I'll just have to live with it!
  Sarah would have made a good friend but she hung out with Jessica too much!

                                Oh Well!

                                         Millie


Why do the French get all the blame for bad language?

Today really sucked.

After seeing a cute quote on Facebook the other day (I'd repost it here but I don't feel like scrolling through to find it...3 days is a lot of stuff to scroll through), I started a new habit of keeping track in my journal at least one good thing that happened to me everyday.  The quote said something along the lines of 'Not every day is good, but there's something good in every day'.  I'm really needing that piece of advice today because it really wasn't a very good day.

This morning, before even drinking my first cup of coffee, I got a negative email from a customer of my jewelry shop (Carmella's Jewelry).  She bought earrings from me and I sent them with one pair on the ear hook backwards (whoops...totally my bad).  But when I fixed them and sent them back (since that was her one and only complaint), she emailed me (this morning) and said there's a 'scuff' on part of the silver (THEY'RE HOMEMADE) and wants a NEW pair because that's what she paid for (THEY ARE NEW).  So I sent her another pair that probably won't satisfy her ridiculously high expectations, and I wish I could just refund her money altogether and be done with her.  I'm still hoping I'll figure out a way to give her a negative review (without receiving on in return, I'm doing the right thing in this, not her) on Etsy to warn other sellers.  She certainly has no right shopping on Etsy with that type of regard for handmade products.  GRR.

So I got over that.  Then comes lunch, and the terribly-two-year-old toddler's nap.  I spent a good hour searching for jobs, and 45 minutes applying for one in particular.  Whenever I get a good chunk of time in on the job search, I feel a bit of satisfaction toward that part of my life and it lingers for most of the day.  I submitted the application at 3:55pm.  At 4:31pm (since I'm an addict of my computer, the Internet, and checking my email) I already received a reply.  They're looking for other candidates whose 'qualifications more closely match our selection criteria'.  It was an administrative job at a university.  Whatever.  I got a good cry out of it anyway.

Another day of no book editing.  I got barely half a chapter done.  I still plan to work on it tonight, but I also plan on taking the dog for a walk, giving the toddler a bath, and watching a movie with the hubby (that last one probably won't happen, we're both exhausted and cranky...he's now getting the icky cold and mine is still making me feel kind of icky).  

We'll see.

Here's that thing I found on Facebook the other day (I think we all knew I was going to go find it...and if you didn't know that about me, you do now!  Any excuse to scroll endlessly on Facebook for a full minute).

The something good in my day (because it's true, there's always something good in any kind of day):
I had a really good workout at the gym and the kiddo made it through the whole hour without pooping (they call the parents to the babysitting area to change dirty diapers and she almost always poops before lunch...it was 11-12 and she held it in...thanks baby girl!) or biting (they flat out kick you for biting).

Update:  I finished that chapter I was editing, walked the dog (I love walks with the dog), and gave the twice-a-day pooping machine a bath.  The movie didn't happen, as suspected, but at least all the other things on the list did!

Still Thanksgiving

So, I went back a few blog posts (which was about how long it took me to get to the beginning of this blog...this year anyway) and I sort of regret not keeping up with you. I am currently at 64% with my book (Holy S****, right? compared to the last time I updated you) and on Chapter Twenty Two (is there supposed to be a hyphen between Twenty and Two? Shouldn't I know this?!).

My story is moving along pretty much exactly how I want it to. Somedays I feel awesome about it, and others I'm overwhelmed with fear that it'll be a flop when I'm all done and finally doing my first read-through.

I listened to that whole Audible book about the 'Successful Novelist' and loved it. I might re-listen to it soon. I then listened to Stephen King's 'On Writing', which was also a great motivator. Now I'm on to 'Stein's On Writing', which is so far my least favorite of the three, but I can't tell if it's because of the narrator or the book itself. Either way, the fact that I'm listening to audiobooks about writing, reading a book in my genre ('Matched' by Ally Condie, totally addictive and I'm loving it), still unemployed (not proud, just finding it helpful for the book), and able to drive 10 minutes to the nearest Barnes N Noble.. have all been adding to the recipe that is me finishing my first ever book.

It's not like I got to this point without a lot of dedication and struggling. Like I said a few months ago, I was a damn busy woman when I started writing this book. For example, the first two weeks of writing this involved a full-time job, a ridiculously busy two weeks of two summer courses in grad school (basically a full semester crammed into 4 weeks), Jane, selling a house, and I think there was a bout of strep throat in there too. Then, when school was done, I still had the job, the house selling, Jane having strep and me getting it AGAIN, and then actually moving to the other side of the country.

Right now, I'm getting about 750 (average) words written a day but I'm still in school and my jewelry shop had a crazy busy spurt. Plus, no more daycare (we miss them soo much! Hardest part about leaving dubois...saying goodbye to Jane's first friends :( ) ...so yea, lots more time now, but still really busy. I think all of that helps in getting me to write when I do finally have time. Then again, on some days it's definitely placed on the back burner in order to really shut off for a bit.

I guess right now I'm sort of giving myself a shout out for how far I've gotten. 64%. Damn. Obviously if I don't reach the story's end by 70,000 I'll keep going. But for all intents and purposes (I suck at common phrases..is that even right?), I'm gonna finish it if I get that far, you know? And if I go past 70,000 words, I'll be at 105%, 110%, etc. :)

64%!!!!!!!!


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Location:Litchfield Park, AZ