A pro procrastinator that is. I freely admit it. I'm procrastinating right this very minute.
I've been trying to get some writing done tonight but it's not going very well. I have this annoying headache (a precursor to the storm we're expecting)and the words just aren't co-operating. The words are there, they just don't want to fall into place the way they should.
I even isolated the section I'm having a problem with and it's not helping. To be honest, I find editing on the computer a pain in the butt. I like to edit a hard copy - I can make notes in the margins and cross stuff out - it's not the same as deleting because you can still see what's there.
In other news, by the time I figured out the proper setting on my camera the night of the eclipse the moon was fully eclipsed. I have some decent after eclipse pictures, but the pre-eclipse ones are crap. C'est la vie.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Eek! Lips!
Okay, this might not be the sanest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
Tonight is a total lunar eclipse. I’m putting on my boots and coat and going outside every ten minutes or so to take pictures of it.
I was going to try and coax a friend into going down to the park with me for this, but the moon is high enough in the sky that I can do it from my back deck.
I’m using my good old digital camera (and I do mean old) so I don’t know how well the pictures will turn out, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I’ll let you know how I do.
Tonight is a total lunar eclipse. I’m putting on my boots and coat and going outside every ten minutes or so to take pictures of it.
I was going to try and coax a friend into going down to the park with me for this, but the moon is high enough in the sky that I can do it from my back deck.
I’m using my good old digital camera (and I do mean old) so I don’t know how well the pictures will turn out, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
I’ll let you know how I do.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Roads Not Taken
Normally my weekend starts with sleeping in until 9 and then catching back to back episodes of Clean Sweep. Then I’ll have lunch and putter away my time until supper and spend my evening castigating myself because I didn’t get anything accomplished. I also promise myself I’ll do better the next day (which I rarely do).
Yesterday I made a departure from habit, I went out for brunch with an old friend. We met down town at one of the local bakeries, the best kind of place for brunch. We caught up on personal news (it’s been a while since we’ve been together) and agreed we should do this more often and that growing old sucks. It was a quick visit, but even so the fresh air was invigorating and it made me realize that I need to get out more on the weekends.
Later on I kept thinking about the old “getting old” thing, which of course slid into the whole “where did my life go” thing (a discussion I’ve had a few times with a different friend). This, of course leads to a whole whack of regrets for the things I never did, but wish I had.
One of the dangers of looking back too much is that you get so mired in the “should haves” and “could haves” that you end up in a downward spiral of regret that is almost impossible to pull out of. But there’s a reason it’s called the past. It’s because it has passed. Short of building a time machine, there is no way of getting that time back.
By the same token, we can also become so focused on the future that we fail to see what is right in front of us, putting things off today in favor of a more benign future. Just as we have no control over our past, we have little control over our future either. No one knows what tomorrow may bring.
Focus on the present. Because in reality, the present is all we really have.
Yesterday I made a departure from habit, I went out for brunch with an old friend. We met down town at one of the local bakeries, the best kind of place for brunch. We caught up on personal news (it’s been a while since we’ve been together) and agreed we should do this more often and that growing old sucks. It was a quick visit, but even so the fresh air was invigorating and it made me realize that I need to get out more on the weekends.
Later on I kept thinking about the old “getting old” thing, which of course slid into the whole “where did my life go” thing (a discussion I’ve had a few times with a different friend). This, of course leads to a whole whack of regrets for the things I never did, but wish I had.
One of the dangers of looking back too much is that you get so mired in the “should haves” and “could haves” that you end up in a downward spiral of regret that is almost impossible to pull out of. But there’s a reason it’s called the past. It’s because it has passed. Short of building a time machine, there is no way of getting that time back.
By the same token, we can also become so focused on the future that we fail to see what is right in front of us, putting things off today in favor of a more benign future. Just as we have no control over our past, we have little control over our future either. No one knows what tomorrow may bring.
Focus on the present. Because in reality, the present is all we really have.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Snow Snow Go Away
Normally, I'm the first to say if it has to be winter, we might as well have snow to pretty it up. Well, enough already! I'm quite willing for it to be Spring . . . any time now. Seriously.
The writing's not going so great right now. The spirit is willing but the body is sick and tired.
Maybe it's the snow. Too much of it causes a winter of the soul.
The writing's not going so great right now. The spirit is willing but the body is sick and tired.
Maybe it's the snow. Too much of it causes a winter of the soul.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Aftershock
So far, four people have quit outright and two are still thinking about it. A couple have been going home sick. One girl who's been off on medical leave was supposed to come back Monday but is re-thinking it.
Our Manager has submitted her resignation and starts her new job Monday.
One of the supervisors is also leaving.
But the good news is, my cold is better. I took yesterday off and spend the day popping cold pills and sleeping. That's pretty much what I'd done today too. I'm feeling almost human again.
I've left the house 3 times in the last two days. Once to grocery shop and twice to take cats to the vet. And look what I found! I've figured out what my project for this summer will be. Check THIS out!
Our Manager has submitted her resignation and starts her new job Monday.
One of the supervisors is also leaving.
But the good news is, my cold is better. I took yesterday off and spend the day popping cold pills and sleeping. That's pretty much what I'd done today too. I'm feeling almost human again.
I've left the house 3 times in the last two days. Once to grocery shop and twice to take cats to the vet. And look what I found! I've figured out what my project for this summer will be. Check THIS out!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Work is a Four-lettered Word
Pour yourself a cup of coffee, this might take awhile.
First of all. I have the mother of all head colds. And do you know why I have the mother of all colds? It’s because someone who was returning to work after a maternity leave sat in our little corner for the last few days, coughing and sneezing all over everything and everyone. And she didn’t even have accommodation to sit there! I am SOOOOO pissed off!
Second of all. We were blind-sided at work today with the news that all billing trained chat reps were now to do billing over the phone. A few got switched over right away, then later in the day the rest of us suddenly found ourselves with programs popping up without any warning whatsoever.
I was right in the middle of a chat when they switched to the on-phone billing! I had five notifications that I had calls before I realized what was going on.
And the company motto? Honesty, Dignity and Respect.
What a bunch of bullshit!
Billing over the phone, for those of you not in the know, is why I was on a ten month medical leave and ended up both medicated and in therapy. The therapy ended over a year ago and I’ve been off the meds for two months now. I’d like to keep it this way.
It was stated in the forms my doctor filled out before I returned to work that I was to stay away from the technical support and billing over the phone. We’ll see if it stands up over the next few weeks.
First of all. I have the mother of all head colds. And do you know why I have the mother of all colds? It’s because someone who was returning to work after a maternity leave sat in our little corner for the last few days, coughing and sneezing all over everything and everyone. And she didn’t even have accommodation to sit there! I am SOOOOO pissed off!
Second of all. We were blind-sided at work today with the news that all billing trained chat reps were now to do billing over the phone. A few got switched over right away, then later in the day the rest of us suddenly found ourselves with programs popping up without any warning whatsoever.
I was right in the middle of a chat when they switched to the on-phone billing! I had five notifications that I had calls before I realized what was going on.
And the company motto? Honesty, Dignity and Respect.
What a bunch of bullshit!
Billing over the phone, for those of you not in the know, is why I was on a ten month medical leave and ended up both medicated and in therapy. The therapy ended over a year ago and I’ve been off the meds for two months now. I’d like to keep it this way.
It was stated in the forms my doctor filled out before I returned to work that I was to stay away from the technical support and billing over the phone. We’ll see if it stands up over the next few weeks.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Progress
I have to admit that I've been doing more reading than writing this past week. Reading is one of the few things we can get away with when it's slow at work and it kind of spilled over into my after work time.
Amongst the other books I read, I re-read the Katie MacAlister vampire series (five books in all). Even if you don't like vampire romances I highly recommend them. They're very well written and never fail to make me laugh.
There was a time when I wouldn't do a lot of reading if the writing was going well. In fact, the more I'd read the less I'd write and vice versa. It appears, however, that I've overcome this hurdle. I'm still plugging away at my own writing, even though I've been doing so much reading this week.
Driving Into Forever started out as an experiment of sorts. It was my first attempt at Nano, where you have 30 days to write a 50,000 novel. Because I wrote it so fast I left out a lot of the necessary detail. I fell short on my word count and now I'm having to make up for it.
The more I work on it, the more I'm able to refine the story. There's much more to it now than just 'boy meets girl under unusual circumstances'. There's a whole adventure, espionage line on top of the romance, and I'm even finding the back story that explains the characters motivations.
In otherwords, I'm starting to enjoy working on it. This is the way writing should be. It's not the word count that matters, it's the words.
Amongst the other books I read, I re-read the Katie MacAlister vampire series (five books in all). Even if you don't like vampire romances I highly recommend them. They're very well written and never fail to make me laugh.
There was a time when I wouldn't do a lot of reading if the writing was going well. In fact, the more I'd read the less I'd write and vice versa. It appears, however, that I've overcome this hurdle. I'm still plugging away at my own writing, even though I've been doing so much reading this week.
Driving Into Forever started out as an experiment of sorts. It was my first attempt at Nano, where you have 30 days to write a 50,000 novel. Because I wrote it so fast I left out a lot of the necessary detail. I fell short on my word count and now I'm having to make up for it.
The more I work on it, the more I'm able to refine the story. There's much more to it now than just 'boy meets girl under unusual circumstances'. There's a whole adventure, espionage line on top of the romance, and I'm even finding the back story that explains the characters motivations.
In otherwords, I'm starting to enjoy working on it. This is the way writing should be. It's not the word count that matters, it's the words.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
More Friend Stuff
I used to think that with today's technology, namely computers, that it's easier in this day and age for parted friends to keep in touch than it was say 15 or 20 years ago.
I'm willing to admit I was wrong.
Thirty years ago, before computers, my closest friend moved away. For more than a decade she moved all over Ontario, yet we never lost touch. How, you ask? Good old fashioned snail mail. We became champion letter writers - large missives filled with the minutiae of our daily lives.
Fast forward to the present where a single stamp is almost a dollar, but everyone has a computer. And if you don't have one of your own, it's easy to get access to one. E-mail accounts are free of charge. Even my computer phobic husband has a hotmail address.
You'd think this would make it easier for friends to stay in touch, even when they move, but you're forgetting one very important thing. Friendship, like any relationship, takes work. You have to make an effort.
My friend and I have progressed to e-mail but we're still friends. We still keep in touch. We still make the effort.
Maybe if we all made a little more effort the world would be a friendlier place.
I'm willing to admit I was wrong.
Thirty years ago, before computers, my closest friend moved away. For more than a decade she moved all over Ontario, yet we never lost touch. How, you ask? Good old fashioned snail mail. We became champion letter writers - large missives filled with the minutiae of our daily lives.
Fast forward to the present where a single stamp is almost a dollar, but everyone has a computer. And if you don't have one of your own, it's easy to get access to one. E-mail accounts are free of charge. Even my computer phobic husband has a hotmail address.
You'd think this would make it easier for friends to stay in touch, even when they move, but you're forgetting one very important thing. Friendship, like any relationship, takes work. You have to make an effort.
My friend and I have progressed to e-mail but we're still friends. We still keep in touch. We still make the effort.
Maybe if we all made a little more effort the world would be a friendlier place.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Answer
Okay. Does everybody know what they would have done in Ava's place?
It might be noted that Ava's fiance was living with her. She also has cats and dogs and a son. I would expect her home was already crowded.
But without hesitation, Ava told Bee she was coming home with her. There was plenty of room in the basement to store her stuff and Bee and the kids could squeeze in upstairs. Even the animals were welcome.
I think of my friends, both close friends and not so close friends, and I wonder if I could be as generous of spirit as Ava. What about you?
This move took place one week before Christmas. Bee and the kids are still living at Ava's and everyone is getting along great. Well, except Ava's fiance, who moved out just after Christmas.
Oh, did I mention? Ava and Bee have been friends for all of two years.
It might be noted that Ava's fiance was living with her. She also has cats and dogs and a son. I would expect her home was already crowded.
But without hesitation, Ava told Bee she was coming home with her. There was plenty of room in the basement to store her stuff and Bee and the kids could squeeze in upstairs. Even the animals were welcome.
I think of my friends, both close friends and not so close friends, and I wonder if I could be as generous of spirit as Ava. What about you?
This move took place one week before Christmas. Bee and the kids are still living at Ava's and everyone is getting along great. Well, except Ava's fiance, who moved out just after Christmas.
Oh, did I mention? Ava and Bee have been friends for all of two years.
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