Finished

Tonight I started and finished a short story. It's the first short story that I've managed to finish in ages. I actually journaled a portion of it a couple weeks ago, with a quite different intention plot. So, I guess I could use the original story idea for a different story. :) It feels good to actually finish something; I always struggle with how to end stories. I am not sure that I am 100% sure about the end that I have, but it's a strong enough beginning...er...end.

It's been a sleepy weekend so far. Missed my game group last night because I came home and made the mistake of laying down in bed to take a brief nap...three hours later I woke up. I stayed away from four more hours and then slept until 11 am today, which means that I missed pilates this morning. Then this afternoon I took a couple hours naps. Damn this rainy weather!

The history of nursery rhymes book that I am reading is actually pretty interesting...

Nikki on 03.18.07 @ 01:41 AM PST [link] [Come on, Folks!]

The More I Write...

...the more I spend. I spend the first portion of my newly hacked out writing time doing writing exercises. I have a great book by Bonni Boldberg, Room to Write, that I used several years ago when I was much better about writing more frequently. However, I have done most of them and I can't seem to reuse the exercises because with my propensity to remember things, I remember what I wrote, even thought it was six years ago, and that's all I can think about. I have a couple others that are okay, but sometimes I just need something new to motivate me. So, I explored Amazon a bit and found a list of five or so books that looked appealing. Being the instant gratification girl that I am, I couldn't order them from Amazon, even though it would be cheaper, because then I would have to wait and I have a journal to fill up in the meantime. So, off to Elliot Bay Books I went. I only found two of the books on the list, which is definitely a good start, but all I can think about is what if one of the others is better? What if one of them has the exercise that will unlock the perfect scene or story idea from my brain? Anyway, then I bought the latest Jacquelyn Mitchard book, which is actually a young adult novel, but I love her too much not to read it. The final purchase was a book from the bargain table that gives the history of the creation of nursery rhymes, which I found to be an intriguing topic. I love the bargain table because they often contain books that are great (that's how I discovered Yarn Harlot) but that I wouldn't ever think to go looking for. Speaking of Yarn Harlot, she has a new book out today but the bookstore didn't have it. I put my name down to be contacted once it's in...but I don't know. I might need to go to Barnes and Noble tonight to buy it. I can't live without having it! Well, maybe that's a bit extreme...But I do want it sooner than later. And I do need to find those other writing books...

Nikki on 03.15.07 @ 03:49 PM PST [link] [Come on, Folks!]

Roots

I feel like lately I've avoided writing. Sure, the laptop and other writing acoutremot (I am sure that's totally misspelled but I don't have time to look it up.) are littering the living room. But I will do just about anything else but write: knitting, watching tv/movies, taking baths, etc. Now these are not senseless tasks...but it's really just avoidance. I don't know really why I haven't writing. I have some theories and that's about it. I've been unhappy lately and I am not sure if being unhappy is causing the distance from writing or the other way around. Perhaps a bit of both. So, last night I decided I need to DO something. Yes, knitting is fun...but it's not as good a medication for melancholy as writing is, I believe. So I've taken a few measures to kick myself in the butt. I set an alarm on my cell phone to remind me to stop whatever it is that I am doing and write. I've let myself believe for quite some time now that I can't write at home; I need to be out or I get too distracted. Well, that's silly. So, I moved off the couch and sat at the dining room table. I also started off with a writing exercise from my favorite writing exercise book and managed to write a scene about "Going Home" for nearly an hour. And that was just supposed to be the warmup! Satisfied with it, I returned to a short story I started ages ago. I am nearly finished with it....although I am unsure exactly how it's going to end. Ending stories is always a problem for me. And I don't have a good twist yet. The first one that I thought of was just too contrived. I have a small one...but I need something better. And as always happens when I am writing, I had an idea to explain something and realized that I am going to have to set that up earlier in the story, otherwise it, too, will be too contrived. The story is about 13 pages now...not exactly short. But the editing comes later, I suppose.

It felt good to write in the writing journal for the first time in a long time. Because of the novel, I had gotten into the habit of thinking I needed to be working in the laptop. But I have a buttload of awesome journals that deserve to be filled with more than monologues and diatribes lamenting my sorry little life. I need to start carrying my writing journal with me all the time, because sometimes I get ideas for things and don't have anything to write it in.

I didn't even have any music on when I wrote last night.

I noticed that my penmanship sucked last night. I am not sure if this is because of 1)Knitting so much lately has tired my small motor skills 2)I'm out of practice with writing because I type so much 3)My brain was thinking too quickly for my poor little left hand to keep up.

I've found today that my mood is improved a bit here at work. I am irritated by things, but am at least able to pretend like I'm not as irritated as I actually am. I will consider that a victory. :)

Thing to remember: I am a writer first, knitter after that.

Nikki on 03.13.07 @ 11:23 AM PST [link] [Come on, Folks!]

Most Boring Weekend Ever

Friday night was kinda fun. Melissa and some other friends and I went to this go-cart racing place in Mulkiteo. The racing part was only about 10 minutes, but it wasstill fun to drive that fast. Melissa drove like a granny and caused several collisions because it's hard to get around people, but it was still a good time. Saturday was pilates and today was church...that's about it. Good news is that I finished the baby quilt that I've been knitting for a couple weeks. It only took three and a half skeins...but I had a Yarn Harlot moment at Ben Franklin. As I looked in the sales bin, I saw some really pretty deep purple yarn that was only four dollars a skein and the skeins were really big...because of this good price, and because I don't have a project in mind yet for said yarn and who knows how much I will need once I think of a project, I dug around until I'd fished out all five skeins. That's just crazy....here I've been trying to make the stash diminish....oh well. This is the lifestyle of a knitter...or so Yarn Harlot says.

I am desperate to go on some kind of vacation. I don't care if it's a long weekend or in the middle of a week...and at this point I don't even care where it's at. I just want to GO somewhere that isn't here. There's the ever elusive work trip to Burbank, but I can't count on that because they've been talking about that for months now. I could just go to Disneyland...but I thought that I would save that for when I do go down there for work and then I'll just extend the trip by a couple days; at least the airfair is paid for that way. :) So then I am left with 1)Where to go? 2)Do I really want to go alone? I spend enough time alone as it is...the idea of going somewhere else alone really just isn't that appealing. It's way more fun to chat with someone throughout the day. So, I don't know. I don't have a passport yet; I thought about going to Vancouver or Nanaimo or something. But that's not going to work...plus, I think the exchange rate there right now is nonoptimal for us USians. Surely there must be someplace I can go and someone who wants to go!

Nikki on 03.11.07 @ 11:10 PM PST [link] [Come on, Folks!]

Good Mood

I woke up this morning and, I don't know if it's the sunshine or the warmer weather or the fact I was out last night...but I am in a really good mood. It's been awhile, too, so it's a welcome change. Yesterday I thought I was coming down with something...just felt the precurser of sickness, but between the two Airbornes that I took and the two orange juices that I drank, I feel fine now. (knock on wood)

Nikki on 03.06.07 @ 11:15 AM PST [link] [Come on, Folks!]

Good Hair and Makeup

My plans were cancelled at the last minute tonight and now I have good hair and makeup on (which is a rarity) and nothing to do. Mika just doesn't seem to care that I look cute. Sigh.

Went to Lens Crafters yesterday and ordered some new glasses. I figured out that I haven't have any new eyeglasses since right before I started working at MS, which will be seven years ago this Tuesday. Needlesstosay, those lenses are several prescriptions behind my current contacts. I had narrowed it down to two frames - both about the same size, although one was more oval shapes, similar to my current frames, while the other was more rectangular. I really had a hard time choosing, but finally decided upon the rectangle frames because...well, what the hell? I don't wear my glasses very often and even if I do wear them...it's good to switch it up a bit, maybe surprise people...or myself.

I would say that I am about halfway finished with the baby blanket that I am knitting. Due to my severe lack of social life lately, I've been able to work on it a lot at night while I am watching tv. There's a part of me that wants to keep it because I like it so much. But then I tell myself that I should give it away if I like it that much. And then part of me says to sell it on Ebay and see how much I can make. :)

Nikki on 03.04.07 @ 08:27 PM PST [link]